US cardinals call for new culture of accountability in Catholic Church: 'We have failed'

Cardinals attending Pope Francis' summit on preventing clergy sex abuse called Friday for a new culture of accountability in the Catholic Church to punish bishops and religious superiors when they fail to protect their flocks from predator priests. On the second day of Francis' extraordinary gathering of Catholic leaders, the debate shifted to how church leaders must acknowledge that decades of their own cover-ups, secrecy and fear of scandal had only worsened the sex abuse crisis.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-cardinals-hope-new-accountability-stops-abusers-in-future 

Sex abuse survivor calls for 'zero tolerance' policy as bishops discuss child protection

Bishops at a summit on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have heard of the abuse suffered by just some of the victims. One victim was Juan Carlos Cruz, who told DW the Catholic Church needs a "zero tolerance" policy. Five victims of sexual abuse shared their experiences with 190 bishops and senior religious figures from around the globe, as they attend a four-day summit called by Pope Francis in response to widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

https://www.dw.com/en/sex-abuse-survivor-calls-for-zero-tolerance-policy-as-bishops-discuss-child-protection/a-47643547 

Archbishop Cupich at Vatican: Catholic leaders need to be held more accountable; 4 Chicago priests have children

Cardinals attending Pope Francis’ summit on preventing clergy sex abuse, including Chicago’s Blase Cupich, called Friday for a new culture of accountability in the Catholic Church to punish bishops and religious superiors when they fail to protect their flocks from predator priests. On the second day of Francis’ extraordinary gathering of Catholic leaders, the focus of debate shifted to how church leaders must acknowledge that decades of their own cover-up, secrecy and fear of scandal had only worsened the crisis.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-vatican-clergy-sex-abuse-summit-cupich-20190222-story.html 

Dozens of Polish bishops accused of covering up abuse

A Polish charity helping victims of child abuse committed by Catholic priests has accused 24 bishops of concealing perpetrators. Have No Fear made the allegation in a report released as Pope Francis convened Catholic leaders from around the world to address scandals over child sexual abuse by priests. The report, which has been delivered to the Pope, named Polish bishops whom it said had "concealed clerical crimes and moved paedophilic priests from one parish to another".

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/02/dozens-of-polish-bishops-accused-of-covering-up-abuse.html 

How the Catholic Church has handled cover-ups and sex abuse

Q: Are the police called in suspected sex abuse cases? A: Irish bishops who considered adopting a mandatory reporting policy in 1997 received a letter from the Vatican warning in-house Church investigations could be compromised. But nowadays, in countries where clergy are required to report child abuse, bishops and superiors of religious orders are supposed to notify police. However, the policy is non-binding and was only articulated publicly in 2010.

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/how-the-catholic-church-has-handled-coverups-and-sex-abuse-37841556.html 

New Zealand Survivor denied entry to Vatican

Mr Howard said he remained a supporter of Pell despite the guilty findings on five child-sex charges. Darryl Smith flew to Rome this week to participate in survivor meetings timed to coincide with a gathering of the leaders of bishops' conferences from around the world. Dr Heasley, who is also in Rome for the gathering, said in a Facebook post that Mr Smith had been "refused entry into the Vatican to meet with the Pope''.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/survivor-denied-entry-vatican 

Calls for Vatican to protect NZ children from sexual abuse

An international group targeting church abuse is calling on the Vatican to protect children in New Zealand from sexual predators. Ending Clergy Abuse or ECA Global has issued a resolution after meeting on the fringes of the Pope's four-day abuse summit in Rome. It is calling on the Vatican to authorise this country's bishops to tackle abusers regardless of the church's internal rules.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/383508/calls-for-vatican-to-protect-nz-children-from-sexual-abuse 

Abuse survivors' advocate tells Catholic Church 'the game's up' as George Pell faces pre-sentence hearing

An advocate for survivors of child sex abuse in Australian and New Zealand institutions says the "game's up" for the Catholic Church as Australia's highest-ranking Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, today faces a pre-sentence hearing. Pell was convicted of five child sex offences, committed in 1996 against two 13-year-old boys in Melbourne.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/abuse-survivors-advocate-tells-catholic-church-games-up-george-pell-faces-pre-sentence-hearing?variant=tb_v_1 

Catholic Church: The victims deserve more from the clergy

I, like many Australians, am reeling from the news of George Pell's conviction. I attended St James Primary School in Brighton from 1986 to 1990. The parish priest was Father Ronald Dennis Pickering. It was only when my first child went through the process of reconciliation did I reflect that, as a seven-year-old, I had to confess a "sin" to a priest we now know was a paedophile. He was protected from prosecution and funded with money from the church, whilst evading charges in exile.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/catholic-church-the-victims-deserve-more-from-the-clergy-20190227-h1brg9.html 

The Kid and The Choirboy – the harrowing story of George Pell's victims

In this extract from Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell, one boy’s family tell Louise Milligan the cataclysmic effect abuse had on him This is the story of two teenage boys sent on scholarships from what were then Melbourne’s inner suburbs to a Catholic boys’ school – St Kevin’s College. St Kevin’s is in Toorak, Melbourne’s most exclusive precinct.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/28/the-kid-and-the-choirboy-the-harrowing-story-of-george-pells-victims?fbclid=IwAR34E2JVQA70aHZUDDUDhKN_qBjB8-FFoxTh71o_DlhNHso8-6RO3XBMeFA 

To Pell

Hush little baby don't you cry 

The pope will soon be saying goodbye

for you will soon have to pay

the ways of your crimes

which you did to these boys

you are to be stripped of your priesthood

as the pope has just said

in 2019 for all the world to hear

he called it out with anger in his voice

so he cannot now go back on his many word

http://annfreespiritjusticeforabusedchildren.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html 

Pope likens child sex abuse to human sacrifice, vows all-out battle to tackle it

Abusive priests will be targeted, Francis says in public address to top bishops at the end of a landmark summit in the Vatican, but blames the devil for paedophilia. Pope Francis vowed on Sunday to tackle every single case of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church, comparing paedophilia to “human sacrifice” in a speech that left victims cold.

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/europe/2019-02-24-pope-likens-child-sex-abuse-to-human-sacrifice-vows-all-out-battle-to-tackle-it/?fbclid=IwAR3-E2dFBipXGAE4T4c3vBCUOsizFXqkhYurxLtlwUT62fb56PwY5m0S4No 

Children return to Ladysmith orphanage after abuse, racism allegations

Children return to Ladysmith orphanage after abuse, racism allegations Children at Môrester Child and Youth Care Centre in Ladysmith were forcibly removed in February amid allegations of abuse and racism. Children's home rocked by abuse and racism allegations wants kids back A youth care facility at the centre of an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse of children and staff in Ladysmith, in KwaZulu-Natal has turned to the courts for help.

https://headtopics.com/za/children-return-to-ladysmith-orphanage-after-abuse-racism-allegations-4411032?fbclid=IwAR0_1cfSJfrUDIiSELKgPxggxiyG-p8vd-_0kAu9kdZlH36Gu_EOWXV9i7s 

Archbishop Mark Coleridge under investigation for handling of child sex complaint

THE Archbishop of Brisbane is under investigation for allegedly dismissing information on child abuse within the Catholic Church over a decade ago. The complaint against Mark Coleridge relates to 2006 meeting with a Canberra woman who had offered information about child sexual abuse. At the time Archbishop Coleridge was the archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/archbishop-mark-coleridge-under-investigation-for-handling-of-child-sex-complaint/news-story/d1f65b15004bfabb3784815024d2730f?fbclid=IwAR0YSY7boQDF4GgkNdEt6Yovf76J_ima9JceweRMOnL6-QcbHjVgzxRo29c

Anthony and Christine Foster - George Pell not telling the truth.

Fosters speak on George Pell's appearance at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse... 

'Disgraceful rubbish': the moment George Pell reacted to child abuse allegations

It was perhaps a defining moment in the trial of Cardinal George Pell, when his utter defiance in the face of the serious claims against him was on full display. A video of Pell’s hubristic stance as he was questioned on camera by two Australian detectives in Rome was played to the jurors. At the time of the interview, Pell was the third most powerful man in the Vatican, responsible for managing the finances of the Catholic church, and a confidant to Pope Francis.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/26/disgraceful-rubbish-the-moment-george-pell-reacted-to-child-abuse-allegations?fbclid=IwAR39IRJeIw9nrmnm4NACOqUFAI3myIXzYNai5veO8FmJhIXb7RbmZ13fX2Y 

Brutal and dogmatic, George Pell waged war on sex – even as he abused children

He was big on sex. Inside and outside the church, George Pell built his career preaching the sex rules of his faith. Intransigence made Pell a celebrity. Standing up to the zeitgeist, demanding obedience, listing sins and condemning sinners kept him in the news. He accused his own church of being “frightened to put forward the hard teachings of Christ”. That he never hesitated earned him few friends, many enemies and high office.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/26/brutal-and-dogmatic-george-pell-waged-war-on-sex-even-as-he-abused-children?fbclid=IwAR087y6lUW3sZ795O68g6QSSIfj79k58t3VWEuli1No18h4yaLnO70oQ1A8 

Cardinal Pell guilty: Vatican treasurer convicted on child sex abuse charges – latest news

George Pell’s old school will remove his name from a building named in his honour, and strike a line through his name on its honour board. St Patrick’s College, Ballarat, where Pell attended from 1949 to 1959, said on Tuesday that in the wake of the Cardinal’s conviction it would also revoke his status as an “inducted legend of the school”.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/feb/26/cardinal-pell-vatican-treasurer-convicted-on-historic-child-sex-abuse-charges-latest-news?fbclid=IwAR3hLq1YZjuv3QEjrDeXUKFvKJ6MiaDHmnDvN0O4gJn7rApZD4I9zI4heHE 

Who is George Pell and what has he been convicted of?

Who is Cardinal George Pell? Pell is essentially the treasurer of the Vatican and the Holy See in Rome, a high-ranking position that makes him among the world’s most powerful Catholics. He has also been a longtime confidant to Pope Francis. Before his appointment to the Vatican in 2014, Pell held senior positions within the Catholic church in Australia, including as the archbishop of Sydney and the archbishop of Melbourne. He is known for his staunch conservativism on issues including marriage equality and abortion.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/26/who-is-george-pell-and-what-has-he-been-convicted-of?fbclid=IwAR2BPcv-iIEeAGqAzmJ7aVLxB1h3i15Xkw6UN4JnWxj__o1oHsGVqwvK-hM 

George Pell's trial for child sexual abuse was held in secret. This is why

For months, journalists sat through one of the most high-profile trials held in any court in the world, without permission to report a moment of it — until now. But you may have already heard snippets about what would have arguably been the biggest news story in Australia last year: Cardinal George Pell being found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-26/george-pell-trial-why-cardinal-court-case-held-in-secret/10233118?fbclid=IwAR376njn7kumfp2dN5xz-cijEo1DTQasy7IfV3hKvjux5Rvy3Z_0k9gziuE 

George Pell: Pope Francis removes Australian cardinal from inner circle

Pope Francis has removed Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, from his inner circle in a restructure of his Council of Cardinals. Pell’s position as the financial controller of the Vatican makes him the third most powerful person in the Vatican. He is facing prosecution in Australia for historical sexual offences and has taken leave from the position. Pell has strenuously denied the allegations.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/13/australian-cardinal-george-pell-removed-from-inner-circle-by-pope-francis?fbclid=IwAR2-XwaAIb7jUlZNRdv4qxB_uby3JzDx4kekaiezgRWrMa1pt3ogVuVaEbc 

Oakland diocese names 45 priests accused of sexual abuse

In a move aimed at reassuring parishioners amid renewed scrutiny of the Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese of Oakland named 45 priests Monday who had been credibly accused over the years of sexually abusing children within its bounds. Bishop Michael Barber called the release an “Act of Contrition” in a Monday letter to parishioners.

https://www.petaluma360.com/news/9299783-181/oakland-diocese-names-45-priests 

Bill would make clergy report abuse revealed in confessions

A California lawmaker said Wednesday the state should require clergy members to report suspected child abuse or neglect even if they learn of it during confession. Clergy members are among a list of more than 40 "mandated reporters," meaning they are required under state law to report suspected abuse. But that doesn't apply if they learn about something during a private communication such as confession, a sacrosanct practice in the Catholic church.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article226546570.html

The Latest: Son of priest meets with Vatican investigator

The lead organizer of the Vatican’s sex abuse summit has met with an Irish activist who is working to draw attention to a related issue the Vatican has tried to keep quiet: priests who father children. Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, the Vatican’s longtime sex crimes investigator, met with Vincent Doyle, himself the child of a priest.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/the-latest-author-links-abuse-to-church-culture-of-silence/2019/02/20/3d684956-34fa-11e9-8375-e3dcf6b68558_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6a9ab73b1766 

Catholic cardinals urge end of 'homosexual agenda'

Two prominent Roman Catholic Church cardinals have urged an end of what they call "the plague of the homosexual agenda", telling bishops to break their complicity over cases of sexual abuse. In an open letter, Cardinals Burke and Brandmüller say the Church has wrongly blamed the abuse of power by clergy as the main cause of the scandals.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47302817 

The Latest: Cardinal condemns how church handles sex abuse

A Colombian cardinal has warned fellow Roman Catholic bishops at a Vatican summit they could be imprisoned for covering up crimes if they don't properly deal with clergy sex abuse cases. In a remarkable speech at the abuse prevention summit, Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez on Thursday also denounced how bishops tend to believe priests over people reporting abuse allegations.

https://www.kxnet.com/news/the-latest-pope-demands-bishops-act-now-to-end-sex-abuse/1798271840 

Cardinal Sean O'Malley Joins Pope Francis for Summit on Clergy Abuse, Cover-Ups

Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley is in Rome to help lead a summit that brings church leaders together to discuss the sexual abuse and cover-up scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church and ignited anger across the country. Pope Francis is calling on bishops from around the world to the Vatican to end sex abuse in churches. The pope says survivors are standing up and seeking justice for their years of traumatic abuse.

https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Cardinal-Sean-O-Malley-Joins-Pope-Francis-at-Vatican-for-Summit-on-Sex-Abuse-Cover-Up-Scandal-506146571.html 

Pope Francis tells priests to 'hear the cry of little ones seeking justice'

Pope Francis has promised that the Roman Catholic Church would 'listen to the cry of the little ones seeking justice', as he opened landmark Vatican summit on clergy sexual abuse. In a short opening statement, he said Catholics and victims were expecting 'concrete and efficient measures' to be taken against paedophile priests in the church.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6728453/Pope-opens-sex-abuse-summit-amid-outcry-survivors.html 

Searing testimony heard at Vatican sex abuse summit

The day began with an African woman telling an extraordinary gathering of Catholic leaders that her priestly rapist forced her to have three abortions over a dozen years after he started violating her at age 15. It ended with a Colombian cardinal warning them they could all face prison if they let such crimes go unpunished. In between, Pope Francis began charting a new course for the Catholic Church to confront clergy sexual abuse and cover-up, a scandal that has consumed his papacy and threatens the credibility of the Catholic hierarchy at large.

 https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Pope-offers-21-proposals-to-fight-abuse-at-start-of-summit-506156951.html

The Latest: Cardinal condemns how church handles sex abuse

A Colombian cardinal has warned fellow Roman Catholic bishops at a Vatican summit they could be imprisoned for covering up crimes if they don’t properly deal with clergy sex abuse cases. In a remarkable speech at the abuse prevention summit, Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez on Thursday also denounced how bishops tend to believe priests over people reporting abuse allegations.

https://www.apnews.com/aa954c2cf8af4830b28141861c16f57a

'A Life Destroyed': Survivors And Pope At Vatican Summit Address Clergy Sex Abuse

Thursday at the Vatican, Pope Francis stood before some 200 participants in an unprecedented summit on preventing clergy sex abuse and said Catholics are seeking not simply "condemnations" but "concrete, effective measures." But a crisis that has crossed borders and generations, lacerating the church and shaking the pope's credibility, is standing in the way as he seeks to forge a path ahead.

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696723194/a-life-destroyed-survivors-and-pope-at-vatican-summit-address-clergy-sex-abuse

In video, Bridgeport bishop calls sex abuse by clerics crime and sin

In a video posted Feb. 11 on YouTube, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, offered support for the "many sisters and brothers who have been wounded, violated, hurt and abused at the hands of priests and deacons" and whose sexual abuse in their youth "changed their lives forever." "The crime and sin of sexual abuse in our midst is a deep evil that has created a deep wound," said Bishop Caggiano, who has been one of the most outspoken U.S. bishops on the topic of sex abuse by clergy.

https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2019/in-video-bridgeport-bishop-calls-sex-abuse-by-clerics-crime-and-sin.cfm 

French Senate questions Catholic official on abuse by clergy

The spokesman for France's Catholic bishops' conference told lawmakers Tuesday the French church is working with authorities to uncover and eradicate child sex abuse after allegations made in recent years revealed the scope of the country's problem with pedophile priests. Senators questioned the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas of the Conference of Bishops of France for a Senate commission that is preparing a report on pedophilia across French institutions.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/french-bishops-questioned-senate-sexual-abuse-61015037 

Will the Catholic Church stop the sexual abuse? Don't hold your breath

Let's not discuss the varied opinions on border walls, refugees and immigration. Let's not discuss the efficacy of vaccines or medical marijuana. Let's not even discuss whether University Drive should be pushed through to U.S. Highway 10. Can we agree on one thing? Can we agree that raping children is wrong? I think it's wrong. Do you? We live in a world where an international organization, one established on every continent save Antarctica, knows that thousands of its leaders have raped thousands of children over decades and perhaps centuries.

https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2019/02/15/catholic-church-stop-sexual-abuse-dont-hold-your-breath/2872800002/ 

Viganò: No ‘Genuine Willingness’ Among Bishops to End Abuse Crisis

ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is speaking out about the upcoming Vatican sex abuse summit. In an essay for a National Catholic Register symposium this week, Abp. Viganò examined the roots of the Church crisis as well as the inherent flaws of the Feb. 21–24 bishops' gathering. Viganò began his reflection with a critique of priestly formation.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/abp.-vigano-no-genuine-willingness-to-end-abuse-crisis 

New book by gay sociologist claims homosexual subculture inside Vatican is rampant, but covered up

A new book to be released on the first day of the February 21-24 Vatican summit on sexual abuse is likely to upset many on both sides of the supposed ideological divide in the Church. The author, Frederic Martel, is a sociologist and homosexual activist. He is all for changing the Church’s teachings against homosexuality, even suggesting that bishops who fight homosexuality strenuously are themselves repressed homosexuals.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-book-by-gay-sociologist-says-homosexual-subculture-inside-the-vatican-i 

Vatican summit on sex abuse: What victim groups are demanding

As the Vatican prepares to host a global child abuse summit on the protection of minors this week, victims' associations are calling for concrete steps from the Catholic Church to end paedophilia. While Pope Francis has sought to play down expectations from the summit, here are the main demands from victim groups: OUST ABUSERS OR THEIR PROTECTORS Zero tolerance for sexual abuse by clerics should be "written into universal church law by the end of the summit", says organisation Ending Clerical Abuse.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/vatican-summit-on-sex-abuse-what-victim-groups-are-demanding 

More Than 100 Priests Accused of Sex Abuse Are Named by Brooklyn Catholic Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn on Friday named more than 100 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a child. It was one of the largest disclosures yet in a torrent of lists recently published by the church as its handling of the problem has drawn the scrutiny of law enforcement officials.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/nyregion/brooklyn-priests-sex-abuse.html 

NY priest wants bishop to ‘be a man not a mouse’ and excommunicate pro-abortion politicians

A New York priest is asking his bishop to “be a man and not a mouse” and excommunicate pro-abortion Catholic politicians under his jurisdiction. Namely, that’s Democratic U.S. Congressman Anthony Brindisi, who as state representative co-sponsored New York’s extreme abortion bill that allows abortion right up to birth, and abortion by non-doctors.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/ny-priest-asks-bishop-to-be-a-man-not-a-mouse-and-excommunicate-pro-abortio 

US ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick defrocked over abuse claims

A former Roman Catholic cardinal has been defrocked after historical sexual abuse allegations. Theodore McCarrick is the most senior Catholic figure to be dismissed from the priesthood in modern times. US Church officials said allegations he had sexually assaulted a teenager five decades ago were credible. Mr McCarrick, 88, had previously resigned but said he had "no recollection" of the alleged abuse.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47264130 

Sex abuse survivors spell out Catholic Church challenge

Victims' groups lay out demands as the Vatican is set to hold a global child abuse summit. As the Vatican prepares to host a global child abuse summit on the protection of minors, victims' associations are calling for concrete steps from the Catholic Church to end pedophilia. While Pope Francis has sought to play down expectations from the summit, here are the main demands from victim groups: Oust abusers or their protectors Zero tolerance for sexual abuse by clerics should be "written into universal church law by the end of the summit," says Ending Clerical Abuse (ECA).

 https://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/223681-sex-abuse-survivors-spell-out-catholic-church-challenge

Pro-family org. demands cardinal who covered-up sex abuse withdraw from conference

A pro-family organization has launched a petition asking Cardinal Roger Mahony, infamous for covering up child sexual abuse by his clergy, to withdraw as a speaker at the upcoming Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. The retired archbishop is invited to speak at the Catholic conference that is taking place March 22-24. The topic of his March 23rd address will be "Connecting Junior High and High School Students with the Volatile Immigration Issuece.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-family-org.-demands-cardinal-who-covered-up-sex-abuse-withdraw-from-con

Letters: No end to clerical child sex abuse

JANUARY ended with an interesting pair of announcements by the Vatican. One confirmed the resignation of the top Vatican official responsible for handling sex abuse cases after a former nun accused him of making sexual advances during her confessions, and, on the same day, reporters on the papal plane dispatched stories about Pope Francis seeking to lower expectations of his big sex abuse prevention summit on February 21-24.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503423&objectid=12200843 

KBI investigating clergy sex abuse cases in Kansas, asks victims to come forward

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into reports of clergy sexual abuse in the four Catholic dioceses in Kansas and is asking all victims to report abuse to the agency, the KBI announced Tuesday. “On Nov. 15, 2018, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt requested that the KBI investigate allegations of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Kansas,” the agency said in a news release.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article225547525.html 

Catholic Diocese of Charleston delays naming priests accused of sexually abusing children

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is delaying the release of names of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors in South Carolina dating back to 1950. The diocese originally planned to make the names public by mid-February, but it now plans to do so by the end of March. Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said the delay is due to the time it’s taking to review priest personnel records from 2007 through today.

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/catholic-diocese-of-charleston-delays-naming-priests-accused-of-sexually/article_35218eb2-296d-11e9-8b80-576eb489d16d.html 

Dissident German theologians ask Cdl. Marx to make ‘new start’ on Catholic sexual morality

Eight German dissident Catholic theologians in leading positions are publicly calling on Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the head of the German Bishops' Conference, and the country's bishops to make a “new start” regarding Catholic sexual morality on account of the clerical sex abuse crisis. They are not only calling for “a new start with the sexual morality” but also “a just assessment of homosexuality,” the abolishment of priestly celibacy, and female ordination.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/dissident-german-theologians-ask-cdl.-marx-to-make-new-start-on-catholic-se

Should the Roman Catholic Church be disbanded?

Should the Roman Catholic Church be disbanded? If you believe children should be protected from sexual predators sustained by their knowledge that church leaders will cover up their criminal self-gratification, you must take such a recommendation seriously.

https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-sex-abuse/article_a6e86f60-298c-11e9-9ad1-673f12d03529.html 

Trail of reports prompt question: Did church enable more priest abuse?

It began more than a half-century ago: the trail of lawsuits, settlements, internal Catholic Church documents and public reports of sexual abuse allegations against Patrick J. Lynch. Lynch is one of 31 former Diocese of Dallas priests whose name was released last week on a list of priests with “credible allegations of sexual abuse” against them. The accusations against the priest date back to 1966 and include several lawsuits and settlements, records show.

https://www.heraldbanner.com/news/local_news/trail-of-reports-prompt-question-did-church-enable-more-priest/article_1b19b982-29ad-11e9-9bcc-3fc8900b7cba.html 

'Rid me of This Troublesome Priest'

Earlier this month, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa took an unprecedented step — for the church, anyway — releasing a list naming 39 of its priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors. While the North Coast began publicly grappling with predatory clergy earlier than most communities — the arrest of Rev. Gary Timmons, a former St. Bernard priest who founded Camp St. Michael in Leggett, on 17 counts of child molestation came more than six years before the nation became aware of the growing crisis in the church.

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/rid-me-of-this-troublesome-priest/Content?oid=12985165 

Africa is also grappling with clerical abuse, say Catholic leaders

When child sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests emerge in Africa, they do not draw a frenzied reaction similar to that witnessed in developed countries, but the continent’s church is affected, said Catholic leaders. While there is a general view that the scandals are a challenge of the church in Europe and America, African officials confirm the incidents, amid reports of some provinces expelling or defrocking priests.

http://catholicphilly.com/2019/02/news/world-news/africa-is-also-grappling-with-clerical-abuse-say-catholic-leaders/

Child sexual abuse in the United States is at epidemic levels.

More than 60,000 children are reported to have been abused every year, outnumbering those killed by guns or cars. Those who survive are often left not only with physical wounds, but also with psychological wounds that may never heal. These wounds exact both a profound personal and social cost.

http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/child-sex-abuse-called-a-serious-and-pervasive-issue-in-u-s-society/ 

Young Catholics grill Pope Francis on church sex abuse

During a lunch with young Catholics, Pope Francis spoke out about the sexual abuse of children by clergy members. It was his first time directly broaching the subject during World Youth Day celebrations in Panama. For the first time during his four-day visit to Panama as part of a celebratory gathering of faith for young Catholics, Pope Francis has directly addressed the church's far-reaching sexual abuse scandal, calling it "a horrible crime."

https://www.dw.com/en/young-catholics-grill-pope-francis-on-church-sex-abuse/a-47253144 

Your soul mate : a priest

I’m Rosalie and my priest’s name is Jeremy. We met 10 years ago, although I already knew him as a child. He is an orthodox priest monk of very high level. I was extremely suffering from traumas and a hard life. Everybody had abandoned me. It was absolutely emergency situation! So I asked him to be with me as long as I do not have anybody else. He immediately agreed. I needed a person really involved with me, not just counselling!!!

https://maltesemarriedcatholicpriest.wordpress.com/2019/01/21/your-soul-mate-a-priest/ 

Andrew Cuomo slams Catholic bishops for covering up sex abuse

Gov. Cuomo delivered a fiery sermon against Catholic bishops Monday after delivering two new laws that infuriated them — while church members prayed for his excommunication. “Tell the truth. Jesus Christ teaches about truth and justice — social justice — and that’s not what the church did here,” Cuomo said at an Albany press conference, referring to the church’s resistance to the Child Victims Act, which extends the statute of limitations for reporting sex abuse and for filing lawsuits.

https://nypost.com/2019/01/28/andrew-cuomo-slams-catholic-bishops-for-covering-up-sex-abuse/ 

More abuse survivors and witnesses step forward in Missouri Catholic clergy probe

An estimated 70 people have completed an online form saying they were either a victim or a witness to abuse by Catholic priests as part of an investigation underway by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. That number is up from the 50 survivors and potential witnesses who contacted the office in the first month of the probe, which was launched in August by Schmitt’s predecessor, Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.

https://www.houstonherald.com/news/state/more-abuse-survivors-and-witnesses-step-forward-in-missouri-catholic/article_cc536ca5-7de9-5706-97d3-cc3ae3808668.html 

DA urges victims of sexual abuse by priests to come forward, regardless of when it happened

Victims of abuse at the hands of clergy often struggle with reporting what happened to them. “This is a real personal, difficult decision people will have to make and we respect that, but we need much more information than what we have right now,” said East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore. Even after coming forward, victims often have to face tough questions so prosecutors like Moore will know what, if any, legal options they have to press charges.

http://www.wafb.com/2019/02/01/da-urges-victims-sexual-abuse-by-priests-come-forward-regardless-when-it-happened/ 

Cardinal cites ‘day of anger’ after archdiocese names priests ‘credibly accused’ of child sex abuse

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston named 40 priests it deemed “credibly accused” of sexual abusing children in an effort to be more “accountable and transparent” in the priest sex abuse crisis. The archdiocese joined 13 other Texas dioceses in releasing lists for the first time. Prior to today, the Diocese of Fort Worth was the only diocese in the state that had released names. In total, more than 300 clergy have been named.

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/cardinal-cites-day-of-anger-after-archdiocese-names-priests-credibly-accused-of-child-sex-abuse/285-3fb4104a-3a84-4769-9b05-2c6a65401a4e 

Local priests ‘credibly accused’ of sexually abusing children

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the names of additional priests who served in the Texoma area. Longtime St. Mary’s Catholic Church Priest Jeremy Myers was named Thursday among a statewide list of church officials who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors. The Catholic Diocese of Dallas released the list of 31 accused priests on its website Thursday afternoon, under the direction of Bishop Edward Burns. A profile of Myers on the diocese website indicated he was “removed” from service in 2018 and was “suspended.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether any allegations against Myers were made during his 25 years as an official at St. Mary’s.

https://www.heralddemocrat.com/news/20190131/local-priests-credibly-accused-of-sexually-abusing-children 

Our view: Open courtroom doors to victims

The Catholic Church and lawmakers who protect its interests in Pennsylvania have put victims of sexual abuse, by clergy or otherwise, in a terrible position. Decades of clergy sexual abuse cover-up denied justice to victims and shielded the church and its representatives from the civil and criminal penalties that attach to crimes against children and those who enable them.

https://www.goerie.com/opinion/20190201/our-view-open-courtroom-doors-to-victims 

Make Clergy Mandatory Reporters

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine proposed legislation last week that would make clergy members mandatory reporters of physical and sexual abuse of children. This would add priests, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders to the list of mandatory reporters which already includes teachers, doctors, social workers, and others who work with children. Similar laws where clergy are explicitly named as mandatory reporters exist in 29 states as well as Guam.

https://georgetownvoice.com/2019/02/01/make-clergy-mandatory-reporters/ 

Catholic Church in Texas Names Nearly 300 Priests Accused of Abuse

Church officials in Texas released the names of nearly 300 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the state, one of the largest disclosures by the Roman Catholic Church and the latest revelation in an expanding number of investigations. Each of the state’s 15 dioceses on Jan. 31 posted the names of accused priests online, totaling 278 individual names with allegations of abuse from thousands of children and going back as far as 70 years.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/catholic-church-in-texas-names-nearly-300-priests-accused-of-abuse_2787025.html