Chilean cardinal says bishop should resign over abuse crisis

The head of Chile’s Catholic Church said on Thursday that a Chilean bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse should resign, little more than a week after Pope Frances said he had made mistakes in handling Chile’s sexual abuse crisis. Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati told reporters that Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop who allegedly concealed abuse of minors by his mentor Father Fernando Karadima, should resign “without a doubt,” while adding he would not judge “whether or not [Barros] had covered up” the incidents. Barros did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-abuse/chilean-cardinal-says-bishop-should-resign-over-abuse-crisis-idUSKBN1HQ36Q 

Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Connecticut Priest Accused of Child Sex Abuse

A man who says he was sexually abused by a priest while growing up in Bristol is taking his case to court. A civil lawsuit filed in New Haven Superior Court names the priest, Reverend Gregory Altermatt, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. It claims sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s and 1980s when the plaintiff, now in his 40s, was 7 to 15 years old. Altermatt has not been charged with any crimes. The lawsuit states the church should have known that Altermatt posed a danger to minors with whom he had contact.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Civil-Lawsuit-Filed-Against-Connecticut-Priest-Accused-of-Child-Sex-Abuse--480182553.html 

Child Victims Act left behind in state’s budget, kept alive by survivors

The state budget left out the Child Victims Act — a bill supported by the governor and the State Assembly — that would have extended the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual assault, but adult survivors are not giving up. The bill never made it to the State Senate floor, so the GOP majority leader is the focus of upcoming efforts. Meanwhile, a group called Lawyers Helping Survivors of Child Sex Abuse released a document entitled “Hidden Disgrace III” on March 29, listing all of the priests who have worked for the Albany Diocese and have been accused of sexual abuse, what they are alleged to have done, and all the places they have worked.

https://altamontenterprise.com/04192018/child-victims-act-left-behind-state’s-budget-kept-alive-survivors 

Sexual assault crosses denominational lines

Clergy sexual abuse isn’t just a Catholic problem — although the Oscar-nominated movie “Spotlight” revealed the story of the Boston Globe’s 2001 expose of pedophile priests and the cover up in the Catholic Church. The journalists investigated Father John Geoghan, who was accused of molesting more than 80 boys. According to an article on the website of the United Methodist Church, “Sexual misconduct within ministerial relationships is a betrayal of sacred trust. It is a continuum of sexual or gender-directed behaviors by either a lay or clergy person within a ministerial relationship (paid or unpaid). It can include child abuse, adult sexual abuse, harassment, rape or sexual assault, sexualized verbal comments or visuals, unwelcome touching and advances, use of sexualized materials including pornography, stalking, sexual abuse of youth or those without capacity to consent, or misuse of the pastoral or ministerial position using sexualized conduct to take advantage of the vulnerability of another…” www.umc.org/

https://www.newswatchman.com/jackson/comment/article_cbaa2e1e-f626-568b-a6ba-b5f5b2165fcd.html 

Re-train cops to deal with sexual offences: WCD Ministry

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has outlined necessary steps for dealing with sexual offences. In a letter to Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories, Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi highlighted various steps to be taken to prevent and curb crimes against women and children. This comes at a time when the country is on the boil over Kathua and Unnao rape case.According to one of the steps, all police officers should be re-trained on various aspects of sexual offences particularly those related to collection and preservation of evidence.

 http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/re-train-cops-to-deal-with-sexual-offences-wcd-ministry-118041900562_1.html

Law firm releases more details on priest abuse

Attorney Mike Reck returned to Buffalo on Tuesday to again demand the Catholic Diocese release a comprehensive list of clerics within its jurisdiction who have been credibly accused of sexual assaults against children or other abuses. It is the second call Reck and his firm, Jeff Anderson and Associates, P.A., have made in as many months. The first occurred in March, when Reck’s firm released a list of 13 priests accused of committing sexual crimes against minors while serving in Western New York.

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/law-firm-releases-more-details-on-priest-abuse/article_fa48acf0-fa6b-557f-a6ea-831ed851c731.html 

Bishops say Pope may come to Canada, apologize for residential schools

Roman Catholic bishops are holding out the possibility that Pope Francis may eventually apologize for the role that the church played in the abuse of children at Indian residential schools. But, at a news conference on Wednesday that took place just before a motion calling on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to press for an apology was introduced in the House of Commons, two senior Catholic leaders reiterated the position that the church, as a whole, was not to blame for the tragedy.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-catholic-bishops-say-pope-may-come-to-canada-apologize-for/ 

Alleged clergy sex abuse victim: "I am angry with God"

ames Faluszczak says every time he learns something new about the sexual abuse scandal with the Catholic Diocese, he feels shocked and angry. In a candid conversation, Faluszczak tells News 4 how he's coping, and how these past few months have shaped his faith. "Think the catholic church is the biggest organized crime syndicate in the world," he said. It's been a month since James Faluszczak decided to tell go public and tell his story of abuse. For him, it's painful to to see how many people have since come out with a similar story, just like his. He said, "In many cases, these victims, their first experience of a sexual act was perpetrated by a man that they entrusted with their soul."

http://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/alleged-clergy-sex-abuse-victim-i-am-angry-with-god/1129042994 

Catholic Whistleblowers want 'substantial revisions' to church's sex abuse policies

One request is to extend zero tolerance coverage, including bishops. A Catholic watchdog group is challenging the U.S. bishops to make "substantial revisions" to their nearly two-decade-old policies regarding sexual abuse of minors, and to include abuse survivors and the laity in the process. Among seven reforms to the guiding documents — the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Young People, or the Dallas Charter, and the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons — proposed by the Catholic Whistleblowers are:

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/catholic-whistleblowers-want-substantial-revisions-churchs-sex-abuse-policies 

An abuse of trust White hid behind his charm

Howard White is now seen by some as a wolf in sheep's clothing, the devil in a white robe. But between 1984 and 2006, many in Haywood County only saw the former Episcopal priest as the beloved rector of Waynesville's Grace Church in the Mountains. Since then, much has changed for White, 76, who has been convicted of child sexual abuse in New England, and now faces abuse charges in Haywood County dating back to 1985.White, who preferred the affectionate, disarming nickname "Howdy," has been indicted by a Haywood County Grand Jury on charges that he abused one boy and one girl during his time in Haywood.

https://www.themountaineer.com/news/an-abuse-of-trust/article_36fd9526-4185-11e8-8def-ef7715b0666a.html 

Victims of Legion of Christ founder seek compensation for abuse

ROME - Eight victims of the Catholic Church’s most notorious pedophile priest are pressing the Legion of Christ religious order to compensate them for the sexual abuse they suffered and the psychological harm they say resulted from the order’s prolonged campaign to discredit them. The men sent a letter to the Legion’s leadership seeking public recognition of their status as victims of Father Marcial Maciel and the Mexico-based order, which was once one of the fastest-growing congregations in the Church but suffered a credibility crisis over Maciel’s crimes and cover-up.

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/04/12/victims-of-legion-of-christ-founder-seek-compensation-for-abuse/ 

Book claims Eunice Kennedy Shriver's rightful place in history

When people think of the Kennedy family, they’re most likely thinking of the famous Kennedy men. John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president in the nation’s history; he was assassinated in his first term. His brother Bobby was attorney general and a senator until he was assassinated while running for president. Ted Kennedy was a Massachusett's senator for decades until his death in 2009. But in her new book “Eunice: The Kennedy Who Changed the World," Eileen McNamara argues the most influential sibling wasn’t J.F.K. or R.F.K; it was their sister: Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

http://interlochenpublicradio.org/post/book-claims-eunice-kennedy-shrivers-rightful-place-history 

Religious Studies Professor and Papacy Expert Opines on Pope Francis’ Apology for Abuse in Chile

In a letter on April 11 to the bishops of Chile, Pope Francis asked forgiveness for his “serious errors of assessment and perception.” His apologies were directed to the victims of Fr. Fernando Karadima, whose abuse of at least three men when they were children was witnessed and covered up by Chilean Bishop Juan Barros. Until recently, Pope Francis had maintained that Bishop Barros was actually the victim of “slander.” In 2011, the then 80-year-old Fr. Karadina was found guilty by a Vatican tribunal, and sentenced to a life of “prayer and penance.” In times past, a personal apology from the pope would have been close to unthinkable.

https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-apology-for-abuse-in-chile-would-once-have-been-unthinkable-94958