SC sex abuse victim of ex-priest: 'He put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me'

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — It’s a story we brought you earlier this week, a former Catholic priest from Savannah pleaded guilty to nine counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in a South Carolina courthouse. The minors were just 9 and 13 years old at the time. In an exclusive interview, ABC News4 spoke one on one with one of those victims. After his abuser went to prison, locked up for 20 years, Allan Ranta decided to speak.

https://wach.com/news/local/sex-abuse-victim-of-savannah-ex-priest-he-put-a-gun-to-my-head-and-threatened-to-kill-me 

Feds put Catholic church across the nation on notice: Don't destroy any evidence of abuse

The federal investigation into Catholic priest abuse now includes every diocese in the nation. U.S. Attorney William McSwain has put every archdiocese, diocese and Catholic entity on notice to preserve and not destroy evidence of priest abuse or a cover-up. An attorney for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops told the York Daily Record Friday the organization is complying with a request from the U.S. Department of Justice.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/10/26/catholic-priest-abuse-all-us-dioceses-now-included-federal-investigation/1779082002/ 

The Smoke of Satan: an excerpt from the introduction

In Jerusalem, just outside the walled Old City, stands the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu: St. Peter as the Cock Crows. Catholic churches are regularly dedicated to saints, but only rarely to a particular moment in a saint’s life. Then again, this is no ordinary saint, no ordinary moment. St. Peter in Gallicantu was built in the 5th century, and rebuilt by Crusaders, on the spot traditionally thought to have been the site where Caiaphas the high priest lived, where Jesus was brought to stand trial. In the courtyard of that house, Peter three times denied that he was a follower of Christ. The Gospel of Luke (22:60-62) recounts the incident:

https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/the-city-gates.cfm?id=1659 

The Feds Are Coming

Federal investigations of U.S. Catholic dioceses are now underway in seven of the eight dioceses of Pennsylvania and Buffalo, New York. All U.S. dioceses, however, received a letter from federal investigators last Tuesday putting them on notice that files in their so-called secret archives may need to be searched in the near future.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/the-feds-are-coming 

Catholic church split over abuse scandal gravity.

Vatican City: Pope Francis has vowed to end clerical sexual abuse, but bishops from Asia and Africa have shown a mixed response to a scandal some have termed a "Western problem". Church leaders from around the world attended the closing mass Sunday of a month-long meeting, or synod, which many had hoped would take the global struggle against paedophile priests up a notch. As the talks began, Francis warned again that abuse and cover ups would not be tolerated.

http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/428137/Catholic-church-split-over-abuse-scandal-gravity 

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Calls on Neronha to Launch Investigation into Diocese

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a national non-profit, has called on Democratic candidate for Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha to commit to investigating the Diocese of Providence. Alliance for Safe Communities, a Rhode Island-based organization advocating for the victims of diocesan sexual abuse, says it has reached out to former U.S. Attorney Neronha regarding his unwillingness to commit to an investigation of the Catholic Diocese sex abuse scandal.

http://www.golocalprov.com/news/survivor-network-of-those-abused-by-priest-calls-on-neronha-to-launch-inves 

Three Fresno-area priests — including former Merced priest — under investigation

Three priests, including one with a troubled history of allegedly seeking sex partners online and another accused of inappropriate behavior with a minor, are being investigated following complaints submitted to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. The priests are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of their probes — although at least in one case the priest has been on leave for over two years, and the investigation hasn’t been completed.

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article220510365.html

In Delaware County, a beloved Catholic church’s future is uncertain

St. Cyril's Roman Catholic Church in East Lansdowne has been the backdrop for some of the most important moments of Amanda Lynch Titerence's life. Baptisms, First Communions, weddings, all held in the cavernous, gilded church studded with rainbow-hued windows. There were funerals, too, providing comfort and grace in times of sadness after the deaths of her grandfather and brother. The church, she said, is a mainstay in the small, mostly Catholic borough.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/st-cyrils-east-lansdowne-christmas-mass-future-20181029.html 

Calgary priest put on leave amid sexual misconduct allegations

Alleged incidents involved minors and adults at St. Mark parish in city's northeast. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary says it has received allegations of sexual misconduct by a priest involving two minors and several adults at St. Mark Catholic Church in northeast Calgary. A Catholic priest in Calgary has been placed on leave following allegations of sexual misconduct. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary released a statement on the weekend saying it has received allegations of sexual misconduct against Father Malcolm D'Souza.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-priest-leave-sexual-misconduct-allegations-marks-catholic-1.4882185 

How could the Catholic Church let this get so far without being criminally sanctioned?

The Catholic Priest Fiasco (And How It Got This Far) How could the Catholic Church let this get so far without being criminally sanctioned? I’ve been skirting around writing on the subject of predatory priests for two reasons. First, it cuts close to home; next, there’s been new developments weekly. I finally forced myself to read a portion of the 1,356-page report on church sex abuse issued following a grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania. It reads like a novel, backed by parish documents, maps, letters to the Vatican, and an appropriate tone of outrage by the author(s). How could the Catholic Church let this get so far without being criminally sanctioned?

https://abovethelaw.com/2018/10/the-catholic-priest-fiasco-and-how-it-got-this-far/ 

D.C. Attorney General Launches Civil Investigation Into Catholic Archdiocese

Washington, D.C.’s attorney general has opened a civil investigation into the Catholic archdiocese of Washington, days after the church released a list of 31 priests “credibly accused” of sexual abuse. “The Office of the Attorney General has launched a civil investigation into whether the Archdiocese, a nonprofit institution, the District’s Nonprofit Act by potentially covering up allegations of sexual abuse of minors,” Attorney General Karl Racine’s office said in a clergy abuse complaint form published on its website.

https://wamu.org/story/18/10/24/d-c-attorney-general-launches-civil-investigation-into-catholic-archdiocese/ 

To Forgive or Not to Forgive? Christians Struggle with Sexual Assault Allegations

I can not forgive the nuns... my god I have tried so many times... but it is here all of the time... not a night passers without them chasing me in my sleep.... I see their belts and whips coming down on my body... I wake up still screaming and hitting Brian... it's so hard to forgive and forget... it is with me all of the time... Ann

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

The Lord’s prayer asks Christians to forgive those who trespass against them. Though, when a congregation applauds for a pastor who confesses to sexually assaulting a teen in his youth ministry, many question whether there are limits to Christian forgiveness.
Highpoint Church Teaching Pastor Andy Savage of Memphis told his congregation during a service Jan. 7 that he was involved in what he called a “sexual incident” with the then 17-year-old and member of Savage’s youth group Jules Woodson 20 years ago.

http://pepperdine-graphic.com/to-forgive-or-not-to-forgive-christians-struggle-with-sexual-assault-allegations/

‘My life was ruined’: A Catholic Church sexual abuse protest that has lasted 20 years

There’s a honk. And then a thumbs-up. A wave, another thumbs-up. A flash-flash of headlights. Honk! Honk! “This is a good day,” declared protester John Wojnowski, who has been a fixture outside the Vatican’s U.S. mission in Northwest Washington for more than two decades. When he began trying to tell the world about sex abuse in the Catholic Church — and about what he says a priest did to him when he was 15 — there were a lot of bad days. There was silence. And stares.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/my-life-was-ruined-a-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-protest-that-has-lasted-20-years/2018/10/25/3429ad30-d861-11e8-aeb7-ddcad4a0a54e_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2d4d6d6a1a3a 

Current Cheyenne bishop investigated predecessor for sex abuse

Former Cheyenne, Wyoming, Bishop Joseph Hart could soon face charges related to child sexual abuse, thanks in large part to the work of his successor, current Cheyenne Bishop Steven Biegler, The 87-year-old Hart, who was ordained a priest for the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese in 1956 and led the Cheyenne Diocese from 1978 to 2001, faces multiple accusations of child sex abuse from both his time as a diocesan priest and as a bishop. Hart denies all the allegations, but over the years, both the Kansas City-St. Joseph and Cheyenne dioceses have determined that some accusations against Hart are credible.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/current-cheyenne-bishop-investigated-predecessor-sex-abuse 

Little Rock Diocese reveals 26 more abuse cases

Allegations received after accused-priest list’s release, church members told. he Diocese of Little Rock said it has received 26 more allegations of abuse by priests within the diocese after its September release of a list of clergy members who were "credibly accused" of sexual abuse against minors. In a letter to church members Tuesday, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor provided an update after the diocese's initial posting of the list that identified 12 priests accused of abuse who served in Arkansas. Taylor said the church had received more than two dozen additional complaints in recent weeks.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/oct/25/lr-diocese-reveals-26-more-abuse-cases-/ 

Catholic priest commits suicide amid child sex probe after being told to 'leave town'

A CATHOLIC priest accused of sexually assaulting a child has killed himself. Pierre-Yves Fumery, 38, was found hanged in his own church, in Gien, France. His body was reported found in his room in the presbytery — which was attached to the church — by other priests. He was questioned earlier this month by police in a sexual assault probe involving a child under the age of 15. Fumery had not been formally charged but was under investigation because of reports from the community about his behaviour, the prosecutor's office said.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/738740/catholic-church-child-sexual-abuse-priest-suicide-france-gien 

Contemplating my faith; being Catholic after the church abuse scandal Crucifix. Rosary. Prayer. Tradition.

I was raised Catholic and attended a strict parochial school, St. Peter’s, in Sacramento with nuns as teachers where we wore knee-length uniforms, prayed every morning before class started, before lunch and even before heading home. We had to wear our hair in a “proper manner”—we had to put our curly hair up in a ponytail—and went to mass every Friday. I disliked the rigorous schedule, but I knew deep inside that it was the right thing to do for God.

http://saccityexpress.com/opinion_catholic-church/

Main Line Doctor Says Lower Merion Schools Ignored Her Sexual Abuse Allegations

With the Pennsylvania legislature in the middle of a debate over the statute of limitations for sex crimes, psychiatrist Liz Goldman is ready to share her story publicly — one she’s been trying to tell for years. Bill McKendry was once a popular fixture at Bala Cynwyd Middle School in the Lower Merion School District, where he began teaching in 1969. Known to students and parents as Mr. Mac, McKendry taught history and coached the boys wrestling team. But according to Bryn Mawr–based psychiatrist Liz Goldman, the now-retired McKendry was also allegedly her sexual predator while she was a student there.

https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/09/27/liz-goldman-bill-mckendry-lower-merion/ 

Pa. Lawmakers Sided With Pedophiles and Those Who Protect Them

Main Line psychiatrist Liz Goldman, a victim of childhood sexual abuse, has three words for state legislators: “Shame on you.” Other than the predator who abused me, I’ve never met anyone who isn’t repulsed by child sexual abuse. I’ve also never met anyone who isn’t outraged by institutional cover-ups of sexual abuse. Nevertheless, the top leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate couldn’t manage to pass a bill last week to reform our archaic statute of limitations, a statute of limitations that prevents victims from seeking justice.

https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/10/25/pennsylvania-child-abuse-statute-reform/ 

George Pell case: Why the public isn't allowed to know the specifics

Cardinal Pell's committal hearing on historical sexual offences wraps up this week. Here's an explanation of the law which determines what can and can't be published in criminal court cases. Many Australians are left perplexed when media coverage of high-profile criminal cases is suddenly suspended or abbreviated “for legal reasons”. The current committal hearing of Catholic Cardinal George Pell on historical sexual offences engages the principle of “open justice” and some of its most important exceptions.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/george-pell-case-why-the-public-isn-t-allowed-to-know-the-specifics 

Labor promises jail for priests who cover up child abuse

Labor promised on Sunday to amend the Children, Youth and Families Act to make it mandatory to report to child protection authorities information about child abuse or harm disclosed during confession. Loading There would also be amendments to the Crimes Act ensuring that information disclosed in the context of a religious confession is not exempt. The move by Labor means jail for priests who cover up abuse is now bipartisan policy in Victoria after the Coalition announced in August that it would pursue similar changes if it won office.

https://theworldnews.net/au-news/labor-promises-jail-for-priests-who-cover-up-child-abuse 

National child abuse apology: Morrison to commit to museum of remembrance

Scott Morrison will commit to a new museum to raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of child sexual abuse as the centrepiece of what will be an emotional national apology to the survivors of institutional abuse in federal parliament on Monday. More than 1,000 people are expected to be in Canberra for the apology, a symbolic gesture that follows the horrific findings of the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. Julia Gillard, the prime minister who set the royal commission in train, is expected to attend.

 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/22/national-child-abuse-apology-morrison-to-commit-to-museum-of-remembrance

Sisters reunite as Australia says sorry to survivors of child sexual abuse

As Josephine Littlehawk stands on the forecourt outside Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, a light wind blows her long, greying locks across her face. Her sister Katie Kellegher gently brushes them aside. This is all so new. These two sisters have not seen each other, touched each other, or spoken together for more than 40 years. "We don't really know each other," Kellegher says with a surprised laugh. "Don't we?" Littlehawk says. And her sister nods in agreement. Yes. Somehow, deep down, they do.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/108025605/sisters-reunite-as-australia-says-sorry-to-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse 

Second French priest commits suicide in church after abuse claims

A priest in central France accused of sexually assaulting a minor committed suicide in his church, Catholic authorities said Monday, the second French priest to take his life over abuse claims in a month. Pierre-Yves Fumery, 38, hanged himself in his presbytery in the town of Gien in the Loire valley. His body was found on Saturday. The public prosecutor for the area, Loic Abrial, told AFP he had been questioned last week by police about allegations of sexual assault involving a child under the age of 15.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20181022/second-french-priest-commits-suicide-in-church-after-abuse-claims 

The Catholic Church must wrestle with the demon of pedophilia

Americans in the Trump age are accustomed to atrocities flashing across editorial space and vanishing into the next outrage, but there are exceptions in longevity. Critics and accusers of the Catholic Church, while it remains a viable institution, must wrestle with the demon of pedophilia. Cardinal Wuerl, archbishop of D.C., recently resigned from some of his exalted church offices, facing grand jury findings that he presided over cover-ups for pedophilic priests.

https://littlevillagemag.com/letter-to-the-editor-the-catholic-church-must-wrestle-with-the-demon-of-pedophilia/ 

Can the church be both holy and sinful?

You are either one way or the other... you can not be both... The catholic church has shown us which way she has gone... and it is not HOLY... She has RAPED and ABUSED children for years... Ann                                                                                                                                                                                                =======================================================     

Like many of my friends, colleagues and fellow Catholics, I have been deeply disturbed by the recent revelations of just how much church leaders have failed in their obligations to protect our young people and to provide examples of holiness to the church. A number of practical suggestions for structural changes have been made, and many of them will help in the reform of our church. As a Catholic and a theologian who studies the nature of the church, I want to suggest another contributing factor to the sexual abuse crisis: an inadequate theology of ecclesial sinfulness.

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/10/22/can-church-be-both-holy-and-sinful 

Australian PM 'Apologizes' For 15,000 Sex Abuse Victims Which Govt Failed to Protect

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologized to survivors of child sex abuse for the state’s failure to protect them after a five-year government inquiry found thousands of sexual crimes against children, most of them committed in once well-trusted institutions. In an address to parliament on Monday, Morrison acknowledged that the state had failed to stop “evil, dark crimes” committed over decades against over 15,000 known survivors at religious and state-run institutions responsible for keeping children safe.

https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/australian-pm-apologizes-15000-sex-abuse-victims-which-govt-failed-protect-1202882 

Bill White: PA Senate's inaction on child sex abuse bill was cowardly

To paraphrase journalist and social critic H.L. Mencken, no one ever went broke underestimating the cowardice, dysfunction and bad priorities of our state Legislature. So I can’t say I was shocked to see our state Senate head home last week without taking action on a bill that would reform statutes of limitations for victims of child sex abuse.

https://www.mcall.com/opinion/white/mc-opi-statute-of-limitations-white-20181022-story.html 

We utterly failed to stop "evil, dark crimes" - Australia apologizes to child sex abuse victims

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a national apology to thousands of victims of institutional sex abuse Monday, admitting the state utterly failed to stop "evil, dark crimes" committed over decades. ALSO READ: British royals arrive on landmark trip Down Under "This was done by Australians to Australians, enemies in our midst, enemies in our midst," Morrison said in an emotional address to parliament, designed as a belated apology to the 15,000 known survivors of child abuse.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001299931/we-utterly-failed-to-stop-evil-dark-crimes-australia-apologizes-to-child-sex-abuse-victims

Mass and Maneuver This prodigal Protestant is finally on her way home to Rome.

We will make Jesus Christ truly present today on the back of this Ford F-150.” Thus spoke a camouflage-clad Catholic priest in combat boots and priestly vestments during a field Mass offered during cadet summer training at Fort Knox, Ky. Indeed, the altar for the Mass was the flatbed of a muddy Ford F-150, and the congregation a collection of hungry, tired, and filthy cadets toting M-4 carbine rifles and MREs.

https://www.thecrimson.com/column/the-underground/article/2018/10/23/chao-mass-and-maneuver/

As Accounts of Clergy Abuse Swirl, Old Wounds Reopen

KCBS Radio: On-Demand Tuesday, October 9th After decades of silence, a South Bay pastor is speaking up about thesexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a Catholic priest. And as KCBS Radio's Keith Menconi reports, he’s also warning that the most recent revelations of clergy abuse and cover ups in the Church are introducing new trauma to many victims.

https://kcbsradio.radio.com/media/audio-channel/accounts-clergy-abuse-swirl-old-wounds-reopen 

Pa.'s Attorney General Calls for No Statute of Limitations in Wake of Clergy Abuse Report

After the release of a grand jury report detailing some of the alleged sexual abuse of children by members of Pennsylvania’s Catholic clergy, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined advocates for victims of clergy abuse and other elected officials to call change for an end to the statute of limitations for child sex abuse. "I want to be clear, we unearthed an organized criminal enterprise here in Pennsylvania, for now, they got away with some of it," Shapiro said while calling for action now.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Catholic-Clergy-Abuse-Statute-of-Limitations-Shapiro-497195891.html 

Actual change won't come to the Catholic Church unless or until a courageous pope arrives first

Someone who is willing to turn the church upside down and shake it into modernity and accountability Pope Francis has the most extraordinary ability to say the wrong things, often at the most sensitive times. Last Friday, he accepted the resignation of the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Donald Wuerl — a controversial figure accused of doing too little to prevent, and perhaps even deliberately covering, up hideous sexual abuse cases. Beyond simply accepting his resignation, Francis took the highly unusual step of releasing a public letter where he praised his friend, arguing that he had been used as a scapegoat.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/cardinal-wuerl-1.4868888 

'Pope Francis has questions to answer': America's Catholics in crisis over abuse scandals

The church is reeling from the fallout as at least 13 states have launched investigations, and pews are emptying.
A few weeks after the devastating extent of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania was laid bare in a 900-page grand jury report, Father Michael Stumpf was approached by one of his parishioners.
“She demanded: ‘What do you know?’ And with a shock, I realised that because I’m a member of the clergy, people think I’m complicit. And I can totally understand why,” said the priest at St Mary of the Mount, which overlooks downtown Pittsburgh.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/pope-francis-catholic-church-abuse-scandal-crisis-america 

What's so unusual about the feds investigating Pennsylvania dioceses?

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania’s Catholic dioceses, using subpoenas to demand confidential files and testimony from church leaders. The report cited two anonymous sources and noted that most of the state’s eight dioceses — including Allentown and Scranton — had confirmed receiving the subpoenas. Why are the feds interested in a state case?

https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-feds-probe-diocese-clarified-20181018-story.html 

Vatican Refused to Hand Over Cardinal Implicated in Sex Abuse Cover-Up

The Vatican is invoking sovereign immunity for a cardinal implicated in covering up sex abuse. Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was summoned to criminal court Sept. 19 to answer for his role in advising Cdl. Philippe Barbarin on how to discipline a predator priest. Barbarin, who heads the diocese of Lyon, France, is facing trial for failing to sanction Fr. Bernard Preynat, accused of homosexual assault of multiple Scout members from 1980–1990.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/vatican-refused-to-hand-over-cardinal-accused-of-sex-abuse-cover-up 

The federal investigation of the Catholic Church: What we know so far

On Thursday we learned that federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania have taken a step long-sought by survivors of clergy sexual abuse: They launched a federal investigation into the Catholic Church. Seven of Pennsylvania's eight dioceses told CNN that they have received subpoenas and will cooperate with the probe. Separately, the diocese of Buffalo, New York, also received a subpoena regarding clergy sexual abuse in late May, according to a source familiar with the subpoena.

https://www.wthitv.com/content/national/498059161.html?ref=161 

'I made it': What PM's national apology means to sexual abuse survivor

Caddie Rees didn't think she would be alive in 2018. The former NSW woman was suicidal for years after she says she was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in the 1980s, when she was aged between two and eight. But on Monday, having rebuilt her life, she will walk into Parliament House and sit among hundreds of others who survived institutional child sexual abuse as Prime Minister Scott Morrison delivers a national apology.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/i-made-it-what-pm-s-national-apology-means-to-sexual-abuse-survivor-20181017-p50a5i.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed 

I am a gay priest, but I question being part of a church that blames homosexuality for child abuse

I am a gay man. I am also a priest posted to a vibrant and welcoming community of faith. I also spent many years in a priest-training college, at the heart of the institutional Catholic Church. For what I am about to write, I have asked to remain anonymous, through fear of being “called in” and reprimanded. Growing up gay was as much a part of me as being human. I grew up with the knowledge of it, gradually going through several phases of shame due to bullying versus acceptance—before embracing it and even enjoying it as I do today. 

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/10/20/i-am-a-gay-priest-but-i-question-being-part-of-a-church-that-blames-homosexuality-for-child-abuse/ 

Justice Department demands ‘secret files’ as feds open inquiry into priest sex abuse

Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, using subpoenas to demand secret files and testimony from high-ranking leaders in what victims' advocates say is the first such probe ever launched by the U.S. Justice Department. The subpoenas, served last week, follow a scathing state grand jury report over the summer that found that 301 "predator priests" in Pennsylvania had molested more than 1,000 children over seven decades and that church leaders had covered up for the offenders.

https://www.wvtm13.com/article/federal-prosecutors-open-clergy-abuse-probe-in-pennsylvania-1/23931649 

Research Suggests Pope Did Not Do Enough to Address Abuse in Ireland – Queen’s University Belfast

A research study from Queen’s University Belfast has revealed that the majority of Irish people believe that Pope Francis did not do enough to address clerical abuse during his recent papal visit to Ireland. Pope Francis made his first papal visit to Ireland in August 2018 for the World Meeting of Families. Just 30 per cent of Irish people believe that the pope did enough to address clerical abuse. Practising Catholics, defined as those who attend religious services at least once a month, differed from the rest of the population with 50 per cent stating that they believed Pope Francis had gone far enough to address abuse.

https://www.newswise.com//articles/research-suggests-pope-did-not-do-enough-to-address-abuse-in-ireland-%e2%80%93-queen%e2%80%99s-university-belfast 

Washington Catholic Archdiocese Names 28 Former Clergy Who Committed Abuse

The Catholic Church in Washington has released the names of 28 former clergy members that it says were “credibly” accused of sexual abuse since 1948. A letter released Monday by the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said the move is “a necessary step towards full transparency and accountability and the process of healing.” The archdiocese said it created the list on the orders of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who announced last week he was retiring, following a Pennsylvania grand jury report that said he allowed priests accused of sexual abuse to be reassigned when he was the bishop of Pittsburgh.

https://www.newdelhitimes.com/washington-catholic-archdiocese-names-28-former-clergy-who-committed-abuse/ 

2 lawsuits accuse Long Island diocese of turning blind eye to sex abuse

A Suffolk County woman is suing the Diocese of Rockville Centre and others for allegedly ignoring sexual abuse she said she endured for more than a year at the hands of a church music director, the second of two lawsuits filed against the diocese this week. The now-18-year-old woman claims that when she was 15, Efrain Villafane, the former music director at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Patchogue, sexually assaulted her in the church's chapel and in a classroom. She said Villafane also raped her in his car and at a motel.

https://abc7ny.com/religion/2-lawsuits-accuse-li-diocese-of-turning-blind-eye-to-sex-abuse/4503529/ 

Sexual abuse by clerics embarrassing church – Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria on Tuesday raised the alarm over cases of sexual abuse committed by a few clerics, saying such a behaviour had greatly wounded the church. The organisation therefore demanded that priests, consecrated persons working in Catholic institutions in Nigeria should ensure the protection of every child and vulnerable adult.

https://punchng.com/sexual-abuse-by-clerics-embarrassing-church-catholic-bishops/ 

New Zealand Ribbons 'a voice' for sex abuse survivors

New Zealand Survivors of sexual abuse tied ribbons of remembrance from around the world to the gates of St Joseph's Cathedral in Dunedin during a gathering this morning. About 30 survivors, their supporters and representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin - including Dunedin Bishop Michael Dooley - were on hand for the event. The stood silently for one minute to remember victims of clerical abuse who had taken their own lives, then listened as Bishop Dooley called again for the Catholic Church to be included in the Government's upcoming Royal Commission on historic abuse.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/ribbons-voice-sex-abuse-survivors 

Police investigating former Catholic priest New Zealand

An ex-Catholic priest living in Asia who was nicknamed "the Phantom Feeler" by boys at a leading Wellington Catholic school is being investigated by police. A witness to the priest allegedly groping boys in the 1970s said the Church and school must do more to uncover the extent of Father AM Donnelly's alleged crimes. Police recently interviewed two men in their 50s who said they saw the dormitory master groping a boy under the sheets one night in a dorm at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, in 1974.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/368900/police-investigating-former-catholic-priest 

Sympathy for the Devil: Why I agree with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan

Whatever Bishop Cullinan’s thoughts on Satan, I still prefer him to Bouncy Castle Catholics, says Donal O’Keeffe. A Catholic bishop has announced the establishment of a team of exorcists and warned the public against using alternative medicine lest they be exposed to evil spirits. No, that’s not a sub-plot to Arthur Matthews’ and Graham Linehan’s upcoming ‘Pope Ted: The Father Ted Musical’ (and I checked that with Graham Linehan).

https://avondhupress.ie/sympathy-for-the-devil-why-i-agree-with-bishop-phonsie-cullinan/ 

Former Jeffersonville pastor among list of clergy "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children

The Archdiocese reports Albert Vincent Deery, who served as the pastor of St. Augustine in Jeffersonville, abused at least 23 victims. It's hard to miss St. Augustine Catholic Church with its metal crosses towering in the sky at the corner of Locust Street and Chestnut Street in Jeffersonville, but there are some things at the church that have not been as obvious until now. "A lot of people have been let down by the Church, so we're doing all that we can to try to make right some of these wrongs," Father Doug Marcotte, the pastor of St. Augustine, said.

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/indiana/former-jeffersonville-pastor-among-list-of-clergy-credibly-accused-of-sexually-abusing-children/417-605371705 

Pa. Senate appears divided on bill that would protect Catholic Church from sex-abuse lawsuits

Republican leaders in the Senate appeared to be struggling late Wednesday to muster enough support for a plan to temporarily allow older victims of child sexual abuse to sue their attackers — but not the deep-pocketed institutions, such as the Catholic Church, that may have covered up the crimes. Shortly before 10 p.m. on the last voting day of the legislative session, Republicans who control the Senate appeared to be losing critical votes for the latest proposal championed by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson).

http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/pennsylvania-child-sexual-abuse-statute-limitations-window-catholic-church-20181017.html 

It’s Past Time For Pope Francis To Come Clean, But Instead He’s Burying Himself

The loss of confidence in Pope Francis reflects that his mismanagement of the crisis has been a scandal in itself. It may also reveal a growing public awareness of Francis’ own poor record. As news about the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal spreads, public confidence in Pope Francis’ handling of the matter has plummeted. A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that six in ten American Catholics say the pope is doing an “only fair” or “poor” job of managing the scandal.

https://thefederalist.com/2018/10/16/past-time-pope-francis-come-clean-instead-hes-burying/ 

My church in crisis

First, I was an Aglipayan. Shortly after my mother passed away, my surrogate mom who raised me as her own, had me rebaptized in the Catholic Church by Belgian missionaries. Since then, I have remained a Catholic although not the fervent, devout kind she would have wanted me to be. Through the years, I have looked upon the Church as all-knowing, all-powerful, all-righteous, and perhaps, all-perfect. And so, whenever I went against her it was heavy on my conscience with the fires of hell very much in my thoughts as impressed on me by religious mentors in Catholic schools. As a young boy, how many times have I confessed to having impure thoughts when there was nothing else to say in the confessional?

https://opinion.inquirer.net/116605/my-church-in-crisis 

End-of-session showdown looms over proposed relief for child sex crime victims

The state Senate appears likely to make substantial changes to legislation that passed the state House and would have provided relief to victims of old child sex crimes, like those detailed in a damning grand jury report into cover-ups by the Catholic church. The House-backed legislation would create a two-year window for victims of old child sex crimes to file lawsuits. It would also eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex abuse and covering up such abuse.

http://www.dailyitem.com/news/end-of-session-showdown-looms-over-proposed-relief-for-child/article_8d408b92-e323-5048-bffc-2c780e2385eb.html 

Vatican takes off gloves, accuses papal critic of 'calumny, defamation'

A top Vatican official on Sunday issued a scathing open letter accusing an archbishop who launched an unprecedented attack on Pope Francis of mounting a “political frame job devoid of real foundation”. Cardinal Marc Ouellet said in the detailed, three-page letter that calls by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano for the pope to resign because he had allegedly covered up sexual misconduct by a senior American churchman were “calumny and defamation”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-abuse-mccarrick/vatican-takes-off-gloves-accuses-papal-critic-of-calumny-defamation-idUSKCN1MH0E1 

Controlling the issue: Senate Republicans need to get behind the Child Victims Act

Thanks to the inaction of Republicans in the state Senate, Democrats have turned the sexual abuse of children into a campaign issue. The Child Victims Act has passed six times over the years in the state Assembly. But GOP leadership has not allowed the bill to be voted on in the Senate for more than a decade. According to the statute of limitations in New York, people abused when they were younger than age 18 may pursue criminal or civil actions until they turn 23. The Child Victims Act would raise the criminal statute of limitations to age 28 and the civil statute of limitations to age 50. It also would grant older victims a window of one year to file civil claims.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/opinion/controlling-the-issue-senate-republicans-need-to-get-behind-the-child-victims-act-20181008 

Diocese reports 66 sexual abuse allegations against 27 priests since 1937 But only four allegations since 2002, according to diocese officials

The Catholic Diocese of Owensboro announced Monday that it received 66 sexual abuse allegations against 27 of its priests since 1937, including four allegations since 2002, when a new U.S. program was launched to address sexual abuse in the church. A news release dated Monday stated the diocese had recently compiled statistics regarding sexual abuse allegations against diocese priests and regarding those individuals who identified themselves as victims of child sexual abuse.

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/diocese-reports-sexual-abuse-allegations-against-priests-since-but-only/article_709f8ea2-9591-5664-b00a-7aa06e8cd8b1.html 

Haunted by clergy abuse, Pa. family leaves Catholic Church

Each time there's a new report or newspaper article about sex abuse in the Catholic Church, Chuck Gesing steels himself. "That was disgusting," said Gesing, of the most recent grand jury report in Pennsylvania, which alleged more than 300 priests sexually abused more than 1,000 minors. But, he called such news "not unexpected at this point."

http://www.witf.org/news/2018/10/haunted-by-clergy-abuse-pa-family-leaves-catholic-church.php

Catholic Church sex abuse: How one Pennsylvania priest terrorized five sisters

he new parish priest came to Lara Fortney’s fifth-grade class asking for volunteers to help in the rectory. A middle child from a big family, she stood out as the best behaved, the one who jumped when anything was asked of her. And this was a request from a Catholic priest, a man she believed was a bridge to God. Her hand shot into the air. Today, 35 years later, Lara is sure Father Augustine Giella already knew about her family. One boy. Eight girls. In time, Giella would come to sexually abuse five of the sisters.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/catholic-church-sex-abuse-pennsylvania-grand-jury-report-augustine-giella-harrisburg-diocese.html

Justice lies in their hands: Pa. Senate must vote on sex-abuse bill | Opinion

When Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro shared the details of the grand jury report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, it was a bittersweet moment for our family. We were happy our daughters were finally able to be heard, and we were heartbroken to relive what happened to them years ago. The report made public the fact that Father Augustine Giella, a priest we trusted and welcomed into our home, sexually abused five of our daughters.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/catholic-church-sex-abuse-pennsylvania-grand-jury-report-augustine-giella-harrisburg-diocese-20181008.html 

Local Catholic diocese releases list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, released a list of priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse since 1978 – many who spent time ministering in or near the Coachella Valley. The list includes 34 church officials, of whom 14 are deceased. Five were permanently banned from the priesthood, and an additional 14 were permanently banned from ministry in the Diocese of San Bernardino. The list was based on what the diocese is calling credible accusations, drawn from their own records of abuse reported to diocesan personnel.

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2018/10/08/local-san-bernardino-riverside-catholic-diocese-releases-list-priests-credibly-accused-sexual-abuse/1568652002/ 

Chilean abuse scandal spills over to Germany

An archbishop from Chile who abused minors in his home country has sought refuge in Germany, where he allegedly continued with his crimes. German authorities are investigating the case. Americas Chilean abuse scandal spills over to Germany An archbishop from Chile who abused minors in his home country has sought refuge in Germany, where he allegedly continued with his crimes. German authorities are investigating the case. Cross standing in the dark before a hidden light source (Getty Images/AFP/C. Reyes) "We stand with the victims of sexual abuse." At a Mass in Vallendar-Schönstatt in mid-September, just a few days after the announcement of the findings of the investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Germany, Cardinal Reinhard Marx emphasized his shock at the extent of the abuse.

https://www.dw.com/en/chilean-abuse-scandal-spills-over-to-germany/a-45799722 

My 30 years as a priest have brought no little disappointment

When Archbishop Desmond Connell ordained me to the priesthood on October 2nd, 1988, it seemed a good time to be a priest in Ireland. Fresh-faced and enthusiastic, I had high hopes. I was delighted to become part of a team conducting parish missions, as Irish Redemptorists had done for more than a century. I loved going from parish to parish, preaching to full churches, visiting homes and schools, meeting clergy. Though I was aware of the increasing impact of secularisation, and the sharp decline in vocations, I presumed church and priesthood would remain largely the same into the future.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/my-30-years-as-a-priest-have-brought-no-little-disappointment-1.3647970 

Six Buffalo bishops let priest accused of sex abuse in 1980s remain in parishes

Six Buffalo Diocese bishops or auxiliary bishops allowed the Rev. Brian M. Hatrick to remain in parishes for decades after a teenage boy complained Hatrick sexually abused him in the early 1980s. Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz, the current No. 2 ranking administrator in the Buffalo Diocese, and current Syracuse Diocese Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, formerly a high-ranking administrator in Buffalo, kept Hatrick in ministry even after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops set its “zero tolerance” policy.

https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/01/six-buffalo-bishops-let-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-remain-in-parishes/ 

4 cases of 'mishandled abuse in Italy'

Rome, October 2 - A network of victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy said Tuesday that it has evidence of four major cases of abuse in Italy that the Catholic Church failed to properly address. Francesco Zanardi of the ECA Global network compared the cases to allegations by the Vatican's former ambassador to the United States, Carlo Maria Viganò, that Pope Francis and other Church officials mishandled accusations of sexual misconduct by retired American cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/vatican/2018/10/02/4-cases-of-mishandled-abuse-in-italy_7fdab1d9-99af-49ec-a7db-97b7f813a747.html

CA Church officials: New abuse lawsuit based on old cases

The California Catholic Conference (CCC) and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles say a new lawsuit filed against the bishops of California is based on cases that are many years old and does not reflect the current practices in place in California dioceses. Jeff Anderson and Associates announced in an Oct. 2 press conference that it had filed a “nuisance lawsuit” against the California Catholic Conference and 11 of California’s 12 dioceses, including Los Angeles, and also the Archdiocese of Chicago.

https://angelusnews.com/news/angelus-staff/ca-church-officials-new-abuse-lawsuit-based-on-old-cases 

Chile's most senior Catholic Church figure sidesteps prosecutor questioning

The archbishop of Santiago, the most senior figure in Chile’s Roman Catholic Church, has exercised his right to silence after being summoned on Tuesday morning for questioning by a state prosecutor over allegations he helped cover up child abuse. Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati faces multiple charges of cover up, including some relating to the case of Oscar Munoz, a former top aide to the Santiago Archbishopric, who is facing trial on charges he abused and raped at least five children.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-church-abuse-chile/chiles-most-senior-catholic-church-figure-sidesteps-prosecutor-questioning-idUSKCN1MD2G4 

A hard lesson on sexual abuse amid another accusation

The mother of an alleged molestation victim called it “a covered-up mess.” A Catholic priest who was accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy was allowed to remain in ministry for several decades, on the watch of six bishops or auxiliary bishops in the Buffalo Diocese. Her mistake, she realized too late, was that she reported the crime not to police, but to the church, which was all too eager to cover it up. In her pain is a lesson for others.

https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/03/editorial-a-hard-lesson-on-sexual-abuse/ 

Police seize misconduct records from Michigan's Catholic dioceses

Police seized clergy misconduct records from all of Michigan's Catholic dioceses after serving several search warrants across the state within an hour of each other Wednesday morning. Diocesan officials in Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Marquette, Kalamazoo and Gaylord confirmed the searches took place Wednesday as part of the Attorney General's Office investigation into the dioceses' handling of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The dioceses said they cooperated fully with authorities.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/religion/2018/10/03/police-serve-search-warrants-michigans-catholic-dioceses/1513938002/ 

Pope opens bishops summit amid abuse storm

Pope Francis has opened a gathering of bishops with the Catholic Church in a swirling state of crisis over sex abuse, urging its leaders not to let the next generation's faith be snuffed out "by our own shortcomings, mistakes and sins". In signs of the extraordinary pressure the Church has come under from the worldwide abuse scandal, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia had called for the "youth synod" to be cancelled so the Vatican could concentrate on preparing another bishops' meeting on preventing sex abuse.

https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/pope-opens-bishops-summit-amid-abuse-storm/news-story/cadd3e66792eae90a2eeb83d4f0aa364 

Oral sex, then holy water: Report documents abuse by US priests

A priest raped a seven-year-old girl while he was visiting her in the hospital after she'd had her tonsils removed. Another priest forced a nine-year-old boy into having oral sex, then rinsed out the boy's mouth with holy water. One boy was forced to say confession to the priest who sexually abused him. Those children are among the victims of roughly 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania who molested more than 1000 children - and possibly many more - since the 1940s, according to a sweeping state grand jury report released on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ Time) that accused senior church officials, including a clergyman who is now the archbishop of Washington DC, of systematically covering up complaints.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/106283531/us-report-identifies-more-than-1000-victims-of-priest-abuse?rm=a 

California's Catholic bishops targeted in sex abuse lawsuit

A man who says he was sexually abused decades ago by his parish priest says he is suing all Catholic bishops in California and the Archdiocese of Chicago, seeking to compel church officials to release records on clergy abuse. The Los Angeles filing by Thomas Emens claims a civil conspiracy among church officials to cover up clergy sexual assault and move offending priests to other parishes.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/107567694/californias-catholic-bishops-targeted-in-sex-abuse-lawsuit 

Lawsuit claims Diocese of Lafayette allowed one of its priests to sexually abuse multiple children

A civil lawsuit filed this week claims the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette allowed one of its priests to prey on children. The lawsuit accuses father James Grear of child molestation and argues the Diocese endangered children by keeping the allegations secret for decades. Attending a catholic youth rally at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1982, an anonymous victim claims he was sexually molested by Grear.

https://fox59.com/2018/09/27/indianapolis-ind-a-civil-lawsuit-filed-this-week-claims-the-catholic-diocese-of-lafayette-allowed-one-of-its-priests-to-prey-on-children-the-lawsuit-accuses-father-james-grear-of-child-mo/ 

221 priests, 8 bishops face probes for abuse and cover-up in Chile

In the total is Fernando Karadima, the country’s most infamous predator priest, who was removed from the clerical state by Pope Francis on Thursday in an “exceptional” decision communicated by the Vatican on Friday, the same day the man who once led an impressive lay movement in Santiago was informed. ROME - According to the latest count by the Chilean national prosecutor’s office, some 221 priests and 8 bishops are being investigated up and down the country on charges of sexual abuse and cover-up, all due to allegations made from the year 2000 to date.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2018/09/29/221-priests-8-bishops-face-probes-for-abuse-and-cover-up-in-chile/ 

My 30 years as a priest have brought no little disappointment

Starting out, I never dreamed I would fall foul of Rome or become disgusted by its failings When Archbishop Desmond Connell ordained me to the priesthood on October 2nd, 1988, it seemed a good time to be a priest in Ireland. Fresh-faced and enthusiastic, I had high hopes. I was delighted to become part of a team conducting parish missions, as Irish Redemptorists had done for more than a century.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/my-30-years-as-a-priest-have-brought-no-little-disappointment-1.3647970 

Priest carried out 'litany of offending against young boys' - report

A Catholic bishop says the Church could consider releasing the names of clergy who abuse children, even if they don't go through the courts. Bishop Paul Martin has released a file on predator priest Cornelius O'Brien to one of his victims, a Christchurch man now in his 50s. The church would also consider making public the names of abusers even when they had not gone through the courts, but where church investigations had found they were guilty, the bishop said. "You could publish the name of people who have had complaints upheld against them, yes," he said, indicating he would raise this approach with the conference of New Zealand bishops.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/366789/bishop-says-catholic-church-should-consider-naming-abusers 

Bishop says Catholic church should consider naming abusers

A Catholic bishop says the Church could consider releasing the names of clergy who abuse children, even if they don't go through the courts. Bishop Paul Martin has released a file on predator priest Cornelius O'Brien to one of his victims, a Christchurch man now in his 50s. The church would also consider making public the names of abusers even when they had not gone through the courts, but where church investigations had found they were guilty, the bishop said. "You could publish the name of people who have had complaints upheld against them, yes," he said, indicating he would raise this approach with the conference of New Zealand bishops.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/366789/bishop-says-catholic-church-should-consider-naming-abusers 

Priest's sexual abuse at Upper Hutt school admitted: It's 'criminal'

The Marist Fathers has admitted a priest who led one of its top secondary schools sexually abused children. But decades on they will not release the file on Francis Durning, rector of St Patrick's College in Silverstream, Upper Hutt, in the 1950s. He was publicly remembered in Catholic obituaries as a man of "profound integrity" but a victim said other clergy nicknamed him "Fred the Fiddler" for his habit of abusing boys. The victim, who RNZ will not name, is now in his 70s. He was a 13-year-old boy when the head of the school asked him into his office.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367124/priest-s-sexual-abuse-at-upper-hutt-school-admitted-it-s-criminal 

NZ Catholic Church withholds findings on sex abuse claims

The Catholic Church has withheld its findings about a child sex abuse accusation for months from the man who laid the complaint. The man said he was "re-traumatised" and it proved the church's pledge to put victims first were empty. This comes at the same time as the church hired a Wellington public relations consultant in the run-up to the Royal Commission into state abuse. RNZ has been privy to documentation and emails from the church about the man's case. He wishes to remain anonymous.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367733/nz-catholic-church-withholds-findings-on-sex-abuse-claims 

Six Buffalo bishops let priest accused of sex abuse in 1980s remain in parishes

Six Buffalo Diocese bishops or auxiliary bishops allowed the Rev. Brian M. Hatrick to remain in parishes for decades after a teenage boy complained Hatrick sexually abused him in the early 1980s. Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz, the current No. 2 ranking administrator in the Buffalo Diocese, and current Syracuse Diocese Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, formerly a high-ranking administrator in Buffalo, kept Hatrick in ministry even after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops set its “zero tolerance” policy.

https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/01/six-buffalo-bishops-let-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-remain-in-parishes/ 

Under scrutiny over clergy abuse, Francis asks Catholics worldwide to pray rosary

Rome — As the Vatican and the Catholic Church's leadership deal with a continuing crisis of accountability for clergy sexual abuse, Pope Francis is asking the faith's 1.3 billion members worldwide to pray the rosary each day in October to "protect the church from the Devil."

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/under-scrutiny-over-clergy-abuse-francis-asks-catholics-worldwide-pray-rosary 

Priest: German bishop shouldn’t attend Youth Synod after allowing LGBT ‘love’ stories in diocese

In light of the recent revelations that Bishop Felix Genn of Münster, Germany, does not stop or hinder one of his priests from spreading books for youth that promote homosexuality, another one of his own priests has now gone to the public saying that such inaction should rule out the bishop from participating in the October 2018 Youth Synod in Rome.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/priest-german-bishop-shouldnt-attend-youth-synod-after-allowing-lgbt-love-s