New Orleans police open criminal investigation into defrocked deacon George Brignac

The New Orleans Police Department has opened a criminal inquiry into George F. Brignac, a former Catholic deacon accused of raping an 8-year-old altar boy nearly four decades ago. The alleged victim, now 46 and living in St. Tammany Parish, recently received a civil settlement of more than $500,000 from the Archdiocese of New Orleans after church officials determined his sexual assault claim to be "credible." He met with sex-crimes detectives on Thursday and provided a detailed statement, said the man's attorney, Roger Stetter.

https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_844b4e64-870c-11e8-84f0-2f2910122768.html 

‘The Devils Doorway’ Review: A little too much and way too familiar

The raw feel of found footage and the familiar iconography of religion have made both popular in the horror genre. A found footage horror movie deeply rooted in Catholicism seems like a natural fit. The Devil’s Doorway is an excellent example of something being a better idea in theory than practice. The Devil’s Doorway has an interesting premise. A former real life practice of the Catholic Church were Magdalene Laundries found in Ireland. These institutions were basically homes for prostitutes, unwed mothers, and other “fallen women.” The movie is set in 1960 and based on footage of two priests who had gone to investigate a supposed miracle.

http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2018/07/14/the-devils-doorway-review-a-little-too-much-and-way-too-familiar/ 

Jalandhar diocese sex scandal: Demand to relieve bishop of pastoral duties

Members of various Christian organisations have called upon Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro to take steps to relieve Bishop Franco Mulakkal, head of the Jalandhar diocese of the Catholic Church who is embroiled in a sex scandal, of his pastoral responsibilities. In a letter, they said the mudslinging between the bishop and his priests on the one hand and and the aggrieved nun and her family on the other had turned the Church into an object of ridicule before the people. This has caused a lot of harm to the Church and to the faith of the people.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/jalandhar-diocese-sex-scandal-demand-to-relieve-bishop-of-pastoral-duties/article24417436.ece 

Victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse find their voices … and each other

Jim VanSickle recalls the “long walk” into the room where members of the 40th Statewide Grand Jury waited to hear him. “I was nervous, I was sweating, thinking, ‘Lord, give me the words that I need,’” recalled VanSickle, 55, of Coraopolis. He sensed an assurance from the Lord, in whom he has retained faith in spite of the betrayals he felt from its purported ministers: “Just be true to yourself and your story.” So he told his story. He testified how his trusted priest and high school English teacher mounted a humiliating, life-altering assault on his teenage body and innocence.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/clergy-sexual-abuse-pennsylvania-victims-20180714.html 

Charlie Specht on what it's like to cover the Buffalo priest abuse scandal as a Catholic

had to break the news. But first I needed to make the call. Seventy years of secrets were about to spill out in March when the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo finally relented, sending our newsroom a list of 42 priests believed to have committed the ultimate betrayal -- the sexual abuse of a child. I needed to go on TV and tell our viewers what it meant. But first I needed to call my Mom.

https://www.wkbw.com/news/i-team/charlie-specht-on-what-its-like-to-cover-the-buffalo-priest-abuse-scandal-as-a-catholic 

Catholic Church Pedophilia: Boystown in Australia

Boys victims in the catholic "model school" Boystown in Australia. Raw violence and rapes from the "brothers". "From the 1960's until 2001, hundreds of troubled boys, or those who were placed in the care system were sent to Boystown - a residential school near Beaudesert. Last night, 60 Minutes aired allegations that boys as young as 12 who were sent to Boystown were routinely subjected to strip searches and sexual and physical abuse."

https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/watch/catholic-church-pedophilia-boystown-in-australia_hEVWE4OJ1tdrGsN.html 

Catholic bishops hide seminarian sex scandal under border crisis

As the 300 Catholic Bishops of the United States met in mid-June for their annual meeting, it is hard to imagine many of them didn’t know the big reveal coming less than a week later. For decades, it appears, there was cover up of sexual abuse by one of the most prominent American churchmen of the 20th century. If some did know, they orchestrated a PR triple play that deserves to go down in the annals of American history.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/catholic-bishops-hide-seminarian-sex-scandal-under-border-crisis 

Duterte’s Admission That he Was Molested by a Priest Makes Him a Champion For Justice to Victims Worldwide

While many victims of priest molestation inside the Roman Catholic Church have taken decades to gain the courage to take their stories public, as someone who has never been reserved about admitting to what was done to him as a child, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has become an empowering figure for victims of Church abuse throughout the world. While the abuse of children is an abhorrent crime against nature in all circumstances, there is hardly anything more despicable than someone abusing a position of power, particularly religious power to molest the bodies and minds of the young. Not only is it difficult for children to fight back against such violations, but in the past it has been all too easy to silence children into submission before vicious men who insult the very God they pretend to believe in.

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/07/10/dutertes-admission-that-he-was-molested-by-a-priest-makes-him-a-champion-for-justice-to-victims-worldwide/ 

Release report on Catholic priest abuse allegations now | Editorial

For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has gone to extremes to ignore, cover up and downplay the widespread sexual abuse and rape of boys and some girls across the world. So it comes as no surprise that nearly two dozen current and former priests are seeking to block the release of a grand jury report detailing serial sexual abuse in Catholic dioceses across Pennsylvania. Fight, deny, and delay have been the Catholic Church’s playbook when it comes to clergy sexual abuse. When all else fails, the church quietly pays confidential settlements to sweep cases under the rug.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/catholic-church-priest-sexual-abuse-grand-jury-report-josh-shapiro-20180710.html 

Theology can’t be same after sex abuse crisis

Given the sexual abuse crisis in which the Church is embroiled, theologians need to rethink a faith-based response to sexual violence. Systematic theology lecturer at Good Shepherd College Dr Rocio Figueroa said theologians “are conscious that theology cannot be the same following the severe crisis of sexual abuse that has happened in our Church”. “We must rethink a lot of topics. We must rethink our Christology. We must rethink how we see power and many other issues, pastoral topics,” she said.

https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2018/07/12/theology-cant-be-same-after-sex-abuse-crisis/ 

Priest on the path to sainthood criticized for anti-Semitism

Pope Francis' decision to move the World War II-era head of Poland's Catholic Church a step closer to possible sainthood has hit a stumbling block, after two leading Jewish organizations and even Polish Catholic publications called him out for anti-Semitic views. It's not clear if the protests will derail the sainthood cause of Cardinal August Hlond, but in the past the Vatican has taken such protests seriously and at the very least put the cases up for closer review.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cardinal-august-hlond-priest-on-the-path-to-sainthood-criticized-for-anti-semitism/ 

Children of priests

Relationships between women and priests have always been clandestine. It’s never an easy subject to discuss. Most people prefer secrecy. But another aspect which we have never discussed is the issue of the effect of making love – children. Priests are more likely to have children as they are not experienced in birth control methods. Besides their love making is hidden and done quickly. Maybe hiding a love relationship between adults is one thing, but hiding from children is totally devastating! How can a father not see, caress, accompany, play and spend time with his child? That is why we’ve been against secrecy from day one. Once everything is covered in great secrecy, one can expect that lateral secrets will be kept under great scrutiny from the Catholic Church.

https://maltesemarriedcatholicpriest.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/children-of-priests/ 

Dr Ciara Kelly: Church must reform and atone for its many sins

Last week Australian courts convicted Archbishop Philip Wilson of concealing clerical child abuse in 1970s Australia. He's the most senior church official to be convicted of the crime anywhere. His defence tried to get the case thrown out, citing the 67-year-old's Alzheimer's disease and lack of recollection. But the court rejected this, saying victims were credible when they recounted conversations they'd had with the then younger priest. One victim described how he was told by Wilson, that he "was lying" and should go away and say some Hail Marys.

https://www.independent.ie/life/dr-ciara-kelly-church-must-reform-and-atone-for-its-many-sins-37088687.html