Dec. 1, 2023

TOP STORIES

‘Excuse me, Your Eminence, she has not finished speaking
“Without doubt, the best line to emanate from the synod on synodality is ‘Excuse me, Your Eminence, she has not finished speaking.’ That sums up the synod and the state of the Catholic Church’s attitude toward change. In October, hundreds of bishops, joined by lay men and women, priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers met for nearly a month in Rome for the synod on synodality. At its end, the synod released a synthesis report brimming with the hope and the promise that the church would be a more listening church. Some 54 women voted at the synod. Back home, women are still ignored.” By Phyllis Zagano, National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis intervenes in German Synodal Way, says it threatens Church unity
“Pope Francis has expressed deep reservations about the direction of the Catholic Church in Germany, warning that concrete steps currently being taken ‘threaten’ to undermine unity with the universal Church. The pope made his criticisms in a letter to four German Catholic laywomen that was published in the German newspaper Welt on Nov. 21. ‘There are indeed numerous steps being taken by significant segments of this local Church that threaten to steer it increasingly away from the universal Church’s common path,’ the pope wrote.” By Jonathan Liedl, Catholic News Agency

Pope Francis meets with French abuse victims
“Pope Francis met Tuesday (Nov. 28) with a group of clerical sexual abuse victims from the French diocese of Nantes, a public appointment Francis kept despite a lingering bacterial infection that is causing inflammation of the lungs that has caused him to curtail his schedule significantly over the past few days and cancel a trip to Dubai for the COP-28 climate change summit, Dec. 1-3. Tuesday’s encounter between the pope and sex abuse survivors took place in the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse where Francis has lived throughout his pontificate. It followed a round of meetings the victims had with officials at the headquarters of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM).” By Cruxnow.com staff

In the U.S., Black survivors are nearly invisible in the Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis
“As Charles Richardson gradually lost his eyesight to complications from diabetes, certain childhood memories haunted him even more. The Catholic priest appeared vividly in his mind’s eye — the one who promised him a spot on a travel basketball team, took him out for burgers and helped him with homework. The one, Richardson alleges, who sexually assaulted him for more than a year. ‘I’ve been seeing him a lot lately,’ Richardson said during a recent interview, dabbing tears from behind dark glasses.” By Tiffany Stanley and Lea Skene, Associated Press

TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

‘You’re only as sick as your secrets’: New Orleans clergy abuse bankruptcy is uniquely acrimonious

This is the first installment of a three-part series exploring how the archdiocese of New Orleans’s bankruptcy stands apart from other cases of its kind.

“The church is using legal tactics to prevent testimony from survivors and spur expensive inquiries into its critics … Many secondary schools, notably eastern college preps like Exeter Academy and Horace Mann in Manhattan, have weathered long-ago abuse cases. As Trahant’s school ties eroded, he took on a steadily increasing number of Catholic clergy abuse clients. He also lost his faith. Yet he never imagined the blowback that would come after the New Orleans archdiocese, facing many abuse lawsuits, sought federal bankruptcy protection in 2020.” By Jason Berry and Roman Antonio Vargas, The Guardian

FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH: COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION

Peru’s Cardinal Barreto on what the Amazon synod and Latin America can teach the entire church
“Cardinal Pedro Barreto, 79, the archbishop of Huancayo in the Central Andes mountains of Peru, rejoiced when the synthesis document of the first session of the Synod on Synodality recognized the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon as ‘an example of synodality,’ that is of ‘a mode of being church that integrates communion, mission and participation.’ In an exclusive interview with America’s Vatican correspondent on Oct. 30, Cardinal Barreto revealed that he had given a brief intervention at the synod on the synodal process that has developed in the church of the Amazon region over the past 10 years.” By Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

Franciscan bishop implements Jesuit pope’s synodal vision in Australia
“As more than 200 delegates participating in the first-ever synod for the Australian Diocese of Parramatta filed out of their opening Mass, they were discreetly given flyers by those questioning both the meeting and the bishop who had called it. Since his installation as the head of the diocese in the western suburbs of Sydney in 2016, Bishop Vincent Long has ruffled more than a few feathers for his support of LGBTQ Catholics, his advocacy in support of the country’s recent referendum on Indigenous representation, and his own personal testimony of being a victim of clergy sexual abuse.” By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter

At the synod in Rome: waiting to find out where to go
“The synod did not turn out exactly the way anyone expected. Thanks be to God. Due to some good luck in scheduling, I was in Rome for the conclusion of the first general assembly of the Synod on Synodality, at the end of October. We had just finished an America Media pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome, spending time reflecting on the spirituality of both St. Francis and St. Ignatius and how they have informed the ministry of Pope Francis.” By Sam Sawyer, S.J., America: The Jesuit Review

POPE FRANCIS

Acting to end abuse in the Church is ‘non-negotiable,’ pope says
“The Catholic Church and all its members must end silence about clerical sexual abuse and ensure cases are no longer covered up, Pope Francis said, adding it is ‘non-negotiable.’ Meeting Nov. 18 with Italian diocesan and regional representatives of safeguarding programs and listening centers, the pope said it also is essential to ‘pursue the ascertainment of the truth and the restoration of justice in the ecclesial community, including in those cases where certain behaviors are not considered crimes by the law of the state, but are under canon law.’” By Catholic News Service

CARDINALS

Pope Francis to remove Cardinal Burke’s Vatican apartment and salary, sources say
“Pope Francis has punished one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by yanking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in the second such radical action against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures. Francis told a meeting of the heads of Vatican offices last week that he was moving against Burke, because he was a source of ‘disunity’ in the church, said one of the participants at the Nov. 20 meeting.” By Associated Press in National Catholic Reporter

• Reports say Pope Francis is evicting U.S. cardinal from his vacation home, By Jason Horowitz and Ruth Graham, The New York Times

BISHOPS

U.S. bishops meeting shows united front on mission but no clear synod action plan
“For two days, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in plenary assembly in Baltimore advancing key issues related to liturgy, living out the faith, including in the public square, and retooling the conference to better serve the church’s mission. However, the bishops’ Nov. 13-16 meeting, which took place nearly three weeks following the conclusion of the global Synod on Synodality, also concluded without a common game plan for how bishops could get consultative feedback from their local parishes with respect to the synod’s ‘halftime’ report before it reconvenes in 11 months.” By Peter Jesserer Smith, Detroit Catholic

• U.S. bishops’ meeting is a big snooze, By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

Bishop Flores to U.S. bishops: the synod offers us ‘Catholic way’ to grapple with real-world problems
“Some might say that contentious questions are raised. I can say that many difficult issues were raised, but they were not discussed in a contentious way. This in itself is remarkable. At its most basic, the term synodality describes a properly ecclesial style that prioritizes regular conversational interactions among the people of God as decisions are made for the sake of the mission the Lord gave to the church. The ‘Conversation in the Spirit’ method utilized during our local gatherings and at the Synod of Bishops this last October is one effective way to promote this aim.” By Daniel E. Flores, America: The Jesuit Review

PRIESTS

A Catholic crisis: why priests in Ireland are fading into history and not being replaced
“In Ireland, where religion has played such a big place in its past, for better or for worse, fewer and fewer people are attending mass on Sunday, and even less are willing to commit themselves to the sanctified life of a priest. This, among other reasons, is leading these men of God to work well past retirement age while still trying to cover the work of churches all over the country. According to a survey conducted by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) last year, 15% of priests are over 75 and still working, over 25% are aged between 60–75, and just 2.5% of serving Catholic priests in Ireland, meanwhile, are under 40.” By Rory Elliot Armstrong, Euro News

LAITY & THE CHURCH

Former president Mary McAleese criticizes Catholic bishops for ‘not listening’ to lay people
“Former president Mary McAleese has criticized the report published after the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican, saying many Catholic faithful are ‘disappointed and wounded.’ The retired professor of law is one of a number of academics and campaigners who have written to the Vatican criticizing Catholic bishops for ‘not listening,’ accusing them of a failure to ‘let go of their privileges’ and urging them to bring laity into the decision-making process.” By Sarah Mac Donald, Irish Independent

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Maryland Child Victims Act gets legal challenge from Washington, D.C., church
“The Archdiocese of Washington D.C. is using an arcane legal maneuver to challenge the constitutionality of the Maryland Child Victims Act. The tactic uses a 2017 law that may have granted some immunity to churches for sexual abuse cases after victims turned 38. If the court accepts the statute, it could cause issues for future lawsuits brought by survivors. The Washington Archdiocese is facing a class action suit in Prince George’s County claiming that three boys were abused by clergy and employees.” By Scott Maucione, WYPR National Public Radio

French commission wants to remove statute of limitations for sexual violence against children
“A French commission examining sexual violence against children called Friday (Nov. 17) for removing all time limits on the prosecution of people suspected of raping or sexually assaulting minors. The Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence against Children, which is known by its French acronym CIIVISE, also recommended defining sexual abuse of children as a separate offense under the law when it happens within families.” By Associated Press in News Advocate

Statement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland on Thursday’s Maine law court proceeding
“The diocese’s opposition to the 2021 retroactive change in the statute of limitations law, and the appeal to the Law Court, in no way reflects a desire to minimize the devastating effects of past sexual abuse by Church representatives. Before the law was changed, there were already no limitations on any claims after 1988. The diocese is committed to thoroughly investigating any report of abuse brought forth and to providing extensive support services to those who come forward with any allegation of abuse. It is our belief that this law is unconstitutional and will significantly impact the diocese’s ability to serve the Catholic community of Maine, including those most vulnerable.” By Diocese of Portland

ARIZONA

Arizona judge rules church leaders are not responsible for reporting sexual abuse
“Should religious leaders be held responsible for disclosing to law enforcement knowledge that church members are committing acts of sexual abuse? On Friday (Nov. 17), Arizona Judge Timothy Dickerson answered no. Dickerson’s end-of-week ruling dismissed a high-profile child sexual abuse lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the basis of the state’s clergy-penitent privilege. Clergy-penitent privilege is a legal privilege that protects information from being disclosed in criminal proceedings, such as in a deposition, if that information was obtained during a confidential conversation between clergy and penitent.” By Baptist News Global

LOUISIANA

Sex abuse survivors fear hundreds of claims filed could unravel
“Sex abuse survivors say they fear hundreds of claims filed could be at risk of unraveling. Although legislation was passed offering a window giving survivors more time to sue, they say the clock is ticking for the Louisiana Supreme Court to rule if the legislation is constitutional. ‘I was an altar boy,’ Mike B. said. ‘Deacon George Brignac abused me in many different ways in many different places, anywhere between 50 to 80 different instances. For years, I couldn’t walk into a church without having an anxiety attack.’” By Aubry Killion, WDSU-TV6 News

MASSACHUSETTS

Western Mass. actor depicts clergy abuse survivor who rejects church settlement – like he did
“A play that opens Thursday (Nov. 30) at CitySpace in Easthampton, Massachusetts, tells the story of a man who was abused by a priest when he was a boy. ‘Unreconciled’ is based on the experience of western Massachusetts actor and playwright Jay Sefton, who co-wrote it with another survivor, Mark Basquill. James Barry directs the play. Sefton and others said the priest allegedly abused boys who played the part of Jesus in school plays.” By New England Public Media

MICHIGAN

Here’s where the Michigan AG’s sweeping Catholic clergy sex abuse investigation stands
“The Michigan Attorney General’s office announced earlier this month that after five years since the investigation into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church began, the office has wrapped up all active cases against clergy members with many incidents dating back decades. A total of 11 Catholic priests were charged in the statewide investigation. Back in 2018, the Department of Attorney General executed search warrants for all of Michigan’s dioceses, reporting that they seized 220 boxes of documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents.” By Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance, on gandernewsroom.com

NEW YORK.

A final wave of sex-abuse lawsuits as one-year window closes in New York
“In the year since a one-time window opened in New York State allowing people to file sex-abuse lawsuits even after the statute of limitations had expired, more than 3,000 civil suits have been filed. Before the deadline on Thanksgiving, a flurry of attention-grabbing suits were filed against politicians — like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, the mayor of New York — and celebrities, like Sean Combs, the producer and music mogul, who had just settled a separate suit filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan accusing him of rape.” By Hurubie Meko, The New York Times

Cost to settle sex abuse claims will be ‘painful’ for diocesan community
“This is the first installment of a three-part series looking into the Diocese of Buffalo’s recent suggested contribution to settle hundreds of childhood sexual abuse cases, how some devout Catholics responded to the news, and what the future might look like once the bankruptcy case in completed … The Diocese of Buffalo sent shock waves through the Catholic community last month, when it suggested $100 million to settle hundreds of childhood sexual abuse cases. The suggested contribution, which is exclusive of any insurance proceeds, would ‘need to be funded by monetary contributions sourced from across our Catholic community, including from the Diocese, parishes, and other affiliated Catholic entities,’ the Diocese said in a brief announcement posted on its website.” By Daniel Telvock and Luke Moretti, WVIB-TV4

New lawsuits accuse nine priests, two religious brothers of sexual contact
“Lawsuits filed under New York State’s Adult Survivors Act allege sexual contact by nine Catholic priests and two religious brothers in Western New York.” By WKBW-TV7 News

7 News I-Team files brief in Buffalo Diocese sex abuse documents case
“The 7 News I-Team joined an amici curiae brief Tuesday (Nov. 14) in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo’s lawsuit against the State Attorney General’s Office. The brief was filed in support of the AG’s office determination to release 25,000 pages of documents subpoenaed during its investigation into the diocese’s handling of child sexual abuse. It was filed jointly with The Buffalo News and its reporter Jay Tokasz.” By Sean Mickey, WKBW-TV7 News

OHIO

Ohio Catholic priest sentenced to life for sex trafficking boys, manipulating opioid addictions
“An Ohio priest was sentenced to life in prison Friday (Nov. 17) after he was convicted of grooming three boys and taking advantage of their opioid addictions to force them into commercial sex, according to the U.S. Justice Department. In May, a federal jury in Toledo found the Rev. Michael Zacharias, a Roman Catholic clergy member, guilty of five counts of sex trafficking in allegations that spanned 15 years, from July 2005 to August 2020. Prosecutors said he abused his role as a teacher and priest at a Toledo parish school to groom the three boys into adulthood, force them into sex and enable their addictions to pain medications and heroin later in life.” By Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today

• Ohio priest who sexually abused boys is sentenced to life in prison, By Eduardo Medina, The New York Times

TENNESSEE

Jury acquits Catholic priest in Tennessee who was charged with sexual battery
“A jury has found a Catholic priest in Tennessee not guilty of sexual battery against a woman who was a church member. Jurors handed down the verdict late last week in the case against Father Antony Punnackal, who was suspended from his role as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gatlinburg after being indicted in January 2022 on two counts of sexual battery. The charges centered on allegations from February 2020 regarding Punnackal’s actions toward the parishioner. A lawsuit by the woman remains active.” By Associated Press

CANADA

Edward English, notorious Mountr Cashel abuser, arrested by Vancouver police
“Edward English, who was once sentenced to 10 years in prison for abusing boys at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, has been arrested once again. CBC News has learned English was arrested Wednesday (Nov. 22) at his home outside Moncton, N.B., by members of the Vancouver Police Department. English was arrested in connection with allegations of sexual abuse involving two students at Vancouver College — a Catholic boys’ private school — in the 1980s, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. English was not in custody when reached by CBC News on Thursday morning.” By Ryan Cooke, CBC News

Cergy sex abuse survivor Irene Deschenes co-founds new group to help victims
“A London, Ont., woman who is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest is now heading a new organization aimed at delivering speedier justice for victims. This month, Irene Deschenes helped found Outrage Canada, a national non-religious advocacy group with a mandate to hold the church accountable for sexual abuse by the clergy. The group proposes the federal government set up a national reporting center to gather and investigate reports of clergy abuse. Deschenes said the current system re-victimizes people who file abuse allegations with the church.” By CBC News

COLOMBIA

International warrant issued for arrest of Mexican priest: ‘after he abused me, he would get up to pray like nothing had happened’
“The more time passed, the harder it became temper the deep sorrow gnawing at his soul. For almost twenty years, José Leonardo Araujo Araque had kept silent about the sexual abuse he suffered as a child. At times, he could hardly put his own thoughts straight — he felt like a hook was stuck in his throat.” By Diana López Zuleta, El Pais

FRANCE

A French bishop is accused of attempted rape in latest scandal to hit Catholic Church in France
“AFrench bishop has been given a preliminary charge of attempting to rape an adult man a decade ago, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Nov. 20. It is the latest of a growing number of accusations of sexual abuse by clergy in France. The Bishops’ Conference of France said the accused bishop, Georges Colomb, contests the charge and deserves the presumption of innocence. He has asked the Vatican to step aside from his duties as bishop of La Rochelle and Saintes in western France to prepare his defense.” By Associated Press in National Catholic Reporter

SPAIN

How a Spanish newspaper tackled the taboo of Church abuse
“Five years ago, Soledad Gallego-Diaz challenged Spain’s last great taboo: sexual abuse inside the Roman Catholic Church. The newly appointed editor of the left-leaning daily El Pais launched an investigation into allegations of abuse by clergy and lay people against children. Unlike in the United States, Ireland and France, the Spanish Church had not sought to address this issue. Echoing The Boston Globe’s 2002 investigation of child abuse in the Catholic Church, El Pais’ probe sought justice for survivors of abuse.” By Graham Keeley, VOANews.com

Nov. 3, 2023

TOP STORIES

Pope’s major Vatican summit ends without action on women deacons, mention of LGBTQ Catholics
“Pope Francis’ high-stakes summit on the future of the Catholic Church concluded on Oct. 28 by postponing action on the possibility of ordaining women as deacons and failing to acknowledge deep tensions that surfaced in a month of debates over how the global institution should care for its LGBTQ members. A 41-page report, approved and published that evening, called for the results of earlier papal and theological commissions on women deacons to be presented for further consideration at the next assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be held in October 2024.” By Christopher White and Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

• For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission Final Document, On USCCB.org
• Synod Report: A Church that involves everyone and is close to world’s wounds, By Vatican News
• Striving for consensus, Synod ends by soft-pedaling contested issues, By Elise Ann Allen, Cruxnow.com
• Synod synthesis shows agreement, divergences, including on ‘synodality,’ By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in The Pilot
• Synod publishes final report and votes: calls for more discussion on synodality, women deacons and more, By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in America: The Jesuit Review
• Exclusive: Cardinals Cupich, McElroy say ‘impossible to go back’ to synods without lay votes, By Joshua J. McElwee and Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter
• Synod is a milestone in the reception of Vatican II, By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
• Pope Francis closes synod with ‘dream’ of a church with open doors, By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter
• Vatican deems bigger church role for women ‘urgent,’ but postpones major issues, By Jason Horowitz and Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times

Spain’s report on Catholic Church sex abuse estimates victims could number in hundreds of thousands
“Spain’s first official probe of sex abuse by clergy members or other people connected to the Catholic Church in the country included a survey that indicated that the number of victims could run into hundreds of thousands. The survey was part of a damning report by the office of Spain’s ombudsman, or ‘defensor del pueblo,’ following an 18-month independent investigation of 487 cases involving alleged victims who spoke with the ombudsman’s team.” By Ciarán Giles, Associated Press

High court decision opens way for claims on abuse
“The court yesterday (Nov. 1) overturned a permanent stay that had been granted by the NSW Court of Appeal. That stay had effectively stalled the efforts of a woman – referred to in the judgment as GLJ – to sue the Catholic Church over abuse she said she suffered at the hands of a priest who had since died. Institutions had previously successfully argued that claims should be permanently stayed because the deaths of the alleged perpetrators meant they could no longer be questioned about the alleged abuse. Three of the five High Court judges who heard the case found the reasoning of the lower court was wrong. Victim advocates say the Church and other institutions have used permanent stays to kill off cases and compel other claimants into financial settlements that would be lower than would other be the case.” By CathNews.com

TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

Catholic Church loses landmark case over tactics that shield it from Australian abuse claims
“The Catholic church has lost a landmark case over its controversial use of the deaths of pedophile priests to thwart survivors’ attempts at justice. The high court on Wednesday (Nov. 1) delivered a significant blow to the church’s use of permanent stays in historical abuse matters, where it has sought to argue that delay, the death of perpetrators, and the loss of records render it unable to receive a fair trial … The tactic is causing profound harm to an already vulnerable group.” By Christopher Knaus, The Guardian

FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH: COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION

Synodality works: a report from Rome
“In the early decades of the twenty-first century, historians will say, the Catholic Church sought a new way of operating that would allow it to travel into a new era. The clerical, centralist, hierarchical, authoritarian model, barely distinguishable these days from a corporation, was built to survive and even thrive in modernity. But it is no longer feasible in an era when modernity itself has collapsed. How, then, to reconfigure the Church’s inner culture to enable all to participate in its mission and to let the Spirit lead, as Jesus promised? By Austen Ivereigh, Commonweal

In world’s largest Catholic country, relatively little interest in synod process
“While fallout from Pope Francis’s Oct. 4-29 Synod of Bishops on Synodality continues to fuel Catholic debate in the West, arousing disappointment in some quarters and cautious optimism in others, most churchgoers in Brazil, the world’s largest Catholic nation, frankly don’t seem to have paid much attention to the whole synodal exercise. In the opinion of many analysts here, the unique realities of Brazilian culture, and of the Church in the world’s largest Catholic nation, may combine to make the synod seem less relevant to their situation.” By Eduardo Campos Lima, Cruxnow.com

Synod on Synodality report is disappointing but not surprising
“For Pope Francis, the first session of the Synod on Synodality was never about resolving the controversial issues facing the church. Even so, there were those who hoped for forward motion on married priests, women deacons and LGBTQ issues. They will be disappointed by the final report issued by the synod on Oct. 28. For Francis it was not about the hot-button topics. It was always about the synodal process, which he hoped would overcome divisions in the church and recommit us to the mission of Jesus — of proclaiming the gospel of the Father’s love and compassion for all of humanity and the earth.” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service

In Vatican’s summit’s closing document, agreement that synodality is church’s future
“What many will take away about the Synod on Synodality, the monthlong summit on the future of the church, is that the 450 Catholic clergy and lay faithful called to the meeting skirted the key agenda items of women’s ordination, marriage for priests and acceptance of LGBTQ Catholics. On Saturday (Oct.28), after the synod released a tepid summary of its work, the Women’s Ordination Conference pronounced itself ‘dismayed’ by the failure of the synod to allow women to become priests. ‘A ‘listening church’ that fails to be transformed by the fundamental exclusion of women and LGBTQ+ people fails to model the Gospel itself,’ a statement read.” By Clare Giangravé, Religion News Service

Father James Martin: what happened at the Synod on Synodality
“‘We preach the gospel of friendships that reach across boundaries,’ said Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., during the retreat he led for members of the Synod of Bishops outside of Rome, a few days before our deliberations began. This image informed and illuminated my experience of the XVIth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which concluded this weekend (Oct. 29): So the foundation of all we shall do in this synod should be the friendships we create. It does not look like much. It will not make headlines in the media. ‘They came all that way to Rome to make friends. What a waste!’ But it is by friendship that we will make the transition from ‘I’ to ‘We.’” By James Martin, S.J., America: The Jesuit Review

Cardinal Cupich on the synod, women deacons, giving bishops job reviews and why ‘LGBTQ’ was left out of the final doc
“Following the closing Mass of the first session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome this October, Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, spoke with America’s Vatican correspondent about his experience of the meeting and the synod’s synthesis document, published Oct. 29. Gerard O’Connell: What is your overall take on the synthesis document? Cardinal Cupich: The document is not as important as the experience that we had. I think the document tries to convey that experience. And it does a good job. But my hope would be that we are able to take that experience back home and share it with our people because that really is what the synod is about. It’s a new way of being church …” By Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

From the outside looking in: a look at the first session of the Synod on Synodality
“The year is 431. The Council of Ephesus, a gathering of bishops representing all of Christendom, is convened in order to reach a consensus on Church teaching, including a heated debate on whether the Virgin Mary should be designated Theotokos, ‘God-bearer’ or ‘Mother of God’ or Christokos, ‘Christ-bearer.’ The disagreements were split between two camps: Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who argued that Mary should be called Christokos, and Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, who advocated for the ‘Mother of God’ title.” By Junno Arocho Esteves, Our Sunday Visitor

POPE FRANCIS

Pope: Theology must interpret the Gospel for today’s world
“A Church that is ‘synodal, missionary, and ‘goes forth’’ needs a theology that ‘goes forth,’ too. That’s the thought behind Pope Francis’ new Motu Proprio Ad theologiam promovendam, dated 1 November 2023, which updates the statutes of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. Established canonically by Clement XI on 23 April 1718, with the brief Inscrutabili, the Academy aimed ‘to place theology at the service of the Church and the world.’ It has evolved over the years into a ‘group of scholars called to investigate and deepen theological themes of particular relevance.’” By Tiziana Campisi, Vatican News

Survivors, advocates voice skepticism over Pope’s about-face in Rupnik case
“In the wake of a surprise announcement Friday (Oct. 27) that Pope Francis has waived a statute of limitations in Church law to permit prosecution of Slovenian priest-artist and accused sexual abuser Father Marko Rupnik, survivors and advocacy groups are raising questions about why it took this long to act, and insisting that symbolic gestures aren’t enough. Victims ‘need justice, not talk,’ said Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins, a former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors who resigned in protest in 2017.” By Elise Ann Allen, Cruxnow.com

CARDINALS

Peru cardinal open to women deacons, wants ‘swift justice’ on abuse
“Following the close of last month’s Synod of Bishops, a leading Latin American cardinal has signaled openness in some cases to ordaining women deacons and also called for swift justice in sexual abuse cases, including the potential dissolution of a lay community in his own country currently under Vatican investigation. Cardinal Pedro Barreto made the comments in an Oct. 30 exclusive interview with Crux, prior to leaving for Rome’s Fiumicino airport to return to Peru following the close of the synod.” By Elise Ann Allen, Cruxnow.com

Cardinal Dolan: In defense of culture warriors
“The sobering reading from Ezekiel in the Liturgy of the Word from Sunday, Sept. 11, 2023, is still echoing in my head. You may recall it: The Lord is reminding the prophet that he, Ezekiel, is a ‘watchman,’ whose task includes warning God’s people, including telling them they will die if they do not change their ways in accord with the Lord’s commands. It is hard to dodge that call as anything but a challenge to be a ‘culture warrior.’ I might prefer ‘critic’ rather than ‘warrior,’ but the call is to speak for the Lord in sternly calling the people to fidelity. If not, the consequences are death, for both the prophet and the hearer. Rather somber!” By Timothy Michael Dolan, America: The Jesuit Review

BISHOPS

Two decades later, Catholic bishops still breaking their most important promise
“At one end of the spectrum, generally speaking, there’s SafeSport … At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) … In between are most US Catholic bishops. As a general rule, bishops whose dioceses are in states where victims have some legal rights have posted names of child molesting clerics on their websites. But for the most part, prelates whose dioceses are in states where victims have FEW legal rights are still not providing the names of predatory clergy, sometimes even clerics who have admitted guilt or been convicted in court.” By Adam Horwitz, AdamHorowitzLaw.com

PRIESTS

Father James Martin: What happened at the Synod on Synodality
“‘We preach the gospel of friendships that reach across boundaries,’ said Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., during the retreat he led for members of the Synod of Bishops outside of Rome, a few days before our deliberations began. This image informed and illuminated my experience of the XVIth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which concluded this weekend: So the foundation of all we shall do in this synod should be the friendships we create. It does not look like much. It will not make headlines in the media. ‘They came all that way to Rome to make friends. What a waste!’ But it is by friendship that we will make the transition from ‘I’ to ‘We.’” By James Martin, S.J., America: The Jesuit Review

RELIGIOUS

‘Process is key’: sisters respond to document from synod’s first session
“The first Vatican session for the synod on synodality, Pope Francis’ multiyear summit on the future of the Catholic Church, was both fruitful and profound, women religious say, but it also had missed opportunities … For the first time since the establishment of the church’s Synod of Bishops in 1965, about 50 women were granted voting rights by the pope at the assembly … ‘I won’t use the term success, but it has been fruitful. It’s a new state in the experience of synodality — there was a lot of grace, it was a time of joy,’ said Xavière Missionary Sr. Nathalie Becquart, an undersecretary of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops office, which made her not only a voting participant but a member of the synod itself.” By Dan Stockman, National Catholic Reporter

WOMEN’S VOICES

Pope’s meeting on church future says it’s ‘urgent’ to guarantee governance roles for women
“Pope Francis’ big gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople said Saturday (Oct. 28) it’s ‘urgent’ to guarantee fuller participation of women in church governance and called for research on allowing women to be deacons to be released within a year. After a month of closed-door debate, Francis’ meeting on the future of the Catholic Church ended with the approval of a 42-page text on a host of issues that will now be considered at a second session next year.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Seattle Times

LAITY & THE CHURCH

‘We will continue to be heard’: progressive Catholics react to synod report
“The 41-page synthesis report for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality disappointed several progressive Catholics and others who advocate for the Catholic Church to rethink its approach to issues such as the clergy sex abuse crisis, LGBTQ ministry, women’s roles in the church and the possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate. But while some of those Catholics said they were dismayed or angered at what the report glossed over or omitted, others said the document is just the latest milestone in a multiyear process that will continue with another Vatican assembly in October 2024 and a post-synodal apostolic exhortation sometime after that.” By Brian Fraga, National Catholic Reporter

CLERICALISM

Pope Francis reminds us – again – to reject clericalism
“While coverage of the conclusion of the first in-person part of the church’s synod on synodality is understandably garnering a lot of attention, especially as journalists and commentators begin to unpack the final synthesis document, I don’t want to lose sight of a notable intervention (the term for a ‘short speech’ at the synod) that Pope Francis delivered on Wednesday (Oct. 25) of last week, days before the close of this year’s session. In his remarks, the pope began by describing the church as ‘the faithful people of God, holy and sinful, a people convoked and called with the power of the beatitudes and of Matthew 25.’ This clear and simple, yet beautiful, statement follows from the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, which reminds all the faithful that the church is first and foremost the ‘people of God.’” By Daniel P. Horan, National Catholic Reporter

CELIBACY& MARRIED PRIESTS

Priests must be like fathers and not spinsters, says Pope on celibacy
“Pope Francis has said that a change in the Catholic Church’s rule on celibacy will not solve difficulties in the Church because the deeper problem is of priests behaving like spinsters instead of fathers. The Pontiff made his comment in a new wide-ranging interview, in which he confirmed plans to visit to Dubai for a UN climate summit in early December. The Holy Father also addressed current global conflicts, and weighed in on several hot-button issues touched on during last month’s Synod of Bishops on Synodality, including women’s ordination and priestly celibacy.” By Catholic Herald

VOICES

The synod meeting in Rome is done. What now?
“What now? The first session of the two-year synod in Rome has finished its work and published a final document. It offers ideas to guide the church in the next 11 months before the second session gathers in Rome next autumn. What does the task look like for the church here in the United States? The final document has some very specific proposals, and the section on formation especially has some clues about how to proceed.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

ILLINOIS

Retired priest, Father William Killeen, removed from ministry pending investigation of a 40-year-old allegation
“Today (Oct. 28), Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, notified eight parishes that he had asked Fr. William Killeen to step aside pending investigation of an allegation of child sexual abuse received this week. Father Killeen denies the allegation. The abuse is alleged to have occurred approximately 40 years ago at St. Patricia Parish in Hickory Hills.” By Archdiocese of Chicago

• Retired priest William Killeen being investigated for alleged sex abuse at Hickory Hills church, By ABC-TV7 News

MASSACHUSETTS

Former North Attleboro altar boy receives settlement after disclosing abuse by Father Porter
“A former altar boy at St. Mary’s Church in the 1960s has reached a financial settlement with the Diocese of Fall River for sexual abuse he suffered form now notorious Catholic priest James Porter. The 72-year-old man, who now lives on the North Shore of Boston, recently reached a financial package in the ‘mid-five figures,’ Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian said during a press conference Wednesday (Nov. 1).” By David Linton, The Sun Chronicle

MICHIGAN

Decades-old sex assault claims may soon see their day in Michigan courts
“Survivors of decades-old sexual assaults may soon get a two-year period to bring civil cases against their alleged abuser while also seeing the actionable window for bringing a claim expanded under moves made by House lawmakers Tuesday (Oct. 31). Members of the House Criminal Justice Committee voted along party lines to advance legislation – HB 4482 through HB 4487, referred to as the “Justice for Survivors” package – which seeks to primarily allow victims of childhood sexual abuse the ability to bring forward their claims long after the act has occurred.” By Jordyn Hermani, MLive.com

MINNESOTA

Former southern Minnesota priest convicted of sexually assaulting adult male
“A former Catholic priest was convicted Thursday (Oct. 26) of sexually assaulting a man in Winona County in December 2020. Ubaldo Roque Huerta, 51, was found guilty after a three-day trial on fifth-degree criminal sexual assault charges for performing sexual acts on a victim without their consent. Huerta is expected to be sentenced in January.” By Trey Mewes, Star Tribune

OHIO

Former St. John’s teacher added to list of priests with ‘established allegations’ of abuse
“A priest who taught at St. John’s High School in the 1990s and early 2000s has been added to the list of Jesuits with ‘established allegations’ of sexual abuse of a minor, according to a letter from the school. St. John’s officials said Father Francis E. Canfield, who died in May, was accused by a former student who said the abuse happened during the 1999-2000 school year.” By WTOL-TV11 News

• Former SJJ faculty member accused of sexual abuse in 1999-2000, By WTVG-TV13 News

SOUTH DAKOTA

Rapid City billboard calls attention to pedophiles among Catholic clergy
“Speaking of Catholic priests, an eager reader notes that someone in Rapid City has been advertising his desire to see the Catholic Church held to greater account for sexual abuse committed by clergy …” By Cory Allen Heidelberger, Dakota Free Press

AUSTRALIA

Woman can sue church for abuse in ‘monumental’ ruling
“Institutional child abuse survivors will have a better chance of securing compensation after a woman alleging historical abuse by a Catholic priest won the right to sue. Three out of five judges in the nation’s top court on Wednesday ruled to overturn a NSW appeal court’s decision to permanently stay the woman’s case, which sought damages for personal injury due to the alleged sexual abuse. The decision is expected to have a wider impact on institutional abuse cases across Australia.” By Jack Gramenz and Peter Bodkin, Yahoo News

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Man’s abuse of boys at school in Kilkenny and Offaly continues to cast shadow over many lives
“Nearly 25 years since the Portarlington pedophile Donal Dunne was jailed for offenses against young boys, his deeds continue to cast a shadow over many lives. He had a 45-year teaching career and left the Christian Brothers in 1957, his abuse of boys having spanned both his time in the order and subsequently. He began his teaching career in Dublin in 1940 at Scoil Mhuire in Dublin’s Marino and he held posts in a total of ten schools before retiring from the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore. At the age of 78, he received a two-year prison sentence at Tullamore Circuit Court in 1999.” By KilkennyPeople.ie

SPAIN

Spain ombudsman report on Catholic Church reveals more than 1 in 200 faced sexual abuse
“A report released by Spanish Ombudsman Ángel Gabilondo on Friday (Oct. 27) found that priests within the Catholic Church have abused more than 1 in every 200 Spaniards. The report was presented to the Spanish Parliament on Friday and aimed to ensure that the perpetrators are held responsible and accountable for their actions. The ombudsman also sought to create greater awareness about the issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.” By Amora Evans, Jurist.org

• President of Spanish Episcopal Conference rejects report on pedophilia: ‘the figures extrapolated by some media outlets are lies,’ By Julio Núñez and Íñigo Domínguez, El Pais
• Survey finds up to 440,000 people in Spain may have suffered sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, By Antonio Paniagua, SurInEnglish.com
• Spanish Church sex abuse affected 200,000 children, By Panay News
• Spain’s Catholic Church apologizes for sexual abuse, disputes scale of problem, By Reuters

Apr. 28, 2023

TOP STORIES

For first time in history, Pope Francis gives women right to vote at synod
“For the first time in the history of the synod, Pope Francis has given women the right to vote and has also made a radical change to the membership of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. At the synod, which opens in October, between 21 and 25 percent of the members with a right to vote will not be bishops. These members will include consecrated women and men as well as lay women and men. All those who are members of the synod will have a right to vote.” By Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

• Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ synod, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
• Pope will allow women to vote at meeting of bishops, By Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times
• Pope expands participation in synod to lay members, granting right to vote, By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter

Sex abuse in Baltimore Archdiocese highlights an institutional problem
“Back in 2001, the Boston Globe started an investigation that would reveal one of the largest sexual assault scandals by Catholic priests anywhere in the U.S. The investigation into the Boston Archdiocese was the inspiration for the 2015 Oscar-winning film ‘Spotlight,’ which was also the name of the Globe’s investigative report. And now, a new report on the Baltimore Archdiocese by Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown revealed 600 cases of child sex abuse over the past 60 years by 156 current or former Catholic clergy, seminarians, deacons, members of Catholic religious orders, teachers at Catholic schools and other employees.” By Elina Tarkazikis, Scripps News

North American synod document hits all the right notes
“The U.S. and Canadian bishops’ conferences released the ‘North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod’ last week. It is remarkable both for what it says and for what it does not say, especially the absence of any conclusions or statements of finality. The awareness that synodality is a change in the way we function as a church, not a process with a particular end point, runs through the text, and that is its single most important contribution.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

• North America synod document calls the church to welcome women, LGBT people and youth, By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review
• North American synod report speaks of ‘generational project,’ By John Lavenburg, Cruxnow.com

Top anti-abuse expert sets record straight on resignation from Vatican body
“German Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, one of the church’s leading protagonists in the fight against clerical sexual abuse, has sought to clarify his reasons for stepping down from a Vatican safeguarding commission after nearly 10 years on the job. Speaking to journalists Monday (Apr. 17), Zollner denied that he was targeting anyone individually or that he resigned as part of an internal power struggle, but said he had ongoing concerns regarding how the commission operated that went unanswered, despite several attempts to engage his superiors on the issues.” By Elise Ann Allen, Cruxnow.com

• Jesuit abuse expert Hans Zollner explains decision to resigns from Vatican safeguarding commission, By Justin McLellan., Catholic News Service, in America: The Jesuit Review
• Abuse expert hopes pontifical commission will be a refuge for survivors, By Justin McLellan, Detroit Catholic
• Jesuit who resigned from pope’s abuse commission says victims disheartened by group, By Justin McLellan, National Catholic Reporter

Washington State House passes bill requiring clergy to violate the seal of confession
“After the Washington State House failed to pass an amendment to a bill that would require clergy to violate the seal of confession, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane reminded legislators that throughout history ‘all’ such attempts by ‘kings, queens, dictators, potentates, and legislators’ have failed, and that even if it passed, clergy wouldn’t capitulate … The bill then went to the Washington House for a vote. However, the House added an amendment to the Senate version that removed the clergy-penitent exemption. That version of the bill passed the House on April 11. The vote was 75-20.” By John Lavenburg, Cruxnow.com

TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

Judge stays on Catholic bankruptcy despite church donations
“A federal judge refused Friday (Apr. 21) to recuse himself from the New Orleans Roman Catholic bankruptcy after an Associated Press report that he donated tens of thousands of dollars to archdiocese charities and consistently ruled in favor of the church in the contentious case involving nearly 500 clergy sex abuse victims. U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry told attorneys in the high-profile case that a panel of federal judges he asked to review the possible conflict determined no “reasonable person” would question his impartiality despite his contributions and longstanding ties to the archdiocese.” By Jim Mustian, Associated Press

• Judge stays on Catholic bankruptcy case amid conflict of interest concerns, By WWL-TV4 News

Letters to the editor about the confessional seal
“A Milwaukee priest has been urging state legislators to repeal the clergy-penitent privilege in mandatory reporting laws that exempt Catholic priests from notifying authorities of any sexual abuse they hear about in the confessional. Following are NCR readers responding to our reporting. The letters have been edited for length and clarity …” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff

FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH: COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION

Synod organizers say process should lead to greater local control in Catholic Church
“Organizers of Pope Francis’ ongoing consultation with Catholics around the world said that, following recent discussion assemblies on each continent, there is a growing consensus that the process for the ongoing Synod of Bishops should result in the Vatican giving more deference to local church authorities. ‘There is, in fact, more than one way of being the church,’ said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, Australia, who said that a significant feature of synodality is the understanding that unity does not call for uniformity within the Catholic Church.” By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter

Continental stage of Synod officially concludes
“The continental stage of the Synod on synodality, which began on October 28, concluded with a Vatican press conference. Officially called ‘For a synodal church: communion, participation, and mission,’ the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began in October 2021 with a diocesan phase, followed by an episcopal conference/Eastern church phase and the continental phase. The universal phase will culminate in two synodal meetings in Rome, in October 2023 and October 2024.” By Catholic World News

• Synod Continental Stage: ‘most innovative aspect of synodal process,’ By Vatican News

Synod organizers: There is ‘more than one way of being the church’
“Catholics gathered at the continental level say the Catholic Church must be united, not uniform, and embrace its many forms of expression throughout the world, said members of the synod preparatory commission after a weeklong meeting at the Vatican. ‘I think one of the most important things we have experienced during these ecclesial, continental assemblies, is that there is in fact more than one way of being the church,’ said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, a member of the commission and president of the Australian bishops’ conference.” By Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service, in America: The Jesuit Review

Pope Francis: ‘The synodal path is not a collection of opinions’
“Pope Francis addressed the Union of Major Superiors of Italy, an organization dedicated to promoting a broader understanding of women’s religious life. They are celebrating the 70th chapter of their General Assembly, entitled ‘On the Synodal Journey, Women Witnesses of the Risen Christ.’ In the meeting, the Pope reflected on how the synodal path should be carried out. ‘The synodal path is not a parliament; the synodal path is not a collection of opinions,’ Pope Francis said.” By Diocesan News, Catholic Diocese of Raleigh

Church in Oceania notes ‘tensions’ between developed, developing countries in Synod document
“As the Catholic Church continues is synodal process ahead of the Synod of Bishops meeting in October, the Church in Oceania acknowledged ‘tensions’ in a region includes both developed and developing countries … Among the ‘tensions’ identified in the document were different attitudes toward those with diverse experiences of sexuality and gender in the region; the roles of women in the Church; and views about the possibility of change in Church teaching.” By Charles Collins, Cruxnow.com

Synodality is ‘radically inclusive,’ says Vatican committee member Sr. Filo Hirota
“When Pope Francis met in March with members of a newly formed commission tasked with organizing the upcoming synod meetings in Rome, he seemed a bit surprised to see women when he entered the room. Mercedarian Sr. Shizue ‘Filo’ Hirota said Francis exclaimed, ‘Donne!’ — Italian for ‘Women!’ — upon seeing her and another official from the Vatican’s synod office. ‘He was happy, but he sounded like he hadn’t expected to see us,’ Hirota told Global Sisters Report in an April 4 interview.” By Christopher White, Global Sisters Report, National Catholic Reporter

Committee begins writing Synod on Synodality working document behind closed doors
“A committee of 22 people this week kicked off the writing process for the Synod on Synodality’s working document that will be the blueprint for discussions during the meeting of bishops in October. According to a statement from the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops on April 12, a ‘group of experts from five continents’ is meeting at the Vatican until April 19 ‘with the aim of starting the reflection that will lead at a later stage to the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.” By Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency

North American Catholics identify harm of polarization, bishop says
“In their discussions about the life of the church and ‘synodality,’ or walking together, Catholics in United States and Canada noted the negative impact ‘polarization’ is having on the church, said Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas. ‘Politics gets mixed into it, and it’s not that politics doesn’t have a place in the way the church thinks about things,’ he said, but the situation seems to have gotten to where Catholics ‘immediately sort of categorize people.’” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

North American synod focuses on abuse scandals, inclusivity, and a ‘missionary’ church
“The need to rebuild trust in the wake of abuse scandals, the need to be inclusive and welcoming while faithful to Church teaching, and the need to approach the synodal process as ‘a missionary movement’ were on the minds of American and Canadian Catholics who participated in the North American phase of the Catholic Church’s synodal process.” By Kevin Jones, Catholic News Agency

POPE FRANCIS

Pope outlines vision for lay ministry; Vatican to publish document on those who have remarried outside the Church
“In an April 22 address to the second plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Pope Francis outlined his vision of lay ministry in the Church. In his apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia (Praedicate Evangelium, 2022), Pope Francis established that curial dicasteries should hold plenary sessions, typically every two years, that involve all of their members (Article 26). The theme of the Dicastery’s second plenary assembly, held from April 20 to 22, was ‘Laity and Ministry in a Synodal Church,’ with special reference to Praedicate Evangelium, Article 133, which involves the institution of new ministries.” By CatholicCultur.org

Pope’s panel against minor abuse to train bishops
“The Vatican said Friday (Apr. 21) its anti-sexual abuse commission would work more closely with its evangelization branch in order to better protect minors, including training bishops from dioceses far from Rome. Pope Francis set up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2014 to fight clerical sex abuse, which will now collaborate with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, according to the three-year agreement. The commission has come under fire recently after its most influential member, Hans Zollner, quit in March, accusing the body of urgent problems related to compliance, accountability and transparency.” By Agence France Presse on UCANews.com

CARDINALS

Ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick charged with sex abuse in Wisconsin
“The defrocked Roman Catholic cardinal who became the face of the church’s clergy sex abuse crisis has been charged in Wisconsin with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man more than 45 years ago, court records show. A criminal complaint filed Friday alleges that Theodore McCarrick, who was removed from the priesthood in 2019 after a Vatican investigation found he had sexually molested adults and children, fondled a man in 1977 while staying at a cabin on Geneva Lake in southeastern Wisconsin.” By Harm Venhuizen, Associated Press, in America: The Jesuit Review

• Defrocked Catholic cardinal faces second sex assault charge, By Ruth Graham, The New York Times
• Alleged victim of Theodore McCarrick says ex-cardinal abused him for years, By Kevin J. Jones, Catholic New Agency
• Josh Kaul on the clergy and faith leader abuse initiative, By Frederica Freyberg, PBS Wisconsin

BISHOPS

Beleaguered Strasbourg archbishop quits amid complaints
“Beleaguered Strasbourg archbishop Luc Ravel has handed in his resignation on 20 April, another French Church leader accused of not smelling enough like his sheep. ‘Peace being the supreme good,’ he wrote to Pope Francis, ‘I present my resignation to the Holy Father, for whom I pray every day.’ It has not been peaceful in Strasbourg. Ravel, 65, has been criticized as isolated and authoritarian, more interested in his standing in Paris than his pastors and flock in Alsace.” By Tom Heneghan, The Tablet

PRIESTS

Washington bishop: Priests would rather go to jail than break seal of confession
“As Washington state lawmakers debate legislation that would end legal protections for the seal of confession, Spokane Bishop Thomas A. Daly has assured his diocese that priests would opt for a jail sentence before they would break the seal. ‘I want to assure you that your shepherds, bishop and priests, are committed to keeping the seal of confession — even to the point of going to jail,’ Daly wrote in a letter to Catholics in the Diocese of Spokane, which covers eastern Washington.” By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency

WOMEN’S VOICES

Catholic Church ‘robbed’ of richness of women deacons
“The Catholic Church has been ‘robbed’ of the richness of women in the diaconate, according to a senior academic and author. Dr Phyllis Zagano, adjunct professor of religion at Hofstra University, said, ‘There is not now and never has been any doctrinal finding that women cannot be restored to the diaconate.’ In her reflection on women and ministerial service in the Church at a Loyola Institute’s symposium: ‘A Servant Church on the Synodal Way,’ she said, ‘Women can receive the sacrament of order as deacons, just as they did for hundreds of years in the early Church.’” By Sarah Mac Donald, The Tablet

CHILD PROTECTION

Holy See: curial departments sign new agreement on child protection
“Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle met together on Friday, 21 April, in the offices of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches. The new agreement helps the two Vatican departments work together in service of the particular Churches in the area of prevention of the abuse of the most fragile and follows from Pope Francis’ reform of the Roman Curia with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium.” By Vatican News

20 years protecting youths
“When the diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Young People (OPCYP) was established 20 years ago in the wake of the church’s clergy sexual abuse crisis, the goal was to educate the laity and the clergy that child abuse occurs, teach how to detect the warning signs and most importantly, instruct how to protect children in the church’s care … As we observe Child Abuse Prevention month this April, we reflect on the significant strides the diocese has made since it established the office.” By Deacon Robert M. Silva, The Arlington Catholic Herald

• Voice of the Faithful 2022 Report: Measuring Abuse Prevention and Safe Environment Programs as Reported Online in diocesan Policies and Practices, By Voice of the Faithful Protection of Children Working Group

Abuse & Neglect blog – extension to Roman Catholic Church law in connection with sexual abuse
“Pope Francis recently announced an amendment to the 2019 Church law on clerical sexual abuse and increased its scope to include Catholic lay leaders of Vatican-approved religious organizations. Lay leaders are people other than clergy members who are on the professional rosters of the church. The Vatican first set out its position on clerical sexual abuse in the Apostolic letter, Vos estis lux mundi in 2019, which was due to remain in force for an initial four-year period.” By Sharon Moohan, Lexology.com

CHURCH FINANCES

Tribunal finds retired priest guilty of ‘abuse of ecclesiastical power’
“The Diocese of Jefferson City said a retired priest was guilty of ‘abuse of ecclesiastical power.’

A press release from the diocese said a tribunal of three priests from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois heard the case against Father Ignazio Medina. They found him guilty of financial misconduct while he was the pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in Wardsville … When he left, he is accused of closing down the account, leaving a $300,000 discrepancy.” By Jennifer Weiser, KRCG-TV13 News

VOICES

The Dalai Lama ‘Incident’: How not to respond to a troubling sexual situation with a child
“Last week, millions of believers and nonbelievers across the globe were shocked when a video went viral showing the Dalai Lama asking a boy to suck his tongue. It’s been described as a ‘playful’ exchange. We’re not so sure. The more appropriate word might well be ‘creepy.’

In education circles, an incident like this is often called a teachable moment. But the real lessons to be learned from this video could be titled ‘How NOT to respond to possible child sexual abuse’ or ‘How NOT to respond to a troubling sexual situation with a child.’” By David Clohessy, Religion Unplugged

What will it take to bring Catholic child abusers to justice in Maryland? A prosecutor with guts.
“There are worse things than legions of sadistic sexual predators abusing Maryland’s children: like legions of sadistic sexual predators abusing Maryland’s children and getting away with it. A recent report from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office unveiled decades of rampant sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy and others affiliated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. But many of the perpetrators can likely sleep easy believing that no one will prosecute them, because they beat the clock and concealed their crimes well enough to avoid detection earlier, when it would have been less challenging to bring them to trial.” By Kurt W. Wolfgang, The Baltimore Sun

Vatican commission for the protection of minors is all about spin
“At times it is difficult to believe anything other than that Rome is being willfully stupid when it comes to its dealings with clerical child-sex abuse. This repeated failure, inevitably, prompts recall of Einstein’s much-quoted definition of stupidity, even insanity — doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. That’s how it may look, but Rome’s serial “mishaps” in this area are neither stupid nor insane. They are about protecting itself above all while obscuring that reality through spin.” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

Research: child sex abuse in not more common among priests
“I’ll admit that I once suspected that there was something uniquely and inherently debased about Catholic clerics—a bias that only hardened as the avalanche of priestly pedophilia scandals crashed in wave after horrifying wave across the planet during the past few decades. But solely scapegoating priests is demonstrably unwarranted. Research indicates that priests, monks, and laymen are not uniquely guilty in this regard, and that male clergy from every denomination of every religion—all men in general, in fact—have a relatively equal average propensity for these destructive impulses.” By Rick Snedeker, OnlySky.media

No immunity from secular law: synodal reflection
“We are all aware of the child abuse scandal in the Church. Under instructions from Rome, priests who had been involved in child abuse were not referred to secular criminal authorities. I myself came across such a case. After I had spoken to a group of Catholic women campaigning for the ordination of women, one person, whom I shall call Dawn, approached me. We became good friends. We stayed in touch. On one occasion she told me her experience as a child.” By UCANews.com

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Gov. Kelly signs bill giving Kansas child sex abuse survivors more time to file lawsuits
“Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill Monday (Apr. 17) giving survivors of child sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits in a victory for victims and their advocates, who spent years demanding they have their day in court. The new law will allow police to pursue criminal cases indefinitely and give survivors until they turn 31 to file a lawsuit, as well as three years after a criminal conviction. The Democratic governor signed the measure after the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved it earlier this month.” By Jonathan Shorman and Jenna Barackman, The Kansas City Star

• Deadline for filing child sex abuse lawsuits in Kansas extended to age 31, and criminal statute of limitations removed, By Irvin Jackson, AboutLawsuits.com

CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

False sex abuse claims against priests – while rare – can hurt real victims and innocent clergy, experts say
“The sexual abuse supposedly occurred in 2003 at St. Agatha Catholic Church on the city’s West Side. Accuser ‘John Doe’ claimed in court documents that as a young boy he had been sexually assaulted multiple times during the after-school SAFE program by Daniel McCormack, a defrocked Chicago priest who pleaded guilty in 2007 to sexually abusing five children while serving at St. Agatha’s parish.” By Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune

Two years into Wisconsin’s faith leader investigation, McCarrick is charged, survivors can still report
“Last week former cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged in Wisconsin with fourth-degree sexual assault. The criminal charge was based on a report made by McCarrick’s victim, now in his 60s, who revealed that when he was 19, McCarrick fondled him during a 1977 trip to Lake Geneva, near Wisconsin’s border with Illinois. This charge coincides with the second anniversary of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s ongoing statewide investigation of sexual abuse by religious leaders in the Catholic Church and other faith communities, launched by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul in April 2021.” By Erin O’Donnell, Editor, Awake Blog

Adults remain vulnerable to clergy abuse, experts say
“The Catholic Church in the U.S. has made progress over the past two decades in confronting sexual abuse against minors within the church but has only begun to address the vulnerability of adults to sexual abuse by clergy, religious and lay leaders, experts told OSV News. ‘We’ve accomplished a tremendous amount in the area of (creating) safe environments,’ said Suzanne Healy, chairwoman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Review Board, a lay-led group that advises the bishops on preventing sexual abuse of minors.” By Gina Christian, OSV News, on UCANews.com

Legionaries of Christ present annual report on sexual abuse of minors by priests
“The Legionaries of Christ have published for the third consecutive year the ‘Annual Report: Truth, Justice, and Healing,’ which gives an account of the commitments made regarding victims of abuse by the congregation and the creation of safe spaces. According to data provided by the Legionaries of Christ, over the years 1941–2022 at least 27 priests sexually abused minors, which represents 1.9% of their priests.” By Nicolás de Cárdenas, ACI Prensa, on CatholicNewsAgency.com

ARKANSAS

White County man who says priest molested him files lawsuit against Diocese of Little Rock, two churches
“A White County man who says he was molested when he was a 10-year-old altar boy 42 years ago by a now-deceased Catholic priest filed suit Thursday (Apr. 20) against the Diocese of Little Rock and two churches where Richard Patrick Davis was pastor. A Pocahontas native, Davis died in May 2020 at age 83 after 57 years as a priest in Arkansas, serving past the traditional retirement age of 65.” By John Lynch, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

ARIZONA

Arizona court upholds clergy privilege in child abuse case
“The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can refuse to answer questions or turn over documents under a state law that exempts religious officials from having to report child sex abuse if they learn of the crime during a confessional setting. The ruling was issued April 7 but not released to the public until Tuesday (Apr. 18). A lawsuit filed by child sex abuse victims accuses the church, widely known as the Mormon church, two of its bishops, and other church members of conspiracy and negligence in not reporting church member Paul Adams for abusing his older daughter as early as 2010. This negligence, the lawsuit argues, allowed Adams to continue abusing the girl for as many as seven years, a time in which he also abused the girl’s infant sister.” By Michael Rezendes and Jason Dearen, Associated Press, on ReligionNewsService.com

CALIFORNIA

Child predator with Santa Monica connection arrested in Oregon
“A former employee of St. Monica’s Catholic church has been arrested in Oregon as part of a sting operation targeting child predators. Sean Baba, 29, was one of six individuals identified and arrested by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office last week. According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators used multiple dating applications, social media sites, and other online platforms to pose as underage boys and girls.” By Matthew Hall, Santa Monica Daily Press

MAINE

Four Penobscot tribe members sue Maine clergymen in decades-old sex abuse cases
“Four Native Americans who say they were abused by three Roman Catholic priests on their reservation in Maine are the latest to bring lawsuits since the state fully lifted the statute of limitations for child sex crimes. The Penobscot Nation members contend the abuse started when they were 7 to 16 years old at St. Ann Parish on Indian Island, just north of Bangor. The oldest abuse dates to 1972, while the most recent happened in 1987, according to the lawsuits.” By Associated Press on FOXNews.com

Bangor woman shares story of abuse from former Catholic priest
“A Bangor woman wants to warn others of the abuse she endured from former Catholic priest Anthony Cipolle, who was a Reverend at St. John’s in Bangor from 2017 until 2020. Melissa Kearns, who shared her story with the Portland Press Herald, claims Cipolle sexually, emotionally and psychologically abused her in 2018. The Press Herald says it reviewed numerous texts and emails between Cipolle and Kearns that support her claims.” By WPOR-FM News

• The priest broke his vows, she says. She’s breaking the silence, By Emily Allen Portland Press Herald

MARYLAND

Baltimore Archdiocese ‘uniquely positioned’ to name accused sexual abusers in redacted report, Maryland AG says
“The Maryland Attorney General’s Office clarified in a pointed statement Friday (Apr. 14) that the Archdiocese of Baltimore could legally and independently identify accused abusers in the state’s redacted report on historic child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese. The office last week released the 456-page investigation that details clergy, teachers, seminarians and deacons within the Archdiocese who allegedly assaulted more than 600 children going back to the 1940s. The report was released with dozens of court-ordered redactions, including the names of 10 ‘credibly accused’ abusers.” By Rohan Mattu, CBS-TV News Baltimore

• Statement from Attorney General Anthony Brown regarding public statements by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, By MarylandAttorneyGeneral.gov

Survivors call for criminal investigation into Catholic church sex abuse
“Catholic church sex abuse survivors are calling on prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into the Baltimore Archdiocese. ‘My abuser was known about in 1966. I could’ve been saved had they done the right thing then. Surely they can do the right thing now,’ said Teresa Lancaster. Since the release of this report detailing the horrific and repeated abuse of more than 600 child victims allegedly at the hands of 156 abusers within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, survivor Teresa Lancaster is demanding more.” By FOX-TV News Baltimore

MICHIGAN

Former Flint-area priest pleads guilty in criminal sexual conduct case
“Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today (Apr. 25) announced that Vincent Delorenzo, 84, formerly of Flint, Michigan pled guilty to one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Delorenzo, a former priest with the Lansing Diocese, was among the first five priests charged by Nessel in late May 2019. He is pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy following a service he officiated for the boy’s deceased family member in 1987. In exchange for his guilty plea today, the remaining charges will be dismissed. These charges related to the sexual assault of a child from 1995-2000, while he was a student at Holy Redeemer School and Church in Burton, Michigan.” By Michigan Department of Attorney General

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Archdiocese accused of transferring known abuse to Catholic college
“In 2013, then-Catholic priest and would-be artist Kevin Barry McGoldrick was transferred from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to the Diocese of Nashville, where he became chaplain of Aquinas College. In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday (April 18) in Philadelphia, it alleges that archdiocesan officials transferred the priest — and issued a letter of support on his behalf — knowing that he had a history of sexual abuse. The lawsuit accuses the archdiocese of enabling the priest’s abuse in 2017 of the lawsuit’s 27-year-old plaintiff, identified only as ‘Jane Doe.’” By Kathryn Post, Religion News Service

• Archdiocese of Philadelphia accused of covering up former singing priest’s alleged sexual abuse, By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post
• Philadelphia Archdiocese faces civil suit claiming then-priest preyed on adult woman at Nashville Catholic college, By Gina Christian, OSV News
• U.S archdiocese faces civil suit over clergy abuse coverup, By Gina Christian, OSV News, on UCANews.com

RHODE ISLAND

Lack of jurisdiction sinks Roman Catholic parish sex abuse suit
“The abusive actions of an out-of-state Catholic priest during a business trip do not create personal jurisdiction over his Rhode Island parish under New York law, a federal appeals court has ruled. Philip Edwardo alleges he was a victim of the late Father Philip Magaldi’s sexual abuse from approximately 1977 to 1984 … Edwardo, then a minor, sued the Roman Catholic parish St. Anthony’s, where Magaldi worked, and others, at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2021. The case was dismissed last year.” By Ufonobong Umanah, Bloomberg News

VERMONT

It’s time to release the names of nuns who abuse Vermont Children
“Now that Lent and Easter are over, Vermont Catholic Bishop Christopher Coyne needs to begin a new mission. In August 2019, Coyne released an incomplete list of Vermont clergy credibly accused of child abuse. Curiously, the Diocese of Burlington has never released a list of nuns who were credibly accused of abuse. As a survivor of St. Joseph’s Orphanage, I know that abusive nuns existed. Nuns participated in physical, sexual and emotional abuse of orphanage children. This is well documented, including in a report by former Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan.” By Maura Labelle, VTDigger.com

WASHINGTON

Washington bill takes away confession exception in abuse reporting
“A bill that would require clergy to report child abuse or neglect in Washington was advanced by the state’s House, prompting concern from some Catholics who are seeking a clergy-penitent exemption to protect the seal of the confessional. Catholics in the state have expressed concern the House’s version of the bill could force priests to violate the civil law in order to uphold church law regarding the seal of confession. The bill passed the House on April 11 in a 75-20 vote.” By Kate Scanlon, OSV News, on UCSNews.com

WISCONSIN

Dept. of Justice: Attorney General Kaul releases update in advance of two-year anniversary of clergy and faith leader abuse initiative
“As Wisconsin approaches the two-year anniversary of the launch of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative, Attorney General Kaul is releasing additional information, including statements from several survivors who have reached out to DOJ, and highlighting progress being made through the initiative. ‘Survivors of abuse by trusted leaders deserve to be respected and supported,’ said Attorney General Kaul.” By WisPolitics.com

CANADA

Quebec court approves sex abuse settlement against Catholic order
“Quebec’s Court of Appeal has approved a $28-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed against the Clerics of Saint-Viateur of Canada by sexual-assault victims. A deal was reached in January 2022, but last July Quebec Superior Court Justice Thomas M. Davis said the $8 million in legal fees was excessive. The judge said that despite the fact the lawyers for the 375 sexual-assault victims did ‘remarkable work,’ he wanted a new agreement with more reasonable fees.” By The Canadian Press

Priest sexual abuse alleged in northern B.C. diocese lawsuit
“A northern B.C. woman is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George with allegations she was sexually abused as a child by a priest. The B.C. Supreme Court notice of civil claim, filed on April 19, alleges Father Emile Jungbluth sexually assaulted the child between 1971 and 1977. The court documents name The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Prince Rupert, also known as the Diocese of Prince George, as the defendant. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Seth Wheeldon, said a court anonymization order is being sought for her name.” By Jeremy Hainsworth, Prince George Citizen

Saskatoon priest charged with sexual assailt of 13-year-old girl, church says
“The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon has confirmed one of its priests has been charged in connection to an alleged sexual assault of a 13 year-old-girl. The priest, Janko Kolosnjaji, has been placed on administrative leave, according to the church’s archivist Marusia Kobrynsky. Kolosnjaji has been removed from active duty pending completion of the legal proceeding involving the assault allegation, which dates back to March 11, according to an Thursday (Apr. 20) post on the church’s website.” By Will McLernon, CBC News

FRANCE

A judicial investigation opened against the priest suspected of sexual assault
“And now justice. Suspended from his charge last week due to suspicions of sexual assault, which earned him a canonical investigation, the parish priest of Saint-Germain de Pantin (Seine-Saint-Denis) is also the subject of a criminal investigation, indicated this Monday, April 17, the Paris prosecutor’s office, confirming information from The cross. On Sunday, the diocese of Paris announced that the parish priest of Saint-Germain de Pantin had been suspended from his charge, under the influence of a canonical investigation, for accusations of sexual assault on young adult women between 1993 and 2002.” By NewsInFrance.com

GERMANY

Senior German priest resigns over handling of abuse claims
“A senior Roman Catholic priest in Germany has been removed from office after criticism of his handling of abuse allegations against a seminary director in the Diocese of Limburg, the German Catholic Church said Tuesday (Apr. 25). Vicar General Wolfgang Roesch had asked Limburg’s bishop to relieve him of his duties following the publication of a report about the case of the Rev. Christof May.” By Associate Press

Report finds Freiburg’s ex-archbishop covered up sex abuse
“A report on the past handling of sexual abuse cases in one of Germany’s larger Catholic archdioceses, Freiburg, found that the city’s former archbishop did almost everything in his power to conceal perpetrators over a period of roughly 30 years in total. The independent report, one of several comparable outside investigations commissioned by Catholic Churches in Germany of late, was critical of Robert Zollitsch’s handling of abuse in the church both as archbishop and during his 20 preceding years as a close associate of his predecessor, Alexander Saier.” By Deustche Welle

More than 250 Catholic priests suspected of abuse in Germany
“In the Archdiocese of Freiburg in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wurtemberg, more people have been affected by sexual violence by clergy than was previously officially known. It is now assumed that there are more than 540 victims, said the chairman of a reappraisal commission, Magnus Striet on Tuesday (Apr. 18) during a live press conference in Freiburg. In addition, there are more than 250 accused clerics, according to the study.” By Timo Kirez, Anadolu Ajansi

INDONESIA

Catholic teacher in Indonesia held for abusing students
“A lay Catholic religion teacher in Indonesia with an alleged habit of watching porn videos has been accused of sexually abusing seven elementary school students. The 26-year-old teacher, only identified as Charles, was arrested by police in Ende Regency on Flores Island in Christian majority East Nusa Tenggara province on April 17. He reportedly teaches at Jopu II Catholic Elementary School in Wolowaru Subdistrict.” By UCANews.com

PHILIPPINES

The pursuit of justice for victim/survivors of child abuse
“Much has changed in the Philippine judiciary in the past 20 years. Prosecutors and judges in the family courts are now armed with 37 laws that mandate that they protect children and bring their abusers to swift and strict justice. Many prosecutors and judges are doing just that in Luzon. It is a big change in a changing era for the judiciary. Finally, the judiciary is acting more swiftly and more determined to bring healing through justice for the child victims.” By Fr. Shay Cullen, The Manila Times