March 1, 2019
TOP STORIES
Pope defrocks Theodore McCarrick, ex-cardinal accused of sexual abuse
“Pope Francis has expelled Theodore E. McCarrick, a former cardinal and archbishop of Washington, from the priesthood(link is external), after the church found him guilty of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians over decades, the Vatican said on Saturday (Feb. 16). The move appears to be the first time any cardinal has been defrocked for sexual abuse — marking a critical moment in the Vatican’s handling of a scandal that has gripped the church for nearly two decades. It is also the first time an American cardinal has been removed from the priesthood.”By Elizabeth Dias and Jason Horowitz, The New York Times
- McCarrick removed from the priesthood after being found guilty of abuse(link is external), By Catholic News Service in The Pilot
- Theodore McCarrick will continue to be a Catholic priest(link is external), By Matthew Schmalz, Cruxnow.com
Australian Cardinal George Pell convicted of child sex abuse
“A high-ranking Catholic official has been convicted of child sex abuse(link is external)and is due to be sentenced Wednesday (Feb. 27). Australian Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis who was in charge of Vatican finances until he was accused, was found guilty of five charges of ‘historical child sexual offenses’ that go back decades. A jury in the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne where Pell, 77, was once archbishop, found the cardinal guilty after two days of deliberation in December.” By Richard Gonzales, National Public Radio
- Cardinal Pell convicted of sexual abuse, will appeal verdict(link is external), By Catholic News Service in National Catholic Reporter
- Vatican says it will await results of Pell’s appeal of sex abuse conviction(link is external), By Cruxnow.com Staff
- Cardinal Pell of Australia convicted of sexually abusing boys in 1996,(link is external)By Livia Albeck-Ripka and DamienCave, The New York Times
- George Pell: cardinal found guilty of child sexual assault(link is external), By Melissa Davey, The Guardian
- Cardinal Pell: dramatic fall from grace for Vatican treasurer(link is external), By Byron Kaye, Reuters
- Vatican: Cardinal Pell says he’s innocent, but news hurts(link is external), By Frances D’Emilio, Associated Press
- Vatican to open own investigation into accusations against Pell, By Philip Pullella, Reuters
After abuse crisis, Holy Spirit planning new ‘season’ for the church
“The laity may be angry over the most recent revelations of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis, but bishops, particularly younger ones, share in that anger and ‘want to move with real force’ toward solutions and it could yield a new season for the church(link is external), said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Feb. 6.” By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com
Why does the Catholic Church keep failing on sexual abuse, By Emma Green
“A few years after Seán O’Malley took over the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003, at the peak of the clergy sexual-abuse crisis in America(link is external), he led novenas of penance at nine of the city’s most affected parishes. At each church he visited, he lay facedown on the floor before the altar, begging for forgiveness. This is how O’Malley has spent his life in ministry: cleaning up after pedophile priests and their apologists, and serving as the Catholic Church’s public face of repentance and reform.” By Emma Green, The Atlantic
How Long, O Lord, Must We Wait
“How long O Lord? How long must we wait for both clergy and laity to recognize that incremental change will not work(link is external)? We need wide-ranging structural reform. We need checks and balances rather than the feudal governance we have now in which each bishop is the undisputed master of his diocesan fief. Catholic patience is (finally) running out. And many Catholics are working to find solutions rather than enable the present moribund clerical system.” By Christine Schenk, National Catholic Reporter
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