Priest beats up boy for failing Bible quiz, absconds

Mangaluru: A Catholic church priest was charged with assaulting a boy after he failed to answer questions on the Bible, during his first communion catechism class in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Mangaluru. Police said the priest is absconding. 

The incident occurred on April 12 and the case registered on April 18. The parents of the 12-year-old boy said parish priest Andrew D'Costa got furious with the victim during the first communion catechism as he failed to answer some Bible-related questions. Later, he beat him black and blue with a stick. 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/Priest-beats-up-boy-for-failing-Bible-quiz-absconds/articleshow/51934710.cms 

Abuse redress back on political agenda

The announcement by the child sexual abuse royal commission that it will close registrations for private sessions in a few months has reignited calls for a national redress scheme.
Blue Knot, a national organisation working with adult survivors of child abuse said on Friday the federal government should commit to the scheme before the general election.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/abuse-inquiry-to-cap-private-sessions/news-story/1fe463c47f324a57e838232ed46c9b3d 

Hastert Case Raises Questions About Statute Of Limitations

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is calling for state lawmakers to eliminate the statute of limitations for child sex crimes, following the sentencing yesterday of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert to 15 months in prison for making illegal cash withdrawals.
Hastert was accused trying to pay off a former student who claimed that Hastert molested him decades ago when Hastert was his high school wrestling coach.

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2016/04/28/hastert-statute-of-limitations 

Dennis Hastert Case Renews Questions About Nature of Sexual Predators

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is going to prison for violating federal banking laws. But at his sentencing yesterday, Hastert acknowledged that he sexually abused students during his time as a wrestling coach in far west suburban Yorkville.
Prosecutors say there were at least four victims, but is it likely that Hastert continued his predatory ways after being elected to Congress and later becoming one of the most powerful men in the country?

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/04/28/dennis-hastert-case-renews-questions-about-nature-sexual-predators

Lawsuits accuse reinstated St. John's priest of sexual abuse

A well-known St. John’s Abbey monk, the Rev. Timothy Backous, is accused of sexually abusing two boys decades ago in lawsuits filed Thursday in St. Paul.

It was the second time in recent weeks that a St. John’s monk was sued after being suspended from ministry and then cleared by the abbey. The Rev. Thomas Andert, former abbey prior, also was sued by two men after being cleared by the abbey last November.

http://www.startribune.com/reinstated-st-john-s-priest-is-sued-for-sexual-abuse/377503041/ 

A summary of the Mount Cashel civil trial so far

That first day of trial at Courtroom No. 2, Newfoundland Supreme Court, the sides were aligned on either side of the aisle on stiff-backed, wooden benches that resemble the pews of a church.
“Why are they here?” several people asked The Telegram. The “they” in this instance are the handful of staff and top-ranking clergy, including Archbishop Martin Currie, of the Archdiocese of St. John’s, known as the entity, RC Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s who have attended the trial daily.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2016-04-25/article-4509229/A-summary-of-the-Mount-Cashel-civil-trial-so-far/1 

Church Shielded Abusive Priest, Man Says

A New Yorker filed suit against a Catholic Church on Long Island that he says keeps his abuser in active ministry, despite mounting complaints.  Sean Kiefaber says he was between 5 and 7 years old from 2001 to 2003 when the Rev. Gregory Yacyshyn sexually molested him during after-school youth programs at the St. Francis of Assisi parish in Greenlawn, N.Y.
The Diocese of Rockville Center ordained Yacyshyn in 1998, and St. Francis is one of three parishes where Yacyshyn has worked over the years, according to the complaint, filed Monday in Nassau County Supreme Court.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/04/29/church-shielded-abusive-priest-man-says.htm 

French cardinal admits errors on abuse, meets with archdiocesan priests

A French cardinal under judicial investigation over his handling of sexual abuse accusations against clergy admitted making mistakes and unveiled new anti-abuse measures at a meeting with local priests.
"The cardinal has accepted the archdiocese committed errors in managing and nominating certain priests and has reiterated how important it is for victims of sexual abuse by clergy to see their right to truth and justice recognized," the Lyon archdiocese said.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/french-cardinal-admits-errors-abuse-meets-archdiocesan-priests 

It's the pope's loss': Ballarat sex abuse survivors speak after return from Rome

Group who flew to Rome to witness George Pell give evidence at the royal commission urge prime minister to commit to national redress scheme for abuse victims
Child sexual abuse survivors from Ballarat who flew to Rome to watch Cardinal George Pell give evidence say it’s the pope’s loss he didn’t meet with them at the Vatican.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/06/australian-child-sex-abuse-survivors-arrive-back-home-from-rome?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_ 

Charged, retired priest says he was 'already seeking treatment'

A volunteer with a support group for people abused by priests is raising questions after Rev. Richard Thomas, a retired Diocese of Green Bay priest, was charged Thursday for allegedly exposing himself four times last month to a 16-year-old boy when the boy was walking to school.
Thomas was living in Grellinger Hall, a home for retired priests in Allouez.

http://fox11online.com/news/local/green-bay/charged-retired-priest-says-he-was-already-seeking-treatment 

Andrew Bolt interviews Cardinal George Pell after the Royal Commission in Rome

DEFIANT George Pell has stated he will not resign over the child abuse scandal and said the Catholic Church was being held to a higher standard than others.
In an exclusive interview with Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt, Cardinal Pell complained he had become a hate figure, when asked about a police investigation into allegations he had abused between five and seven children.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/andrew-bolt-interviews-cardinal-george-pell-after-the-royal-commission-in-rome/news-story/e6c3959acb3c70c74c036bc203f8b6f6 

Case for the defense of Cardinal Pell heard in Australia

In general, Australian media and public opinion have not been kind to Cardinal George Pell, basically turning the 75-year-old Vatican financial czar into the country’s leading symbol of child sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.
That campaign reached a crescendo in February, when Pell testified before a Royal Commission via video link from Rome about his time as a priest in the city of Ballarat and later as the Archbishop of Melbourne.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/26/case-for-the-defense-of-cardinal-pell-heard-in-australia/ 

Most wanted’ NSW child sex offender found dead in SA after decade on the run

TEN years ago, convicted child sex offender Warwick John McEwen fled NSW with detectives hot on his heels, determined to bring him to justice over a host of fresh sex offences.
But after a decade on the run and living interstate under assumed names, police today took him off their most wanted list after he was found dead in hospital.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/most-wanted-nsw-child-sex-offender-found-dead-in-sa-after-decade-on-the-run/news-story/ea3ef6c56baa95900708d9669b7c266e 

Royal Commission releases final report into Neerkol abuse

THE Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has released its final report into allegations of child sexual abuse at St Joseph’s Orphanage, Neerkol, in Rockhampton.
The report follows a public hearing held in April 2015, which dealt with abuse at the orphanage between 1940 and 1975 and the response from the Sisters of Mercy, who operated the orphanage, the Diocese of Rockhampton and Queensland Government agencies.

http://catholicleader.com.au/news/royal-commission-releases-final-report-into-neerkol-abuse 

Why is the Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Scandal Still a Story After All These Years?

Laurie Goodstein, the national religion correspondent for The New York Times, wrote a powerful essay about why the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal is still a story decades after it first broke. Yes, reporters keep uncovering new horrifying details, but why are people still so fascinated by this topic?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/04/21/why-is-the-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-scandal-still-a-story-after-all-these-years/ 

I’m a progressive feminist. So why can’t I leave the Catholic Church?

At the end of the film “Spotlight,” the audience is confronted with a seemingly endless list of locations. It’s the places around the country and globe where allegations of sexual abuse of children by members of the Catholic clergy have surfaced—from Helena, Honolulu and both Portlands to Lota, Ireland, Munich, and Medellín.
The first time I saw it in theaters, one place stuck out: Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital city less than an hour from where I grew up. The second time I saw it, I noticed Dallas, Texas, the place I had left for New York.

http://fusion.net/story/296396/why-progressive-feminist-cannot-leave-catholic-church/ 

Two Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed against Recently Reinstated St. John's Monk Father Tim Backous

What:  At a news conference tomorrow in St. Paul, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant will:  

Announce the filing of two civil lawsuits naming St. John’s Abbey and Father Timothy Backous as defendants. One suit is being brought by Doe 413, a survivor who was sexually abused by Backous at St. John’s Prep School in approximately 1982-1983 when he was 16 years old. The second lawsuit is being brought by Doe 188, a former member of the St. John’s Boys Choir who was abused by Backous on a choir trip to Europe in 1990 when Doe 188 was 12 to 13 years old. 

http://www.andersonadvocates.com/Posts/News-or-Event/2107/Video-Two-Sex-Abuse-Lawsuits-Filed-against-Recently-Reinstated-St-Johns-Monk-Father-Tim-Backous.aspx

Guilty plea over Geelong orphan abuse

former Christian Brother who abused children at a Geelong orphanage has admitted to a dozen charges of indecently assaulting young boys. William Stuart Houston worked at St Augustine's in the 1960's. He left the Christian Brothers in the 1990's. 

The County Court yesterday lifted a supression order that had prevented the media from identifying the 77-year-old. The charges are believed to relate to male victims during Houston's time at St Augustines. 

http://www.bay939.com.au/news/local-news/62578-guilty-plea-over-geelong-orphan-abuse

Catholic priest found guilty of luring boy, 11, to his office with computer games then drugging him and raping him on the floor

A Catholic priest working at a notorious boarding college enticed a Year 7 student into his office with computer games then raped him on the floor.

Michael Scott Aulsebrook, 60, of Traralgon, was found guilty of one count of rape after he fought the charge in the Victorian County Court. He has also admitted to sexually assaulting two other children.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3561328/Michael-Aulsebrook-guilty-raping-boy-11-Victorian-County-Court.html 

Australian paedophile priest pleads guilty to child sex offences

A notorious paedophile priest in Australia has pleaded guilty to historical child sex offences on the eve of his trial.
On Wednesday, Vincent Gerard Ryan, 78, pleaded guilty to attempted homosexual intercourse with a male aged between 10 and 18, indecent assault on a male and gross indecency with a male under 18.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/national-news/79381473/Australian-paedophile-priest-pleads-guilty-to-child-sex-offences 

Cardinal George Pell’s evidence challenged by three Catholic officials

Three former Catholic Church officials have directly challenged evidence from Cardinal George Pell, who claimed to have been “deceived” and made the victim of a “cover-up” over the activities of a paedophile priest.

The former Melbourne Catholic Education Office officials told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse today they were in “shock, “disappointed” and “angry” at the Cardinal’s claims, which were “quite wrong”. 
Giving evidence to the commission last month, Cardinal Pell, now a senior Vatican official, accused the Education Office of keeping from him reports of violent and sexual misconduct by the late Peter Searson.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/royal-commission/cardinal-george-pells-evidence-challenged-by-three-catholic-officials/news-story/0a79704035fef911ca5a13333bb3a988 

Cardinal George Pell 'wrong' to blame others for sex abuse cover up, inquiry told

Senior Catholic education officials have spoken of their shock and anger at Cardinal George Pell's evidence to a royal commission that staff had covered up complaints about a paedophile priest.
Cardinal Pell told the royal commission last month that staff from the Catholic Education Office deceived him by failing to give a full account of allegations about Father Peter Searson.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/cardinal-george-pell-wrong-to-blame-others-for-sex-abuse-cover-up-inquiry-told-20160426-gofslb.html 

Cardinal Pell's credibility is on the line as Catholic church strikes back

When George Pell dumped on Melbourne’s Catholic Education Office in March the question was: would the church strike back or hunker down behind the cardinal? On Wednesday the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse gave the answer: strike back hard.
At issue is Pell’s credit. Time and again as he has defended his record as a priest in Ballarat and bishop in Melbourne, the cardinal’s best answer to his accusers has been: my word can be trusted against yours.
That’s not looking so good now.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/27/cardinal-george-pell-catholic-church-evidence-royal-commission-abuse?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_ 

Priest Michael Aulsebrook found guilty of raping boy at Salesian College Rupertswood

A Catholic priest found guilty of raping a student at a notorious boarding school outside Melbourne has also admitted sexually assaulting two other children, it can now be reported.
Michael Aulsebrook, 60, was on Wednesday found guilty by a County Court jury of raping an 11-year-old boy at Salesian College Rupertswood, in Sunbury, in 1988, when the priest was the boarding co-ordinator at the school. Aulsebrook pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape. The jury had begun their deliberations on Tuesday morning.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/priest-michael-aulsebrook-found-guilty-of-raping-boy-at-salesian-college-rupertswood-20160427-gog3v9.html

Vic priest found guilty of school rape

A Catholic priest working at a notorious Salesian College in the late 1980s enticed a Year 7 student into his office with computer games then raped him on the floor.
Michael Scott Aulsebrook, 60, of Traralgon, has been found guilty of one count of rape after he fought the charge in the Victorian County Court.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/04/27/13/49/vic-priest-found-guilty-of-college-rape 

‘Spotlight’: Preying on the unnameable

PEOPLE don’t talk about priests sexually abusing young boys and girls; they whisper about it. The filmmaker behind this arresting film, Spotlight, takes the cue from that and works around a society that cannot face the sordid truths about the church it supports.
Boston is the elegant backdrop to the irony of sexual abuse perpetrated by those whose grace is to watch over children and not graze their hands over those painfully young bodies.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/spotlight-preying-on-the-unnameable/ 

George Pell knew about pedophile priest: education officer

A number of Catholic education officers have hit back at claims Cardinal George Pell was not informed about notorious pedophile Peter Searson in the late 1980s.
Monsignor Thomas Doyle told the royal commission today Cardinal Pell "was wrong" when he said the Catholic Education Office deliberately kept him in the dark about Searson's behaviour. Cardinal Pell was Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne in 1989 and in charge of education when complaints flooded in about bizarre and abusive behaviour of Searson at the parish of Doveton.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/04/27/12/57/george-pell-not-kept-in-the-dark-about-pedophile-priest-education-officers 

Three Franciscan priests ordered to stand trial in sex abuse case

Hours of testimony and legal jousting led to a quick conclusion Wednesday afternoon when a judge ordered three Franciscan priests to stand trial on charges of conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children for their oversight of a sexually abusive friar.
Blair County District Judge Paula Aigner made the ruling without elaborating after a prosecutor argued that the three put hundreds of children in harm's way over nearly two decades by assigning the late Brother Stephen Baker to work among them.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2016/04/27/Hearing-resumes-for-3-Franciscan-priests-charged-in-sex-abuse-case/stories/201604270158 

Occupy The Vatican

In light of all the recent bigotry and discrimination against the transgender community in North Carolina (and around the world) let us not lose focus of the world's largest pedophile association, the real threat and perpetrators of crimes against humanity for hundreds of years, we're talking about the Catholic Church and The Vatican of course.

https://www.facebook.com/occupythevatican 

Sex abuse royal commission: Catholic staff deny Pell deceived

Of-cause they will stand by their lies... the catholic church does not know how to tell the TRUTH... do you know this saying?? Birds of the feather, flock together... and this is what we have seen happening... time and time again... with in the catholic church... Ann

================================

Cardinal George Pell’s claims to a royal commission to have been deceive­d and made victim of a cover-up by others in the Catholic Church about the activities of a pedophile priest have been direct­ly contradicted by the officials alleged­ly involved.

Three former Catholic Education Office Melbourne officials told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse yesterday that they were in “shock”, “disappointed” and “angry” at the cardinal’s claims, which were “quite wrong”.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/royal-commission/sex-abuse-royal-commission-catholic-staff-deny-pell-deceived/news-story/4cec8f351ec49599a82ff41a2c15ac81 

Serving two masters A bishop’s public resignation creates more problems for the church

STUDENTS at Shanghai’s Sheshan Catholic seminary, one of China’s biggest, learned on August 22nd that classes would be suspended indefinitely. The announcement was another twist in the latest standoff between Catholics and the government that began on July 7th. On that day, Bishop Ma Daqin, the new auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, announced at the end of his ordination homily at the Cathedral of St Ignatius that he would need to devote every effort to his new post, and it would therefore be “inconvenient” to remain a member of the government’s Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), the body which oversees China’s Catholic church.
 The faithful, packed into the pews, rose in spontaneous applause. Shanghai’s government was less thrilled; he has since been held under house arrest.

http://www.economist.com/node/21562249 

After the earthquake: five reasons for hope after the sexual abuse scandal

The study of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in the United States since 1950, which was commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, is scheduled for release during February 2004. This comprehensive study surveyed all Catholic dioceses in the United States about sexual abuse by members of the clergy.
The report will likely cause another sizable earthquake in the church, as it will reveal many disturbing details about sexual abuse by Catholic clergymen. The report should receive a great deal of media and public attention as well as highlight the extent of the problem. It may be shocking and upsetting to read. In the spirit of earthquake preparedness (I am writing this from California, after all), I would like to outline five reasons for hope in anticipation of the release of this important report. But before doing so, it may be helpful to review briefly the recent earthquake activity in the Catholic Church in the United States.

http://www.columbiaacademicfreedom.org/2016/04/after-the-earthquake-five-reasons-for-hope-after-the-sexual-abuse-scandal/ 

Melbourne Response abuse compo could rise

Compensation payments to people sexually abused as children by clergy could be increased to more than $100,000 under the Catholic Church's much-criticised Melbourne Response scheme, a victims' advocate says.

A review to be released in coming days is expected to recommend lifting the current $75,000 cap on compensation payments to victims in the Melbourne archdiocese

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/31429586/melbourne-response-abuse-compo-could-rise/ 

Exorcising Catholic Priest Stereotypes

The Altoona-Johnstown diocese has been dealing with multiple tragedies recently: various sexual abuse scandals and cover-ups from several leaders in the church.
Unfortunately, the stereotype that Catholic priests everywhere are pedophiles and child abusers has resurfaced. This stereotype has continued to be the monster-in-the-closet for the Catholic Church

http://troubadour.francis.edu/1495/editorials/exorcising-catholic-priest-stereotypes-2/ 

Israeli, Haredi FaceBook Group, Lo Tishtok Goes After Sex Abuse

Haaretz reports there is a new Israeli Facebook based, all-volunteer Haredi group supporting victims of sex abuse. The scene captured by the surveillance camera shows an ultra-Orthodox man trying to force himself on a young boy in the narrow entrance of an apartment building.
It happened last month, on Purim, in the Israeli town of Bnei Brak. Within a few hours, the footage was posted on Facebook. Almost immediately, the assailant was identified, and two days later, he was under arrest.

https://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/9653/

Tough to build Jehovah's Witness sex-abuse case

Without documents, says plaintiff, he can’t get justice.  On Friday, April 29, an attorney for Osbaldo Padron will ask a judge to impose severe sanctions on the Jehovah's Witness Church for refusing to turn over documents. The documents allegedly show the church was aware of sexual abuse committed over decades by a San Diego–based church leader on young boys, such as Padron.

The request for sanctions is the latest development in a childhood sex-abuse scandal that has rocked the church in several countries in recent years. In San Diego, the case is the ninth against church leader Gonzalo Campos; seven settled out of court.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2016/apr/24/ticker-tough-build-jehovahs-witness-sex-abuse-case/ 

Compensation payouts to children sexually abused by clergy could be increased to up to $120,000 under a new review of the Catholic Church

Compensation payments to people sexually abused as children by clergy could be increased to more than $100,000 under the Catholic Church's much-criticised Melbourne Response scheme, a victims' advocate says.

A review to be released in coming days is expected to recommend lifting the current $75,000 cap on compensation payments to victims in the Melbourne archdiocese. Clergy abuse victims advocate Helen Last said the cap could be increased to $100,000-$120,000.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3557175/Compensation-survivors-sexual-abuse-clergy-increased-100-000.html 

Pope Francis on Earth Day: ‘Transform deserts into forests!’

Pope Francis on Sunday made a surprise visit to Rome’s Villa Borghese park for a celebration of Italy’s Earth Day, sponsored in part by the Catholic Focolare movement. In vintage Francis style, he had a prepared text but abandoned it when he took the stage, delivering an entirely impromptu set of remarks.
The pope was accompanied by Italian Archbishop Angelo Becciu, the number two official at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, and was welcomed by Italian lay woman Maria Voce, head of the Focolare, a Catholic movement born amid the Second World War that stresses unity within the human family.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/24/pope-francis-on-earth-day-transform-deserts-into-forests/ 

Victims' group displeased with archbishop's response to concerns about Lawton priest

A victims' group is dissatisfied with a Roman Catholic leader's rationale for employing a priest who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor to serve at Oklahoma parishes.
The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, said his staff conducted a full investigation of the Rev. Jose Alexis Davila before he was appointed to serve as an associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lawton in 2015.

http://newsok.com/article/5494051 

Church defenders should thank media who exposed child abuse

NUALA O’Loan knows how an organisation protects its own and belittles accusers.  She knows all about institutional cover-up, having skilfully unmasked precisely that in policing here.
In return she took insults and threats but media comment was a strong ally. So it is sad to see her in a recent university conference attacking Irish media treatment of the Catholic Church - in a bizarre location.

http://www.irishnews.com/opinion/columnists/2016/04/26/news/church-defenders-should-thank-media-who-exposed-child-abuse-497962/ 

Our view: Give child abuse victims path to justice

ERIE, Pa. -- The state House of Representatives -- spurred by the litany of horrors contained in the state grand jury report on child sex abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown -- with overwhelming support advanced legislation that would allow victims of such abuse to reach deep into the past to seek civil damages for harm they suffered.

As Ed Palattella reported, the current statute of limitations allows child sex crime victims to file civil actions up to the age of 30. The proposed legislation, now before a Senate committee, would extend that to age 50 and apply retroactively. It would also remove all statutes of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex crimes, but only in future cases.

http://www.goerie.com/our-view-give-child-abuse-victims-path-to-justice 

4 Common Ways Churches Fail Abuse Victims (and What To Do Instead)

Last week I posted my story of abuse by a spiritual leader. The response has been overwhelming as victims from literally around the world have reached out to me to share their own abuse stories. One common theme in almost all of the stories was the damaging way the leadership at their churches had handled their situation.
In light of this, I’ll share four common, destructive responses to abuse disclosure that churches often give.  And, I’ll offer four healthy alternatives.

http://www.ashleyeaster.com/blog/4-ways-churches-fail-abuse-victims 

TKC MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY PRIEST SEX ABUSE SCANDAL FOLLOWS FR. FINN!!!

Check this portion of a statement just released which continues to hold former Bishop Finn accountable for a Kansas City Catholic crisis . . . SNAP: Victims blast Catholic officials for honoring criminal Under the headline “Hometown Team,” the latest issue of Catholic St. Louis portrays Bishop Robert Finn as one of several local priest who have climbed the clerical ladder to become prelates. But it makes no mention of Finn’s status as the only US bishop to be convicted for concealing evidence of child sex crimes from police and prosecutors.

http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2016/04/tkc-must-read-kansas-city-priest-sex.html 

Cut church's abuse report decision role'

Institutions like the Catholic Church should never be allowed make the decision to blind report child sex abuse crimes to police, a NSW MP has told a royal commission.

NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge said self interest and the power imbalance were strong motivators for institutions to "blind report", which involves informing police of an allegation of child sex abuse but not giving the name of the victim.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/31395091/cut-churchs-abuse-report-decision-role/ 

Why did the Vatican reinstate a convicted priest?

The answer is simple: they thought no one would notice.
When Indian priest Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul pleaded guilty in 2012 to child molestation in the Diocese of Crookston, MN, Jeyapaul’s victims and their supporters (including SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) believed—at first—that they had won a huge victory.
Not only had Jeyapaul fled the US in 2010 when criminal charges were filed, but it took Interpol to bring the Catholic cleric back to the United States from India in 2012

http://theworthyadversary.com/4187-why-would-the-vatican-reinstate-jeyapaul 

Priest who stole $300k to remain in jail after 1st parole

A Roman Catholic priest who served as the face of the church in New Hampshire during the sex abuse scandal was granted parole Tuesday on two of his convictions for stealing $300,000 from a hospital, a bishop and a dead priest's estate. But he'll still serve at least two more years in jail to complete his full sentence.

Monsignor Edward Arsenault pleaded guilty to three theft charges in 2014. He was granted parole on the first two charges but will not be eligible for parole on the third for two more years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3548331/Priest-stole-dead-priest-paroled-remains-jailed.html 

Church acts on abuse fallout

ARCHBISHOP Christopher Prowse on Friday apologised for what had happened to "innocent men, their families and communities" at Brother William Standen's hands.

The Christian Brother has pleaded guilty to 17 charges of indecent assault and one act of indecency against boys aged 12-14 while he was a dormitory master at a Catholic School from 1978-81. He is awaiting sentence.

 http://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/3858634/church-acts-on-abuse-fallout/

Lawsuit seeks removal of convicted priest in archdiocese in India

Vatican reinstated abusive priest in his native India.   Megan Peterson was astounded to learn that the Vatican had reinstated a priest from India who was convicted last year of sexually abusing a teenage girl in northern Minnesota.

She took her fight to remove that priest, the Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul, to federal court Tuesday, filing a lawsuit to prevent him from "harming the children of India.''

http://www.startribune.com/lawsuit-seeks-removal-of-convicted-indian-priest/376292471/ 

“Sex Abuse Archbishop” to Play Key Role in Celebrating Anniversary of Christianity in Poland

A former archbishop who resigned amid allegations that he forced homosexual attentions on trainee priests is to play a key role in a holy mass in Poznań marking the 1050th anniversary of the baptism of Poland.

Father Juliusz Paetz stepped down after the newspaper Rzeczpospolita published allegations of sexual abuse in 2002. The newspaper reported that the then archbishop’s ‘proclivities’ had been known by the authorities at his seminary for some time, and that former pope John Paul II was ‘shocked’ to hear the revelations.

http://inside-poland.com/t/sex-abuse-archbishop-to-play-key-role-in-celebrating-anniversary-of-christianity-in-poland/ 

Victim of child abuse seeks civil recourse after alleged abusers’ death

A man who said he was sexually abused by a now-deceased priest, and a former priest, who said he was fired for speaking out about sex abuse in the church asked lawmakers Tuesday to eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child abuse allegations against the dead so that victims can seek damages from their estates. Bassam Haddad, who said he is 43 and married with two boys, told members of the Judiciary Committee he was abused as a teenager by a priest at St. Joseph’s in Lawrence who was then transferred to Lebanon, where he died in recent years.

http://wwlp.com/2016/04/12/victim-of-child-abuse-seeks-civil-recourse-after-alleged-abusers-death/

the addition brings the Catholic Church child abuse exploration Mea Maxima Culpa

Gibney, the addition brings the Catholic Church child abuse exploration Mea Maxima Culpa, he believes the new Armstrong details that make the whole film a very powerful meditation on the culture of winning at all costs .
But, as it happens, Armstrong is already in the middle of a movie. Need not be much longer before it finished pIt’s impossible to read about alleged doping Lance Armstrong ‘s ring – a case in detail in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report yesterday and did not like the cross-border sophistication of the alleged detailed operational Jason Bourne would feel jealous.

http://androidapkdownloadfree.net/uncategorized/the-addition-brings-the-catholic-church-child-abuse-exploration-mea-maxima-culpa-2/ 

Residential-school survivors speak out about Catholic Church’s settlement shortfall

A legal miscue that allowed the Catholic Church to walk away from part of its promise to compensate survivors of Indian residential schools has former victims angry and frustrated

Vivian Ketchum, 51 Attended Cecilia Jeffrey residential school in Kenora, Ont., in the early 1970s.

News of the Catholic entities’ unfulfilled financial obligations made Vivian Ketchum “extremely angry,” she said. The money, she believes, could be used for a 24-hour youth crisis centre in Kenora, where indigenous youth suicide is epidemic.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/residential-school-survivors-speak-out-about-catholic-churchs-settlement-shortfall/article29686507/ 

Physical versus mental child abuse

In view of the tweeted responses to the Daily Mail article, I thought it might be helpful to reproduce what I actually said in 2006. Incidentally, I was myself sexually abused by a teacher when I was about nine or ten years old. It was a very unpleasant and embarrassing experience, but the mental trauma was soon exorcised by comparing notes with my contemporaries who had suffered it previously at the hands of the same master.
Thank goodness, I have never personally experienced what it is like to believe – really and truly and deeply believe ­– in hell. But I think it can be plausibly argued that such a deeply held belief might cause a child more long-lasting mental trauma than the temporary embarrassment of mild physical abuse.

https://richarddawkins.net/2013/01/physical-versus-mental-child-abuse/ 

Priest abuse: Files from Catholic orders reveal new molestation details (Update)

Hundreds of pages of secret church files released Wednesday shed light on the troublesome careers of a dozen religious order priests, brothers and nuns accused of sexually abusing children while working in the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese.

The files include one case of a priest who admitted to having sexual contact with more than 100 boys while serving in several Southern California parishes for years.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/07/31/38464/religious-order-files-released-wednesday-reveal-de/ 

The open wounds of child abuse

Without a doubt, the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has been one of the most painful episodes of recent Church history.
n abundant media and press coverage has casted a shadow over the pastoral work of the Church. There is a truth that has to be faced, and there are exaggerations and manipulations that have to be addressed. Bishop Charles Scicluna, Auxiliary Bishop of Malta and former Promoter of Justice in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, talks to host Jonas Soto about the significant achievements that the Church has accomplish in this regard.

http://www.aidtochurch.orgwww.wheregodweeps.org/index.php/component/k2/10083?video=1 

Priest investigated, sent back to India

A priest withdrawn from duty and sent back to India — after an RCMP investigation that netted no charges — was being investigated for allegations of undisclosed abuse, the Archdiocese of Edmonton has confirmed.
Parishioners at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Fort Saskatchewan, just north of Strathcona County, were told on March 19 that Father Ashok Mascarenhas — who had been with the church since 2013 — has been withdrawn from service at the church, after complaints spurred an RCMP investigation.

http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2016/04/21/priest-investigated-sent-back-to-india 

Is Catholicism being scrubbed from Ireland’s ‘Easter Rising’?

2016 marks the centenary of the Irish ‘Easter Rising’ that paved the way for much of the island to win independence from Great Britain. But, commemoration of the event is exposing sharp differences in modern Ireland about how the influence of Catholicism is being marked.
Whilst the uprising was a failure from a military point of view, it inspired a whole new generation of activists who engaged in a guerrilla campaign that saw 26 of the country’s 32 counties win effective independence in 1922.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/21/is-catholicism-being-scrubbed-from-irelands-easter-rising/ 

Abolish time limits on childhood sex abuse cases

April is Sex Abuse Awareness Month. In light of this fact, it’s time we re-examine our state laws — particularly those that pertain to sexual abuse. More specifically, we need to take a hard look at the laws that can limit or bar a sex abuse victim’s ability to bring a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator and/or the institutions that failed to protect him/her. 
These laws are referred to as statutes of limitations. Though in place for a reason, statutes of limitations on childhood sex abuse cases frequently act to protect predators and harm victims. 

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/apr/22/sex-abuse-law-change-04232016/ 

US woman slaps Indian bishop with lawsuit

A diocese in southern India has started consulting legal experts after a 26-year-old woman in the United States filed a lawsuit against its bishop for "reinstating" a priest she said sexually abused her.
Megan Peterson filed a federal lawsuit in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 18 against Bishop Arulappan Amalraj of Ootacamund for allegedly reinstating Father Joseph Palanivel Jayapaul, who was convicted of abuse.

http://www.ucanews.com/news/us-woman-slaps-indian-bishop-with-lawsuit/75835 

Sex inquiry to meet for further talks

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will hold a directions hearing next week to make further orders regarding the response of Catholic Church clergy to complaints of child sexual abuse in Ballarat.
The hearing to be held in Sydney on Wednesday and comes after former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns died at the age of 85 earlier this month following a long battle with colon cancer.

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/3864967/sex-inquiry-to-meet-for-further-talks/?cs=62 

The Psychological Report

After 14 years of seeking the withheld Psychological Report, undertaken with the Catholic Church approved psychiatrist, my Solicitors and I finally received a copy in February of 2013.
Although I had already suspected as much, the reality of the report’s blasé attitude towards childhood sexual abuse shocked and disturbed me greatly. The spirit of humanity is reborn into the world at a rate of over 200 newborns a minute. The birth of a child is creation’s ultimate gift to humanity. And this is humanity expressing itself at its most precious and innocent point. Children need our protection and this protection needs constant vigilance to make sure it has no weakness in its civil integration.

https://sexualabusesurvivors.com.au/the-psychological-report/ 

Alleged abuse victim's anger after Catholic priest 'commits suicide' hours before police visit

AN alleged sex abuse victim has spoken of his anger after the Catholic priest he claims abused him apparently committed suicide hours before he was due to answer bail over historic child sex allegations.
Father Ernest Sands, 67, was found dead at his remote cottage in North Wales last Monday (April 11). The Northern Echo has learnt prosecutors were looking to charge Mr Sands with the indecent assault of five boys aged between 11 and 15 and the priest was due to answer bail later that day.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14438776.Alleged_abuse_victim_s_anger_after_Catholic_priest__commits_suicide__hours_before_police_visit/ 

Church sex-abuse victims demand to be heard

The Roman Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the least Catholic countries: Japan, where former students at a prestigious all-boys parochial school allege they were molested or raped by religious brothers who taught there decades ago.
Three former students at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo told The Associated Press they were sexually abused by brothers there.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/church-sex-abuse-victims-demand-to-be-heard-2012064 

Catholic Church to allow independent Dutch child sex abuse investigation

The Catholic Church is allowing the foundation behind the hotline for child abuse in the church to investigate all cases of sexual abuse that were handled and financially settled in secret. The hotline hopes that these documents will provide supporting evidence for victims who don’t have enough in the official complaints procedure, NRC reports.
About 250 victims have an authentic story, but lack evidence for their complaint, according to the hotline.  The head of the hotline will be given copies of the documents relating to secret mediation and settlements. They will be inspected for supporting evidence and then destroyed.

http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/04/20/catholic-church-to-allow-independent-dutch-child-sex-abuse-investigation/ 

Retired St. Louis Catholic priest faces new allegations of abuse

A retired Roman Catholic priest who has previously been accused of sexual abuse is facing new allegations.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is informing the region's Catholic community that a new allegation was recently reported against the Rev. Thomas J. Graham. The alleged abuse occurred in the 1980s at St. Alban Roe Catholic Church in Wildwood.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/retired-st-louis-catholic-priest-faces-new-allegations-of-abuse/article_33b10029-60df-503c-8004-047f2ab9c2bf.html 

Why did a priest equate the 'sin' of a woman's adultery with paedophilia?

This week, a Melbourne Catholic priest compared priests who sexually abuse children to women who have extra-marital affairs. Apparently trying to make a point about mercy in the face of public outrage, Father Bill Edebohls, head of schools in his parish in East Malvern, referenced the tale of the adulterous woman spared from stoning by Jesus with the words, "He who is without sin. Let him cast the first stone at her."
"For our generation, where adultery is not regarded as a crime – and many have lost the moral sense of the destructive harm adultery does to family and community... we probably don't get the power of the gospel story," he wrote.

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/news-features/why-did-a-priest-equate-the-sin-of-a-womans-adultery-with-paedophilia-20160420-goav0b.html 

Catholic priest arrested for soliciting sex from male undercover deputy

A Polk County church is in crisis mode, after their priest was arrested Tuesday and charged with soliciting oral sex from a male undercover detective.
Stephen Glenn Charest, 66, of Lake Wales is the pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church . Members of the church said Father Glenn had a great personality and was a positive addition to the church.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/polk-county-pastor-charged-with-soliciting-sex 

Narrating Medicine: The Long Lasting Impact Of Child Abuse

One day when we were in first grade and sitting on a rickety wooden bench under a large oak tree in her backyard, my best friend’s mother called her to come inside.
A few minutes later, I heard wailing like an animal being gutted. Squinting my eyes and looking perplexed, I turned to my friend’s younger sister who was sitting beside me. She whispered, “She’s just getting beat.” Beat? What’s that, I wondered. She explained. Depending on the severity of their perceived wrongdoings, they were administered one of three levels of physical punishment: a stick, a belt or a big slab of wood. Their parents had moved from Ireland to our small suburb in New Jersey.

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2016/04/child-abuse-impact 

Fourth priest of local parish accused of sex abuse

Following the release of the names of 16 credibly accused New Ulm Diocese priests of sexual abuse on March 29, a joint press release dated April 15 from the New Ulm Diocese and law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates names an additional three priests credibly accused of sexual abuse––and yet another, Fr. Bernard Steiner, served amidst local parishes.

According to the release, Fr. Steiner was ordained in February 1961, for the Diocese of New Ulm. He served as pastor of St. James, Dawson and the mission of St. Isidore, Clarkfield from 1965-1969 and from 1981 - 1982 as an Administrator St. Andrews in Granite Falls. Additionally, he was pastor of St. James and Dawson from 1978-1981; St. Clara, Clara City from 1982-1987; and was Administrator at the Sacred Heart and Raymond parishes from 1982 to 1987,

http://www.granitefallsnews.com/article/20160421/NEWS/160429869 

Abuse Survivor Sues After Church Reinstates Priest

A sexual abuse victim says she's going to sue the Catholic Church after officials reinstated the priest who raped her.
The Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul, originally from India, was serving as a priest at a Catholic parish in Minnesota when two women accused Jeyapaul of raping them when they were both 14 years old, according to CBS News.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/sex-abuse-survivor-sue-after-priest-reinstated 

Brothers, sisters, fathers: Religious orders key to child protection

In a continuing effort to protect children, the Catholic Church's focus is now turning to religious orders of men and women.
Much of the attention had been on how dioceses and national bishops' conferences have been responding to victims and protecting children.

http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/religious-orders-key-to-child-protection.cfm 

The Catholic Church’s defiance and obstruction on child sex abuse

IN THREE years at the helm of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has been a source of inspiration for millions of faithful around the world. In one critical respect, however, he has fallen short of his own promise: to come fully to terms with decades of child sex abuse by clergymen and the institutional cover granted to them by bishops and cardinals.

Francis has pledged “the zealous vigilance of the Church to protect children and the promise of accountability for all.” Yet there has been scant accountability, particularly for bishops. Too often, the church’s stance has been defiance and obstruction.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/defiance-and-obstruction-on-child-sex-abuse/2016/04/19/22efc3de-0351-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.html 

Royal Commission Former Ballarat school headmaster 'cannot remember' complaints

The former headmaster of a Ballarat school where a notorious paedophile operated says he cannot remember any sexual abuse complaints ever being made against the teacher, a royal commission has heard.

Brother Paul Nangle, who was headmaster of St Patrick's College from 1974 to 1979, has given evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-23/frm-ballarat-headmaster-cannot-remember-sex-abuse-complaints/7192958 

The Vatican: A Truly Evil Organization – an Expose’

With over a Billion adherents and growing, the Catholic Church is an immensely powerful institution. As an organization that claims to represent God and do good, it has tremendous potential to create positive change. Yet, the Catholic Church has a long history of supporting evil and continues to cause tremendous suffering while doing little real good.
Catholics choose to selectively ignore the many past and present sins of the church. They ignore the fact that so many priests are child molesters and that church policy not only enabled abuse of children but consistently protected and even rewarded pedophile priests.

http://beforeitsnews.com/religion/2015/10/vatican-a-truly-evil-organization-an-expose-2496678.html 

Student given sedative before being raped by priest at Sunbury boarding school, court told

A Catholic priest drugged a student with a sedative-laced soft drink before raping him in his office at a boarding school in Melbourne's outer north-west almost 30 years ago, a court has been told.

Michael Aulsebrook, 60, is on trial in the Victorian County Court for raping a Year 7 student at Salesian College in Rupertswood in Sunbury in the late 1980s. He was working as a teacher and boarding co-ordinator at the college at the time. Aulsebrook has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/student-given-sedative-before-being-raped-by-priest-court-told/7339478 

Witnesses Must Produce Child Sex Abuse Docs

The national Jehovah's Witnesses organization must produce any documents in its possession relating to perpetrators of child sexual abuse, a California appeals court ruled.
Jose Lopez sued Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York and the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in June of 2012 for the sexual abuse he allegedly suffered when he was seven years old at the hands of his Bible instructor Gonzales Campos.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/04/18/witnesses-must-produce-child-sex-abuse-docs.htm 

Church Elder Rapes 12yr Old Niece

Terrence Mawawa, Gutu | In yet another incident of sexual abuse, a pastoral elder of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe(RCZ) raped his 12 year old niece claiming he wanted to merely feel the experience of having sex with the minor.
The man from Jaravani village in Gutu (name withheld to protect the juvenile’s identity), raped his niece after his wife had gone to the borehole to fetch some water for domestic use last month. The 57 year old man appeared before Gutu Magistrate Edwin Marecha facing rape charges. He pleaded with the courts for clemency saying he was a first time offender and a senior RCZ member.

https://www.zimeye.net/church-elder-rapes-12yr-old-niece/ 

Hundreds of church sex abuse cases could be reopened decades later because the victim's names were never given to police

Hundreds of church child sex abuse cases dating back decades are being reported to police again because the victim's names were never given to authorities to properly investigate.

The Catholic church in NSW has stopped a controversial procedure known as 'blind reporting', which meant police were never given the victim's name when the church passed on a child sex abuse allegation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3549008/Hundreds-church-sex-abuse-cases-reopened-decades-later-victim-s-names-never-given-police.html 

In Cardinal Pell’s Old Home, Sex-Abuse Legacy Leaves Melbourne Church Reeling

Though many local Catholics don’t hold the Australian cardinal primarily responsible for the wrongdoing there, his recent video testimony from Rome has refocused attention on the archdiocese’s painful past.

It’s Palm Sunday at St. Bede’s Church in Balwyn North and parishioners have filled the pews to the brim for late-morning Mass. It’s an impressive attendance for a church in a sleepy eastern suburb of Australia’s second city, less than a third of which identifies as Catholic.

https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/in-cardinal-pells-old-home-sex-abuse-legacy-leaves-melbourne-church-reeling/ 

Catholic sex abuse scandal hits unlikely country

The Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the least Catholic countries: Japan, where former students at a prestigious all-boys parochial school allege they were molested or raped by religious brothers who taught there decades ago.
Three former students at St. Mary's International School in Tokyo told The Associated Press they were sexually abused by brothers there. One described "health checkups" in which a brother touched boys' testicles. Another says he was raped in the chapel by two brothers at age 11.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/catholic-church-sex-abuse-scandal-japan-allegations-ex-students-st-marys/ 

Jean Chrétien, St. Anne’s and the ‘straight highway’ to Attawapiskat’s suicide crisis

In 1968, when Jean Chrétien was Indian Affairs minister, he received a hand-written letter raising concerns about the “prejudicial” treatment of First Nation children at St. Anne’s Indian residential school, an institution that would eventually become notorious for the magnitude of abuse inflicted on students there, including the use of a homemade electric chair.
Children from Attawapiskat, the Cree community along Ontario’s James Bay coast, which Chrétien suggested last week should consider relocation, attended St. Anne’s along with those from the neighbouring communities like Kashechewan and Fort Albany, where the school was located.

http://aptn.ca/news/2016/04/20/jean-chretien-st-annes-and-the-straight-highway-to-attawapiskats-suicide-crisis/ 

‘Sense of powerlessness’ at orphanage

Boys forced into cold pool to bathe to save Mount Cashel money on hot water, civil trial told  Some 60 years ago, two boys without winter coats dragged a cardboard box of meagre belongings through the snow together after being expelled from Mount Cashel. 

Neither spoke to each other about sexual abuse nor could they fathom ever being listened to about it, they told The Telegram outside court Monday in St. John’s.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2016-04-11/article-4494372/%26lsquo%3BSense-of-powerlessness%26rsquo%3B-at-orphanage/1 

Hughes Inquiry tapes at issue in Mount Cashel civil trial

It was uncertain Tuesday whether the Mount Cashel civil trial will include evidence entered from videotapes of some witnesses who testified at the Hughes Inquiry nearly 30 years ago.

Lawyer Mark Frederick, who represents the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s, on Tuesday argued against an application made by lawyer Geoff Budden, who represents former orphanage residents.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2016-04-12/article-4495460/Hughes-Inquiry-tapes-at-issue-in-Mount-Cashel-civil-trial/1 

Behind the Friendly Smiles and Soothing Words

See that nice man, holding the little girl’s hand? That’s the priest who abused me and thirty other children.

See this friendly smile? That belonged to the late Father Michael Cody, whose name was among 77 abusive priests just released by the Seattle Archdiocese. The Church is Still in Denial on Abuse – Unsurprising, yet Shocking

http://www.marydispenza.com/friendly-smiles-soothing-words-catholic-church/ 

Local Catholic schools named in priest abuse suits

The news that Rochester Catholic Schools was named as a party in several lawsuits related to sexual abuse at the hands of priests should come as no surprise, said Patrick Wall.

He was responding to the announcement Sunday from local officials that RCS is a defendant in at least 16 civil suits. The lawsuits are the result of the Child Victims Act of 2013, which lifted the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases, providing a three-year window for survivors to file a civil claim.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/local-catholic-schools-named-in-priest-abuse-suits/article_051c26ff-0824-58c9-9834-3197609ffa25.html 

Advocates aim to keep Crookston Diocese priest convicted of sex abuse from return to ministry

FARGO – In hopes of preventing a Catholic priest from returning to the ministry after his conviction for sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl while serving in the region more than a decade ago, a support group is seeking possible victims in the Fargo area.

Megan Peterson and Barbara Dorris, members of a group called Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, also known as SNAP, distributed fliers in a south Fargo neighborhood on Monday, April 18, near the headquarters of the Fargo Diocese.

http://www.inforum.com/news/4012684-advocates-aim-keep-crookston-diocese-priest-convicted-sex-abuse-return-ministry 

US sex abuse survivor to sue Indian priest, diocese

A 26-year-old American woman will file a lawsuit against a Catholic Indian priest and his church in India for allegedly sexually abusing her during his posting in the US between 2004 and 2005.
The move comes in protest against the recent Vatican decision which announced Diocese of Ootacamund located in Mylapore is reinstating Joseph Jeyapaul to ministry.  Minnesota attorney Jeff Anderson will file suit on behalf of the victim in federal court that claims the Diocese of Ootacamund endangered children by reinstating Jeyapaul.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/541402/us-sex-abuse-survivor-sue.html

Rape-accused priest Michael Aulsebrook spiked boy’s soft drink, jury told

A CATHOLIC priest on trial for raping a young student lured him with computer games and soft drink laced with sedatives, a jury has been told.
Michael Aulsebrook, now 60, stands accused of raping a 11-year-old boy after luring him to his office at Salesian College, Rupertswood, late one night.  It was 1988 and both Mr Aulsebrook, and the boy, were in their first year at the college.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/rapeaccused-priest-michael-aulsebrook-spiked-boys-soft-drink-jury-told/news-story/c9c2d99f997db100145ee2a1947275fb 

Abuse suspect priest found dead

A Roman Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse has been discovered dead on the day he was due to report to police. 

The allegations relate to Fr Ernest Sands when he was a teacher in an Upholland College in north west England.  He worked at St Joseph's Roman Catholic College in Lancashire where future priests were trained up.

http://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Abuse-suspect-priest-found-dead 

US sex abuse survivor to sue Catholic Indian priest and his church

Washington:  A 26-year-old American woman will file a lawsuit against a Catholic Indian priest and his church in India for allegedly sexually abusing her during his posting in the US between 2004 and 2005.
The move comes in protest against the recent Vatican decision which announced Diocese of Ootacamund located in Mylapore is reinstating Joseph Jeyapaul to ministry. Minnesota attorney Jeff Anderson will file suit on behalf of the victim in federal court that claims the Diocese of Ootacamund endangered children by reinstating Jeyapaul.

http://www.firstpost.com/world/us-sex-abuse-survivor-to-sue-catholic-indian-priest-and-his-church-2736920.html 

Blind-reported child sex abuse cases may be reopened after hundreds not investigated

Hundreds of cases of child sex abuse going back decades may be reopened after the Catholic Church publicly abandoned a controversial practice known as blind reporting.

Blind reporting occurs when an organisation passes on an allegation of child sex abuse, but strips the report of the name of the victim, meaning police are unable to investigate the report.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-20/blind-reporting-child-sex-abuse-leaves-hundreds-not-investigated/7340128 

A lawsuit to be filed against catholic bishop who is lifting suspension of a priest accused of child abuse

WDAY 6 News has learned a Federal Lawsuit will be filed in Minnesota against a Catholic Bishop in India, in connection with alleged sexual abuse against a priest while he served in Northwestern Minnesota a decade ago. 
News of the federal lawsuit is coming from the office of Twin Cities attorney, Jeff Anderson, who has represented several victims of clergy abuse.

http://www.wday.com/news/4012507-lawsuit-be-filed-against-catholic-bishop-who-lifting-suspension-priest-accused-child 

Reports of child abuse skyrocket in Northampton County under new state laws

About 100 Northampton County officials commemorated Child Abuse Awareness Month on Monday by planting pinwheels, the movement's symbol, in the building's front yard. Nearly everyone worked in human services, so the event doubled as a rally for the county's children and youth case workers.
Over the past year, those employees witnessed firsthand a massive surge in reported incidents: The number of suspected abuse cases in Northampton County rose 47 percent in 2015, going from an already record high of 723 reported cases to 1,076.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-norco-child-abuse-prevention-month-20160418-story.html 

U.S. church sex abuse survivor to sue diocese in India for reinstating perv priest

The Vatican reinstated convicted pedophile and Catholic priest, Father Joseph Jeyapaul, in February 2016, less than a year after he pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor in Minnesota.
A former New Yorker who says she was sexually abused by a priest reinstated by the Vatican earlier this year - even though he had pleaded guilty to criminal charges - is expected to file a federal lawsuit against the cleric's diocese in India.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-s-survivor-sue-india-church-reinstating-perv-priest-article-1.2606218 

Tom Watkins: Pope can do more to protect kids

Pope Francis inspires me with his message of hope and human decency. His words take me back to my childhood when I was in awe of the church and its teachings.
I learned about love, decency and justice from the nuns, priests and lay people who taught and guided me in my early years of Catholic school education.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/04/18/tom-watkins-pope-can-protect-kids/83206306/ 

Cardinal Bertone’s Sins Against Children

Not content to create a strategy for priestly pedophile cover-ups during two papacies, the former Vatican Secretary of State also steals from a children’s hospital. Recently news of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s chutzpah emerged again in Barbie Latza Nadeau’s article “Vatican Bling-Bling: Hospital Funds Diverted to Cardinal’s Villa“ when we learned that, in jaw-dropping contrast to his boss Pope Francis (who lives in a 750-square-foot apartment in a guesthouse at the Vatican), the Cardinal created a penthouse for himself by refurbishing two Vatican-owned rooftop apartments.
One of the apartments belonged to a children’s hospital. He shares the elegant space with three nuns who wait on him day and night. According to the Italian newspaper Il Tempo the renovation was worth one million euros (but he got a 50% reduction). Actually, it seems the renovations were paid for twice, thus no discount occurred at all. The Vatican Tribunal opened a criminal dossier on the matter last week.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-fox/cardinal-bertones-sins-ag_b_9708216.html 

The Vatican’s apology letter on the Church’s complicity with the child abuse furore in Ireland – no ‘mea culpa’ here!

This is an interesting read to say the least. However a daunting one in that it translates into roughly 9 x A4 size pages of small font text, with a lot of obfuscatory theological verbiage, and very  little  gut-level sincerity. The kind of sincerity we have grown used to hearing/seeing even from the jaded, hard-boiled, teflon coated CEOs and Politicians we have voted in, who somehow succeed in getting it right. 
The right look, sound-bite, haggard demeanour and forthrightness so critical to making a connection with the hoi polloi, whenever they seek forgiveness for some political misstep from the political and moral ‘high-ground.’ (think CEO Mike McCain’s handling of the Maple Leaf  foods Listeria crisis in Canada). There is no such catharsis forthcoming in this epistle. 

https://essaysandscribbles.com/2016/04/18/the-vaticans-apology-letter-on-the-churchs-complicity-with-the-child-abuse-furore-in-ireland-no-mea-culpa-here/

Abuse scandal rocks Peru’s upper-class Catholic sodality

One way of looking at the Francis pontificate is that he’s universalizing what the Latin American Church agreed to at its famous continent-wide gathering in 2007, held at the Marian shrine of Aparecida in Brazil.
The signature tunes of the Latin American Church to come out of that meeting – missionary discipleship, pastoral conversion, an option for the poor– make up the music these days coming out of Rome.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/17/abuse-scandal-rocks-perus-upper-class-catholic-sodality/ 

Priest files defence over African abuse allegation

A west African man who claims he was abused by an Irish missionary priest today welcomed the filing by the priest's order of a defence in a High Court civil action arising from the allegations.
Mr Elvis Kuteh began his lawsuit in January 2013, claiming that Henry Moloney had sexually abused him while he was a boarder at a school run by the Spiritan order in Sierra Leone in the late 1970s.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0418/782696-abuse/ 

Nuala O’Loan accuses Irish media of virulent anti-Catholic bias

‘It was, of course, the media which ultimately forced the Church and state authorities to begin to deal with child sexual abuse’   The media has been criticised at a conference in Boston for contributing to the decline of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Speaking in Boston College at the weekend, Baroness Nuala O’Loan said “in a country in which the media was once sympathetic to the Catholic Church, it is now aggressively hostile”. 

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/nuala-o-loan-accuses-irish-media-of-virulent-anti-catholic-bias-1.2614136 

Philippines could be first to put clerical abuse victim in top job

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City in the Philippines is currently enjoying a narrow lead ahead of May 9 presidential elections. If he wins, be could become the world’s first head of state to also be a survivor of clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
For most Filipinos, the interesting thing about Rodrigo Duterte, the seven-term mayor of Davao City, as a presidential candidate is that he comes off as  their country’s version of Rudy Giuliani, known as “the punisher” for his get-tough policies on crime.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/17/philippines-could-be-first-to-put-clerical-abuse-victim-in-top-job/ 

Hughes Inquiry tapes at issue in Mount Cashel civil trial

It was uncertain Tuesday whether the Mount Cashel civil trial will include evidence entered from videotapes of some witnesses who testified at the Hughes Inquiry nearly 30 years ago.
Lawyer Mark Frederick, who represents the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s, on Tuesday argued against an application made by lawyer Geoff Budden, who represents former orphanage residents.

http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2016-04-12/article-4495460/Hughes-Inquiry-tapes-at-issue-in-Mount-Cashel-civil-trial/1 

Three additional lawsuits were filed Wednesday accusing Catholic priests in the Diocese of Honolulu of sexual abuse

Three additional lawsuits were filed Wednesday accusing Catholic priests in the Diocese of Honolulu of sexual abuse.
The three suits allege that priests abused children and teens throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The Diocese of Honolulu is a defendant in all three cases, which say the diocese knew or should've known about the abuse. The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers were also named as a defendant in two of the cases.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/074490389a134d81b423b424a01ca1ee/HI--Church-Abuse-Hawaii 

U.S. Senators Threaten U.N. Over Sex Abuse by Peacekeepers

Lawmakers on Wednesday used a rare hearing in the United States Senate to excoriate the United Nations secretary general for what they called his failure to stanch sexual abuse by his agency’s peacekeepers and threatened to withhold crucial funding not only for the United Nations, but also bilateral aid for countries that fail to hold their soldiers accountable.

The United States is the largest single donor to peacekeeping operations, though not many of its soldiers and police serve under United Nations command. The congressional scrutiny came as the United Nations has been roiled by allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by its blue-helmeted troops, particularly in the Central African Republic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/world/africa/us-senators-threaten-un-over-sex-abuse-by-peacekeepers.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160413&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Parents shocked as priest compares adultery to paedophilia

A Catholic priest has offended parents at a Malvern East school by comparing paedophile priests to adulterous women in a school newsletter.
St Mary's Primary School parish priest Father Bill Edebohls also took aim at lawyers and the media for not showing enough mercy during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/parents-shocked-as-priest-compares-adultery-to-paedophilia-20160414-go6j5a.html