ABUSE TRACKER

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

by John L. Allen Jr. | Feb. 24, 2013

ROME — John Allen is offering a profile each day of one of the most frequently touted papabili, or men who could be pope. The old saying in Rome is that he who enters a conclave as pope exits as a cardinal, meaning there’s no guarantee one of these men actually will be chosen. They are, however, the leading names drawing buzz in Rome these days, ensuring they will be in the spotlight as the conclave draws near. The profiles of these men also suggest the issues and the qualities other cardinals see as desirable heading into the election.

There’s a lot of chatter these days about a “Third World pope,” and it’s a realistic possibility. Politically speaking, however, it overlooks one bit of arithmetic: 61 of the 116 cardinals who will file into the Sistine Chapel still hail from Europe, so discounting candidates from the Old Continent means ruling out half the talent pool a priori.

Moreover, there are Europeans and then there are Europeans. Electing an Italian might strike some cardinals as heading back to the future, but choosing a pope from a long-neglected corner of the continent might seem almost as bold to them as picking someone from, say, Latin America.

If so, many church insiders believe that Cardinal Péter Erdõ of Budapest, Hungary, could get a very serious look.

A canon lawyer by training, Erdõ has been on the ecclesiastical fast track his entire career. In 2001, while he was still an auxiliary bishop and before he’d even turned 50, he was elected to his first term as President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe. He was reelected to a second five-year term in 2006.

In 2002, he was named the Archbishop of Hungary’s premier see at the tender age of 50, and made a cardinal a year later. At 52, he was the youngest cardinal to participate in the conclave that elected Benedict XVI in 2005. Eight years later, there are still only five cardinal electors younger than Erdõ, who’s now 60.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, former archbishop of Westminster, discusses the allegations of inappropriate acts concerning Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Murphy-O’Connor says that he is very sad to hear about the allegations. O’Brien is due to take part in the conclave at the Vatican next month to choose a new pope. O’Brien strenuously denies the allegations

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CANADA
Edmonton Journal

By The Canadian Press February 24, 2013

TORONTO – Toronto’s Thomas Cardinal Collins says he is keeping an open mind and will keep an open ear to the advice of other cardinals as he heads to Vatican City to help select a new pope.

Collins says he has no idea yet what characteristics the next pope should have, adding he will first get to know the 116 cardinals who will join him in conclave to pick the next head of the Catholic Church.

Collins says he has been intensely studying historical studies of the “awesome process” of a papal conclave, which he has never participated in before.

He says he has received emails encouraging him to express a willingness to become pope, but adds he has no interest in the church’s top post.

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OHIO/PENNSYLVANIA
KVUE

Associated Press

Posted on February 24, 2013

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — About 50 more people have come forward to say they were sexually abused at Catholic schools in Pennsylvania and Ohio by a Franciscan brother who killed himself in January, said an attorney who settled 11 alleged abuse cases against the friar.

Brother Stephen Baker, 62, stabbed himself in the heart at a western Pennsylvania monastery on Jan. 26, a little over a week after the disclosure of financial settlements in alleged abuse cases in Warren, Ohio. A coroner told the Altoona Mirror that Baker left a short note apologizing for his actions.

The new accusers have alleged in recent weeks that they were abused between 1982 and 2007, attorney Mitchell Garabedian said Sunday. Some said Baker abused them even after he left teaching in 2000 when he would attend school events in Johnstown, Pa., Garabedian said.

The latest allegations come from people in 12 states who went to school in Warren or were either middle school or high school students in Johnstown, where Baker taught and coached, Garabedian said.

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VATICAN CITY
ABC News – AM (Australia)

When Pope Benedict XVI unexpectedly announced his impending retirement he told the world he was simply too old to fulfil his duties, but Italian newspapers claim that a sex scandal, infighting and corruption within the Vatican were behind his decision. There are also demands that two cardinals not be allowed to take part in the conclave to elect a new pope.

Philip Williams

Transcript

TONY EASTLEY: When the Pope unexpectedly announced he was retiring he told the world he was simply too old to fulfil his duties. But Italian newspapers claim that a sex scandal, infighting and corruption within the Vatican were behind his decision.

Adding to the Vatican’s woes, there are demands that two cardinals not be allowed to take part in the conclave to elect a new pope.

Here’s Europe correspondent, Philip Williams.

PHILIP WILIAMS: With St Peter’s Square packed with tens of thousands of the faithful, Pope Benedict took to the balcony for his final Sunday blessing as Pontiff.

BENEDICT XVI: I offer warm greeting to all the English speaking visitors present for this Angelus prayer. I thank everyone for the many expressions of gratitude, affection, closeness and prayer which I have received in these days.

PHILIP WILIAMS: But even before he leaves, there are stories of dark forces within the Vatican – warring factions and illicit sexual encounters.

Italy’s La Republica newspaper says a red bound two volume report on nefarious activities within the Vatican walls convinced the Pontiff it was time to go.

This has been dismissed by the Pontiff’s media people, but it’s a story that refused to disappear ahead of the conclave of 117 cardinals who will decide amongst them who has the right qualities to be the next pope.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Severin Carrell and Catherine Deveney
The Guardian, Sunday 24 February 2013

The four complaints against Cardinal Keith O’Brien alleging “inappropriate acts” were given to the pope’s representative in the UK, Antonio Mennini, in early February.

They arrived at the papal nuncio’s London office, delivered by a trusted intermediary from the cardinal’s diocese, a few days before Pope Benedict XVI stunned the Catholic world with his decision to resign.

The earliest of the allegations, which are denied by O’Brien, dates back to 1980. That complainant, who is now married, was then a 20-year-old seminarian at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange, where O’Brien was the rector and his “spiritual director”. The statement claims he made an inappropriate approach after night prayers.

The complainant said he was too frightened to report the incident, and became depressed. He was ordained, but told Mennini he resigned when O’Brien was promoted to bishop in the mid-1980s.

“I knew then he would always have power over me,” he alleges. “It was assumed I left the priesthood to get married. I did not. I left to preserve my integrity.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Washington Post

Britain’s top cardinal accused of ‘inappropriate’ behavior with priests

By Anthony Faiola

Sunday, February 24

LONDON — On the same day as his last public blessing Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI confronted the threat of a fresh scandal within the church hierarchy, with Vatican officials informing him of new allegations that Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric had engaged in inappropriate behavior with priests.

In Britain, the accusations against Cardinal Keith O’Brien — head of the church in Scotland and one of this nation’s most strident opponents of gay rights — were already escalating into a national furor. The controversy revolved around a report first published Saturday night on the Web site of Britain’s Observer newspaper, saying that four men — three current priests and one former priest — had denounced O’Brien earlier this month for engaging in “inappropriate” and “intimate” behavior.

Through a spokesman, O’Brien denied the charges and was said he was seeking legal counsel.

If proven true, the allegations could rock the church at a highly sensitive time, highlighting a Vatican in crisis as its cardinals begin to gather in Rome to pick the pope’s successor after his surprise resignation earlier this month.

The exact nature and timing of the alleged contact, which the Observer said was reported to the Vatican’s emissary in London a week before Benedict’s Feb. 11 resignation, were not spelled out. But one of the alleged victims claimed that O’Brien had started a “relationship” with him in the 1980s that resulted in the need for long-term counseling. Another of the men said O’Brien had initiated “inappropriate contact” during nightly prayers, according to the paper.

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CALIFORNIA
Sonoma News

By David Bolling INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Feb 14, 2013

Father John Crews, the longtime executive director of Hanna Boys Center, resigned late last week following the allegation of a single act of sexual misconduct dating back to the early 1970s.

According to Bishop Robert F. Vasa, of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, the allegation “came to our attention on Tuesday (Feb. 12) and was immediately reported to the police.”

Vasa, who said he had been out of town when the allegations surfaced, added the diocese then learned the matter had already been reported to the police. “A mandatory reporter,” he said, “reported it to police, and then to us.”

But according to Sebastopol Police Chief Jeffrey Weaver, his office received a telephone report from a private citizen, not a mandatory reporter such as a priest or therapist, on Friday, Feb. 1 stating that someone had been victimized by a priest at a church in Sebastopol more than 40 years ago.

“We were told the victim was not accessible,” said Weaver. Asked if that meant the victim was dead, Weaver said he did not know.

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CALIFORNIA
Hanna Boys Center

Father John Crews to Leave Hanna after nearly 30 years

Sonoma, CA, February 13, 2013- Father John Crews, longtime Executive Director of the Hanna Boys Center, has resigned after an allegation was made of an inappropriate relationship in the 1970’s prior to his arrival at Hanna Boys Center in 1984.

Hanna Boys Center management moved quickly to meet with Father Crews after learning about the allegation. After the meeting, in the best interest of the school, Father Crews tendered his resignation and it was accepted by the Hanna Board of Trustees.

“We are shocked and saddened and take any allegation of this nature very seriously,” said Jack Bertges, Hanna Boys Center’s current Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We want our supporters and community to know that this alleged incident did not occur during John Crews’ tenure at the Hanna Boys Center and that we have no reason to believe that there was any inappropriate conduct between Father Crews and the students of Hanna Boys Center,” Bertges added.

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UNITED STATES
Minnesota SNAP

By Vinnie Nauheimer

What if all the prophecies about Benedict XVI being the next to last pope are true, but not for the universal reason everyone suspects? Suppose fulfillment of the prophecies doesn’t mean the end of the world, but instead means the end of a centuries old corrupt Vatican reign? The recent sordid revelations bursting forth from the Vatican will hasten the end of days for the hierarchy and the end of daze for millions of Catholics.

Prophecies from Malachy to Fatima and every one in between, including the rarely mentioned prophecy of a Japanese nun from Akita, Japan, Sister Sasagawa have predicted the end of days. However, Sister Sasagawa quoting the Blessed Virgin has a prophecy that has hit the bulls eye, with no interpretation needed, that describes current Vatican events. She said she was told, “The work of the devil will infiltrate even the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops.” It wouldn’t stretch anybody’s mind (except maybe a bishop’s) to believe that the Blessed Mother was prophesying the scenario currently surrounding Benedict’s resignation.

My personal favorite prophecy is from her son, Jesus: Luke 12:1-3

He began to say unto his disciples first of all, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees (Hierarchy), which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

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CHICAGO (IL)
WLS

Chuck Goudie

February 24, 2013 (WLS) — As Chicago’s Cardinal Frances George and his cardinal colleagues begin arriving in Rome to replace the retiring pope, they find themselves gathering under a new, unexpected and ill-timed Vatican cloud.

Church leaders were caught off-guard a few days ago by an Italian newspaper report that stated Pope Benedict XVI was resigning after he learned of a gay-sex network operated by some of his highest ranking prelates.

Vatican officials have strongly denied that the pope was motivated by such a revelation, saying that his age and health caused him to become the first pontiff to abdicate in 600 years.

However, the Vatican has not issued a blanket denial that a blackmail-prone, gay-sex network was uncovered.

The report in La Repubblica states that top churchmen-including some unnamed cardinals who have a vote for the new pope-have been blackmailed by forces outside the Vatican. “Everything revolves around the non-observance of the sixth and seventh commandment” according to the newspaper, which is Italy’s largest-circulation daily.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Boston Herald

By
Associated Press

LONDON — The Vatican is looking into allegations of “inappropriate behavior” by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, officials said Sunday. The claims came at a sensitive time, as O’Brien and other cardinals prepare for a conclave to choose the next pope.

O’Brien, who heads the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, was taking advice from lawyers after British newspaper The Observer reported that three priests and a former priest have filed complaints to the Vatican alleging that the cardinal approached them in an inappropriate manner.

The paper did not cite the names of the priests, but it said their allegations date back to the 1980s..

“Cardinal O’Brien contests these claims and is taking legal advice,” Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church, said. He declined to comment further.

A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the complaints had been channeled through the office of the papal nuncio — the Vatican’s ambassador — in London. “The pope has been informed, and the question is in his hands,” Lombardi said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Times

Mike Wade, Nick Drainey

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, this morning failed to appear at High Mass in Edinburgh after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were levelled against him.

Cardinal O’Brien was due to deliver a homily to Pope Benedict XVI at St Mary’s RC Cathedral, but instead the service was led Stephen Robson, the Auxiliary Bishop of Edinburgh.

The allegations, by three priests and a former priest from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, claim that Cardinal O’Brien had committed “inappropriate acts” going back 33 years.

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UNITED KINGDOM
International Business Times

By Timur Moon

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic clergyman, should be allowed to decide for himself whether to take part in next week’s Vatican conclave to select the next Pope after allegations he made “inappropriate advances” to other priests, according to the former Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.

Three priests and one former priest in Scotland have reported Cardinal O’Brien to the Vatican over the claims, which stretch back 30 years.

One of the complainants said the cardinal’s inappropriate behaviour led him to seek long-term psychological counselling.

Cardinal O’Brien has denied the allegations.

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POLAND
Church Militant

Fr. Dariusz Oko, Ph.D.
For several weeks now Poland has witnessed a heated discussion on the “huge homosexual underground in the Church”, provoked by the most recent book by Fr. Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski entitled Chodzi mi tylko o prawdę[1](Truth Is All That Matters). Some deny any such underground exists, and put forward theses profoundly inconsistent with the teaching of the Church, both being at odds with truth[2]. The problem is serious to the extent I feel I must join in the discussion as well, because I also care about truth, and first of all about good, the fundamental wellbeing of man and of the Church – the basic community in which he lives.

Any discussion should have as its starting point the basic, axiomatic assumption that any one of us can know with certainty only a part, and that part is likely to be partially wrong. That should result in any opinions being presented with humility, and the arguments of partners or opponents being listened to with attention. That way we may best benefit from the parts of knowledge each of us has, and correct them. They will always remain only parts, but they will be bigger and purified from errors
to a greater extent. That is the blessing of an honest dialogue, and it is in this spirit that I want to proceed.

My feeling of duty to take a stance results from my involvement in the philosophical criticism of homosexual ideology and homosexual propaganda (abbreviated to homoideology and
homopropaganda), which I have dealt with for several years now to the order and with encouragement from many cardinals and bishops.[3] In doing that, I have accumulated what is probably the biggest Polish collection of writings on the topic, one of the largest collections of data. This has been accomplished with the help of many friends and allies, both lay people and clergymen, university professors and practicing physicians, as well as a large number of people I had not known before, but who, encouraged by the opinions I have expressed and having read my articles, wished to add to and correct my knowledge.

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UNITED STATES
LifeSite News

by Steve Jalsevac

Fri Feb 22, 2013

The resignation of Pope Benedict is causing a series of large explosions along the way to the new conclave to replace the burnt-out reformer Pope. Some of us have been desperately waiting for many years for the power and influence of an extremely damaging homosexual mafia within the Catholic clergy to be exposed and dealt with. It appears this might finally be happening in a very dramatic fashion thanks to Benedict in the last few days of his pontificate.

Italian media reports on the details of a Benedict-ordered internal investigation on the Vatileaks scandal, if true, are astounding. The reports appear to confirm what LifeSiteNews and many others have been incessantly warning about for years only to be constantly dismissed as being overly negative, divisive and sensationalist.

Deny, deny, deny has been the standard response and many good priests and laity and even bishops have been subjected to ridicule and ruthless treatment for daring to try to expose the scandals and criminal or otherwise highly immoral actions of homosexuals in parishes, orders, chanceries and even the Vatican itself.

At the same time as this Vatican controversy is raging, the English translation of another report, this time by a Polish priest, on the wide extent and influence of homosexual clergy has just been released. With the Pope against the homoheresy by Fr. Dariusz Oko, reveals the global phenomena of a “huge homosexual underground in the Church”.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider

The Secretariat of State’s tough statement and Fr. Lombardi’s comments: “There is slander and malicious gossip going round, against the Church’s leadership”

Vatican Insider staff
Rome

The Holy See’s Secretariat of State has issued a statement condemning attempts to condition cardinals ahead of the Conclave, through the publication of “news reports…which are often unverified or not verifiable, or even false, even subsequent damage to people and institutions.”

The statement issued by the Vatican Secretariat of State and published by Vatican Radio goes on to say: “The freedom of the College of Cardinals, which alone, under the law, is responsible for the election of the Roman Pontiff, – has always been strongly defended by the Holy See, as a guarantee of a choice based on evaluations solely for the good of the Church.”

“Over the centuries, – the text continues – the Cardinals have faced multiple forms of pressure exerted on the individual voters and the same College, with the aim of conditioning decisions, to bend them to a political or worldly logic.”

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider

[UK’s top cardinal accused of ‘inappropriate acts’ by priests – The Observer]

Three priests and one former priest have denounced Scotland’s Cardinal O’Brien for what they allege as “inappropriate behavior” with them in the 1980s.

By Gerard O’Connell
Rome

Scotland’s Cardinal Keith O’Brien has denied allegations that he engaged in “inappropriate behavior” with three priests and a former-priests some 30 years ago.

His fellow British cardinal and friend, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor stated this on the BBC on Sunday morning, February 24. He said “The cardinal has denied these allegations”, and expressed sadness at this news.

The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi told journalists, “The Pope has been informed of these allegations, and the problem is now in his hands.”

The allegations have been transmitted to the Vatican according to The Observer, a British Sunday daily which broke the news on February 24. It reported that “three priests and a former priest in Scotland” have reported Cardinal O’Brien to the Vatican alleging instances of “inappropriate behavior stretching back 30 years.”

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times

Cardinal Roger Mahony intends to help select a new pope in Rome despite calls from some critics that he withdraw from the process in the wake of revelations about his actions in the priest sex-abuse scandal.

The day Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation almost two weeks ago, Mahony wrote on his blog that he looked forward to participating in the conclave of cardinals in Rome to elect Benedict’s successor.

That stance elicited some criticism given that last month the Los Angeles Archdiocese stripped Mahony, its former archbishop, of his public duties after it was revealed that he plotted to conceal child molestation by priests.

But Mahony indicated via Twitter on Friday that he still would be part of the sequestered papal selection process. He tweeted: “Just a few short hours before my departure for Rome. Will be tweeting often from Rome, except during the actual Conclave itself. Prayers!”

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SCOTLAND
Scotsman

By ROSEMARY FREE
Published on Sunday 24 February 2013

THE most senior Roman Catholic cleric in Britain failed to show for Mass in Edinburgh today amid claims of inappropriate behaviour dating back three decades.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, is facing allegations from three priests and one former priest who are demanding his immediate resignation, it has emerged.

The allegations sent shockwaves through the Catholic community on the day that Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday blessing before tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square. The cardinal, who remained in his official residence in Morningside this morning, is contesting the claims, and is taking legal advice. A spokesman for the Vatican said that “the pope is informed about the problem and the question is now in his hands.”

In tears

Bishop Steven Robson, who took the special Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh in the cardinal’s absence, told the congregation – some of whom were in tears – that they “cannot not be saddened” by events, after which a number of people left the cathedral.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former archbishop of Westminster, said he was “very sad” to hear of the allegations made against Cardinal O’Brien and would have to “see how that pans out.”

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VATICAN CITY/UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Vatican confirms priests’ written allegations against Cardinal Keith O’Brien have been received and issue is in pontiff’s hands

Severin Carrell, Catherine Deveney, John Hooper and Sam Jones
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 24 February 2013

The pope has been told about allegations that the UK’s most senior Catholic had been accused of “inappropriate acts” against fellow priests, and is considering how to respond.

Hours after the allegations were published by the Observer, the Vatican confirmed that written allegations against Cardinal Keith O’Brien by three serving priests and one former priest were being studied by Pope Benedict XVI.

As the pope gave his last pontifical blessing to crowds in St Peter’s Square, a spokesman for the Vatican said “the pope is informed about the problem and the issue is now in his hands”.

Cardinal O’Brien, the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic and head of the Scottish Catholic church, missed giving mass at his cathedral on Sunday, citing legal advice. He contests the allegations, which date back 30 years to the 1980s, when O’Brien was a rector of a seminary in Aberdeen and then archbishop.

The cardinal, who is himself to retire in mid-March after taking part in the conclave at the Vatican next month to choose the new pope, had been due to hold mass at St Mary’s cathedral in Edinburgh to celebrate Pope Benedict XVI’s eight years as pontiff.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Harlow Star

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric should be allowed to help choose the next Pope despite facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the former archbishop of Westminster says.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor expressed sadness at the claims – which have been denied – made against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the church in Scotland.

Three priests and a former priest have complained to the Vatican about behaviour towards them going back 30 years, according to the Observer. They are reported to be demanding Cardinal O’Brien’s immediate resignation.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said: “I was obviously very sad to hear that. The cardinal has denied the allegations, so I think we will just have to see how that pans out. There have been other cases which have been a great scandal to the church over these past years. I think the church has to face up – has faced up – to some of them very well indeed.”

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said it was up to Cardinal O’Brien – who is reported to have sought legal advice – “how he faces the allegations”.

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UNITED KINGDOM
NBC News

By Mohammed Abbas, Reuters

LONDON — Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, a cardinal expected to take part in the conclave to choose the next pope, rejected allegations on Sunday that he had behaved in an “inappropriate” way with other priests.

The Observer newspaper said Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, the archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, who is known for outspoken views on homosexuality, had been reported to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behavior stretching back 30 years.

“Cardinal O’Brien contests these claims and is taking legal advice,” a spokesman for the cardinal said.

Three priests and a former priest, from a Scottish diocese, have complained to the Vatican and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation, the newspaper said, adding that they wanted the conclave to choose Pope Benedict’s successor to be “clean”.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

Britain’s most senior Catholic ‘should be allowed to vote on next Pope’ despite allegations of inappropriate acts

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric should be allowed to vote on the next Pope despite facing allegations of ‘inappropriate’ acts involving four men, the former archbishop of Westminster has said.

By Telegraph reporters
3:32PM GMT 24 Feb 2013

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor said he was saddened by the allegations made against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the only figure based in mainland Britain with a vote on the next Pope.

Cardinal O’Brien is said to be “contesting” the claims which involve three priests and a former cleric.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said: “I was obviously very sad to hear that.

“The cardinal has denied the allegations, so I think we will just have to see how that pans out. There have been other cases which have been a great scandal to the church over these past years.

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CANADA
Montreal Gazette

RIMOUSKI — The Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops is happy that Cardinal Marc Ouellet is being considered a possible successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who is resigning this week, but doesn’t want to show any preference.

The president of the assembly, Bishop Pierre-André Fournier of Rimouski, believes that Ouellet has the qualifications to assume the highest office in the church. He said he’s not surprised that the former archbishop of Quebec is on the list of potential candidates. But he notes that the cardinals, who will assemble in a conclave in mid-March, must elect the person who best responds to the needs of the Catholic Church.

Bishop Fournier said he admired the courage of Benedict, who said he no longer had the physical strength necessary to exercise his functions as the “great servant” of the church.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Chicago Tribune

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, a cardinal expected to take part in the conclave to choose the next pope, rejected allegations on Sunday that he had behaved in an “inappropriate” way with other priests.

The Observer newspaper said Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, the archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, who is known for outspoken views on homosexuality, had been reported to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behavior stretching back 30 years.

“Cardinal O’Brien contests these claims and is taking legal advice,” a spokesman for the cardinal said.

Three priests and a former priest, from a Scottish diocese, have complained to the Vatican and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation, the newspaper said, adding that they wanted the conclave to choose Pope Benedict’s successor to be “clean”.

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SCOTLAND
ITV

by Debi Edward: ITV News Scotland Correspondent

Cardinal Keith O’Brien has not turned up to St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh.

An apology was given to the congregation saying he wouldn’t be coming due to the allegations in a Sunday newspaper.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Irish Times

Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric should be allowed to help choose the next Pope despite facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the former archbishop of Westminster said today.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor expressed sadness at the claims, which are denied, which have been made against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the Catholic church in Scotland.

Three priests and a former priest have complained to the Vatican about behaviour towards them going back 30 years, according to the Observer. They are reported to be demanding Cardinal O’Brien’s immediate resignation.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said: “I was obviously very sad to hear that.

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ARIZONA
Arizona Daily Star

[Kevin Barmasse – Los Angeles archdiocese]

Stephanie Innes Arizona Daily Star

When a young Catholic priest in Los Angeles was accused of sexually molesting a 12-year-old boy in 1983, church officials did not remove him from ministry.

Instead, they sent him to Tucson.

Recently released court documents from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles show church officials allowed Kevin Barmasse to minister in Tucson for seven years after that original accusation.

Once in Tucson, Barmasse worked at three churches in Southern Arizona and was later accused of molesting five local teens who had been members of youth groups he led.

Those five teens, now men in their 40s, later filed lawsuits saying Barmasse abused them. They received a total of nearly $2 million apiece in settlement money from the Los Angeles archdiocese and the Tucson diocese. The settlements in Tucson were part of the local diocese’s bankruptcy case.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
News Letter

By MICHAEL MCGLADE
Published on Sunday 24 February 2013

THE most senior Catholic cleric in Britain – Cardinal Keith O’Brien – who was born in Ballycastle – is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Three priests and a former priest in Scotland have reported Cardinal O’Brien, to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behaviour stretching back 30 years.

A report published in the Observer website claimed the four, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, have complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation. A spokesman for the cardinal said that the claims were contested.

One of the complainants, it is understood, alleges that the cardinal developed an inappropriate relationship with him, resulting in a need for long-term psychological counselling.

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SCOTLAND
The Scottish Sun

By CAMERON HAY

SCOTLAND’S top Catholic was last night set to fight allegations made by four priests.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, has been accused of “inappropriate behaviour” dating back more than 33 years.

It is understood that three serving and one former priest have made claims against the churchman in reports to the Vatican.

But last night a spokesman for the Edinburgh-based Cardinal said he will “contest” the claims.

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has missed Sunday Mass after being accused of inappropriate behaviour.

The Observer said three priests and one former priest have made complaints going back 30 years against the 74-year-old cardinal, who is leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.

They demand his immediate resignation. …

‘Saddened’

He was due to take Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh to celebrate the eight years of Pope Benedict holding office.

But Bishop Stephen Robson, who is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, made a statement at the cathedral.

He said: “A number of allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been made against the cardinal. The cardinal has sought legal advice and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course.

“As always in times of need such as this we cannot not be saddened by the events of the last 24 hours.

“It is to the Lord that we turn to now in times of need.”

A spokesman for the Vatican said that “the Pope is informed about the problem and the question is now in his hands”.

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NEDERLAND
NRC

door Joep Dohmen

Het schandaal rond het grootschalig kindermisbruik kost de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk in Nederland bijna 30 miljoen euro. Daarvan is 19,2 miljoen euro smartengeld voor de slachtoffers, blijkt uit onderzoek van NRC Handelsblad. De kosten van het klachtenmeldpunt en de commissie-Deetman, die de Kerk zelf moet betalen, bedragen 10,5 miljoen.

In het buitenland is de Kerk beduidend meer kwijt. Bisdommen en congregaties in de Verenigde Staten, Ierland, Canada en Australië betaalden bij elkaar 2 miljard euro aan smartengeld en kosten. Alleen al in Ierland zegden religieuze ordes in 2009 een half miljard euro toe.

Komende week is het drie jaar geleden dat het misbruikschandaal in Nederland uitbrak. Op 26 februari 2010 onthulden NRC Handelsblad en de Wereldomroep het jarenlange misbruik van leerlingen door de paters en broeders salesianen in internaat Don Rua in ’s-Heerenberg. Daarna volgde een vloed aan mediaberichten over kindermisbruik door kerkelijke dienaren.

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VATICAN CITY
Manila Bulletin

VATICAN CITY (AP/Reuters) — Pope Benedict XVI made his last St. Peter’s Square window appearance of his pontificate on Sunday.

Addressing the crowd, the pontiff said he was following God’s wishes by resigning and turning to a life of prayer.

Although facing a life of seclusion form the public, Pope Benedict said he will continue to serve the church with the “same dedication and love” after resigning.

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IOWA
Radio Iowa

February 23, 2013 By O. Kay Henderson

The state’s four Catholic bishops say interest in the election of a new pope is creating “energy” in their church.

“Maybe this is a bad analogy, but it’s almost like watching Britain and their monarchy,” Davenport Bishop Martin Amos said during a visit to the Iowa statehouse this past week. “Everybody gets excited about it and I think there’s a lot of excitement when it’s been so long that a pope retired.”

Bishop Richard Pates of the Des Moines Catholic Diocese said he’s experienced some of the energy first-hand as he’s talked with students in Catholic schools about the search for a new pope.

“Anytime you have a new beginning, it gives people a great deal of hope and, I think, creates curiosity for the church and where it’s going to go,” Pates said, “and personalities make a difference, obviously.”

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times

A Catholic organization has delivered a petition with thousands of signatures asking Cardinal Roger Mahony to recuse himself from the conclave in Rome that will select the next pope.

The group, Catholics United, collected nearly 10,000 signatures making “a simple request” that the former archbishop of Los Angeles not participate in the process because of the priest abuse scandals that happened under his watch, said Chris Pumpelly, communications director for Catholics United.

The petition was delivered Saturday to St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood, where the cardinal resides. It was accepted by a church staff member.

Pumpelly said that the conclave offers “an opportunity for healing in the church” and that having someone like Mahony, with his complicated history, runs counter to that.

“This is one thing that would cast a cloud of scandal and shame over the conclave,” Pumpelly said of the participation of Mahony and others connected to priest abuse scandals.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
NBC Los Angeles

[with video]

By Samantha Tata

Saturday, Feb 23, 2013

Thousands of signatures demanding that retired Cardinal Roger Mahony withdraw from voting in upcoming papal conclave were set to be delivered Saturday afternoon to a North Hollywood church, where Mahony has a residence.

The former archbishop of Los Angeles, Mahony was stripped of his public and administrative duties in January for his role in shielding alleged priest child molesters. But that does not affect his standing with Rome.

“It’s a symbolic statement to say we will be heard,” said Chris Pumpelly, spokesman for Washington, D.C.-based Catholics United.

“There is pain in this church and we will no longer be silenced. We love the church. We just can’t stand this crisis of leadership.”

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
LA Daily News

[Photos: Catholics United Petition Cardinal Mahony]

By Mariecar Mendoza, Staff Writer
dailynews.com
Posted: 02/23/2013

Shortly before he heads to Rome to help elect the next pope, Cardinal Roger Mahony gave a closed-door deposition on Saturday in a lawsuit over a priest suspected of molesting as many as 26 children in Los Angeles in the late 1980s.

Mahony was required to give the deposition regarding Father Nicholas Aguilar Rivera, who fled the country in 1988 as he was being investigated on multiple charges of sexual abuse.

Aguilar Rivera remains a fugitive in Mexico.

Attorney Anthony De Marco is suing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on behalf of one of Aguilar Rivera’s alleged victims.

De Marco said in a brief email afterward that the deposition “went well,” but declined to comment further about it due to court orders.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
KTLA

by Doug Kolk
KTLA 5 Reporter

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A Catholic organization has delivered a petition with thousands of signatures asking Cardinal Roger Mahony to recuse himself from the conclave in Rome that will select the next pope.

The group, Catholics United, collected nearly 10,000 signatures making “a simple request” that the former archbishop of Los Angeles not participate in the process because of the priest abuse scandals that happened under his watch, said Chris Pumpelly, communications director for Catholics United.

The petition was delivered Saturday to St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood, where the cardinal resides. It was accepted by a church staff member.

Pumpelly said that the conclave offers “an opportunity for healing in the church” and that having someone like Mahony, with his complicated history, runs counter to that.

“This is one thing that would cast a cloud of scandal and shame over the conclave,” Pumpelly said of the participation of Mahony and others connected to priest abuse scandals.

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UNITED STATES
CBS News

By Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson

(CBS News) NEW YORK – About 116 cardinals will vote for the new pope. Eleven are American — including Cardinal Roger Mahony of California. But there are Catholics in both Los Angeles and Italy demanding Mahony stay away because of his role in shielding sexually abusive priests.

Cardinal Roger Mahony led the Los Angeles archdiocese, the largest in the United States for 25 years. He retired in 2011.

Calls increase for abuse-tainted cardinal to withdraw from vote for new pope
Should abuse-tainted cardinal be allowed to vote for new pope?

On Saturday, Mahony was deposed for a lawsuit filed by a 35-year-old man who claims he was the victim of sexual abuse in the 1980s. The suit alleges that church leaders allowed the accused priest to leave the United States to avoid prosecution. The priest remains a fugitive in Mexico.

Earlier this February, the Los Angeles archdiocese released more than 12,000 pages of files documenting a pattern in which Mahony and other church officials reassigned many accused priests away from California — shielding them from law enforcement authorities in the 1980s.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

There’s a big disconnect between committee’s findings and personal accounts of hardship, writes Eilis O’Hanlon

24 February 2013

It would have been welcome had Martin McAleese stuck around afterwards to answer questions and provide clarification on his final report as chair of the inter-departmental committee to establish the facts of State involvement in the Magdalene Laundries, but none of the authors of the last four reports did either, so it wasn’t as if the former first husband was breaking with tradition. Nor is it the outgoing senator’s fault that the Government initially dropped the baby he handed to them.

But it is his responsibility if the report issued under his name turns out not to be as insightful a document as it seemed on first glance.

Of course, it’s easy to pick holes. Whatever failings the McAleese Report may have, it still deserves credit for nailing the myth that the laundries were wholly private institutions over which the State had no power, and the equally poisonous lie, told by the previous government to the UN, that the “vast majority” of inmates went there voluntarily.

Many of its details have also added hugely to the historical picture, including cases of disabled and psychiatrically-ill girls sent to laundries for no other reason than that it was more cost-effective than providing them with proper treatment.

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IRELAND
Limerick Leader

By Mike Dwane
Published on Saturday 23 February 2013

ENDA Kenny’s “sincere and heartfelt” apology and “modest redress” would suffice for most of the Magdalene women, according to Charleville solicitor Declan Duggan.

But a minority who spent much of their lives “deprived of liberty” should not now be deprived the right to be legally represented in seeking compensation, he said.

The Government has pledged to financially support survivors of the Magdalene laundries but terms of reference announced this week studiously avoid the word compensation. Judge John Quirke has been given three months to come up with a scheme to assist the women.

Mr Duggan represents a number of survivors – including women who spent years toiling behind the walls of the Good Shepherd laundry on Clare Street, Limerick – and has in the past acted for over 100 people at the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

24 February 2013

Abuse victims in “Protestant Magdalene Laundries” with links to the State were not included in the redress scheme for fear of the financial cost, contrary to the official policy that money would not be a factor, official documents suggest.

Church of Ireland survivors are also convinced that they have to date been excluded from any redress scheme because they were not Catholics, but are demanding justice and are preparing a legal case against the State if not included.

Following the State apology to the Magdalene survivors, the Government is under mounting pressure from within its own ranks and from the opposition to include Protestant victims, such as survivors from Bethany Homes, in a compensation scheme, currently being extended to Catholic survivors in the Magdalene Laundries.

There are less than 20 survivors left who went through Bethany Homes, and they have argued that their inclusion in the Quirke scheme would result in a very small additional cost to the State.

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IRELAND
Journal

THERE HAVE BEEN calls for a dedicated unit to be established within the Department of Justice to help and assist survivors of the Magdalene Laundries while they wait on a redress package.

Judge John Quirke has three months to compile a report about how best to provide compensation to the 1,000 or so women who were forced to work, unpaid, in the system and are still alive today.

Among other factors, he will look at payout caps and the position of those women who received money through the Residential Institute Redress Board. Although, it has been confirmed that they will not be excluded from applying to the fund.

There are other details to figure out too, says James Smith of the Justice for Magdalenes group. “Will Judge Quirke have independent statutory powers? Will the process be transparent (private but not secret)? Will there be a process for appeal if a woman is dissatisfied? Will there be independent monitoring, such as an ombudsman who reports back on the process?”

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour going back 30 years, a newspaper says.

The Observer said three priests and one former priest have made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.

They have demanded his immediate resignation, it said.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O’Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice. …

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says the allegations seem to have been publicised now because the four complainants do not want Cardinal O’Brien to go to the Vatican to participate in electing a new pope.

The chances of him not going, however, are “very remote”, as not only has he denied the allegations but it is very difficult to prevent a cardinal from exercising their papal vote, unless he is detained by the state.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former archbishop of Westminster, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme he was “very sad” to hear of the allegations made against Cardinal O’Brien.

“There have been other cases which have been a great scandal to the Church over these past years.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Channel 4 News

Three priests and a former priest report the most senior Catholic clergyman in Britain, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behaviour stretching back 30 years.

The Observer newspaper says they have demanded his immediate resignation.

The allegations come just days after Cardinal O’Brien called for Catholic priests to be able to marry and have children, saying some struggled with celibacy.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic church said Cardinal O’Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.

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VATICAN CITY
Irish Independent

Lizzy Davies in Rome– 24 February 2013

When Pope Benedict XVI tendered the first papal resignation in almost 600 years, the more hopeful of his flock said it would help the Roman Catholic Church make a break with its recent past and usher in a new era of missionary vibrancy untainted by intrigue and scandal.

The headlines of the past fortnight, however, have shown quite how unlikely that is. Not only has anger built over the role of several compromised cardinals in the choosing of a papal successor, but increasingly lurid claims have emerged about why Benedict chose to stand down in the first place.

A major new controversy, therefore, is the last thing that the Vatican needs. Rather than heralding a bold new dawn, the most unexpected and unpredictable conclave in centuries looks increasingly likely to be overshadowed – just as much of Benedict’s papacy was – by scandal.

The clerical sex abuse scandals that dominated Benedict’s eight years as pope have left several prelates due to take part in conclave facing questions over how they handled the affairs.

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SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland

Sunday 24 February 2013

SCOTLAND’S most senior Catholic is facing allegations of inappropriate acts stretching back 30 years.

It has been reported that Cardinal Keith O’Brien is at the centre of complaints by three priests and one former priest dating back 33 years.

The four, understood to be from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, are believed to have complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation.

A spokesman for the Cardinal said that the claims were contested. A senior source for the Catholic Church told the Sunday Herald last night that he knew nothing about the allegations.

The accusations come just days after the Cardinal sent shockwaves through the Catholic community by saying he would welcome an end to the Church�s celibacy rule for the priesthood.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Sky News

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic clergyman has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour, a newspaper has claimed.

The Observer reports that three priests and a former priest have made the allegations against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church told Sky News that Cardinal O’Brien “contests these claims and is taking legal advice”.

According to the Observer, the four claimants reported to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, that Cardinal O’Brien had committed “inappropriate acts” going back 33 years.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Aljazeera

Three priests and one former cleric have accused Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the senior leader of the Catholic church in Britain, of committing inappropriate behaviour against them.

The UK’s Observer newspaper reported on Sunday that the cardinal, the head of the Scottish Catholic church, made the physical advances as far back as three decades ago.

The allegations against O’Brien come at a time when Roger Mahony, another cardinal, is being accused of covering up sex abuses by priests in the US, further clouding the remaining days of Benedict XVI as pope.

O’Brien and Mahony are among the 116 cardinals eligible to vote for the next leader of the 1.1 billion Catholics around the world, once Benedict resigns on February 28.

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SCOTLAND
Daily Record

SCOTLAND’S top Catholic Cardinal Keith O’Brien has been accused of inappropriate conduct by three priests, it has been revealed.

THE leader of Scotland’s Catholics, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, has been reported to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Three priests and a former priest are understood to have reported the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh to nuncio Antonio Mennini – the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain – complaining about incidents stretching back 30 years.

A newspaper last night claimed the four are demanding O’Brien’s immediate resignation.

O’Brien, 74, who is due to retire next month and denies all the claims, is Britain’s most senior Catholic.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Telegraph

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the only figure based in mainland Britain with a vote on the next Pope, is said to be “contesting” the claims which involve three priests and a former cleric.

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
9:59AM GMT 24 Feb 2013

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric is fighting allegations of “inappropriate” acts involving four men.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the only figure based in mainland Britain with a vote on the next Pope, is said to be “contesting” the claims which involve three priests and a former cleric.

The allegations have been passed to the Vatican through its representative in the UK, the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Mennini.

The accusers, who have not been named, are calling for the Cardinal’s resignation and said to be anxious to prevent him attending the Conclave in Rome next month.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Indian Express

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, who is due to vote on Pope Benedict XVI’s successor, has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour, the Observer reported today.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, contests allegations by three priests and a former priest which were sent to Rome a week before Pope Benedict’s resignation on February 11. The four claimants, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland, reported to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, that O’Brien had committed “inappropriate acts” going back 33 years. One priest claims he received unwanted attention from the cardinal after a late-night drinking session. Another alleges that O’Brien used night prayers as cover for inappropriate contact, according to the paper. O’Brien has a vote in the forthcoming papal conclave. The claimants, who are demanding the cleric’s resignation, are worried that their report will not be properly addressed if he is allowed to travel to Rome.

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VATIKAN
Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten

Machtkampf im Vatikan: Im Finanz-Skandal um die Vatikan-Bank hat Papst Benedikt XVI. am Freitag überraschend eine der Schlüssel-Figuren nach Kolumbien versetzt. Ein Geheim-Bericht spricht angeblich von homosexuellen Ausschweifungen und Erpressungs-Geldern. Es geht um viel Geld, sagt ein Kardinal. Immer klar wird: Die massive Wirtschafts-Kriminalität hat Joseph Ratzinger zu seinem spektakulären Rücktritt veranlasst.

Nachdem die italienische Zeitung „La Repubblica“ am Freitag Details aus einem Geheim-Bericht von drei Kardinälen über Korruption, Unzucht und Kriminalität enthüllt hatte, reagierte Papst Benedikt XVI. mit einer überraschenden Personalie: Er griff noch einmal in den mit aller Härte geführten Machtkampf der Kirchenfürsten ein und versetzte die rechte Hand des mächtigsten Mannes im Vatikan-Stadt, des Kardinal-Staatssekretärs Tarcisio Bertone: Ettore Balestrero muss als Nuntius nach Bogotà gehen.

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VATIKAN
Neue Zurcher Zeitung

Nikos Tzermias, Rom

Am Samstagvormittag hat Papst Benedikt XVI. die diesjährigen Exerzitien für die Fastenzeit in der Kapelle Redemptoris Mater beendet und den anwesenden Kardinälen für die grosse Kompetenz, Zuneigung, Liebe und den Glauben gedankt, mit dem sie die schwere Last des Petrusamtes mitgetragen hätten. Darauf empfing Benedikt, der für den 28. Februar seinen epochalen Amtsverzicht angekündigt hat, den seinerseits scheidenden italienischen Staatspräsidenten Giorgio Napolitano zu einer Privataudienz.

Soweit zu den neusten nüchternen Fakten, die indes am Samstag nicht nur von anhaltenden Spekulationen über die tatsächlichen Umstände des Rücktritts des Papstes, sondern auch durch neue Kontroversen um die Skandale um sexuellen Missbrauch überlagert wurden. Der üblicherweise ruhig wirkende Vatikansprecher Lombardi reagierte in einem Editorial für Radio Vatikan sehr unwirsch auf den «Druck», der auf das bevorstehende Konklave ausgeübt werde. Es fehle nicht an Personen, die sich den Moment der Überraschung und Desorientierung schwacher Geister zunutze machen wollten, um Verwirrung zu säen und die Kirche und ihre Leitung in Misskredit zu bringen.

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VATIKAN
Frankfurter Rundschau

Rom –
Der Vatikan hat vor einer Beeinflussung des Konklaves durch Falschmeldungen und Gerüchte gewarnt. Nach den Spekulationen um gestohlene Dokumente, Sex und Korruption kritisierte der Vatikan die Medien und wehrte sich gegen die Gerüchte. Es sei erbärmlich, dass es kurz vor Beginn der Papstwahl „eine Verbreitung von oft ungeprüften, nicht verifizierbaren oder sogar falschen Nachrichten“ gebe, die großen Schaden für Personen und Institutionen verursache, hieß es am Samstag in einer Erklärung des vatikanischen Staatssekretariats.

Papst-Sprecher Federico Lombardi beklagte in einem Editorial für Radio Vatikan „Verleumdung und Desinformationen“. Einige versuchten, den Moment der Überraschung nach dem angekündigten Rücktritt von Papst Benedikt XVI. für Diffamierungen und Falschinformationen zu nutzen. Es werde „inakzeptabler Druck“ ausgeübt. „In den meisten Fällen haben die Richter, die scharfe moralische Urteile abgeben, nicht die geringste Autorität dazu“, sagte Lombardi.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Katholisches

Deutsche Kirche „stinkreich aber innerlich verrottet“ – Kritik an Pille-danach-Entscheidung und progressiven Aussagen deutscher Bischöfe

(Madrid/Rom) „Die brechreizauslösende deutsche Kirche. Ist sie noch katholisch?“ Das vernichtende Urteil und die Frage stammen vom spanischen Kirchenhistoriker und katholischen Kommentator Francisco José Fernández de la Cigoña. Der Spanier läßt in einem heute veröffentlichten Kommentar seiner Empörung freien Lauf über die Entscheidung der deutschen Bischofskonferenz, die „Pille danach“ zuzulassen, und über jüngste progressive Stellungnahmen deutscher Kardinäle und Bischöfe, die zum Teil „häretischer Natur“ seien, wie die Forderung nach der Frauenordination, so die italienische Internetseite Messa in Latino.

Es verwundert im katholischen Ausland weniger, daß durch die Sedisvakanz die Progressisten im Episkopat hervorpreschen. Mit größerem Unmut wird das Schweigen der anderen deutschsprachigen Kardinäle und Bischöfe registriert. „Im Augenblick muß sie die schlimmste [Landeskirche] der Welt sein“, so de la Cigoña, der es bedauert, daß Deutschland im nächsten Konklave mit sechs Kardinälen vertreten sein wird.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Vaterland (Liechtenstein)

Der in einem Missbrauchsskandal belastete frühere Erzbischof von Los Angeles, Kardinal Roger Mahony, ist am Samstag von Richtern in Los Angeles befragt worden. Der Geistliche soll am Konklave zur Wahl des neuen Papstes im März teilnehmen.

Rom/Vatikanstadt/Washington. – Mahony antwortete vier Stunden lang auf Fragen der Richter, die feststellen wollten, ob er pädophile Priester gezielt vor Strafverfolgung geschützt habe. Dabei ging es um mindestens 20 Missbrauchsfälle, berichteten italienische Medien. Der Kardinal antwortete geduldig auf die Fragen, die ihm auch die Rechtsanwälte der Opfer stellten.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Chicago Tribune

Reuters

By Brandon Lowrey

LOS ANGELES, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Roman Catholic activists on Saturday petitioned a U.S. cardinal to recuse himself from taking part in selecting a new pope so as not to insult survivors of sexual abuse by priests committed while he was archbishop of Los Angeles.

The activists delivered a petition with nearly 10,000 signatures to the North Hollywood church where Cardinal Roger Mahony resides.

“It’s a total slap in the face to victims to think (Mahony) can cover up 25 years of child sex abuse and then go prancing off to Rome like a prince of the Church,” said Joelle Casteix, western regional director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

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UNITED STATES
BBC News

Roman Catholics in the US have delivered a petition asking Cardinal Roger Mahony to stay away from the conclave in Rome to choose a new pope.

The former Archbishop of Los Angeles was stripped of his duties last month over allegations he protected priests accused of child sex abuse.

Continuing scandals over sex abuse in the Church have cast a shadow over the process of choosing a new pope.

Benedict XVI – who is abdicating – is giving his final Sunday blessing.

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CALIFORNIA
The Press Democrat

By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sebastopol police are beginning to delve into a 42-year-old case of alleged sexual assault linked to a Catholic priest, including the reason why it was reported long after the victim’s death, Police Chief Jeff Weaver said.

Although the police chief would not identify the suspect in the case, it clearly is related to the Rev. John Crews, the long-time director of the Hanna Boys Center near Sonoma who resigned unexpectedly Feb. 6. The Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa has acknowledged that Crews resigned in the wake of an allegation of sexual misconduct about 40 years ago.

Prior to taking the top spot at Hanna Boys Center, a highly regarded facility for at-risk boys, in 1984 Crews, 67, served at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Sebastopol.

Weaver said he believes the male victim died “years ago” and that he had told the person who reported the crime earlier this month not to disclose it nor to notify police.

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CALIFORNIA
KABC

[with video]

Amy Powell

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Los Angeles archbishop, was headed to Rome on Saturday to help select the new pope, the same day Mahony was deposed over the sexual abuse scandal that took place during his watch.

Mahony was described as calm and unflappable by the attorney who questioned him for more than three hours.

Recently released files show the former head of Los Angeles’ Catholic Archdiocese maneuvered behind the scenes to protect pedophile priests in order to protect the church from scandal.

Mahony has apologized for those actions and contends he turned the archdiocese into a leader for safeguarding children.

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UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

Cardinals seem to be biting the immoral dust faster than the Dublin bookmakers’ computers can adjust their papal handicapping system. A few days ago Honduran Cardinal Maradiaga was accused credibly in the National Post of making anti-Semitic charges about priest child abuse by Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz. Now the UK’s senior Cardinal, Keith O’Brien, has been credibly reported based on allegations of four priests to have “dirty hands”. His futile attempt to pivot by recently backing married priests seems to have failed. He hails for the same area and era in Ireland as disgraced Irish Cardinal Brady (and sadly, near my parents’ birthplace). If “clean hands” were to be made a prerequisite for Cardinals’ voting, will any Cardinal still be standing to vote by March 15, or at least worthy to be Pope if “clean hands” were to be introduced for the first time as a papal requirement?

Popes for centuries have told us how they had the exclusive “truth”, the “deposit of faith”, the “Tradition”. the “Magisterium”. etc. It was drilled into the consciousness of Catholic schoolchildren, including me and mine. The mystical smokescreens are quickly dissipating as fast as the the Internet can clear them.

Will other Christians now weigh in and give their advice here? Clearly the Popes do not have all the answers and solutions. Given the historical treatment of Orthodox and Protestant traditions by Rome, these traditions will understandably be hesitant to speak up. Nevertheless, Christian Catholics need their help at this critical point. Who knows? Maybe before the Papal Olympics are over, Catholics may have to ask their “separated brethren” to lend us a Papal Quarterback?

In the past week, Catholic ecumenical scholar, Hans Kung, former Dominican and now Episcopal priest, Matthew Fox, and Anglican deacon and Oxford historian, Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, have weighed in on the current crisis. Hopefully, other Christian leaders and scholars, will weigh in soon. Catholics need some help here. So many Catholic leaders and scholars have been muzzled for so long by the Vatican’s ruthless inquisitors under the present Pope and his Polish predecessor, that in-house Catholic “players” may arrive at the papal match too late.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Express

DETECTIVES investigating Jimmy Savile’s sordid past will this week probe claims that he was involved in a Satanic ritual where a secret film of his debauched activities is said to exist.

By: James Murray
Published: Sun, February 24, 2013

The former BBC presenter went to weird events at a place known locally as The Chamber, which had a ceremonial whipping post in the centre of the room.

The room was decorated with an occult style pentagram and goats heads.

The building housing The Chamber still exists in Whitby, North Yorkshire, but has since been redecorated and the whipping post removed.

Officers working on Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree investigation will travel to the coastal town in the coming days to interview a local resident who has been amassing a file of evidence about the strange goings on there decades ago.

The man, who declined to be named, said: “There is a substantial amount of information to show Savile was invited to Satanic rituals in Whitby on a number of occasions. Once someone made a recording of what unfolded and that film is still said to be in existence in DVD form.

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UNITED KINGDOM
AFP

LONDON — Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, who is due to vote on Pope Benedict XVI’s successor, has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour, the Observer reported on Sunday.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, contests allegations by three priests and a former priest which were sent to Rome a week before Pope Benedict’s resignation on February 11.

The four claimants, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland, reported to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, that O’Brien had committed “inappropriate acts” going back 33 years.

One priest claims he received unwanted attention from the cardinal after a late-night drinking session. Another alleges that O’Brien used night prayers as cover for inappropriate contact, according to the paper.

O’Brien has a vote in the forthcoming papal conclave.

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CANADA
Vancouver Sun

The odds are strong – seven to two – that Canada will next month become much more famous.

Two big British bookmakers are putting serious money on a Canadian horse: Ladbrokes and PaddyPower are betting that Marc Ouellet, a cardinal from Quebec, could be elected pope at the March conclave.

If that happens, Canada’s Catholic roots and its supposedly polite, multi-faith culture will be thrust into the international spotlight.

The interest has already arrived. Popular American satirist Stephen Colbert devoted much of a show last week to mock-complaining that Ouellet would be “too Canadian” (i.e., too nice) to be pope.

When a man is catapulted to the top of a church of 1.2 billion people, unpredictable things happen to him and his country of origin. For good or ill.

A media blitz struck Poland after native son Karol Cardinal Wojtyla became John Paul II in 1978. It happened to Germany when Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

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CANADA
Vancouver Sun

If Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet is elected pope, what would the world discover about Canadian Catholicism?

Here are some of the answers: …

A LEGACY OF ABUSE STILL UNRAVELLING

While he was Pope, Benedict never made it to Canada. However, he did travel in 2008 to the U.S., where he apologized for his priests’ role in the sex abuse scandal.

High-level Catholic leaders, including New York’s Dolan, have admitted to covering up chronic abuse.

Catholic officials have admitted there have been, since the 1950s, more than 6,100 accused U.S. priests.

What’s different in Canada? The debacle over sex abuse by priests exploded in the U.S. in the past 15 years.

But Canadian bishops had brought in measures to curtail it during the early 1990s, as hundreds of priests, brothers and Catholic school staff were being convicted of molestation.

They had to respond to Catholic abuse cases that came out of Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland and from survivors of now-defunct Catholic-run residential schools, which housed and educated more than 100,000 aboriginals during the 20th century.

The Canadian Catholic Church, as a whole, has received widespread criticism for refusing to formally apologize for abuse at the schools.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Pink News

by Scott Roberts
23 February 2013

Britain’s most senior Catholic leader, notorious for his anti-gay views, has been reported to the Vatican over historical allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving several male priests.

The Observer reports three priests and one former priest made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.

The four, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, have complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O’Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.

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CALIFORNIA
NBC Southern California

By Samantha Tata

Saturday, Feb 23, 2013

Thousands of signatures demanding that retired Cardinal Roger Mahony withdraw from voting in upcoming papal conclave are set to be delivered Saturday afternoon to a North Hollywood church, where Mahony has a residence.

The former archbishop of Los Angeles, Mahony was stripped of his public and administrative duties in January for his role in shielding alleged priest child molesters. But that does not affect his standing with Rome.

“It’s a symbolic statement to say we will be heard,” said Chris Pumpelly, spokesman for Washington, D.C.-based Catholics United.

“There is pain in this church and we will no longer be silenced. We love the church. We just can’t stand this crisis of leadership.”

Janet Kwak is in North Hollywood. She’ll have a live report from the demonstration during the NBC4 News at 5 p.m.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times

A “relatively unflappable” Cardinal Roger Mahony answered questions under oath for more than 3 1/2 hours Saturday about his handling of clergy sex abuse cases, according to the lawyer who questioned the former archbishop.

“He remained calm and seemingly collected at all times,” said attorney Anthony De Marco, who represents a man suing the Los Angeles Archdiocese over abuse he claims he suffered at the hands of a priest who visited his parish in 1987.

Mahony has been deposed many times in the past, but Saturday’s session was the first time he had been asked about recently released internal church records that show he shielded abusers from law enforcement.

De Marco declined to detail the questions he asked or the answers the cardinal provided, citing a judge’s protective order.

The deposition occurred just before Mahony was to board a plane for Italy to vote in the conclave that will elect the next pope. In a Twitter post Friday, Mahony wrote that it was “just a few short hours before my departure for Rome.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Press TV (Iran)

Britain’s most senior Catholic clergyman, Cardinal Keith O’Brien has been implicated in possible sexual abuse scandals dating back 30 years ago by three priests and a former priest in Scotland, local media reported.

Cardinal O’Brien, who is an outspoken opponent of gay rights, condemning homosexuality as immoral, has been reported to the Vatican by the four, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the daily The Guardian reported.

They complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, that they had fallen victim to O’Brien’s inappropriate behaviour at the time, and called for his immediate resignation.

Their claims had been submitted to the nuncio’s office the week before Pope Benedict’s resignation on 11 February, nurturing speculations that Benedict’s shock move may be connected to further scandals to come. Allegations of sexual abuse by members of the church have dogged the papacy of Benedict XVI, who is to step down as pope at the end of this month.

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VATICAN CITY
CNN

[with video]

By John L. Allen Jr., CNN Senior Vatican Analyst

updated 5:50 PM EST, Sat February 23, 2013

Editor’s note: John L. Allen Jr. is CNN’s senior Vatican analyst and senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.

(CNN) — Suffice it to say that of all possible storylines to emerge, heading into the election of a new pope, sensational charges of a shadowy “gay lobby” (possibly linked to blackmail), whose occult influence may have been behind the resignation of Benedict XVI, would be right at the bottom of the Vatican’s wish list.

Proof of the Vatican’s irritation came with a blistering statement Saturday complaining of “unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories,” even suggesting the media is trying to influence the papal election.

Two basic questions have to be asked about all this. First, is there really a secret dossier about a network of people inside the Vatican who are linked by their sexual orientation, as Italian newspaper reports have alleged? Second, is this really why Benedict XVI quit?

The best answers, respectively, are “maybe” and “probably not.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic has been reported to the Vatican over historical allegations of inappropriate behaviour, a Sunday newspaper says.

The Observer said three priests and one former priest made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.

They have also demanded his immediate resignation, the paper said.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O’Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By Olivia Williams

PUBLISHED:18:06 EST, 23 February 2013

Britain’s most senior Catholic clergyman, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, has been reported to the Vatican for inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Four priests complained through statements sent to the papal nuncio, Antonio Mennini.

The first allegation dates back to 1980.

As the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, next week O’Brien will be part of the conclave choosing the next Pope, but now he is facing demands for his immediate resignation.

As reported by The Observer, one of the priests alleges that he has needed counselling since an inappropriate relationship with O’Brien.

A second complainant was 18-years-old when O’Brien made an inappropriate approach after night prayers.

A third priest said he was invited to ‘get to know’ O’Brien at the archbishop’s residence only to face ‘unwanted behaviour’ from O’Brien after late-night drinking.

A spokesman for the cardinal said that he contests the allegations.

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CHILE
Publimetro

James Hamilton, uno de los denunciantes del ex párroco de El Bosque Fernando Karadima, ocupó su cuenta de Twitter para expresar su sentir respecto a la situación del sacerdote Cristián Precht, quien esta semana decidió no apelar a la sanción que le impuso El Vaticano por un presunto caso de abuso de menores.

El médico de profesión hizo una dura crítica al sistema respecto a la, según él, prácticamente nula participación de la PDI en la investigación de los hechos que inculparían al ex Vicario de la Solidaridad. Además aprovechó de repasar al actual arzobispo de Santiago, Ricardo Ezzati.

“Un pedófilo lo persigue la PDI un sacerdote pedófilo lo mandan de vacaciones pagadas : precht gracias a Ezzati” partió señalando.

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VATICAN CITY
Washington Post

By Jason Horowitz

Saturday, February 23

Vatican City — The cardinals who file into the Sistine Chapel for next month’s conclave will check their newspapers, cellphones and iPads at the door. The frescoed chamber will already have been swept for bugs. If the last conclave is any guide, the prelates will cast secret ballots on a floor raised to make room for electronic jamming equipment.

As paramount as privacy is to the deliberations for selecting the next pope, sharing information will be critical to that pontiff’s success. When Benedict XVI’s successor is introduced on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica with the cry of “Habemus Papum,” his name and message will be liked on Facebook pages, blasted out on a Twitter account that already has nearly 2 million followers, downloaded onto a Vatican YouTube channel, linked in Catholic blogs and introduced across multiple platforms tended to by a small Vatican office off the Via della Conciliazione.

“The important thing for us is that people are sharing,” said Claudio Maria Celli, the president of the church’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications, who oversees news.va, a hub for church news. On Saturday its home page, designed in the Vatican’s white and yellow colors, featured the pope’s Twitter feed, MP3 audio files of the speeches of popular Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi during the pope’s Lenten retreat and video of the massive crowd that showed up for one of the pope’s last public appearances. (Still, no gifs.) The site attracts about 15,000 visitors a day, nearly half of whom are new visitors. The average time on site, Celli said, is two minutes and twenty seconds. “They are not there by chance. They came to read.”

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VATICAN CITY
The Daily Star (Lebanon)

February 23, 2013 By Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI’s impending resignation is dividing many Catholics between those who see it as a gesture of hope and renewal for the Church and those for whom it is an admission of weakness.

“It is a break that encourages the Church to examine its conscience to start afresh,” said Paolo Colonnetti from the Focolare lay movement.

“It is not at all a gesture that desacralises or has any dangers for the Church,” he said.

Father Sergio, superior general of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious congregation, said he too was optimistic.

“I am awaiting with a confident spirit the goodness the Church will receive from this move,” he said.

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UNITED STATES
The New York Times

Here is a composite portrait of the 116 men — age 72, on average — who will elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor. It was assembled by layering photographs of each cardinal on top of one another. Cardinals from various regions form the first composites, followed by a composite of all 116 men.

By AMANDA COX

Because more than two-thirds of the cardinals must agree, many who were elected as pope have been compromise candidates — not everyone’s first choice, but someone a large majority could support.

Pope John Paul II relaxed that rule a bit, but Benedict restored the traditional requirement for a supermajority in 2007. A spokesman said the two-thirds majority “would guarantee the widest possible consensus.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Herald Scotland

Gerry Braiden
Local Government Correspondent

CARDINAL Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, has surprised the faith across the globe by controversially claiming he would be happy for priests to marry and have children.

On the eve of his departure to Rome where he will help select the next Pope, Cardinal O’Brien, who leads the Catholic Church in Scotland, said many priests struggle to cope with celibacy and should be given the choice to marry.

The cardinal is understood to have expressed a long-held personal view and will have supporters among fellow members of the conclave that will elect the successor to Pope Benedict XVI.

He said: “I’d be very happy if others had the opportunity of considering whether or not they could or should be married. It’s a free world and I realise that many priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy as they lived out their priesthood, and felt the need of a companion, of a woman, to whom they could get married and raise a family of their own.”

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NORTHERN IRELAND
News Letter

Published on Saturday 23 February 2013

BRITAIN’S most senior Roman Catholic has said he would be “happy” for priests to be able to marry.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien – who was born in Ballycastle – said many priests struggle to cope with celibacy and should be able to marry and have a family.

The cardinal was speaking ahead of a trip to Rome where he will help elect the next pope, after the resignation of Benedict XVI.

He told the BBC: “I’d be very happy if others had the opportunity of considering whether or not they could or should be married.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Radio New Zealand

The most senior Roman Catholic in Britain says priests should be allowed to marry and have children.

In an interview, Cardinal Keith O’Brien said the next Pope would be free to change the current policy because the principle of celibacy wasn’t of divine origin, as it hadn’t come directly from Jesus Christ.

“I realise that many priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy as they lived out their priesthood, and felt the need of a companion, of a woman to whom they could get married and raise a family of their own.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Observer

Catherine Deveney
The Observer, Saturday 23 February 2013

Three priests and a former priest in Scotland have reported the most senior Catholic clergyman in Britain, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behaviour stretching back 30 years.

The four, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, have complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation. A spokesman for the cardinal said that the claims were contested.

O’Brien, who is due to retire next month, has been an outspoken opponent of gay rights, condemning homosexuality as immoral, opposing gay adoption, and most recently arguing that same-sex marriages would be “harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of those involved”. Last year he was named “bigot of the year” by the gay rights charity Stonewall.

One of the complainants, it is understood, alleges that the cardinal developed an inappropriate relationship with him, resulting in a need for long-term psychological counselling.

The four submitted statements containing their claims to the nuncio’s office the week before Pope Benedict’s resignation on 11 February. They fear that, if O’Brien travels to the forthcoming papal conclave to elect a new pope, the church will not fully address their complaints.

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VATICAN CITY
The Observer (United Kingdom)

Lizzy Davies
The Observer, Saturday 23 February 2013

When Pope Benedict XVI tendered the first papal resignation in almost 600 years, the more hopeful of his flock said it would help the Roman Catholic church make a break with its recent past and usher in a new era of missionary vibrancy untainted by intrigue and scandal.

The headlines of the past fortnight, however, have shown quite how unlikely that is. Not only has anger built over the role of several compromised cardinals in the choosing of a papal successor, but increasingly lurid claims have emerged about why Benedict chose to stand down in the first place.

A major new controversy, therefore, is the last thing that the Vatican needs. Rather than heralding a bold new dawn, the most unexpected and unpredictable conclave in centuries looks increasingly likely to be overshadowed – just as much of Benedict’s papacy was – by scandal.

The clerical sex abuse scandals that dominated Benedict’s eight years as pope have left several prelates due to take part in conclave facing questions over how they handled the affairs.

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MINNESOTA
Northland’s News Center

February 16, 2013

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.COM) – A group of Minnesota lawmakers wants to make sure people who sexually abuse children are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

It’s called the “Minnesota Child Victims Act” and it would give young victims more time to come to terms with what happened to them and gain the strength to take their offenders to court.

“Gradually, through therapy, I began to realize that this wasn’t my fault. I was a kid,” said David Samarzia.

When Samarzia was ten years old he was sexually abused by the pastor in his Duluth church. Like many children, he didn’t tell anyone until many years later.

Jeff Anderson, a nationally known clergy sex abuse attorney in Minnesota, says that situation is all too common.

“The witnesses to the crimes often are children,” Anderson said, “They suffer in silence. They suffer in secrecy and shame and they aren’t able to report it.”

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NEW YORK
CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Many New Yorkers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Saturday – but not all – dismissed the reports that a scandal had a role in the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

The Vatican lashed out at the Italian news media Saturday for what it called defamatory and false reports about the contents of a secret dossier prepared for the pope by a group of cardinals, claiming the existence of a gay priests’ lobby and alleging financial mismanagement. There are claims that it was this scandal that prompted the pope to resign.

As 1010 WINS’ Gene Michaels reported, most of the people at the cathedral Saturday did not believe the reports about the scandal. But Lisa and Greg were not a part of that majority.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Lisa said.

“Pope Benedict knows that he’s got a terrible situation on his hands. He hasn’t dealt with it as well as he might have, and when it comes as close to the Vatican as that, if that’s true, then I think it was appropriate for him to resign,” Greg added.

But Patrick dismissed the scandal as unfounded.

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VATICAN CITY
The New York Times

By RACHEL DONADIO

Published: February 23, 2013

VATICAN CITY — As cardinals from around the world begin arriving in Rome for a conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, new shadows have fallen over the delicate transition, which the Vatican fears might influence the vote and with it the direction of the Roman Catholic Church.

In recent days, often speculative reports — some even alleging gay sex scandals in the Vatican, others focusing on particular cardinals stung by the child sex abuse crisis — have dominated headlines in the Italian news media, suggesting fierce internal struggles as prelates scramble to consolidate power and attack enemies in the dying days of a troubled papacy.

The drumbeat of scandal has reached such a fever pitch that on Saturday, the Vatican Secretariat of State issued a rare pointed rebuke, calling it “deplorable” that ahead of the conclave, “when the Cardinal electors will be held in conscience and before God, to freely indicate their choice, that there be a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories, that cause serious damage to persons and institutions.”

The Vatican compared the news reports to attempts in the past by foreign states to exert pressure on the papal election. “Today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion that is often based on judgments that do not typically capture the spiritual aspect of the moment that the Church is living,” the statement said.

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CALIFORNIA
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on February 23, 2013

Dare to publicly shame him? Be prepared for a “you didn’t think it was wrong last month” answer.

Criticize him? He’s gonna pray for God to forgive your righteous—yet apparently sinful—anger.

Dare say that he shouldn’t go to the Conclave? He’s gonna tell you that he’s full of the Holy Spirit and can’t wait to get to Rome.

You see, it’s not his fault. He’s been scapegoated. Outcast. He now knows what it’s like to “be among the excluded ones.”

If there was ever an example of why sex abuse and cover-up has thrived in the Catholic Church, it’s Mahony. But the more he struggles, the deeper he sinks into the quicksand of his own arrogance and sinfulness.

The scary part? Look at every bishop and cardinal in the US. They all follow the same script. We were just lucky enough to get some of Mahony’s documents. But what are we missing in other diocese across the Unites States and abroad? What other bishops and cardinals are carefully hovering over the quicksand pit, thankful that victims never got access to their secret sex abuse archives?

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Oxford Times

A PROMINENT Oxford theologian has said Pope Benedict XVI’s reign will not be remembered as successful or inspiring but only for his resignation.

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch is a theologian at Oxford University who has written numerous books as well as presented a number of TV series on the history of Christianity.

He has said the pontiff spent most of his time in office “crushing” other visions of Catholicism and suggested he would be chiefly remembered for giving up the role.

Prof MacCulloch, who was knighted last year, said: “You have to admire a man who not just knows he’s no longer up to the job, but is brave enough to tell other people.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Oxford Times

With one announcement, a documentary that might otherwise have slipped under the radar has become the most important film of the week. Alex Gibney’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God follows his previous exposés Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) and the Oscar-winning Taxi to the Darkside (2007) in showing how a single shocking incident fits into a bigger and far more egregious picture. But, while Monday’s announcement from Rome stands to deflect attention away from the crimes of Father Lawrence Murphy, it will redouble the focus on the part played by the future Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in the Vatican conspiracy to cover-up the extent of child abuse within the Roman Catholic Church and to prevent those who betrayed the trust of the vulnerable individuals in their care from facing civil justice.

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IRELAND
RTE News

The Department of Justice and Equality has received hundreds of telephone calls from people signalling their interest in getting help from a Government fund for former residents of the State’s Magdalene Laundries.

The Department of Justice has also said the women and girls who worked in the Magdalene Laundries without pay arrangements “simply cannot be applied to the completely different circumstances” that applied in maternity and infant homes, including the Bethany Home.

A spokesperson for the Department said that the issues relating to the Bethany Home relate primarily to health care and children.

The spokesperson said that the Government is conscious of these issues, and that Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, and Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch, are looking at the matter.

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UNITED STATES
Vatican Insider

According to a survey, 60% of Americans would like to see a cardinal from a third world country elected to the papacy

Paolo MAstrolilli
New York

Most American Catholics have a positive opinion of Benedict XVI but they also think it is time for the Church to change, by electing a cardinal from a developing country as Pope in the upcoming Conclave. This is according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center straight after Joseph Ratzinger’s resignation.

In the U.S., 74% of Americans express a favourable view of the Pope’s work although this figure has dropped since April 2008 (83%) and is lower than the highest approval rating earned by John Paul II (93%). The most controversial issue is still the sex-abuse scandal in the Church: Only 33% of Americans judge the Pope’s efforts to combat this as good or excellent, while 63% said it was unsatisfactory. Peoples’ opinion of the Church’s relations with other religions, however, is more positive, with 55% saying “that Benedict has done a good or excellent job in promoting relations with other religions.”

U.S. Catholics are split over which path the Church should take in the near future in terms of doctrine in general. Indeed, 51% thinks it should maintain the traditional positions of the Church, while 46% would like to see it moving in new directions.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor– 23 February 2013

THE number of Magdalene Laundry survivors who have come forward for a new compensation scheme has now reached 550.

The numbers getting in touch with the Department of Justice’s special helpline have steadily climbed from an initial 200 earlier in the week.

A compensation fund is being set up as a result of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s historic state apology to the women for the ordeal they had suffered.

The Magdalene Survivors Together group wants a payment of €20,000 for each year that a woman worked without wages in a Magdalene Laundry – and a lump sum payment of €50,000 each for psychological damage.

The maximum amount paid to any woman would be capped at €200,000 regardless of how many years she had worked in the laundry.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

HARRY MCGEE

BACKGROUND: Within hours of the Magdalene Report being published a fortnight ago, the Taoiseach and Government knew they had paid a political price for an insipid apology and lack of a process.

“As we all know now, the report was published immediately after a Government meeting, before anybody had time to absorb it,” said a source familiar with the process.

“We anticipated that people would not be happy with an incomplete response.”

‘Lessons to be learned’

“There are obviously lessons to be learned about how Government handles reports of that magnitude. Time needs to be given to study the findings and discuss them,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Thus it became a political imperative to produce a thought-through, sensitive and comprehensive response over the following 14 days; one that would repair the Government’s hand after what was seen as the debacle of the initial response.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

MARY MINIHAN and COLIN GLEESON

Doubts have emerged on whether Magdalene women who have previously received compensation because they resided in industrial schools or other institutions will qualify for further payment under the new scheme.

The president of the Law Reform Commission, Mr Justice John Quirke is to recommend criteria to be applied when assessing provision in terms of “payments” and supports such as medical cards and counselling services to the Magdalene women.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the issue of further compensation for women who were sent to the laundries from industrial schools – and were thus compensated by the State Redress Board – “will be considered by Judge Quirke”.

However, Minister of State for Trade Joe Costello said: “I think they should be dealt with in the context of the Magdalenes. They shouldn’t be excluded.”

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IRELAND
BBC News

[with video]

The Irish government’s decision to apologise to the women who worked in the Magdalene Laundries – workhouses run by nuns – has prompted members of the Bethany Home Survivors Group group to say they also want justice.

Magdalene laundries were places for what were described as “fallen women”.

They were workhouses to where the Irish authorities sent Catholic girls and women considered “troubled” to do unpaid manual work.

The last one closed in 1996.

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POLEN
Kleine Zeitung

Der polnische Bischof Tadeusz Pieronek hat mit Aussagen über Kindesmissbrauch von katholischen Geistlichen Empörung ausgelöst. Auf das Pontifikat von Benedikt XVI. angesprochen sagte er, der Papst habe “mit viel wichtigeren Themen gerungen als der Pädophilie”. Pädophilie habe es immer gegeben und werde es immer geben: “Keine Macht hält den Menschen von dem ab, wozu ihn die Leidenschaften treiben”.

Die stellvertretende Präsidentin des polnischen Unterhauses (Sejm), Wanda Nowicka, bis vor kurzem mit der linksliberalen Bewegung Palikots (RP) verbunden, warf Pieronek die Verharmlosung von Kindesmissbrauch vor. Sie forderte den Kinderbeauftragten der Regierung in einem Brief zu einer Stellungnahme auf. “Die Kirche behandelt Pädophilie offenbar als ein Phänomen des Brauchtums”, sagte Nowicka gegenüber TVN24. Pieronek stelle damit die Notwendigkeit einer strafrechtlichen Verfolgung infrage.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Kreis-Anzeiger

Manfred Dickert schreibt an Kardinal – „Offenheit und Übernahme der Verantwortung“

(cke). Die Einstellung der Missbrauchsstudie durch die katholische Kirche und die noch immer ausstehende Entschuldigung von Kirchenverantwortlichen aus dem Bistum Mainz gegenüber den Opfern, die vom ehemaligen Grebenhainer Pfarrer Wolfgang Grabosch sexuell missbraucht wurden, veranlassten Grebenhains Bürgermeister Manfred Dickert, einen Brief an den Mainzer Bischof, Kardinal Karl Lehmann, zu schreiben. Der Rathauschef, in dessen Gemeinde sich ein Teil der widerwärtigen Taten ereigneten, fordert eine klare Entschuldigung der Kirche und einen ehrlichen Umgang mit den Missbrauchsfällen.

„Die Berichterstattungen in der Presse vom Januar zu dem mit einem großen Eklat gescheiterten Forschungsprojekt der Aufarbeitung von sexuellem Missbrauch an Minderjährigen durch das kriminologische Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen machen zutiefst betroffen“, schreibt Dickert an den Kardinal. Zum Brief veranlasst sehe er sich durch die Haltung der katholischen Kirche, des Bistums, gegenüber den Missbrauchsopfern aus der Gemeinde Grebenhain und der umliegenden Dörfer im Einzugsbereich des von Pfarrer Grabosch geführten Dekanats. „Meine bisherigen Kenntnisse reichen nur bis zu einem Mitgefühl der Kirche mit den Opfern.

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DEUTSCHLAND
domradio

Theologin Ranke-Heinemann misstraut Vorschlägen katholischer Bischöfe

Uta Ranke-Heinemann im Gespräch mit Matthias Hanselmann

Die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz möchte ein Diakonat für Frauen einrichten, um ihnen den Zugang zu Leitungspositionen zu erleichtern. Die Theologin Uta Ranke-Heinemann glaubt aber nicht an einen echten Fortschritt: Der Vatikan sei “der reine Junggesellenverein, wo nur die Jungfrau Maria Zutritt hat”.

Matthias Hanselmann: Auf der diesjährigen Frühjahrsvollversammlung der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz in Trier, die heute zu Ende geht, sagte der Osnabrücker Bischof Franz-Josef Bode, dass in Zukunft mehr Frauen in Leitungspositionen der katholischen Kirche kommen sollten. Des Weiteren schlug Kardinal Walter Kasper ein neues Diakonat für Frauen vor, die dann im Namen der Kirche pastorale, liturgische und Segenshandlungen vornehmen könnten. Aber wohlgemerkt, ohne dass sie vorher ordiniert werden müssten. Von der Priesterweihe sollen Frauen also auch weiterhin ausgeschlossen sein, daran wird nicht gerüttelt.

Uta Ranke-Heinemann ist Theologin und kirchenkritische Buchautorin, war 1970 die erste Professorin im Fach katholische Theologie, im Jahr 1987 allerdings wurde ihr die Lehrbefugnis dafür wieder entzogen, weil sie offen bekannte, dass sie nicht an die Jungfrauengeburt glauben kann. Ihr Buch “Eunuchen für das Himmelreich” ist gerade in einer erweiterten und aktualisierten Auflage erschienen mit dem Untertitel “Katholische Kirche und Sexualität – von Jesus bis Benedikt XVI.”. Und jetzt ist Frau Ranke-Heinemann für uns am Telefon. Willkommen in unserer Sendung!

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IRELAND
The Irish Times

DIARMAID MACCULLOCH

The Catholic Church, aka the western church of the Latin rite, trades on tradition. That is what so fascinates many people: the lure of its continuity, the certainty, the serene provision of answers.

As anyone mildly acquainted with its history will know, this is a series of illusions. Christian history, like all history, is a delicious Smorgasbord of unintended consequences, paradoxes, misunderstandings, sudden veerings in new directions.

If you like to call that the work of the Holy Spirit, then fine, but do note that the Holy Spirit delights in confounding human expectations and going its own way.

The church of Rome, having been around from near the start of the story, illustrates this general truth particularly well. Its prestige derives from possessing the tomb of the Apostle Peter, who probably never visited the city.

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VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (United Kingdom)

Conal Urquhart, John Hooper and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 23 February 2013

The Vatican has attacked reports in the Italian media linking Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation to the alleged discovery of a network of gay prelates as attempts to influence the cardinals in their choice of a new pontiff.

The Vatican secretariat of state said in a statement: “It is deplorable that as we draw closer to the time of the beginning of the conclave … that there be a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories that cause serious damage to persons and institutions.”

The statement was made as Pope Benedict XVI had his final meeting with senior clerics, lamenting the “evil, suffering and corruption” that have defaced God’s creation in a final address to Vatican officials.

Benedict spoke on Saturday at the end of a week-long spiritual retreat coinciding with Lent, the period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. For the past week, Italian cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi has led the Vatican on meditations that have covered everything from the family to denouncing the “divisions, dissent, careerism, jealousies” that afflict the Vatican bureaucracy.

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