ABUSE TRACKER

ILLINOIS/WISCONSIN
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY DAVID CLOHESSY ON MAY 24, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

A Wisconsin Catholic monk, recently arrested twice and accused of trying to assault Chicago area girls, is now out of jail and living with family in Lansing IL. He’s Brother Thomas Chmura.

[Chicago Tribune]

This Catholic cleric is dangerous. He belongs in a remote, secure treatment center run by secular professionals, not Catholic amateurs. For the safety of kids, we implore his Wisconsin supervisors to put him far away from those he’s hurt. And we hope that church officials will, at least in the short term, warn parents about exactly where he is so they can protect their kids.

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MARYLAND
Pilgrim’s Road Trip

May 24, 2013 By Michelle Van Loon

Earlier this week, Pastor Josh Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, confessed that he’d been a victim of sexual abuse when he was a child. The timing and context for this confession has something to tell us about the long-lasting effects of abuse in a victim’s life.

Harris’ church was “mother ship” of the network of 80 or so churches churches of Sovereign Grace Ministries, though the congregation left the SGM family a few months ago. SGM was recently the focus of a lawsuit alleging sexual impropriety and a system of coverup lasting many years by some of its key leaders. The lawsuit was dismissed because of a technicality, though the plaintiffs’ lawyers plan to proceed with a civil suit.

Though I’ve never met Harris in person, I’ve followed him since he was a kid via the ministry of his parents, who were popular convention speakers and writers in the home school movement during the 1990′s. When young adult Josh became a mainstream voice for the movement’s emphasis on Biblical courtship with his popular book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, many homeschoolers viewed the moment as an affirmation that training a child up in the way he or she should go would net (guarantee, even!) a next generation of a family that would be willing to do hard things in life, and take strong moral stands in a decaying society. The Harris family were exemplars for many of this of this implied guarantee.

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FRANCE
Business Recorder

Posted by Muhammad Iqbal

GRENOBLE: A Catholic priest at the posh French ski station of Megeve has been stripped of his functions at the request of the Vatican for being a member of a Masonic lodge, his parish said Friday.

Father Pascal Vesin of the Sainte-Anne d’Arly-Montjoie parish was ordered by the bishop of Annecy, Yves Boivineau, to halt his functions due to his “active membership” of the Grand Orient de France, a large Masonic organisation.

A statement from the parish said the move had been “made at Rome’s request.”

It said the bishop had asked Vesin earlier to forsake Freemasonry, which he had refused to do.

In March, the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asked for priest’s departure. Three members of the diocese of Annecy then met him but Vesin said he would not quit his membership of the Lodge.

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OHIO
10 TV

[with video]

By Jim Heath
COLUMBUS, Ohio – State Sen. Capri Cafaro says the advances in DNA technology is just one reason why Ohio’s limitation on rape prosecutions should be eliminated.

“It’s long overdue,” said Cafaro, a Democrat from Hubbard. “It takes time to build up that courage, and they should not be violated twice when they come forward and learn that just because they showed up 21 years later, all of a sudden, justice walks away from them.”

Right now in Ohio, there is a 20-year statute of limitation to prosecute a rape case.

It’s the same limitation as cases involving kidnapping, robbery and burglary. There is no time limit to prosecute a murder charge.

“You never know when a victim will want to come forward, so we should give them every opportunity throughout their lifetime, whether or not they want to come forward,” said state Sen. Nina Turner, a Democrat from Cleveland.

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OHIO
Hudson Hub-Times

by MARC KOVAC | CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF Published: May 23, 2013

Columbus — Two state senators want to do away with the statute of limitations on rape and sexual battery, meaning perpetrators could face charges for crimes committed decades prior.

Sens. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) and Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) offered SB 83 to repeal the current 20-year window for prosecution.

“It is important that we in the general assembly realize the incredible amount of courage that coming forward takes and allow victims the ability to tell their story when they are ready and they feel safe, no matter how long that takes,” Turner told the chamber’s criminal justice committee.

The legislation had its first hearing May 22.

The proposed law changes come on the heels of a couple of cases of victims alleging sexual crimes but unable to pursue criminal charges because they were committed too long ago.

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OHIO
Seattle PI

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A bill being proposed by two Ohio lawmakers would remove the 20-year statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and sexual battery cases.

Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office said he supports the measure, which would allow cases to be filed against defendants 20 years or more after the alleged crime.

But John Murphy of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association tells The Columbus Dispatch (http://bit.ly/14xykEl ) that he’s not in favor of pursuing rape cases that old unless there is DNA evidence involved.

He said prosecutors are concerned that unless there is DNA evidence, rape cases could come down to verbal allegations based on faulty memory instead of evidence.

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OHIO
WBEX

Ohio currently has a 20 year statute of limitations on rape, but two state lawmakers want to see that change. If approved, Senate Bill 83 would see Ohio join 28 other states where people can be charged with rape no matter how long ago the crime happened.

Senator Capri Cafaro cites the case of several men in Warren that have come forward with claims their high school baseball coach sexually abused them, but no charges can be filed.

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RHODE ISLAND
WPRI

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — A West Warwick priest was charged with DUI and several traffic violations after he was stopped by police.

According to the Warwick Beacon police log, around 11:25 p.m. on April 14, an officer spotted a car take the Centerville Road exit from 95 at approximately 85 miles an hour and swerve from lane to lane before coming to a stop. According to the officer, the driver appeared to be intoxicated and smelled strongly of alcohol.

The driver of the car, Michael A. Colello, was then given a field sobriety test which he failed. Colello was then taken to police headquarters where he refused a breath test.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WNEP

by Julie Melf

WYALUSING — Leaders with the Diocese of Scranton have suspended a priest from public ministry after he was charged with open lewdness.

According to the diocese, Father Daniel Doherty, was taken into custody last Friday. He served as an assistant pastor at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish in Tunkhannock and at Saint Mary of the Lake in Lake Winola.

A statement released by the Diocese of Scranton says Father Doherty engaged in lewd behavior with an adult woman at Wyalusing Borough Park in Bradford County.

According to the statement, “In response to this situation, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, has removed Father’s Doherty’s faculties and has prohibited him from exercising public ministry pending a legal disposition. In reaction to this matter, Bishop Bambera expressed anger with the apparent inappropriate, immoral and seemingly illegal behavior. Bishop Bambera also expressed concern for the pastor and people of the parish communities in Tunkhannock and Lake Winola where Father Doherty has been serving.”

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SCRANTON (PA)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton

Posted on: 05-23-2013

On Thursday, May 23, 2013 Diocesan officials learned through local media that on Friday, May 17, 2013, Father Daniel J. Doherty, who is a priest of the Diocese of Scranton and a member of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice, who has been serving as Assistant Pastor at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Tunkhannock, and Saint Mary of the Lake, Lake Winola, was involved in an incident at the Wyalusing Borough Park, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. The accusation is that Father Doherty and an adult female were engaged in behavior that resulted in them being charged with open lewdness and for violating local ordinances that prohibit, among other things, consuming alcohol on the borough park property. The Diocese of Scranton will cooperate fully as this matter is properly handled by law enforcement.

In response to this situation, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, has removed Father’s Doherty’s faculties and has prohibited him from exercising public ministry pending a legal disposition. In reaction to this matter, Bishop Bambera expressed anger with the apparent inappropriate, immoral and seemingly illegal behavior. Bishop Bambera also expressed concern for the pastor and people of the parish communities in Tunkhannock and Lake Winola where Father Doherty has been serving. “As we all struggle with the sobering reality of this most regrettable and unacceptable situation, be assured of my prayers and support to provide what is needed to bring healing to all affected.”

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SCRANTON (PA)
Times-Tribune

Published: May 24, 2013

SCRANTON – A Diocese of Scranton priest was charged with open lewdness and consuming alcohol at a Bradford County park, officials said Thursday.

The Rev. Daniel J. Doherty, who has been working as an assistant pastor in Tunkhannock and Lake Winola, was charged after he and a woman were involved in a lewd act at Wyalusing Borough Park, according to a diocese news release. He also has served as an assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist and Sacred Heart in Wilkes-Barre from 1994-1997 and at St. Rose in Carbondale from 1997-1999.

Police in Laceyville, who are investigating the case, could not be reached late Thursday.

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SCRANTON (PA)
Sunday Dispatch

Last Modified: May 24. 2013

By Mark Guydish – mguydish@civitasmedia.com – 570-970-9161

SCRANTON — A Diocese of Scranton priest serving parishes in Tunkhannock and Lake Winola has been charged with open lewdness by police and barred from public ministry by Bishop Joseph Bambera.

The diocese issued a statement noting The Rev. Daniel J. Doherty a member of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice and assistant pastor at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Tunkhannock, and Saint Mary of the Lake, Lake Winola, was involved in an incident at the Wyalusing Borough Park, Bradford County, om May 17.

According to the statement, “the accusation is that Father Doherty and an adult female were engaged in behavior that resulted in them being charged with open lewdness and for violating local ordinances that prohibit, among other things, consuming alcohol on the borough park property”

The diocese promised to “cooperate fully as this matter is properly handled by law enforcement.” Bambera also “removed Father’s Doherty’s faculties and has prohibited him from exercising public ministry pending a legal disposition.”

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NEW JERSEY
National Catholic Register

by JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND 05/23/2013

NEWARK, N.J. — As the U.S. bishops marked the release of an annual report with “the fewest allegations and victims reported since the data collection for the annual reports began in 2004,” the May 20 arrest of a Newark, N.J., priest triggered headlines that fueled skepticism and frustration regarding the Church’s decade-long effort to protect children.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the findings of the 2012 audit of diocesan compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People on May 9, as Newark’s The Star-Ledger published a series of articles on Father Michael Fugee. Father Fugee, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, resigned from ministry on May 2 and was arrested on May 20, charged with seven counts of contempt of a judicial order.

Father Fugee was accused of violating a 2007 judicial mandate to avoid any unsupervised contact with children, minister to children or hold any position in which children are involved. The judge’s order followed an appeal and request for retrial after the priest’s 2003 conviction for groping a teenage boy, a transgression he acknowledged.

According to the agreement, Father Fugee would be supervised by the archdiocese; however, a spokesman for Archbishop John Myers of Newark told reporters he had been unaware of the priest’s activities related to youth.

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CANADA
CBC News

Hundreds of people who say they suffered abuse at the hands of their teachers gathered at Winnipeg’s Indian and Metis Friendship Centre Thursday.

They call themselves day school survivors.

While they were not in the residential school system, they say the abuse they suffered was the same.

Patricia Desmoulin sold handicrafts to be able to make the trip from Pick River First Nation, Ontario to find healing.

“I did suffer when I went to day school from the teachers that we had,” she said. “Physical abuse.”

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ISRAEL
Israel Hayom

Munib Farhat, 56, suspected of imposing strict disciplinary code on 11 adults, 25 children • Cult leader allegedly forced parents to beat their children, withhold food and smear them with fecal matter • Affair exposed after woman files police complaint.

Daniel Siryoti

The details of a shocking child abuse scandal began to emerge on Tuesday in the Galilee town of Majd al-Krum when a Nazareth court lifted the gag order on the affair, which apparently has been going on for ten years.

Munib Farhat, a 56-year-old resident of Majd al-Krum, is suspected of heading a cult and enforcing his will on six families in his community, including dozens of children. The police suspect Farhat of forcing the members of his cult to beat their children, humiliate them, withhold food, lock them in bathrooms and smear them with fecal matter. The cult leader is also suspected of abusing the women in the cult, committing sexual assault and sodomizing them.

The affair was exposed when a woman who belonged to the cult filed a police complaint several weeks ago. A team of investigators consequently launched an undercover probe into the woman’s allegations, in cooperation with Welfare Ministry social workers and Interior Ministry officials. The investigation, which was accompanied by the Haifa District Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that Farhat, who refers to himself as a caliph, allegedly imposed a very strict disciplinary code on 11 adults and 25 children.

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CANADA
Edmonton Journal

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS MAY 23, 2013

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Survivors of abuse at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, N.L. have reached a settlement with the Christian Brothers of Ireland worth more than $16.5 million.

The settlement with the Catholic religious order includes cash plus other assets that must still be approved in court.

Lawyer Geoff Budden represents 90 survivors from Newfoundland out of a total of 422 North American claimants.

He says the money will be distributed according to a court-ordered formula.

Budden says the settlement was reached by a committee of creditors that has worked with the Christian Brothers since its companies sought bankruptcy protection in the U.S.

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UNITED STATES/CANADA
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

A settlement of more than $16.5 million (€12.75 million) has been agreed with the Irish Christian Brothers in sexual abuse bankruptcy proceedings concluded for more than 400 survivors in the United States and Canada. The alleged abusers operated schools run by the congregation in 17 US states as well as Canada.

A statement issued yesterday by Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said “the official committee of unsecured creditors for the Christian Brothers Institute and the Christian Brothers of Ireland Inc. have approved the terms and conditions of a consensual reorganisation plan in . . . cases of the Christian Brothers Institute and the Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc.”

Unsecured creditors
It said more than 400 survivors of sexual abuse were included in the group of unsecured creditors that will share in a financial settlement in excess of $16.5 million – an amount that will be paid by the international Catholic religious order and one of its insurance carriers.
Mr Anderson of the St Paul, Minnesota-based law firm, which represented 92 of the sexual abuse survivors who filed claims in the bankruptcy proceedings, said the settlement would still allow abuse survivors to continue legal actions “involving other parties, including schools and dioceses who share responsibility for decades of abuse staffed by members of the order including schools in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Washington”.

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UNITED STATES
USA Today

Michael Winter, USA TODAY

The North American branch of the “Irish” Christian Brothers will pay $16.5 million to more than 400 men and women who were sexually or physically abused as children by members of the Roman Catholic order that operates schools and orphanages around the world.

The settlement, announced Thursday in New York, came as the U.S. and Canadian victims agreed to terms of an April 2011 bankruptcy filing by two entities that hold U.S. assets for the Congregation of Christian Brothers, which was founded in Ireland in the early 19th century, The Journal of Dublin reported.

The order will pay half and an insurance carrier the other half. The victims can still sue the schools and dioceses where the alleged abuse occurred.

The religious order, which has operated in the United States since the early 1900s, also agreed to take steps to protect children from sexual abuse.

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CANADA
Toronto Sun

Hundreds of victims of sexual abuse by the Christian Brothers reached a financial settlement Thursday.

The religious order agreed to pay $16.5 million to 400 claimants, including 90 from Canada, who say they were molested as children by members of the order.

The Brothers ran the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, N.L., for 84 years, until it announced 1989 it would shut down following revelations of a massive sex abuse scandal, thought to be the largest ever in Canada.

Victims began reporting abuse as far back as 1975; other reports said the abuse dated back to the 1950s.

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CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune

By Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reporter
11:44 p.m. CDT, May 23, 2013

The Roman Catholic religious order that runs Brother Rice High School in Chicago and St. Laurence High School in Burbank didn’t want Brother Edward Chrysostom Courtney in Chicago any longer. So in the early 1970s, the Irish Christian Brothers shipped him to the West Coast and kept the troubling reasons to themselves.

When he was finally ousted from the parochial system 10 years later, landed in a public school in rural Washington and sexually abused a boy there, those reasons came to light. Law enforcement finally got involved. The Christian Brothers dismissed Courtney from the order shortly before he pleaded guilty to indecent liberties with a child in Washington and became a convicted sex offender.

On Thursday, more than 80 alumni of both schools plus Leo High School, also once run by the order, learned they would receive compensation from a lawsuit against the order for allowing Courtney and 11 other men to teach despite allegations that those men had sexually abused children.

The $16.5 million payout to 400 accusers nationwide will come out of a Chapter 11 reorganization settlement between creditors and the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North American Province, known as Irish Christian Brothers. In addition, the order agreed to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for brothers accused of abuse.

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NEW YORK
New York Daily News

BY CORINNE LESTCH AND BEN CHAPMAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013

Thou shalt not teach public school students sex education — or give them lessons on HIV and AIDS — in classrooms owned by the Catholic Church.

As a result of a longstanding but little-known agreement between church and city officials, dozens of city schools that lease church-owned buildings must take students off site for sex education.

The unusual arrangement rankles some parents and students who believe students should get sex ed and lessons about HIV/AIDS — which are mandated by law — in their home classrooms.

“It’s crazy,” said Tayshawn Edmonds, 15, of Brooklyn, a 10th-grader at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice in Williamsburg. The school is housed in a church building on Hooper St. that it rents for $649,000 a year.

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UNITED STATES
New York Daily News

BY DAREH GREGORIAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

The Christian Brothers Institute has agreed to pay $16.5 million to settle claims of sex abuse at its institutions.

The group — an order of the Catholic Church headquartered in New Rochelle — was slammed with more than 400 lawsuits from across the U.S. and Canada involving its schools and orphanages, including the long-closed Cardinal Farley Military Academy in upstate Rhinecliff.

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AUSTRALIA
SBS

AAP

Australia’s most senior Catholic should acknowledge the church has twice failed victims in its handling of sexual abuse claims, a Geelong priest says.

A Victorian priest says Australia’s most senior Catholic should acknowledge victims were failed, not only by abusing clergy, but by the church response to their complaints.

Cardinal George Pell will be the final witness in the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse when he gives evidence on Monday.

Geelong priest Father Kevin Dillon said church leaders, including Cardinal Pell, must recognise that the inquiry came about not only as a result of appalling abuse, but also because the protocols the church put in place to help victims had not succeeded.

Fr Dillon said he would dearly love Cardinal Pell to say: `On behalf of everybody in the official church I ask for forgiveness of victims, because in so many cases, not necessarily every case, we not only failed you initially, we failed you doubly by having some sort of adversarial approach to your search for justice and recognition’.

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DEUTSCHLAND
kath.net

Vorwurf: Die Grünen stigmatisierten Andersdenkende (etwa Christen beim Thema Homosexualität), träten selbst als „Gesinnungswart“ auf, aber wollen jetzt den eigenen „Pädosex-Skandal“ mit einem „Sorry – heute sehen wir es auch anders“ beiseite wischen

München/Ansbach (kath.net/idea) Nach CSU-Generalsekretär Alexander Dobrindt haben jetzt auch theologisch konservative Kreise personelle Konsequenzen aus der Pädophilen-Affäre bei den Grünen in den achtziger Jahren gefordert. Sie reagierten damit auf Veröffentlichungen, wonach es in der Partei Kräfte gab, die für die Legalisierung von Sex mit Kindern eintraten.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Stimme

Von unserem Redakteur Reto Bosch

Beilstein – Das in Südafrika wegen sexuellen Missbrauchs verurteilte Mitglied der Spätregenmission war nie in Deutschland tätig. Das erklärte der Vorstand gestern in einer verspäteten Antwort auf Stimme-Nachfragen. Martin Illig, der Vorsitzende der deutschen Spätregenmission, stehe in keiner Beziehung zu dem Verurteilten. Der Vorstand betont, dass der Fall in Südafrika in keinem Zusammenhang mit der deutschen Mission stehe.

Zentrale?

Die Glaubensgemeinschaften arbeiteten in jedem Land unabhängig voneinander, es gebe keine Leitungs- oder Steuerungsabhängigkeit. Beilstein sei ausschließlich für den deutschen Raum zuständig. Diese Aussage steht allerdings im Widerspruch zu anderen Angaben. Noch heute ist auf der Homepage der deutschen Organisation zu lesen, dass die Werkstätten im Glaubenshaus Libanon für den Unterhalt der europäischen Häuser sorgen.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Helmut Jacob

Den Opfern von physischer, psychischer und sexueller Gewalt in den zwei Nachkriegsjahrzehnten in meist kirchlichen Heimen wollte der „Runde Tisch Heimerziehung“ (RTH) unter Antje Vollmer wirklich helfen. So stellte es der RTH immer wieder öffentlich dar. Von 2008 bis 2010 hatte der Tisch getagt und eine abschließende Lösung vorgeschlagen, die vom Deutschen Bundestag übernommen wurde: „Der Runde Tisch hält eine Summe von 120 Millionen Euro für die Ausstattung des Fonds / der Stiftung für erforderlich, die sich aufteilt in 20 Millionen Euro für den ‚Rentenersatzfonds’ und 100 Millionen Euro für den ‚Fonds für Folgeschäden der Heimerziehung’“. So geschrieben im Abschlussbericht des RTH. (1)

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HAWAII
KHON

Five more people have joined in a lawsuit saying they were sexually abused by priests in the local Catholic church.

The suit now includes 11 alleged victims claiming sex abuse as far back as the 1940′s.

One of the most recent plaintiff’s is a Hawaii Island man who says he was abused by three priests nearly 50 years ago.

The victim, who does not want to be identified, says he has never recovered from the trauma.

“My main reason for not wanting any children was I was never confident of my ability to protect them,” he says.

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UNITED STATES
Thomson Reuters News & Insight

5/24/2013

By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An order of the Roman Catholic Church has agreed to pay $16.5 million to more than 400 adults who said they were sexually abused as children by religious leaders, the parties announced on Thursday in separate statements.

The victims claimed abuse at schools and child-care facilities belonging to the Christian Brothers and the Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc, in 17 U.S. states and Canada from the late 1940s or early 1950s until the 1980s, said James Stang, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

The settlement agreement reached in U.S. bankruptcy court also enables the victims to pursue more assets from the Christian Brothers such as real estate or insurance claims, Stang said.

A committee representing the accusers, who claimed abuse by mostly brothers of the order, agreed to the settlement terms.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register

by JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND 05/23/2013

Al Notzon III is the chairman of the National Review Board that advises the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, guidelines and procedures established by the USCCB in June 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.

The function of the board is to collaborate with the bishops’ conference “in preventing the sexual abuse of minors in the United States by persons in the service of the Church.”

Notzon is also the former executive director of the Alamo Area Council of more than 100 local governments and agencies. He spoke with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond on May 14, following the release of the 2012 report on the implementation of the U.S. bishops’ charter.

Based on research conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), the report found six credible allegations against diocesan clergy and one against a member of a religious order or institute committed in 2012.

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AUSTRALIA
Courier Mail

Daniel Fogarty From: AAP May 24, 2013

ANTHONY Foster hopes an uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment will open cracks in the armour of Australia’s most senior Catholic, bringing out the truth about the decades-long child sexual abuse scandal.

Away from the church’s army of lawyers and spin doctors, Cardinal George Pell will spend several hours alone at a table on Monday answering questions from a hard-hitting committee determined to get answers.

There will be questions about whether he personally knew of abuse and covered it up, about abusing priests being moved from parish to parish, victims being ignored and about victims who have ended their lives because of the pain of sexual abuse.

Cardinal Pell won’t be able to refuse to answer when he appears before the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse.

Victims and their supporters expect Cardinal Pell – the former archbishop of Melbourne and current Sydney archbishop – to begin trotting out familiar Catholic Church lines, but know he will face tough questioning and hope he will stumble.

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IOWA
Quad-City Times

Brian Wellner bwellner@qctimes.com

The Diocese of Davenport, which temporarily removed two priests from their ministries last month after allegations surfaced they inappropriately touched minors, has reinstated one of them, Bishop Martin Amos said Thursday.

The Rev. Robert Harness, pastor of Holy Family Church, Davenport, and the Rev. John Stack, chaplain at Mercy Medical Center, Clinton, were removed from their positions while an investigation was conducted.

As of Thursday, Harness will return to the ministry after a diocese investigation did not substantiate an allegation that he inappropriately touched a minor in 1990.

A review lasting a month conducted by a private detective found no wrongdoing by Harness, Amos said, adding he wanted to publicize the outcome “in the hope of helping to restore the good character of Father Harness.”

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SCOTLAND
East Lothian News

Published on 23/05/2013

Vandals have attacked Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s intended retirement home in the wake of the Pope ordering him to leave Scotland.

Police launched an investigation after four windows at Our Lady of the Waves RC Church and adjoining house were smashed.

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ILLINOIS
WLS

May 23, 2013 (EVANSTON, Ill.) (WLS) — Thomas Chmura, a monk from Wisconsin, is back on the streets after a Lake County judge agreed to reduce his bond.

Chmura is accused of trying to lure several underage girls in Antioch.

Bond for the 57-year-old was revoked earlier this month when court officials found children present at the Wisconsin abbey where he lived.

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WISCONSIN/ILLINOIS
Enquirer-Herald

The Associated Press
WAUKEGAN, Ill. —
A Benedictine monk from Wisconsin who faces charges he tried to abduct four Illinois girls has been released on bond.

A Lake County judge lowered 57-year-old Thomas Chmura’s bail from $150,000 to $50,000. Chmura previously was held in the Lake County jail since May 2. Chmura has pleaded not guilty. He lived at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis. He was arrested based on a description provided by one of the girls.

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NEW YORK
The Jewish Week

New Evidence Could Harm Case Against Abuse Whistleblower

05/23/13

Hella Winston
Special Correspondent

New evidence has emerged that could deal a serious blow to Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes’ case against Sam Kellner, a chasidic Borough Park resident who was charged with extortion and perjury after he helped to convict a fellow chasid, Baruch Lebovits, on sex abuse charges.

The evidence, obtained by The Jewish Week, is an audiotape on which a young man makes statements that undermine his previous claims that Kellner paid him to fabricate allegations of sex abuse. The young man also makes statements indicating that powerful members of his own community pressured him to accuse Kellner of perjury.

“This tape should make clear what should be clear to any reasonable person — that Sam Kellner is not guilty of these charges,” Kellner’s attorney, Michael Dowd, told The Jewish Week.

Kellner, whose ordeal was the subject of a Jewish Week story in January, played an indirect but key role in the 2010 sex abuse conviction of Lebovits, a cantor and prominent member of the Munkacs chasidic community.

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UNITED STATES
Washington Post

Christian Brothers religious order reaches deal with more than 400 child sex abuse victims

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, May 23

NEW YORK — The Christian Brothers have agreed to pay more than $16 million to people who were molested as children by members of the U.S. religious order.

The settlement was announced Thursday by attorneys for the Roman Catholic group and for more than 400 victims.

The Christian Brothers staffed schools and worked in dioceses in parts of the United States, including California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York and New Jersey, as well as in Canada.

Two groups that hold Christian Brothers’ assets sought federal bankruptcy protection in the face of the claims. A judge must approve the agreement.

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MINNESOTA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By PATRICK CONDON
The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Adults who suffered childhood sexual abuse and want to file lawsuits against both abusers and the institutions that employed them will have greater access to Minnesota’s court system under a bill awaiting Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature.

In 1996, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that anyone over the age of 24 who alleged they were abused when they were children had no standing to file a lawsuit. Under the new law, that statute of limitations is lifted entirely for civil claims against abusers and for lawsuits on the grounds of negligence against schools, churches and other institutions. What that means is that anyone, no matter their age, will be able to file lawsuits over claims of sexual abuse that occurred when they were children.

“Right now, it’s 24 and done,” Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-Hopkins, the bill’s chief House sponsor, said on Thursday. “No claim, no chance to confront your abuser in court. To me, this is about opening the courthouse doors that right now are slammed shut to childhood sex abuse victims.”

The Senate passed the bill unanimously last week; it passed the House later the same day by a vote of 123-3. A spokeswoman for Dayton said he is likely to sign the bill.

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UNITED STATES
Yahoo! News

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An order of the Roman Catholic Church has agreed to pay $16.5 million to more than 400 adults who said they were sexually abused as children by religious leaders, the parties announced on Thursday in separate statements.

The victims claimed abuse at schools and child-care facilities belonging to the Christian Brothers and the Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc, in 17 U.S. states and Canada from the late 1940s or early 1950s until the 1980s, said James Stang, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

The settlement agreement reached in U.S. bankruptcy court also enables the victims to pursue more assets from the Christian Brothers such as real estate or insurance claims, Stang said.

A committee representing the accusers, who claimed abuse by mostly brothers of the order, agreed to the settlement terms.

In 2011, the Christian Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in response to the sexual abuse claims.

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CANADA
Calgary Herald

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS MAY 23, 2013

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Survivors of abuse at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, N.L. have reached a settlement with the Christian Brothers of Ireland worth more than $16.5 million.

The settlement with the Catholic religious order includes cash plus other assets that must still be approved in court.

Lawyer Geoff Budden represents 90 survivors from Newfoundland out of a total of 422 North American claimants.

He says the money will be distributed according to a court-ordered formula.

Budden says the settlement was reached by a committee of creditors that has worked with the Christian Brothers since its companies sought bankruptcy protection in the U.S.

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VIRGINIA
NBC 12

By Rachel DePompa

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) –
Pastor Geronimo Aguilar has temporarily stepped down from his positions as President of the Board and Pastor at the Richmond Outreach Center due to child sexual abuse charges.

The move was announced in a statement from the ROC’s Board of Directors on the church’s website Thursday afternoon.

“While we believe the accusations against him to be completely untrue and unfounded, we have accepted his request for a temporary leave of absence,” the statement said. “Considering the severity of the charges, he feels and we sympathize that his family and these legal matters deserve his full attention.”

The board voted to give Aguilar a paid leave of absence, according to the statement. The ROC’s Executive Team will make day-to-day operational decisions and an outside, interim pastor will fill Aguilar’s role.

Some Richmond faith leaders called for Aguilar to step down after prosecutors in Texas charged Aguilar with seven felony counts in two child sex abuse cases. The cases involve claims by two women dating back to 1996. Four of the counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under 14, are first degree felonies that could carry life in prison.

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VIRGINIA
WTVR

by Nick Dutton and Shelby Brown

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) — CBS 6 News has learned that Geronimo Scott Aguilar, the pastor of the Richmond Outreach Center (ROC), will remain behind bars after an appearance in court Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Richmond judge granted Aguilar a $50,000 bond and ordered him to be in Fort Worth by Friday. However, after lawyers discussed extradition details with Texas authorities, Aguilar waived extradition and was taken to jail.

Additionally, the judge said that if Fort Worth authorities do not pick up Aguilar by Friday, he will hold another hearing in which bond may be granted.

CBS 6 was in court when Aguilar signed extradition documents.

“He could be picked up as early as tomorrow .They’ve already pre-set bond there in Texas without a hearing at $100,000, so we’ll deal with bond when we get to Fort Worth,” said David Darlson.
The District Attorney’s Office in Tarrant County, Texas has formally charged the 43-year-old in in the first case with two counts of aggravated sex assault of a child under 14 and two counts of sexual assault of a child.

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VIRGINIA
WTVR

May 23, 2013, by Scott Wise, Jerrita Patterson and Sandra Jones

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) — Pastor Geronimo Aguilar, known as Pastor G, has stepped down as President of the Board and as Pastor of the Richmond Outreach Center, according to a statement on the ROC’s website.

This week Aguilar was charged in Texas with seven felony charges that stem from alleged sexual encounters with two minors in the 1990s.

According to the statement, Aguilar stepped down to “devote his time and energy to certain legal matters in Texas.”

The statement, signed by the Board of Directors of the Richmond Outreach Center, called the accusations against Aguilar “completely untrue and unfounded.”

“We, the Board of Directors, have voted to make this a paid leave of absence, considering the incredible contributions that Pastor Geronimo has made to The ROC as a founding member. Furthermore, we feel that it is not in the purview of the Board to act as either Judge or jury,” the statement read. “We look forward to Pastor Geronimo’s return, and we ask that you continue to keep him and his family in your prayers.”

The ROC’s Board of Directors said it has appointed “the Executive Team” to run the church’s day-to-day operations. Among its services, the ROC church provides religious and bible studies, homeless and prison ministries, addiction programs, family counseling and annual holiday events.

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VIRGINIA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2013

The board of directors of the Richmond Outreach Center said today that Pastor Geronimo Aguilar, facing sexual assault charges in Texas, will be on a paid leave of absence after his decision to temporarily step down as pastor and president of the board.

“We, the Board of Directors, have voted to make this a paid leave of absence, considering the incredible contributions that Pastor Geronimo has made to The ROC as a founding member. Furthermore, we feel that is not in the purview of the Board to act as either Judge or jury,” the board said in an email.

“While we believe the accusations against him to be completely untrue and unfounded, we have accepted his request for a temporary leave of absence. Considering the severity of the charges, he feels and we sympathize that his family and these legal matters deserve his full attention,” the email said.

The board said it is taking steps to hire an interim pastor from outside as an appointed executive team makes daily operations decisions at the ROC.

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VIRGINIA
WRIC

Statement from the Board of Directors of the Richmond Outreach Center
May 23, 2013

Dear ROC Family and Friends,

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Pastor Geronimo has decided to temporarily step down as President of the Board and as Pastor of the Richmond Outreach Center to devote his time and energy to certain legal matters in Texas. While we believe the accusations against him to be completely untrue and unfounded, we have accepted his request for a temporary leave of absence. Considering the severity of the charges, he feels and we sympathize that his family and these legal matters deserve his full attention.

We, the Board of Directors, have voted to make this a paid leave of absence, considering the incredible contributions that Pastor Geronimo has made to The ROC as a founding member. Furthermore, we feel that it is not in the purview of the Board to act as either Judge or jury.

During this time, we have appointed the Executive Team to make decisions concerning the day-to-day operations of the Richmond Outreach Center. Also, we are actively pursuing an outside, interim pastor to serve on the Board of Directors, to assist with preaching duties, and to lend spiritual guidance.

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VIRGINIA
WTVR

[with video]

May 23, 2013, by Tracy Sears

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – The future of the Richmond Outreach Center (ROC) and its ties to the city of Richmond remain uncertain, now that the ROC’s well known leader has been charged with several felonies relating to the sexual abuse of minors.

Since 2001, Pastor Geronimo Aguilar, known as Pastor G, has been a friend to underprivileged and troubled youth, reaching out to more than 11,000 people weekly through progressive ministries and programs.

Among its services, the ROC church provides religious and bible studies, homeless and prison ministries, addiction programs, family counseling and annual holiday events.

Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones says Aguilar’s dedication over the past decade has undoubtedly made a difference in the community.

“There’s a lot of good the church does in terms of working with young people and working with people who have addictions and people who need to have jobs and so forth,” Jones said.

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CALIFORNIA
The Monterey County Herald

Herald Staff Report
Posted: 05/23/2013

The Irish Christian Brothers have agreed to pay $16.5 million to settle claims by more than 400 people who say they were physically and sexually abused by the order’s brothers or others at schools operated by the Christian Brothers.

Among those alleged victims are five former Palma High School students who allege they were sexually assaulted by The Rev. Gerald Funcheon when he was a chaplain at the school from 1984 to 1985.

Funcheon admitted in sworn testimony he molested one of the men.

The settlement, which is expected to be finalized in coming weeks, is part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy the religious order filed in April 2011 in response to a tidal wave of sexual abuse lawsuits.

Palma High is not identified as one of the assets that will be used to pay the settlement. Though the school has historically been affiliated with the Irish Christian Brothers, the school’s president, Brother Patrick Dunne, has said it is a separate corporate entity.

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UNITED STATES
ABC News

NEW YORK May 23, 2013 (AP)

The Christian Brothers have agreed to pay more than $16 million to people who were molested as children by members of the U.S. religious order.

The settlement was announced Thursday by attorneys for the Roman Catholic group and for more than 400 victims.

The Christian Brothers staffed schools and worked in dioceses in parts of the United States, including California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York and New Jersey, as well as in Canada.

Two groups that hold Christian Brothers’ assets sought federal bankruptcy protection in the face of the claims. A judge must approve the agreement.

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CANADA
CBC News

Men who were abused by Christian Brothers at the Mount Cashel Orphanage and several schools in St. John’s have reached a settlement with the Roman Catholic organization.

The settlement is the result of the work of a committee that was set up last year after the Christian Brothers declared bankruptcy. The committee has represented 422 victims across North America, including about 90 victims from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Geoff Budden, the lawyer representing the N.L. victims, and a member of that committee, said the total financial settlement is worth $16.5 million.

The settlement will also enable the abuse survivors to continue lawsuits against other parties who may share responsibility for decades of abuse.

Budden added that about 70 other victims of abuse from Mount Cashel, represented by other lawyers, are involved in the same lawsuit that the committee is involved with, but those victims have not yet arrived at a settlement.

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ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

By Ruth Fuller
Special to the Tribune
3:16 p.m. CDT, May 23, 2013

A Benedictine monk charged with trying to lure several far north suburban girls into his car has been released on bond — for a second time – and is now living with his father, authorities in Lake County said today.

Judge Christopher Stride agreed on May 17 to lower bond for Thomas Chmura, 57, from $150,000 to the original amount of $50,000 after Chmura found a new place to live, said defense attorney Robert Hauser.

Chmura’s original bond was revoked on May 2 when court officials checked the Wisconsin abbey where he had lived for more than 30 years and found children present, which violated conditions of the bond. Chmura is now living with his father in Lansing, Ill., Hauser said.

Chmura was arrested after investigators said he drove up to a 14-year-old girl in Antioch on April 25 and repeatedly asked her to get in his car before she ran off.

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MASSACHUSETTS
WGBH

By WGBH NEWS

Attorney Eric MacLeish represented hundreds of people who, as children, had been sexually abused by priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. He joins us to talk about the abuse he suffered as a child, and his work changing the statute of limitations on child sex abuse laws.

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NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK
NJ.com

[with video]

By David Cruz
NJ Today

A coalition of clergy and lay people from around the country call themselves the Catholic Whistleblowers. They gathered in New York City to assert themselves against what they see as a powerful entrenched bureaucracy turning a blind eye to the suffering of its most vulnerable members.

“I have yet to meet or even hear about a victim who has recounted that the bishop’s first response upon hearing their report of sexual abuse, was to reach out to them with any degree of compassion or concern. This is an abject disgrace,” said Canon Lawyer Father Tom Doyle.

They began forming nine months ago, without approval or cooperation from their individual diocese, bound by their desire to serve victims and to call on organizations like the National Council of Catholic Bishops to take action against those who they say have been complicit by covering up the abuse.

“We are here today to call upon Cardinal Dolan as president of the NCCB to use his influence to press the Vatican to remove Archbishop Myers from the Newark Archdiocese because of his mishandling of the Michael Fugee case. We appeal to all bishops and legislators to remove all statutes of limitations on child abuse cases as a means of demonstrating that our church is serious about pursuing truth and justice,” said Father Ron Lemmert of the Archdiocese of New York.

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CANADA
The Telegram

Published on May 23, 2013

Barb Sweet

A new settlement has been reached with the Catholic lay order, the Irish Christian Brothers, that affects some 160 victims of sexual abuse at the former Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s, The Telegram has learned.

The settlement is part of a $16.5 million cash payment from the Christian Brothers affecting 400 men and women in the U.S. and Canada who were molested as children by members of the Christian Brothers.

The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors for The Christian Brothers Institute and The Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc. has approved the terms and conditions of an agreed-to reorganization plan in the Chapter 11 cases of The Christian Brothers Institute and The Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc. (In the United States, the Christian Brothers are the civil arms of the North American Province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers of Ireland.)

In response to sexual abuse claims, the Christian Brothers filed Chapter 11 cases on April 28, 2011 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. During the course of the Chapter 11 cases, more than 400 survivors of sexual and physical abuse filed claims with the Bankruptcy Court. The claims generally arise from the Christian Brothers’ operation/staffing of schools and child-care facilities from 17 U.S. states and Canada.

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UNITED STATES
VOCM

The Committee representing hundreds of people who were molested as children by the Christian Brothers of Ireland has reached a settlement with the Catholic religious order. The financial settlement for abuse survivors is a cash payment of $16.5 million and should be filed within the next three weeks.

After the sexual abuse claims, the Christian Brothers filed bankruptcy in the Unites States. The filing lead to a reorganization plan which the Committee says will safeguard children from future abuse.

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UNITED STATES
The Journal (Ireland)

OVER 400 SURVIVORS of institutional abuse in the United States are to receive compensation totalling $16.5 million after approving the terms of a bankruptcy by the North American branch of the ‘Irish’ Christian Brothers.

The survivors – acting as a committee of unsecured creditors – have approved a Chapter 11 deal for the Christian Brothers Institute and The Christian Brothers of Ireland, Incorporated, which is based in New York.

The money will be put up by the order itself and by one of its insurance carriers.

The amount shared by each survivor will be dramatically less than some of the settlements paid to some abuse survivors before the bankruptcy process began in 2011, but the settlement was nonetheless welcomed by an attorney representing the survivors.

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VIRGINIA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

BY LOUIS LLOVIO Richmond Times-Dispatch

UPDATE: Geronimo Aguilar, senior pastor at the Richmond Outreach Center, will be handed over to Texas authorities in about 24 hours and taken to Fort Worth, Texas.

There, he faces seven felony charges relating to sexual acts with two minors alleged to have occurred in the 1990s.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY JOELLE CASTEIX ON MAY 23, 2013

Today’s settlement is a true landmark for survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Irish Christian Brothers and their employees. Because brave victims came forward, dozens of predators—some of whom were still in positions of power at schools and universities—have been exposed across the country. Communities including Chicago, Honolulu, Salinas, CA and Bergen County, NJ have now learned that many child sexual crimes and cover-ups happened in their local Irish Christian Brothers’ schools. Few groups of survivors have ever been able to expose so many criminals.

Were it not for brave Irish Christian Brothers survivors, accused and admitted predators would still be in schools, victims would still be suffering in silence and shame, and the truth would still be hidden.

But the journey for justice is not over. The victims in this settlement can still seek accountability from the schools where they were abused and where officials covered up abuse. Survivors can still seek truth from diocesan officials who turned a blind eye to the crimes at the Irish Christian Brothers’ schools. We hope that they remain vigilant and continue to protect kids RIGHT NOW.

The Irish Christian Brothers should have done the right thing years ago. They should have reported molesters to the police. They should have reached out to victims. They should have warned communities about the danger. But they didn’t. Instead, they waited to get exposed, and then used bankruptcy protection to avoid embarrassing civil trials. While it may be tempting to applaud the Brothers, we urge people to remember their decades-long cover-up of abuse in the United States, Canada and Ireland.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Globe

By Lauren Dezenski | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MAY 23, 2013

Reverend Joseph F. Byrne has been reinstated in the ministry after the Archdiocese of Boston cleared the 69-year-old priest of sexual abuse allegations, the archdiocese said today.

Byrne was placed on administrative leave in May 2012 after someone contacted the archdiocese with an allegation that he had sexually abused a child in the 1970s. The allegation was found to be unsubtantiated, the archdiocese said.

According to Byrne’s assignment history, he served at St. Matthew’s parish in Dorchester from 1969 to 1975, then moved to St. John the Baptist Church in Quincy.

As a result of the investigation’s findings, Byrne is no longer on administrative leave and has been assigned the status of senior priest, the archdiocese said.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Patch

By Ryan Grannan-Doll

A former Waltham priest has been cleared of allegations of sexual abuse against minors, according to the Boston Archdiocese.

Reverend Joseph F. Byrne, who previously served at Our Lady of the Comforter Afflicted in Waltham from 1994-2002, has been reinstated into his position after an investigation concluded the allegations were unsubstantiated, according to a Diocese statement. Byrne was previously placed on leave in May 2012 after the allegations surfaced. He had been been retired but was performing limited duties in Falmouth parishes.

“The allegation concerned conduct alleged to have occurred in the 1970s. Fr. Byrne is no longer on administrative leave and is assigned the status of Senior Priest,” the statement read.

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IOWA
WQAD

May 23, 2013, by Shellie Nelson

Diocese officials say after evidence did not support the report, a Davenport priest accused of inappropriate contact will be restored to ministry.

Father Robert Harness, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Davenport, was accused of inappropriately touching a minor in approximately 1990. Diocese officials said someone reported Father Harness inappropriately touched a minor during a game that was played at a high school retreat.
“The game was played in full view of as many as 50 students and 10 adults. None of the witnesses observed nor has anyone else reported any inappropriate behavior by Father Harness,” said Deacon David Montgomery of the Diocese of Davenport.

In keeping with the previously-established memorandum of understanding between the diocese and the Scott County Attorney, the diocese reported the allegation to the county attorney. In keeping with the memorandum of understanding, the diocese was required to remove Fr. Harness from active ministry until the month-long investigation was completed.

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IOWA
Omaha.com

The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A suspended Catholic priest in Davenport will return to the ministry after a diocese investigation did not substantiate an allegation that he inappropriately touched a minor in 1990.

Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport said Thursday that a monthlong review by a private detective found no wrongdoing by Father Robert Harness, pastor of Holy Family Church. Amos said he wanted to publicize the outcome “in the hope of helping to restore the good character of Father Harness.”

Amos suspended Harness last month after someone claimed Harness improperly touched a minor during a game that was played at a high school retreat.

The investigation found the game was played in front of as many as 50 students and 10 adults, and no witnesses or anyone else reported seeing any inappropriate behavior.

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UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on May 23, 2013

Two years after they sought bankruptcy protection to avoid more than 200 embarrasing civil sex abuse trials, the New York-based Irish Christian Brothers (ICB) have settled with more than 400 victims of child sexual abuse (in Canada and the United States) for $16.5 million.

This marks the end of the first step for many ICB victims. The settlement does not include the actual Irish Christian Brothers schools or the dioceses where they were located. Only the actual order was included in the settlement.

For victims in Hawaii, this means that they can still take legal action against Damien Memorial and the Diocese of Honolulu, whose officials, victims say, knew about abuse and covered it up. The same holds true for ICB victims across the country, including communities such as Bergen County, NJ; Salinas, CA; Chicago and Seattle.

But there is something very important to note about the ICB bankruptcy. While the battle is far from over, brave survivors in this case exposed dozens of predators who had been hidden in schools across the country. They were able to inform communities that convicted abusers such as Brother Thomas C. Ford and Br. Robert Brouillette taught children in more than 15 states. Survivors were able to show how serial predators such as Fr. Gerald Funcheon were sent to Hawaii to hide from allegations on the mainland.

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VATICAN CITY
This Week

By Carmel Lobello

Rene Bruelhart, the head of the Vatican’s new Financial Intelligence Authority, disclosed Wednesday that he had found six incidents of possible money laundering in the Vatican Bank from last year — marking the first step in what may be a new era of transparency for the scandal-stained institution.

The Vatican Bank, officially called the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), manages an estimated $5 billion in assets for religious orders and Catholic charities. A private entity, its inner workings have long been shrouded in secrecy. In 2012, following investigations of money laundering and probes into the behavior of the top brass, Forbes called the IOR “the most secret bank in the world.”

The bank was founded in 1942 to safeguard and administer funds for Catholic organizations around the world, and got into trouble at the height of the Cold War, “when the Catholic Church was consumed by the threat of the Soviet Union,” said TIME in a 2010 story about another Vatican probe. “In a sharply divided world, the Holy See found itself on the same side as the Mafia, whose Sicilian vote-buying operations propped up the Christian Democrats against the communists.”

Then, in 1982, when Italy’s second largest bank, Banco Ambrosiano, went bankrupt (allegedly due to mafia-related debt issues), the IOR was implicated as the bank’s main shareholder. When Banco Ambrosiano’s chairman, Roberto Calvi, was found hanging from London’s Blackfriar’s Bridge, his pockets stuffed with bricks and cash — a likely mafia murder that remains untried — the IOR’s reputation took a beating. “The Vatican has been trying to shed its image as a murky financial center since,” says the Financial Times.

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UNITED STATES
Watch Keep

The SBC annual meeting is June 11-12 in Houston. The SBC pastors’ conference is June 9-10, same place. Jack Graham is a featured discussion panel leader on the topic of “leadership.” We are planning an awareness event outside the convention to stand for those abuse survivors who don’t have a voice or whose voices are being callously ignored by pastors and leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Perhaps you may have a few minutes to simply come stand with us outside the convention in honor of those survivors who don’t have a voice? Details TBA…

I was interviewed by Bob Allen for a story in the Associated Baptist Press last week about a resolution proposed by a Baptist pastor for the upcoming SBC meeting and it includes my statements:

Sexual-abuse resolution proposed – Associated Baptist Press

Victims’ advocate Amy Smith, Houston representative of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Lumpkins’ concern applies not only to organizations with informal SBC ties, but also to “celebrity leaders” within the denomination.

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AUSTRALIA
ABC – Lateline

[with video]

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 22/05/2013
Reporter: John Stewart

The NSW DPP says the prosecution of a school principal who sacked a teacher for abusing students but didn’t inform police, would not be in the public interest.

Transcript

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: In the 1970s Brother Anthony Whelan was principal of St Patrick’s College at Sutherland in Sydney. He sacked a teacher for abusing a series of boys at the school, but he did not inform the police. The victims say that if the police had been informed, the teacher may have been prevented from abusing other children. The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions says that prosecuting the former principal is not in the public interest. But abuse survivors say that justice has not been done. John Stewart reports.

JOHN STEWART, REPORTER: Brother Anthony Whelan was one of the most senior Catholic education officials in NSW. In 2008 he received an Order of Australia for services to education.

ANTHONY WHELAN, CATHOLIC BROTHER (Catholic Leadership Video): … was the founding director of Catholic education in the southern region of the Archdiocese of Sydney. I’ve had roles at the Catholic Education Commission level.

JOHN STEWART: In the 1970s, Brother Whelan was the principal at St Patrick’s College in southern Sydney where a group of high schoolboys were abused by a lay teacher called Thomas Keady.

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TEXAS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY JACKIE SOUTHEE ON MAY 23, 2013

Victims want new bishop to “come clean”
He was allegedly told about a predator in 2002
SNAP asks prelate: “What did you do then, what are you doing now?”
They urge El Paso’s prelate to explain his role in a clergy sex abuse case
And victims also seek names of all child molesting clerics on church website

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is urging El Paso’s new Catholic bishop to explain his involvement in a predator priest case and to post on the diocesan website the names of “proven, admitted and credibly accused predator priests.”

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests are writing Bishop Mark Seitz about a Kentucky predator priest, Fr. James Hargadon who was convicted of molesting boys.

[BishopAccountability.org]

In 2002, Hargadon was sued by John Kaelin of Waxahachie, Texas, who says the cleric molested him as a child in 1974 at a cabin in Rough River.

Kaelin also said that he reported the abuse to Seitz in 1990 when Seitz was a parish priest.

[BishopAccountability.org]

“If you are to earn the trust of your new flock, you must show – by deeds, not words – that you are capable of breaking from the long-standing hurtful patterns of secrecy that most of your colleagues are still trapped in today,” SNAP says in its letter.

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NEW JERSEY
Patch

By Devin McGinley

Michael Fugee’s lawyer contended Wednesday that the embattled former Wyckoff pastor is innocent of charges he violated a court order in his continued work with children, northjersey.com reported.

Fugee was arrested and charged Monday with seven counts of contempt of a court order, for allegedly hearing confessions from minors around the state in violation of an agreement reached with prosecutors.

Prosecutors, Fugee, and the Archdiocese of Newark signed an agreement in 2007 that the pastor, who had been accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, could return to the priesthood under the condition that he no longer work with children.

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UNITED STATES
Anglo-Cat on the Prowl

I believe that this qualifies as good news:

They call themselves Catholic Whistleblowers, a newly formed cadre of priests and nuns who say the Roman Catholic Church is still protecting sexual predators.Although they know they could face repercussions, they have banded together to push the new pope to clean house and the American bishops to enforce the zero-tolerance policies they adopted more than a decade ago.

The group began organizing quietly nine months ago without the knowledge of their superiors or their peers, and plan to make their campaign public this week. Most in the steering group of 12 have blown the whistle on abusers in the past, and three are canon lawyers who once handled abuse cases on the church’s behalf. Four say they were sexually abused as children.

The fact that one of this group is Rev. Thomas Doyle, who has been indefatigable in his zeal for justice for victims over three decades is immensely encouraging. The participation of Anne Barrett Doyle, of the indispensable resource BishopAccountability.org, which curates a wealth of primary documents as well as helpful context-providing summaries and timelines is also very encouraging.

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MASSACHUSETTS
WCVB

BRAINTREE, Mass. —A Roman Catholic priest suspended a year ago after he was accused of child sexual abuse has been reinstated after the allegation was found to be unsubstantiated.

The Boston Archdiocese announced Thursday that the Rev. Joseph Byrne has returned to ministry and been granted senior priest status.

Byrne was suspended last May after the Archdiocese received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor that was alleged to have occurred in the 1970s. It was reported to law enforcement.

Byrne was involved in limited ministry at a Falmouth church when he was suspended.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kellyanne Dignan
kdignan@rasky.com
(617) 803-3444

Archdiocese of Boston Returns Rev. Joseph F. Byrne to Ministry

(Braintree, MA) May 23, 2013. The Archdiocese of Boston today made the following statement regarding Reverend Joseph F. Byrne:

“The Archdiocese of Boston today announced that the allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by Father Joseph F. Byrne has been found to be unsubstantiated. Fr. Byrne was placed on administrative leave in May 2012, after the Archdiocese received an allegation of sexual abuse of a child. The allegation concerned conduct alleged to have occurred in the 1970s. Fr. Byrne is no longer on administrative leave and is assigned the status of Senior Priest.

In reaching this decision, Cardinal Sean O’Malley reaffirmed his care and concern for all persons impacted by the reality of sexual abuse of children. The Cardinal and the Archdiocese remain committed to resolving cases of this nature in a manner that is as just as possible for all involved.”

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MASSACHUSETTS
The Patriot-Ledger

GateHouse Media New England
Posted May 23, 2013 @ 10:16 AM

BRAINTREE —
A Cape Cod priest removed from public ministry last May pending an investigation into a child abuse allegation against him has been cleared, the Boston Archdiocese announced Thursday.

The Rev. Joseph Byrne has been assigned the status of senior priest. The allegation against him dated to the early 1970s but was not reported until last year.

At the time he was suspended, he was retired but had what church officials called a “limited ministry” at St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

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MASSACHUSETTS
NECN

May 23, 2013, 10:31 am

BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest suspended a year ago after he was accused of child sexual abuse has been reinstated after the allegation was found to be unsubstantiated.

The Boston Archdiocese announced Thursday that the Rev. Joseph Byrne has returned to ministry and been granted senior priest status.

Byrne was suspended last May after the Archdiocese received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor that was alleged to have occurred in the 1970s. It was reported to law enforcement.

Byrne was involved in limited ministry at a Falmouth church when he was suspended.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY DAVID CLOHESSY ON MAY 23, 2013

We’re used to bishops backpedalling on clergy sex crimes. It’s worrisome, however, when newspapers backpedal on those crimes.

Lately, editors at two big city dailies have made unsettling decision in covering clergy sex cases.

For as long as I can remember (and I’ve been involved in this almost 25 years), virtually every news outlet has named clerics who are accused in civil lawsuits of assaulting kids. Ditto with other defendants who are high profile: coaches, teachers, doctors, politicians and the like. It’s a nearly universal practice and rarely even questioned (except sometimes by friends and relatives of the accused).

But last week, a new civil lawsuit was filed against a Chicago archdiocesan priest. The article about the case noted that local Catholic officials had, years ago, released a list of credibly accused clerics. Then, the Chicago Tribune story included this sentence:

“The Chicago Tribune is not naming the former priest sued Thursday because he is not on that list.”

[Chicago Tribune]

Is this is some sort of new Tribune policy – not naming accused child predators who are sued UNLESS their employer has identified them as credibly accused? And if so, what prompted this sudden and unexplained shift in the Tribune’s position? Do Tribune editors realize they’ve done something that few other editors have done?

Why does withholding the priest’s matter?

Because kids are safer when credibly accused child molesters are publicly identified.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Stimme

Von unserem Redakteur Reto Bosch

Beilstein – Ein Seelsorger der evangelischen Landeskirche versucht, die Missbrauchsvorwürfe gegen die Spätregenmission in Beilstein aufzuarbeiten. Einige Opfer haben sich bereits gemeldet. Peter W. (Name geändert), der als Kind mehrere Jahre in Beilstein missbraucht worden war und sich der Stimme offenbart hatte, zweifelt am Erfolg des Aufarbeitungsprozesses. Er berichtet von anhaltendem Druck, der auf ihn ausgeübt werde. Inzwischen gibt es auch ein Gerichtsurteil gegen einen Spätregen-Prediger: Der 73-Jährige wurde in Südafrika zu fünf Jahren Haft verurteilt, weil er ein Mädchen elf Jahre lang sexuell missbraucht hatte.

Vertuscht

Peter W. wurde in den 70er Jahren über einen längeren Zeitraum hinweg sexuelle Gewalt angetan. Ähnliche Erfahrungen machten in Beilstein wohl auch andere Jungen. Der aktuelle Spätregen-Vorsitzende Martin Illig räumte der Stimme gegenüber ein, dass die Taten intern vermutlich bekannt waren, aber vertuscht worden sind. Weitere Missbrauchsvorwürfe gegen Spätregen-Mitglieder gibt es in den Niederlanden und der Schweiz. In Südafrika hat das Landgericht in Somerset West vergangene Woche einen heute 73-jährigen Prediger verurteilt.

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DEUTSCHLAND
netzwerkB

Offener Brief an das Kriminologische Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen, Herrn Prof. Dr. Christian Pfeiffer

1. Parallel-Justice für die Opfer von Straftaten,
2. Will die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz das Missbrauchsthema „aussitzen“?

Sehr geehrter Herr Prof. Pfeiffer,

haben Sie vielen Dank für Ihr freundliches Schreiben vom 6. Mai 2013 und die beiden beigefügten Texte.

Mit unserer Pressemitteilung vom 8. Januar 2013 teilte netzwerkB der Presse mit, dass nach unserer Auffassung die römisch-katholische Kirche nicht aufklären kann und will. Ein Beleg dafür war zweifelsfrei auch die hektische Aktenvernichtung.

U

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

TOM TUITE – 23 MAY 2013

A FORMER priest awaiting trial on historic child sex-abuse charges does not have the right to anonymity, a judge has ruled.

William Carney is charged with 34 counts of indecent assault of eight boys and two girls at locations in Dublin and north-east Leinster from 1969 until 1989.

At Cloverhill District Court yesterday, Judge Grainne Malone lifted an earlier gagging order that prohibited the news media from naming the 62-year-old, who currently has no fixed address.

Her ruling followed submissions from lawyers for RTE, the ‘Irish Times’, the Irish Independent and Associated Newspapers, which publishes the ‘Irish Daily Mail’.

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CANADA
Truth and Reconciliation Commission

May 21, 2013

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), will conduct a two-day hearing in Kamloops, BC.

Former students, their family members and others who have been affected by Canada’s Indian Residential Schools are invited to share their experiences with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29 in Kamloops.

The event is co-hosted by Tk’emlups te Secwepemc. It takes place at Moccasin Square Gardens (Old Gym), 200-330 Chief Alex Thomas Way, beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day. The event will be webcast live.

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NEW JERSEY
The Star-Ledger

By Mark Mueller/The Star-Ledger

The Roman Catholic priest charged with violating a ban on ministry to children was released from jail late Tuesday, less than 12 hours after making his first appearance in a Bergen County courtroom.

The Rev. Michael Fugee, 52, walked out of the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack sometime after 7 p.m. A spokesman for the county sheriff’s department, which oversees the jail, declined to say who posted Fugee’s bail, which had been set at $25,000 with a 10 percent cash option.

The Archdiocese of Newark, to which Fugee is assigned, did not secure the priest’s release, said Jim Goodness, a spokesman for Archbishop John J. Myers. Goodness would not say whether Fugee was returned to a parish or other housing owned by the archdiocese.

Fugee was required to surrender his passport as a condition of the release.

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AUSTRALIA
Catholica

by Dr Joseph F Dietrich

Introduction and summary…

Roman Catholic religious celibacy, when freely chosen, is the beautiful dedication of a mature person’s whole life force to build a spiritual community of unmarried persons for the leadership and inspiration of the People of God.

However, this essay describes ‘forced’ celibacy in some men who follow celibacy only as a prerequisite for priesthood. ‘Forced’ celibacy can become for some individuals a way of life which contributes to a type of stress called ‘critical incident stress’. The stress is critical because, for those who do not have the gift of celibacy, this life can overwhelm their typical ability to cope, contributing to atypical reactions of anger, fear, and sorrow; sometimes accompanied by sleeplessness, avoidance, and startle reactions; which can become acute (when these reactions last for more than a week); and even traumatic (where these reactions last for more than a month); where the person loses their sense of safety, experiences unusual intense emotional pain, and often, isolation. [c.f. American Psychiatric Association, 2000, Appendix I]

Dr Joe Dietrich is an former-cleric ordained 52 years ago and married 42 years ago to Sandra. Joe and Sandra are farmers with two children. He has spent 56 years as a counsellor, teacher, and alcohol-drug-addiction and trauma specialist. He lives in Wendover, Ontario. His full CV is available HERE.

In the case of ‘forced’ celibacy this has led to immaturity in relationships; to thinking that celibacy is protecting them; to rigidity in relationships; and hopelessness, assuming that celibacy cannot be changed. This condition can lead some to be so burdened by ‘forced celibacy’ that they seek their maturity outside of clerical celibacy, or criminally turn their sexual affection towards minors. Studies cited by Richard Sipe reveal that ‘at any one time, as few as 50% of priests are actually celibate,’ some have taken ‘wives’ and are having children by them. According to priests who have worked there, in some South American countries pastors are often not trusted unless they have a ‘wife’ and children.

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MAINE
Portland Press Herald

A recent lawsuit reminds us how devastating the impact of crimes against children can be.
The Rev. James Vallely is long dead, but the harm he did is alive and well. The Roman Catholic priest left behind a long list of sexual abuse victims, both male and female, from his career in Portland, South Berwick and other parishes throughout the state from 1958 to 1988. He died in 1997 at the age of 75.

Vallely’s name has come up repeatedly over the years as the sexual abuse scandal roiled the Catholic Church, starting in Boston and spreading across the country and even around the world. Every time a victim came forward, others found the courage to do the same.

Vallely was on a list the Diocese of Portland released in 2005 of deceased priests subject to sexual abuse allegations that had been substantiated by investigators. If Vallely and seven other priests had been alive in 2005, church officials said, their names would have been sent to Rome with the request that they be removed from the priesthood.

His name is in the news again because two brothers last week filed a lawsuit against the diocese, charging that they were abused by Vallely during the 1970s, at a time when the church either knew or should have known that he was a sexual predator.

The brothers say they have come forward now because they only recently found that Vallely’s superiors had information that could have prevented their abuse.

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VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Service

[full report – Vatican Information Service]

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The director of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority said the Vatican will further amend its finance-related laws in the coming months, increase screening of account holders at the Vatican bank and continue assessing the potential risk that accounts could be used for money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Rene Brulhart, the Swiss finance lawyer hired to monitor the legality and transparency of Vatican financial activity, presented his office’s first report at a May 22 news conference.

The Vatican has “a very clear, strong commitment to fight money laundering and terrorism financing fully in line with its moral values, but also with its responsibility to become a credible partner in the international environment,” he told reporters.

He said that in 2012, he received six reports of suspicious financial activities from Vatican offices and, after studying the cases, he forwarded two of the reports to the Vatican criminal court for further investigation and possible prosecution. It is up to the Vatican prosecutor to release information about the cases, which could involve money laundering, Brulhart said.

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VIRGINIA/TEXAS
NBC 12

[with video]

By Rachel DePompa

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) –
Prosecutors in Texas have formally charged Richmond Outreach Center Pastor Geronimo “G” Aguilar with seven felony counts in two child sex abuse cases.

Prosecutors say the allegations date back to 1996, and involve two victims. Aguilar faces four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under 14, with two counts for each victim. Those charges are first degree felonies that could carry life in prison. He also faces three counts of sexual assault of a child from the two alleged incidents. Those charges are second degree felonies that could carry up to 20 years in prison.

A Tarrant County, Texas judge set his bail at $100,000 for each case, or $200,000 total. However, Aguilar remains in Richmond as court proceedings continue over his travel to Texas.

A Richmond judge ordered Aguilar held on $50,000 bond in connection with the child sexual abuse charges in Texas Wednesday morning. The judge ordered Aguilar to report to Texas authorities by Friday at 4:30 p.m. to respond to the charges.

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VIRGINIA
WRIC

RICHMOND, VA—ROC pastor Geronimo Aguilar, who surrendered himself Tuesday on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, is expected to be extradited to Texas as early as Thursday on seven charges that, if convicted, could mean he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison.

In a Wednesday deal, Aguilar, known as “Pastor G,” was granted $50,000 bond, but a judge revoked bond as prosecutors appealed the decision, arguing Aguilar was a flight risk and Texas authorities had specifically asked bond not be granted.

Aguilar currently remains in police custody in Virginia. In return, Texas authorities will extradite the Richmond pastor back to that state. 8News has learned the extradition could take place Thursday morning, and a Texas hearing take place as soon as Friday.

Warrants out of Fort Worth, Texas charge Geronimo Aguilar, known as “Pastor G,” with multiple felony charges stemming from two cases of alleged aggravated sexual assault of a minor.

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MICHIGAN
Detroit Free Press

By Patricia Montemurri
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

St. Thomas More Catholic Parish is asking parishioners to donate to an annual fund-raiser in “tribute” to Rev. Edward Belczak, its former pastor under FBI investigation for stealing or mishandling $429,000 from the Troy church.

In a May 17 letter, the parish’s current administrator, Msgr. John Zenz, wrote about the need to raise nearly $300,000 for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s annual Catholic Services Appeal and described it as “the best tribute you could give to Fr. Belczak’s ministry.”

The money is not intended for Belczak’s personal use or defense.

Zenz said today that he was “simply trying to acknowledge the strong tradition of parishioners’ support for the CSA and encourage them to continue to give this year.”

“I certainly didn’t intend to offend anyone on either side of the spectrum” of views concerning Belczak, said Zenz. “There are people who still love him and will always love him, and want his name to be mentioned. And there are others who are justifiably angry.”

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NEW JERSEY
Nutley Sun

WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2013
BY HASIME KUKAJ
STAFF WRITER
NUTLEY SUN

The seven-count complaint, against former Wyckoff priest Michael Fugee, is not tied to his involvement with Holy Family Church in Nutley. He is accused of disobeying a judicial order that apparently banned work with children

In a previous media interview, Holy Family Monsignor Paul Bochicchio said that Fugee had given talks to the parish’s youth and had accompanied them on trips to Canada. Bochicchio has said that Fugee was supervised at all times, and that his involvement with Holy Family did not violate the agreement.

Fugee allegedly heard confessions from dozens of children on seven occasions from 2010 to December of last year, including twice at the Rochelle Park church where he was allowed to live and once in Paramus. The priest, who was arrested Monday at a Newark church where he had been living, was released from the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday after posting $25,000 bail, according to court records.

Fugee did not enter a plea, and the case will be sent to a grand jury, Bergen County authorities said.

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UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coaltion

Editorial

The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) salutes the Catholic Whistleblowers who are taking a public stand with a press conference today to encourage Roman Catholic Church insiders to report child sexual abuse by priests and nuns and to expose those who conceal.

Among the 12 co-founders are two founders of NSAC, Robert Hoatson and Sister Maureen Paul Turlish. We are grateful for the strength and purpose of their backbones.

We thank BishopAccountability.org’s Anne Barrett Doyle for seeing the similarities in their stories and bringing them together.

The overwhelming silence of priests and sisters in the last decade plus one year since the Boston incarnation let alone all the years before Boston needs a strong piercing. Perhaps the courage of this group will be the needed instrument to light shine in, deflate hypocrisy and remove stagnation and go along easiness.

Archbishop John Myers of the Diocese of Newark and Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph both need to be removed from their current seats of power yet the overwhelming numbers of clergy and religious in their dioceses go along with the emperor’s who have no clothes on. At best, they distance themselves with a shake of the head, or a vague “something ought to be done about it” or a “you can’t change the system” –bishops and religious community leaders hold the trump card of power.

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UNITED STATES
Sexual Abuse CT

Posted by tremontsheldon on May 22, 2013

They call themselves Catholic Whistleblowers, a newly formed cadre of priests and nuns who say the Roman Catholic Church is still protecting sexual predators.

The Rev. James Connell, in Sheboygan, Wis., is a member of Catholic Whistleblowers.

Several members of the group, which includes priests and nuns, met in Manhattan last week.Although they know they could face repercussions, they have banded together to push the new pope to clean house and the American bishops to enforce the zero-tolerance policies they adopted more than a decade ago.

The group began organizing quietly nine months ago without the knowledge of their superiors or their peers, and plan to make their campaign public this week. Most in the steering group of 12 have blown the whistle on abusers in the past, and three are canon lawyers who once handled abuse cases on the church’s behalf. Four say they were sexually abused as children.Their aim, they say, is to support both victims and fellow whistle-blowers, and identify shortcomings in church policies. They hope to help not just minors, but also adults who fall prey to clergy who exploit their power for sex. They say that their motivation is to make the church better and safer, and to show the world that there are good priests and nuns in the church.

“We’ve dedicated our lives to the church,” the Rev. John Bambrick, a priest in the Diocese of Trenton, said at a meeting of the group last week in New York. “Having sex offenders in ministry is damaging to our ministry.”The group has sent a letter to Pope Francis asking him to take several significant steps to heal victims and restore the church’s credibility: revoke all oaths of secrecy, open the files on abuse cases, remove from office any bishops who obstructed justice and create an international forum for dialogue between survivors and church leaders.

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UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage

William D. Lindsey

This is very important news: as Laurie Goodstein reports at New York Times yesterday and as Michael D’Antonio writes for Huffington Post, a group of twelve Catholic nuns and priests has organized to monitor and blow the whistle on cover-up of sexual abuse cases by the Catholic hierarchy. The group calls itself Catholic Whistleblowers, and has set up a website with a link that provides information about how you can support this valuable initiative.

The group has written a letter to Pope Francis (a copy is linked at the group’s website), noting that its members are speaking and acting from the convictions of their consciences, and asking him to revoke the oaths of secrecy on which bishops rely to justify their cover-ups, open files on abuse cases, remove from office bishops who have flaunted justice in abuse cases, and set up an international forum for dialogue between survivors and church leaders.

As Goodstein notes for New York Times, these courageous Catholic leaders think a group of this sort is necessary because it continues to be demonstrated that some bishops in the U.S. ignore their own stated no-tolerance policy, while the annual audits of dioceses, which are based on self-reporting, keep providing clean bills of health to dioceses later found to have ignored the zero-tolerance policy by putting priests known to pose a danger to minors in direct contact with minors.

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NEW JERSEY
God Discussion

BY AL STEFANELLI
ON MAY 22, 2013

The Rev. Michael Fugee, a fifty-two year old Priest, stood before a judge on 21 May 2013 to face charges for violating a court-ordered lifetime ban on working with children.

Bergen County investigators discovered that Fugee has heard confessions at youth retreats from minors on two occasions in 2010, and once again in 2012.

He was charged with seven counts of contempt of a judicial order, a 4th degree crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of eighteen 18 months.

Bergen County, NJ, Assistant Prosecutor Demetra Maurice who had authored the agreement in 2007, read seven counts that were levied against Fugee.

The agreement that Maurice made included an immediate and permanent cease and desist for Fugee to work with children as long as he remained in the priesthood.

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UNITED STATES
TheMediaReport

In a stunning article that bravely veers from the media’s usual, tired coverage of the Catholic Church abuse story, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dorothy Rabinowitz has taken up the case of Fr. Gordon J. MacRae, who has been serving a 33½-to-67 year sentence in a New Hampshire state prison since 1994 on abuse charges.

Rabinowitz’s article in the Wall Street Journal reports that MacRae was wrongfully convicted in a grave miscarriage of justice.

TheMediaReport.com has thoroughly examined Fr. MacRae’s case before, and this is the second time that Rabinowitz has profiled MacRae, as she first reported about the priest for the Journal back in 2005.

In a nutshell, Fr. MacRae was convicted by a jury and imprisoned based on the claims of a single accuser named Thomas Grover, whom Rabinowitz aptly notes had “a considerable history of forgery, assault, theft and drug use.”

n a nutshell, Fr. MacRae was convicted by a jury and imprisoned based on the claims of a single accuser named Thomas Grover, whom Rabinowitz aptly notes had “a considerable history of forgery, assault, theft and drug use.”

In 1994, the then-27-years-old Grover claimed that Fr. MacRae sexually assaulted him over five consecutive weekly counseling sessions years earlier in 1983 when he was 15 years old. Asked why he would repeatedly return to a place where he had been brutally attacked the week before, Grover amazingly testified that he “had experienced ‘out of body’ episodes that had blocked his recollection” of previous abuse.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

EDITORIAL

The three concurrent inquiries into institutional child abuse are uncovering terrible suffering and will soon enough prompt calls for fairer measures of compensation. The federal royal commission does not tackle issues of reparations. But admissions by institutions such as the Catholic Church need to be dealt with beyond the inquiries.

Existing laws make it very difficult for victims to use the court system – and it is hardly preferable to have courts jammed with claims that prolong the wait for justice and increase the costs to the community.

This is particularly worrying as legal aid budgets are squeezed, compensation fund payouts limited and the allowable times for making a civil claim shrink.

While many victims will welcome the chance to tell their stories, governments need to co-ordinate a response to compensation. It should not be beyond the wit of governments to serve the needs of victims of crime while protecting the public purse.

Previous legislative attempts relating to the Stolen Generations are instructive.

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UNITED STATES
U.S. Catholic

By Scott Alessi

As we approach the 11th anniversary of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, it is no secret that many church leaders are still falling down on the job when it comes to transparency surrounding the sexual abuse of minors and the handling of priests who commit these heinous crimes. We’ve had the saga of Bishop Robert Finn in Kansas City, the recent case of an abusive priest in Newark still being allowed to interact with minors, and examples of bishops failing to provide information and evidence to their own review boards. As former chair of the National Review Board Nicholas Cafardi told us in an interview last year, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Enter the Catholic Whistleblowers. A new group of Catholic priests, sisters, and laypeople–most of whom were already blowing the whistle on church failures when it comes to sex abuse–have banded together to form a new organization. What started as a support group for those who undergo the pressure (and sometimes, the negative stigma) that comes with being a whistle-blower has now grown into a public campaign to bring about change in the church.

Members of the group offered the New York Times varied responses on what the group’s goals are: seeing those who covered up abuse held accountable, keeping children safe, clearing the church’s name and restoring some level of credibility to those who devote their lives to the priesthood. All important goals, all of which are long overdue in the wake of the abuse that has taken place within the church.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

A former priest awaiting trial on historic child sex abuse charges does not have the right to anonymity, a judge held yesterday.

William Carney, aged 62, is charged with 34 counts of indecent assault of eight boys and two girls, at locations in Dublin and north east Leinster from 1969 until 1989.

Yesterday at Cloverhill District Court, Judge Gráinne Malone lifted an earlier gag order prohibiting the media from naming the 62-year-old who currently has no fixed address.

Her ruling came following submissions from lawyers for RTÉ, The Irish Times , the Irish Independent and the Irish Daily Mail ’s publishers Associated Newspapers. The case was adjourned for two weeks.

John Fitzgerald BL, for RTÉ, said the constitution states that justice has to be administered in public, and he argued that the news media has to report on matters in the interest of the public.

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UNITED STATES
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel May 22, 2013

In its first public action Wednesday, a national network of Catholic clergy and nuns founded in part by a Milwaukee-area priest called on the church to take a stronger stand against child sexual abuse in its ranks.

Eight members of the Catholic Whistleblowers gathered for a news conference in New York, home to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who as head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is considered the most influential American prelate.

The group urged Dolan to use his influence to help oust Newark, N.J., Bishop John Myers, who has been in the news in recent weeks for allowing a pedophile priest continued access to minors, in violation of an agreement with prosecutors.

In addition, members called on Catholic bishops to:

 Support proposed legislation in New York, Wisconsin and elsewhere, that would lift statutes of limitations on sex crimes against children. (A Wisconsin bill, known as the Child Victims Act, is expected to be re-introduced this legislative session.)

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian Jewish News

THE Australian is expected to apologise this weekend after it claimed that former president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA) Rabbi Dovid Freilich said that 95 per cent of Australian rabbis believe child sexual abuse charges should be dealt with internally.

Rabbi Freilich praised the article, “The Shunned”, that appeared in Saturday’s edition of The Australian, because he said that whatever can be done to stamp out the scourge of sexual abuse of children in society is to be commended and encouraged, but said that being misquoted was disappointing.

“I believe that the vast majority of rabbis in Australia firmly and categorically support the immediate reporting of child abuse to the police,” Rabbi Freilich said in a letter to The AJN and The Australian this week.

“This was always the official stance of the ORA.”

Senior writer at The Australian Kate Legge apologised to the rabbi when she was contacted by Rabbi Freilich this week.

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VATICAN CITY
Firstpost

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican’s new financial watchdog said on Wednesday it had detected six possible attempts to use the Holy See to launder money last year, citing this as proof of its commitment to transparency.

The head of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), presenting its first annual report, also said it would soon have stronger supervisory powers over the Vatican’s scandal-plagued bank, the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), dubbed the world’s most secretive bank by Forbes magazine.

The Vatican is trying to meet international standards to combat the financing of terrorism, money laundering and tax evasion, but the European anti-money laundering committee, Moneyval, said in July that the IOR still had some way to go. The FIA is due to report back in December.

Rene Bruelhart, the Swiss lawyer and anti-laundering expert who heads the FIA, said that of the six suspected cases of money laundering handled by his office in 2012, two were considered serious enough to be passed on to the Vatican’s prosecutor.

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VATICAN CITY
Bloomberg Businessweek

By Chiara Vasarri
May 22, 2013

The Vatican said it stepped up efforts to improve financial transparency and prevent money laundering as pressure continues for compliance with international standards.

The Holy See and the Vatican City “have strengthened their efforts for the prevention and countering of money laundering and financing of terrorism” to represent an effective global partner, the Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority’s director, Rene Bruelhart, said in the agency’s annual report published today. Future challenges “are several and require perseverance.”

In July Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s monitoring body for money laundering and terrorism financing, gave the Vatican a mixed report card, saying it was making progress in complying with international standards on financial transparency, though it still needed to improve supervision of transactions. That report stressed the importance of independent supervision of the Vatican bank, which is formally called the Institute for the Works of Religion, or IOR.

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VATICAN CITY
The Globe and Mail (Canada)

NICOLE WINFIELD
VATICAN CITY — The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, May. 22 2013

The Vatican took another step Wednesday to show greater financial transparency by publishing the first annual report from its financial watchdog agency and announcing new regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing.

The report from the Financial Intelligence Authority showed the agency received six internal reports on suspicious transactions in 2012, up from one a year earlier, and that two were sent onto Vatican prosecutors for investigation.

But the 10-page report made scant mention of any supervisory operations carried out in 2012. International financial authorities have recommended the agency conduct inspections and issue internal regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing.

The report also made no mention of the troubles that led to the suspension of credit card services inside the Vatican for several months, an embarrassment that inconvenienced the thousands of people who visit the Vatican and its museums each day.

The Vatican created the oversight agency in 2010 in a bid to shed its image as a secretive tax haven and improve its reputation in global financial circles following a series of scandals at its bank and a money laundering investigation launched by Rome prosecutors in 2010.

As part of that effort, the Holy See submitted itself to the Council of Europe’s Moneyval evaluation process, which assesses countries’ compliance with international anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing norms.

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VATICAN CITY
CNN

By Alanna Petroff @AlannaPetroff May 22, 2013:

LONDON (CNNMoney)
Pope Emeritus Benedict had made cleaning up the Vatican’s reputation for shady money a top priority, and Pope Francis is continuing the effort.

On Wednesday, a financial watchdog agency established in 2010 issued its first ever report on money laundering in a move to improve financial transparency in the city-state.

The document from the Financial Intelligence Authority shows six reports of “suspicious activity” in the past year, up from just one in 2011. It says the Vatican’s prosecutors are investigating two of those reports for possible criminal activity, though it wouldn’t elaborate further.

The 64-page report details how the Vatican is looking to crack down on money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, alongside other international governments and agencies.

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VATICAN CITY

The Autorità di Informazione Finanziara (AIF) of the Holy See and the Vatican City State has published and presented its first ever Annual Report to the public.

The report reviews the activities and statistics of AIF for full year 2012.

Over the course of the year, AIF reported the submission of 6 Suspicious Transaction Reports, up from only one in the previous year. AIF itself forwarded two Suspicious Transaction Reports to the Vatican Promoter of Justice for further investigation.

“The statistics and trends from 2012 are encouraging and indicates that the system is consistently improving” said Rene Brülhart, Director of AIF.

In 2012, AIF has also initiated the systematic screening and analysis of Cash Transaction Reports submitted by the obliged entities.

“In our efforts to tackle actively any potential abuse of the financial system, we initiated a close and constructive interaction with the Secretariat of State, the Gendarmeria, the Promoter of Justice and the institutions under our oversight in order to improve awareness and safety and ensure a coordinated internal cooperation in AML/CFT matters”, said Director Brülhart.

A further important element of the report is the progress made in international cooperation that builds on the clear commitment of the Holy See to be a credible partner in the international fight against money laundering. 2012 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with relevant authorities in Belgium and Spain. “It will continue to be our policy in 2013 to further strengthening international cooperation by signing several more Memorandum of Understanding with our partners in other relevant countries and jurisdictions” said Rene Brülhart.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information service

[the full report]

Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon in the Press Office of the Holy See, Rene Brulhart, director of the Vatican Financial Information Authority (L’Autorità di Informazione Finanziara, AIF), presented the AIF’s first annual report, which examines their activities and statistics from 2012. The AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See and the Vatican City State for financial intelligence and for supervision and regulation in the prevention and countering of money laundering and financing of terrorism. It was established in 2010 and became operational in April of 2011.

“Over the course of the year,” reads a press release accompanying the conference, “AIF reported the submission of six Suspicious Transaction Reports, up from only one in the previous year. AIF itself forwarded two Suspicious Transaction Reports to the Vatican Promoter of Justice for further investigation.”

“The statistics and trends from 2012 are encouraging and indicates that the system is consistently improving,” said Dr. Brulhart. In 2012, AIF also initiated the systematic screening and analysis of Cash Transaction Reports submitted by the obliged entities.

“In our efforts to actively tackle any potential abuse of the financial system,” continued Director Brulhart, “we initiated a close and constructive interaction with the Secretariat of State, the Gendarmeria, the Promoter of Justice and the institutions under our oversight in order to improve awareness and safety and ensure a coordinated internal cooperation in AML/CFT matters.”

A further important element of the report is the progress made in international cooperation that builds on the clear commitment of the Holy See to be a credible partner in the international fight against money laundering. 2012 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with relevant authorities in Belgium and Spain. Dr. Brulhart stated that “it will continue to be our policy in 2013 to further strengthening international cooperation by signing several more Memorandum of Understanding with our partners in other relevant countries and jurisdictions.”

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