ABUSE TRACKER

VATICAN CITY
Economic Times

Reuters

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican bank has made good progress in transparency but needs more changes to consolidate anti-money laundering reforms, the Holy See’s financial regulator said on Friday.

The Financial Intelligence Authority’s (AIF) also said in its annual report for 2014 that it had forwarded seven cases of suspected fraud or tax avoidance to the Vatican prosecutor’s office for further investigation.

It said the number of reports it had received of potentially suspicious financial activity fell to 147 last year, down from a peak of 202 in 2013, which officials said showed that reforms and reporting procedures were working.

The Vatican bank, seeking to repair its image after a series of financial scandals, has been undergoing massive reforms over the past three years.

The bank, formally known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), has toughened regulatory standards and closed thousands of accounts.

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VATICAN CITY
Wall Street Journal

By FRANCIS X. ROCCA
May 29, 2015

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican’s financial watchdog registered 147 suspicious transactions in 2014, down by more than a quarter from the previous year, reflecting progress by the Holy See in detecting and preventing financial crime, officials said Friday.

The Financial Information Authority, or AIF, said it turned over seven of those cases, mostly involving potential fraud or tax evasion, to Vatican prosecutors. In three of the seven cases, the AIF froze suspicious transactions with a total value of €562 million.

Friday’s annual report was the third published by the regulator, which Pope Benedict XVI established in 2010 to work toward compliance with international standards on financial crimes. That move was the start of a series of financial reforms at the Vatican, which have been continued by Pope Francis.

In 2013, the European money-laundering watchdog Moneyval praised the Vatican for its efforts on financial transparency but said regulatory oversight needed tightening at the scandal-plagued Vatican bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, or IOR. That same year, Pope Francis named a special panel to reform the bank.

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MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, May 28

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 Bible college professor has quit his job over a clergy sex abuse and cover up case. It’s heart-breaking.

[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Doug Lay is a hero. He should be recognized and treated as a hero by both St. Louis Christian College and First Christian Church of Florissant. He has been brave and caring throughout the entire Brandon Milburn ordeal, seeking the truth and comforting Milburn’s victims. I am honored to know Doug and am deeply proud of him for his integrity and courage. A small group of others at FCCF – including Dawn Varvil and Titus and Kari Benton – have also acted heroically during this tragic situation.

Lay says that SLCC officials Dr. Guthrie Veece and Mike Chambers did not pressure him to resign. But we believe that Veece and Chambers could and should have done more to expose the selfish pressure put on college staff by FCCF staff. We believe that Rev. Steve Wingfield has used his muscle to try to intimidate whistleblowers at least three times now (first, through an unsuccessful restraining order bid, then through an unsuccessful lawsuit and now through informal pressure on the college).

Reasonable people may disagree about what Wingfield knew when and how he responded (though we wholeheartedly agree with Lay, Dawn Varvil, Titus Benton and others who firmly believe that FCCF staff should have been more honest and responsible by calling police and warning congregants sooner).

But no one can deny that children were sexually assaulted because of the witting or unwitting actions and inactions of Rev. Wingfield and his employees. Having put kids in harm’s way (likely unintentionally) and having kept kids in harm’s way (perhaps unintentionally), FCCF staff have a duty to aggressively reach out to others who were hurt at FCCF.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

On the surface, the words “rape” and “hope” are similar. They rarely belong in the same sentence. But here’s an exception: Recent changes in rape laws give us hope.

Thanks to the courage of victims of sexual violence, who are gaining more strength and getting more political, 28 states now have no statute of limitations on rape.

[East Oregonian]

Is that enough? Of course not. Is that dramatic progress over the past few years? You bet it is.

And the long-term trends look good for us. More and more lawmakers (and judges and cops and prosecutors and jurors) are seeing just how irresponsible and hurtful these predator-friendly deadlines are.

And this is true in cases of sexual violence against kids too, not just adults.

(See recent headway on this front in Georgia: [Verdict])

“The moral arc of the universe is long,” Martin Luther King told us, “but it bends towards justice.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Symon Hill

Last month, I moved out of a residential Christian community attached to a Methodist church in London. I moved for several reasons. One was the way that the church had handled an allegation of sexual abuse. The victim in that case was interviewed as part of the Methodist church’s Past Cases Review into abuse allegations. She had no advance notice of Thursday’s announcement by the Methodist church, which has formally apologised for 1,885 cases of abuse over the past 60 years. Despite media references to “historical abuse”, some of the cases are very recent.

This should be a wake-up call for all Christians in Britain. It is time for Protestants who have complacently dismissed church abuse as a “Catholic problem” to face the reality that abuse is endemic across denominations. As a Christian, and as someone who writes and teaches about religion and sexuality, I have heard far more stories of sexual abuse than I can count – along with stories of cover-ups, sexist responses, victim-blaming and repeated failures to take allegations seriously.

In terms of abuse in British churches, the 1,885 cases announced by the Methodists are undoubtedly the tip of the iceberg.

Only a few years after the Catholic child abuse scandals, we are on the brink of a new scandal. This time it will be about abuse across churches, probably mostly of adults. It can no longer be blamed simply on Catholic doctrine or clerical celibacy.

Sexual abuse is about power. If the victim has the courage to complain, the abuser often uses their higher status to discredit the victim – perhaps because they are a respected individual who will be believed, or perhaps because the victim is vulnerable and will not be. Abusers can, implicitly or explicitly, appeal to the self-interest of church leaders not to cause trouble or bad PR by taking action to deal with allegations.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

NCR Editorial Staff | May. 29, 2015

EDITORIAL

To help them prepare for this fall’s Synod of Bishops on the family, the presidents of the bishops’ conferences of Germany, Switzerland and France gathered with biblical scholars and theologians to discuss and clarify “the issues at the heart of the current debates on marriage and family,” including “theology of love” and of sexuality as a “language of God and a gift precious to God.” Let’s hope that among the scholars they called upon were theologians like Creighton University’s Michael G. Lawler and Todd A. Salzman. And let’s hope they took a hard look at the results of the Irish referendum on marriage.

Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was correct when he called the overwhelming support for marriage equality in Ireland a “reality check” for the church — it most certainly is, which is why the world’s bishops should be discussing it.

But Martin got it wrong when he said the outcome was part of a social revolution. The overwhelming public support for a broader, more inclusive acceptance of marriage equality has certainly come swiftly, but is more evolution than revolution, which is Lawler and Salzman’s point.

If Cardinal Walter Kasper is correct when he says that Pope Francis “wants a listening magisterium,” let’s hope that Francis, too, is listening to what the Catholics of Ireland are telling the church. They have made manifest in casting ballots what sociologists have documented in research and what Catholic families have experienced in the lives of their children, aunts and uncles, parents and even grandparents: “That God can be,” to quote Jamie Manson, “as fully present in the relationships of same-sex couples as God can be in opposite-sex couples.”

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CANADA
Toronto Star

By: Mayana C. Slobodian Published on Wed May 27 2015

On Sunday, the final event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada will kick-off in Ottawa. The truth is, after seven years, many Canadians still don’t really know what this commission is.

The most common misconception is that it was initiated by the government of Canada. There is a sad irony in this, given that Ottawa has ignored and resisted the work of the TRC from the start.

Meanwhile, it has spent the last seven years enacting legislation and policies that, far from rectifying the relationship between Indigenous people and the Canadian government, serve to perpetuate the systemic inequalities that the residential schools worked so hard to entrench.

The TRC wasn’t set up, as many assume, as a PR move or out of the kindness of our prime minister’s heart. Rather, Ottawa was sued into it. In 2007, on behalf of the 80,000 living former students, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society successfully sued the government of Canada and the churches that operated its schools. It took six years, and remains the largest class-action lawsuit in Canadian history. It was the former students themselves who insisted on a truth commission, and it runs on money taken out of that overall settlement.

The relationship between the federal government and the TRC has always been tense. By 2009, all three original commissioners had stepped down citing, among other concerns, objections to meddling from Ottawa. One of the first acts of the next commissioners was to move the headquarters from Ottawa to Winnipeg. The TRC has also taken the federal government to court twice over access to archival documents, and its 2010 interim report criticized the government’s “unacceptable reluctance to co-operate.”

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VATICAN CITY
Ledger-Enquirer

BY NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
May 29, 2015

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s financial watchdog agency said Friday it received 147 reports of suspicious financial transactions last year, a sign that tough new anti-money laundering norms are taking hold at its scandal-marred bank.

The Financial Information Authority’s annual report showed a slight decline in the number of suspicious reports received in 2014 compared to the 202 received in 2013. In 2012, when the Vatican’s efforts at greater financial controls were in their infancy, only six suspicious transactions were reported.

Of the 147 transactions that were flagged as potentially problematic in 2014, the agency forwarded seven to Vatican prosecutors for investigation. The report said most concerned suspected fraud, tax fraud or tax evasion.

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI created the agency in 2010 as a key part of an overall bid to clean up the Vatican’s financial house to comply with international anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing norms.

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POLAND
The News

Attorney General Andrzej Seremet has visited the Dominican Republic in connection with two child abuse cases involving Polish clergymen.

Seremet spoke with victims of Father Wojciech G. (full name witheld under Polish privacy laws), who was sentenced by a Polish court to seven years in prison in March 2015 for abusing children in both the Dominican Republic and Poland.

Besides the prison sentence, the clergyman has been ordered to pay a combined sum of PLN 155,000 damages to the victims, divided between six minors in the Dominican Republic and two in Poland. Seremet’s counterpart Attorney General Francisco Dominquez Brito had visited Poland in December 2014 prior to the trial.

He commented then “that we expect a just, high sentence which will satisfy public opinion in the Dominican Republic.”

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Radio

[with audio]

(Vatican Radio) The Financial Intelligence Authority of the Holy See and the Vatican City State – Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria or AIF for short – gave a briefing to journalists on Friday at the Press Office of the Holy See to present the annual report for 2014.

The report reviews the activities and statistics of the AIF for the year 2014, which the AIF says present a continuous strengthening of the legal and institutional framework of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to regulate supervised entities, fostering international cooperation of the Vatican competent authority with its foreign counterparts and to consolidate the prevention and countering of potential illicit financial activities.

The President of the AIF, René Brülhart, explained that expansion of the Authority’s cooperation with other national and international financial oversight organs has improved the AIF’s ability to carry out its mandate. “By signing Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) with other Financial Intelligence Units of 13 countries, including Australia, France and the UK as well as with the Regulators of Germany, Luxembourg and the United States of America, we have also massively strengthened international cooperation,” Brülhart said.

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CITTA’ DEL VATICANO
Bolletino

Alle ore 11.00 di questa mattina, nell’Aula Giovanni Paolo II della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, si tiene un briefing per la presentazione del Rapporto Annuale dell’Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF) sull’attività di informazione finanziaria e di vigilanza per la prevenzione e il contrasto del riciclaggio e del finanziamento del terrorismo. Anno III, 2014.

Intervengono al briefing il Dott. René Brülhart, Presidente dell’AIF e il Dott. Tommaso Di Ruzza, Direttore dell’AIF.

Riportiamo di seguito il Comunicato Stampa riguardante il Rapporto annuale 2014 dell’AIF:

Supervisory framework and international cooperation System further strengthened

The Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF) of the Holy See and the Vatican City State has presented its Annual Report for 2014. The report reviews the activities and statistics of the AIF for the year 2014.

2014 has seen a continuous strengthening of the legal and institutional framework of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to regulate supervised entities, fostering international cooperation of the Vatican competent authority with its foreign counterparts and to consolidate the prevention and countering of potential illicit financial activities.

“With the introduction of Regulation No. 1, we have completed the prudential supervisory framework of the Holy See and Vatican City State,” said René Brülhart, President of AIF. “By signing Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) with other Financial Intelligence Units of 13 countries, including Australia, France and the UK as well as with the Regulators of Germany, Luxembourg and the United States of America, we have also massively strengthened international cooperation.”

The reporting system has been consolidated after having received 6 suspicious transaction reports (STR) in 2012, 202 in 2013 and 147 in 2014. Such development is a consequence both of the full implementation of the legal framework and of the substantial improvement in the operational performance of the supervised entities with regard to the prevention of financial crime. 7 reports have been passed on to the Vatican Promoter of Justice for further investigation by judicial authorities. The number of cases of bilateral cooperation between AIF and foreign competent authorities has increased from 4 in 2012 to 81 in 2013 and 113 in 2014. “This continuous increase is a result of the systematic efforts undertaken by AIF as well as the strong commitment of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to cooperate actively with other jurisdictions to prevent and combat potential illicit financial activities globally,” said Tommaso di Ruzza, Director of AIF.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register

COMMENTARY: There have been three key moments in the recent history of the Irish Church when leading bishops and priests could have chosen to strengthen the faith of the people. Instead, poor choices and inaction have weakened what remains.

by DEACON NICK DONNELLY 05/28/2015

The vote in Ireland has been to legalize same-sex “marriage,” an outcome that suggests a loss of moral clarity among the majority of Catholics in the Irish Church. I am left asking the question: Is the Irish Church dead?

I know this may sound shocking, and some may accuse me of alarmism and defeatism. However, sacred Scripture is clear that, though Our Lord has promised to be with the universal Church until the end of time (Matthew 28:20), it is possible for a local Church to die.

The Book of Revelation contains the locutions and visions Our Lord granted to his beloved disciple, St. John the Evangelist. Our Lord sent seven messages to the local Churches, one of which was addressed to the Church of Sardis, which reveals the awful possibility of the death of a church:

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: “The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God” (3:1-2).

In 2003, Pope St. John Paul II urgently addressed the exhortation contained in Our Lord’s Letter to the Church of Sardis to the whole of Europe, including the Church in Ireland, “Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death” (Revelation 3:2). Twelve years later, it is clear that Ireland and many other European countries have not heeded Pope St. John Paul II’s final warning, and, in fact, many of the bishops and people have done the exact opposite: They have weakened what remains to the point of death. …

he Apostolic Visitation of the Irish Church

The first key moment was Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic visitation of the Irish Church in response to the crisis caused by pedophile priests and the bishops’ widespread cover-up of crimes of child sexual abuse. Pope Benedict’s “Letter to the Catholics of Ireland,” announcing the need for an apostolic visitation, clearly stated his judgment as the Successor of St. Peter that his brother bishops had failed. He said this was a failure where “grave errors of judgment were made and failures of leadership.”

The apostolic visitation report was mainly a snapshot of the Irish Church that summarized safeguarding measures that the Irish episcopacy and religious orders were already putting in place. It also made a number of reasonable recommendations, including: the updating of safeguarding guidelines in accordance with the norms established by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; the reorganization of ecclesiastical tribunals; the formation of seminarians; and various formation, spiritual and administrative changes for religious orders.

One paragraph of the report stands out in light of the open dissent among Irish priests supporting, or remaining neutral towards, the legalization of same-sex “marriage” in 2015:

“Since the visitators also encountered a certain tendency, not dominant but nevertheless fairly widespread among priests, religious and laity, to hold theological opinions at variance with the teachings of the magisterium, this serious situation requires particular attention, directed principally towards improved theological formation. It must be stressed that dissent from the fundamental teachings of the Church is not the authentic path towards renewal.”

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SCOTLAND
Scotsman

A SENIOR lawyer has been appointed to lead the public inquiry into the historical sexual abuse of children in residential care.

Susan O’Brien QC will be charged with looking into the treatment of children by institutions – including churches and independent boarding schools – going back decades.

Education secretary Angela Constance said the public inquiry – thought to be the biggest ever in Scotland – would be a “massive undertaking” which aimed to “shine a light into the dark corners of the past”.

She also announced plans to lift a three-year time bar which prevents civil actions being brought against abusers, allowing claims for damages in cases which took place after 1964.

And there will be £14.5 million of new funding to help provide support services for those who have been abused.

Ms O’Brien, who led the 2003 inquiry into failings that led to the death of baby Caleb Ness, will begin work on 1 July. Her inquiry is expected to last four years.

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CANADA
The Globe and Mail

SEAN FINE – JUSTICE WRITER
The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, May. 28 2015

Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin says Canada attempted to commit “cultural genocide” against aboriginal peoples, in what she calls the worst stain on Canada’s human-rights record.

Genocide – an attempt to destroy a people, in whole or part – is a crime under international law. The United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948, does not use the phrase “cultural genocide,” but says genocide may include causing serious mental harm to a group.

Chief Justice McLachlin appears to be the highest-ranking Canadian official to use the phrase. Former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin used it two years ago in describing residential schools for aboriginal children when he testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by the Conservative government. That commission is to make its report public next week.

“The most glaring blemish on the Canadian historic record relates to our treatment of the First Nations that lived here at the time of colonization,” Chief Justice McLachlin said. She was delivering the fourth annual Pluralism Lecture of the Global Centre for Pluralism, founded in 2006 by the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, and the federal government.

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CANADA
Huffington Post

Marika Morris
Adjunct Research Professor, Canadian Studies, Carleton University. Research Consultant with a focus on building healthy communities.

For 120 years, indigenous children in Canada were separated by federal law from their families and communities and sent to church-run Indian residential schools. The documented purpose of these schools was to wipe out indigenous cultures, languages, spirituality and traditions. It failed, but it caused much continuing harm in the process. Many of these students were physically and sexually abused, did not learn how to have good relationships and were taught to be ashamed of themselves and their parents. Thousands died at these schools and never came home at all.

This Sunday, participating churches across Canada will be ringing bells at noon, ringing for reconciliation, acknowledging their part in this process and their commitment to working with indigenous peoples to build a new and brighter future. Those churches that don’t have belfries, like First United Church and All Saints Westboro in Ottawa, will be outside ringing handbells, tambourines and anything that makes a ringing noise. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has spent six long years listening to the testimony of residential school survivors, is marking the end of its journey from May 31-June 3 with ceremonies, educational events, and a call to action. Across Canada, all kinds of people are participating in the walks for reconciliation, planting heart gardens, and other events.

In other parts of the world, grave injustices deliberately committed against a people can lead to decades or centuries of further hatred and violence. Indigenous peoples in Canada want to move forward with the rest of Canada, in a relationship of justice and harmony. This involves acknowledging not only the injustices of the past, but the continuing injustice and trauma of murdered and missing indigenous women, destruction of indigenous lands and waters, and the fact that First Nations and Inuit children receive a much lower standard of education in their communities than other Canadian kids. Reconciliation is a recognition of these realities and a commitment to action. We can’t just be sorry about what happened in the past, we must rectify the injustices of today and build a better future together based on justice and equality.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Portsmouth News

POLICE fear there may be other victims of a retired vicar jailed for sexual assault on a child.

Graham Gregory, 79, from York, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, having been found guilty in 2014 of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 13 years.

He held positions across the country, including Chichester.

Detectives were contacted by a woman in 2012 who claimed that she had been abused as a child between 1969 and 1971 when she lived in Wandsworth.

Detective Constable Aaron Vardy, of the Metropolitan Police’s Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: ‘Gregory abused his position as a figure of trust and authority.

‘It takes a lot of courage to report this type of crime and in some cases victims feel that they are only able to come forward years after the offence. This conviction highlights that regardless of how much time has passed, we remain committed to bringing offenders before the courts.

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FLORIDA
CBS 12

WEST PALM BEACH (CBS12) – A former private school teacher, accused of molesting two students, faced one of his accusers in court on Thursday.

Stephen Budd is on trial, charged with sexually molesting two of his fourth grade students at the Rosarian Academy, a West Palm Beach Catholic school.

The alleged victim told jurors she is 18 years old now, and just graduated from high school. She said the sexual abuse she endured in fourth grade became like a normal part of school for her.

The first incident, said the young woman, happened while Budd played a movie and the classroom was dark.

She said Budd offered her and her friend extra classroom incentive play money, “Budd Bucks.” The “Budd Bucks” were a status symbol in the classroom, she said.

“He moved my underwear to the side,” she said, and touched her private area. She ran to the bathroom crying.

The sexual incidents soon resumed, said the young woman.

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INDIANA
WTHI

By Eric Stidman
Published: May 28, 2015

MADISON COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) – A former Vincennes, Indiana youth pastor charged with sexual misconduct with a minor entered a guilty plea Wednesday in a Madison County, Indiana courtroom.

Derrick “Duke” Hampsch was arrested by Vincennes Police Detectives in 2014 after a victim’s family member came forward with allegations Hampsch took part in sex acts with a female victim. Hampsch, at that time, served as a Youth Pastor at First Baptist Church in Vincennes.

A court document provided to News 10 explained in April of 2010, Hampsch fondled the victim and had the victim fondle him. This incident, the document stated, happened at a First Baptist Church event in Anderson, Indiana. The victim told police, the church group traveled from Vincennes and stayed overnight at the Madison Park Church of God.

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AUSTRALIA
news.com.au

CLAIMS AND REVELATIONS FROM THE CHILD SEX ABUSE ROYAL COMMISSION’S HEARINGS IN BALLARAT

EARLY OFFENDING BY GERALD RIDSDALE
Started offending while in seminary in 1950s.

KNOWLEDGE BY THE CHURCH IN BALLARAT
* The first complaint about Ridsdale was made to Bishop James O’Collins in 1961. He was told if it happens again he’s “off the mission” (priesthood taken away).
* Bishop Ronald Mulkearns knew about Ridsdale’s offending in 1975, but didn’t suspend him until 1988.
* Convicted priest Paul Ryan says Bishop Mulkearns knew about him in 1977 and “buried his head in the sand” about sexual abuse in diocese. Ryan was removed as priest 1993.
* Bishop Mulkearns, Monsignor Leo Fiscalini and vicar general Father Henry Nolan all received complaints about Ridsdale’s conduct in Mortlake (1981-1982).

KNOWLEDGE BY THE CHURCH IN SYDNEY
Documents show Bishop Mulkearns in 1983 told Sydney Archbishop Cardinal Edward Clancy that Ridsdale was receiving counselling for “certain sexual problems” and was not to have contact with children following his transfer to Sydney.

CLAIMS ABOUT CARDINAL GEORGE PELL
* BRIBERY
Ridsdale’s nephew David Ridsdale accused Cardinal Pell of trying to bribe him in 1993 after being abused by his uncle. Pell allegedly asked him: “I want to know what it will take to keep you quiet.”
Pell denied the allegation. “At no time did I attempt to bribe David Ridsdale or his family or offer any financial inducements for him to be silent.”

* DISMISSED COMPLAINT
Timothy Green says when he was 12 or 13 he told Pell, in 1974, that Brother Edward Dowlan was abusing boys at St Patrick’s College. “Father Pell said `don’t be ridiculous’ and walked out.”
Pell says he has no recollection of a conversation with Green. “To the best of my belief, this conversation did not happen.”

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UTAH
Deseret News

By Ben Lockhart, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Two members of the famed piano group The 5 Browns are working with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to promote a bill that would incentivize states to reconsider their statute of limitations laws with regard to sexual crimes.

Deondra Brown said she and sister Desirae have been in meetings with Reid as he prepares a draft of the bill and looks for a co-sponsor.

“(The bill) would help the states, (encourage) them to change their statute of limitations laws,”Deondra Brown said.

The sisters founded the Foundation for Survivors of Abuse after their father, Keith Brown, was sentenced to prison in 2011 for sexually abusing his daughters over a period of several years in the 1990s.

“We started receiving emails from victims all over the country saying that they were not allowed by their statute of limitations to prosecute when they were finally ready,” Deondra Brown said. “We realized what a big problem it is for victims (not) to be able to have that closure and that opportunity to prosecute and put these criminals away.”

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CANADA
Metro

By Rosemary Westwood
Metro

I don’t lack reasons to be embarrassed: shiny forehead, very loud voice, a sometimes uptight nature.

Some days, I even have the bonus of being Catholic. It’s a bit like being an American — you’re an easy butt of jokes.

The Vatican can’t go long without sparking controversy, and the pope (any pope) can’t go long without inflaming the global public.

Such was the case this week. After Ireland legalized same-sex marriage in a historic referendum, a senior Vatican official said: “I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles but of a defeat for humanity.”

How ridiculous, and (perhaps inevitably) aggrandizing. A defeat for humanity is worsening climate change. A defeat for humanity is nuclear war. Even if you don’t support same-sex marriage (I do), allowing it doesn’t come with such dire consequences.

That’s far from my first, or likely last, embarrassment.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Wandsworth Guardian

by Laura Proto

A retired vicar who indecently assaulted a child while he was a curate at a church in Southfields has been jailed for three years.

Graham Gregory, 79, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 13 last year, and was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, May 26.

A woman contacted police in 2012, saying she had been abused between 1969 and 1971 when she lived in Wandsworth and attended the church where Gregory was a curate.

She said Gregory, now of Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, York, kissed her on several occasions before he assaulted her.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet

29 May 2015 by Joanna Moorhead, Liz Dodd

A group of men has called on the Comboni Fathers to acknowledge and apologise for decades of abuse they allege took place at the order’s junior seminary in Yorkshire.

Brian Hennessy, one of 12 ex-students who have come forward to say they were abused by priests at Mirfield Junior Seminary in Yorkshire between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, this week sent a 157-page report detailing more than 1,000 instances of abuse to the archbishops of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

The report was also sent to the abbots and religious superiors of all the religious communities in Britain and the heads of the religious conferences.

In an accompanying letter Mr Hennessy said that priests and Religious had failed in their task, abandoned their mission and the spirituality of the Gospels by refusing properly to acknowledge and validate their pain and suffering.

Last year a group of victims were given payments by the order of between £7,000 and £30,000 each which Kathy Perrin, a lawyer with the Catholic Church Insurance Association, which represented the order, said was not an admission of guilt.

She explained: “Everything happened an incredibly long time ago and two of the priests who were accused are now deceased. My clients simply don’t know what happened at Mirfield and don’t feel that it can be established now.”

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AUSTRALIA
ABC – PM

MARK COLVIN: The bishop of Ballarat has told the royal commission the diocese may struggle to make compensation payments to all its victims of child sexual abuse.

But Paul Bird acknowledged that it could borrow money from a diocese fund which is worth $100 million.

The commission heard there had been at least 130 claims made against 14 local priests between 1980 and now.

Samantha Donovan reports.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Catholic Bishop of Ballarat Paul Bird acknowledges that when it comes to clerical sexual abuse his community is divided.

PAUL BIRD: Yes, there are quite a few divisions I would say and people have sometimes quite different reactions. Those of course who would be directly hurt, those who, certainly those who’ve been offended against and their families would really feel the crimes that have been done. Others who may be more distant from that might not see the real, the full impact, or not appreciate it.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Paul Bird has been the bishop of Ballarat since 2012.

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Australian Associated Press
Thursday 28 May 2015

As many as 14 priests have been found to have sexually abused children in Victoria’s Ballarat diocese, the child sexual abuse royal commission has heard.

Data before the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse shows there have been at least 130 claims and substantiated complaints of child sexual abuse against the Ballarat diocese since 1980.

Senior counsel assisting the commission Gail Furness said that number included seven claims jointly held against the Christian Brothers.

She said at least 14 priests of the Ballarat diocese have been the subject of one or more claim or substantiated complaint of child sex abuse. Ballarat bishop Paul Bird said he was not certain that all 14 had been substantiated and he thought it was a lower number, maybe 10 or 12.

Furness said data from the diocese’s records show Gerald Francis Ridsdale had been the subject of at least 76 claims and substantiated complaints from the late 1950s to the late 1980s.

Earlier, Bird told the commission that he thought the Vatican should remove a priest from his position if he has been convicted of abusing children, but that it has not always done so.

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AUSTRALIA
Perth Now

Shannon Deery
Herald Sun

ONE of Victoria’s most senior priests says the Catholic Church should consider ordaining women.

Ballarat bishop Paul Bird said today a lack of women in the church may have contributed to the widespread abuse of children.

He told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that the issue should be revisited.

“If we looked at the possible negative effects of not including women, then that would add to the reason for the discussion,” he said.

“If we see that as a difficulty in having the church really balanced as a community, and with a recognition that perhaps in some cases that very imbalance…was a contributing factor to some crimes…then that would be all the more reason.”

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

May 29, 2015

Chris Johnston

What are the connections between three senior Catholic Church leaders and notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale? Both inside and outside of the child sexual abuse royal commission these connections are being tested and incrementally revealed, despite Ridsdale’s evidence this week full of noticeable omissions and memory lapses.

Take Thursday, for example, down at Fairhaven outside a nice house on the Great Ocean Road, occupied by former bishop Ronald Mulkearns, 83. He was named this week as the “pivotal person” responsible for failing to prevent rampant child sexual abuse at Catholic institutions in Ballarat in the 1970s, moving Ridsdale around the state and overseas as the allegations against him piled up.

Fairfax Media reported last year the Ballarat Catholic diocese paid for a $60,000 renovation on the coastal house. Another media outlet reported in 2013, after a stroke, that he leads an “active lifestyle” down the coast. The former bishop is not before the commission, citing ill health. Despite that he took an interesting visitor yesterday, who has admitted the royal commission was discussed.

The visitor was retired Catholic priest John McKinnon, who spent his working years at parishes in western Victoria, including Ballarat. He now lives in Hamilton.

The ABC went to Fairhaven to knock on former bishop Mulkearns’ door and while he declined to comment, they found Father McKinnon outside. He was most talkative. Asked what the pair discussed inside, he said: “Obviously the royal commission was part of it, but we don’t want to talk about that all the time.”

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AUSTRALIA
Gazette Herald

BY ANDREW HIGGINS / MAY 28, 2015
Gordon Hill hopes the many individuals like him who have been abused as youngsters by clergy in Ballarat will ultimately find yourself discovering a bit of little bit of peace and recognition.

The 72-year-old is glad he made the 3000km journey from Western Australia to the Victorian regional metropolis to inform the royal fee of the bodily and sexual abuse he suffered as a toddler at St Joseph’s Home.

But many survivors of the widespread abuse by clergy over many years within the Ballarat diocese really feel that even after an intense two-week public listening to, there’s nonetheless an extended solution to go.

In specific they level to the Catholic Church’s response and dealing with of abuse complaints.

“There does not appear to be something put into place and no eagerness to do something,” survivor Andrew Collins stated.

“You would assume that in any case these years that they might have had this down pat now, that procedures would have been put into place they usually’d be doing issues that have been victim-centred not church-centred.”

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AUSTRALIA
Radio Australia

Child abuse sex inquiry: Bishop Paul Bird denies as many as 14 Ballarat priests involved in abuse as hearings wrap up

By court reporter Peta Carlyon

A bishop disputes figures at a royal commission hearing in Victoria that the diocese of Ballarat had at least 14 priests involved in child sexual abuse.

At least 14 priests in the diocese of Ballarat are the subject of complaints of child sexual abuse, a royal commission hearing in Victoria has been told.

However, that figure was disputed by Bishop Paul Bird who testified on the final day of hearings in Ballarat of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse.

Bishop Bird said while he does not know the actual figure, he does not think all of the complaints were substantiated.

“It’s less than 14 … maybe 12, maybe 10,” he said.

Bishop Bird agreed there were clear divisions in the Ballarat community in relation to survivors of child abuse being encouraged to come forward.

“Some people don’t think it’s a good thing,” he said.

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

May 29, 2015

Jane Lee

Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird doubts the diocese will be able to afford all the compensation claims it expects to receive from survivors of clergy abuse.

The diocese had worked with Catholic Church Insurance to try to estimate how much they may have to pay in compensation claims for historic and current child abuse, Bishop Bird told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Friday.

The Bishop – the final witness for the commission’s Ballarat hearing –was “not confident” about the sum, but said he had “doubts that we could meet those claims” as the diocese’s finances were “not very strong.”

Claims not covered by Catholic Church Insurance were paid out of a fund set up by a bequest in the 1930s. There was $1 million still in the fund, the commission heard.

The diocese also owned “very few” small parcels of land held by a trust and had a more than $100 million development fund, contributed to by the diocese and other investors.

Since January 1980, at least 130 claims and substantiated complaints had been made against the Diocese of Ballarat for child sexual abuse, including seven jointly held with the Christian Brothers.

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Australian Associated Press
Friday 29 May 2015

Potential misuse of the Catholic confessional has been exposed after at least one priest has admitted using the private disclosure to seek absolution for abusing children.

The revelation meant the system lacked honesty and substance if a priest could be absolved in such a way, the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse was told on Friday.

“It’s not yet public, but we have heard from at least one priest who confessed to his confessor, and in that way reconciled his offending behaviour, which continued with his belief in God,” justice Peter McClellan told the commission in Ballarat on Friday.

“That throws up a rather startling illustration of how the confessional might be misused, doesn’t it?”

Ballarat bishop Paul Bird agreed that would be a terrible misuse of confession.

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AUSTRALIA
7 News

By Megan Neil
May 29, 2015

At least one priest admitted he was abusing children during confession, the royal commission has heard.

Commission Chair Justice Peter McClellan has revealed that at least one priest confessed his offending behaviour in confession.

“It’s not yet public, but we have heard from at least one priest who confessed to his confessor, and in that way reconciled his offending behaviour, which continued with his belief in God,” Justice McClellan said on Friday.

“That throws up a rather startling illustration of how the confessional might be misused, doesn’t it?”

Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird said that would be a terrible misuse of confession, which was supposed to mean conversion from doing wrong.

“If it’s such a serious matter as a crime, to treat it as though it was something that one could confess, I think to me that is simply a shelf of a ritual, it has no substance.”

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OHIO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday, May 27

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

We are grateful that Nordonia Hills school board president James Virost resigned today and we hope that Fr. Ralph Wiatrowsky of St. Barnabas will soon be disciplined. Both men wrote a judge essentially urging a lighter sentence for a convicted child sex offender (former Nordonia Hills school board President Steve Bittel). They should be ashamed of themselves.

[WKYC]

School and church officials should always put the safety of their kids above the wishes of their friends. Helping sex offenders get shorter sentences is reckless and hurtful. When officials write letters urging lighter punishments for sex offenders, they are being selfish and short-sighted and they rub even more salt into the already deep and usually still fresh wounds of victims and their loved ones.

We hope that anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered Bittel’s crimes will call law enforcement. And we hope that those who care about kids will keep pressuring Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon to publicly and harshly discipline Fr. Wiatrowsky for his irresponsible actions in this case.

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AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail

At a time when Catholic families placed priests on a pedestal, Gerald Francis Ridsdale held an “almost supernatural” level of power even in his own family.

He was charismatic and many were in awe of him, his nephew David Ridsdale recalls.

Ridsdale’s mother would be frantic when he came home to visit, ordering his six siblings to get their cars off the driveway hours before his arrival.

He appeared to be a hardworking priest who helped his parishioners, particularly the needy and youth.

But it was all a ruse that was allowed to continue for decades and, as one judge put it, plummeted to the depths of evil hypocrisy.

Ridsdale used his exalted position in the eyes of Catholic families and communities to find his prey.

Father Adrian McInerney admired Ridsdale’s ability, and even what he did for youth, saying Ridsdale sought out families in need when he went to a parish.

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AUSTRALIA
The West Australian

Megan Neil
May 29, 2015

The Vatican should remove a priest from his position if he’s been convicted of abusing children, but has not always done so, a Victorian priest says.

Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird has also told the child sex abuse royal commission that the position of a priest provided cover for clergy who abused children.

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AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

live stream

Bishop Paul Bird is giving testimony to the commission.

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AUSTRALIA
The Standard

By JARROD WOOLLEY May 29, 2015

WITH his wispy white hair, large glasses, and liver spots on his balding head, he could be any ordinary man on the street.

But there is nothing ordinary about Gerald Ridsdale.

It is hard to reconcile the image on the screen — that of a feeble old man who needed the assistance of a walking frame — with the one that has been painted in the media of an evil, perverted sex fiend who preyed on young children with zero thought for the hurt and harm he was causing.

But make no mistake — the man who appeared at the royal commission into child sex abuse via video link from his Ararat prison is a monster.

He’s serving time for abusing 54 individual victims. It’s thought there are countless others who fell victim to Ridsdale, including many who have taken their own lives, unable to live with the irreversible psychological damage done to them by the defrocked priest they initially trusted.

The commission, in part, is trying to find out how Ridsdale and other priests and Christian Brothers could continue interfering with children for so long and what the church did to stop it.

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AUSTRALIA
Illawarra Mercury

By KATE McILWAIN May 29, 2015

Notorious paedophile Gerald Ridsdale wormed his way into a Sydney family’s life and ‘‘latched on’’ to a young boy before abusing him at Bulli Parish, where he worked for three weekends as a relieving priest in the 1980s.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat has heard the 81-year-old former priest went on to abuse children in Maroubra and the Diocese of Wollongong after he had been sent away from Ballarat because of multiple complaints that he was sexually abusing children.

Despite conditions imposed by Ballarat’s Bishop Ronald Mulkearns that Ridsdale be tranfered to work in a desk job at Sydney’s Catholic Inquiry Centre and have no contact with children, the paedophile tracked down a prayer group which included families with children.

“In this particular prayer group, you latched on to a 10 or 11 year-old boy straight away, didn’t you?,” counsel assisting the commissioner, Gail Furness, said during Thursday’s hearing.

“And you became friendly with the family, you had a computer and a keyboard that you used because the boy was interested in keyboards, and you lent him the keyboard, didn’t you?

“In your words, you wormed your way into his family?”

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FLORIDA
CBS Miami

MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) — A rabbi is in trouble with the law, accused of molesting a child and now police are searching for more possible victims.

Miami Beach Police arrested Steve Karro, 55, on Thursday.

Karro was a substitute Rabbi at Shaare Ezra Sephardic Synagogue Congregation.

According to his arrest report, on April 16th, Karro “intentionally touched/grabbed the buttocks” of an 11-year old girl. The report also states he kissed her along her neck after having her sit on his lap.

Police said the alleged victim has known Karro for five years.

Karro allegedly gave the girl candy and “told her not to tell her mother about what had happened.”

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FLORIDA
New Times

BY KYLE MUNZENRIEDER

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

Steve Karro, a 55-year-old rabbi on Miami Beach, is behind bars today on charges of molesting an 11-year-old girl. The alleged incident happened last month, but Karro told police that he was merely trying to cleanse the girl of her “negative energy.”

Karro is a substitute rabbi at Shaare Ezra Sephardic Congregation. He also pursues a career as a fine artist, and indeed has his own art gallery on Arthur Godfrey Road. That’s where the incident happened back on April 16.

Karro allegedly grabbed the girl’s buttocks over her clothes at the gallery. He then sat the girl down on his lap and kissed her along the neck. The victim then ran out of the gallery, but not before Karro alleged gave her a bag of candy and told her not to tell her mother.

According to police, Karro has known the victim for five years.

When questioned by police, Karro denied most of the charges but did admit to touching the girl’s buttocks. However, he said the girl was “exhibiting negative energy” and touched her to “cleanse” her.

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FLORIDA
Local 10

[with video]

Author: Amanda Batchelor, Senior Digital Editor, abatchelor@wplg.com

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. –
A substitute rabbi at a Miami Beach synagogue is facing charges after allegedly inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl last month.

Steve Karro, 55, was arrested Thursday on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and lewd and lascivious conduct on a child.

According to an arrest report, Karro, who is a substitute rabbi at Shaare Ezra Sephardic Congregation, intentionally grabbed the buttocks of the victim on April 16 while they were at the Karro Art Gallery.

Police said Karro also kissed the girl’s neck after sitting her on his lap. Police said the rabbi and victim have known one other for five years.

According to detectives, Karro denied some of the allegations, but said he touched the victim’s buttocks for a “cleansing as she was exhibiting negative energy.”

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FLORIDA
WSVN

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — According to Miami Beach Police, a rabbi has been arrested for allegedly inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl, though he claims he did so to “cleanse” her of negative energy.

Fifty-five-year-old Rabbi Steve Karro is accused of touching and kissing the girl, who he has known for five years, at Karro Art Studio, located at 738 West 41st St., on Miami Beach. “A few officers just came here and started taking pictures and were asking questions, and they took pictures all over the place, and they left,” said Ezekiel Eneus.

According to the arrest report, Karro intentionally touched and grabbed the buttocks of the victim over her clothing. He also kissed her neck and sat her on his lap. As nerves began to build, she got up and began to leave the studio, he then handed her a small bag of candy and asked that she not tell her mother of what took place.

“I feel very sorry for her, also for the family. I pray for everybody. This is a very bad situation for the family and also for him,” said Michelle, who works nearby the art studio.

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FLORIDA
NBC Miami

[with video]

A substitute Rabbi at Shaare Ezra Sephardic Synagogue Congregation on Miami Beach was arrested Thursday morning on molestation charges.

Steve Karro, 55, who is also an artist, is charged with molestation of a child under the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 16.

According to the police report, Karro touched and grabbed the buttocks of an 11-year-old girl over her clothing, while she was visiting his art gallery at 738 41st Street.

The police report said Karro also kissed the girl along her neck after sitting her on her lap. The girl got visibly nervous and rushed out of the gallery.

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FLORIDA
Miami Herald

BY CHARLES RABIN
crabin@MiamiHerald.com

A substitute rabbi arrested for domestic violence almost two decades ago was charged Thursday with fondling an 11-year-old girl through her clothes and caressing her buttocks at his Miami Beach art gallery.

Police said Steve Karro, 55, placed the child on his lap last month and kissed her on the neck, then touched her bottom. During questioning by police, Karro said he touched the child’s buttocks for “cleansing” reasons because she was exhibiting “negative energy.”

Police said Karro gave her a bag of candy and asked her not to tell her parents about what had happened as she left the studio, 738 Arthur Godfrey Rd., on April 16. Police said the child and Karro knew each other for five years, but officers couldn’t explain why she was at the studio alone.

Karro, a substitute rabbi at the nearby Shaare Ezra Sephardic Synagogue Congregation, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct of a child, and molesting a child. Calls to the synagogue and to Karro were not immediately returned Thursday.

Police said there was no indication that Karro did anything wrong while serving there.

Karro’s only previous brush with the law, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, was for beating up his wife in 1999. His wife was also arrested during that encounter, in what was described then as a “knock-down, drag-out fight.”

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AUSTRALIA
The Standard

By JARROD WOOLLEY May 29, 2015

PAEDOPHILE priest Gerald Ridsdale said if former Bishop of Ballarat Ronald Mulkearns had gone to the police rather than try and rehabilitate him with counselling, his offending would have stopped because he would have been in prison.

Giving evidence for a second day at the child sex abuse royal commission in Ballarat, Australia’s worst paedophile priest said he was now sorry he wasn’t reported to police and believes he should never have been ordained.

Ridsdale also appeared to back track on evidence given on Wednesday, conceding he may have approached Cardinal George Pell to give character evidence at his 1993 court appearance.

Comment: Ridsdale the old, cold face of evil

He had previously said he believed that was arranged through his legal team.

It was also revealed yesterday Cardinal Pell was on a committee of parish consulters that met in 1982 where Bishop Mulkearns said it had become “necessary to remove” Ridsdale from his post as parish priest at Mortlake’s St Colman’s Church.

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AUSTRALIA
Armidale Express

By DANNIELLE MAGUIRE May 29, 2015

A DEFROCKED priest charged with numerous historic child sex offences will finally stand trial in Sydney early next year.

The former Armidale priest, whose identity has been gagged, was sent to trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Friday.

He will stand trial in Sydney on January 18.

The trial is expected to take four weeks.

The ex-priest first appeared before the Armidale Local Court on October 18, 2012.

He had been charged with more than 120 offences, including 25 charges relating to the abuse of three girls across regional NSW between 1979 and 1988; 36 charges relating to the abuse of six boys between 1981 and 1984 in Moree and 64 charges relating to the abuse of two girls and one altar boy between 1982 and 1985.

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MICHIGAN
CBS Detroit

JACKSON, Mich. (WWJ/AP) – Bond was set at $1 million for a former Michigan Catholic school priest, teacher and wrestling coach charged in connection in the alleged sexual assaults of several boys more than three decades ago.

State Attorney General Bill Schuette said75-year-old James Rapp was arraigned Thursday in Jackson District Court on 13 counts of criminal sexual conduct.

A not guilty plea was entered on Rapp’s behalf. He’ll remain jailed pending a June 26 preliminary examination conference.

Schuette said the investigation into Rapp’s conduct began in 2013 when two victims — now grown men — came forward to report the abuse that allegedly occurred when Rapp was assigned to Jackson Lumen Christi High School in the 1980s.

Jackson County Sheriff Steve Rand said his department launched an extensive investigation revealing several more victims.

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NEVADA
Las Vegas Sun

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, May 28, 2015

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Supreme Court today overturned a $500,000 judgment against the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin in a case in which a priest in Las Vegas was accused of inappropriately touching a teen.

The court ruled that the District Court in Nevada does not have jurisdiction over the diocese.

The priest involved was originally from the diocese in Wisconsin and moved to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas.

The incident allegedly occurred in 1985 when the priest was accused of running his hand up the teen’s leg and touching his genitals, according to court documents. The teen was a student at a Catholic school in Las Vegas.

The boy, who was in his early teens, said the incident led to psychological injuries in his later life.

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UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

“The Milwaukee situation is the most insidious and openly destructive one I have seen in 31 years…”, said Dominican Fr. Thomas P. Doyle recently. Tom Doyle gives the reasons for his concern and outrage in his recent full remarks below. There he addresses the horrendous and ongoing mistreatment, indeed “re-abuse”, by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee of local survivors of priest sexual abuse, including some of the more than 200 deaf boys who were abused a single priest. See the related HBO Emmy and Peabody Awards’ winning documentary, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God , and here .

This abusive Milwaukee priest was protected for decades by unaccountable cardinals and bishops, including ex-Pope Benedict and his Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. For years, these defenseless deaf boys tried to tell of their priest abuse in Milwaukee, to little avail.

This Catholic hierarchical cover up of a “one-priest” sexual abuse tsunami and of the related “re-abuse” of survivors are outrageously not unique, as is evident from the recent grilling by the Australian Royal Commission of Fr. Gerald Ridsdale, who was protected by his close ties to Cardinal George Pell, whom Pope Francis nevertheless promoted to a top Vatican position.

Most of the Risdale allegations had been well established and publicized before Pell’s promotion. Almost 75,000 people in just a few days have signed a Change.org petition calling for Pell — the Vatican’s financial chief and former Archbishop of Sydney — to answer questions under oath in Australia, despite Pell’s initial efforts to duck giving testimony there on new matters. Pell, in effect, under oath earlier also admitted to “re-abusing” abuse survivors with cruel and punitive legal tactics, for example, in the so-called Ellis case, like the Milwaukee Archbishop and Cardinal Timothy Dolan also apparently have similarly done.

A Vatican confidante reportedly spoken to by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Australia confirmed Pope Francis was personally aware of the allegations against Cardinal Pell, but was treating them as just that — unconfirmed allegations. Unconfirmed beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, perhaps. But in my experience over three decades as an adviser to top leaders of multinational organizations and corporations, not one of them would ever have promoted Pell like the pope did in light of the well known, widespread, multiple and plausible allegations against Pell. Indeed, Pell admitted before moving to the Vatican under oath to, in effect, using ruthless legal tactics to punitively “re-abuse” abuse survivor, John Ellis.

Of course, Rupert Murdoch appears to be very close to the Vatican and Pell, and also apparently to a top Pell supporter, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and to the indicted Adelaide Archbishop, the first Catholic archbishop ever criminally charged in a priest child sexual abuse cover up case . And the pope and Murdoch also appear to be partnering to elect a “low tax” Republican as US president next year, possibly Jeb Bush with Big Oil backing.

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IRELAND
The Journal

SOME 184 ALLEGATIONS of historical clerical abuse have been brought to the attention of a national watchdog organisation in the last year.

The allegations relate to physical, emotional and sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy between 1950 and 2006, according to an annual report published today by the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

In the year under review, 58 new abuse allegations were made against Diocesan clergy while 126 concerned religious priests, brothers and sisters.

The allegations, which were all raised during the 2014-15 year ending 31 March, have now been passed on to the Gardaí or PSNI and, if necessary, to Tusla or the Northern Irish Health and Social Care Trusts, the Board said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Wall Street Journal

By JENNY GROSS
Updated May 28, 2015

LONDON—Britain’s Methodist Church has made a public apology after a report detailed nearly 2,000 cases of alleged sexual and emotional abuse within the institution over more than 60 years.

The church, which apologized for failing to protect the victims, is the latest religious establishment in
The independent report, commissioned by the church and based on written records and interviews with ministers and members of the church over three years, identified 1,885 cases of sexual, physical, emotional and domestic abuse, as well as cases of neglect between 1950 and 2014.

Martin Atkins, general secretary of the Methodist Church, said on Thursday that the abuse inflicted by some Methodists on children and adults is “a deep source of grief and shame to the church.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Toronto Star

By: Associated Press, Published on Thu May 28 2015

LONDON — Britain’s Methodist Church said Thursday it had found almost 2,000 reports of physical and sexual abuse within the institution over more than half a century, and has apologized for failing to protect the victims.

Martyn Atkins, general secretary of the Methodist Conference, made an “unreserved apology” for the past abuse.

He said the abuse “inflicted by some Methodists on children, young people and adults is and will remain a deep source of grief and shame to the church.”

Atkins said the church would “do all in its power to improve its systems to protect children, young people and adults from abuse within the life of the church and on church premises.”

The report, published after three years of research, found 1,885 cases of sexual, physical, emotional and domestic abuse or neglect going back to 1950. In 26 per cent of the cases, church ministers or lay employees were identified as the alleged perpetrators.

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MINNESOTA
St. John’s Abbey

William Anthony Eckroth was born in Mandan, North Dakota, on June 21, 1926. William was the tenth child of fourteen born to Louis and Hattie (Gruenenfelder) Eckroth. His father was a German-Russian immigrant and worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad. William entered St. Joseph’s School in Mandan in 1932, and by the time he received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Vincent Wehrle, OSB, he felt the call to become a priest. William frequently served Mass with his younger brother Eddie in their nearby parish church.

On a train trip to see his Benedictine sister Caroline, he visited Fr. Angelo Zankl, OSB (1901-2007) in St. Paul, who was once an assistant at Mandan. This visit increased William’s desire to become a Benedictine monk.

When William finished grade school, Father Hildebrand Eickhoff, OSB (1885-1971) made arrangements for William to come to Saint John’s Preparatory School. William graduated in 1944 as valedictorian and immediately enrolled in Saint John’s University.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, May 28

Statement by Verne Wagner of Duluth, Northeast MN SNAP director ( 218- 340-1277, lwagsmn@yahoo.com )

We are glad that a predator priest has passed away and can no longer hurt kids. We’re glad too that his victims can hopefully sleep better at night knowing that he can’t assault any more children.

[St. Cloud Times]

[St. John’s Abbey]

He is Fr. William Eckroth of the Benedictine Catholic order. He mostly lived in Minnesota (St. Cloud, Albany, and St. Joseph) though he was sent to work in the Bahamas and to Maryland for treatment.

Fr. Eckroth was in his 80s and reportedly experienced dementia. But there’s no magic age at which a pedophile is cured so it’s possible that he molested other kids even in his later years.

We hope that all of Fr. Eckroth’s victims – whether hurt long ago or more recently – find the strength and courage to step forward, get help, expose wrongdoing and start healing. And we hope they find consolation.

Now that he’s passed on, we hope St. John’s officials will be more forthcoming about Fr. Eckroth’s crimes and about those who ignored, concealed and enabled them.

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

A priest who visited convicted paedophile Gerald Ridsdale in prison says no-one within the Catholic Church at the time fully understood the effect Ridsdale’s abuse had on his victims, and many believed he could change.

Ridsdale, an 81-year-old former priest, this week gave evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat.

He is currently at Ararat Prison, where he is serving an eight-year sentence for the rape and abuse of children.

The commission heard his offending first came to the attention of a bishop in 1961, but he was left to assault possibly hundreds of victims over the next three decades.

Ridsdale admitted the church should have notified authorities about his offending, saying “What I’ve done and the damage that I’ve done … I’d say, definitely”.

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UNITED STATES
Washington Post

By Emily Yahr May 28

There’s only one thing more troubling than TLC pulling “19 Kids and Counting” off the air after allegations of child molestation against star Josh Duggar. And that’s the fact that it’s not the first time something like this has happened.

Last year, the network canceled “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” after it was reported that Mama June — mother to 9-year-old Alana Thompson, star of the show — was dating a convicted child molester. Two months earlier, Discovery Channel (owned by TLC’s parent company, Discovery Communications) scrapped “Sons of Guns” when star Will Hayden was charged with the rape of a child.

Given that network talent typically goes through rigorous background checks, how could this occur more than once? Reality TV has grappled with this since its inception: When you showcase real people, you get very real problems – especially on channels that feature unusual families or personalities. It’s not just Discovery shows: There’s a wide range of disturbing issues in reality TV history. VH1’s dating show “Megan Wants a Millionaire” was yanked off the air when a contestant was suspected in the murder of his ex-wife. CBS’s “Big Brother” kicked off a contestant for holding a knife to another person’s throat on camera.

Certain industry insiders caution against blaming the network or production companies for allowing these cast members on air in the first place, pointing out there’s only so much they can prevent. Others say that some vetting processes are too lenient, and that potential reality stars will hide damaging pasts in order to get their shot on TV. Then there’s the fact when it comes to background checks, laws can limit what investigators are even allowed to uncover and report to the networks in the first place.

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UNITED STATES
Slate

Late last year, Douglas Phillips, then president of the extreme Christian-right group Vision Forum Ministries, admitted to, in his words, having “a lengthy, inappropriate relationship with a woman.” This was a bombshell in Christian-right circles, where Phillips is a major figure, maintaining a close friendship with the Duggar family of TLC fame (Vision Forum gave Michelle Duggar the “mother of the year” award in 2010 at an event called Baby Conference that had 1,500 attendees), former child actor Kirk Cameron, and creationist Ken Ham. Phillips preaches a strong patriarchal view of Christianity, one that teaches that women should give birth until they can’t anymore and that both wives and daughters are to live in perfect submission at home, going so far as to deny daughters the right to choose who to marry.

Phillips resigned in October, but now it seems that his public pronouncement regarding that “inappropriate relationship” may have seriously downplayed what actually happened. Lourdes Torres-Manteufel, who says she was the woman Phillips confessed about, is now suing Phillips and Vision Forum for what she alleges was an abusive and manipulative relationship that caused her serious mental harm and distress.

Her complaint, filed Tuesday morning in Texas’ Bexar County district court, paints a picture of a man whose religious faith in “patriarchy” has not led him to put women on a pedestal but rather to treat them like objects to be used up and discarded when you’re done with them.

The complaint alleges that Phillips met Torres-Manteufel, then just Torres, in 1999 when she was merely 15 years old and then “methodically groomed” her, by acting as her spiritual mentor, to accept his abusive treatment, eventually moving her into his home to live with his family in 2007. There, she alleges, he quickly asserted himself as an authority figure over her in every way, “the pastor of her church, her boss, her landlord, and the controller of all aspects of her life.” Then, according to the lawsuit, he started pushing her into sexual encounters, even though his church teaches that any sexual contact—not just intercourse, but even kissing—outside of marriage is wrong. This left Torres believing, according to the complaint, that she was in a “no-win” situation, where she had “to submit to Douglas Phillips” because of his authority over her, but that doing so left her as “damaged goods.”

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MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

David Unze, dunze@stcloudtimes.com May 28, 2015

St. John’s Abbey monk the Rev. Richard Eckroth, who was repeatedly accused of sexually abusing children, died Sunday at the abbey. He was 88.

Eckroth was named by St. John’s Abbey and by the Diocese of St. Cloud on a list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. He was the target of at least four lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, although the abbey said he denied abusing children.

He sustained serious injuries in 2001, when a dead tree fell on him while he was cutting firewood, and the abbey said that he lived with progressing dementia for years after that. That made difficult it to determine Eckroth’s side of the story when allegations of abuse surfaced.

Eckroth died in the abbey’s retirement center. He graduated in 1944 from St. John’s Preparatory School and entered the abbey in 1945.

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UNITED STATES
Washington Post

By J. Freedom du Lac and Abby Ohlheiser May 28

More than a dozen advertisers have backed away from TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” after Josh Duggar apologized amid child molestation allegations.

The popular program was yanked from TLC’s schedule Friday, a day after Josh Duggar — the oldest of the 19 Duggar kids — said he had “acted inexcusably” and was “deeply sorry” for what he called “my wrongdoing” when he was “a young teenager.” Duggar, 27, also resigned from his high-profile position with the Family Research Council, a conservative lobbying organization.

The latest season of “19 Kids and Counting” concluded May 19. But TLC had reruns on its schedule until Friday’s announcement.

[TLC pulls ’19 Kids and Counting’ citing ‘heartbreaking situation’]

General Mills started the advertiser exodus last week, when the company said it was taking “19 Kids and Counting” off of its advertising schedule. Others soon followed suit.

Right now, the list of companies that have released statements saying they’re not interested in advertising with “19 Kids and Counting” in the future include:

* Payless ShoeSource
* Choice Hotels
* Walgreens

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UNITED STATES
ABC News

Hulu has pulled the reality series “19 Kids and Counting” from its lineup, following reports of sexual misconduct allegations against one of the stars, Josh Duggar, stemming from when he was a juvenile.

Although the streaming-video service didn’t confirm removal of the TLC series, episodes weren’t found Thursday on the Hulu site, where they had been available as recently as Wednesday.

The show’s banishment follows TLC yanking the series from its program schedule last week.

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SCOTLAND
STV

A top lawyer who has represented abuse victims has been appointed to chair a public inquiry into historic cases of child abuse in care.

Susan O’Brien QC will lead the probe first announced by education secretary Angela Constance in December.

In a statement to Parliament, Ms Constance set out the remit of the inquiry, which will cover children in formal institutional care including faith-based organisations, children’s homes and secure care.

It will also extend to those in foster care, long-term hospital care and boarding schools.

Ms Constance said the Scottish Government plans to lift the current three-year time bar for civil action in cases of historical child abuse since September 1964.

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SCOTLAND
Daily Record

BY KATRINE BUSSEY , CATRIONA WEBSTER

The Scottish Government has pledged to “shine a light in the dark corners of the past” as it announced a top QC will lead a public inquiry into historic cases of child abuse.

Susan O’Brien QC, who has experience of representing abuse victims, will head the inquiry first announced by Education Secretary Angela Constance in December.

It will cover allegations of abuse of children in formal institutional care including faith-based organisations, children’s homes and secure care as well as those in foster care, long-term hospital care and boarding schools.

The Scottish Government said it also plans to lift the current three-year time bar for civil action in cases of historical child abuse since September 1964.

Ms Constance also announced £13.5 million over the next five years for a support fund for survivors of abuse in care, with a further £1 million for all victims of abuse.

The inquiry will have the power to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence, and the Education Secretary previously pledged that where crimes are uncovered the “full force of the law” would be used to bring those responsible to justice.

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SCOTLAND
BBC News

One of Scotland’s leading QCs will chair a statutory public inquiry into historical abuse of children in care.

Susan O’Brien’s remit will include allegations of abuse in institutions, foster care, long-term hospital care and boarding schools.

Education Secretary Angel Constance said the inquiry would have powers to force witnesses to give evidence.

She had previously said abusers would “face the full force of the law”.

The minister also confirmed the Scottish government intends to lift the three-year time bar on civil actions.

This will include compensation claims for damages in cases of historical abuse that took place after 1964.

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MICHIGAN
MLive

By Theresa Ghiloni | tghiloni@mlive.com
on May 28, 2015

JACKSON, MI – A former Jackson Lumen Christi High School priest in Jackson was arraigned on 13 charges of criminal sexual conduct in district court Thursday morning.

James Rapp, 75, is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and 10 counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for alleged sexual assaults against several boys in the 1980s, according to a statement from Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office.

Rapp served as a priest, teacher, maintenance supervisor and wrestling coach during his time at Lumen Christi High School from 1980-86, when the alleged crimes occurred, according to the statement.

Jackson County District Judge Joseph Filip set a $1 million bond for Rapp during his arraignment on May 28.

Rapp has been serving a 40-year prison sentence in Oklahoma, after he was convicted in 1999 of sexually abusing two teen-age boys in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he was a church pastor, according to Jackson Citizen Patriot archives.

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MICHIGAN
Seattle PI

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — A former priest, teacher and wrestling coach at a Michigan Catholic school has been charged in connection with reported sexual assaults of several boys more than three decades ago.

State Attorney General Bill Schuette says 75-year-old James Rapp was arraigned Thursday in Jackson District Court on 13 counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Schuette says the investigation started in 2013 when two men came forward to report alleged past abuse.

Rapp was assigned to Jackson Lumen Christi High School at the time. He was told to leave in 1987 following allegations a student was molested.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
Berger’s Beat

. .Father John Jay Hughes has been granted “retirement status,” according to archdiocesan officials. Hughes’ 15 minutes of fame came in the early 1990s when he appeared on the Phil Donahue Show. Producers couldn’t find a single U.S. Catholic bishop or official to be on a segment discussing pedophile priests. SNAP’s David Clohessy, slated to be on the program, recommended the priest to Donahue’s staffers because Hughes had stridently defended the church hierarchy in several op-eds. More recently, Hughes – then at Christ the King parish in U. City – told reporters he was “unaware of the circumstances” of Fr. Joseph D. Ross’ departure from that parish – and St. Cronin’s – due to abuse charges.”. .

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AUSTRALIA
9 News

Australia’s worst pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale will likely have to again appear before the child sex abuse royal commission.

Ridsdale has finished two days testifying as part of its investigation into widespread abuse by clergy in the Ballarat diocese and the response of the Catholic Church.

Church lawyers have asked for time to consider Ridsdale’s evidence before questioning him.

Ridsdale is now likely to be recalled either at or before the commission’s second Ballarat hearing, expected to be held in November or December.

The commission may sit in Sydney if Ridsdale is questioned before the second hearing.

Ridsdale, giving evidence via videolink from jail, could remember very few details about who in the church knew of his offending and moved him from parish to parish.

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MICHIGAN
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, May 28

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

An already convicted and imprisoned serial predator priest is being indicted today in Michigan on more child sex charges. (He pled not guilty.) This should happen more often.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is filing more child sex charges against James Francis Rapp who allegedly molested kids at Jackson Lumen Christi Catholic High School in Jackson in the 1980s.

Once a child molester is convicted, many people who could be helpful get complacent. They assume his sentence will stand, his appeals will fail, and he’ll be kept away from kids for many years. But often, child molesters – especially clerics – get top notch defense lawyers, exploit legal technicalities, and escape with little or no jail time. Then, when other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers find this out, it’s too late for them to really make a difference.

So we’re glad Michigan’s attorney general is being prudent and pro-active here.

There are two important lessons. First, these days, police and prosecutors are often more aggressive and creative about pursing child predators, even in older cases. (The old adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” fits here.) More law enforcement officials should follow Schuette’s example and consider going after even elderly child molesting clerics.

Second, no victim, witness or whistleblower should ever assume ‘it’s too late’ to seek justice. It’s our job to share what we know and suspect about possible child sex crimes. It’s the job of law enforcement to determine whether anything can be done. If we stay silent, we’re helping those who commit and conceal child sex crimes.

So if you saw, suspected or suffered any crimes or cover ups related to Fr. Rapp, it’s time to find the courage to speak up, so that the vulnerable can be protected, the wounded can be healed and the truth can be exposed and so that cover ups are deterred.

We beg Jackson Michigan Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Salt Lake Archbishop John Wester to use their vast resources to seek out and help others who were sexually assaulted by Fr. Rapp.

NOTE – Rapp belonged to the Toledo-based Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Inc.

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ARGENTINA
Vatican Insider

The explosive claim regarding Horacio Verbitsky , was published today, May 18, in Argentina, in the blog www.plazademayo

GERARD O’CONNELL

Horacio Verbitsky, the man who publicly and repeatedly accused Jorge Mario Bergoglio of complicity with Argentina’s military rulers when he was Provincial of the Jesuits in the second half of the 1970s, actually worked for the country’s military dictators from 1978 to 1981 and was on their payroll.

This is the explosive claim published today, May 18, in Argentina, in the blog www.plazademayo, under the headline “Verbitsky: Con Dios y Con el Diabolo” (“Verbitsky: With God and With the Devil”).

The article is written by two investigative reporters – Gabriel Levinas and Sergio Serrichio, who have spent more than fourteen months researching the whole affair. It gives a preview of the book that will soon be published. In it, they draw on important documentary evidence which they discovered and on testimonies given by people who knew what actually happened.

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MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson & Associates

5/27/2015

(St. Paul, MN) – The acquittal of Fran Hoefgen in the criminal case is sad, scary and a travesty of justice. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty because they were not able to know and hear the full picture of predatory conduct well-established by Fran Hoefgen.

Today we release more information that the jury did not hear that could have and should have changed the outcome. Because they did not learn Fran Hoefgen abused at least two boys, had been sent to treatment for it, had admitted having abused at least one boy in prior parishes and given a free pass by a former prosecutor in Stearns County, the jury saw this as one boy against a priest who testified that he did not even know who the boy was. The acquittal of Fran Hoefgen permits this offender to continue in the community unabated. He poses a risk of peril and harm to many, both in his denial and the freedom that he should not be able to enjoy.

The documents we are releasing with this statement, and available on our website, demonstrate a long pattern of predatory conduct by this former priest. He is a peril. We are scared for the children and we praise and applaud the courageous survivor who did come forward, stand up, speak the truth and while he told his story, the whole story, the full truth was not revealed to this jury and they were left a half truth and a lie by Fran Hoefgen. He is a known serial offender. He is a risk of harm to the community and kids and he belongs behind bars.

The statements made by Hoefgen’s lawyer, Michael Colich, about the deficiencies of the police is also misleading and deceptive. The fact is the police fully interviewed the other victims of abuse by Hoefgen, who were prepared to testify to the offenses committed against them years ago, in the same pattern as Hoefgen employed at the parish of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton in Hastings. They did thorough police work and Hoefgen’s criticism of the police is unwarranted, misleading, and deceptive as it is disturbing. This was a systemic failure and children remain at serious risk in the community while Hoefgen remains at large.

Hoefgen Documents
Hoefgen apology letter
Abbot apology letter
Hoefgen Statement 3-19-84
Konz Statement 2-9-93
Francis Hoefgen Timeline
St. Luke Letter to Konz regarding Hoefgen treatment

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

TESSA AKERMAN THE AUSTRALIAN MAY 29, 2015

The Catholic church in NSW failed to stop notorious pedophile Gerald Ridsdale offending in the 1980s despite the then Archbishop of Sydney believing he had “done enough” to prevent further abuse.

Ridsdale was removed from Mortlake, in southwestern Victoria, to the Catholic Enquiry Centre in Sydney in 1982.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse yesterday heard Ridsdale give evidence via video link from prison of his offending while he was based in Sydney.

Ridsdale said he could not recall the Bishop of Ballarat, Ronald Mulkearns, who was aware of his offending and arranged the transfer, or anyone else involved with the church imposing “restrictions or limitations or conditions” on what he could do while working in Sydney.

In evidence from 1993 tendered to the commission, the late cardinal Edward Clancy advised that Ridsdale’s initial transfer to Sydney was arranged between Clancy’s predecessor, cardinal James Freeman, and Bishop Mulkearns. Clancy said Bishop Mulkearns spoke to him at a conference in 1983 and explained ­“Father Ridsdale had certain sexual problems, was under professional treatment”.

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MICHIGAN
UP Matters

LANSING – Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced the arraignment of former Jackson Lumen Christi High School priest, teacher, maintenance supervisor, and wrestling coach James Rapp, 75, on charges of multiple felonies for his alleged sexual assault of several Michigan boys in the 1980s.

Rapp was arraigned on Thursday, May 28 at 8 a.m. before Judge Joseph S. Filip of the 12th District Court in Jackson, where a plea of not guilty was entered on the defendant’s behalf to three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and 10 counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct. Rapp was also assigned a $1 million cash bond. He is next due in court for a pre-exam conference on June 26, 2015 at 8 a.m. before Judge Joseph S. Filip of the 12th District Court in Jackson. Jackson-area attorney Alfred Brandt has been appointed to represent Rapp.

Case Background

In spring of 2013, more than 30 years after the alleged crimes occurred, two of Rapp’s victims reported the alleged sexual abuse to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, who then launched an extensive investigation revealing several more victims.

JLC was not Rapp’s first church or school assignment. Rapp was ordained in 1959 and held teaching assignments in Philadelphia (1959 – 1961), Salt Lake City (1968 – 1973), and in Lockport, New York (1979 – 1980). Following Rapp’s resignation at JLC, Rapp served as a priest and teacher in Naperville, Illinois (1987 – 1990) and Duncan, Oklahoma (1990 – 1998).

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MICHIGAN
WKHM

A former Lumen Christi HIgh School priest was arraigned on 13 counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first and second degree Thursday morning in the court of Judge Joseph Filip. James Francis Rapp, 74, appeared in a jumpsuit and shackles under the watchful eyes of two officers from the Michigan Department of Corrections.

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CHILE
Daily Journal

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated Press
First Posted: May 28, 2015

SANTIAGO, Chile — The video shows a woman climbing a stairwell, her belly visibly pregnant, as she offers suggestions: Make sure there are no security cameras. Be careful not to look down or you might regret it.

She tumbles backward as the screen goes black. “When you reach the bottom everything will be OK,” she says.

The video is one of a series of mock abortion tutorials, part of a public campaign urging Chile to allow women to end pregnancies in cases of rape or medical complications. It would be a radical change for Chile, one of only six countries that prohibit all abortion, according to the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights.

The debate comes as Chile, one of Latin America’s most socially conservative countries, grapples with shifting views on once-taboo issues. The mostly Roman Catholic country began to allow divorce in 2004. Earlier this year, Congress recognized civil unions for gay couples and, recently, a pilot program in Santiago harvested the country’s first legal medical marijuana.

The changing attitudes mark a generational shift, as young people born after the 1973-1990 military dictatorship come of age. The trend has accelerated since a wave of student protests demanding educational reform began in 2011 and in the wake of Catholic priest sex-abuse scandals that have provoked questioning of church doctrine.

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UNITED STATES
PopeCrimes& Vatican Evils.

Paris Arrow

Le Moyne a Jesuit University vs. La Sapienza a secular University

The Le Moyne vs. La Sapienza saga has the same moral story as the NCAA/Penn State University vs. the Vatican State.

The main difference between the Le Moyne graduates who failed to oust Cardinal Dolan as their speaker for their graduation – versus the La Sapienza University students who successfully ousted Pope Benedict XVI-RATzinger as speaker for their convocation in 2008 –– is that Le Moyne is a Jesuit University while La Sapienza is a secular university (albeit originally a pontifical university). The morals of secular universities and secular institutions are more good and more radically evident and are in sharp contrast to –– Catholic institutions that have allegiance to the Vatican and therefore will cover-up by all means Pope Crimes & Vatican Evils and seek only to protect its Catholic reputation and the Vatican Billions assets especially in the USA.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet

28 May 2015 by Joanna Moorhead

Bishop Richard Moth thanked his predecessor Kieran Conry and called his contribution to the diocese “very significant” during his installation as bishop of Arundel and Brighton on Thursday.

Bishop Emeritus Conry resigned last year after admitting he had broken his vow of celibacy and had a sexual relationship with a woman.

In his homily at the ceremony at Arundel Cathedral Bishop Moth paid tribute to Conry for his “contribution in the field of evangelisation within the diocese and beyond”.

Bishop Moth also alluded to the crisis surrounding Bishop Conry, saying there were times in all our lives when we experience difficulties as individuals and as families, and there were also times of “weakness and pain as a diocese too”. But, he said, his installation Mass was a moment to recommit to Christ and the Church.

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AUSTRALIA
news.com.au

CARDINAL George Pell is anxious to return to Australia to answer allegations he covered up sex abuse by paedophile priests and attempted to bribe a victim, according to those close to him.

A Rome-based confidante of the cardinal said he believed he had already fully dealt with the allegations when they were raised in 2013 at a parliamentary inquiry.

“The Cardinal was anxious to support the Inquiry and provided detailed submissions as well as many hours of sworn evidence and questioning,” the close friend said.

“No adverse findings on these issues emerged.”

Another Vatican confidante spoken to by News Corp Australia confirmed Pope Francis was personally aware of the allegations against Cardinal Pell but was treating them as just that — unconfirmed allegations.

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DEUTSCHLAND
BR

Von: Katja Strippel

Rund 200 Frauen und Männer hatten sich für den Job beworben – ausgewählt wurden 15. Sie kümmern sich von Berlin aus um die Belange von Menschen, die Opfer von sexuellem Missbrauch geworden sind. Vor zwei Monaten gab es die konstituierende Sitzung beim Missbrauchs-Beauftragten Johannes-Wilhelm Rörig. Aber damals wollten viele Mitglieder des neuen Betroffenenrates noch anonym bleiben. Jetzt haben die meisten von ihnen ihr Schweigen gebrochen. Tamara Luding aus Hof ist eine von ihnen. Sie ist als Kind selbst missbraucht worden.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Badische Zeitung

[Abuse victim gains recognition in the archdiocese of Freiburg.]

Das Erzbistum Freiburg hat in einem viel diskutierten Missbrauchsfall das Leid des mutmaßlichen Opfers anerkannt. Der beschuldigte Priester arbeitet im Bistum Münster.

Eigentlich ist das Bistum Münster für den Fall zuständig, weil der beschuldigte katholische Pfarrer dort lebt und arbeitet (siehe BZ vom 10. April). Seit fast einem Jahr aber schiebt die dortige Missbrauchskommission eine Entscheidung vor sich her. Ständig setzte sie dem mutmaßlichen Opfer – einer 48-jährigen Frau aus der Nähe von Freiburg – in den vergangenen Monaten neue Ansprechpartner für Anhörungen vor. Das Bistum Freiburg hatte indes an der Glaubwürdigkeit des Opfers längst keine Zweifel mehr und entschied den Fall ohne weitere Absprache mit Münster.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Westdeutsche Zeitung

[Church to apologize. The case Georg K. is not yet over. Johannes Heibel fights for compensation of affected children in South Africa.]

Von Werner Dohmen

Der Fall Georg K. ist noch nicht zu Ende. Johannes Heibel kämpft für eine Entschädigung der betroffenen Kinder aus Südafrika.

Willich. Im Februar hat das Krefelder Landgericht den ehemaligen Pfarrer Georg K. zu sechs Jahren Haft verurteilt. Über Jahre hatte er seinen Patensohn und dessen jüngerer Bruder sexuell missbraucht. Für Johannes Heibel von der Initiative gegen Gewalt und sexuellen Missbrauch von Kindern und Jugendlichen ist die „Akte K.“ damit aber längst nicht geschlossen: Er kämpft für die Rechte von Opfern, die völlig aus dem Blickfeld geraten sind. Es geht um die Jungen, denen sich K. in Südafrika in einem Kommunion-Camp genähert haben soll.

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ARKANSAS
Huffington Post

By Hilary Hanson

The Arkansas state trooper who reportedly gave the young Josh Duggar a “very stern talk” once had a Yahoo profile in which he detailed his own sexual interest in children, according to a 2009 court document.

The Pulaski County, Arkansas, “risk assessment” document, which is publicly available online and was posted by Jezebel on Wednesday, detailed the criminal history of the former officer, Joe Hutchens, who is now serving a 56-year sentence on child porn charges.

When Hutchens was still working as a trooper in 2006, Jim Bob Duggar approached him with the information that the teenaged Josh had sexually molested someone, according to a police report obtained by InTouch. Josh had, in fact, “forcibly fondled” five underage girls, some of whom were his sisters. Hutchens did not officially report the teen’s actions but instead gave him a “very stern talk,” the report said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
York Press

A RETIRED vicar from York has been jailed for indecently assaulting a young girl more than forty years ago.

Graham Gregory, 79 of Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, York was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court, having been found guilty in 2014 of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 13 years.

Gregory was acquitted of two further counts of indecent assault following a retrial at the same court.

Detective Constable Aaron Vardy, of the Met’s Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “Gregory abused his position as a figure of trust and authority. It takes a lot of courage to report this type of crime and in some cases victims feel that they are only able to come forward years after the offence. This conviction highlights that regardless of how much time has passed, we remain committed to bringing offenders before the courts.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Sussex Express

A retired vicar who indecently assaulted a young girl more than 40 years ago has been jailed following a trial at Kingston Crown Court.

Graham Gregory, 79, of Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, York was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday (May 26), having been found guilty in 2014 of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 13 years.

Gregory was acquitted of two further counts of indecent assault following a retrial at the same court.

Detectives were contacted by a woman in 2012 who claimed that she had been abused as a child between 1969 and 1971 when she lived in Wandsworth and attended the church where Gregory was curate.

She told officers that he kissed her on several occasions before assaulting her.

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

A retired vicar who abused a child more than 40 years ago has been jailed for three years.

Graham Gregory, 79, of Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, York, was a curate in Wandsworth when he indecently assaulted the girl, then aged under 13.

Police were contacted by the victim in 2012 who said she had been abused by him between 1969 and 1971.

Gregory was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault by a jury at Kingston Crown Court.

As well as working as a curate in Southfields, Wandsworth, Gregory also held positions in Hastings, Chichester, York and the Isle of Man as a vicar.

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CANADA
CNW

News Advisory – Truth and Reconciliation – Declaration and Call to Action by Canada’s Philanthropic Organizations

June 1, 2015 – 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET
Delta Ottawa – 101 Lyon Street Ottawa, ON – Plenary

OTTAWA, May 28, 2015 /CNW/ – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) is holding its closing events from May 31 to June 3 in Ottawa. The TRC has spent six years hearing the truth about Canada’s Indian Residential Schools and establishing a reconciliation process that will lead to better relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Coinciding with these closing events, Canada’s philanthropic organizations will be signing a Declaration of Reconciliation and Call to Action on June 1, to ensure that the TRC’s work leads to positive steps forward. The Declaration and signing has been organized by the Inspirit Foundation.

Spokespersons will be available for interview, including:

Andrea Nemtin, President & CEO, Inspirit Foundation
Wanda Brascoupé Peters, Executive Director
The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada

What
Signing of Declaration and Call to Action

Who
Canada’s Philanthropic Organizations
Photo Op
Ceremony with TRC representatives

Declaration cultural object to be placed in ceremonial bentwood box

Spokespersons including

Wanda Brascoupé Peters, Andrea Nemtin

Where
Delta Hotel, 101 Lyon Street, Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9

When
June 1, 2015 – 11:00 am to 12:00 pm (Philanthropic organizations presentation 11:45 am to 12:00 pm)

About the Inspirit Foundation

The Inspirit Foundation is a national, grant-making organization that supports young people (aged 18 to 30) in building a more inclusive and pluralist Canada. One way we do this is by funding projects that foster engagement and exchange between young people of different spiritual, religious and secular backgrounds.

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IRELAND
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church

(28th May 2015)

The National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) published its annual report today. It details the work done by the Board and its National Office during the year ending 31st March 2015.

The Board has set itself the task of completing the reviews of the religious in Ireland by the end of this year and has indicated that an updated version of the Safeguarding Standards and Guidance will also be completed, though its implementation date is yet to be decided.

During the 2014/15 period, 184 new allegations, suspicions or concerns have been shared with the National Office. The allegations relate to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

In addition, 81 allegations of physical and emotional abuse, previously reported to the civil authorities by one religious congregation were reported to the Board.

Abuse allegations against Diocesan clergy relate to 1950 up to 1997, with one case noted outside this timeframe where the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 2006. In the case of Religious Orders and Congregational priests and religious, abuse allegations relate to 1950 up to 1990, with one case where the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 1999.

The Board has received no allegations of abuse taking place after 2006 in the year under review.

All allegations notified to the Board have been passed to the Gardaí/PSNI and where appropriate to the HSCT/TUSLA.

Ms Teresa Devlin, CEO welcomed the continued improvements in prompt reporting of all allegations to the civil authorities and commended the Church Authorities for maintaining their focus on safeguarding children.

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IRELAND
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church

Annual Report 2014

Allegations Notified to the National Office – 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015

The National Board has a responsibility to monitor safeguarding practice across all dioceses and religious orders/congregations. In addition to reviews of safeguarding practice, the Board monitors compliance with the seven standards in other ways. Most notable is the role of monitoring whether new allegations brought to the attention of a diocese or religious congregation/order have been shared with the civil authority agencies. There is an expectation that the National Office is informed at the same time as the civil authority agencies of allegations. In addition, we ask for information about the date of the abuse (if known), the status of the respondent’s ministry and what safeguarding action has been taken.

During the 2014–15 period, 184 new allegations, suspicions or concerns have been shared with the National Office. In addition, 81 allegations were submitted in one batch against 18 members of a specific congregation. The events surrounding this batch of allegations all relate to physical and/or emotional abuse. Advice received by the Church authority from TUSLA (Child and Family Agency) is that they do not require information relating to allegations against deceased priests and religious; however all allegations irrespective of the status of the accused are mandatorily reported to An Garda Síochána or the PSNI.

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IRELAND
Irish Examiner

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Dozens of new allegations or suspicions of historic abuse by Catholic clergy have been raised with a national watchdog in the past year.

The National Board for Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) says the allegations concern physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

It says all 184 claims have been passed on to the Gardaí and PSNI – as well as Tusla.

The Board said that it also received 81 allegations of physical and emotional abuse which had previously been reported to civil authorities by a religious congregation.

Abuse allegations against Diocesan clergy relate to 1950 up to 1997, with one case noted outside this timeframe where the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 2006.

In the case of Religious Orders and Congregational priests and religious, abuse allegations relate to 1950 up to 1990, with one case where the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 1999.

The Board has received no allegations of abuse taking place after 2006 in the year under review.

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IRELAND
Irish Examiner

Thursday, May 28, 2015

by Joe Leogue

An Irish priest has said he disagrees with the comments of a high-ranking Vatican official who described last week’s marriage equality referendum result as a “defeat for humanity”.

Fr Seán McDonagh of the Association of Catholic Priests said that he does not know why Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed his disappointment at the result in such terms, and said that the result should not have come as a shock to the Vatican’s secretary of state.

“Looking at the polls in the four to five weeks running up to the election they were 70-30 in favour, so the result came as no surprise,” Fr McDonagh said.

He said the church needs to address its approach to homosexuality, and change its attitude of criticising and dismissing gay people and their experiences.

He was critical of the church’s decision to drop a paragraph on the “gifts and qualities” gay people can offer from a report on its extraordinary synod on the family which was held last year. “It raises serious questions for the synod on the family which will be held in October of this year.”

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CHILE
Terra

[Deputy Espinoza has questioned the new guide for handling church exual abuse. Fidel Espinoza, socialist MP, called on the Catholic church to remove Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, who has been critiicized for its role in covering up abuse by priest Fernando Karadima. The socialist parliamentarian responded to the guidance announced on Wednesday the Episcopal Conference to address child sexual abuse. The text is called “Care and Strength” and updates the rules enacted in 2003 and 2011 to proceed against complaints and seeks to prevent such situations. According to the Social Democrat, “the updating of the rules against sexual abuse minors, which was presented by the Episcopal Conference, should be taken as a new opportunity to change course with the bishop Barros. ” ]

I diputado socialista Fidel Espinoza emplazó a la iglesia a remover al obispo Juan Barros de Osorno, quien ha sido cuestionado por su eventual papel como encubridor de los abusos cometidos por el ex párroco de la Iglesia de El Bosque, Fernando Karadima.

El parlamentario socialista reaccionó ante la guía que dio a conocer este miércoles la Conferencia Episcopal para tratar los abusos sexuales a menores. El texto se denomina “Cuidado y Fuerza” y actualiza las normas decretadas los años 2003 y 2011 para proceder frente a denuncias y busca prevenir este tipo de situaciones.

A juicio del parlamentario socialista, “la actualización de las normas frente a los abusos sexuales a menores, que ha sido presentado por la Conferencia Episcopal, debiera ser tomada como una nueva oportunidad para enmendar el rumbo con el obispo Barros”.

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SCOTLAND
The National

KATHLEEN NUTT

ANGELA Constance is today expected to name the chairman of the long-awaited statutory public inquiry into historic child sex abuse, and to reveal its remit.

The Education Secretary, who announced there would be an inquiry in December, will outline the inquiry’s details in the Holyrood chamber to MSPs and dozens of members of survivors’ groups this afternoon.

Retired judge Lord McEwan, who made a landmark ruling to lift a legal time-bar to enable an abuse victim to take civil action, is favoured by some victims to chair the inquiry.

Survivors’ groups have also told The National that they would consider Lord Malcolm as a suitable appointment.

The former Edinburgh University academic served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1997-2001 and Dean from 2001-2004. He was a founder member of the Judicial Appointments Board and has also served as a part-time member of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

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NEW MEXICO
Gallup Independent

Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, N.M., May 26, 2015

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Independent correspondent
religion@gallupindependent.com

ALBUQUERQUE – The Diocese of Gallup’s legal fees and expenses for its bankruptcy case now exceed $2.25 million.

Attorneys, accountants, insurance researchers and real estate appraisers submitted quarterly billing statements to U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the period of Jan. 1 through March 31, 2015. The total figure of $2,258,084.14 includes approximately $57,000 already paid by the diocese. The remaining professional fees and expenses billed by attorneys and accountants will not be paid until the Gallup Diocese has an approved plan of reorganization.

The listed professionals have submitted the following quarterly and total billing figures, which do not include any payments made to them by the diocese prior to its bankruptcy filing on Nov. 12, 2013.

Quarles & Brady LLP: The Diocese of Gallup’s lead bankruptcy law firm from Tucson submitted a quarterly statement for $215,067.99 for legal fees and expenses. The firm’s total post-petition bill is now at $1,344,666.05.

Keegan, Linscott & Kenon, P.C: This Tucson accounting firm took over the Gallup Diocese’s finance office in the summer of 2013 after Deacon James Hoy, the diocese’s chief financial officer, resigned. The firm corrected a billing error of $556.25 from its 2014 final quarterly statement, and it submitted a 2015 first quarterly statement for $38.279.28 in fees and expenses. The firm’s total post-petition bill is now at $314,816.44.

Stelzner, Winter, Warburton, Flores, Sanchez & Dawes, P.A: The diocese’s special counsel law firm from Albuquerque billed $996.71 in fees this quarter. The firm’s total post-petition bill is now at $10,750.76.

Insurance Archaeology Group: This insurance research company submitted a quarterly statement for $1,495.80 in fees and expenses. To date the company has billed the Gallup Diocese $47,929 and has been paid that amount.

Estate Valuation Consultants, Inc: This real estate appraisal company submitted its first quarterly statement for $12,200 in fees and expenses and has been paid $9,200 thus far.
Michael P. Murphy: Murphy was recently appointed as the “Unknown Claims Representative” to represent any new clergy sex abuse victims who might come forward in the future. Murphy has not submitted any fees or expenses yet, but his flat fee of $50,000 will be due and payable upon the effective date of any plan of reorganization.

Walker & Associates, P.C: The diocese’s Albuquerque bankruptcy law firm did not submit a statement for the first quarter of 2015. To date, the firm has billed $18,062.40 in post-petition fees and expenses.

Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP: This law firm represents the legal interests of clergy sex abuse survivors who have filed claims against the diocese in bankruptcy court. The firm submitted a quarterly statement for $86,284.57 in fees and expenses. The firm’s total post-petition bill is now at $459,659.49.

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GUAM
KUAM

By Jolene Toves

Former Guam resident John Toves is attempting to raise $2,000 in funds to retain a canon lawyer. Toves made allegations of sexual harassment against Archbishop Anthony Apuron late last year, however because no victim ever came forward the complaint was not investigated by the Archdiocese of Agana.

At the time Archbishop Apuron issued an exclusive television statement to KUAM News on the matter denying the allegations and announced plans to file a lawsuit. According to Toves he also plans to file a suit with the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and directly to the Promoter of Justice.

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UNITED STATES
Vox

Updated by Tanya Pai on May 27, 2015

Stories about reality TV star Josh Duggar and the revelations that he molested several minors while he himself was a teenager have saturated the news over the past week.

The details of the allegations are bizarre, involving an alleged cover-up by Duggar’s parents and church, a disturbing police report, and a very badly timed marathon of the reality series Duggar stars in on a network that has experienced more than one reality show scandal in recent years. There’s also an element of religious hypocrisy and a muted attempt to turn this into another front in the culture wars.

For people who don’t watch lots of reality TV — to say nothing of those who don’t watch lots of TLC reality, which is almost a genre unto itself, focused on families from outside the American mainstream — the whole thing can sound like a particularly strange satire of how far the television industry will go to garner big ratings.

But it’s not.

Who are the Duggars?

The Duggars are an Arkansas family and stars of the TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting. The show, TLC’s most popular, regularly scored in the Nielsen cable top 25 before it was pulled from the air.

The show began on September 29, 2008, as 17 Kids and Counting, and starred Jim Bob Duggar, a former Arkansas state representative turned real estate agent; his wife, Michelle Duggar; and their 17 biological children. Since that time, Jim Bob and Michelle have had two more children.

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FLORIDA
WPBT

[with video]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —A jury has been seated in the sexual molestation trial against former Rosarian Academy teacher Stephen Budd.

Both sides are questioning a pool of potential jurors in the Stephen Budd sexual molestation trial which began Tuesday. Budd, 53, was a fourth grade teacher at Rosarian Academy in 2006-2007 when two former students now say he coerced them into performing sex acts on him and each other, in exchange for “Budd Bucks.”WPBF 25 News at Noon

He’s accused of serially molesting two 9 year olds in his classroom in 2006-07.

His attorney, Jason Weiss, asked potential jurors if they were so appalled by the charges that they could not be fair.

“Is there something so awful or distasteful in your mind, that the mere accusation against Mr. Budd makes you think that he’s probably guilty?” asked Weiss.

Some in the pool answered that they did have problems with the charges and could not be impartial.

Budd is accused of having the girls perform sex acts on him under his desk while he taught, taking naked pictures of the girls and having them perform sexual acts on each other.

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OREGON
East Oregonian

By PETER WONG
Capital Bureau

SALEM — The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved a bill doubling Oregon’s statute of limitation on rape to 12 years.

House Bill 2317, which has already cleared the House, moves to the full Senate without change, despite pleas that Oregon’s statute of limitations should be set even longer.

Advocates had urged the committee to extend the deadline for prosecutions to 20 years.

“It took me years not only to disclose everything Pastor Mike did to me, but to even realize just how badly the abuse affected my life,” said Jessica Watson, one of seven victims of Mike Sperou, who was convicted April 30 in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Sperou, 64, was pastor at a Happy Valley church. He was convicted in connection with only the youngest of the seven victims, who all chose to go on the record. The statute of limitations barred his prosecution on crimes involving the others, including Watson.

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UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage

Religious Culture of Abuse of Females in Right-Wing Christianity: A Current Case Study

William D. Lindsey

In my posting on the Duggar family earlier today, I cited Jenny Kutner to note that what shouldn’t be overlooked in the Duggar story is how Josh Duggar’s abuse, his parents’ cover-up, and the excuses being made by the religious and political right are rooted in a religious culture of abuse of females. As I indicated, the religious ideology defended by the Duggars and their friends calls on women and girls to submit to men and boys. It routinely excuses even outright abuse, sexual or otherwise, perpetrated on females by males as just how boys behave.

And it does all this by invoking God, as if God is one of the old boys chuckling at the way real men knock women around — or take advantage of them sexually.

Lest you think I’m making all this stuff up or exaggerating, a case in point from yesterday’s news: as Mark Woods reports for Christian Today, the Village Church in Dallas, Texas, has forgiven Jordan Root, a former missionary of the church in East Asia, after he was discovered to have been viewing child pornography online. Root has also admitted having abused children for whom he was a babysitter.

After all of this information came out, Root’s wife Karen, who was on the East Asian mission along with him, asked for their marriage to be annulled. The church has disciplined Karen Root.

He with the history of child molestation and use of child pornography: forgiven.
She who asks to be unyoked from him, the child abuser, in marriage: not forgiven.

Can the picture be any clearer than this?

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AUSTRALIA
ABC – PM

MARK COLVIN: A warning this report contains information you may find disturbing.

The convicted paedophile Gerald Ridsdale has told the royal commission he’s sorry Catholic Church officials didn’t report his behaviour to the police because it would have saved “so many” children.

The royal commission has heard that Ridsdale’s offending first came to the attention of a bishop in 1961 but he was left to assault possibly hundreds of victims over the next three decades.

The inquiry was told today one of Ridsdale’s victims believed that another priest saw him attacking her in the early 1970s but didn’t intervene.

Samantha Donovan reports.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Gerald Ridsdale’s victims live with the knowledge that if someone in the Catholic Church had reported him to police when his offending first became known, they would have been safe, something the convicted paedophile acknowledged at the royal commission today.

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AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times

On the second day of Gerald Ridsdale’s appearance at the Royal Commission, senior counsel Gail Furness pushes the paedophile priest to admit his abuse of children in rural areas.

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AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail

AAP

Pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale can’t remember which priest may have walked in on him while he was sexually assaulting a girl, the royal commission has heard.

A judge last year said a girl believed another priest was present for a short time while Ridsdale was sexually assaulting her and must have been aware of the assault but did not intervene.

On Thursday, senior counsel assisting the child sex abuse royal commission, Gail Furness, asked Ridsdale who that priest was.

“I don’t know because I’ve said I don’t know who the other priests were there at the same time except George Pell,” Ridsdale said.

“I have no idea of the priests who were there with me at Ballarat East.”

Asked if he had a recollection of sexually assaulting the girl, Ridsdale said: “No, a lot of them I don’t have, no.”

The incident took place in Ridsdale’s bedroom at the Ballarat East presbytery, where he lived in 1972-1973, after the girl went to look at his rock collection.

Ms Furness asked Ridsdale if he accepted that when he assaulted the girl there could well have been another priest in the presbytery.

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