Australian Jewish school may be investigated for abetting flight of molester

An Australian Jewish school that assisted its principal in fleeing the country following accusations of sexual misconduct may be facing a police investigation regarding possible criminal culpability, according to reports.
“Police will be looking at this as a broader part of the investigation to determine whether an offence has been committed,” police told The Australian newspaper.

http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Australian-Jewish-school-may-be-investigated-for-abetting-flight-of-molester-419415 

Critics slam former archbishop’s role in Pope Francis’ Philadelphia visit

A former archbishop who retired amid allegations he put church interests ahead of clergy sexual abuse victims returned to the city over the weekend to help Pope Francis celebrate Mass, drawing criticism from advocates who said his visibility “rubs salt into deep wounds.”
The current archbishop, Charles Chaput, defended Cardinal Justin Rigali’s role in the service Saturday at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, saying Monday his predecessor did nothing wrong and is “always welcome to be here.”

http://globalnews.ca/news/2246735/critics-slam-former-archbishops-role-in-pope-francis-philadelphia-visit/ 

“Many survivors around the world feel betrayed [comment]”,

Many survivors around the world feel betrayed, not reassured, by Pope Francis' words during his US PR exercise.
We feel silenced and excluded when he speaks weasel words about us and how his institution has and will deal with the criminals within that institution who commit, enable or cover up horrific crimes against defenceless children.

http://www.snapaustralia.org/NickyDavis%5Bcomment%5D-28Sep2015.html 

Pope sends painfully mixed signals to abuse victims

Let's face it. We all are sick unto death of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church. Why can’t we let good Pope Francis have his U.S. visit and just focus on all the incredibly moving moments of compassion, mercy, humility and great importance?
Climate change, immigration, capitalism, the poor, the homeless, the imprisoned — for Peter’s sake, John Boehner resigned the day after meeting the pope, apparently deciding his soul was more valuable than his power. So, Francis wasn't perfect when it came to sexual abuse — he came through in the 59th minute of the 11th hour of his visit, yes?

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/pope-sends-painfully-mixed-signals-abuse-victims 

A conspiracy to elect Pope Francis? Don't believe it.

Did a powerful group of cardinals conspire to unseat Pope Benedict XVI and elect Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio—Pope Francis—in his place? That sensational claim has been circulating in conservative Catholic internet sites. But the available facts don’t support the sensational headlines.
Edward Pentin, a respected Vatican journalist, broke the story to the English-speaking world with his report for the National Catholic Register. He reported—accurately—that a new biography of Belgium’s retired Cardinal Godfried Danneels has disclosed that the existence of a group of prelates who were committed to “progressive” causes, and unhappy with the influence exerted in the Vatican by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=1115 

KCK archdiocese is criticized for ‘quiet disclosure’ of priest accused of sexual abuse.

A victims advocacy group on Tuesday sharply criticized the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas for its “quiet disclosure” about a priest who church officials say has been credibly accused of sexual abuse.
The allegations were revealed in a notice on Page 7 of the Sept. 11 issue of The Leaven, the archdiocesan newspaper. “The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has recently received credible allegations of abuse of minors against Father Edward Roberts, a priest of the archdiocese who died in 1997,” the notice said.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article36945873.html

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article36945873.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article36945873.html#storylink=cpy

UK: The Goddard Inquiry: the scope of inquiry into historical child sexual abuse extends to England and Wales

In July 2015, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was officially opened for England and Wales. Established by the British Home Secretary, the Inquiry has been given the broad remit to investigate child sexual abuse matters of the past, and to take stock of child protection procedures as a means of informing future child protection practice. It is an Inquiry which closely parallels the objectives of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The Inquiry is now in the process of encouraging the many unreported victims of historical child sexual abuse to come forward and relate their experiences to the Inquiry’s panel, which plans to commence its private sessions in October 2015. The Inquiry’s public hearings, which are to commence in 2016, will concentrate on investigating:

 http://codea.com.au/Publication-1856-the-goddard-inquiry-the-scope-of-inquiry-into-historical-child-sexual-abuse-extends-to-england-and-wales.aspx?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=View-Original 

The Pope speaks almost an hour with journalists on flight from Philadelphia

During his return flight to Rome following his apostolic trip to Cuba and the United States, Pope Francis answered a number of questions posed by the journalists who accompanied him on the papal flight.

The Holy Father first commented that he had been surprised in the United States by the warmth and friendliness of the people. He remarked that in Washington D.C. the welcome was very warm but more formal than in New York, where everything was more exuberant, while in Philadelphia it was more expressive. “Three different approaches but the same welcome”.

 

http://visnews-en.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/the-pope-speaks-almost-hour-with.html 

Cardinal Danneels Admits to Being Part of 'Mafia' Club Opposed to Benedict XVI.

New authorised biography also reveals papal delegate at upcoming synod wrote letter to Belgium government supporting same-sex "marriage" legislation because it ended discrimination against LGBT groups.

Further serious concerns are being raised about Cardinal Godfried Danneels, one of the papal delegates chosen to attend the upcoming Ordinary Synod on the Family, after the archbishop emeritus of Brussels confessed this week to being part of a radical "mafia" reformist group opposed to Benedict XVI.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/cardinal-danneels-part-of-mafia-club-opposed-to-benedict-xvi 

Cardinal O’Malley: Pope Francis Is ‘Taking Steps To Move Us In The Right Direction’ On Sex Abuse

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, speaking during a rare press conference Tuesday, said for him one of the highlights of Pope Francis’ trip to the U.S. came in Philadelphia, when he met with victims of sexual abuse by priests.

“The Holy Father in that meeting once again recommitted himself to the task of child protection in the church,” O’Malley told reporters at Logan Airport Tuesday as he returned from Philadelphia, where he had accompanied Pope Francis. “And I know that many people are angry and disappointed and skeptical, but I think the Holy Father is taking steps to move us in the right direction.”

http://www.wbur.org/2015/09/29/cardinal-omalley-pope-francis 

Report of an inquiry into an allegation of sexual abuse against George Pell (and there is no mention of exoneration)

In October 2002, the Catholic Church in Australia posted on its official website a report of a church inquiry into an allegation of sexual abuse against George Pell. The allegation concerned an alleged incident in the early 1960s, when George Pell (then aged 20) was training to become a priest.
The report was compiled by a Victorian barrister, Mr A.J. Southwell Q.C., who had been paid by the Catholic Church authorities to conduct an inquiry into the allegation. The terms of reference for the inquiry were set by the church authorities.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/36 

Pope Francis meets with U.S. clergy sex abuse victims

Pope Francis said on his final day in the U.S. that he has met with survivors of clerical sex abuse, and that he promises to hold accountable those responsible.
Francis announced that he had met with a group in Philadelphia on his final day during his visit to the United States before leaving for Rome. The Vatican said in a statement the pope and three top American Catholic officials met for 30 minutes with three female and two male survivors of clergy abuse when they were minors.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-meets-with-clergy-sex-abuse-victims-in-philadelphia/ 

Pope: Sex Abuse Caused ‘Great Harm’

Pope Francis addressed the scourge of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in unscripted remarks Sunday. He said "great harm" has been caused by the clergy sex abuse scandal over the last decade. Pope Francis met with survivors of abuse Sunday and vowed to hold clergy responsible for these crimes accountable.
"Those who have survived have become true heralds of mercy," Pope Francis said. "Humbly we owe each of them our gratitude for their courage." The pontiff wrapped up his historic six-day visit to the U.S. with an open-air mass before hundreds of thousands in Philadelphia. "May God bless you all — God bless America," Francis said before he boarded a flight back to Rome.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/09/27/pope-clergy-accountable-for-sex-abuse.html 

Pope Francis excommunicates Australian priest

Australian priest had continued to act publicly as a priest after having priestly facilities removed.  An Australian priest who supports the ordination of women has been excommunicated by Pope Francis.

In the first such excommunication since the new pontiff took office Fr Greg Reynolds was dismissed in a letter from the Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart, which stated that “the decision by Pope Francis to dismiss Fr Reynolds from the clerical state and to declare his automatic excommunication has been made because of his public teaching on the ordination of women contrary to the teaching of the Church and his public celebration of the Eucharist when he did not hold faculties to act publicly as a priest.”

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/09/27/pope-francis-excommunicates-australian-priest/ 

The list of 21 priests placed on administrative leave.

Other than Father Barr, who declined to comment when reached by phone, the other priests put on leave did not return phone calls or could not be located.
The Rev. Philip R. Barr Ordained in 1948, Barr is pastor emeritus of St. Edmond Parish in South Philadelphia. The Rev. John F. Bowe Ordained in 1973, Bowe had been living at St. Joseph rectory in Warrington, Bucks County

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2011/03_04/2011_03_10_OReilly_Namesof.pdf 

Lifting the lid on Australia's child sex abuse

For decades, Peter Blenkiron remained silent about the abuse he had suffered at age 11 at the hands of his Catholic Christian Brother teacher.

Earlier this year, Mr Blenkiron relived the horror of his school days, telling an inquiry into child abuse about how he would be pressed against the wall at the back of the classroom while his teacher physically and sexually abused him, with the other students ordered to look away.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34355662 

Women held as sex slaves in South Sudan 'rape camps'

One woman was abducted by soldiers and taken to a military camp, tied up and raped repeatedly for two months. Another was kidnapped with her 15-year-old sister and raped every night for five nights. A third was taken to a forest with her 12-year old daughter where both were raped.
The abduction of women and girls for use as sex slaves – some of them held indefinitely, tied up with hundreds of others in secret rape camps – is a disturbing new aspect of South Sudan's 21-month conflict, already characterised by well-documented war crimes and human rights abuses.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/world/a/29657663/women-held-as-sex-slaves-in-south-sudan-rape-camps/ 

Pope Francis, on Flight Home, Strongly Condemns Child Sexual Abuse

ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRPLANE — Hours after meeting with sexual abuse victims in Philadelphia, Pope Francis on Sunday night again strongly condemned priests who molested children as “sacrilegious” and publicly acknowledged that bishops had covered up abuse cases.

“When a priest abuses, it is very grave because the vocation of the priest is to make that boy, that girl grow toward the love of God,” Francis said. “For this reason, the church is strong on this, and one must not cover these things up. Those who covered this up are guilty. Even some bishops who covered this up.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/world/europe/pope-francis-sexual-abuse.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150928&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Geelong woman leads fight for compensation for victims of abuse in care institutions

A GEELONG woman leading the fight for compensation for those who were neglected and abused in orphanages, children’s homes, foster care and mental institutions has called on new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to take action.
Leonie Sheedy, who heads the Care Leavers Australia Network, has called on Mr Turnbull to deliver a national compensation scheme for the many thousands of people who suffered all forms of abuse ­during their childhood in care.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/geelong-woman-leads-fight-for-compensation-for-victims-of-abuse-in-care-institutions/story-fnjuhovy-1227546231957 

Pope Francis on clerical abuse: 'I do not judge those who are not able to forgive'

Don't judge me... I can not forgive those... who raped and abused me for 25years... from 18months old... unless you went through my childhood abuse... do not judge me... walk in my shoes for a day... and see how I feel..  Ann

========================= 

Pope Francis has said he understands why some victims of clerical sex abuse and their families could not forgive the church for the suffering they faced, saying such abuse was “almost a sacrilege”.
In remarks during a 47-minute press conference on his flight back to Rome after a tour of the US, the pope also sought to clarify controversial remarks he made to American bishops, when he congratulated them on their “courageous” handling of the sex abuse crisis.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/pope-government-workers-right-refuse-gay-marriage-licences-kim-davis#_=_ 

Perpetrators of Catholic church sexual abuse ‘will be held accountable’, says Pope

Pope Francis confronted the sexual abuse of children by Roman clergy on the final day of his first U.S. visit on Sunday, meeting with five adults abused as children and vowing to hold accountable those involved in the crimes and cover-ups.

The 78-year-old Argentine pope also celebrated Mass outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a neoclassical edifice astride a rocky hill overlooking the Schuylkill River, before hundreds of thousands of people, the largest crowd of his six-day U.S. trip.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/pope-meets-victims-of-clergy-sex-abuse-says-perpetrators-will-be-held-accountable/article26554113/ 

Catholic Church in Scotland issues 'profound apology' to abuse victims after review into handling of claims

The Catholic Church in Scotland has been urged to apologise to abuse survivors.  Scotland's most senior Catholic Archbishop has offered a "profound apology" to survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church in Scotland.
The apology comes after an independent review into the handling of abuse allegations said the church must prioritise survivors and make an "unmistakeable and unequivocal apology" to those affected.

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-08-18/catholic-church-in-scotland-told-to-apologise-to-abuse-victims/ 

Mum accuses church charity 30 years after her baby was taken away from her

MIDWIFE Bernadette Wallman says she came under undue pressure to give up her two-week-old daughter by a charity linked to the Catholic Church. A MUM has revealed her enduring heartache more than 30 years after her newborn baby was taken for adoption against her will.
Bernadette Wallman says she came under undue pressure to give up her two-week-old daughter by a charity linked to the Catholic Church. Bernadette, originally from Kirkcudbright, in south west Scotland, was emotionally and physically unwell when she agreed to the adoption.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/mum-accuses-church-charity-30-6389469 

If we teach that sex is shameful without teaching consent – how will sexually abused children ever come forward?

A study of Texan sex education shows how shaming and scaring young people about sex is especially harmful, confusing and alienating for victims of sexual abuse. Sex education has long been a controversial topic in the United States.
In Texas, where I work, sex education does not really exist, at least not in schools. About 47% of school districts provide nothing in terms of sex education and state-approved textbooks lack information on contraception. If a school chooses to teach sexual health education, they must emphasize abstinence and inform youth about the “emotional trauma” associated with sexual activity before marriage.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/if-we-teach-that-sex-is-shameful-without-teaching-consent-how-will-sexually-abused-children-ever-10492883.html 

four films dealing with the catholic church sex abuse scandals (no "COURAGE" from bishops, sorry)

in light of the pope's ludicrously, obscenely obtuse comment about the "COURAGE" of bishops in dealing with the decades-long and ongoing sexual abuses by priests, found four films that deal with this subject, one of which "("Spotlight") will premiere 6 nov.
Deliver Us from Evil (2006), a documentary about a sex abuse case in Northern California:  Deliver Us from Evil is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg which explores the life of Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who admitted to having molested and raped approximately 25 children in Northern California between the late 1970s and early 1990s. The film won the Best Documentary Award at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, losing to An Inconvenient Truth. The title refers to a line in the Lord's Prayer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027205438 

SNAP president Barbara Blaine blasts pope’s praise of bishops

In a speech today to U.S. bishops, according to ABC News, Francis “does not specifically reference the pedophilia that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.”
He does, however, speak of some alleged “great sacrifice” made by bishops because of the abuse and cover up crisis. What sacrifice? What bishops takes fewer vacations, drives a smaller car, does his own laundry or has been passed over for promotion because he’s shielding predators and endangering kids? None.

http://reform-network.net/?m=20150926 

Lifting the lid on Australia's child sex abuse

For decades, Peter Blenkiron remained silent about the abuse he had suffered at age 11 at the hands of his Catholic Christian Brother teacher.

Earlier this year, Mr Blenkiron relived the horror of his school days, telling an inquiry into child abuse about how he would be pressed against the wall at the back of the classroom while his teacher physically and sexually abused him, with the other students ordered to look away.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34355662?post_id=10204672433356106_10205295099882380#_=_ 

Allentown Bishop John Barres praises Pope Francis' 'powerful' statement on sexual abuse

Pope Francis met with victims of child sexual abuse Sunday, the final day of his U.S. visit, and promised to hold accountable those responsible for the scandal in the church, delivering a powerful warning to American bishops accused of covering up for pedophile priests instead of reporting them to police.
In a gesture of reconciliation just hours before he was to return to Rome, the pontiff praised the victims as "true heralds of mercy" who deserve the church's gratitude for helping to bring the truth to light.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pope-sexual-abuse-victims-20150927-story.html 

After Criticism, Pope Francis Confronts Priestly Sexual Abuse

At the start of an otherwise joyous and well-received trip to the United States, Pope Francis infuriated some abuse victims when he praised American bishops for their handling of the sexual abuse scandal and told priests that he felt their pain.

On the last day of his journey, Francis stepped to a lectern here before hundreds of seminarians and bishops from around the world and tried to salve the open wound. He said he had met in private with a group of victims and pledged that “all responsible will be held accountable.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/us/pope-francis-philadelphia-sexual-abuse.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150927&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Pope Francis vows clergy in sex abuse cases will face justice

The pontiff meets with five survivors and is ‘profoundly sorry’ but advocates say pledge is not enough after years of ‘crimes and sins’
Pope Francis has met victims of Catholic church sex abuse and vowed that those responsible will face justice, providing a sombre start to the last day of his visit to the United States. Critics believe that there would be fewer victims to weep over if church officials had not covered up scandals and better protected children

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/27/pope-meets-with-sexual-abuse-victims-philadelphia 

The Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 26 September 2015 (VIS) – The Pope's second day in New York began with his visit to the United Nations headquarters, where the Holy See has been represented since 1964 in its status as a Permanent Observer, with the right of participation without the right to vote.

Upon arrival the Holy Father was greeted by the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, with his wife and two children of United Nations workers who have lost their lives in service, who offered him a bouquet of flowers. The Pope met privately with the Secretary General who subsequently accompanied him to the hall to greet the organisation's staff. Francis laid a floral wreath before the plaque commemorating staff who have lost their lives in service, recalling that the work performed by United Nations employees, from experts to interpreters, kitchen staff to security personnel, constitutes in many respects the “backbone” of the Organisation.

http://visnews-en.blogspot.co.nz/ 

Pope Francis Asks Forgiveness For Church Sexual Abuse And Vows Action

“I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil … and ask forgiveness.” In his strongest remarks to date on clerical sexual abuse, Pope Francis asked the victims for forgiveness and swore that the Catholic Church would not take “one step backward” in dealing with the problem.
The pope deviated from his planned remarks in an audience with the International Catholic Child Bureau [BICE] at the Vatican on Friday in order to address the issue of sexual abuse by priests, according to a Vatican Radio report.

http://aadr.biz/?p=1929 

Pope’s Blind Spots: * Militarism * Child Sex Abuse

COLMAN McCARTHY, cmccarthy at starpower.net A former Washington Post columnist, McCarthy is founder and director of the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington, D.C., and the author of the book I’d Rather Teach Peace. He recently wrote the piece “Francis Needs to go Beyond his Play-it-Safe Verbiage” for the National Catholic Reporter. 
McCarthy said today about Pope Francis’ speech before Congress: “I thought it over emphasized meaningless pieties.” While the speech referred to stopping the arms trade, McCarthy noted “it didn’t refer to the militarism of U.S. government itself. It didn’t talk about lowering the military budget. He quoted from [Martin Luther] King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, but not King’s calling the U.S. government ‘the greatest purveyor of violence‘ — as King did. He mentioned Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton, but they too spoke out against U.S. militarism. He should have quoted Dorothy Day and her commitment to pacifism.” See McCarthy’s piece on Dorothy Day in the Washington Post from 1980 just after her death. See also McCarthy’s piece “Rediscovering Thomas Merton.”

http://www.accuracy.org/release/popes-blind-spots-sex-abuse-militarism/ 

Grosso Calls on Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to Protect Victims of Sexual Abuse

Today, at 2:30pm, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) will join victims of sexual abuse at the hands of priests at a rally in front of the Wilson Building.  In advance of the rally, Grosso released the following statement:
 “In his prayer meeting with U.S. bishops yesterday, Pope Francis spoke of a ‘generous commitment to bring healing’— this stance must extend to those who have suffered sexual abuse.  I am calling on the Pope to hold the bishops of the Catholic Church accountable for abuse committed on their watch. It is past time for the Church to support better laws that protect children, expose predators, and punish enablers.

http://www.davidgrosso.org/grosso-analysis/2015/9/24/grosso-calls-on-pope-francis-and-the-catholic-church-to-protect-victims-of-sexual-abuse 

Jailed paedophile priest 'abused a dozen more children' as 12 more alleged victims come forward

The cleric, recently jailed for the horrific abuse of a child, is believed to have forced himself on more kid.  A caged paedophile priest who is facing another sex abuse charge may have forced himself on a dozen more victims, police believe.
The serial sex beast, who was recently jailed for the horrific abuse of a child, was brought before the courts last month over an alleged attack on a young boy. The cleric, a pillar of his community in Ireland before the revelations, paid his victims following his horrific attacks on them.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/jailed-paedophile-priest-abused-dozen-6504373 

Pope’s U.S. apology rings hollow for North American First Nations

In imploring U.S. lawmakers to show compassion to refugees, Pope Francis once again acknowledged the brutal treatment of the Indigenous peoples in the settlement of North America. But the Catholic pontiff did not agree to a request from Canadian and American native leaders to meet during Francis’s first visit to the United States this week.

And he proceeded to canonize a Catholic missionary whose elevation to sainthood was strongly opposed by many First Nations. “We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners,” Francis said in his speech at the U.S. capitol on Thursday.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/popes-us-apology-rings-hollow-for-north-175512569.html 

Pope Francis Called For More Work From Priests, But 20 Percent Of Parishes Don’t Even Have One

n his first visit to the United States, Pope Francis on Wednesday urged American bishops to help priests spend more time caring for the spiritual needs of their parishioners. However, American priests who wish to follow his example may find themselves stretched thin. The priest shortage leaves each of them caring for record numbers of parishioners.
In his final exhortation to his brother bishops in Washington, Pope Francis urged them to find ways to encourage the spiritual growth of priests, “lest they yield to the temptation to become notaries and bureaucrats, but instead reflect the motherhood of the church, which gives birth to and raises her sons and daughters.” He added: “Train them to be ready to stop, care for, soothe, lift up and assist those who, by chance, find themselves stripped of all they thought they had.”

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/pope-francis-us-visit-catholic-priest-shortage/ 

Clergy sex-abuse victims rip Francis for remarks to bishops.

Pope Francis on Wednesday surprised and irked victims of Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse when he praised a gathering of U.S. bishops for their "courage" in handling the crisis, and consoled them for how stressful it had been.
He also insisted that sex abuse at the hands of clergy must never happen again. His remarks brought a stinging rebuke from some abuse victims, who said courage should be reserved for themselves.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150924_Clergy_sex-abuse_victims_rip_Pope_Francis_for_remarks_to_bishops.html 

PSNI receives complaints against 500 people over historical abuse claims

he PSNI has received complaints against 500 people in connection with allegations of historical abuse. They include cases currently being examined by the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry.
This is as well as claims of abuse against some clergy and some other state and church institutions. The PSNI is currently running two big operations into historical abuse - Operation Charwell and Operation Danzin. The investigations began five years ago.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-34340441 

After 1950s forced adoption New Yorker is reunited with his Irish mother

Christopher Quirin, 63, was born to a single mother in Ireland in 1950, a time when such a thing was considered an unspeakable disgrace. Back then Quirin’s mother was sent by her parents to the now notorious Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, the same mothers and babies home as Philomena Lee. Lee is the woman whose shocking life-story inspired the recent Academy Award-nominated movie starring Judi Dench.
Lee and Quirin’s mother had children just two years apart, and Quirin says he imagines he must have played in the same rooms as Michael, Lee’s boy who was later adopted by the American couple Doc and Marge Hess.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/After-1950s-forced-adoption-New-Yorker-is-reunited-with-his-Irish-mother.html 

PA--A third disgraced prelate spends time with Francis

Today, Pope Francis con-celebrated mass with the disgraced former head of the Philadelphia archdiocese, Cardinal Justin Rigali. The other day, Francis brought with him to the White House the disgraced former head of the Los Angeles archdiocese, Cardinal Roger Mahony. Seen at the papal festivities a few days ago was the disgraced Archbishop John Neinstedt. The St. Paul/Minneapolis archdiocese, which he headed for years, faces criminal prosecution for endangering kids.
The “take away” here is this: No matter how much you enable or hide predator priests, if you’re a bishop, you’ll always be welcome in and by the Catholic hierarchy. Never mind if your visibility rubs salt into deep wounds. Never mind if your grandstanding discourages others from reporting crimes. Once you’ve been let into our esteemed ranks, you’ll always be a part of this exclusive club and enjoy the many benefits such membership confers.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pa_a_third_disgraced_prelate_spends_time_with_francis?recruiter_id=342 

Jailed paedophile priest 'abused a dozen more children' as 12 more alleged victims come forward

The cleric, recently jailed for the horrific abuse of a child, is believed to have forced himself on more kid.  A caged paedophile priest who is facing another sex abuse charge may have forced himself on a dozen more victims, police believe.
The serial sex beast, who was recently jailed for the horrific abuse of a child, was brought before the courts last month over an alleged attack on a young boy. The cleric, a pillar of his community in Ireland before the revelations, paid his victims following his horrific attacks on them.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/jailed-paedophile-priest-abused-dozen-6504373 

Father Joseph Maurizio found guilty on 5 of 8 counts

A jury reached a verdict Tuesday in the federal trial of Central City priest Father Joseph Maurizio. The five charges he was found guilty of include one count of international money laundering, one count of possession of pictures that exploit children and three counts of eliciting sexual misconduct with three different boys overseas.
One of those boys recanted his initial story of being abused. Another count for that same boy though, Maurizio was found not guilty of. WJAC-TV was not able to speak with Maurizio’s defense team who somehow skipped past the media, but the former president of Pro Nino USA, the organization that helped fund and run the orphanage in Honduras that Maurizio was involved with, says Tuesday’s verdict validates everything.

http://www.wjactv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/father-joseph-maurizio-found-guilty-5-8-counts-7179.shtml 

Catholic Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson moves to stop criminal case over sexual abuse by colleague

Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop is attempting to permanently halt criminal proceedings against him for allegedly concealing a colleague’s sexual abuse of a young boy.
Archbishop Philip Wilson was charged in March with concealing information about the 1971 sex assault of a 10-year-old boy by pedophile priest James Fletcher in the NSW town of Maitland.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/catholic-adelaide-archbishop-philip-wilson-moves-to-stop-criminal-case-over-sexual-abuse-by-colleague/story-fnii5yv7-1227543817293 

Message to Australia

If you have attended a private session, or provided a written account of your experiences, we invite you to send your own 'Message to Australia'.
The ‘Message to Australia’ is an opportunity for the people who have bravely told their stories to the Royal Commission to send a short message to the Australian community about their experience and their hopes for creating a safer environment for children in the future.

http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/share-your-story/message-to-australia 

Catholic Church Sex Abuse Survivors Frustrated By Pope Francis' US Visit, Lack Of Action

Pope Francis speaks to bishops during the midday prayer service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The pontiff addressed the Catholic church's sex abuse scandal by saying he supported bishops' "generous commitment to bring healing to victims" and to work to make sure "such crimes will never be repeated." 
Bernie McDaid remembers staring at the stained glass the first time his Catholic priest molested him. He said he was about 12 years old, an altar boy standing in the sacristy of St. James’ Church outside of Boston, when the Rev. Joseph E. Birmingham grabbed him, started tickling and then put his hands down McDaid’s pants.

http://www.ibtimes.com/catholic-church-sex-abuse-survivors-frustrated-pope-francis-us-visit-lack-action-2110714 

Church leaders, mother told alleged ACT child abuse victim to 'forgive' father, court documents say

The daughter of a Canberra man committed for trial on child sex charges was urged by church leaders and her mother to "forgive her father", according to court documents.

A 73-year-old alleged abuser has been committed for trial on sexual abuse charges going back to the early 1970s. The man is facing eight charges, including some against a girl in the 1990s who was between four and six years old.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/court-documents-show-alleged-abuse-victim-told-to-forgive-father/6806522 

Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson seeks permanent stay on charges of concealing child sexual abuse

The lawyer acting for a Catholic Archbishop accused of concealing child sexual abuse is calling for a permanent stay of proceedings. Adelaide's Archbishop Philip Wilson has previously pleaded not guilty to concealing the serious indictable offence of another person.
The charge relates to when Wilson was an assistant parish priest in East Maitland in the 1970s and worked with paedophile priest James Fletcher. Wilson's lawyer Simon Buchen today sought a permanent stay of proceedings.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/archbishop-philip-wilson-seeks-permanent-stay-on-conceal-charges/6804548 

Pope Francis’s Words Seriously Fail to Assuage Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse

A very controversial part of the Pope’s visit to the U.S. involved his statements about the Catholic Church’s long-running clergy sex abuse scandal.  Writing for the Washington Post, Abby Ohlheiser, Michelle Boorstein, and Terrence McCoy noted that Pope Francis said during a prayer session at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington that the clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse crimes should “never repeat themselves.” 
But the three reporters also cited an array of comments ranging in tone from disappointed to outraged from a number of nonprofit organizations that have organized over the years to advocate for victims of Catholic clergy sexual abuse of children and adults.

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2015/09/25/pope-franciss-words-seriously-fail-to-assuage-victims-of-clergy-sexual-abuse/ 

New sex abuse charges laid against former Catholic priest

A former priest with the Roman Catholic Church faces new accusations of historical sexual assault involving two young boys.
Donald Grecco spent time in jail earlier this decade after being found guilty of sexual assaults involving altar boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Haldimand County OPP say new allegations against Grecco came to light several months ago, prompting another investigation.

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/new-sex-abuse-charges-laid-against-former-catholic-priest-1.2581199 

John McNeill, Priest Who Pushed Catholic Church to Welcome Gays, Dies at 90

The Rev. John McNeill, an openly gay Roman Catholic priest who, from the 1970s onward, publicly pressed the church to welcome gay men and lesbians — and who was expelled from his order as a result — died on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 90.

His death was announced by DignityUSA, an organization that supports gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics. Father McNeill had helped found its New York chapter in 1972.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/nyregion/john-mcneill-priest-who-pushed-catholic-church-to-welcome-gays-dies-at-90.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150925&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

For One D.C. Official, Church Sex Abuse Scandal Hits Close To Home

A bill introduced by Grosso, who says he was abused at his church, would eliminate the statute of sex crimes involving minors. These past three days, we've been hearing loud cheers for Pope Francis. But this afternoon, a sharper call was made in Washington — this one for justice.
D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) joined a rally of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests at the Wilson Building today. limitations on civil actions against those accused of sex crimes involving minors.

http://wamu.org/news/15/09/24/for_one_dc_official_church_sex_abuse_scandal_hits_close_to_home

Bishop John Buckley: Magdalene mass grave ‘must be accessible’ to public

The Bishop of Cork and Ross has backed the calls of campaigners to make the vandalised mass grave of Magdalene women at Sunday’s Well accessible to the public.. Bishop John Buckley’s support comes following his call for the exhumation of the remains of Little Nellie — the “unofficial patron saint” of Cork — so people can pray at her grave.
Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) and a number of Magdalene survivors had expressed concern that there was no mention of the mass grave on the site of the former Magdalene Laundry when making his call.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/bishop-john-buckley-magdalene-mass-grave-must-be-accessible-to-public-349612.html 

National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC)Statement on the Conclusion of the Meeting of Pope Francis’ Commission on Sexual Abuse

We now have a commission that’s met. That is the only thing that’s happened. All of those who have protected priest and religious sister perpetrators remain safely in their positions of authority in the Church, except the dead ones. And for that, the Lord, not a Pope, took action.
The commission’s words are lovely: hope, future, accountability, education, best practices – and the ever popular: some where off in the future we are going to do something. Where’s the beef?  Read This is more like pheasant under glass – ritzy, protected, and not nourishing for the masses.

http://www.nsacoalition.com/ 

Local survivor of church abuse scandal speaks out

It's been more than 50 years since Susan Renehan and her sister were abused by a priest their Irish Catholic family trusted and more than 50 years later, she's still in a lot of pain.
"I went to a Catholic school and he came to confession on first Fridays and he would pull me out of the classroom after these confessions and would sexually assault me in the hallway of the school," Renehan said.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/30101813/local-survivor-of-church-abuse-scandal-speaks-out 

Bishop raises concerns with Transfield over detention centres

TRANSFIELD directors could grapple with the ‘‘What would Jesus do?’’ test about the treatment of people in its detention centres after a call between Transfield chairwoman Diane Smith-Gander and Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson.
The bishop used the church’s sorry history on child sexual abuse as a warning to the company, in a call prompted by Gosford priest Rod Bower’s tweets alleging investment in Transfield was evil.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3370978/bishop-raises-concerns-with-transfield/ 

Research suggests five women buried at Tuam Mother and Baby home

New research suggests five women may have been buried in an unmarked mass grave, along with hundreds of children at the Tuam Mother and Baby home in County Galway.
Historian Catherine Corless, who uncovered evidence that nearly 800 children were buried on the grounds of the home, now believes that the five women are buried with them. A report in today's Irish Mail on Sunday says nine unmarried mothers died during their time at the home, but the historian has only been able to find burial certificates for four of them.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/research-suggests-five-women-buried-at-tuam-mother-and-baby-home-692314.html 

Magdalene Laundries: Truth hidden behind a wall of silence

Last year, thanks to the tireless work of Catherine Corless, the world was made aware of the 796 babies that lay forgotten in Tuam. Those of us who have campaigned on these issues were on the one hand relieved that the world was finally taking notice, but on the other, we thought: ‘they don’t know the half of it’.
In the case of deaths in the Magdalene Laundries, the Inter-Departmental Committee on the laundries (IDC) made sure we only knew the half of it. The McAleese Report acknowledges just over half of the 1,663 women (that we are aware of) who died in these institutions.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/magdalene-laundries-truth-hidden-behind-a-wall-of-silence-306355.html 

Pope Francis' sex abuse comments draw ire from victims

Pope Francis on Wednesday appeared to praise the Roman Catholic Church’s handling of widespread sexual abuse by priests, drawing rebuke from victims who said his brief remarks were a setback for justice and healing.
Speaking to hundreds of U.S. bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown Washington, the pope told them he was “conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the church in this country without fear of self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice.”

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pope-visit-sex-abuse-20150923-story.html 

Clergy sex-abuse victims rip Francis for remarks to bishops

Pope Francis on Wednesday surprised and irked victims of Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse when he praised a gathering of U.S. bishops for their "courage" in handling the crisis, and consoled them for how stressful it had been.
He also insisted that sex abuse at the hands of clergy must never happen againHis remarks brought a stinging rebuke from some abuse victims, who said courage should be reserved for themselves,  "The bishops are poster boys for the fainthearted and timid. They have been cowards in the face of rape and sodomy of innocent children," said the National Survivor Advocates Coalition.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/20150924_Clergy_sex-abuse_victims_rip_Pope_Francis_for_remarks_to_bishops.html 

Could the Vatican face racketeering charges for harboring abusive clergy?

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Manhattan made history by arresting officials at the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, on charges of racketeering and money laundering.

The case, a groundbreaking example of US authorities policing far beyond America’s borders, raised an interesting question: If prosecutors could target FIFA — an organization headquartered outside the US — could they also take aim at the leaders of another sprawling international enterprise, say, the Roman Catholic Church? 

http://www.globalpost.com/article/6655538/2015/09/23/could-vatican-face-racketeering-charges-harboring-abusive-clergy

Roman Catholic Church: Stop Hiding Children of Catholic Priests & Religious.

Why this is important  We call upon the Catholic Church, to enact the recommendations of the United Nations Children's Rights Commission which states as follows... The Committee is concerned about the situation of children fathered by Catholic priests, who, in many cases, are not aware of the identity of their fathers. 
The Committee is also concerned that the mothers may obtain a plan for regular payment from the Church until the child is financially independent only if they sign a confidentiality agreement not to disclose any information about the child’s father or the plan.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Roman_Catholic_Church_Stop_Hiding_Children_of_Catholic_Priests_Religious/?auDPdib 

Nurse adopted as a child found and cared for her mother, never revealed identity

Imagine finding your birth mother after many years of wondering and searching, but being unable to tell her you were her child. This is what happened to Phyllis Whitsell. Adopted when she was a young girl, Whitsell was told that her birth mother, Bridget Ryan, had died from tuberculosis.
As the years went on, however, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her mother was still alive and out there, somewhere. She was, it turned out, but they did not have the kind of reunion Whitsell had anticipated.

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/Nurse-adopted-as-a-child-found-and-cared-for-her-Irish-mother-never-revealed-identity.html 

Pope sidestepping sexual abuse in US Catholic Church: Activist

Pope Francis is sidestepping the widespread sexual abuse committed by Christian priests in the US Catholic Church, as he visits the United States for the first time, a writer and activist in Boston says.
The pope’s remarks to US bishops in Washington on Wednesday praising their response to the sex scandal while failing to mention the words sexual abuse is “extremely disappointing for the victims of clergy sex abuse,” said Daniel Patrick Welch.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/24/430604/us-sex-abuse-pope-sidestep 

'They took my children to save me… it ruined me' - Distraught mother recalls forced adoptions

A mother who was forced to give up two daughters when she was a teenager says the country is ignoring the plight of those who were made to give up their children for adoption in Ireland’s mother and baby homes.
Having given birth to her first child aged 15, an emotional Sharon told RTÉ’s Liveline that her life had been ruined because her own mother had been allowed to force her to give up her children.  “It was illegal to have my children adopted because I was a minor but that didn’t matter to anyone involved,” she said. “My mother couldn’t have done what she did without society allowing her to do so.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/they-took-my-children-to-save-me-it-ruined-me-distraught-mother-recalls-forced-adoptions-31520001.html 

Magdalene women slaved for a Church obsessed with sexuality

Sheila Griffin asks what I meant when I said (Letters, August 24) that Catholic institutions were responsible for the deaths of girls and women who died whilst incarcerated in Magdalene laundries.
Given that these girls and women lived lives (in some cases, whole lives) of brutality, drudgery, and shame, stripped of all basic human rights — even their names — while working for free for the financial benefit of those Catholic institutions, I think my meaning could hardly be clearer.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/yourview/magdalene-women-slaved-for-a-church-obsessed-with-sexuality-350391.html 

Irish Adoption Bill surpasses expectations of mother and baby home survivors

Ireland is to allow thousands of adopted people access to their records for the first time in new legislation proposed by Irish Children’s Minister James Reilly.

Under international law, adopted people have the right to establish their identity but until now, people adopted in Ireland, including those sent for adoption in secret or illegally through an Irish Catholic institution, have had no automatic right to their birth records or access to services that will allow them to trace their family history.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/Irish-Adoption-bill-surpasses-expectations-of-mother-and-baby-home-survivors.html 

I’m not a fan of the Pope and you shouldn’t be either

As the hullabaloo over Pope Francis’ visit to America reaches a fever pitch, it’s important to keep in mind some sobering realities about the organization he leads. The Pope has been widely lauded for his seemingly revolutionary statements, such as:
“Who am I to judge?” “there is no Catholic God” “when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person? We must always consider the person.” “How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor” “Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense.”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2015/09/im-not-a-fan-of-the-pope-and-you-shouldnt-be-either/ 

Gerry O'Carroll: For the Church to survive, it has to do one simple thing - end vow of celibacy

Last year only 13 men signed up for entry into the priesthood in this country.  For two decades now Catholic bishops have been warning about the vocational crisis in the church. The dwindling number of priests in the ministry is now so acute that the centuries-old tradition of the revered Sunday Mass in many rural parishes is now in danger.

In many parishes, especially in rural areas, only one Mass is now celebrated on a Sunday. The norm used to be at least three This acute shortage of priests has led to the virtual closure of some churches and the growing practice of two or three parishes sharing a priest.

http://www.herald.ie/opinion/columnists/gerry-ocarroll-for-the-church-to-survive-it-has-to-do-one-simple-thing-end-vow-of-celibacy-31550365.html 

Ashraf Ghani, Afghan President, Vows to Crack Down on Abuse of Boys

Addressing revulsion at the widespread sexual abuse of boys by powerful Afghan commanders, President Ashraf Ghani pledged on Wednesday that his government would do what it could to stamp out a practice that is pervasive among many wealthy and prominent men in his country.

Mr. Ghani was unambiguous in his condemnation of the practice, calling it “unacceptable” and saying that pedophiles would be prosecuted no matter who they were.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/world/asia/ashraf-ghani-afghan-president-vows-to-crack-down-on-abuse-of-boys.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150923&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Why advocates for clergy sex abuse victims call Pope Francis’s remarks a ‘slap in the face’

Advocates for victims of sexual abuse called Pope Francis’s apparent praise of the U.S. church’s handling of the sexual abuse scandal  “a slap in the face” that will only inflame the suffering of the abused.
At the Cathedral of St. Matthews, before a gathering of U.S. bishops, Francis lauded the American church on Wednesday for its “courage” in the face of what he called “self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice.” Calling instances of abuse “crimes,” he added: “I realize how much pain the recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/09/23/advocates-for-clergy-sex-abuse-victims-criticize-pope-franciss-remarks-to-bishops/ 

Man Who Helped Kill Thousands of Native Americans to Be Made a Saint by Pope Francis Today

Pope Francis landed in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to commence a six-day tour of the United States. Junipero Serra landed in San Diego, California in 1769 on a mission from Spain, to commence construction on the first of 21 Catholic missions in the state. 

Through his directive, the Spaniards built the missions throughout California, plundering the land of its indigenous people and killing thousands of them. By 1900, 131 years after Serra's arrival, almost 95% of California's indigenous population had been decimated — down to 16,000 people from over 300,000. On Wednesday, Pope Francis will make Junipero Serra a saint. Naturally, some indigenous Californians are not happy about it.

http://mic.com/articles/125756/man-who-helped-kill-thousands-of-native-americans-to-be-made-a-saint-by-pope-francis-today 

Why God Is Not Like Santa ClausWhy God Is Not Like Santa Claus

In recent years, atheism has enjoyed something of a resurgence, especially with the rise of the so-called “New Atheism.” The term was first coined in 2006 to describe the group of media-savvy atheists — men like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and the late Christopher Hitchens — whose books attacking religion in general and Christianity in particular have sold by the truckload.
Yet despite its popularity, much of contemporary atheism thrives on poor arguments and cheap sound bites, making claims that simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. Like a cheaply made cardigan, they’re full of loose threads that quickly unravel if you tug at them.

http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2015/09/23/why-god-is-not-like-santa-claus/37823 

Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia – a first of its kind urban history documentary

History Making Productions, the Philadelphia-based EMMY award winning documentary film production company behind Philadelphia: The Great Experiment, has produced a new documentary film, Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia. The film is presented in three 26-minute chapters.

Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia will broadcast exclusively on 6abc/WPVI-TV. Parts one and two aired back to back last night, September 22. Part three will air on Sunday, September 27th at Midnight, after Pope Francis’ departure from Philadelphia.

http://ucreview.com/urban-trinity-the-story-of-catholic-philadelphia-a-first-of-its-kind-urb-p5945-1.htm 

Why So Many Lies?

So many still can not... come forward... because of the shame and blame... they still feel inside...
Action Stop Child Abuse Dead
If You're Doing It... Stop!
If You Suspect It... Report It
If You See It... Do Something NOW
If It's Happening To You... Tell Some One
WE ARE THE TRUTH...
WE HAVE OUR VOICE...
WE WILL NOT GO AWAY...
WE WILL FIGHT TO THE END...
WE STAND AS ONE OF MANY...
WE WILL BE SILENT NO MORE...
WE HAVE BROKEN OUR SILENCE...
WE HAVE GOD AS OUR WITNESS...
WE LIVE AND STAND BY THE TRUTH...
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECTION...  copyrights@annthompson 

 ================================

Why So Many Lies?

Adoption was considered the answer-all for unwelcome babies born out-of-wedlock in Ireland. I can only speak of the early 50s, where a young girl carries a baby inside of her for nine months, then when it is time, she gives birth, usually after a difficult delivery, (because she has not ever been seen by a doctor or worked at hard labor during her entire pregnancy) the child is taken from her, or perhaps she cares for it for nine days, nine weeks, maybe even nine months
One day she goes to tend to her baby, the baby is gone, no notice, no acknowledgement, papers signed, everything over, but why? Perhaps sold, or bought by an American family who wanted to add to their family, couldn’t get pregnant, or had lost a child? (Don’t get me wrong these are all justifiable reasons for adoption.)

http://annebiggsauthor.com/2015/08/why-so-many-lies/

The Conviction of the “Bookkeeper Of Auschwitz”. “Complicity in the Deaths of 300,000 Holocaust Victims”

American and Canadian Media rarely miss an opportunity to give prominent coverage to Holocaust stories, so their silence on the recent conviction of the so-called Bookkeeper of Auschwitz is notable.  The reason might be the stunning implication of this conviction, which validated criminalizing all members of a state military organization that committed crimes against humanity, regardless of the personal lack of involvement.
Oskar Gröning is a 94-year old German who came to public attention ten years ago when he appeared in a BBC documentary to refute Holocaust deniers; as a former member of the SS, he verified the existence of the Auschwitz gas chambers.  Gröning, a trained bank clerk, had joined the SS as a 20-year old in September 1942; he was assigned to remove the luggage from the loading ramps of the train station at the Auschwitz- Birkenau camp and to count the bank notes in the luggage and send them to the Reich security office in Berlin.  Gröning was not accused of any violence against those incarcerated.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-conviction-of-the-bookkeeper-of-auschwitz-complicity-in-the-deaths-of-300000-holocaust-victims/5465484 

Where Is Cardinal Bernard Law Now?

VATICAN Church officials say that Pope Francis is likely to meet with victims of sexual abuse by priests when he comes to America this week — a sign of continuing turmoil and mistrust among Catholic parishioners following a series of scandals. And when critics call for more transparency and accountability, it’s Cardinal Bernard Law they often point to.

Law was forced to resign as bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston after a series of stories by a team of investigative reporters at The Boston Globe found victims and uncovered documents showing that church authorities had protected pedophile priests from prosecution — a story that will be revisited by the release next month of a new movie called “Spotlight.”

https://www.wbur.org/2015/09/22/cardinal-bernard-law 

Kieran Tapsell. Keeping the Australian people in the dark.

On 22 April 2013, Francis Sullivan, the CEO of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council (“TJHC”) that represents the Australian Catholic Church at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, said: “The Australian community has been kept in the dark for too long.” Indeed it has, and since the setting up of the Royal Commission, the Australian Church has been open and frank about some its own failures.
But on one critical issue, it has failed to be frank, and has continued the policy set by Pope Benedict XVI in his 2010 pastoral letter to the people of Ireland, of blaming negligent and misguided bishops for the cover up while ignoring the role of the Vatican and canon law on their behaviour.

http://johnmenadue.com/blog/?p=4612 

Clergy Sex Abuse Survivor Dreads Pope Visit

Robert Costello, who survived sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest when he was a child, says he is not looking forward to Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. this week. Costello is disturbed by all of the media coverage of the visit and doesn’t think this pope is doing enough to help survivors.
Earlier this year, he penned an open letter to the pope expressing his disapproval with how the scandal has been handled. He wishes Pope Francis would meet with survivors here in Boston, which Costello and other survivors call the ‘ground zero’ of the clergy sex abuse scandal.

https://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/09/22/clergy-abuse-survivor 

Catholic Church criticised at UN Human Rights Council over continued failure to address child sex abuse

The Catholic Church has been strongly criticised at the UN Human Rights Council for obstructing disclosure of child abuse and payment of victims' compensation.

In an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council 30th Session in Geneva, the European Humanist Federation rebuked the Holy See for its continued failure to accept the criticisms of the Committee on the Rights of the Child over child abuse.

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2015/09/catholic-church-criticised-at-un-human-rights-council-over-continued-failure-to-address-child-sex-abuse 

The wounds of clergy sex abuse remain unhealed, but truth may yet see light of day

Arthur Baselice Jr.'s grief has pushed him into a self-imposed exile. Almost 10 years after his son died from a drug overdose with links to his abuse by two Franciscan clergymen in Northeast Philadelphia, Baselice rarely leaves his house.
"I don't want to go nowhere," said Baselice. Walking through the Baselice home in suburban South Jersey is like walking through a monument to their lost son, Arthur Baselice III. Pictures of him are everywhere. The urn with his ashes sits on a table at the entrance to the living room, where each night his father and mother light a candle in his honor.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//item/86421-the-wounds-of-clergy-sex-abuse-remain-unhealed-but-truth-may-yet-see-light-of-day/ 

After 17 years, lone protester still holds vigil at Vatican embassy

It’s as predictable as the master clock across the street at the US Naval Observatory noting every passing second, minute, hour in large red block numbers.
Nearly every evening for the past 17 years — rain or shine, snow, or sleet — John Wojnowski, a retired ironworker wearing a frayed army field jacket and khaki pants, ambles up the sidewalk in front of the manicured Vatican embassy and unfurls a large banner held together with three duct-taped broomsticks. “Vatican Hides Pedophiles.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/null/2015/09/22/lone-protester-against-church-sex-abuse-every-day-for-years/DhaqYLCQ8fdpiJUwROrFtI/story.html 

He has his faith, but not his Church

David O’Regan will tell you he’s had a “beautiful, blessed life.” Six grown children. Forty-three years of marriage to a wife he adores. “The baby lady.” That’s what they call Jane O’Regan around the town near Boston where the O’Regans live in a rambling house with a great big yard. They are foster parents. Jane O’Regan always has a baby in tow.
They’re caring now for the 69th and 70th child they’ve welcomed: one five months old, the other nine months. David O’Regan, an imposing, 6-foot, 4-inch 65-year-old, will also tell you he is a prayerful man of faith raised on the Baltimore Catechism in the Catholic Church. “My mother wasn’t well. She was bipolar and treated herself with alcohol and so unfortunately, there was no peace at home.”

http://www.cruxnow.com/faith/2015/09/22/he-has-his-faith-but-not-his-church/ 

Pontiff urged to do more to pursue Catholic priests who abused children

Advocates for victims of child abuse by Catholic priests are urging Pope Francis to use his visit to the United States to offer new reassurances that the Vatican is prepared to take additional steps to pursue past perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The pressure on the Pontiff will be greatest this weekend when he visits Philadelphia, one of several American cities rocked over the past decade by revelations not just of sexual assaults by the clergy, but of attempts by the Church hierarchy to cover up by shuffling them between parishes.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pope-francis-in-america-pontiff-urged-to-do-more-to-pursue-catholic-priests-who-abused-children-10513237.html

One man’s battle to lift the lid on evil: Cop who uncovered an unholy truth

WHEN the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse was announced in 2012, Mildura man Denis Ryan jumped for joy. For him, it was forty years in the making. A detective based in Melbourne, Mr Ryan transferred to Mildura in 1962 because his doctor said a drier climate would help his son’s asthma.
Within ten years he had uncovered shocking claims of sexual abuse against possibly hundreds of children at the hands of Monsignor John Day. But in what he describes as one of the greatest criminal conspiracies ever in Victoria, his attempts to bring him to justice were thwarted by the “Catholic Mafia” within the police force, a corrupt court clerk and the church.

http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/3364066/one-mans-battle-to-lift-the-lid-on-evil-cop-who-uncovered-an-unholy-truth/ 

How Francis is shaking up the Vatican

“I really need to start making changes right now.” Pope Francis spoke these words in late May 2013, a mere two months after the Vatican conclave had vaulted the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina from obscurity into the papacy.
His guests that morning at his humble papal residence of Santa Marta, inside the walls of Vatican City, were a half-dozen of his friends who were visiting from back home in Buenos Aires.

http://nypost.com/2015/09/20/how-francis-is-shaking-up-the-vatican/ 

Q & A on Pope Francis and the abuse/cover up crisis

Francis has done more about the abuse crisis than his predecessors. Isn't that encouraging? First, we should judge church officials NOT by what their terrible predecessors did but by what responsible officials would do. It's little comfort to a girl who's been raped under Francis to say "Well, under Benedict, there might have been an even smaller chance of your predator being ousted."
Neither Benedict nor Francis has exposed a single child molesting cleric or really punished a single complicit church official. They've made lots of reassuring talk but taken little meaningful action.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/q_a_on_pope_francis_and_the_abuse_cover_up_crisis 

Activists, Catholics outraged by child murders in Sri Lanka

Catholics in Sri Lanka are adding their voices to demands that authorities crack down on sexual violence against women and children.
Recent high-profile cases of child abductions have outraged activists in the island nation. These include the abduction and murder of a 5-year-old girl in western Sri Lanka. The girl was kidnapped Sept. 11 while she was sleeping. Her body was found two days later.

http://www.ucanews.com/news/activists-catholics-outraged-by-child-murders-in-sri-lanka/74293 

Congress should investigate the Catholic sexual abuse scandal

It's ironic that Pope Francis will soon speak to the United States Congress, because the U.S. is one of the western democracies that was most hard-hit by the priest sexual abuse crisis and also lacked any federal response to it whatsoever. No federal legislation or regulations or even resolutions were proposed or adopted. There were no congressional hearings. There was no Justice Department investigation. Nothing.
Abroad, a number of national and regional governments have conducted investigations and issued reports about this continuing crisis, including Ireland, Australia, Canada and Belgium.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/congress-should-investigate-the-catholic-sexual-abuse-scandal/article/2572407 

Pope Francis, the church sex abuse scandal is not over

When he visits the United States this week, Pope Francis is likely to repeat his acclaimed vow of “zero tolerance” for clergy who sexually abuse minors.

For most Americans, this will have a reassuring ring. We assume we know what the pope means — that the global Catholic Church now adheres to the same “one strike and you’re out” policy that, at least in theory, has bound all US bishops since 2002.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/09/19/pope-francis-church-sex-abuse-scandal-not-over/ymnyb8IXVY9XjvnOLVQXKP/story.html 

Well known choir master facing child pornography charges

Well known music teacher, choir master and church organist, Eanna McKenna of 37 College Green, Summerhill, Wexford appeared before Wexford District Court last Tuesday on child pornography charges.

The 38 year old musician stood accused of knowingly distributing child pornography for the purpose of distribution, publication, exportation, sale or show on a date or dates unknown between November 26 in 2010 and March 13 in 2011.

http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/news/courts/well-known-choir-master-facing-child-pornography-charges-31530491.html 

Welcome Recommendations on Redress

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has welcomed the Redress and Civil Litigation Report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“We are pleased that the Royal Commission’s Report recommends that a process for redress must provide equal access and equal treatment for survivors,” said Mr McMillan. “We strongly support the Report’s recommendation for a single national scheme to meet the needs of survivors.

http://www.insights.uca.org.au/news/welcome-recommendations-on-redress 

Closing arguments slated in priest's sexual tourism trial

Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in the trial of a Roman Catholic priest from western Pennsylvania charged with traveling to Honduras to molest poor street children during missionary trips. Defense attorneys rested their case in Cambria County Court on Friday afternoon without calling the Rev. Joseph Maurizio Jr., 70, of Windber to the stand.
Maurizio, who has been suspended from Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish in Somerset County, is accused of traveling abroad from 2004 to 2009 to have sex with three young boys — a charge known as sexual tourism — and illegally transferring $8,000 to a charity to help fund the trips.

http://www.readingeagle.com/ap/article/closing-arguments-slated-in-priests-sexual-tourism-trial 

Vatican could compensate victims of ex-Dominican ambassador

The Vatican on Saturday signaled its willingness to compensate the victims of its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, who died before going on trial for sexually abusing young boys.

Spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi was asked by a Dominican reporter covering Pope Francis’ trip to Cuba about the possibility of compensating the victims of the late Jozef Wesolowski, who was the Vatican’s ambassador to the Caribbean nation before he was recalled as a result of the scandal.

http://www.therakyatpost.com/world/2015/09/20/vatican-could-compensate-victims-of-ex-dominican-ambassador/ 

What the Pope has said on key issues for church

As Pope Francis prepares to visit the United States for the first time, the world is waiting to hear what he will say about key issues facing the church.  The Pope is known for tackling sensitive topics head on. But for all his surprises and proclamations, what has Pope Francis done to address the issues facing the Roman Catholic Church?
Sex Abuse
"I feel compelled to take personal responsibility for all the evil that some priests, many -- many in number, (although) not in comparison with the totality -- to assume personal responsibility and to ask forgiveness for the damage caused by the sexual abuse of the children. The church is aware of this damage. We don't want to take a step back in dealing with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed."

http://www.kspr.com/news/nationworld/what-the-pope-has-said-on-key-issues-for-church/21051646_35389922 

A Catholic Brother pleads guilty regarding another 15 of his victims

A Catholic former religious Brother, Edward Mamo, who has already spent time in jail, pleaded guilty again in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 11 September 2015 after 15 more of his victims contacted Broken Rites and/or the Victoria Police. The guilty plea is for 28 additional indecent assaults, committed while Brother Mamo worked at Monivae College, a Catholic secondary school, at Hamilton, 290 kilometres west of Melbourne, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Mamo has also worked at Chevalier College in Bowral, New South Wales, but the Victorian court case is only for Victorian offences. Mamo's case will be transferred now to a higher court, the Melbourne County Court, where a judge is scheduled to begin pre-sentence procedures for Mamo in December 2015.

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/211

How the church gave this priest easy access to young victims

Broken Rites has researched the background of Father Charles Alfred Barnett, who worked as a Catholic priest in various parts of Australia for twenty years until the mid-1990s. Barnett was a member of an Australia-wide Catholic religious order, the Vincentian Fathers (also known as the Congregation of the Mission). That is, he was not a diocesan priest and was not confined to working in one particular region.
On 5 August 2010, Barnett was sentenced in South Australia for at least four years for sexual offences against boys in that state.  Broken Rites has discovered that Father Barnett also ministered in Queensland and New South Wales. His New South Wales activities included visits to St Stanislaus College boarding school in Bathurst, plus time spent living in the presbytery of "Our Lady of the Rosary" parish in St Marys, near Penrith in western Sydney, where Father Richard Cattell was the parish priest.

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/100

An archbishop covered up the crimes of Father Billy Baker

The Melbourne Catholic Archdiocese knew that Father Wilfred James Baker was committing crimes against children but it allowed him to continue in the priesthood, thereby inflicting him on more victims. This cover-up was finally exposed by Broken Rites and Baker was jailed. After he finished this jail term, more of his earlier victims came forward. But, in February 2014, Baker died before the courts could sentence him again.
Broken Rites first heard about Father Baker after Broken Rites launched its Australia-wide telephone hotline in late 1993. Broken Rites advised these callers that victims should contact the Victoria Police sexual offences and child abuse unit. As a result, detectives eventually charged Baker with child-sex crimes.

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/75 

Pope’s Philly visit raises conflict for clergy sex abuse survivors

Philip DiWilliams had mostly kept to himself what happened in a Roman Catholic High School counselor’s office in 1969. Years later, when he decided to seek therapy, he told his wife but did not want to upset his children.
Now, as Philadelphia prepares to welcome Pope Francis with all the celebration a papal visit garners, DiWilliams has decided to share his story.

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/09/20/4046947/in-philly-popes-visit-raises-conflict.html

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2015/09/20/4046947/in-philly-popes-visit-raises-conflict.html#storylink=cpy

 

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/09/20/4046947/in-philly-popes-visit-raises-conflict.html