ABUSE TRACKER

GUAM
New Vision (Uganda)

By AFP
Added 19th September 2016

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai was sent to Guam three months ago to investigate the accusations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who denies any wrongdoing.

A Vatican administrator has urged Rome to remove the head of the Catholic Church in Guam over child sex allegations, warning the scandal could bankrupt the church in the deeply religious Pacific territory.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai was sent to Guam three months ago to investigate the accusations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who denies any wrongdoing.

In a statement read out at church services across the island on Sunday, Hon said he had asked the Holy See to dismiss Apuron after the cleric refused to stand down voluntarily.

“I can assure you that the gravely serious allegations against Archbishop Apuron will continue to be dealt with… a canonical trial,” the statement said.

“His Holiness, Pope Francis, is monitoring the proceedings,” he added.

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GUAM
Marianas Variety

19 Sep 2016

Mar-Vic Cagurangan – For Variety

HAGÅTÑA — The passage of a bill that would lift the statute of limitation for sex-abuse cases, if signed into law, would open the floodgates for lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana and drive the Guam church into financial bankruptcy, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai said Sunday.

“In other states where similar laws were enacted, the results have been school closures and cessation of vital services,” the apostolic administrator said in a message addressed to the faithful and read at Sunday Mass.

Hon is now back in Rome to ask Pope Francis to remove Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron as head of the Archdiocese, citing the “gravely serious allegations” that the church will continue to deal with during a canonical trial at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Archdiocese is facing mounting allegations of sex abuse against Apuron, who is accused of molesting altar boys when he was a priest at the Mount Carmel Parish in Agat in the 1970s. At least four former altar boys, the mother of a deceased altar boy and a third-party witness have come out with claims against Apuron, revealing secrets kept for almost five decades.

“On behalf of the church, I want to apologize personally to the survivors of sexual abuse everywhere who have suffered so much at the hands of clergy,” Hon said. “We cannot undo the betrayal of trust and faith and the horrendous acts that the clergy have committed against the youngest and the most innocent amongst us.”

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Peter FitzSimons

It was satisfying to see my erstwhile boarding master at Knox Grammar, Neil Albert Futcher, “found guilty by a jury of 22 child sex charges, including eight counts of buggery” last Wednesday.

As reported by the Herald, as the verdicts were read out, the court room was filled with the sounds of sobbing. Futcher, as far as it is known, did not offend while at Knox in 1974 – and I have asked many of my fellow boarders – but wreaked a terrible trail of destruction once he moved to Trinity Grammar the following year. Bravo, to those former Trinity boys, now in their 50s, who came forward and gave their evidence that saw him convicted.

Former Knox headmaster Ian Paterson tells the royal commission he told English teacher Adrian Nisbett to be careful “with your touching habits with boys” when appointing him resident master.
The verdict came the day after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released its findings about what happened at Knox, noting particularly that the long-time headmaster of Knox, Dr Ian Paterson, “failed to prioritise the welfare of boys over the reputation of the school”. No one who reads the report, most particularly from page 59 onwards, can doubt it.

Once again, I simply cannot put the figure that emerges from the royal commission together with the legendary educator of unimpeachable integrity I knew. But Dr Paterson’s conduct in the face of the allegations that emerged, his enabling of the culture that allowed child abuse to take place over so many years, most particularly in the 1980s, was nothing less than disgraceful.

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PENNSYLVANIA/NEW JERSEY
Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery, Inc. was proud to be the lead organization in today’s “Walk Across the Delaware” from Morrisville, PA, to Trenton, NJ, to shed light on the need for stronger and fairer laws in all States of the United States regarding sexual abuse of children, teenagers, and vulnerable adults, but especially in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

Marchers from New York State, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey joined march directors Fred (Board Member of Road to Recovery, Inc.) and Maggie Marigliano in an important public demonstration that highlighted pending laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of New York and New Jersey that would give sexual abuse victims access to the courthouses in each State.

Senator Joseph Vitale of New Jersey, who has been working on justice legislation regarding sexual abuse for nearly twenty years, attended the march and urged attendees to continue to fight for laws that are fair. In New Jersey, for example, Senate Bill 280 will be introduced in the near future and it is hoped that New Jersey legislators will pass legislation that gives sexual abuse victims the opportunity to hold their abusers accountable.

When the approximately two-mile walk ended at the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, speaker after speaker appealed to the legislators in all three states to pass legislation that will finally and conclusively give sexual abuse victims the justice they deserve.

Arthur Baselice, who lost his son as a result of clergy sexual abuse in Philadelphia, urged Pennsylvania lawmakers to do the right thing and pass House Bill 1947 in Harrisburg in the near future. Ana Wagner, who organized the highly successful walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City several weeks ago, pledged to continue the fight in her state to enact victim-friendly legislation. And, a host of New Jersey speakers repeated their calls for laws in New Jersey that will stop shielding predators and give victims the justice they seek.

Road to Recovery, Inc. will continue its mission to help victims of sexual abuse throughout the world as it has for almost fifteen years, and victims may call the Road to Recovery, Inc. hotline at 862-368-2800 for assistance. Congratulations to all!

Contact
Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Co-founder and President, Road to Recovery, Inc. – roberthoatson@gmail.com

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NEW JERSEY
NJ.com

By Greg Wright | For NJ.com

TRENTON — State Sen. Joseph Vitale walked with a group of about 20 activists from Pennsylvania to the New Jersey’s Statehouse Sunday to vocalize their opposition to the state’s statute of limitations for civil actions related to sex abuse.

The group also wants New Jersey to pass a pending bill that would eliminate the time constraints for legal actions.

“We need to protect victims child sexual abuse and help them seek justice,” Sen. Vitale (D-Middlesex), who is the primary sponsor of the legislation, said. “This will require changing the law and expanding the civil statute of limitations for this crime.”

The rally began after the group, comprised of individuals and members of The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Road to Recovery and Male Survivor, completed a walk from Morrisville, Pa. to the Statehouse.

There, sexual assault survivors from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York spoke about their own struggles in seeking justice and returning to a life of normalcy after becoming victims.

Currently, sex abuse victims have only two years to sue after discovering the link between their abuse to other problems, such as depression, addiction or divorce.

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Danny Tran

It’s the spiritual birthplace of the trade union movement, the gateway to Victoria’s gold rush and Australia’s source of Mars Bars.

However, in recent years, the intensely Catholic city of Ballarat in Victoria has been infamous for the gang of paedophile priests which operated with impunity.

Among them was Gerald Ridsdale, who conceded before the child abuse royal commission that even if he had been found out, he would have lied.

He used to be known as Father Gerry or Father Ridsdale — a man who could be trusted because of his devotion to God.

“He was a kind and gentle man, very kind,” said Joanna, a former parishioner who did not want to use her full name.

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WASHINGTON (DC)
JTA

(JTA) — A federal appeals court upheld the prison sentence of Rabbi Barry Freundel, a once-prominent modern Orthodox rabbi in Washington who secretly videotaped women in his synagogue’s mikvah.

Freundel, 64, who began serving his sentence in May 2015, had been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism, a charge that carries up to a year in jail.

The sentencing judge had ordered Freundel to serve 45 days on each count, and ran the sentences one after the other. Freundel’s attorney had argued in the appeal that the sentences should have run concurrently, meaning Freundel would have served 45 days.

A three-judge panel of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld Freundel’s sentence in a unanimous 20-page ruling.

Before his arrest in 2014, Freundel was the longtime rabbi of Kesher Israel in the Georgetown section of Washington and an active member of the Rabbinical Council of America, an Orthodox rabbinic group.

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GUAM
Guam Daily Post

Neil Pang | Post News Staff

In a statement read at Catholic Masses throughout Guam yesterday, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, urged Gov. Eddie Calvo to veto Bill 326, now on the governor’s desk, that would remove the statute of limitations on civil suits involving accusations of child sex abuse.

“Putting the house in order without burning it down” was the title of the address read by clergy at all Masses.

Hon, who is in Rome, said he is urging the Holy See to remove Archbishop Anthony Apuron as Archbishop of Agana and to appoint a successor.

“I can assure you that the gravely serious allegations against Archbishop Apuron will continue to be dealt with by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, which will hold a canonical trial,” he said in the release.

Since mid-May, there have been five specific accusations of sex abuse against Apuron involving altar boys in the 1960s and 1970s.

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MISSOURI
Kansas City Star

The Editorial Board

Crimes against children deserve immediate and special investigation to ensure youngsters’ safety, eventual recovery and to prevent the perpetrators from doing more harm.

But that didn’t happen in the Kansas City Police Department’s crimes against children unit, where detectives for years failed to properly investigate some rapes, serious abuse and other crimes.

The blue police wall for months hid this irresponsible and incompetent behavior. The Kansas City Star on Sunday exposed the problem with a review of internal Police Department memos.

Police Chief Darryl Forté in January correctly suspended nearly the entire crimes against children unit of detectives and sergeants after a special squad was assigned a year ago to help clear backlogged cases and discovered the inexcusable problems.

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CHILE
La Tercera

[Demonstrators called for resignation of Bishop Barros in the middle of the Te Deum in Osorno.]

María Paz Núñez
18 de septiembre del 2016

En medio del tradicional Te Deum que se realizó en la catedral San Mateo de Osorno con motivo de Fiestas Patrias, un grupo de laicos sorprendió levantando pancartas en las que pedían la renuncia del obispo de la ciudad, Juan Barros, por su presunta participación como encubridor en el denominado caso Karadima.

Los manifestantes, que de acuerdo a lo informado por radio ADN fueron cerca de 15 personas, levantaron letreros donde sólo se leía la palabra “renuncia”, dirigida al sacerdote que negó en noviembre pasado ante la justicia el haber conocido los casos de abusos por los que se investiga al ex párroco de El Bosque.

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NEW YORK
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: Anthony J. Giuliano was ordained for the Archdiocese of New york in 1984. He assisted at parishes in the Bronx, Suffern, Staten Island and Yonkers, and pastored in Mt. Vernon, Hawthorne, the Bronx, Dover Plains and Pawling. In August 2016 a man reported to police that Giuliano had molested him in the 1980s at Holy Rosary in the Bronx. Giuliano’s accuser said he was 15 years-old at the time and working in the rectory, and that he and Giuliano would “play wrestle.” The man said that the molestation occurred during one of the wrestling sessions. The archdiocese said the allegation was credible. Giuliano denied it. Law enforcement launched an investigation.

Ordained: 1984

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PENNSYLVANIA
Go Erie

Pat Howard
814-870-1721

September 18, 2016

ERIE, Pa. — Fifteen years after The Boston Globe’s reporting first exposed its horrors and this newspaper did its best to keep faith with those preyed upon here, I figured the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal was past its power to shock.

Then I sat down last spring with a big sheaf of paper in a binder clip and made myself read every word. The grand jury report on the crimes and cover-ups in the Catholic Diocese of Altoona/Johnstown brought back that familiar, stomach-turning mix of sorrow and rage.

Even in the stilted, metronomic language of court documents, the overweening power and self-regard of the church hierarchy is palpable in those pages. So is the theft of innocence and peace from hundreds of children who were violated under the cover of an institution whose stewards cared more about stature and scandal than the serial abuse of children.

The crimes documented in that report are now largely beyond the reach of the law — shielded by passing time, the statute of limitations and in some cases the deaths of the predators and their protectors. With criminal prosecution impossible in most cases, public exposure — the plain, ugly truth — is the closest thing to justice available.

The grand jury’s report helped to galvanize an effort in the state Legislature to allow some victims to reach back through the years and sue in civil court. It passed overwhelmingly in the House before a Senate committee — in the face of aggressive opposition by the church’s lobbying arm and its hierarchy, including Erie Bishop Lawrence T. Persico — in June stripped the bill of its retroactive provisions.

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NEW JERSEY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Sunday, September 18, 2016

Walk & rally held today on child sex laws
Victims want statute of limitations reformed
In 3 states, group wants “better child safety laws”
Legislation has been introduced in NJ, PA & NY

NJ State Senator will also address the group in Trenton

A walk through Trenton and a rally at the State House will be held today calling for legislators in three states to reform statutes of limitations to make it easier for child sex abuse victims to “help protect kids, expose predators, deter cover ups and heal victims” in both the criminal and civil courts.

Among those participating in the events are members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

“We’re making progress toward repealing or reforming these archaic, predator-friendly laws,” said Mark Crawford, SNAP’s New Jersey director. “But some lawmakers still refuse to put the safety of kids above the secrecy of those who commit or conceal these heinous and devastating crimes and cover ups. So we’re hoping to prod a few more legislators into taking action to safeguard the vulnerable instead of protecting the wrongdoers.”

The walk starts at noon in the parking lot of the Morrisville Shopping Center and ends with a rally outside the State House at which Senator Joseph Vitale will speak.

SNAP member Fred Marigliano, who has walked the entire state of NJ, more than 200 miles, to bring awareness to this issue, will also speak.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

CONTACT
Mark Crawford 973-632-7687, mecrawf@comcast.net, Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003 home

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IRELAND
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

Censured priest Fr Brian D’Arcy has defended Fr Michael Cleary and Bishop Eamon Casey, who fathered children, as “loving” in their relationships with women.

“The only thing that Mick did wrong was keep it a secret,” said Fr D’Arcy, who was censured by the Vatican in 2010 for his perceived liberal views on Catholic Church teachings.

He believes the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which acknowledges the equal right to life of mother and unborn, would be repealed in a referendum.

The priest also disclosed that late actor Frank Kelly had great difficulty in conscience with playing the role of Fr Jack in the Fr Ted comedy series.

In an interview with Hot Press magazine, Fr D’Arcy described his reaction on finding out that his friend Fr Cleary had two children as one of absolute shock.

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VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

By Josephine McKenna | September 16, 2016

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis told a group of recently appointed bishops that the world “is tired of charming liars” and that they should embody mercy in their dioceses and not be whiners who promote their own “vain crusades.”

The pontiff also told them to be wary of seminarians “who take refuge in rigidity” of practices. “There’s always something ugly behind it,” he said.

Francis made his remarks Friday (Sept. 16) in a speech to newly appointed bishops who have been taking part in an annual Vatican orientation course on their new job.

In his address, the pope focused mostly on the approach they should take as pastors, saying in effect that attitude would do more to build up the diocese than any special management techniques.

“Be bishops who are able to enchant and attract,” Francis said. “Make your ministry a symbol of mercy, the only force able to seduce and attract the human heart in a permanent way.”

But, he warned them, don’t make it all about yourself.

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Bill Pesch
September 18, 2016

There are times I enjoy being proven wrong. Because of recent action taken by the Legislature, I am forced to eat my words. But what a delicious meal it is!

In my June 27 and July 4 columns, I predicted dim prospects for those seeking justice for past incidents of child sexual abuse committed by persons in positions of trust. I wrote these columns in response to the numerous accusations pending against Archbishop Anthony Apuron by several former altar boys who allege he sexually abused them in the 1970s.

I felt that a bill introduced by Sen. Frank Blas Jr., supposedly to extend the civil statute of limitations for filing sexual abuse lawsuits, was “glaringly ineffective.” In fact, I saw it as nothing more than political posturing meant to capture votes while protecting the Catholic Church from any meaningful sanctions. Thankfully, Blas’ subsequent actions, and those of the entire Legislature, have proven me wrong.

For many years, Guam law provided that a victim of child sex abuse had two years to file a lawsuit against the alleged abuser. Obviously, because of the nature of child abuse, this time limitation was unrealistic and did little to discourage sexual abuse against children. In 2011, the Legislature passed a bill that temporarily amended the law and gave past sexual abuse victims two additional years to file their cases. As initially proposed by Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz, the bill would have allowed victims to sue the abuser as well as any grossly negligent “institution, agency, firm, business, corporation … that owed a duty of care to the victim.”

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GUAM
YouTube

Published on Sep 17, 2016

Concerned Catholics of Guam Vice President Andrew Camacho urges religious followers not to sign a petition that’s being distributed by the Archdiocese of Agana. The petition prompts Governor Eddie Calvo to veto Substitute Bill 326, which lifts the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

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GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Sep 17, 2016

By Krystal Paco

Concerned Catholics of Guam Vice President Andrew Camacho urges religious followers not to sign a petition that’s being distributed by the Archdiocese of Agana. The petition prompts Governor Eddie Calvo to veto Substitute Bill 326, which lifts the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

According to a message from Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai which is being read at masses this weekend, the bill exposes the church to unlimited financial liability and may result in bankruptcy. Camacho tells KUAM, “If you’re against the bill, you are for Archbiship Apuron and the crimes that are being committed.”

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Jojo Santo Tomas and Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News September 18, 2016

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai asked Guam’s clergy to deliver a message to Catholic churchgoers during Mass on Sunday: “… I am in Rome to urge the Holy See to remove Archbishop (Anthony) Apuron as archbishop of Agana and to appoint a successor.”

It was what Catholic protesters had demanded on picket signs since their first protest against Apuron late last year. Since May, members of the Concerned Catholics of Guam, the Laity Forward Movement and nonaffiliated parishioners staged protests every Sunday morning in front of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica.

And while it was welcome news that Hon stood behind Apuron’s removal, the rest of Hon’s letter only served to disappoint and anger the protesters.

Hon asked churchgoers to sign a petition lobbying against the signing of Bill 326 into law. The bill would lift the time restriction on lawsuits against institutions such as the Archdiocese of Agana that have employed those accused of child sexual abuse. He said the bill would expose the archdiocese to unlimited financial liability and bankruptcy. Hon also wrote that similar legislation enacted in 13 U.S. dioceses led to school closures and cessation of vital services.

The legislation would permanently remove the statute of limitations for all child sexual abuse crimes, allowing victims to file civil cases against their alleged assailants, retroactively.

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MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the name and assignment history Sept. 16 of deceased priest Father William Hough, who has a substantiated claim against him of sexually abusing a minor while he was a priest of the archdiocese.

The alleged abuse occurred between 1964 and 1966. Father Hough died in 1994. He served at St. Mary in St. Paul, St. Elizabeth in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis, Resurrection in Minneapolis, St. Mary of the Purification in Marystown, and St. Anthony of Padua in Minneapolis. He was ordained in 1963 and retired in 1991.

In a Sept. 16 statement, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said the archdiocese notified pastors at these parishes, and encouraged anyone who has been abused to contact the police immediately.

“I am profoundly saddened by the effect clergy sexual abuse continues to have on victims/survivors, their families and the community,” he said.

A substantiated claim is one supported by sufficient evidence establishing reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged abuse occurred.

According to the archdiocese, Father Hough’s name and assignment history are being disclosed as part of its commitment under the Ramsey County Settlement Agreement, ongoing relationship with Jeff Anderson and Associates and pledge to “promote healing, awareness and the prevention of abuse.”

More information about clergy disclosures is available at http://www.safecatholicspm.org.

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MINNESOTA
Catholic Spirit

September 16, 2016

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the name and assignment history Sept. 16 of deceased priest Father William Hough, who has a substantiated claim against him of sexually abusing a minor while he was a priest of the archdiocese.

The alleged abuse occurred between 1964 and 1966. Father Hough died in 1994. He served at St. Mary in St. Paul, St. Elizabeth in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis, Resurrection in Minneapolis, St. Mary of the Purification in Marystown, and St. Anthony of Padua in Minneapolis. He was ordained in 1963 and retired in 1991.

In a Sept. 16 statement, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said the archdiocese notified pastors at these parishes, and encouraged anyone who has been abused to contact the police immediately.

“I am profoundly saddened by the effect clergy sexual abuse continues to have on victims/survivors, their families and the community,” he said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Mirror

BY JON DEAN

James McCann is then said to have had sex with her as the boy looked on during a holiday to Majorca – where the teen was introduced to football legends Bob Paisley and Brian Clough

The head of a Catholic boys’ school forced a 14-year-old lad to lose his virginity with his nun wife while he watched, a court heard.

James McCann is then said to have had sex with her as the boy looked on during a holiday to Majorca – where the teen was introduced to football legends Bob Paisley and Brian Clough.

The Old Bailey heard the scene unfolded when the boy was asked by McCann, now 80, to fondle his wife’s breasts

McCann had married her after she came to St Francis children’s home in Shefford, Bedfordshire, as a nun.

McCann is alleged to have carried out 52 physical and sexual assaults against 26 boys at the home in the 1960s and 70s.

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RHODE ISLAND
Providence Journal

By Karen Lee Ziner
Journal Staff Writer

Posted Sep. 17, 2016

The investigator’s report hit Anne Scott “like a freight train.”

It brought her back nearly 40 years to a locked room at St. George’s School where athletic trainer “Doc Gibbs” raped and sexually molested her time and again until her mind nearly fractured. She was 15, a sophomore at the elite Episcopal boarding school in Middletown. The abuse lasted a year and a half.

In subsequent years, Scott cycled through one psychiatric hospitalization after another. She starved herself. She binged and vomited. She dwindled to 98 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. She buried memories of the abuse by Al Gibbs, who molested her while she lay on a table, being “treated” for field hockey injuries. She shut down, cocooned with her parents, unable to work. It took decades to find her footing — and her voice.

A driving force last winter behind exposing the rampant sexual abuse at St. George’s in the 1970s and ’80s, and in pushing for an independent investigation that uncovered “a private hell” that had trapped 61 abuse victims, Scott expected the report — released Sept. 1 — would detail the horrors she’d endured.

But she was stunned when she read previously sealed documents from her 1988 federal “Jane Doe” lawsuit against St. George’s, which sought $10 million for failing to protect her from Gibbs.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Matt AssadContact Reporter
Of The Morning Call

Should St. Ann parishioners have been told their pastor was being investigated for child porn?

Within hours of getting a report in August that images of nude children were found on computers owned by the pastor of St. Ann’s Church in Emmaus, the Allentown Catholic Diocese informed authorities. But for the next six Sundays — even as Lehigh County investigators sifted through photos on two laptops — parishioners were urged at Mass to pray for their pastor’s health.

Monsignor John Stephen Mraz’s arrest Tuesday on charges of possessing child pornography left some members of his congregation angry that they would be asked to remember him in their prayers without being told he was under investigation.

“It just feels like a betrayal of trust, not only by Monsignor Mraz, but by the church,” Kara Sterner said.

“I was married at that church and all three of my kids were baptized there. And now I don’t feel right. I just don’t have trust anymore.”

So shaken was Sterner that she held her 11-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter from religious prep classes at St. Ann on Wednesday, and she’s considering switching churches. She was among several parents who held their children from prep that night and among many who called the diocese and church office to voice their unhappiness.

The Rev. Dominic Pham, who lived with Mraz and got him to the hospital before the monsignor went to convalesce at Holy Family Villa in Bethlehem, has been fielding many of those calls. And he has a surprisingly simple answer for why, as he urged parishioners to visit Mraz in his recovery, he never told them their pastor was being investigated for child porn.

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CALIFORNIA
The Worthy Adversary

September 17, 2016 Joelle Casteix

As I stated in my previous post, little has changed in the Diocese of Orange since 2005, when church officials settled sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits with 87 child victims.

I’d thought I share a little Facebook proof with you.

Now I will admit, I have been sitting on this information for a while. The reasons, like this post, were personal.

I know, love, and respect many of the people who were at this spring’s Mater Dei High School Grand Reunion (people like my father, who were pretty disgusted to see what I am about to show you here). My dad is almost 80, and going to his high school reunions are an annual treat (yes, they have them almost every year). I didn’t want to ruin it for him and his friends by ranting right away.

But after today’s article in the Orange County Register, I couldn’t keep it quiet anymore.

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CALIFORNIA
Record

By Michael Fitzgerald
Record columnist

Posted Sep. 17, 2016

I met Bishop Stephen E. Blaire shortly after he took over the Diocese of Stockton in 1999. Some charismatics on Montauban Court proclaimed their St. Mary statues were weeping.

And performing miracles. These mystics already had artist renderings of a Lourdes-like shrine that would draw the faithful hordes. Please exit through the gift shop, etc.

Blaire took charge. “This has nothing to do with miracles,” he said. Miracles are not literal Red Sea partings, Blaire said, but “the healing power of God in one’s life.”

Blaire has announced his retirement. A Roman Catholic bishop’s retirement process may take a year or more. But his exit is on the horizon. …

“People don’t believe this,” Blaire said. “But I had no idea of the extent of the abuse in the church. I didn’t know. I was a bishop, and I didn’t know.”

Though he’s too diplomatic to say it — but I’ll say it — his predecessor, Bishop Donald Montrose, was a company man whose morally flaccid cover-ups of molester priests ensured perpetual litigation.
And, ultimately, the diocese’s financial ruin.

The diocese paid out tens of millions to a seemingly endless procession of victims of a black hole with a white collar named Father Oliver O’Grady.

“I thought, ‘OK, we’re beyond this,’ ” Blaire recalled. “But we were never beyond it.”

His first day on the job, Blaire was gob-smacked with a $30 million judgment for abuse victims. He had to find, or borrow, the money.

He had to clean up a huge and fetid mess.

Blaire laid down new rules. Zero tolerance for priests and other religious workers who commit sexual abuse. Report alleged abuse to police. Transparency. Victims come first.

“This was the hardest thing,” Blaire said. “When you sit down and listen to one who is a victim — or survivor, they’re called survivors now — it breaks your heart. I cannot tell you how many times I cried, listening to some of those horror survivors. So that takes an emotional toll on one.”

Yet old victims, and new scandals, kept surfacing.

Finally, in 2014, the diocese crashed into bankruptcy. Blaire hopes it will emerge by the end of this year. The loss of moral authority will take longer to repair.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Review

BY DEBRA ERDLEY | Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016

Child abuse experts and victims’ advocates hope an expanding grand jury investigation into allegations of clergy sexual abuse extends the statute of limitations on such crimes.

The investigation has sought records from six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, including those in Greensburg and Pittsburgh.

Officials in both dioceses have confirmed they complied with subpoenas from state Attorney General Bruce Beemer seeking church records dating back more than half a century.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Reading, who has gone public with his abuse as an altar boy, said he testified before the grand jury in Pittsburgh on Aug. 17.

He was prime sponsor of a bill that would have extended the statute of limitations for civil and criminal actions against accused clergy in Pennsylvania. It passed by a 185-14 vote in the House, only to die in the Senate Judiciary Committee after facing questions about its constitutionality and being watered down.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PhillyVoice

BY PATRICIA MADEJ
PhillyVoice Staff

Pennsylvania Rep. Mark Rozzi recently testified before a grand jury that’s investigating clergy sexual abuse within Catholic churches across Pennsylvania, he said Thursday.

Rozzi, who was sexually abused by a priest with the Diocese of Allentown when he was an altar boy, told WFMZ-TV 69 that “people are going to be really, really shocked” when the Pennsylvania Attorney General uncovers their findings.

Rozzi, who represents parts of Berks County, received a subpoena from the attorney general’s office months ago but only recently testified. The office is investigating abuse within the Diocese of Allentown.

Matt Kerr, a spokesperson with the diocese, said in a statement that the organization has a “zero tolerance for offenders” and that they “pray for all victims of abuse and continue to educate thousands of children and adults in the diocese on how to spot and report abuse to the proper authorities.”

Days ago, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office charged Msgr. John Stephen Mraz, a part of the Diocese of Allentown, with possessing child pornography after an investigation that began months ago.

Mraz was since removed from public ministry, according to the Diocese of Allentown.

The Diocese of Harrisburg told local media outlets that it also received a subpoena and is cooperating with the investigation.

The news comes months after the attorney general’s office released a 147-page report that detailed the findings of a yearslong investigation into clergy sexual abuse within the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The report revealed the stories of hundreds who were abused by about 50 priests.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Democrat

HOLLIDAYSBURG – During the past week, Bishop Mark Bartchak of the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese received a complaint alleging behavior inconsistent with church ministry on the part of the Rev. David R. Rizzo, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Altoona, the diocese announced Saturday.

The complaint does not involve minors.

Upon notice of the complaint, Rizzo requested a leave of absence from ministry, which Bartchak granted, effective immediately.

Rizzo will not be residing at the parish, and he is not permitted to exercise priestly ministry.

Rizzo, 44, was ordained a priest in 1999. He was appointed administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes in 2009 and pastor in 2010.

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CALIFORNIA
Orange County Register

By DEEPA BHARATH / STAFF WRITER

When Monsignor Art Holquin was a student in the early 1970s at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, the rumors already were flying: Orange County, which was part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was going to become its own diocese.

Holquin, now 63, didn’t make much of it. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1974, and his first assignment was at the Holy Family Church in Orange.

On the morning of March 30, 1976, Holquin was by himself at the church, as the senior pastor was away in Oregon. The phone rang in the rectory. On the other end was a reporter for a Catholic weekly newspaper in San Diego.

“So, father, what do you think of the big news today from Rome?” he asked Holquin.

“What news?” the priest asked back.

It had just been announced in Rome that Orange County would become a separate diocese, the reporter informed him. …

SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Though the diocese’s growth was exponential, there was also a period of turmoil when the nationwide Catholic Church sex abuse scandal erupted. Bishop Tod Brown, who took the helm in September 1998, faced the brunt of the sexual abuse lawsuits. The diocese was the first to arrive at a settlement, for $100 million, on Jan. 15, 2004.

Brown apologized to 87 alleged victims and issued a Covenant of the Faithful, promising to be transparent with the media and the public. However, Brown later was criticized for not divulging that he also had faced an allegation of sexual abuse. That allegation was dismissed by church officials. Brown said the accusation was not true.

Speaking recently from his office in the Christ Cathedral’s pastoral center, the retired bishop said he was “unaware of the problem” when he took office.

“The challenge for me was to come to grips with what it was and what we needed to do to get the healing started and protect our youth in the future,” Brown said. “(Sexual abuse) is a problem that is endemic to humanity. We had it in the Catholic Church, too.”

Settling the lawsuits “was the right thing to do,” he said.

“We’ve established protocols for employees and clergy, background checks, audits, everything we can do to prevent the abuse from happening again,” Brown said. “This is unfortunately a part of our legacy, and it’s something that should never be forgotten. The actions we take to prevent abuse is unending. It must be.”

John Manly, a Costa Mesa attorney who represented 50 sexual abuse victims in the county, said those victims and many Catholics are still bitter about the lack of accountability.

“What the diocese really did was hired a PR firm and did window dressing,” said Manly, raised Catholic and a 1982 graduate of Mater Dei Catholic School in Santa Ana.

“The main people responsible for it were never held accountable, and that taints the diocese forever. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles dumped predators here, and the Catholic children of Orange County paid the price.”

Manly said the diocese now has policies in place to protect children.

“But it’s better now because of the victims who came forward with their painful stories, not because of the goodwill of the diocese,” he said.

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CALIFORNIA
The Worthy Adversary

September 17, 2016 Joelle Casteix

That big BOOM you heard this morning in Southern California? That was my head exploding after reading the cover story in today’s Orange County Register.

From the article:

Though the diocese’s growth was exponential, there was also a period of turmoil when the nationwide Catholic Church sex abuse scandal erupted. Bishop Tod Brown, who took the helm in September 1998, faced the brunt of the sexual abuse lawsuits. The diocese was the first to arrive at a settlement, for $100 million, on Jan. 15, 2004.

Speaking recently from his office in the Christ Cathedral’s pastoral center, the retired bishop said he was “unaware of the problem” when he took office. (emphasis mine)
I really hate it when people lie.

Unaware of the problem? Brown knew. He knew very, very well.

In fact, Tod Brown had (very poorly) dealt with sex abuse suits while the Vicar General of Monterey, CA in the 1980s. Plus, we can’t forget the fact that he was the target of an investigation. And Brown himself admitted that he had kept the allegation and the investigation secret.

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KANSAS
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: Christopher Rossman was ordained for the Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS in 2007. He assisted in parishes in Olathe and Topeka before being named pastor of two Holton parishes in 2011. He was also chaplain on the Potawatomie Reservation, Mayetta. In 2015 he became pastor of parishes in Baldwin City and Lapeer. Rossman was suspended from ministry in September 2016 after reports to church officials that he had visited inappropriate websites depicting minors. The archdiocese said it notified the FBI, and law enforcement launched an investigation.

Ordained: 2007

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UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: Benjamin L. Wren was ordained for the Society of Jesus in 1961. He taught in the order’s high schools in Dallas and El Paso TX as well as New Orleans LA. At some point, he spent a year teaching in Tokyo. In 1970 Wren began a 35-year career on the faculty of New Orleans’ Loyola University. He was a professor of Asian history and a popular teacher of Zen. He left the Jesuits in 1996 to marry, remaining a Loyola faculty member. He died in 2006.

In fall 2015 a woman reported to Loyola University administrators that Wren had sexually assaulted her “dozens of times” 1978-1985, beginning when she was age 5. Her grandmother worked on campus. She said the abuse included forced oral sex and intercourse, and that Wren said she and her family would die and go to hell if she told. The Jesuits’ southern provincial apologized and offered payment for her treatment. In September 2016 the woman filed suit against the University, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Jesuits of the USA Central and Southern Province. She claimed that the church’s lawyers tried to “extend and delay” her filing beyond the prescription period.

Born: 1931
Ordained: 1961
Died: July 20, 2006.

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VATIKAN
RP

[The pope wants to liberate the church from an obsession with sex.]

Weingarten. Auch wenn in Rom einige offenen Widerstand gegen den Papst leisten, will er große Veränderungen einleiten. Dabei will er, wie ein Vatikanist berichtet, etwas gegen die “Sexbessenheit” der Kirche unternehmen und dabei soll es nicht nur um Fälle sexuellen Missbrauchs gehen.

Papst Franziskus hat nach den Worten des italienischen Vatikan-Journalisten und Buchautors Marco Politi “viele Baustellen eröffnet”. Als Beispiele nannte er die Gründung des Kardinalsrates zur Kurienreform mit Bischöfen aus allen Kontinenten, die Familiensynode zum Umgang mit wiederverheirateten Geschiedenen und das Gericht, vor das Bischöfe kommen können, wenn sie Fälle sexuellen Missbrauchs zu vertuschen versucht haben.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Eric Veronikis | everonikis@pennlive.com

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will cooperate fully with the state’s investigation of sex abuse allegations within the diocese, Bishop David Zubik said in a written statement posted in a CBS Pittsburgh story.

The state attorney general’s office subpoenaed the diocese as part of its grand jury investigation of sex abuse within the Harrisburg, Allentown and Pittsburgh dioceses.

Zubik stated:

“In the ongoing need to protect children from abuse, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the state attorney general’s office. In his cover letter to me, Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye wrote that “our efforts do not have to be adversarial. . . . Our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.” I could not agree more. We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WPXI

[with video]

PITTSBURGH – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is cooperating with a grand jury investigation after receiving a subpoena from the state attorney general‘s office, Bishop David Zubik said Friday.

Below is the full statement that the bishop released Friday night:

“The Diocese of Pittsburgh has received a subpoena from the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, requesting cooperation with a grand jury investigation.

“I ask your prayers for all victim-survivors and their families. May God guide everyone in efforts to provide comfort and healing to victim-survivors of abuse. May God enlighten everyone engaged in this legal process.”

Target 11 learned the attorney general’s office issued the subpoena about two weeks ago. The office is asking for files dating back to 1947 for any allegations of child abuse or confirmed child abuse by priests.

Zubik said he believes the request stems from the grand jury report earlier this year that found nearly 50 priests molested hundreds of children over several decades in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.

When asked whether he was confident in saying there’s no cover-up, Zubik replied, “I would have to absolutely say that. No cover-up.”

Zubik also denied knowing of any incidents of child sex abuse inside the diocese.

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GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Sep 17, 2016

By Krystal Paco

Guam’s Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai is hoping to put the brakes on Substitute Bill 326. Recently passed on session floor, the legislation would lift the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases. In a message read to churchgoers over the weekend, entitled Putting the house in order without burning it down, Archbishop Hon says the bill is retroactive therefore could have “very damaging unintended consequences, so much so that the Bill threatens vital parts of the Church mission here on Guam.”

Specifically, the Archbishop says the legislation exposes the Archdiocese to unlimited financial liability, and notes other dioceses who were forced into bankruptcy as a result of similar laws in the states.

Church goers are asked to sign a petition at the end of mass in hopes of swaying Governor Eddie Calvo to veto the bill, but introduce legislation that would only hold abusers accountable, not institutions.

Archbishop Hon is currently in Rome and assures he is urging the Holy See to remove Archbishop Anthony Apuron as Archbishop of Agana and to appoint a successor. According to Hon, he and the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Agana presented a letter to Apuron asking him to resign. That was unsuccessful and has forced Hon to call on the Holy See to remove Apuron.

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GUAM
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agana

Putting the house in order without burning it down

I write this letter to you from Rome on the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, and to her I prayed for all of you before writing.

DOWNLOAD FULL MESSAGE

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GUAM/ROME
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News September 17, 2016

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai has urged Pope Francis to remove Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron as head of the Archdiocese of Agana because of gravely serious allegations of sex abuse of altar boys.

“I want you to know that I am in Rome to urge the Holy See to remove Archbishop Apuron as archbishop of Agana and to appoint a successor,” Hon said in his two-page statement. “I can assure you that the gravely serious allegations against Archbishop Apuron will continue to be dealt with by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, which will hold a canonical trial. His Holiness, Pope Francis, is monitoring the proceedings.”

Pope Francis temporarily stripped Apuron of his administrative powers over the Catholic church on Guam and temporarily replaced him with Hon on June 6.

Hon, who is currently at the Vatican in Rome, issued a two-page statement that he wants to be read at Sunday Mass on Sept. 18.

Hon said he is reinforced in his efforts by the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Agana which has presented two letters — the first asking Apuron to resign and when that was unsuccessful, the second calling on the Holy See to remove him.

“On behalf of the Church, I want to apologize personally to the survivors of sexual abuse everywhere who have suffered so much at the hands of clergy. We cannot undo the appalling betrayal of trust and faith and the horrendous acts that clergy have committed against the youngest and most innocent among us. We are committed to helping them heal in body and soul,” Hon said.

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OREGON
KATU

by Kellee Azar, KATU News
Friday, September 16th 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. — Pastor Adair Krack has led the First Baptist Church in Hoquiam, Washington for five years.

Deputies in Gray’s Harbor County say Krack is accused of inappropriately touching a 12-year-old girl at his home during a week-long Bible school.

Prior to working in Hoquiam, Krack worked at two churches in Portland.

“There were things that he would do that just didn’t strike us quite right,” Keith Allen, who worked with Krack, said.

Allen worked with Krack at First Baptist in Portland in the 1990s, specifically with kids.

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NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque Journal

By Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board
Saturday, September 17th, 2016

If you don’t think New Mexico has become a destination – or a haven – for child predators, consider these recently publicized cases:

Sept. 2: Paul Cunningham, a former Los Alamos pastor, was sentenced to one year in jail followed by two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to one charge of possessing and one charge of distributing child pornography.

June 16: The Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force announced it had made nearly two dozen arrests in a two-month operation. Fifteen of the 21 men arrested were charged with possessing and/or distributing child pornography.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Review

BY MADASYN CZEBINIAK | Friday, Sept. 16, 2016

The state Attorney General’s Office has subpoenaed the Diocese of Pittsburgh for records dating to 1947 to be used in a grand jury investigation into possible child sexual abuse, and the diocese is cooperating with the investigation, Bishop David Zubik announced Friday.

“In the ongoing need to protect children from abuse, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the state Attorney General’s Office,” Zubik said.

The bishop said that Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye requested the records and wrote in his cover letter, “our efforts do not have to be adversarial. … Our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.”

The bishop stated, “I could not agree more. We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse.”

The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to request for comment Friday.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh

The Diocese of Pittsburgh has received a subpoena from the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, requesting cooperation with a grand jury investigation.

In the ongoing need to protect children from abuse, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the state attorney general’s office. In his cover letter to me, Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye wrote that “our efforts do not have to be adversarial. . . . Our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.” I could not agree more. We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh is cooperating fully with the grand jury by turning over records requested of the diocese. It is my hope that this is a first step toward the government working with all institutions to address this serious matter.

I ask your prayers for all victim-survivors and their families. May God guide everyone in efforts to provide comfort and healing to victim-survivors of abuse. May God enlighten everyone engaged in this legal process.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WTAE

[statement from Bishop Zubik]

PITTSBURGH —The state grand jury investigating sexual abuse by priests has widened their probe and subpoenaed the files of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Bishop David Zubik said the diocese will work closely with the state attorney general’s office.

“We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse,” Zubik wrote in a statement.

In the same statement it says that the cover letter of the subpoena said, ”
Our efforts do not have to be adversarial … our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
CBS Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has been subpoenaed by the state Attorney General’s Office as part of an investigation into the allegations of sex abuse by priests.

In a statement, Bishop David Zubik says the Diocese will cooperate fully with investigators.

“We immediately responded to the Attorney General’s wish and said that we would cooperate fully,” said Bishop Zubik. “They were very specific about asking us to prepare to turn any files over that we had on accusations that were made against anybody about sexual misconduct with children, whether that’s credible or not credible.”

The statement reads:

“In the ongoing need to protect children from abuse, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the state attorney general’s office. In his cover letter to me, Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye wrote that “our efforts do not have to be adversarial. . . . Our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.” I could not agree more. We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse.

“The Diocese of Pittsburgh is cooperating fully with the grand jury by turning over records requested of the diocese. It is my hope that this is a first step toward the government working with all institutions to address this serious matter.

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PENNSYLVANIA
York Daily Record

Ed Mahon, emahon@ydr.com September 16, 2016

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, who has said he was abused by a priest in 1984, said a grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse can finally help victims understand how priests abused children in other parishes.

“It allows us to start getting answers we have been searching for our whole life,” Rozzi, of Berks County, said Friday.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg has received a grand jury subpoena from the state attorney general’s office, and Rozzi said he was asked to testify about child sex abuse in front of a grand jury in August.

The extent of the investigation is not clear. Rozzi, who told the Allentown Morning Call that the Allentown diocese is also being investigated, said he’s heard from abuse victims from across the state who have been asked to testify.

The Harrisburg diocese includes York, Adams, Franklin and Lebanon counties, among others in the region. The diocese said Friday that it is cooperating with the attorney general’s office, and noted its efforts to prevent child abuse and help survivors heal and recover. The Allentown diocese said it’s committed to the safety of children, and its policy is to cooperate with law enforcement.

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UNITED STATES
Daily Mail (UK)

By CLEMENCE MICHALLON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Religion across the United States is worth more than Apple, Google and Amazon combined, a new study has shown.

Researchers from Georgetown University and the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC, calculated how much money religion generates each year in the country.

They provided three different estimates. The mid-range number puts the annual value of America’s faith economy at $1.2 trillion.

This estimate takes into account revenue from faith-based organizations, such as schools and hospitals, as well as the goods and services they provide.

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CONNECTICUT
CT Post

By Daniel Tepfer Updated Friday, September 16, 2016

BRIDGEPORT — In 2001, The Rev. Robert Morrissey, then pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Ridgefield, angrily denounced from the pulpit the growing priest abuse scandal as a witch hunt contending he knew of no priests who had abused children.

One year later he was forced to resign after being confronted with allegations he had molested a 15-year-old boy in the late 1970s.

A lawsuit pending in Superior Court here states he molested a boy at St. Mary’s School in Greenwich.
Lawyers for five alleged male victims, all former altar boys, of five priests in the 1970s and 1980s pressed Thursday for the diocese to make records on the cases public.

“There’s no better proof that bishops aren’t reforming than their continuing legal maneuvers to maintain secrecy about clergy sex crimes and cover ups at all costs,” said David Clohessy, director of the national organization Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, the day after diocese lawyers urged a judge here Thursday to keep records of abuse by priests secret.

“Remember all those pledges by bishops to be ‘transparent’ about clergy sex crimes?” he said. “Clearly those promises were nothing but public relations.”

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UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

September 16, 2016 Joelle Casteix

I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who had just read a pretty expansive article on child sexual abuse and civil laws. What struck her was the author’s (correct) assertion that most child predators are NOT pedophiles.

Of course, I said. True “pedophiles,” that is, adults who are sexually attracted to prepubescent children, are only a small portion of the people who prey on children.

But the media and apologists tend to only focus on them, even though there is a far larger and more diverse population of people who commit sex crimes against children.

This is something that the survivors’ community knows well, but that gets lost in the great discussion.

An example: Bill Donohue, the president of the (somewhat questionable) Catholic League, is always quick to say that most of the sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is “ephebophila,” a non-specific term meant to describe adults who are attracted to children who have reached or in the middle of puberty. He says it’s less of a crime and less damaging to the children. Nothing could be more wrong.

When we use labels like “pedophila” and “ephebophilia,” we make child sexual abuse all about sex. But it isn’t about sex: it’s about power. Otherwise, why else would a child bully and sexually abuse another child? Why would sports hazing move into sexual assault and rape? Why would a teacher molest dozens of high school students? It’s the power.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Steve Esack
Call Harrisburg Bureau

Pittsburgh grand jury looking at child sex abuse allegation from churches across state

HARRISBURG — Four more Catholic dioceses — Erie, Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton — have been swept into a grand jury investigation of clergy sex abuse and cover-up allegations in communities stretching from the Delaware River to the Monongahela.

On Friday, officials in the Erie, Scranton and Greensburg dioceses confirmed they received subpoenas from the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office. Their confirmations come a day after the Harrisburg Diocese told the newspaper that it, too, had gotten a subpoena.

The Allentown Diocese also is part of the grand jury probe, according to a state lawmaker who testified before the grand jury in Pittsburgh. Allentown diocesan officials have declined to comment on the probe.

State prosecutors have been taking testimony in Pittsburgh for months in a wide-ranging investigation that started with a scathing March report detailing allegations of abuse by about 50 priests and other religious leaders in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and a coverup by church officials.

Six of the state’s eight Catholic dioceses have gotten subpoenas. The subpoenas — seeking personnel files and testimony from church officials — were sent to the Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton dioceses, The Morning Call has learned.

The Greensburg Diocese in southwestern Pennsylvania “received a subpoena from the statewide investigative grand jury,” spokesman Jerry Zufelt said in a statement. “The diocese is cooperating, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement officials in this matter. The Diocese of Greensburg takes the protection of all children and young people seriously. Names and facts of any allegation of misconduct will continue to be reported immediately to the proper civil authorities.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

September 16, 2016

By Peter Smith / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The state attorney general’s office has subpoenaed any documents relating to sexual abuse by priests from the Diocese of Pittsburgh and other Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania as part of a widening grand jury investigation.

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik confirmed Friday evening that the diocese received the subpoena within the last two weeks. The state is asking for any documents related to abuse by priests dating to 1947. Several other Catholic dioceses have received similar subpoenas.

The broad sweep of the subpoena mirrors what a state grand jury investigation obtained last year from the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and a Hollidaysburg-based order of Franciscans, leading to scathing reports earlier this year on the handling of sexually abusive priests by their superiors. In those cases, investigators executed search warrants to seize the documents.

Bishop Zubik said the subpoena gives the diocese time to fulfill the broad request, which was accompanied by a cover letter from Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye that said, “our efforts do not have to be adversarial. . . . Our work to protect children and seek the truth should be a joint endeavor.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com

by Maria Panaritis, STAFF WRITER

A state grand jury probe into clergy sex-abuse that began three years ago in Altoona-Johnstown has expanded to the Harrisburg diocese and possibly others across Pennsylvania, according to people with knowledge of the investigation.

A spokesman for the Harrisburg diocese confirmed Friday it had received a subpoena in connection with the case.

“We are cooperating fully,” spokesman Joe Aponick said, declining to elaborate.

Investigators have sought the names of known abusers in all eight Catholic dioceses statewide, Altoona-area victims’ lawyer Richard Serbin said Friday.

A report in the Allentown Morning Call said state agents and prosecutors are also examining misconduct within the Allentown Diocese. In a written statement Friday, that diocese did not confirm or address the report, but said its policy was “to cooperate with law enforcement.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

PENNSYLVANIA
York Daily Record

Associated Press and Staff Reports
September 16, 2016

A state lawmaker who says he was abused by a suburban Philadelphia priest more than three decades ago now says state prosecutors are investigating priest abuse accusations in that diocese and in Harrisburg.

Democratic state Rep. Mark Rozzi says the state attorney general’s office has a grand jury investigating the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.

The Harrisburg diocese includes York, Adams, Franklin and Lebanon counties, among others in the region.

A spokesman for the Harrisburg diocese tells The Morning Call it has received a subpoena from the grand jury.

In August, a York Daily Record investigation reported that the Diocese of Harrisburg acknowledged by name 15 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing children and who at one time worked in the diocese — including one who served in Dallastown in 1989-90.

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PENNSYLVANIA
ABC 27

Chris Davis
Published: September 16, 2016

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Some Midstate churches are under the microscope six months after a critical report about child sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

The state attorney general’s office is now investigating at least two more Catholic districts, including Harrisburg.

The investigation first came to light in the Allentown Morning Call thanks to state Rep. Mark Rozzi. He told ABC27 by phone Friday afternoon he testified in front of a grand jury in Pittsburgh last month about abuse he suffered as an altar boy in Allentown.

That diocese is now also under investigation.

“It came as no surprise to us,” said Nate Foote, an attorney with Andreozzi and Associates, a law firm that handles sexual abuse cases.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Lehigh Valley Live

By Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com

Mark Rozzi’s rape at the hands of Pennsylvania priest is not a secret anymore.

The state representative from Berks County has spoken publicly about his sex abuse as a 13-year-old boy, including sharing his story on the House floor in Harrisburg.

But Rozzi’s retelling last month in Pittsburgh, as part of his testimony before a grand jury investigating claims of child sex abuse in the Allentown and Harrisburg dioceses, was still pivotal, he said.

“I never told my story in front of people who had a stake in moving it forward,” Rozzi said of his Aug. 17 testimony, which he said lasted more than three hours. “It was so justifying and so rewarding.”

Word came Thursday and Friday that the Allentown and Harrisburg dioceses are being investigated for child sex abuse claims by a state grand jury.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

Pennsylvania’s Catholic community enforces strict policies to ensure all children are safe on church property – particularly from child sex abuse.

That was the message from the spokeswoman for the legislative branch of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania on Friday.

In a statement regarding news that the state Attorney General’s office has been conducting for months a grand jury investigation into allegations of child sex abuse across the state’s dioceses, Amy Hill, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, reiterated that the “Catholic community” maintained strict policies to ensure the welfare of all children on church property. The church, she noted, also offers assistance to survivors and their families such as counseling, addiction treatment, medication, and transportation.

“We will continue to offer assistance to enable healing as long as it is needed,” Hill said in a written statement.

News that the state Attorney General’s office was conducting a statewide probe into allegations of child sex abuse across the Catholic dioceses was first reported by The Morning Call. On Friday, the Harrisburg Diocese confirmed to PennLive that it was one of the diocese’s under investigation by the agency. Others include Pittsburgh and Allentown, two of the biggest dioceses in the state.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Your Erie

Bishop Lawrence Persico was subpoenaed to provide information to a statewide grand jury investigation into child abuse in the Catholic church.

Persico was subpoenaed Sept. 1 to give any information related to past and present allegations of sexual abuse of children in the Diocese of Erie.

Several bishops across the state were subpoenaed at the same time, according to a statement by the diocese.

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MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, Sept. 16, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

Corrupt and callous Kansas City cops must be fired and prosecuted for putting suffering children through even more suffering by ignoring or concealing known or suspected crimes.

[MSN]

It’s not enough that some claim “progress” is being made now. It’s not enough that officers have been moved back to street patrols and out of the crimes against children division. (If officers are so irresponsible that they’ll let hurting kids keep hurting, it’s unlikely they’ll suddenly ‘reform’ and start acting responsibly toward adults.)

Ignoring wrongdoing encourages more wrongdoing.

It’s just heart-breaking that KCPD officers have repeatedly violated the trust of crime victims and enabled criminals to commit more crimes. We desperately hope that these brave victims report again and keep reporting – to police, prosecutors, even federal officials – until they are heard and justice is done. Giving up helps no one.

No matter what politicians or police officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered violent or sexual crimes to continue protecting kids by calling police – and persist, no matter how many delays – and get help by calling therapists, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, victims will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.

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MAINE
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, September 16, 2016

For more information: David Clohessy 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com

A convicted murderer who says his crime stemmed, in part, from being sexually abused as a boy by priests is filing a civil lawsuit charging that two clerics assaulted him.

[Portland Press Herald]

Jeff Libby was sentenced to 60 years in prison in Maine for killing his grandfather in 1986. Experienced therapists who have evaluated Libby strongly believe his childhood trauma contributed significantly to Libby’s crime.

In 2009, Libby received a settlement from the Hartford CT archdiocese after they deemed his abuse report against Fr. Richard P. McGann credible. Libby estimates that Fr. McGann assaulted him about 200 times.

Now, in a new civil lawsuit against Maine Catholic officials, Libby is also charging that two other priests assaulted him in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The accused are

–ex-prison chaplain Fr. Christian F. Roy of Maine and

–Fr. Raymond Lauzon, who was sued multiple times in the 1990s over alleged abuse.

Fearing retaliation and feeling shame, Libby was unable to report the crimes after they happened.

“We applaud Jeff for reporting the suffering he endured at the hands of these priests,” said Barbara Dorris, outreach director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “Innocent kids and vulnerable adults are safer when predators are exposed.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

State Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) on Friday called police to his district office after a member of his staff received a threatening phone call.

“They felt it was crazy enough to call Capital Police and also bring in our local township police,” Rozzi said speaking by phone from his district office in Mullenberg Township . “They are saying a lot of crazy things. They are concerned.”

The call came amid a story published by The Morning Call detailing a statewide investigation by the state Attorney General’s office into allegations of clergy sex abuse.

Among the diocese being investigated by grand jury prosecutors are the dioceses of Harrisburg, Allentown and Pittsburgh.

Rozzi said that while Friday’s caller was prompted by the story in The Morning Call, he has in the past received similar threatening calls.

“They are very will do anything to protect the church,” he said “That’s what this one guy is. This has nothing to do with the church. This is about predators within the church that are protected by the hierarchy.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

Several of the witnesses called to testify before a grand jury investigation by the state Attorney General’s office into allegations of clergy sex abuse across dioceses in the state are warning that they expect those findings to dwarf an earlier report this year out of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

“After reading the Altoona-Johnstown report, I thought it couldn’t get much worse but from hearing stories from victims about their abuse in Allentown it’s going to make the Altoona-Johnstown report look mild,” said Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks), who gave testimony to investigators a month ago in Pittsburgh.

“The number of people that I know that want to testify clearly outweighs the number that they were able to get in Altoona-Johnstown,” he said on Friday. “I think you are really going to see some horrific stories of abuse that you didn’t see in Altoona.”

The Harrisburg Diocese on Friday confirmed that it had received a subpoena from the Attorney General’s office to testify in a statewide probe into allegations of child sex abuse by priests from dioceses across the state, including those in Allentown and Pittsburgh.

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ARIZONA
New York Daily News

BY CHRIS SOMMERFELDT
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Friday, September 16, 2016

A perverted Arizona pastor has been arrested for allegedly molesting several children — at one point impregnating a 13-year-old girl he had illegally married in Mexico, prosecutors said.

Jose Vicente Morales, 49, was arrested Sept. 9 at his Phoenix home after one young accuser’s mother alerted authorities of the pastor’s appalling acts, KNXV-TV reports.

An investigation is ongoing but cops have so far found Morales molested at least five girls over the the past three decades, several of whom were as young as 7.

Many of Morales’ victims attended his church, Iglesia Impacto De Fe, cops said.

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ARIZONA
Daily Mail (UK)

By THOMAS BURROWS FOR MAILONLINE

A pastor has been arrested after he allegedly molested several children – including a 13-year-old girl he had illegally married.

Jose Morales, 49, was arrested at his home in Phoenix after the mother of one of his victims alerted police.

She noticed her daughter, 17, had been self-harming as a result of the sexual abuse Morales allegedly did to her five years earlier.

An investigation is ongoing but police have so far found the pastor molested at least five girls over a 30-year period.

Morales came to Arizona in 1986 at the age of 19.

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ARIZONA
International Business Times

[with video]

BY CORTNEY DRAKEFORD ON 09/16/16

Church is supposed to be a safe space where anyone can come and worship a higher spiritual power, but an Arizona pastor has been accused of violating that safety by allegedly molesting children for several years who belonged to the house of worship he presided over. Jose Vincente Morales was arrested last week after he allegedly sexually targeted youth members of the Iglesia Impacto De Fe in Phoenix as well as other children outside of the church. During this time, he also impregnated a girl when she was 13 years old, local news outlet ABC 15 reported.

The 49-year-old man was arrested Sept. 9 at his Phoenix home after the mother of one of his alleged victims told police about the crimes she said were committed against her child. The mother said she noticed her child began to self-mutilate as a result of the sexual abuse she allegedly suffered five years earlier.

Although the case is still under investigation, police have already found that Morales has molested at least five girls within the last three decades, some who were as young as seven years old, the New York Daily News reported.

Back in 1986, when Morales first arrived to Arizona at 19 years old, he was in a relationship with an 8-year-old girl who he married once she turned 10 in Mexico. When she was 13 years old, the girl became pregnant.

Since the local media began reporting on the crimes, several of Morales’ alleged victims have come forward. An 18-year-old church member told police that the pastor sexually assaulted her. Another victim told authorities that he molested her from the age of seven until she was 12 years old. Police stated that none of the assaults took place on church property but some did occur in homes and swimming pools.

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GEORGIA
CBS 46

By Briana Belser, Digital Content Producer

COBB COUNTY, GA (CBS46) –
Danny Wells, also known as Pastor 7, has been arrested and charged with rape and aggravated child molestation.

The incident occurred at The Garden recovery center where Wells is the founder and pastor. He’s accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old juvenile who was staying at the center with their family. That child was interviewed by detectives where the victim disclosed the sexual abuse.

The Garden recovery center is a non-profit organization for “that reaches out to the lost and broken of Atlanta and beyond,” according to their website. It’s home to over 60 women and 40 children rescued from the streets. Wells started this program after growing up homeless himself.

This isn’t Pastor 7’s first run in with the law however. According to the site, he has a history of drugs, firearms, money laundering and the mafia. He spent time in solitary confinement and was released back in 2000.

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GEORGIA
Atlanta Journal Constitution

A Cobb County pastor is charged with sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl while she was staying at the homeless shelter his ministry ran.

Danny Wells — founder of the 7 Bridges to Recovery ministry, and known as Pastor 7 — was arrested Thursday morning on charges of rape and aggravated child molestation, according to Cobb County police.

The investigation began in Dothan, Alabama, where the girl told detectives she was abused at The Garden at 2840 Plant Atkinson Road in Smyrna.

According to the shelter’s website, The Garden is described as “… a home for 105 women and children and a program for 25 men that have all been rescued from the streets. These men and women continue to go to the streets multiple times a week reaching out to the lost.”

“The investigation into this incident is ongoing and there may be additional victims,” police said.

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GEORGIA
11 Alive

Greg Rossino, WXIA September 16, 2016

SMYRNA, Ga. — A local pastor has been arrested and charged with child molestation and rape following an investigation from County Police Department’s Crimes Against Children’s Unit.

According to detectives, the investigation originally began in Dothan, Alabama, leading to the interview of a 10-year-old juvenile victim.

During the interview, the juvenile victim disclosed she was sexually abused by “Pastor 7” David Wells, while staying at the recovery center, The Garden, in Smyrna, Ga. with family.

The Garden, which “is home to about 60 women and 40 children that have been rescued from homelessness or broken situations,” was founded by Wells back in 2008.

According to the recovery center’s website, “(Wells) was released from prison in 2000 and God told him to go into the streets and under the bridges and love those with this new love he had been given. Eventually, he was given a home and began rescuing men off the streets and bringing them into his house. Then, women and children started showing up wanting help and God eventually provided the Garden, a home for women and children.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse – FACSA

1. Tuesday 9/20/16 | 10:30 AM | “Spotlight” Press Conference with Spotlight’s Phil Saviano, Joe Crowley and Eric MacLeash | Philadelphia Sheraton Downtown | (MAP HERE)

The press conference follows an earlier panel discussion about the true story behind the movie focusing on the role of the media, the importance of civil remedies and obstacles created by statutes of limitation.

Please spread the word and join us as we attempt a final push to get the original version of HB 1947 (that passed the House overwhelmingly in April) back onto the House Floor for a vote and onto the Senate for concurrence.

Also, if you happen to know a survivor or family member of any of the priests from the 2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report, please pass along this invitation. Also, if you have knowledge about where the priests are currently located, and especially if they live close by to where children congregate, please let Pam Oddo know by e-mail. Pam would also appreciate an RSVP if you can attend the press conference.

2. Tuesday 9/27/16 | 10 AM | Rep. Rozzi Press Conference at the Capitol Building- more info to come as to exact location. (MAP HERE)

More on the status of the bill will be posted on our Facebook page and Twitter feed as events will likely happen quickly.

Any questions, concerns, just reply to this email and I will get it.

Marie Whitehead
Communication Coordinator for TEAM FACSA

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PENNSYLVANIA
Lehigh Valley Live

By Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com

The Diocese of Allentown has been named in a statewide grand jury investigation into child sex abuse claims, according to reports.

The Allentown and Harrisburg dioceses are part of the investigation, The Morning Call reported.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Democrat from the Reading area, confirmed to media outlets that he recently testified before the grand jury convened in Pittsburgh. Rozzi, of Muhlenberg Township, has previously revealed he was abused by an Allentown Diocese priest in 1984 when he was 13.

While grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret, grand jury witnesses can discuss their testimony.

A timeline of abuse allegations over the past 14 years involving priests with local connections.

Diocese of Allentown spokesman Matt Kerr would not confirm the diocese’s involvement in the grand jury or say if the diocese was subpoenaed. He issued a statement in the wake of Rozzi’s revelations.

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CANADA
Windsor Star

[with video]

A mass was held in Windsor Thursday night at Our Lady of the Assumption for victims and survivors of clergy abuse. Similar masses were held in churches spanning the London Diocese.

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FLORIDA
Washington Post

By Peter Holley September 16

The men come from any number of backgrounds and range from young to old.

In the end, Pensacola police said, they were united by a common goal: having sex with minors.

During a five-day stretch that ended Sunday, all 22 of the men — including a pastor from a Florida church — were dragged down by “Operation Undertow,” an Internet sting in which undercover agents lured suspected child predators via computer to an undisclosed Florida location, police said.

The men were snagged after they responded to ads for sex with teenage males and females created by agents on “various websites,” police said. Once the men initiated conversations with investigators, police said, warrants were issued for their arrest.

When the suspects showed up at the designated location, they were taken into custody and charged with traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WITF

Associated Press

(Allentown) — A state lawmaker who says he was abused by a suburban Philadelphia priest more than three decades ago now says state prosecutors are investigating priest abuse accusations in two dioceses.

Democratic state Representative Mark Rozzi of Berks County says the state attorney general’s office has a grand jury investigating the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.

He says he testified several weeks ago in Pittsburgh, but declined to provide details.

A March report uncovered hundreds of abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown that spanned decades.

A spokesman for the Harrisburg diocese says it has received a subpoena from the grand jury.

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WASHINGTON
AOL

[with video]

HOQUIAM, Wash. (KCPQ) — Police on Wednesday arrested a Hoquiam pastor accused of molesting two children — one of the cases dating back almost 15 years.

Authorities said Adair Krack, 67, was booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail for investigation of child molestation 1st degree and child molestation 2nd degree.

According to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office:

Deputies were first contacted on Aug. 19 by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon. Investigators received a report that a 12-year-old girl from Oregon had been touched inappropriately by Krack at his home last summer.

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MISSOURI
MSN

Kansas City Star
By Glenn E. Rice, Donna McGuire and Ian Cummings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For years, Kansas City police detectives failed to properly investigate some rapes, serious abuse and other crimes against the city’s children. And in many instances, detectives did no work at all, internal police department memos recently obtained by the Kansas City Star reveal.

A special squad assigned a year ago to help clear backlogged cases uncovered those problems and many others so serious that in January Police Chief Darryl Forte suspended nearly the entire Crimes Against Children unit of detectives and sergeants. At the time, Forte said cases were being worked too slowly.

But police never disclosed the depth and scope of the detectives’ inaction on reported crimes — sexual assaults, broken bones, near starvation among them. The department’s own memos describe 148 “severely mishandled” cases, “gross negligence,” “incompetence” and evidence of attempts to “cover up.”

“Never in my career with the KCPD have I seen such a systemic failure,” Maj. David Lindaman wrote in a Nov. 19 memo to a deputy chief that was among hundreds of pages of documents obtained by The Star.

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IRELAND
The Irish Catholic

by Greg Daly
September 15, 2016

The decision to involve the Vatican’s child protection commission in training new bishops is very welcome, child abuse survivor Marie Collins has said.

Mrs Collins, in Rome for a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, told The Irish Catholic that the commission has been “invited to take part in training of new bishops here in Rome this week”, continuing, “I will be taking part.”

She described this as “a very welcome development”.

The decision stands in sharp contrast to last year’s training course, when Msgr Tony Anatrella told newly appointed bishops it was up to victims of sexual abuse or their parents to report allegations of abuse to the civil authorities. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the child protection commission, challenged this advice, saying that bishops had an “ethical and moral” obligation to report abuse allegations.

As well as providing training for new bishops, commission members were invited to address meetings of the Pontifical Ecclesiastic Academy and the Congregation for Consecrated Life.

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LOUISIANA
The Times-Picayune

By Diana Samuels, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Two more people have come forward to accuse a Marrero pastor of molesting them when they were young girls, raising to five the number of people accusing him of sexual crimes as part of a growing investigation, Orleans Parish court documents said.

The documents said police have also been contacted by two additional possible victims, though their allegations are not detailed in the record.

Sherman Smith was arrested in November on aggravated rape and sexual battery charges after three people came forward. He was booked on further charges Wednesday (Sept. 13), court records showed, including indecent behavior with a juvenile, sexual battery, and molestation of a juvenile or person with a disability.

Smith, a 56-year-old Algiers resident, was a pastor at Second Highway Baptist Church, 1533 block of Haydel Drive, Marrero.

An affidavit for the recent arrest warrant said four more people came forward after information about Smith’s first arrest was distributed on social media. The affidavit contains details about two of those victims’ allegations. The records don’t say how long ago the crimes occurred, but the original case that led to Smith’s arrest had occurred about 22 years earlier.

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ILLINOIS
Aurora Beacon-News

Dan Campana
Aurora Beacon-News

The leader of a North Aurora church will ask the judge overseeing his sex assault case to reduce his bail at a hearing later this month.

Ralphael Robinson, 39, who is listed with an Aurora address, appeared in Kane County court Thursday for a hearing at which he was scheduled to be arraigned on charges of criminal sex assault, criminal sex abuse, attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse and violation of sex offender registry rules. During the appearance, Robinson’s attorney requested Judge Linda Abrahamson set a hearing for a bond reduction motion. Robinson remains in Kane County Jail on $107,500 bail, with arraignment and the bond issue scheduled for Sept. 30.

Robinson faces a three-count indictment alleging he “begged” to have sex with a teen girl while at Kingdom Church in April.

Authorities have said Robinson fondled and inappropriately touched the teen, who later confronted him about the incident April 18 at the church on South Lincolnway Street. Robinson, who is a registered sex offender following a 2004 sex abuse conviction in Cook County, is accused of violating registry rules after Aurora police said he gave false information, including his employment status. He pleaded guilty to a similar charge in 2004 and received probation.

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

The new chairwoman of the inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, Prof Alexis Jay, is to be paid a salary of £185,000.

The academic and former social worker will also receive an annual accommodation allowance of £35,000.

She is the fourth person to head the inquiry. Her predecessor, Dame Lowell Goddard, who resigned last month, had criticised the scope and scale of the inquiry and said it should be reviewed.

Dame Lowell was being paid £355,000.

She received nearly £30,000 in accommodation expenses, and also claimed £3,324 in expenses last year and more than £37,000 in expenses relating to her relocation to the UK from New Zealand.

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NEW YORK
New York Daily News

BY MICHAEL O’KEEFFE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Friday, September 16, 2016

A Long Island milkman hopes to deliver justice to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

The owner of Milky Whey Calfeteria has asked his 200 Suffolk County customers to donate this week’s bill to the Democrat running against State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, a longtime foe of efforts to reform the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases.

“In lieu of this week’s milk bill payment I am requesting instead that you make a contribution to the below campaign,” Milky Whey Calfeteria owner Kevin DeBlasi wrote in a letter he began distributing to his customers Wednesday. “Your September invoice will reflect zero charges for the week 9/12-9/18.”

The letter includes info on how DeBlasi’s moo-juice customers can donate money to the campaign of Peter Magistrale, a Democrat who supports the Child Victims Act, a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse — a caused championed by the Daily News.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord Monitor

By ALYSSA DANDREA
Monitor staff
Thursday, September 15, 2016

A state senator is drafting a bill that would eliminate the time frame sexual assault victims have to pursue legal action against their attackers.

Martha Fuller Clark, a Portsmouth Democrat, plans to sponsor legislation in the 2017 session that would remove the six-year limitation in felony cases involving adult victims, according to a statement issued Thursday.

Fuller Clark clarified by phone that she is also looking to eliminate the time restriction in child sexual abuse cases, which is longer, but, she argues, still insufficient.

The current statute gives prosecutors 22 years from the child’s 18th birthday – so until age 40 – to file sexual assault charges. Those same victims have less time to file a civil lawsuit; the state statute gives child victims until age 30 to seek damages.

“The timing of these charges shouldn’t be arbitrary,” she said of the limitations period in criminal cases. “We don’t know when an individual who has been traumatized will feel comfortable coming forward.”

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UNITED KINGDOM
Premier

Fri 16 Sep 2016
By Alex Williams

The new chairperson of the national inquiry into how the Church, among other UK bodies and institutions, handled child sex abuse has asked that she earns nearly 50 per cent less than her predecessor.

Prof Alexis Jay became the fourth head of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) last month after New Zealand high court judge Dame Lowell Goddard (pictured below) resigned.

The inquiry said: “Professor Jay specifically requested this salary and furthermore did not require the use of a car and driver as provided to the previous Chair.”

While her successor has requested a salary of £185,000 per year, Dame Goddard was paid £355,000 in the last financial year.

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WEST VIRGINIA
Mineral Daily News-Tribune

Posted Sep. 15, 2016

By Barbara High
bhigh@newstribune.info
Tribune Staff Writer

BURLINGTON – Pastor Richard Hogg, former spiritual life coordinator for the Burlington United Methodist Family Services, has pled guilty in Mineral County Circuit Court to one felony count of sexual abuse of a minor by a parent, guardian, or custodian.

The incident occurred when Hogg was employed by Burlington United Methodist Family Services.

According to Mineral County prosecuting attorney Cody Pancake, Hogg was originally charged with two similar counts involving a minor following an investigation led by the West Virginia State Police.

Pancake said Hogg was not indicted by the Mineral County Grand Jury, but instead chose to plead to the information in front of a judge.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Fox 43

BY HOWARD SHEPPARD

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is reportedly looking into allegations of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. That is according to an article published in the Allentown Morning Call.

The article also quotes diocese spokesperson Joe Aponick acknowledging that the diocese has received a subpoena from the state grand jury. The diocese issued a statement saying that it is cooperating with investigators.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WFMZ

Kyle Rogers , Reporter, KRogers@wfmz.com

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A local state lawmaker, who was sexually abused by a priest, said he testified before a grand jury investigating abuse in the Diocese of Allentown as part of a statewide probe.

Representative Mark Rozzi (D) of Berks County said the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is investigating clergy sexual abuse and the findings will be shocking.

Rozzi told 69 News he was in Pittsburgh recently to testify before a grand jury about his personal experience as a child abused by a priest within the Diocese of Allentown.

“I think people are going to be really, really shocked, saddened, dismayed when they find out what really happened in the Allentown diocese,” said Rozzi.

The Berks County lawmaker has led the charge to crackdown on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania. “I got my subpoena months ago and I just recently testified about three to four weeks ago in Pittsburgh specifically on my abuse,” said Rozzi.

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GUAM
Radio New Zealand

[with audio]

From Dateline Pacific

A bill that would enable victims of historical sexual abuse in Guam to file civil action is a step closer to becoming law.

A victims advocate says it could have tremendous implications for the Catholic Church which has been hit by more allegations of abuse by Guam’s Archbishop and other clergy members.

Jo O’Brien has more

TRANSCRIPT

“My name is Ramon Afaisan de Plata. When I was 10 years old in March 1964 I witnessed Pale Antonio Cruz and Anthony Apuron molest an altar boy.”

The latest accusation of sexual abuse made against Guam’s Archbishop Anthony Apuron who was a seminarian at the time, and a now deceased priest, Reverend Antonio Cruz. During a media conference posted on the Pacific Daily News website, 62 year-old Ramon De Plata went on to describe how he saw Anthony Apuron performing oral sex on the boy, who was then just 10 years-old.

The allegation of abuse in the 1960s follows four earlier claims the Archbishop molested or raped altar boys in the 1970s. Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests spokesperson Joelle Casteix says the fresh allegation suggests the abuse was more widespread.

“If it goes as far back as the 1960s we’re going to see that there was a web of abuse and coverup that went back much bigger and much further than we really even know right now.”

The most recent allegations come as Guam’s legislature has unanimously approved a bill that would lift the two-year statute of limitations for filing civil action in sexual abuse cases. The bill would allow civil action to be taken against alleged perpetrators of historical abuse and the institutions that protected them. Joelle Casteix says that makes it very powerful, enabling victims to access church files, and force church officials to reveal what they know about abuse under oath.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WGAL

By Hannah McDonald

The Harrisburg Diocese is part of grand jury investigation into possible sexual abuse by priests.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Steve Esack, Peter Hall and Matt Assad
Of The Morning Call

“Allentown is definitely under the microscope.”

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is looking into allegations of abuse by priests in the Allentown Diocese as part of a bigger statewide investigation, a lawmaker who was called to testify told The Morning Call Thursday.

The Harrisburg Diocese also is under investigation.

“I can acknowledge that the Diocese of Harrisburg has received a subpoena from the state grand jury,” spokesman Joe Aponick said Thursday.

State prosecutors have been taking testimony in Pittsburgh for months in a wide ranging investigation that started with a scathing March report detailing allegations of abuse by about 50 priests and other religious leaders in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and a coverup by church officials. It’s not clear how many of the state’s eight dioceses are being investigated.

“They’ve got a grand jury going on in the Allentown Diocese and on the Harrisburg Diocese,” said Rep. Mark Rozzi, a former altar boy who says he was abused by an Allentown Diocese priest in 1984. “Allentown is definitely under the microscope.”

Allentown Diocese spokesman Matt Kerr would not confirm the investigation Thursday. In a statement, he said the diocese promptly reports abuse allegations and has “zero tolerance” for offenders.

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CONNECTICUT
CT Post

By Daniel Tepfer Thursday, September 15, 2016

BRIDGEPORT – Lawyers for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport and the international Congregation of Holy Cross urged a judge Thursday not to make public hundreds of documents detailing how priest abuse was handled by bishops Edward Egan and William Lori.

“If there is a letter to the diocese that we heard Father so-and-so had done this thing and this information, if it were made public, would taint this priest,” Diocese lawyer Ernest J. Mattei told Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis.

It’s been more than 10 years since the diocese paid more than $15 million to more than two dozen people who claimed they were abused by priests when they were children. And then there was the award-winning movie, “Spotlight,” about the abuse cases in Boston that many thought had closed the door on the whole abuse scandal.

But for more than two years, three local lawyers, Jason Tremont, Cindy Robinson and Douglas Mahoney, who represent five alleged victims of four priests, have been battling with the lawyers for the diocese in Superior Court here.

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AUSTRALIA
Northern Star

Sherele Moody | 16th Sep 2016

A VICTIM of a notorious paedophile priest told Cardinal George Pell in 2002 that he had experienced “severe and prolonged sexual abuse”.

The victim’s letter sent to Cardinal Pell when he was archbishop of Sydney was tendered as evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse this week.

The victim describes being abused by Father John Farrell in the 1980s.

Farrell was convicted earlier this year of 62 child abuse offences against 12 victims.

Farrell’s victims made allegations about the priest as far back as 1984 but the Catholic Church allowed him to continue working with young boys until 1992 – the same year the former priest “confessed” to three senior church members to abusing five boys in the Armidale diocese in 1992.

The victim’s letter was sent to Cardinal Pell and the then Armidale bishop Luc Matthys who was Farrell’s superior.

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CANADA
Catholic Register

BY DEBORAH GYAPONG, CANADIAN CATHOLIC NEWS
September 15, 2016

OTTAWA – The Archdiocese of Ottawa is withholding comment on a $2-million lawsuit launched by the estate of a man who, according to his wife, claimed on his death bed that he had been sexually abused by a priest in the 1960s.

The case of the man identified as “John Doe” was filed in August by Robert Talach, a lawyer who has represented many sexual abuse claimants against the Catholic Church.

According to a report in the Ottawa Citizen, “John Doe” claimed to his wife that he was abused by Fr. Jean Gravel, a priest at Ottawa’s Saint-Remi parish. “Doe” died in 2014.

Gravel pleaded guilty in 1967 to gross indecency charges involving two teenaged boys. In a rare move for that time, Archbishop Joseph -Aurèle Plourde appealed to the Vatican to have Gravel removed from the clerical state in 1970. Gravel committed suicide in 1980. Plourde died in 2013.

According to the Citizen, court documents indicate that “John Doe” was one of the priest’s teenaged victims involved in the 1967 criminal case. His wife told the Citizen she only became aware of the alleged abuse when her husband spoke about it before he died.

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MAINE
Portland Press Herald

BY ERIC RUSSELL STAFF WRITER
erussell@pressherald.com | @PPHEricRussell | 207-791-6344

An inmate at the Maine State Prison serving a 60-year sentence for the 1986 murder of his grandfather has sued the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland for alleged sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of two priests, dating back to the late 1970s.

Jeffrey Libby, through his attorney Verne Paradis Jr., filed the suit Thursday in Cumberland County Unified Court, alleging negligence, sexual assault and battery, invasion of privacy, clergy malpractice and more. He is seeking unspecified damages.

He named his abusers as: Christian Roy, who was permanently removed from the priesthood in 2006 and now lives in Boston, and Raymond Lauzon, who died in 2005. Both have long histories of abuse allegations against them, according to previously published stories.

Libby alleges that he was raised in a devout Catholic family and lived with his grandparents in Winslow during the time of the abuse. He met Roy at a church function in 1979 and Roy subsequently introduced Libby to Lauzon.

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FLORIDA
KCBY

BY ALLIE NORTON, WEAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH 2016

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WEAR) — Parishioners from the church neighboring First United Methodist Church of Pace circled around the building in prayer on Wednesday night. Hours earlier, news broke that the senior pastor was one of nearly two dozen men arrested in a child sex sting led by the Pensacola Police Department.

“It’s a major issue,” Chief David Alexander III said in a press conference. “It is something I believe the people need to know, that this is very serious and there are long term consequences when we don’t do what we can to pull these kind of people off the street.”

According to the police report, David D Hoppenjan, 52, contacted an undercover officer posing as a 14 year old boy through an “ecommerce” website profile. Hoppenjan and the officer communicated through writing where they agreed to oral sex at a Pensacola location. According to the report, Hoppenjan arrived, but was given a second location by the officer to meet the juvenile. Hoppenjan was taken into custody on charges of obscene communication and traveling to meet after using computer to lure child.

The 21 other suspects were arrested for similar circumstances during the five-day sting. At least one suspect traveled from Mobile, but it is possible some came from as far as Mississippi. Florida Attorney Bill Eddins said he applauds the hard work of the numerous law enforcement agencies, but adds it a little discouraging to see so many arrests.

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ALABAMA
AL.com

By Leada Gore | lgore@al.com

Twenty-two men – including 4 from Alabama and a former youth pastor at a Wetumpka church – were arrested in an internet sting that targeted adults who traveled to Pensacola to have sex with children.

Dubbed “Operation Undertow,” the Pensacola police said the sting took place Sept. 7-11. Warrants were issued for all of the suspects after they contacted undercover agents via the computer in an attempt to arrange sexual encounters with teenage males and female.

The suspects were arrested when they arrived at the designated location where they thought they would be meeting the teens. They were instead met by Pensacola police.

“This effort of arresting and prosecuting these individuals helps to stop future abuse,” said Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander III. “This was five days of hard work for our officers, dispatchers, support personnel, and personnel from other agencies in addition to the planning of this operation.”

Among those arrested was David Hoppenjan, 52, of Pace, Florida, senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Pace. Prior to coming to Pace last year, Hoppenjan was executive pastor at Shalimar United Methodist Church in Florida for nine years and before that, he was youth pastor at Wetumpka First United Methodist Church in Alabama.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

15 September

Details about the remuneration package for the newly appointed Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse have today been published. Alexis Jay, who took over from former Chair, Dame Lowell Goddard, last month is to receive a salary of £185,000 and an accommodation allowance of £35,000.

Professor Jay specifically requested this salary, and furthermore did not require the use of a car and driver as provided to the previous Chair.

Further information about the Chair’s remuneration package can be found in our library.

We have also published our financial report for 2015/16.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By PRESS ASSOCIATION

The new chairwoman of the national inquiry into child sexual abuse will earn £185,000 a year.

Professor Alexis Jay, who was named as the fourth head of the probe last month after Dame Lowell Goddard resigned, will also be given a London accommodation allowance of £35,000.

Prof Jay’s salary is substantially lower than that given to her predecessor, who was paid £355,000 in the last financial year.

Releasing details of the new chair’s remuneration package, the inquiry said: ” Professor Jay specifically requested this salary and furthermore did not require the use of a car and driver as provided to the previous Chair.”

The inquiry also published its financial report for 2015/16, including details of spending amounting to more than half a million pounds in relation to Dame Lowell’s terms.

This included £355,000 in annual salary and £119,000 on rental and utilities allowance
The inquiry incurred costs of £67,319 during the last financial year on travel included in the New Zealand high court judge’s terms of appointment.

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ARIZONA
Addicting Info

By Stephen D Foster Jr on September 15, 2016
·
An Arizona pastor used his position to get close to children for decades so he could rape them – and now he has finally been arrested by law enforcement.

Jose Vicente Morales of the Iglesia Impacto De Fe church in Phoenix was arrested at his home on September 9th and charged with sexual abuse, child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor, one of whom he “married” when the girl was 10 years old and impregnated when she was 13 years old.

According to ABC 15:

Court records show that 49-year-old Jose Vicente Morales had been molesting children for years; he impregnated one of the victims when she was 13 years of age.

In the ongoing investigation, police report Morales may have molested or sexually assaulted at least five victims who were either church members or known to Morales outside of the church setting.

Multiple victims have come forward, including a teen who says the pastor lured her into a home and and sexually assaulted her and another who says he molested her from the time she was seven until she turned 12.

Thus far, Morales’ church has not responded to the arrest and charges.

But when they finally get around to doing so, hopefully they will not blame the victims like the Columbia Road Baptist Church in North Olmsted, Ohio did earlier this month when they demanded that a teenage girl apologize to the wife of the youth pastor who raped her repeatedly.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Brian Roewe | Sep. 15, 2016

Eight months without reply, Catholic advocates for survivors of clergy sexual abuse have hit resend on their request for a Vatican investigation into the abuse policies of U.S. bishops.

The Catholic Whistleblowers mailed a second letter Sept. 1 to the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, addressed to its prefect Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada.

The brief one-page letter summarizes and refers back to another letter the advocacy group sent at the beginning of the year. That first letter raised concerns that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was not fully implementing its zero tolerance policy toward abusive priests, and as a result putting children and communities at risk while also creating scandal in the church.

Specifically, Catholic Whistleblowers argues the conference and its bishops have not reported all appropriate abuse allegations to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and lack a mechanism to assure bishops pass such cases to the congregation at all.

“The USCCB established a Zero Tolerance policy regarding clergy sexual abuse and then has worked against its own commitment? What motivates such behavior?” wrote Fr. James Connell, a member of the Whistleblower Steering Committee, repeating a line from the first letter, in all 13 pages, to Ouellet.

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ARIZONA
Downtown Devil

By Kelsey Hess – September 15, 2016

There is a long, deafening silence that follows the end of the Academy Award-winning film, Spotlight.

That silence was the result of a stunned audience when I saw Spotlight at the AMC Theatre in the Arizona Center last November upon release. Nearly one year later at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the film brought out a similar reaction from ASU journalism students as a long list of cities represented that, yes, priests in your hometown – or a town just like it – have been caught molesting children.

Spotlight, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards last year in a triumphant win for journalism, followed the story of new Cronkite professor and The Boston Globe’s Walter Robinson and his investigative reporting team through their discovery of the cover-up of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. The article resulted in 300 calls from victims the day after the article was printed from as far as Australia. Nearly 600 follow-up articles were written by the Spotlight team in the year following.

“We knew it was going to be a good story but we had no idea it would reverberate the way it did,” Robinson said to the crowd of students on Wednesday night. “It became apparent that this was a systematic problem. It’s not the crime as much as it is the cover-up; it became much clearer that everyone knew and had to have had facilitated this.”

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