May 22, 2020

TOP STORIES

Cincinnati bishop resigns after failing to report local priest later accused of rape
“A Cincinnati bishop has resigned for his role in handling alleged inappropriate conduct by a priesthttps://local12.com/news/local/cincinnati-bishop-resigns-after-failing-to-report-local-priest-charged-with-rape(link is external). Bishop Joseph Binzer offered his resignation from his office as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in late April. Pope Francis accepted the resignation, which is effective Thursday (May 7). Binzer was previously removed as the Director of Priests’ Personnel after he failed to bring past concerns about Father Geoffrey Drew’s conduct to the attention of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and the Priests’ Personnel Board.” By WKRC-tV12 News

• A bishop’s resignation and the state of church reform(link is external), By Christopher Altieri, Catholic Herald

Will the Royal Commission’s investigation bring any consequences for Cardinal Pell?
“On this week’s episode of the ‘Inside the Vatican’ podcast, Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and I discuss the Australian Royal Commission’s findings that Cardinal George Pell knew about priests abusing children(link is external) in the Ballarat diocese as early as 1973, a year after he began working in that diocese, and that Cardinal Pell was involved in transferring pedophile priests between parishes.” By Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

NY judge upholds Child Victims Act after challenge by Rockville Centre diocese
“A judge ruled Wednesday (May 13) that New York’s Child Victims Act is constitutional, rejecting a suit filed by the Diocese of Rockville Centre(link is external) that claimed the law is barred by the due process clause in the state constitution. ‘The court finds the Child Victims Act is a reasonable response to remedy the injustice of past child sexual abuse,’ Justice Steven Jaeger of the New York Supreme Court in Nassau County wrote in his May 13 decision. ‘Accordingly, it does not violate defendant diocese’s right to due process under the New York State Constitution.’” By Catholic News Agency

• Child Victims Act Does Not Violate Diocese’s Due Process Right(link is external), Nassau Justice Rules, By Ryan Tarinelli, New York Law Journal

How central is Catholic church in New Orleans? Many federal judges recuse themselves from abuse cases
“One served as the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ in-house attorney. Another was on the board of the archdiocese’s seminary and earned an award for organizing monthly Masses for special-needs parishioners. A third is married to an attorney who is representing the archdiocese as it seeks bankruptcy protection. Yet another serves on an archdiocesan charity’s board. Respectively, U.S. District Judges Wendy Vitter, Jay Zainey, Sarah Vance and Ivan Lemelle are four members of the federal bench in New Orleans who have recused themselves from clergy abuse lawsuits(link is external) that were transferred to their courthouse after the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 1.” By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

Victims of clerical sex abuse suffer from P.T.S.D. They deserve better treatment.
“Oceans of ink have been spilled about the church’s sexual abuse crisis, mostly focusing on the perpetrators and cover-ups. The magnitude of the crimes deserves attention and condemnation, but the victims should not be ignored(link is external). Their pain and long-term psychological damage cannot be undone by simply identifying and punishing the offenders, many of whom are already dead. Prayer, fasting, penance, forgiveness—some of the tools in the Catholic arsenal—are not enough to heal the wounded.” By Edwin T. Collins, America: The Jesuit Review

New Australian report may help church find its way out of abuse crisis
“There are signs that the Catholic Church’s response to the sexual abuse crisis is now getting at deeper, institutional questions(link is external). In particular, how local churches — parishes and dioceses — are governed. In the last few years, a unique example that could bring encouraging news has come from the Australian church. Since 2017-18, the abuse crisis has taken on a new dimension, thanks to the unveiling of cases (such as disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick) and of extensive cover-ups identified and published in the reports of nationwide and regional investigations (such as in Australia, Chile and Pennsylvania).” By Massimo Fggioli, National Catholic Reporter

• Australian Bishops to study report on governance in the Church(link is external), By Vatican News

ACOUNTABILITY

Assessment of Vos Estis Lux Mundi on Its First Anniversary
“Last Thursday, on May 7, one year to the day since Vos Estis Lux Mundi was promulgated, we learned of what appears to be its first removal of a complicit bishop(link is external). A two-line announcement in the Vatican’s daily bulletin noted that the Pope had accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph R. Binzer from the office of the auxiliary of the Cincinnati archdiocese. Lay Catholic media are reporting that Bishop Binzer was found guilty under Vos Estis, meaning that he was found guilty of intentionally interfering with or avoiding an investigation of an abusive cleric. We don’t know this for sure, however; neither the Pope nor his proxies have made any comment. Some might point to Binzer’s resignation as a sign that Vos Estis is working. Seen differently, it reveals serious flaws in the Pope’s plan.” By Anne Barrett Doyle, BishopAccountability.org

CARDINAL PELL

Cardinal Pell ‘knew of’ clergy abuse, says Australian Royal Commission
“Cardinal George Pell knew of child sexual abuse by priests in Australia as early as the 1970s but failed to take action(link is external), a landmark inquiry found. The findings on Cardinal Pell – an ex-Vatican treasurer – come from Australia’s royal commission into child sexual abuse, which ended in 2017. Details were only revealed on Thursday. A court had previously redacted the report because the cleric was facing child abuse charges at the time. The cardinal has denied the findings.” By BBC News

• Cardinal knew of clergy abuse, an Australian report finds, By Livia Albeck-Ripka, The New York Times
• Royal commission finds Pell ‘conscious’ of priests abusing children in early ’70s,(link is external) By Paul Sakkal, The Sydney Morning Herald
• Previously redacted reports(link is external), By The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Clergy abuse survivor draws support for petition to defrock Pell
“A petition started by a clergy abuse survivor has received more than 30,000 signatures supporting his call for Cardinal George Pell to be defrocked. Paul Levey, who was abused by convicted pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale, began the Change.org petition on Friday and said he was surprised by the response.” By Matt Neal, ABC South West Victoria

BISHOPS

Coleridge re-elected as head of Australian Bishops’ Conference
“On Friday (May 8), the Bishops of Australia re-elected Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane as President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference(link is external). Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, also won re-election as Vice-President of the Conference. Both will be serving a second two-year term. The elections were held at the beginning of the Conference’s biannual plenary meeting, which runs from 7-14 May. The meeting is being held using videoconferencing on account of the coronavirus pandemic.” By Vatican News

Pope accepts resignation of Cincinnati auxiliary bishop accused of negligence in priest’s case
“Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of 65-year-old Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Binzer of Cincinnati, less than nine months after it was revealed he had failed to inform the archbishop and priest personnel board of a priest’s inappropriate conduct with minors(link is external). Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr removed Binzer as director of priest personnel for the archdiocese in August after his failure to report the incidents became known; Binzer also resigned from the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People.” By Catholic News Service in National Catholic Reporter

PRIESTS

Priest who had controversial blog has been suspended
“A Catholic priest in Virginia has been suspended of all priestly duties(link is external) from the two parishes he leads in southwestern Virginia. The suspension is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between Father Mark White and the Bishop of Richmond. White had maintained a well-known blog that was critical of the church’s handling of the sexual abuse scandal.” By Associated Press on Cruxnow.com

New Jersey parishioners protest priests’ ouster
“About 150 parishioners from St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Elizabeth, N.J., traveled by caravan Jan. 6 to Sacred Heart Cathedral here in an effort to reverse an order by Archbishop John Myers that the four priests living in their parish rectory vacate this month(link is external). The archbishop’s order — which parishioners view as an eviction notice and a summary dismissal of hard-working clergy without recognition of their longtime contribution to the church and the people of Elizabeth — was delivered to three of the priests by telephone the week before Christmas.” By Patricia LeFevere, National Catholic Reporter

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Female theologians back Ouellet: Seminaries need women involved in formation
“Several women theologians who teach in Catholic seminaries have applauded Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who argued in a recent interview that to foster a healthy relationship between the sexes, more women should be involved in priestly formation(link is external). “When women are not present in influential roles within all areas of seminarians’ formation … seminarians are at risk of gaining a distorted view of women,” author and speaker Dawn Eden Goldstein told Crux.” By Elise Ann Allen, Cruxnow.com

LAITY& THE CHURCH

The role of laity in covering up abuse
“If we are going to do real soul-searching about clergy sexual abuse, it’s time we turned the spotlight on to the laity and their role in enabling abusers(link is external). This is a difficult conversation to begin. We are used to seeing ourselves as the good guys, and the solution, not the problem: that if we had lay-led parishes or diocesan offices, this would rid us of clergy abuse for good. Unfortunately, history is not on our side. Cases of clergy sexual abuse in the English-speaking world reveal any number of compromised lay people who have helped with covering up and explaining away, either directly or indirectly.” By Dr. Phillippa Martyr, Catholic Weekly

CHURCH FINANCES

Podcast: The Vatican’s $200 million London real estate scandal, explained
“Last week, an Italian newspaper reported that Pope Francis had fired five employees who were under investigation(link is external) for their involvement in the $200 million purchase of minority stake in a luxury apartment development in London’s upscale Chelsea neighborhood … The Vatican’s judicial system is now investigating staffers who were involved in the deal for possible financial improprieties. Last year, Vatican police raided several offices in the Secretariat of State and the Vatican’s financial watchdog office and suspended the staff members.” By Coleen Dulle, America: The Jesuit Review

• Vatican official was director in London property broker’s company(link is external), By Ed Condon, Catholic News Agence

With COVID-19 Hurting Church Finances, Catholic Parishes In Boston May Consider Merging
“As many as two-thirds of the 280 Catholic parishes in Boston are working with the archdiocese to find a solution for their financial difficulties(link is external), according to church officials. Houses of worship across the commonwealth have been closed for close to two months since Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory and closed non-essential businesses in mid-March. The lack of weekly collections has made it difficult for some parishes to cover their expenses.” By Marilyn Schairer, WGBH News

CHILD PROTECTION

Child protection policies in Twin Cities ‘good in comparison to other archdioceses’
“Nearly five years after the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis entered settlement with civil authorities over its mishandling of child sex abuse cases, an independent review of its protection policies finds the archdiocese new policies ‘are good in comparison to other archdioceses in the U.S.(link is external)’ The final report was released on May 15 and conducted by CHILD USA, a research-based think tank that promotes child protection policy improvements, and compared the archdiocese’s policies to that of the other 31 archdiocesan policies around the country.” By Christopher White, Cruxnow.com

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Plenary Council assemblies set for 2021 and 2022
“The two assemblies for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia will now take place in October 2021 and April 2022, following the disruption of the original schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference last week decided to postpone the opening assembly by 12 months(link is external), with it now to be held in October 2021. Adelaide remains the venue for the first assembly. The second assembly will be in Sydney in April 2022.” By CathNews.com

How will the Catholic Church change after the coronavirus pandemic?
“A 25-minute conversation between President Trump and hundreds of bishops and other Catholic leaders sparked an intense debate about the right way for Catholic leaders to engage in politics. While the conference call got a lot of attention, it is just one story among many affecting the church in the United States(link is external), and as the national correspondent for Crux, Chris White has to try to cover them all.” By Jesuitical Podcast, America: The Jesuit Review

Sex, women, power – the three challenges Germany is issuing to the church
“The coronavirus pandemic has made the ‘synodal path’ of the Church of Germany disappear from the news. But meanwhile it continues forward. And on it not only the German Church, but the universal Catholic Church is staking its future: The synod held its first session in Frankfurt from January 30 to February 1. And the inaugural Mass, officiated by Munich cardinal Reinhard Marx, provided the portrait of it, with bishops, priests, and lay people, men and women, mixed together in the nave and arranged in alphabetical order, exactly as in the synodal assembly where each of the 230 delegates votes on an equal footing with the rest and the bishops are in the minority(link is external).” By Settimo Cielo, di Magister Blog

VOICES

Pell findings show extent of Catholic Church’s cover-up
“The cases of child abuse by Catholic clergy that have come to light over the past few decades have been damaging to the church, not just because of the horror of the individual crimes but because of what they said about the church’s higher echelons. Senior clergy were prepared to turn a blind eye to the crimes and even protect the perpetrators(link is external) in the interests of avoiding scandal and sometimes even saving cash by avoiding paying compensation to victims.” By The Sydney Morning Herald Editorial Board

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

New York extends civil ‘look back’ for child sexual assault victims
“New Yorkers who were sexually assaulted as children will have a little more time to take legal action against their alleged abusershttps://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-cuomo-extending-child-victims-act-20200508-jbpl4tbbc5cg7bx6w7g3ckq3he-story.html(link is external). Gov. Cuomo on Friday extended a “look back window” created as part of the Child Victims Act last year that allows survivors abused as kids, to file civil suits beyond the normal statute of limitations.” By Denis Slattery, New York Daily News

CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

Abuse survivor’s spiritual growth shows the church can heal, too
“This past February I sent a ‘welcome back to Philadelphia’ letter addressed to Archbishop Nelson Perez. This was written in the capacity of a survivor of clergy sex abuse at the hands of two parish priests(link is external) dating back to 1981 and as the SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) leader for Philadelphia. So imagine my surprise when I was asked to have a Zoom call with the Victim Assistance Coordinator assigned along with the Director for Children and Youth Protection. It was during our conversation that I was informed that the archbishop had received my letter and would welcome a meeting. What do I want to share with him? What will he share with me?” By Michael McDonnell, CatholicPhilly.com

‘Why didn’t he help these little boys?’: how George Pell failed the children of Ballarat
“‘Why isn’t all of Australia talking about what happened here in Ballarat?” That’s the question Clare Linane remembers asking her husband, Peter Blenkiron, 12 years ago as they were sitting in the kitchen talking about his abuse. Linane’s husband, brother and cousin had all been abused when they were children between 1973 and 1974 by Christian Brother and now convicted pedophile(link is external) Edward ‘Ted’ Dowlan. They knew they were among thousands of people living in and around Ballarat – Victoria’s largest inland city – who had been affected by child sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy.” By Melissa Davey, The Guardian

When should clergy report child abuse?
“Even though some mandatory social distancing measures are being lifted, the vast majority of young children will not be going back to school or participating in sports until fall. However, as soon as restrictions are lifted, many of these children and their families will attend religious observances where they will be seen by and talk to clergy members. Some of those returning have committed acts of child abuse and may confess these acts to members of the clergy(link is external). This raises the question: can a clergy member testify in court that an abuser confessed? It depends on whether the clergy-penitent privilege applies.” By Blake R. Hills, Real Clear Religion

Minors accounting for unprecedented amount of calls to National Sexual Assault Hotline
“For the first time, minors are making up half of the victims receiving help(link is external) from the National Sexual Assault Hotline. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), this is directly related to COVID-19. The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville said it expects Middle Tennessee to see a similar trend. Right now, SAC said kids make up 35 percent of the population it serves.” By Rachael Tiede, FOX17 News

KANSAS

KBI is investigating priests in Kansas town that draws parishioners from across U.S.
“For four decades, the Society of St. Pius X has made its home in this northeast Kansas town, its followers coming from across the country to raise their children according to traditional Catholic values. Now, with attendance at Latin Mass topping 4,000, plans are underway for the breakaway Catholic society to build a $30 million church high on its campus overlooking St. Marys. The Immaculata, the SSPX says, will become the biggest traditional Catholic church in the world. But something else is underway that threatens to overshadow the jubilation over a new house of worship with enough room to accommodate the ever-expanding flock: A criminal investigation by the state’s top law enforcement agency into allegations of priest sexual abuse(link is external).” By Judy L. Thomas, The Kansas City Star

LOUISIANA

Retired New Orleans priest invokes rights against self-incrimination in molestation lawsuit
“In a clear sign of concern about potential criminal charges, a retired New Orleans priest who is accused in a lawsuit of sexually molesting ‘countless’ children(link is external) invoked his constitutional rights against self-incrimination shortly before his deposition. Lawrence Hecker, through his attorney, served notice March 13 that he would essentially exercise his right to remain silent ‘from this point forward’ in a lawsuit filed against him and the Archdiocese of New Orleans in April 2019, according to court records.” By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

Leader of New Orleans archdiocese ministry’s board resigns after filing clergy sex abuse lawsuit
“The leader of the board of directors for one of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ various ministries resigned his post recently after claiming in a lawsuit against the church that he was molested by one of its priests decades ago(link is external). The plaintiff spoke out about his case after an April 30 letter from the ministry to his fellow board members said he had agreed to resign to avoid ‘at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.’” By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

A New Orleans priest was accused of molestation; he still collected $2,500 monthly in retirement
“Accused of sexually molesting a boy he taught before he become a priest, Paul Calamari walked into New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes’ office on Feb. 5, 2004, to discuss what might be ahead. The Catholic church had only recently been rocked by the sexual-abuse scandal in Boston. Bishops across the U.S. were dealing with allegations in their dioceses, and New Orleans was no different. Calamari ultimately chose to retire, and he began receiving a monthly pension of $1,566 from the archdiocese — which later rose to more than $2,500 a month(link is external), according to court records.” By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

• New Orleans priest admits to ‘sin’ with teen student, still wants retirement payments restarted(link is external), By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield agrees to report all clergy sexual abuse allegations to law enforcement
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield says from now on it will notify area law enforcement once it learns of any allegations of clergy sexually assaulting minors(link is external) or any other “vulnerable persons” at Western Massachusetts parishes. In a statement issued Wednesday (May 6) by the diocese’s Office of Public Affairs and Communications, Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski has entered into what is called “Memo of Understanding” with the district attorneys for Hampden, Hampden and Franklin, and Berkshire counties.” By Patrick Johnson, MassLive.com

MICHIGAN

Employee sues Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, claiming retaliation for reporting sex-abuse complaint
“A man who says his job with the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw was impacted after he reported a sex-abuse complaint against a priest has filed a lawsuit against the diocese. In the suit, Gabriel Villarreal alleges he was retaliated against by the diocese(link is external) and its agents for reporting a relative had been assaulted by the Rev. Robert J. DeLand. A jury acquitted DeLand of charges related to the relative, but DeLand was convicted of sexual assaulting a different person in a separate case.” By Cole Waterman, Saginaw and Bay City News

MISSOURI

Chaminade clergy abuse case challenges First Amendment protection for church officials accused of negligence
“The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 13) heard arguments in a sex abuse case that asks the court to break with a previous ruling protecting church officials from negligent supervision claims(link is external) because courts deciding such claims could violate separation of church and state. The lawsuit before the state’s top court claims now-deceased Marianist Brother John Woulfe sexually abused a Chaminade College Preparatory School student in 1971 while working as a guidance counselor at the school.” By Nassim Benchaabane, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

NEW MEXICO

St. Jude’s, Immaculate Conception named in lawsuit for 1970s child sexual abuse
“A lawsuit centered on child molestation by Fr. David Holley named two Alamogordo Catholic parishes and several dioceses as defendants. The suit, filed in the 2nd Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, alleged the Servants of Paraclete, the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Las Cruces, the Immaculate Conception Parish and St. Jude Parish allowed Holley to prey on boys within the Alamogordo parishes(link is external) during his time in New Mexico in the 1970s.” By Nicole Maxwell, Alamogordo Daily News

NEW YORK

Court denies Diocese of Rockville Centre’s attempt to dismiss 44 lawsuits filed by sexual abuse survivors under New York’s Child Victim’s Act
“A Nassau County Court has denied the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s callous attempt to throw out 44 lawsuits filed by sexual abuse survivors(link is external) under New York’s Child Victims Act. Yesterday (May 12), Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Steven M. Jaeger issued an order denying the dozens of motions to dismiss filed by the diocese. Judge Jaeger rejected the diocese’s argument that the Child Victims Act was unconstitutional and violated its right to due process.” By Jeff Anderson & Associates Staff Writer

Child sexual abuse deadline extended – but not for claims against Rochester priests”
“The one-year window for filing lawsuits over past acts of child sexual abuse has been extended by five months — except for claims against the Rochester diocese for misconduct by its priests(link is external). New York’s Child Victims Act, approved by the state Legislature in early 2019, carved out a one-year period for reviving old child sexual abuse claims that had been barred the statute of limitations. That one-year window was to close Aug. 13.” By Steve Orr, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Buffalo Diocese facing backlash for seeking federal funds, relief in CVA cases
“Advocates for survivors of sexual abuse are denouncing the Buffalo Diocese this week after the institution, temporarily headed by Albany Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, moved forward with two legal filings that activists say diminish victims’ experiences and could allow the diocese to dodge consequences for decades of alleged abuse and cover-up(link is external).” By Cayla Harris, Albany Times Union

OHIO

Diocese of Youngstown removes clergy member from abuse list
“The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown announced today that William Smaltz’s name has been removed from the list of clergy in the diocese against whom credible, substantiated allegations of sexual abuse(link is external) of a minor have been made. After further inquiry and consideration of additional and new information, the allegations are not deemed credible and substantiated, the diocese said in a news release.” By Mahoning Matters Staff

PENNSYLVANIA

Lawsuit: Man alleges Allentown Diocese priests sexually abused, tortured him in church basement in the 1970s
“A Texas man is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown and one of its churches, St. Catharine of Siena in Reading, claiming he was sexually abused and tortured by several priests in a church basement(link is external) in the 1970s. Timothy Paul McGettigan’s attorneys say their client learned that he was not alone in being abused by Allentown Diocese priests from the scathing 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report on unchecked sexual abuse by clergy across the state, and decided to come forward. He is seeking a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.” By Laurie Mason Schroeder, Morning Call

Judge Sets Deadline for Abuse Claims Vs. Harrisburg Diocese
“A federal judge is giving most claimants until Nov. 13 to seek compensation over child sexual abuse from the Harrisburg Roman Catholic Diocese(link is external), which sought bankruptcy protection earlier this year. The order signed last week by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Henry Van Eck also gave governmental entities until Dec. 11 to file proofs of claims for debts.” By Associated Press in U.S. News & World Report

TEXAS

San Antonio Archdiocese removes Helotes priest following 2 sexual misconduct allegations
“The San Antonio Archdiocese has removed the pastor of a Catholic church in Helotes after two people accused him of sexual misconduct(link is external). According to a letter dated April 30 from the archdiocese that was sent to parishioners, Monsignor Carlos Davalos sent two sexually inappropriate text messages to an adult parishioner earlier this year.” By KSAT-TV12 News

AUSTRALIA

Pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale sentenced to 10 years’ jail for sexual abuse of boys in 1970s
“Pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale will spend at least another three years in jail after pleading guilty to 14 new offenses(link is external) committed against young boys under his care. Some of the offenses happened during Confession while reading the Bible. ‘Your sexual abuse, at times when the child was seeking comfort, reveals your utter hypocrisy,’ the sentencing Judge Gerard Mullaly said.” By Iskhandar Razak, ABC News

Broome Bishop bows out of national conference as police and Vatican investigations continue
“The Catholic Church is maintaining its silence on the status of its ongoing investigation into the leadership and financial practices(link is external) in its Broome diocese in West Australia’s Kimberley region. Catholic Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders voluntarily stood aside in March after the Vatican took the unusual step of ordering an investigation into the running of the remote northern diocese … The Vatican inquiry came in the wake of a series of complaints to catholic authorities and the public revelation of a WA Police investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.” By Erin Parke, ABC Kimberley

National protocols to replace Melbourne Response
“The Melbourne Response scheme set up in 1996 to compensate victims of clergy abuse in Melbourne is set to be replaced as Australia’s bishops develop new national protocols for survivors(link is external). Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli is keen to retain some of the more-positive elements of the scheme – such as ongoing care for victims – but is working towards a state-wide approach, based on nationally consistent guidelines, rather than having the Melbourne archdiocese ‘go it alone’ with its own separate process.” By CathNews.com

POLAND

Polish archbishop refers sex abuse case to Vatican
“The head of Poland’s Roman Catholic Church has said he is asking the Vatican to investigate the cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests(link is external). Archbishop Wojciech Polak called on the Church hierarchy to ‘launch proceedings’ following the release of a documentary on the subject on Saturday (May 17). The film tells the story of two brothers who seek to confront a priest who allegedly abused them as children. The Vatican is expected to assign an investigator to the case.” By BBC News

• New documentary highlights abuse cover-up in Poland(link is external), By Paulina Guzik, Cruxnow.com
• St. John Paul II honored as Poland sees new abuse allegations(link is external), By Vanessa Gera, Associated Press

SPAIN

Cartagena Diocese to investigate child abuse from 1950
“The Diocese of Cartagena intends to investigate the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people that has been committed within the Catholic Church(link is external) between 1950 and 2010. To do this, a special episcopal delegation has been created, detail of which were announced on Thursday by the bishop of Cartagena, José Manuel Lorca Planes, and his episcopal delegate, Gil José Sáez Martínez.” By The Leader