ABUSE TRACKER

Archdiocese confirms investigation is ongoing

Bishop Miege High School President Phil Baniewicz is on leave effective June 5 following concerns about his leadership abilities.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas confirmed the information in a statement Friday morning.

Banewicz has been the subject of past abuse allegations that he has never been charged for.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese told KSHB 41 News Reporter Sarah Plake that the executive committee of Bishop Miege High School’s Board of Trustees placed Baniewicz on administrative leave.

The decision was effective June 5, according to the Archdiocese spokesperson.

“Due to recent reports concerning his ability to oversee a safe environment for BMHS, a thorough investigation has been initiated,” the spokesperson said.

In March, KSHB 41 reported about the concerns of some parents, including Kelly Kincaid. You can watch that report in the video player below. Please see original article for…

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Archbishop Shawn McKnight has issued the following statement regarding the president of Bishop Miege High School, Phil Baniewicz:

“The executive committee of Bishop Miege High School’s (BMHS) Board of Trustees has placed Phil Baniewicz on administrative leave, effective June 5, 2025. I support this action of the executive committee for the well-being of the school. Due to recent reports concerning his ability to oversee a safe environment for BMHS, a thorough investigation has been initiated. 

“The executive committee of the board of BMHS has appointed Joe Schramp as interim president. 

“As this is a confidential personnel matter, no further information will be provided until the investigation is concluded.

“Our commitment is to make our schools and parishes places where every child feels safe, supported, and valued. This necessitates not only immediate action when concerns arise but also a continuous evaluation of our policies to ensure we are doing everything possible…

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Statement by David Clohessy, Volunteer director of Missouri SNAP

The head of a Kansas City Kansas Catholic school has been suspended because of “recent reports” questioning his ability to “oversee a safe environment” for kids.

It’s pathetic that Catholic officials continue to be so secretive about this man, his recent behavior and the child sex abuse report against him from New Mexico.

While his suspension is welcome, he should never have been hired in the first place.

Kids are safest when abuse allegations and concerns are reported to secular authorities like police and prosecutors, not to church officials. We hope every person who may have seen, suspected or suffered any misconduct by Phil Baniewicz or anyone at Bishop Miege High School will call law enforcement immediately. We also hope Archbishop Shawn McKnight will be more forthcoming soon and will use church resources to aggressively prod anyone with suspicions…

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The bishop has resumed serving his sentence for abusing seminarians under house arrest.

Disgraced Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta is back in his former Diocese of Orán, and will continue serving his four-year prison sentence under house arrest in a local convent, local Argentine media reported Thursday.

One of the bishop’s victims told local media this week that Zanchetta had met with Bishop Luis Scozzina of the local diocese and that Zanchetta would continue to serve his sentence under house arrest.

Zanchetta had previously been in Rome since November receiving “medical treatment.”

The bishop, who was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of seminarians in 2022, arrived in Rome in November 2024, for cardiac treatment which his lawyers argued he could not receive in his home country, undergoing heart surgery at the Gemelli Hospital.

Under the terms of his permission to travel, issued by an Argentine court last year, Zanchetta was to return…

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released the 2024 Annual Report – Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The report is based on the audit findings of StoneBridge Business Partners, a consulting firm which provides forensic, internal, and compliance audit services. A survey regarding allegations of abuse of minors and costs that is annually conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University is also included as a part of the report. 

This is the twenty-second such report since 2002 when the U.S. bishops established and adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive framework of procedures to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and establish protocols to protect children and young people.

The 2024 report covers July…

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LOCAL priest Fr Brian D’Arcy recalls how he “trembled in fear” and felt “ashamed” after he was abused by a religious Brother during his childhood, as he reflects on his life on his 80th birthday.

The Bellanaleck cleric, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday in Croke Park, while Fermanagh beat Wexford in the Tailteann Cup, has spoken about how his abuse ordeal impacted on his life.

“I became his lunchtime recreation. I often trembled in fear. I didn’t understand what happened to me, but I knew I was no longer an innocent boy from Bellanaleck,” he said in the ‘Irish Independent’.

“I should have told my parents, but I was too ashamed. I was hampered by needless guilt.

“When he finished with me, he dismissed me with a pat on the head. He went on to teach his class and I felt dirty, rotten and fearful.

“Even though I did nothing…

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The Diocese of Buffalo is preparing to ask parishes and other Catholic affiliates to contribute to help pay a $150 million settlement with more than 800 sexual abuse survivors.

Parishes will be getting invoices next week after a series of vicariate meetings.

“We will find out next Tuesday,” Nandor Forgach told WBEN. He is an active parishioner at St. Benedict’s Church in Eggertsville. “It’s looking like a good portion of money will be coming from each parish. Some are in better standing than others. They’ll be able to survive it. But others will be hurt by it.”

Forgach says nothing is confirmed, but he has heard rumors that it’s
going to be a percentage, north of 50% of parishes’ reserve funds and weekly collections.

“I’m really not OK with this,” he said. “I feel like we’re paying for the sins of our church leadership who horribly mishandled this abuse scandal. I…

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Pope Leo XIV today spent an hour meeting with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) at the Vatican.

The commission was established in 2014 by Pope Francis and has been part of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith since 2022.

In a statement about the meeting on 5 June, the commission said it updated Pope Leo on progress in the Memorare Initiative, a capacity-building program designed to support local churches – particularly in the Global South – in their efforts to protect minors and care for victims of abuse.

The Memorare Initiative works through four pillars: establishing safeguarding infrastructure, promoting prevention through education, establishing global collaboration, and creating strategic communication that empowers local churches to communicate effectively and foster transparency.

“The Memorare Initiative is tailored to each ecclesial context. It respects local autonomy while offering essential support to ensure that all churches, regardless of resources,…

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Pope Leo XIV Thursday met with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to get an update about their activities, while facing a clear litmus test on just how seriously he will take the abuse issue as pontiff.

The pope met the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, his first official appointment with the safeguarding body, June 5 for a meeting that lasted an hour and was an occasion for the commission to offer the pope an overview of their work and various initiatives.

Among these initiatives, according to a statement from the commission, were the Universal Guidelines Framework for Safeguarding that they are finalizing, as well as the Memorare Initiative aimed at supporting safeguarding efforts in the global south, and its 2024 global report on safeguarding.

The commission in its statement reiterated its “commitment to the unity and collegiality of all its members” and also…

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Archbishop Emeritus George Frendo on Wednesday evening apologised for “inadvertently” suggesting that victims of clerical abuse should forgive their abusers before filing a police report — a statement that has sparked outrage, with the Lisa Maria Foundation calling for him to be “kicked out of the Church”.

Frendo was reacting to a Times of Malta report about his comments on a live television programme where he encouraged victims of clerical abuse to forgive their perpetrators first before going to the police.

In a statement, Frendo insisted that he condemned the clerical abuse of minors “in all its forms”.

He said that forgiveness should not be an alternative to reporting such cases to the authorities.

“I apologise if, even inadvertently, I could have been perceived as conveying an alternative impression,” Frendo said.

The retired bishop was part of a panel of four people – three of them priests – on…

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The former bishop of Durham was one of several clergy criticised in a report on the church’s failure to stop the abuser John Smyth, which led to Justin Welby’s downfall

A bishop who served as an assistant to the King during the coronation is one of seven priests facing church disciplinary charges over the scandal that led to the downfall of Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Right Rev Paul Butler, who retired last year as Bishop of Durham, the church’s fourth most senior role, will face disciplinary proceedings alongside six other members of the clergy.

Lord Carey of Clifton, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, will not face legal action. Carey, who served as archbishop from 1991 to 2002, had been named in February among ten priests who could face disciplinary charges under the clergy discipline measure (CDM).

They all faced some degree of criticism within a…

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[The original article includes a two-minute video excerpt, a transcript, and a 12-minute recording of the interview.]

In this interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Seán O’Malley talks about the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; raising awareness in the Church about clerical abuse; and the Church’s priorities, especially the need to put victims and their families first.

The Church’s priorities with regard to the prevention of child abuse “are the same as ever” says Cardinal Seán O’Malley: “We’re trying to put the victims and their families first.”

The Cardinal was speaking on the eve of an audience with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Following that audience on Thursday morning, the Commission issued a statement noting that the audience, its first with Pope Leo,  lasted an hour and marked a significant moment of reflection, dialogue,…

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Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hourlong audience a “significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church’s unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people.” The group said it updated history’s first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims.

The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo’s remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters.

Pope Francis created…

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In short: 

Former Victoria Police detective Denis Ryan has died in Mildura, aged 93.

Mr Ryan was driven from the police force in 1972 after his superiors stopped him from charging paedophile Catholic priest Monsignor John Day in the 1970s.

Child abuse victims, friends and social welfare advocates have remembered Mr Ryan for the four decades he spent fighting for justice for the children abused by Monsignor Day.

Former Victorian police officer Denis Ryan has been remembered for his courage in attempting to prosecute paedophile Catholic priest Monsignor John Day in the 1970s.

Mr Ryan died on Tuesday at the age of 93.

He was a detective based in Mildura in north-west Victoria when he was forced out of Victoria Police in 1972 for attempting to prosecute Monsignor Day.

A year earlier, he had learned of multiple allegations against the priest for child sexual abuse and began his investigation, but was…

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A victim advocacy group launched an ad campaign urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to force insurance companies to pay millions of dollars in abuse claims, slamming the governor for allegedly “stand[ing] with her big insurance buddies” instead of abuse victims.

The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation, which started in 2023 to pressure insurance companies to pay abuse claims under the state’s Child Victims Act, began running ads in upstate New York markets this week.

“Who turns their back on over 14,000 survivors of child sex abuse? Gov. Kathy Hochul,” an ad states, claiming the Democratic governor “stands with her big insurance buddies [who are] denying responsibility while donating to her campaign.”

The ad features headlines from news stories of abuse scandals, including one that references the Diocese of Buffalo, which earlier this year said it would pay out a massive $150 million sum as part of…

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Protests, petitions, and cover-up accusations have roiled Truett McConnell University (TMU) in Cleveland, Georgia, after The Roys Report (TRR) exposed sexual assault allegations against former academic VP Bradley Reynolds.

Reynolds — dismissed in 2024 after the local sheriff’s office began an investigation into the abuse charges — allegedly inappropriately touched and digitally raped Hayle Swinson, a former student and soccer coach.

TMU President Emir Caner, who hired Reynolds in 2009, is among those accused of ignoring the misconduct. Trustees are set to meet Thursday or Friday. Student and alumni protests are slated to coincide with that meeting.

As of June 3, more than 2,000 people have signed a petition posted at change.org by “Concerned Truett Alumni” demanding action. (TMU had 2,612 students — mostly online — enrolled in fall 2023 according to U.S. News & World Report.)

The signers want a review of “all reports of alleged abuse…

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“Why do we have to pay this?”

The Diocese of Buffalo has started to ask affiliates to help pay for its $150 million settlement with more than 800 survivors of sexual abuse.

The settlement involves parishes and schools connected to decades of abuse by clergy, lay employees, religious and volunteers within the eight counties of Western New York.

We have learned the diocese has been meeting with affiliates and is expected to meet with priests and parishes next week to explain the percentages parishes would be responsible for paying.

“Why do we have to pay this. We’re not the ones at fault here,” said Nandor Forgach, a parishioner at St. Benedict Church.

The diocese sent me a statement saying it is working on a plan to satisfy the settlement and that it has “begun the process of internally communicating that plan to our clergy, parishes, and affiliates.”

You can read…

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‘Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography?’ a parishioner of Our Lady of Visitation asked the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s chancellor

Green Township police removed a parishioner from Saturday afternoon Mass at Our Lady of Visitation after he questioned whether a priest had viewed pornography on a parish computer.

Two officers escorted parishioner Jake McQuaide, who is an NFL long snapper, out of the church during the 4 p.m. Mass, after he stood up in his pew to loudly ask Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams for answers.

Williams had just finished reading a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey about controversy at the parish, and that Fr. Martin Bachman would be taking a “previously planned sabbatical.”

“Several concerns have been brought to the attention of the archdiocese. These have been investigated, and no wrongdoing — either criminally or ecclesiastically — has been substantiated … consequently, like gossip,…

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The arrest warrant for a Holliday pastor arrested Friday sheds more light on the details of the alleged relationship he had with a teenage girl.

Texas Rangers arrested Nathan Roach, 31, on May 30 for an alleged relationship he had with a child under 18. He is charged with child grooming. Roach bonded out of jail after his arrest on a $100,000 bond.

According to his arrest warrant, Roach was in a relationship with a now-17-year-old girl that began in 2022, when the girl was 15.

When the relationship began, Roach was the youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Holliday. He became the lead pastor in June 2024.

Court documents revealed that in December 2023, the girl’s parents found messages between her and Roach. The next month, the parents confronted him and asked him to stop communicating with their daughter privately. However, in an April 2025 interview, police said he admitted…

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A former Wisconsin Rapids youth pastor will spend 10 years in prison and 5 years on extended supervision for sexually assaulting a child while working as a youth pastor in 2003.

James Lane, 53, pleaded guilty to the charge in April and was convicted as a result. Attorney General Josh Kaul and Wood County District Attorney Jonathan Barnett said the case was reported through the Wisconsin Department of Justice Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative.

“As this conviction shows, the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative is continuing to have an impact,” Kaul previously said. “Thank you to the courageous survivor whose decision to make a report has led to accountability for the defendant.”

Lane was a youth pastor at Faith Reformed Church in Wisconsin Rapids and had been living in Colorado. Lane admitted to assaulting the victim in his vehicle when he was driving the victim home.

…

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A Siler City pastor accused of watching and distributing child pornography faces child sexual exploitation charges, according to the police.

A Siler City pastor accused of possessing child pornography faces multiple charges, according to police.

Nelson Chay, 57, is charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to the Siler City Police Department, in April, the department received an online tip about Chay, a pastor at Casa de Dios. Chay is accused of using the messaging app Kik to watch and distribute child pornography.

Investigators used a warrant to search Chay’s Siler City home on May 29, finding multiple electronic devices with child pornography.

The Siler City Police Department is concerned there could be victims who haven’t come forward.

“Due to his position in the church and that trust was bestowed upon him by our community, Chay has had access to juveniles indicating that there might…

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The Trump administration has launched an investigation into the law, calling it “anti-Catholic.” The bishops say it would force them to break their oaths.

Catholic leaders in Washington have sued the state over a new law requiring clergy to report suspected child abuse, including details potentially revealed during confession.

The lawsuit, filed last week on behalf of the bishops, alleges Senate Bill 5375, which was signed into law on May 2, violates the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The law “puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of Church teaching and incur automatic excommunication, or refuse to comply with Washington law and be subject to imprisonment, fine, and civil liability,” the lawsuit states.

The law’s text doesn’t target Catholics specifically. In fact, it upholds the mandatory reporting requirement for ministers, priests, rabbis, imams, elders…

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In a deeply unsettling development from Kerala, six nuns of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, who bravely spoke out against former Bishop Franco Mulakkal—later acquitted in a high-profile rape case have faced serious consequences for their stand. Once active members of religious life, they now find themselves ostracised, unsupported by Church administration, and under mounting pressure to leave their convents. Half of them have already stepped away from their religious vocations.

Back in 2018, these six nuns from the Jalandhar Diocese courageously supported a fellow nun who accused Bishop Franco of sexually assaulting her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. Despite filing a police complaint, initial inaction led them to protest publicly, demanding justice. Their actions, however, came at great personal cost.

Although Bishop Franco was arrested and later acquitted by a trial court in 2022—a verdict now under appeal in the Kerala High Court—his accuser and her supporters continue to face…

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A Catholic nun from Zambia has called on African Christian leaders to take decisive action against the abuse of women in the Church.

Sister Linah Siabana, a mental health specialist with the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, delivered her message during the recent Symposium and Annual General Meeting of the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM), in South Africa.

Sister Siabana called out a “persuasive culture of silence” in the church, saying it “hinders justice and healing for those impacted”.

She shared accounts of religious women who have suffered at the hands of priests or fellow sisters, including a case where a sister attempted suicide multiple times following abuse. “She felt dirty, and felt that whoever looked at her was seeing what [had been] had done,” recounted Siabana.

She emphasised the power imbalance that plays into church abuse, leaving an “incalculable” physical and psychological toll…

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The court ruled that Church confidentiality was less important than the right of journalists to investigate, ‘especially as regards matters of particular relevance to society’.

Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the Catholic Church must release information about priests accused of sexual abuse.

The ruling was a victory for two journalists, Juan Pablo Barrientos and Miguel Ángel Estupiñán, resolving a dispute that began in 2020 when the Archdiocese of Medellín refused to release information to Barrientos about 105 priests. 

The Church had argued that the information was covered by the canon law rule of “the pontifical secret”, or confidentiality. The court ruled that this was less important than the right of journalists to investigate, “especially as regards matters of particular relevance to society”.

One of the cases Barrientos investigated concerned the Bogotá priest Luis Ángel Cuenca Serrano, reported to have abused at least 12 children. Although the Archbishop of Bogotá Cardinal…

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Not long after I arrived in town as the National Catholic Reporter’s Vatican correspondent, I attended a farewell dinner for a Roman Curia official who had served here for almost a decade. 

It was the priest’s last night in Rome and I asked him how he had spent his day. There were a few meetups with old colleagues, some final packing and then he noted that on his way to the dinner he walked by the Penitenzieri one final time.

“I figured if I didn’t see anyone there I knew, my time here could be summarized as a complete failure,” he joked. 

Il Wine Bar De’ Penitenzieri, or the “Penitenzieri” — or even “the Jesuit bar” — as everyone calls it for short, is steps from the Vatican and built into the side of the Jesuits’ global headquarters. It’s a cozy, if sometimes cramped space that offers more seating outside than indoors. 

…

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An ad campaign is pressuring Gov. Kathy Hochul to force insurance companies to pay claims to thousands of alleged sexual assault victims on behalf of churches, hospitals, schools, Boy Scouts troops and other employers they represent under the Child Victims Act.

The victims who were allegedly abused as children decades ago sued the various organizations they claimed allowed the abuse to happen decades later under the New York State Child Victims Act of 2019.

But many cases are tied up in court, with insurers of the defendants refusing to make payments on behalf of their clients, including the Catholic Church and other defendants, according to the group behind the ads, The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation.

The group is bankrolled by allies of the Catholic Church, among others.

Hochul’s Department of Financial Services is supposed to help enforce the law, advocates said.

“Who turns their back on…

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In a powerful press conference, a survivor of child sexual abuse courageously shared his story and detailed new evidence against the late Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner, who served for nearly two decades at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Palm Bay, Florida. The evidence was presented by Jeff Herman and his team at Herman Law, as part of a new civil lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County, Florida.

The complaint, filed on behalf of 26-year-old Shawn Teuber, alleges that Father Hoeffner sexually abused him on multiple occasions from 2012 to 2014, during his time as a student at St. Joseph Catholic School and parishioner at St. Joseph Catholic Church. It names the Diocese of Orlando, St. Joseph Catholic Church Palm Bay, St. Joseph Catholic School and St. Joseph Catholic Parish as defendants, accusing them of negligence, reckless disregard and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“I’ve carried this pain for…

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Washington state removes an exemption protecting the seal of confession

On Thursday, a group of Roman Catholic priests in the state of Washington announced it is suing the state over a new law requiring religious clergy to report all instances of child abuse—even those mentioned during the act of confession.

While advocates for abuse victims cheered the new legislation, high-ranking priests said they would rather go to jail than violate church doctrine by breaking the confidentiality of confession.

The law, which Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed on May 2, adds religious clergy to the list of professions required to report child abuse. The list already includes doctors, counselors, and teachers. The law takes effect on July 27.

At least 24 states make clergy members mandatory reporters, but most include an exemption for any knowledge gained during a private confession of sin. Washington’s new law does not include this exemption, causing a stir…

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Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte has indicated that he will assess whether to return to ministry a priest who has been accused of both boundary violations and sexual abuse of a minor.

The priest – Fr. Patrick Hoare – was removed from his role as pastor after the diocesan lay review board found boundary violation allegations against him to be credible.

Hoare has also been accused of sexually abusing minors decades ago in Pennsylvania – allegations which the Pennsylvania police determined to be credible, according to Martin’s predecessor.

Martin said the priest’s future ministry in the diocese will depend, in part, on his completion of an “assessment and training” program.

In a May 29 letter to parishioners of St. Matthew’s Parish, where Fr. Hoare had previously been pastor, Martin announced that the Apostolic Signatura – the Church’s supreme tribunal – has sided with the diocese in its decision to remove…

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A former Catholic priest in Jersey has been jailed for five years for sexually abusing a child.

Piotr Antoni Glas committed the 11 sexual abuse offences between 2004 and 2007 while he was a priest in the island.

Jersey’s Royal Court also gave Glas, 61, a lifelong restraining order, preventing contact with the victim, and ordered him to pay more than £12,000 towards the cost of the victim’s ongoing therapy.

In April, Glas was found guilty of three counts of gross indecency with a child.

The court heard how Glas progressively groomed his victim before abusing his position of trust to satisfy his sexual desires.

In delivering the sentence, the Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae said it was “difficult to think of a more serious breach of trust than your offending in this case”.

‘Planned and deliberate’

On Monday, Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, described Glas’s “planned and deliberate” grooming.

She…

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The victim of a former Catholic priest and self-proclaimed exorcist who was yesterday jailed for five years for sexual grooming has been praised for their “bravery in speaking out”.

Piotr Glas was also banned from any contact with the victim for the rest of his life following his sentencing in the Royal Court yesterday for what was described as “a gross and flagrant breach of trust” in using his position to abuse the child.

The Superior Number of the Royal Court – which convenes for only the most serious cases – heard that 61-year-old Glas was working as a priest and youth worker in Jersey 20 years ago when the abuse took place.

Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, said Glas had “showered [the victim] with gifts and generosity” and invited the child to his home.

She said Glas had a foot fetish and would encourage…

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A Mass for the late Michael J. Byrnes, Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus of Guam, is scheduled for Saturday at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatña.

“All are invited to join in praying for the repose of the soul of our dear former shepherd of the church on Guam and for (the) consolation of his family,” according to an announcement Monday by the Archdiocese of Agana,  

The Office for the Dead will be prayed at 9:30 am., followed by the Mass at 10 a.m.

In the event of an overflow crowd, “the cathedral makes provisions not only with the cry room to the side but opens the smaller chapels and incorporates a widescreen. They have speakers outdoors with tents at times,” Tony Diaz, communications director for the archdiocese, said. 

The former archbishop of Agaña died on Saturday morning, Guam time, at the age of 66, while in hospice care…

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After Pope Leo XIV’s election on May 8, a new survey shows the percentage of Catholics continues to decrease in Peru. It was conducted by the Peruvian Studies Institute (known as IEP in Spanish), an independent social science think tank.

In its previous research, carried out in November of 2024, IEP had shown that 63.5 percent of the Peruvian people declared to be Catholic. Six months later – and after Cardinal Robert Prevost, a U.S.-born Peruvian national, was elected as the new pontiff – the percentage of Catholics fell to 60.2 percent.

In the same period, the proportion of Evangelicals grew from 8.4 percent in 2024 to 11.3 percent in 2025. The percentage of Peruvians who declared they don’t have any religion increased from 11.1 percent in 2024 to 11.9 percent in 2025.

Peruvians were also questioned about the feeling generated by the election of the first pontiff from Peru….

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For the outside world, it’s perhaps Pope Leo’s pleas for cease-fires in Gaza and Ukraine that have attracted the most attention since his election just over three weeks ago. For Catholic insiders, all manner of papal acts have generated reaction, from his sartorial touches, his use of sung Latin in public prayer, and even his few personnel moves.

For Italians, however, one moment above all from the new pontiff’s agenda has raised eyebrows: His May 27 audience with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, whose vicissitudes over the past five years, including his grudging withdrawal from the recent papal conclave, have formed the Vatican’s most riveting prime-time domestic soap opera.

Though the audience has been of interest here mostly in terms of what it might augur about Becciu’s personal fate, it also points to a decision about a key structural reform with deep historical roots.

It was Becciu, of course, whom Francis compelled…

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[See also the text of the lawsuit.]

The Brief

• A man is suing the Diocese of Orlando for $25 million and demanding a trial by jury after allegations of a pastor sexually abusing him and potentially others “for years.”
• The lawsuit also alleges that the church, school, parish and Diocese did nothing to stop it, even “commit[ing] willful acts of disregard and concealing” it.
• Police believe the alleged sexual abuse by the pastor may be linked to a deadly triple shooting in Palm Bay one year ago.

A man is suing the Diocese of Orlando for $25 million and demanding a trial by jury after allegations of a pastor sexually abusing him and potentially others “for years.”

Police believe the alleged sexual abuse by the pastor may be linked to a deadly triple shooting in Palm Bay one year ago. 

What happened?

What we know:

In a civil…

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[See also the text of the lawsuit. The original article includes video of previous WKMG reports.]

Over a year after a Florida priest was shot and killed in Palm Bay, a law firm has announced a lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando.

A January 2025 report suggests Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner may have abused the gunman, but plenty of questions remain.

Below is a timeline of events:

JAN. 28, 2024

Palm Bay police responded to the 400 block of Forgal Avenue NE for a domestic disturbance.

Police said two officers were wounded in a standoff with 24-year-old Brandon Kapas, who had shot and killed two people in the home.

JAN. 29, 2024

The Diocese of Orlando announced that Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner and his sister, Sally, were both “tragically murdered” in the shooting.

Police Chief Mariano Augello confirmed that one…

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Since the first sexual abuse allegations surfaced in 1991 against the founder of Fondacio, the lay community—now marking its 50th anniversary—has yet to fully confront its past. In 2024, current leaders launched an independent review commission, which is expected to release its findings in June 2026.

A “cloak of silence.” As Fondacio prepares to mark its 50th anniversary May 30, that’s the phrase current leaders use to describe the long-standing hush surrounding the early history of their Christian lay community.

To understand the silence surrounding allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse by the movement’s founder, one must go back half a century. The story begins in 1974 in Poitiers. Jean-Michel Rousseau, a newly converted Catholic in his thirties and a Ph.D. in economics, launched what he called the “Christian Community for Formation.” He had returned from the United States a few years earlier, deeply changed by his encounter with the…

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(OSV News) — As the Italian bishops’ conference released its latest figures of abuse victims over the last five years, one survivor who recently met with the Vatican’s abuse commission is calling for concrete action against a bishop accused of covering up his abuse — showing that the accountability battle is, for survivors, far from over.

In a telephone interview with OSV News May 23, Antonio Messina said he hoped to also meet with Pope Leo XIV and “ensure that my story, which I already reported to Pope Francis and (several) dicasteries, can actually be pursued and not ignored.”

“I hoped that my willingness to meet — because no one can give me back what was taken from me — will be useful both to the church and to victims who have suffered, to prevent others from suffering and that those who have suffered have the tools to move forward with a…

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A woman who is now an adult has reached a tentative settlement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in her lawsuit alleging she was sexually abused by two clergy members and a nun while she was a minor attending a Catholic church and school two decades ago.

Attorneys for the plaintiff, identified only as L.G., filed court papers Thursday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tiana Murillo notifying her of a “conditional” resolution of the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be filed by Sept. 1.

No terms were divulged.

The archdiocese released a statement regarding the accord, saying it was part of a global settlement of multiple cases.

“In this particular matter, claims regarding the individuals have not been found to be credible,” the statement read. “There is no Archdiocesan record of the named woman … at all. The matter remains under internal review while the…

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Roman Catholic bishops from the state of Washington have filed a lawsuit challenging a new law that forces them to violate the confessional seal, calling it “a blatant intrusion” on their First Amendment rights. 

The bishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and the Dioceses of Spokane and Yakima in Washington, along with Catholic priests in the state, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma on Thursday.

The lawsuit, which names Washington’s Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, Democratic Attorney General Nicholas Brown and every county prosecuting attorney in the state as defendants, alleges that Senate Bill 5375 is unconstitutional. 

The measure, signed into law by Ferguson earlier this month, adds members of the clergy to a list of professionals who are required to report instances of child abuse or neglect to law enforcement. Under the legislation,…

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Barely two weeks before Southern Baptists gather in Dallas for their annual meeting, another alleged sexual abuse case — this time involving a former student at a Georgia Baptist university — has surfaced.

The story includes the alleged grooming of Hayle Swinson of Americus, Ga., by Bradley Reynolds, then vice president of student services at Truett McConnell University. Her story began with innocent home basement Bible studies and mentoring that slowly progressed to holding hands during prayer and eventually placing his hands on her leg, caressing her back and later moving to her breasts and placing his hands in her pants, she says.

But it didn’t end there. Reynolds tried to convince Swinson that God had showed him in dreams that his wife was going to die and it was in God’s divine plan for them to marry and raise his children together, according to published accounts.

Reynolds, about 20 years…

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Lawsuit alleges murdered Palm Bay priest sexually abused children The murder of a Palm Bay priest has led to a new sexual abuse lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando.

PALM BAY, Fla. — The murder of a Palm Bay priest has led to a new sexual abuse lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando.

The victim in the lawsuit said he came forward after learning the Rev. Bob Hoeffner was murdered in January 2024.

According to police, the gunman, Brandon Kapas, killed Hoeffner and two others before Palm Bay police shot and killed Kapas.

On Friday, attorneys for Shawn Teuber filed a suit that claimed the diocese was aware Hoeffner was abusing children and engaged in a coverup.

Teuber said he was abused by Hoeffner and believes Kapas was also a victim of sexual abuse.

According to the lawsuit, Teuber was groomed by Hoeffner while he was a seventh…

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Prominent British Catholics have voiced grave concern about new government-backed legislation that will require Christian clergy to report information obtained during confessions about sexual abuse.

“Priests always try to comply with the law — but this won’t happen if that law contradicts Catholic teaching,” said Timothy Guile, chairman of the English Catholic History Association.

“No priest is going to risk excommunication by breaking the confessional seal — they’d sooner go to prison than bow to such demands. Once again, we face ministers and politicians with no knowledge or understanding of religious faith,” he said.

No Exceptions to Disclosure Obligation

The Catholic historian was reacting to confirmation by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government that “no exceptions” would be made to disclosure obligations under a major new Crime and Policing Bill.

In an OSV News interview, Guile said the bill amounted to “anti-Catholic legislation” and recalled repressive measures against the church dating…

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YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – In the face of histories of abuse and cover-up by the Church, a Catholic nun in Zambia has challenged Church leaders to stem the tide of abuse against women religious wherever and whenever it happens.

Sister Linah Siabana was speaking during the Symposium and 6th Annual General Meeting of the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) in South Africa that ended May 30.

Sexual violence, she explained, encompasses a range of actions that coerce and pressures individuals into engaging in unwanted sexual activities.

“These can manifest in various forms including physical violence, emotional manipulation, or overarching power dynamics that inhibit a person’s capacity to give informed consent,” she said.

She said the tactics used may involve intimidation, threats or grooming behaviors that further complicate the victim’s ability to resist or report the abuse.

“Understanding the peculiarity of sexual abuse is crucial for recognizing the…

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According to a report released May 28, Italian dioceses recorded 69 cases of abuse involving minors or vulnerable adults in 2023 and 2024—a rise compared to 2022. The Italian bishops’ conference said the increase reflects “the emergence of incidents that had previously remained hidden.”

Italian dioceses reported 69 cases of abuse involving minors or vulnerable adults in 2023 and 2024, most occurring in parish settings, according to a report released Wednesday, May 28, by the Italian bishops’ conference.

The 98-page document, which reviews efforts to combat sexual abuse in the Italian Church, details 69 cases involving 118 alleged victims—one-third of whom were between the ages of 10 and 14.

By comparison, a 2022 report recorded 32 cases and 54 potential victims. Of the 69 recent cases, 11 involved sexual relations, 19 involved sexual assault, and 25 involved inappropriate touching.

Further reading: Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church: the Italian exception

…

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A lawsuit seeks “not less than $25 million” in damages from the Diocese or Orlando for alleged negligence.

A New York man filed a lawsuit Friday against the Diocese of Orlando alleging he was molested by a priest while a student at a Catholic school in Brevard County — the same priest who was killed last year by his childhood friend.

The lawsuit seeks “not less than $25 million” in damages from the diocese for alleged negligence “arising from the sexual abuse of a child” by Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner, 76, who was shot to death Jan. 28, 2024, in his Palm Bay home.

Hoeffner had spent 25 years in Orlando parishes, including a stint as a teacher at Bishop Moore Catholic High School, before taking a post in Brevard. He retired in 2016.

The lawsuit claims the diocese was warned of Hoeffner’s inappropriate behavior with young…

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• The lawsuit alleges that priest Father Robert Hoeffner sexually abused boys.
• One of the alleged victims, Shawn Teuber, is now suing the diocese and claims Hoeffner used confession to coerce him into sexual acts.
• Brandon Kapas killed Hoeffner, Hoeffner’s sister, and his own grandfather before being killed in a shootout with police in January 2024.

A lawsuit against the Orlando Diocese of the Catholic Church was filed by a Boca Raton law firm on May 30, alleging negligence was committed by a Brevard County priest who was murdered in January 2024.

Jeff Herman of Herman Law firm, which represents sexual abuse survivors, announced at a press conference in Orlando that he is filing the suit on behalf of an alleged survivor who was childhood friends with Brandon Kapas, the man who killed Robert “Father Bob” Hoeffner.

The lawsuit alleges negligence by the Diocese of Orlando and St. Joseph Catholic Church and St….

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NCTR, May 29 2025

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG, May 29, 2025 – The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Oblates of OMI Lacombe Canada (the Oblates) continue their collaborative efforts to ensure residential school Survivors, their families, and communities have access to critical historical Oblate documents.

For several years, the NCTR has worked in collaboration with OMI Lacombe to acquire Oblate residential school records from various archival sources and expedite access to critical historical documents, including personnel files of Oblate members who worked in residential schools in Canada. These records are vital for families and communities as they continue their research on residential school Survivors and the children who never made it home.

Through research, agreements and dialogue with the Oblates of OMI Lacombe, the NCTR has created a list of Oblate priests and brothers who participated in the administration and/or operations of these schools. Many of the…

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Today, Herman Law held a press conference to announce our lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando and associated institutions, highlighting the institutional failures that allowed Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner to abuse our client. Attorney Jeff Herman stood alongside our courageous client as he bravely shared his story and called for accountability. 

Read the full press release below.

ORLANDO, FL — May 30, 2025 — In a powerful press conference today, a survivor of child sexual abuse courageously shared his story and detailed new evidence against the late Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner, who served for nearly two decades at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Palm Bay, Florida. The evidence was presented by Jeff Herman and his team at Herman Law, as part of a new civil lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County, Florida.

The complaint, filed on behalf of 26-year-old Shawn Teuber,…

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Canadian researchers and advocates have published a list of more than 100 priests and religious workers who served in the country’s controversial Indigenous “residential schools” that operated there for more than a century. 

The National Center for Truth and Reconciliation — a nonprofit that collects and publishes information on the Indigenous school system — said in a Thursday press release that it had created “a list of Oblate priests and brothers who participated in the administration and/or operations” of the schools. 

The list was live on the group’s website as of Friday, complete with “personnel profiles and links to the schools where the Oblate members served,” the group said. 

Long a source of historical tension in Canada, the residential schools — the last of which closed in the 1990s — have been criticized for their aim of turning Native American children away from Indigenous…

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — James Talbot, a former Catholic priest convicted of sexually assaulting boys in Maine and Massachusetts after he was exposed by the investigation highlighted in the movie “Spotlight,” has died. He was 87.

Talbot, a former Jesuit, appeared on a list provided by the religious order of northeastern Jesuits who faced credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Talbot died on Feb. 28 at a hospice center in St. Louis, said Mike Gabriele, a spokesperson for Jesuits USA East.

Talbot was one of the subjects of The Boston Globe’s investigation into priest sexual abuse that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 and was adapted into the 2015 movie “Spotlight.” The investigation revealed widespread sexual abuse, and coverup of that abuse, within the Catholic Church. Jesuits USA East did not offer a comment about Talbot’s death.

He pleaded guilty in 2018 to gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual…

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Victims of the abusive priest James Talbot want it known far and wide what the Jesuits did not tell them: he’s dead.

When Jim Scanlan heard that the priest who raped him and so many others had died, he was surprised at his own reaction.

It wasn’t relief or anger or a fist-shaking “Yes!”

It was indifference.

James Talbot, who as a priest raped Scanlan and other boys when he taught at Boston College High School, then raped more boys after he was quietly shipped from Boston to Maine, was not worthy of an emotion so intense, so draining, so overwhelming, as hate; that Talbot simply is not deserving of Jim Scanlan’s deepest feelings.

“There’s an old saying, and I didn’t know what it meant until now. ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,’ ” Scanlan said.

Nonetheless that anger, that sense of enduring grievance, did eventually well…

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The Vatican confirms the Diocese of Charlotte’s decision to remove Father Patrick Hoare for alleged boundary violations with minors.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Vatican has upheld the Diocese of Charlotte’s decision to remove a priest from his pastoral role following allegations of violations with minors, ending a years-long appeals process, Bishop Michael T. Martin announced.

Father Patrick Hoare was removed as pastor of St. Matthew Parish in 2020 after the diocese’s Lay Review Board concluded that claims of boundary violations with minors had “a semblance of truth.” Hoare appealed the decision to the Holy See in Rome, which has now ruled that his removal was in accordance with canon law.

Martin said he will appoint a new pastor for St. Matthew Parish in the coming days, ending a period during which Father John Allen has served as interim administrator since 2019.

The review board examined three complaints…

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Shares outcome of canonical proceedings involving Father Patrick Hoare

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., issued the following statement May 29 to members of St. Matthew Parish about their former pastor, Father Patrick Hoare, who has been on administrative leave since December 2019:

Dear St. Matthew parishioners,

I am writing to share news about Father Patrick Hoare and the pastoral leadership of St. Matthew Parish.

As Bishop Peter Jugis shared with you in 2020, Father Hoare was removed as your pastor after the diocese’s Lay Review Board (LRB) reviewed specific claims of boundary violations with minors by Father Hoare and concluded that they had a semblance of truth. The LRB is an advisory group mandated by particular ecclesiastical law and its members are appointed by the diocesan bishop. The LRB is to independently evaluate claims of misconduct by clergy and other diocesan employees and to make recommendations to the…

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The Rev. Patrick Hoare’s removal as pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church amid accusations of misconduct involving youth was justified under church law, the Vatican City-based government of the Roman Catholic Church has ruled.

St. Matthew in Ballantyne is the largest Catholic parish in Charlotte and among the biggest in the U.S.

Charlotte Catholic Bishop Michael Martin revealed the Holy See’s ruling in a statement to St. Matthew parishioners published Thursday in the diocesan newspaper, Catholic News Herald.

The Holy See ruled on Hoare’s appeal of his removal in 2020 by then-Charlotte Catholic Bishop Peter Jugis.

Allegations against popular priest

Hoare’s removal followed a review by the diocese’s Lay Review Board of “specific claims of boundary violations with minors.” The board found “a semblance of truth” to the allegations, Martin wrote.

Jugis placed Hoare on administrative leave in December 2019 based on decades-old allegations of sexual abuse of a minor…

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Claudine*,a retired nurse who was raped by a chaplain when she was young, is one of the pioneers. “In 2019, after the publication of an article about abuse at our lycée, we got together as victims. We were scattered all over France. We organized a meeting, which was very warm and involved a lot of listening. Our group of ten people was received by CIASE in February 2020. I was in Lourdes when the bishops acknowledged the Church had done wrong, and I went to Paris when CIASE issued its report. So I saw the birth of the INIRR, to which I decided to take my case in January 2022.

Michel* was abused at a very young age by a nun. He worked as a psychotherapist and was also one of the pioneers. “When I first heard about the Sauvé Commission [named…

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Former members of a suppressed scandal-plagued Peruvian lay group, along with peasants who claim to have been routinely harassed by the same group, have issued a joint call for justice, reparation and a meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

On May 29, members of the Castillo and Catacaos peasant farming commune in Piura, Peru, stood side-by-side with former members of the Soldalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), to decry abuses and alleged financial corruption of the outfit, and to advocate for civil and ecclesial action.

The SCV, founded by Peruvian layman Luis Fernando Figari in 1971, was once one of the most powerful ecclesial movements in Latin America, with consecrated and lay members, before scandals erupted in 2015 involving decades of various abuses inside the group, including the sexual abuse of minors.

Figari was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2017, and papally-mandated leadership was appointed to reform the group. Pope Francis in July 2023 sent…

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Victim to testify against Father Robert Hoeffner, attorney says

On Friday, Herman Law is set to hold a news conference to announce a lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando amid new child sexual abuse allegations against a late priest.

Palm Bay Police said 24-year-old Brandon Kapas shot and killed Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner, 76, and his sister, Sally Hoeffner, 69, inside their home in January 2024.

A year later, a report revealed that sexual abuse may have led to the shooting, including a folder with notes about abuse that was found at the crime scene.

Hoeffner served for nearly two decades at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Palm Bay.

According to a news release, a victim will share their story during Friday’s news conference, alongside statements from Jeff Herman, a nationally-recognized attorney and advocate for survivors of sexual abuse.

The news conference is set…

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A now former New Jersey high school teacher is accused of secretly recording girls at two different malls, and at least one student at the Catholic school where he worked.

Axel Palomares, 50, was arrested on Tuesday following the execution of a search warrant at his home in Morristown, authorities announced. He’s facing multiple charges including creating and possessing child sex abuse material.

Prior to his arrest, Palomares taught Spanish and coached the girls soccer team at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, according to NJ.com.

An investigation into Palomares began in December after authorities received a tip regarding a user on the Kik chat app talking about his illicit recordings and having fantasies of abusing kids.

Amid their investigation, law enforcement learned that Palomares had been seen on surveillance video “spending a considerable amount of time” in bathrooms at the Bridgewater Commons, according…

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The “quiet revival” in Britain, especially among younger men, may well be occurring in the Republic of Ireland as well, with new research suggesting increasingly favourable attitudes towards Christianity in the country, albeit with a fair amount of suspicion towards the Roman Catholic Church.

A poll of a 1,000 people commissioned by The Iona Institute, and carried out by Amarach Research, discovered that Gen Z (18 to 24 years-old) are more open to faith than Millennials (25 to 34 years old).

A majority of people in Ireland (61 per cent) described themselves as religious or spiritual in some way. The vast majority of the Irish population still identifies as Roman Catholic, however only about 16 per cent said they went to mass regularly.

Just over a fifth of respondents said they were not Catholic, with a quarter said they would not object if the Catholic Church were…

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A 74-year-old pedophile and former surgeon was given a maximum 20-year prison sentence on Wednesday by a French court for the sexual assault of hundreds of patients, mostly children, over more than two decades. Joël Le Scouarnec was sentenced after admitting raping and sexually assaulting 299 victims.

A 74-year-old former surgeon was given a maximum 20-year prison sentence Wednesday by a French court for the rape and sexual assault of hundreds of patients, mostly children, over more than two decades.

Joël Le Scouarnec was sentenced after admitting molesting nearly 300 victims in one of the country’s largest-ever child sex abuse cases, which has raised questions about how he was able to abuse so many, for so long.

Judges followed the public prosecutor’s recommendations regarding the length of the sentence, and the criminal court of Morbihan, in western France, ordered that Le Scouarnec should serve at least two-thirds of the punishment…

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Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny, who led the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, through some of its most turbulent years, died at his home in Beaverton May 23. He was 88.

Public visitation for Archbishop Vlazny will take place June 5 at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, with a vigil service that evening, Hillsboro News Times reported. A funeral Mass will be held June 6 and livestreamed on the archdiocese’s website.

Born in Chicago and ordained a priest in 1961, Archbishop Vlazny spent over five decades in active ministry, serving in key leadership roles across the country. His assignments took him from auxiliary bishop in his native Archdiocese of Chicago, to the Diocese of Winona in Minnesota, and ultimately to Oregon, where he became Portland’s archbishop in 1997.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

His 16-year tenure in Portland was defined by conducting pastoral outreach and responding to…

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Groups alleging enduring multiple abuses from the former Catholic organization Sodalitium Christian Vitae, joined efforts on Thursday asking the church to make public it’s investigation.

Speaking in the Peruvian capital Lima, they called on Pope Leo XIV and the Peruvian government to hear their plea and continue a serious investigation of their accusations.

They are also demanding that the Peruvian government liaise with the U.S. authorities, as the Sodalitium is also based in Denver.

These groups already have a history with Pope Leo XIV, who acting as priest and bishop Robert Prevost during his decades in Peru, heard their cases and took them to Pope Francis.

Francis sided with the victims and along with Prevost, investigated the cases and dissolved the Sodalitium Christian Vitae.

The groups are now requesting Pope Leo make public the decree to dissolve the Sodalitium.

The Sodalitium is a lay group that runs schools and spiritual…

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Since the first sexual abuse allegations surfaced in 1991 against the founder of Fondacio, the lay community—now marking its 50th anniversary—has yet to fully confront its past. In 2024, current leaders launched an independent review commission, which is expected to release its findings in June 2026.

A “cloak of silence.” As Fondacio prepares to mark its 50th anniversary May 30, that’s the phrase current leaders use to describe the long-standing hush surrounding the early history of their Christian lay community.

To understand the silence surrounding allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse by the movement’s founder, one must go back half a century. The story begins in 1974 in Poitiers. Jean-Michel Rousseau, a newly converted Catholic in his thirties and a Ph.D. in economics, launched what he called the “Christian Community for Formation.” He had returned from the United States a few years earlier, deeply changed by his encounter with the…

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Washington’s Catholic leaders sued state leaders and county prosecutors Thursday, alleging that a controversial new law requiring priests to break the confessional seal to report suspected child abuse is “a brazen act of religious discrimination.”

The new law adds clergy to a list of other professions, such as health care workers and school personnel, who are mandatory reporters of abuse. But the church’s lawsuit pushes back on a provision of the law that does not allow carve-outs for things said during confession, and exposes priests to potential arrest. 

That decision by lawmakers violates the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, alleges the lawsuit filed in Tacoma’s federal court by leaders and priests in Washington’s three archdioceses, including Seattle archbishop Paul Etienne. It names Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown and a host of local law enforcement officials, who could…

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They argue it is unconstitutional to force Catholic priests to divulge information learned in confession.

Washington’s leading Catholic bishops filed a lawsuit Thursday contending the new state law requiring religious leaders to report child abuse or neglect, even when it is disclosed in confession, is unconstitutional and should be invalidated.

They argue the law violates their First Amendment right to practice religion free of government interference, and is religious discrimination because it will force priests to violate their sacred vows or face punishment by the state.

It also violates a provision of the state constitution guaranteeing “freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship,” they assert.

They want the law set aside and an injunction barring criminal investigations or prosecution of Roman Catholic clergy for not divulging information learned in confession.

The new law “puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of…

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‘The sacramental seal is inviolable’

The bishops of Washington filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a new state law that requires priests to violate the seal of confession if they suspect the abuse of minors.

The May 29 lawsuit argues that the new law violates First Amendment religious freedom protections, as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Washington constitution.

“Confession offers the faithful a confidential space to seek God’s mercy and guidance. This trust is sacred, and any law that jeopardizes it risks discouraging those who recognize the harm they have caused from seeking moral guidance,” said Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington Catholic Conference, in a statement.

The suit argues that the law constitutes religious discrimination, because it demands that priests violate the norms of the Catholic Church to adhere to the reporting requirements, while at the same time explicitly exempting multiple other groups…

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Despite Pope Leo XIV’s troubling start, survivors and advocates worldwide are demanding more than words—they’re demanding justice, transparency and true reform from the Catholic Church.

When Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 9, 2025, survivors of clergy sexual abuse around the world looked on—not with awe, but with apprehension.

His election, rather than ushering in an era of accountability and healing, has reopened wounds. Many had hoped for a papacy rooted in reckoning, but instead, we have received familiar deflections—denials of personal responsibility for cases that unfolded under his leadership in past roles. Rather than acknowledging institutional failures or the human suffering caused, he has opted for self-preservation over repentance, speaking in guarded tones that prioritize the Church’s reputation over the voices of its most wounded.

Yet, paradoxically, survivors must hold on to hope—not because of what has been said, but because of…

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(OSV News) — Washington state’s bishops filed a lawsuit May 29 over a new law requiring clergy to report child abuse or neglect without exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege.

First reported by The Pillar, the lawsuit is in response to Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson’s approval of Senate Bill 5375 earlier the same month, which designated members of the clergy as mandatory reporters, or people required by law to report suspected or known instances of child abuse or neglect.

The requirements of the legislation signed into law did not include an exception for sacramental confessions. Other mandatory reporters in Washington state include school personnel, nurses, social service counselors and psychologists.

Clergy-Penitent Exceptions

While some have argued the bill addresses an important omission from the state’s list of mandatory reporters, others have expressed concern that without exceptions for the clergy-penitent privilege, as similar laws in other states have, Washington state’s law could place Catholic priests…

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A California consulting firm that handles data of some clergy abuse cases says it paid hackers a ransom to delete data involving abuse survivors after a security breach earlier this year. 

The Emeryville, California-based Berkeley Research Group (BRG) offers corporate finance and economic consulting, including to Catholic dioceses in bankruptcy proceedings. In March the company suffered an incursion that exposed data of Catholic clergy abuse survivors in nearly a dozen bankruptcy lawsuits. 

Regulators were only informed of the breach at the end of April. The U.S. government earlier this month demanded the company provide information on each affected case as well as clarify why the company “delayed two months” before notifying trustees and whether or not the company has contacted federal law enforcement over the breach. 

In a letter last week, attorneys representing the Berkeley group responded to the government’s query, stipulating that the company…

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• Alan Buresh, a former ELCA pastor, exhibited a pattern of abusive behavior towards multiple women, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation shows.
• One woman said she reported his actions to church leaders, but he was allowed to continue ministering for years.
• The ELCA disputes the claims and says it responded promptly to the first complaint received in 2017.
• Experts say churches are often slow to address adult abuse by clergy.

One afternoon in February 2022, Evelyn went to her back door to let her dog out. 

There was still snow on the ground in Davenport, Iowa, as she made her way through her home. Her child was away for the day. The house was quiet. 

But when she opened the door, Alan Buresh, a man she had been dating for several years, was waiting outside. Brandishing a gun, he forced her back inside the home. 

Buresh had cut off his ankle monitor, placed there…

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The Catholic bishops of Washington state filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a new law that requires priests to report child abuse learned during the sacrament of confession or face jail time and fines. 

The suit, filed by the Archdiocese of Seattle and the dioceses of Spokane and Yakima, argues that the law violates the free exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment by infringing on the sacred seal of confession. The suit also claims the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment as well as the Washington Constitution.

Signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 2, the law goes into effect July 27 and adds clergy to Washington’s list of mandatory reporters for child abuse but explicitly denies them the “privileged communication” exemption granted to other professionals, such as nurses and therapists. 

Priests who fail to report abuse learned in confession…

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They argue it is unconstitutional to force Catholic priests to divulge information learned in confession.

Gov. Bob Ferguson, at podium, goes to shake hands with state Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, at the signing of a bill to make clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, on May 2, 2025 in Olympia. At center is Mary Dispenza, a founding member of the Catholic Accountability Project. (Photo by Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

Washington’s leading Catholic bishops filed a lawsuit Thursday contending the new state law requiring religious leaders to report child abuse or neglect, even when it is disclosed in confession, is unconstitutional and should be invalidated.

They argue the law violates their First Amendment right to practice religion free of government interference, and is religious discrimination because it will force…

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Catholics bishops from the State of Washington have filed a lawsuit challenging a law requiring Catholic priests to break the confessional seal to report information about suspected child abuse or neglect.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson (D), himself a Catholic, recently signed legislation singling out Catholic clergy as “supervisors” who cannot use legal privileges to defend themselves from its reporting requirements for child abuse investigations.

It grants protections to other professions including nurses and therapists, exempting them from having to report such information. The law is set to go into effect in July.

The bishops of Washington’s lawsuit filed on Thursday argues that the new law violates First Amendment protections, the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, and Washington’s constitution. Catholic news website The Pillar first reported on the lawsuit.

“Washington is targeting the Roman Catholic Church in a brazen act of religious discrimination. Without any basis in law or…

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Finding Cardinal O’Malley’s replacement to deal with sexual abuse and finishing the suppression of the Sodalitium are shaping Leo XIV’s first weeks as Pope.

The future of Tutela Minorum. Will Leo XIV keep Cardinal O’Malley dealing with sexual abuse after he turns 81?

How deep will Leo XIV go on the suppression of the Sodalitium? There is the risk of bishops dragging their feet on that issue and on sexual abuse at large.

The week after Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration has been, for the most part, one of joy for the Catholic Church. The new Pope has been able to seize the hopes and expectations of vast portions of his flock.

As the previous installment of this series proved, the many wings in his Church do their best to render Leo XIV as one of their own going over his statements as prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops in Rome, as…

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A quick look at the first appointments and audiences at the outset of a new papacy offers a small insight into the new system and indicates what is on the mind of the new Pope in terms of pastoral and administrative priorities.

As Pope Leo XIV approaches nearly a month at the helm of the Catholic Church, with more than two weeks of scheduling meetings and making various initial decisions – beyond the expected meetings with state leaders in town for his election and installation activities – his top priorities are already beginning to take shape.

On the whole, they seem to indicate his intention to carry on the unfinished business of the Francis papacy, from finances to the abuse crisis to the reform of the Roman Curia.

One of the most notable meetings came on Tuesday, May 27, when Pope Leo held a private meeting with the disgraced Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, who…

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MIDDLESEX COUNTY, New Jersey (WABC) — A teacher working at a Catholic high school in Edison, New Jersey has been accused of creating child porn.

Axel Palomares, 50, a Spanish teacher and girls’ soccer coach at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, has been arrested and charged with creating and possessing child sexual abuse material, child endangerment, and invasion of privacy.

Detective Ken McGarry of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit opened an investigation into Palomares after receiving a tip from one of the apps police say the suspect was using to share his illicit exploits.

The warrant alleges that from April 2022 to at least March 2025, Palomares sexually abused students and taped said abuse in his classroom. Police claim that Palomares secretly photographed and filmed images of unaware undergarment-clad children and students in compromising positions at the school and at stores and restrooms at Bridgewater and Short Hills malls.

On…

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Italy’s Catholic Church on Wednesday reported a rise in the number of suspected victims of abuse, mostly at the hands of priests, with 115 cases over the course of 2023-2024.The figure, which includes as many as 21 children under 10 and 35 “vulnerable adults,” compares with 89 alleged victims reported for 2020-2021 and 54 for the year 2022.

The suspected cases were linked to 67 alleged perpetrators, including 44 priests, 15 members of religious orders and eight laypersons, a report by the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) showed.

The global Catholic Church has been shaken for decades by scandals involving paedophile priests and the covering up of their crimes, triggering a crisis that is among the major challenges facing newly elected Pope Leo XIV.

Italy is one of the countries whose local bishops have been more reluctant to confront the issue, compared to other churches in Europe and North America.

The…

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• Rhode Island lawmakers are reconsidering legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits, potentially allowing victims to sue decades after the alleged abuse.
• Attorney General Peter Neronha’s long-awaited report on the extent of clergy sex abuse in Rhode Island is expected to be released early this summer.
• Several former priests have been indicted on child sex abuse charges, but their cases are progressing slowly through the courts.

The long-running campaign to remove legal barriers to lawsuits against priests and others who sexually abused children decades ago has resumed at the Rhode Island State House.

On the night of May 27, a now-familiar group of victims recounted, on camera, what was done to them when they were children.

They included well-known Rhode Island Dr. Herbert “Hub” Brennan, who year after year has recounted being pulled out of a third-grade class by the nuns and…

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For too long, Christian leaders have ignored or covered up abuse.

When I was in high school, and still underage, my health teacher tried to seduce me. Right there in class, in the normal chaos between bells, he rubbed my legs and whispered an invitation in my ear.

I thought it was hilarious and gross. A typical teenager who felt more grown-up than I was, I never reported it to the school or to authorities. In the culture I grew up in, I was made well aware of what we then called “dirty old men.” I shrugged it off.

RELATED:Why faith-based groups are prone to sexual abuse and how they can get ahead of it

Some years later, when I better understood the gravity of such abusive behavior, I wrote about the experience in an essay published by my local newspaper. I didn’t name the teacher…

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Gareld Duane Rollins, whose lawsuit accusing a legendary Southern Baptist leader of abuse sparked a crisis in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, died Friday.

“The abuse he suffered by those touting their religion is unimaginable,” said Michael Goldberg, an attorney for law firm Baker Botts, which represented Rollins. “This could not have happened if not for supposed good people keeping quiet. There are no innocent bystanders.”

News of Rollins’ death was first made public by journalist Robert Downen, who had covered Rollins’ lawsuit against Texas judge Paul Pressler, an influential Southern Baptist Convention lay leader, for years.

Downen, a senior writer for Texas Monthly, said Rollins, who had long suffered from health issues and was in his late 50s, had been in hospice care the last time the two had talked. Still, his death came as a shock.

“His life was cut short just as he was freeing…

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Gareld Duane Rollins, whose allegations of abuse by Houston judge Paul Pressler were ignored for decades by leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention, died May 23, according to Robert Downen, the journalist who reported on his case more than anyone else.

“Duane was one of the kindest and most courageous people I’ve ever met. I am absolutely devastated by this news, but am so honored to have been so close to him, and that he trusted me for eight years with his story,” wrote Downen, former reporter for the Houston Chronicle who now writes for Texas Monthly.

Downen said he learned of Rollins’ death from his attorney, who said Rollins died from cardiac arrest. “Duane had dealt for a long time with serious health issues stemming from addictions that were directly related to the trauma of his abuse,” Downen explained.

The reporter noted the irony that he learned of Rollins’ death just hours before the Texas…

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In September 2023, the Catholic Church in Switzerland was plunged into a crisis from which it has yet to emerge. Could a new pope help Swiss Catholics to find a way out?

The turmoil began when the Swiss bishops’ conference confirmed that the Vatican had authorized a preliminary investigation into claims against six members. Five were accused of mishandling abuse cases, while a sixth faced sexual harassment allegations.

The news broke days before the publication of an independent pilot study on abuse in the Catholic Church in Switzerland, commissioned by the bishops’ conference and compiled by the University of Zurich. The study, which documented 1,002 cases of clerical abuse since 1950, prompted a public outcry.

The Swiss bishops’ conference said in October 2024, that it had received a letter from the Vatican announcing the results of the preliminary investigation. The letter was from the Dicastery for Bishops, led by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now…

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Accused has sentence reduced on appeal as court says relationship was consensual

A parish priest who defiled a 15-year-old girl who happened to be the sacristan’s niece will serve 20 months of jail time, a court of appeal has ruled. 

The court reduced the original 42-month prison term that the priest was sentenced to when he was found guilty of the crime.  

Both the names of the priest and the alleged victim were banned from publication, along with the details of the location where the events took place. 

The priest was originally sentenced in March of this year, with the court also permanently banning him from working with minors and listing his name on a register of sex offenders. 

The priest appealed the decision and that appeal was heard and reviewed by Judge Neville Camilleri.

The events date back to June 2017, when the girl, 15 at the time, would…

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Colombia’s Constitutional Court ordered the Catholic Church to share information about child sex abuse with journalists if asked to do so.

The court ruling came in response to more than 120 lawsuits that had been filed by journalists investigating sexual abuse by members of the church.

Despite the church’s frequent refusal to respond to information requests, these journalists have revealed 517 cases of sexual abuse by clergymen.

The court was asked to rule on approximately 50 lawsuits referring to rejected information requests in April of 2023.

While the court was studying the case, journalists filed another 70 lawsuits, claiming that the church claimed that it could not release information on the identity of alleged child molesters because of the Vatican’s Rule of Pontifical Secrecy, which codifies what information churches may or may not release.

Late Pope Francis lifted this code of secrecy in sexual abuse cases in December 2019, but…

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Rights activists hail President Horta for not pardoning Richard Daschbach, say decision ‘honors voices of survivors’

Timor-Leste’s president has rejected a plea for clemency submitted on behalf of a former Catholic priest convicted of sexually abusing minors, despite a government recommendation.

Richard Daschbach, a defrocked American, was among 38 people considered for the presidential executive clemency, according to the country’s justice ministry. The 88-year-old is serving a 12-year sentence for sexually abusing young Timor girls under his care at a remote orphanage.

President José Ramos-Horta, on May 27, confirmed at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Dili that Daschbach was not included on his annual list of prisoner pardons, which was granted to six individuals.

“The government usually submits a long list of clemency recommendations,” Horta said. “But I focus on what I believe is just.”

The president…

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There is need for Catholic Church leaders in Africa to address the challenge of sexual abuse against women Religious wherever and whenever it happens, fostering the values of justice, transparency, and healing, a Zambian Catholic Nun has said.

In her presentation during the ongoing Symposium and 6th Annual General Meeting of the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) in South Africa, Sr. Linah Siabana underscored the Church’s moral responsibility to uphold the safety and rights of all people, and cautioned against institutional silence.

“Sexual abuse represents a profound and hallowing failure to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Sr. Siabana said on May 24.

Highlighting the role of Catholic Church leaders as “stewards of human dignity”, the Zambian-born member of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA) said, “We bear a collective responsibility to ensure that our conduct consistently safeguards the rights and well-being of those…

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ROME – As with any new papacy, a quick look at their first appointments and audiences inside the system offers at least a small insight into what is first and foremost on their minds in terms of pastoral and administrative priorities.

For Pope Leo XIV, with nearly a month at the helm and around two weeks of scheduling meetings and making some initial decisions, beyond the expected meetings with state leaders in town for his election and installation activities, his top priorities are already beginning to take shape.

On the whole, they seem to indicate his intention to carry on the unfinished business of the Francis papacy, from finances to the abuse crisis to the reform of the Roman Curia.

One of the most notable meetings came Tuesday, May 27, when Pope Leo held a private meeting with the disgraced Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, who in December 2023 was…

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A 41-year-old former Worship Minister at the Calumet Street Christian Church in Centralia has been sentenced to four years’ probation on five felony counts of child pornography.

As part of the plea, Ian Mophet was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 and to have no devices that connect to the internet.

Judge Mark Kelly told the court he felt Mophet should be sentenced to prison, but state sentencing guidelines suggested probation was appropriate since Mophet had a clean record before his arrest in this case.  However, the judge warned any other infraction would likely send him to prison.

State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth asked for an eleven-year prison term, and while disappointed, he understands the judge’s rationale.

Mophet entered eight letters from family members and friends in support of him not being sentenced to a prison term.  He also made a statement in allocution to the judge.

…

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Friday, May 23, 2025

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

A Colorado man was sentenced today to 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, most recently of Littleton, founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys — a home for orphaned, impoverished, and otherwise vulnerable children in Haiti — in 1985 and operated it for more than two decades. During this time, Geilenfeld repeatedly traveled from the United States to Haiti, where he sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care. He also physically and emotionally abused the children in the home, including through physical assault and other forms of punishment.

In February 2025, a federal jury convicted Geilenfeld of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and…

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One by one they spoke of their pain, their nightmares and shame, and the suicidal thoughts.

Amid pleas for psychological help and justice, they described how the American founder of their Port-au-Prince orphanage lured them in with promise of an education and a better life. But Michael Karl Geilenfeld, who operated several orphanages and a home for the disabled in Haiti over a span of 30 years, was no “man of God,” the 10 men told a U.S. federal judge inside a Miami court room.

Instead, he was a criminal, a “diabolical psychopath,” who used cookies and trips to the U.S. to steal their childhood as he sexually and physically abused them. Then he used his power, money and the white color of his skin to shut them down when they tried to get help.

“This orphanage destroyed my childhood,” a 24-year-old testified on Friday morning about the St. Joseph’s…

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Legislation won unanimous final approval in the House on Monday.

Texas is on the verge of banning the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence sexual abuse survivors.

The ban will prevent NDAs from being used to prevent a survivor of sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, human trafficking or child sexual abuse from disclosing their abuse to others.

It will go into effect on Sept. 1.

The proposal — known as Trey’s Law — gained support after victims of church sex abuse went public with their experiences. Texas House members voted 144-0 on Monday to give final approval to the ban, which has been spearheaded by two North Texas lawmakers.

The vote sends Senate Bill 835, authored by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

“I believe very strongly that this bill that we’re about to vote on is one of the, if not the strongest, bill for…

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Hartford, CT—On Wednesday, the United States Bankruptcy Court in Hartford confirmed the Diocese of Norwich’s Joint Plan of Reorganization, marking the official emergence of The Norwich Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation from chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Honorable Judge James J. Tancredi presided over the confirmation hearing, held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., and approved the plan on the record at the hearing, subject to entry of an order confirming the plan to be submitted by the parties.

The confirmed Joint Plan was proposed by the Norwich Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation; the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, representing the interests of survivors, The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, and the Association of Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut.

The Joint Plan establishes a settlement fund of approximately $31 million. This includes contributions from Diocesan assets and sale proceeds from Diocesan properties, non-debtor assets and properties,…

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[See the bishop’s original letter here.]

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today marks a solemn and significant moment in the history of the Diocese of Norwich. After nearly four years of prayer, perseverance, and painstaking effort, the United States Bankruptcy Court in Hartford has approved the Diocese’s Joint Plan of Reorganization—subject to entry of an order confirming the plan to be submitted by the parties, bringing our chapter 11 case to a formal close.

It has been a long and painful road, especially for the survivors of sexual abuse. To each of you, I offer my deepest and most heartfelt apology. You were betrayed by those you and your families trusted and found harm; that should never have happened.

This Joint Plan, the result of extensive work among the Diocese, survivors and their counsel, the Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, the Association of Parishes, and others,…

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A new Washington state law brings religion and government face to face in the fight against child abuse, where principles and protections are tested.

Child abuse is a subject which can get everyone stirred up. This is mostly because people can’t imagine seeing someone harm a child in any way. It would be like someone going around and stealing innocence from our communities and that is a big problem. 

Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375 into law on May 2, which mandates religious leaders including, clergy, imams and elders to report suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth and Families. This law will go into effect on July 27, 2025. 

Taking this at face value, anyone would agree this is a good thing, as no one wants children to be abused. However, there is still the matter of separation between…

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Majestic Theater in West Springfield MA

Thursday, June 26 • 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Friday, June 27 • 7:30PM

Winner of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association awards for 2024 Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Solo Performance, Unreconciled is the true story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a Catholic school play directed by a parish priest. Majestic regular Jay Sefton (A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Ladyslipper, Outside Mullingar, Million Dollar Quartet) takes us on a magic carpet ride through parental love and bewilderment during difficult times in this moving portrait of working class life in a whiskey-drenched, sports-crazed suburb of Philadelphia in 1980s.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette writes: “Sefton put on an acting clinic. It all added up to one of the most amazing pieces of acting I’ve ever seen. It was also funny as hell and very moving.” This award-winning show is currently performing in theatres across the…

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May 30-31, 2025

Hybrid Conference: Online and at University of California, Riverside

• Survivor Experiences in Litigation
• Legislative Advocacy and Systemic Legal Change
• How Can Scholars Do This Research?

This hybrid conference event on May 30-31, 2025 brings together survivors, scholars, and advocates to examine justice-seeking through litigation in cases of religious institutional sexual abuse. Featuring first-person accounts of judicial proceedings, strategies for systemic change, and crucial discussions on navigating institutional barriers when confronting abuse and religious organizational responses.

Featured Keynote Speakers: Gustavo Arellano, John Manly, and Suzanna Krivulskaya

Hosted by the Religion & Sexual Abuse Project, and generously supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.

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A pope from the United States. That was the biggest surprise on May 8 when the new pontiff, Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost, was announced as Pope Leo XIV.

It was quite the surprise, but it is important not to make too much of Leo’s nationality. For one thing, Prevost hadn’t lived in the United States for decades. He was the head of his Augustinian order in Rome from 2001 until 2013, when Pope Francis sent him to lead a diocese in Peru. Prevost had served as a missionary in Peru early in his priesthood. In 2023, after a decade in the leadership of the Peruvian diocese of Chicalayo, Prevost returned to Rome to head the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops.

Leo, in short, spent the majority of his adult life outside of the United States.

Yet there are already notable signs that Pope Leo XIV will have an impact on…

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A decision in 2000 to move a priest accused of abusing boys into residence at an Augustinian friary in Chicago originated from leadership of the Archdiocese of Chicago as a means to enforce restrictions on the priest’s ministry, according to a recent statement from the archdiocese. 

The decision to place then-Father James Ray (since removed from the clerical state) at the Augustinians’ St. John Stone Friary from 2000-2002 is being re-examined due to the presumed involvement of then-Father Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV. Then-Father Prevost is presumed to have approved the decision in his capacity at the time as the provincial, or leader, of the Augustinians’ Midwest Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, one of the order’s three provinces in North America with governance over primarily the Midwestern United States and Canada. 

Father Ray held three ministry assignments in the Greater Chicago area between his 1975 ordination and…

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