Posts Tagged The Boston Globe
On Jan. 6, 2002, on the Feast of the Epiphany, The Boston Globe published the first in a series of reports from its Spotlight investigative team, headlined “Church allowed abuse by priest for years.” (By Kathleen McChesney, former F.B.I. executive and first executive director of the Office of Child Protection for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Visit votf.org to read about the multitude of programs and initiatives undertaken by Voice of the Faithful in the 20 years since The Boston Globe Spotlight articles prompted the organization’s founding.
“The events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol caused shock and dismay for most Americans, many of whom feared that our political system was much weaker than we had thought. On the same date nearly two decades earlier, we witnessed a similar crisis of confidence in the Catholic Church as a protector of all children.
“On Jan. 6, 2002, on the Feast of the Epiphany, The Boston Globe published the first in a series of reports from its Spotlight investigative team, headlined “Church allowed abuse by priest for years.” While the findings were not a surprise to abuse survivors, the revelations that a previously unknown number of priests in the Boston area had sexually abused minors for decades devastated Catholics in Boston and, ultimately, the faithful around the world. The Globe had learned that instead of removing many of these offenders from the priesthood, church leaders had transferred some of the men to new assignments—where the priests continued to have unsupervised access to boys and girls and had not been provided with psychological evaluation or treatment.”
By Kathleen McChesney, former F.B.I. executive and first executive director of the Office of Child Protection for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — Read more …
accountability, America: The Jesuit Review, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, clergy sexual abuse, Kathleen McChesney, Office of Child Protection, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, USCCB, vatican, voice of the faithful
The Spotlight Team revealed the church’s secret protection of pedophile priests in a series with global repercussions.
The Boston Globe
“On his first day on the job in July 2001, Globe editor Martin Baron stopped by the desk of Eileen McNamara, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. A week earlier, McNamara had published a column about the Boston Archdiocese’s silence on three priests accused of sexually abusing children. One line, in particular, had irked Baron. McNamara had wondered whether an accused priest’s superiors had known about his crimes. Court documents were sealed. ‘The public,’ she concluded, ‘has no way of knowing.’
“McNamara recalls Baron standing over her desk: ‘Why don’t we find out,’ he said.
“Spotlight’s investigation of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church did not begin with a tip or newly obtained document, as so many investigations do. Instead, it started when a new Globe editor spurred his newsroom to action. After telling the Globe’s senior leaders he intended to pursue the story, Baron asked Spotlight editor Walter V. Robinson to make sexual abuse by priests his team’s next project.
“Robinson, a three-decade newsroom veteran, was taken aback. ‘Editors never told the Spotlight Team what to do,’ Robinson says. ‘The Spotlight Team told the editor what it was going to do.’ But it was clear that this wasn’t a debate. Robinson returned to Spotlight’s office and instructed his team — Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Matthew Carroll — to get to work.
“The story wasn’t new to them. The Globe had been covering the abuse cases for a decade, and other outlets had been on the story for even longer. ‘I always remind people we didn’t reveal the existence of priest sex abuse,’ Rezendes says. Rather, Spotlight set out to do what it does best: reveal the systemic problem behind the individual stories. ‘What we did that was new,’ Rezendes continues, ‘was show the scale of the issue and the coverup.'”
By Joseph P. Kahn and Mike Damiano, The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, Boston Globe Spotlight Team, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, clergy sexual abuse, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, voice of the faithful
“Until now, McCarrick appeared beyond the reach of the criminal courts.”
The Boston Globe
“Defrocked former cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged Wednesday (Jul. 28) with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception at Wellesley College in the 1970s, making him the highest-ranking Roman Catholic official in the United States to face criminal charges in the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
“McCarrick, 91, a former archbishop of Washington, D.C., who fraternized with popes and presidents before he was expelled from the priesthood over sexual abuse allegations, is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 in a criminal complaint filed by Wellesley police in Dedham District Court.’
“A summons had been issued ordering McCarrick, now living in Missouri, to appear at the court for arraignment Sept. 3. McCarrick’s attorney, Barry Coburn of Washington, D.C., said Thursday (Jul. 29) that ‘we will look forward to addressing this issue in the courtroom.’
“Until now, McCarrick appeared beyond the reach of the criminal courts. Several men have filed civil lawsuits in New York and New Jersey, alleging that McCarrick sexually abused them in those states when they were children between the 1970s and the 1990s. But the statute of limitations has expired in those cases, preventing authorities from pursuing criminal charges.”
By Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe — Read more …
catholic bishops, Catholic cardinals, catholic church, catholic clergy sexual abuse, catholic hierarchy, roman catholic church, Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe, Theodore McCarrick
“The findings of retired Judge Peter Velis provide further evidence of the Catholic Church’s continued shameful cover-up of the wholesale sexual abuse of children at all levels no matter what the human cost …,” said attorney Mitchell Garabedian (Associated Press in The Boston Globe)
An independent investigation found that allegations of child sexual abuse by a former Roman Catholic bishop in Massachusetts were ‘unequivocally credible,’ according to an executive summary of the report released Wednesday (Sept. 16).
“Retired Superior Court Judge Peter Velis’s report of abuse allegations against late Diocese of Springfield Bishop Christopher Weldon also criticized the way the diocesan review board handled the allegations.
“Velis found that there was a ‘reluctance to fervently pursue an evaluation of allegations against (Weldon) due to his prominence and revered legacy in the religious community.’
“Velis also found that mandatory reporters had not notified law enforcement.”
By Associated Press in The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, Associated Press, Bishop Christopher Weldon, bishops, catholic, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, Catholics, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, Mitchell Garabedian, Peter Velis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, Springfield Diocese, The Boston Globe, voice of the faithful
But he (Pope Francis) said the sexual abuse of children becomes even more scandalous when it occurs in the Catholic Church, ‘‘for it is utterly incompatible with her moral authority and ethical credibility.’’ (Associated Press in The Boston Globe)
Pope Francis closed out his summit on preventing clergy sex abuse by vowing Sunday to confront abusers with ‘the wrath of God,’ end the cover-ups by their superiors and prioritize the victims of this ‘brazen, aggressive and destructive evil.’
“Francis delivered his remarks at the end of Mass before 190 Catholic bishops and religious superiors who were summoned to Rome after more abuse scandals sparked a credibility crisis in the Catholic hierarchy and in Francis’ own leadership.
“The Jesuit pope noted that the vast majority of sexual abuse happens in the family. And he offered a global review of the broader societal problem of sexual tourism and online pornography, in a bid to contextualize what he said was once a taboo subject.
“But he said the sexual abuse of children becomes even more scandalous when it occurs in the Catholic Church, ‘for it is utterly incompatible with her moral authority and ethical credibility.'”
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe —
Read more …
accountability, Associated Press, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, Nicole Winfield, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, Vatican bishops' summit, Vatican bishops' summit on clergy abuse, voice of the faithful
“No bishop may say to himself, ‘This problem of abuse in the church does not concern me, because things are different in my part of the world,’” (The Boston Globe)
The unprecedented summit on clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has yet to produce major concrete reforms, but, over the past three days, at least one clear message has emerged: No church official, no matter where he comes from, should return thinking this isn’t a problem back home.
“From the beginning of the scandals, there has been a persistent undercurrent of resistance to a major churchwide reckoning from leaders in locations where the crisis has yet to erupt, both in traditional centers of Catholic power, such as Italy, and in newer ones, such as Africa. Those church leaders have often referred to clerical abuse as largely an ‘American,’ or an ‘Anglo-Saxon’ or ‘Western’ problem.
“But that mentality was challenged head-on during the summit.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, john l allen jr, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, Vatican bishops' summit, Vatican bishops' summit on clergy abuse, voice of the faithful
Francis offered a path of reform going forward, handing out a 21-point set of proposals for the church to consider including some that would require changes to canon law. (Assoicated Press in The Boston Globe)
Pope Francis opened a landmark sex abuse prevention summit Thursday (Feb. 21) by offering senior Catholic leaders 21 proposals to punish predators and keep children safe, warning that the faithful are demanding concrete action and not just words.
“The tone for the high stakes, four-day summit was set at the start, with victims from five continents — Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and North America — telling the bishops of the trauma of their abuse and the additional pain the church’s indifference caused them.
“‘Listen to the cry of the young, who want justice,’ Francis told the gathering of 190 leaders of bishops conferences and religious orders.
‘The holy people of God are watching and expect not just simple and obvious condemnations, but efficient and concrete measures to be established.’
“More than 30 years after the scandal first erupted in Ireland and Australia, and 20 years after it hit the U.S., bishops and Catholic officials in many parts of Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia still either deny that clergy sex abuse exists in their regions or play down the problem.”
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, Associated Press, Bishops' summit, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic bishops' summit, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, catholic hierarchy, Catholics, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, Nicole Winfield, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, voice of the faithful
The officials ‘‘imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.’’ (Associated Press in The Boston Globe)
Pope Francis has defrocked former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after Vatican officials found him guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing Confession and sexual crimes against minors and adults, the Holy See said Saturday (Feb. 16).
“The punishment for the once-powerful prelate, who had served as the archbishop of Washington and had been an influential fundraiser for the church, was announced five days before Francis is set to lead an extraordinary gathering of bishops from around the world to help the church grapple with the crisis of sex abuse by clergy and systematic cover-ups by church hierarchy. The decades-long scandals have shaken the faith of many Catholics and threatened his papacy.
“Defrocking means McCarrick, 88, who now lives in a friary in Kansas after he lost his title of cardinal last year, won’t be allowed to celebrate Mass or other sacraments.
“The Vatican’s press office said that on Jan. 11, the Holy See’s doctrinal watchdog office, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, had found McCarrick guilty of ‘solicitation in the Sacrament of Confession, and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power.'”
By Frances D’Emilio and Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, bishops, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, Catholics, child sex abuse, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, defrock, laicization, laicize, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, The Boston Globe, Theodore McCarrick, vatican, voice of the faithful
American bishops promised reform after the clergy sexual abuse scandal exploded in Boston. But they largely ignored the misdeeds of one group: themselves. (The Boston Globe)
Bishop Robert Finn wasn’t going anywhere.
“He never alerted authorities about photos of young girls’ genitals stashed on a pastor’s laptop. He kept parishioners in the dark, letting the priest mingle with children and families. Even after a judge found the bishop guilty of failing to report the priest’s suspected child abuse — and after 200,000 people petitioned for his ouster — he refused to go.
“‘I got this job from John Paul II. There’s his signature right there,’ Finn had told a prospective deacon shortly after the priest’s arrest in 2011, pointing to the late pontiff’s photo. ‘And that’s who I answer to.’
“Sixteen years after the clergy sexual abuse crisis exploded in Boston, the American Catholic Church is again mired in scandal. This time, the controversy is propelled not so much by priests in the rectories as by the leadership, bishops across the country who like Finn have enabled sexual misconduct or in some cases committed it themselves.
“More than 130 US bishops — or nearly one-third of those still living — have been accused during their careers of failing to adequately respond to sexual misconduct in their dioceses, according to a Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer examination of court records, media reports, and interviews with church officials, victims, and attorneys …”
By By Jenn Abelson, Thomas Farragher of the Globe Staff, Jeremy Roebuck, Julia Terruso and William Bender of the Philadelphia Inquirer Staff — Read more …
accountability, bishops, catholic, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, catholic hierarchy, catholic priests, Catholics, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Jenn Abelson, Jeremy Roebuck, Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pope Francis, priests, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, Thomas Farragher, transparency, U.S. bishops, vatican, voice of the faithful, William Bender
With the resignation, Wuerl becomes the most prominent head to roll in the scandal roiling the Catholic Church after his predecessor as Washington archbishop, Theodore McCarrick … (Associated Press via The Boston Globe)
Pope Francis accepted the resignation Friday (Oct. 12) of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl after he became entangled in two major sexual abuse and cover-up scandals and lost the support of many in his flock.
“But in a letter released by Wuerl’s office, Francis praised his longtime ally and suggested Wuerl had unfairly become a scapegoat, having made some ‘mistakes’ in handling sex abuse cases, but not having covered them up.
“With the resignation, Wuerl becomes the most prominent head to roll in the scandal roiling the Catholic Church after his predecessor as Washington archbishop, Theodore McCarrick, was forced to resign as cardinal over allegations he sexually abused at least two minors and adult seminarians.
“A Vatican statement Friday said Francis had accepted Wuerl’s resignation, but named no replacement; in his letter, the pope asked him to stay on in a temporary capacity until a new archbishop is found.”
By David Crary and Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, Archbishop of Washington, Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, Associated Press, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, clergy sexual abuse scandal, David Crary, Nicole Winfield, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, voice of the faithful
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