Posts Tagged sexual abuse
Pope Francis is mulling proposal on bishop accountability / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on April 21, 2015
Marie Collins of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was the featured speaker April 18 at the Voice of the Faithful 2015 National Assembly.
The Vatican’s special commission on clergy sexual abuse has given Pope Francis a proposal on how to punish bishops who failed to protect minors from sexual abuse by clergy under their oversight.
“Marie Collins, a member of the panel — formally known as the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors — and herself a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, said she couldn’t reveal details of the proposal, but that personally, she believes some bishops must be removed from office.
“Among those she cited was Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, convicted in 2012 of failing to report suspected child abuse to civil authorities.”
By Michael O’Loughlin, Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Archdiocese of St. Louis ordered to produce 20 years of documents on sexual abuse / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on March 12, 2015
A judge has ordered the Archdiocese of St. Louis to produce two decades worth of internal documents on sexual abuse allegations.
“Thomas J. Prebil is only the second judge to attempt to compel the archdiocese to hand over such an extensive number of records.
“The order, released earlier this week (week of Mar. 9), is part of a civil lawsuit filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court involving the parents of a man from Florissant who sued the archdiocese over the suicide of their son …
“The documents are needed in order to show that the archdiocese had a pattern of reassigning problem priests, plaintiff lawyers argue.
“The records are also essential in proving that the archdiocese made such reassignments knowing they would almost certainly lead to further harm — the burden of proof plaintiff lawyers in Missouri need to meet in sexual abuse lawsuits involving priests such as (Bryan) Kuchar.”
By Lilly Fowler, St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Click here to read the rest of this story.
Vatican abuse commission gains second abuse survivor, several women / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 18, 2014
Pope Francis has added members to the new Vatican commission advising him on safeguarding children from sexual abuse, appointing an additional eight people to the commission from diverse global backgrounds and professional experience.
“Among the new appointments, which the Vatican announced Wednesday (Dec. 17): an English survivor of clergy sexual abuse, a woman religious who serves as the secretary general of an pan-African episcopal conference, and several psychologists and psychotherapists from different parts of the world.”
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest, “Abuse victim calls pope’s new commission line-up ‘courageous,'” by Ines San Martin, Cruxnow.com
Pope’s Vatican watchdog on abuse: wrong priest for the job / The Boston Globe
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 2, 2014
WHY PUT a priest who covered up sexual abuse in charge of policing it?
“That’s exactly what Pope Francis did when he appointed the Rev. Robert J. Geisinger as the Vatican’s ‘promoter of justice.’ While the pope has met with abuse victims and pledged himself to zero tolerance, the appointment of Geisinger is a step backward. To signal his resolve on an issue that has deeply wounded so many, he should rescind the appointment.”
Editorial by The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this editorial.
Settlement in lawsuit over priest abuse is revealed / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on October 14, 2014
Roman Catholic leaders in Minnesota pledged on Monday (Oct. 13) to enact new procedures to help protect children from sexual abuse by the clergy as they revealed some terms of the settlement for a lawsuit brought last year by a man who had been abused by a priest when he was a teenage altar boy.
“Church officials and lawyers for the victim, known only as John Doe 1, described the settlement as a major step forward in how the church handles and investigates reports of sexual abuse. According to the settlement, if the archdiocese receives a claim of sexual abuse, it must alert law enforcement officials and wait until their investigation is complete before beginning its own.”
By Julie Bosman, The New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Where does next leader of U.S.’s third largest diocese stand on clergy sexual abuse?
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on October 2, 2014
Cupich’s record on abuse includes voluntary mediation, contribution to Dallas Charter
During the introductory press conference Sept. 20 of the next leader of the Chicago Catholic church, Blase Cupich was, unsurprisingly, asked about the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
“The archbishop-designate responded that he is committed to protecting children and bringing ‘healing to people who have been victimized by clergy.’
“Cupich then added: ‘I am not asking people to say that all of a sudden they find me a credible individual because they really don’t know me. I will just say that I will work hard at this and make it an important part of my ministry.’
“To better understand whether Cupich might fulfill that pledge requires an examination of his track record on handling allegations and instances of clergy sexual abuse, one that includes stints in national positions as well as a lawsuit against former diocesan lawyers and a mediated settlement for future claims.”
By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Pope’s most important step on sex abuse may come in Kansas City / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 1, 2014
News yesterday (Sept. 29) that the Vatican is investigating Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, first reported by Joshua McElwee of the National Catholic Reporter, is potentially a prelude to the most significant step Pope Francis may ever take with regard to the church’s child sexual abuse scandals…
“What would be new in the Finn case, if he’s removed or otherwise sanctioned, is that a bishop would be held accountable not for the crime of sexual abuse, but for the cover-up, meaning failure to respond appropriately when someone else under his supervision is accused.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe associate editor for Catholic news, on Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Pennsylvania priest accused of abuse was reported five years ago, records show / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 29, 2014
Details of child sexual abuse that led to charges against a Roman Catholic priest on Thursday (Sept. 25) were reported to his Pennsylvania diocese nearly five years ago, court records show, but the church authorities did not remove him as a pastor.
“The priest, the Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio Jr., was charged in federal court in Johnstown, Pa., with possessing child pornography and engaging in illicit sexual conduct on trips he made to a boys’ orphanage in Central America. Father Maurizio visited the orphanage over a decade until 2009, when a Virginia-based charity that runs the home uncovered accusations of abuse by “Father Joe,” and passed them on to the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, according to a criminal complaint and the group.”
By Trip Gabriel, The New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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