ABUSE TRACKER

A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. For recent coverage listed in this blog, read the full article in the newspaper or other media source by clicking “Read original article.” For earlier coverage, click the title to read the original article.

July 13, 2020

For the last year 1 NEWS has been investigating claims of historic sexual abuse against children in Fiji’s Catholic church.

FIJI
1 News, TVNZ

July 12, 2020

Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver was in Fiji just before lockdown and spoke to some of the victims of the alleged abuse.

[VIDEO]

The abuse began when he was seven.

He among other young children kept the abuse quiet by the priests and brothers working and living near the Marist Brothers Primary School he attended in Fiji.

The sexual abuse happened so repeatedly the children thought it was normal.

“[There] were two main ones that would do it to us regularly. Almost like a daily thing,” the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, told 1 NEWS.

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.

Retired Bishop Edward Kmiec, 13th bishop of Buffalo, dies

BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

July 12, 2020

Retired Buffalo Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, who led a historic and tumultuous reorganization of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and also had to confront allegations of abuse against some priests, died Saturday after a brief illness.

Kmiec, who served as bishop of Buffalo from 2004 until his retirement in 2012, had been in declining health the past several months and died peacefully Saturday just before midnight, the diocese announced on Sunday.

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.

Catholic Church to investigate claims of alleged sexual abuse

FIJI
One News, TVNZ

July 13, 2020

By Lena Reece

The Catholic Church of Fiji says it will conduct an investigation after reports of alleged sexual abuse of children within the Church.

TVNZ’s One News reported last night that it investigated claims of historic sexual abuse of children at the hands of catholic priests, brothers, and teachers.

The media outlet has spoken with Fijians who claim to have been victims.

One News reports the alleged abuse was carried out by New Zealand priests and brothers who were moved to the Pacific and involves decades of alleged abuse, deceit, and cover-up.

Catholic Archdiocese of Suva Vicar-General, Father Sulio Turagakacivi says they will look into these claims and if anyone is implicated, they will be referred to the relevant authorities.

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.

‘I am a child molester’ Former Chillicothe Boy Scout leader apologizes on social media

OHIO
Fox28 TV

July 12, 2020

By Lu Ann Stoia

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A former church youth leader and Boy Scout leader is taking to social media to admit he is a child molester. In a Facebook post Sunday Bill McKell said “My name is Bill McKell, and I am a child molester…. There is no excuse for what I have done. I sincerely apologize and seek forgiveness of each person I have caused to suffer hurt and shame.”

McKell said he abused young boys and teenagers for decades in the 80s and 90s.

ABC 6 reached out to the Boy Scouts of America about McKell and received the following statement:

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.

John Ortberg’s Church Announces New Investigation

UNITED STATES
Religion News Service via Christianity Today

July 12, 2020

By Bob Smietana

Leadership apologizes for lack of transparency that eroded trust.

Earlier this week, megachurch pastor John Ortberg claimed his congregation had “extensively investigated” concerns about his youngest son and found “no misconduct.”

Now elders at Menlo Church, a Northern California congregation of 5,000, say their initial investigation fell short and have announced plans for an additional “supplemental” investigation.

“While many of you know that the board took immediate action upon learning of these concerns, we understand our initial investigation could have gone further and included specific expertise in child safety and sex abuse issues, and it could have been informed by conversations with a wider group of people,” church elders said in an email to the congregation Saturday, July 11.

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.

July 12, 2020

Despite abuse allegations, a Jesuit with Alaska ties worked for a prominent Northwest university for years

ANCHORAGE (AK)
Anchorage Daily News

July 11, 2020

By Emily Schwing

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2020/07/11/despite-abuse-allegations-a-jesuit-with-alaska-ties-worked-for-a-prominent-northwest-university-for-years/

In 2011, the Jesuit Order in the Northwest settled a bankruptcy case for $166 million. It’s one of the largest settlements in Catholic church history. A small fraction of that money — less than $500 every month — is going to a man who spent most of the last year behind bars at the Anchorage Correctional Center. His criminal history includes a lot of alcohol-related violence and he blames much of his record on an experience he had with a Catholic priest when he was still a child.

“I was young, I was innocent,” said the man, now 31, back in January. He wore yellow prison-issued scrubs. He alleges a Jesuit named Father Brad Reynolds, S.J., sexually abused him when he was a child. “Ever since then I’ve been a violent person,” he said. His V-neck shirt revealed a sea of tattoos: references to marijuana and other drugs, a demonic Virgin Mary, and the words “trust no bitch.” He said he got that one after a girlfriend broke his heart. Days later, he was out on bail.

Father Brad Reynolds was never officially assigned by his religious order, the Jesuits, to work in Alaska, but he visited a number of Alaska Native villages frequently. For more than 20 years, he’d come north to take photos of daily village life and write about the people here. In 1990, National Geographic published an article he wrote about life in Interior Alaska.

In 2008, that man in prison and another male relative filed a lawsuit in Bethel Superior Court. They allege Reynolds sexually abused them, when they were nine and eleven years old. The Anchorage Daily News has agreed not to identify the village where they grew up or the people in this story because of privacy concerns for survivors of sexual abuse.

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.

Does it matter if journalists have quit asking about the missing McCarrick report?

OAK RIDGE (TN)
Get Religion

July 11, 2020

By Terry Mattingly

It’s July of 2020.

Do you know where the McCarrick report is?

There are people who still care about the who, what, when, where, why and how of the scandal that brought down former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, at one time the most press-friendly and influential cardinal in the United States of America.

In a way, it’s even more important to know more about the rise of McCarrick in church circles in and around New York City and then learn the details of his networking years in Washington, D.C. Who were McCarrick’s disciples and to what degree did they protect him, during the years when rumors were thick on the ground about — to be specific — his unique personal style when dealing with seminarians.

It’s totally understandable that the McCarrick investigation has faded from view. The year 2020 has, after all, served up challenge after challenge for journalists and church leaders, alike. McCarrick was shipped off to western Kansas and, now, it appears that he has moved to a safe house of his own choosing.

The former cardinal is now an afterthought.

But not for everyone. The other day, J.D. Flynn of the Catholic News Agency produced a thoughtful essay on what this silence means and the long term effects it could have on Catholic laypeople and their trust of the church hierarchy. It’s worth reading — even as the year 2020 rages around us.

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.

Safeguarding minors – it’s choosing the ‘standard of Christ or the standard of the enemy’

BRISBANE (QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA)
Catholic Leader – Archdiocese of Brisbane

July 12, 2020

Concern and frustration with delayed and failed responses to abuse scandals in Poland culminated in a desperate appeal to Pope Francis to help “rebuild our church.”

More than 600 Polish lay Catholics pooled together enough money to buy an ad in an Italian newspaper at the end of June in a last-ditch effort to make sure the Pope would hear their plea.

But together with assurances of his prayers and acknowledgment of their appeal, the Pope’s steadfast position was repeated – It is going to take everybody in the Catholic Church doing everything possible to make sure Church law is applied, abuse is exposed and those guilty of these serious crimes are punished.

In other words, fighting abuse and ensuring accountability cannot be a one-man operation; this global, insidious problem needs a pope backed by a global army.

Gabriel DyLiacco, a psychotherapist and one of the initial members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, said when Pope Francis met with commission members in 2017, he told them to tell everyone, “‘I cannot do this alone, I need your help’. The Holy Father has no illusions about his capacity as a single person.”

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.

SAR still in middle of fight to expand the CVA

BRONX (NY)
Riverdale Press

July 12, 2020

By Kirstyn Brendlen

Late last summer, thousands of people across New York state were granted something they thought would never be offered: A chance for justice.

The Child Victims Act aimed at expanding the number of child sexual assault victims who could seek legal redress against their abusers, whether the source of that abuse came from people or institutions. It did so by not only moving the age cap on victims from 24 to 55, but it also provided a one-year “lookback” period, where victims of any age could file suit against institutions or individuals who they say committed or facilitated sexual abuse against them, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.

The lookback window opened Aug. 14, and was originally set to expire next month. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended that window in May.

“Because of the reduction in court services, we want to extend that window, and we will extend it an additional five months, until Jan. 14,” Cuomo said at the time. “Because people need access to the courts to make their claim, because justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

For some — especially here, closer to home — that justice already had been long deferred.

In late 2017, former students emailed allegations about Stanley Rosenfeld, a former teacher and assistant principal at Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, to Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, according to a report published by the school. Those allegations prompted the school to hire an outside investigative company to interview nearly 40 witnesses and alleged victims.

Those investigators concluded Rosenfeld may have sexually abused as many as 12 students during the time he worked at the school between 1974 and 1977, and again for a short time a decade later.

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.

Orthodox agency sued for negligence by woman alleging rape by foster father

NEW YORK (NY)
The Forward

June 30, 2020

By Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt

A Ukrainian-born Jewish woman who said her foster father raped her sued him, New York City and the Orthodox agency that placed her in his home.

The plaintiff, whose legal name at the time was Yana Nikolayeva but is listed as Jane Doe in the court documents, is suing Milton Jacobs for sexual assault and battery and both Ohel and the city for negligence on the grounds that Ohel didn’t check on her as legally mandated.

“There are important reasons why the law required Ohel to check on this foster child at least monthly,” Eric Hecker, her lawyer, said in an interview. “The law did not allow Ohel to assume that a Jewish foster father would never hurt a Jewish child.”

The plaintiff is suing for damages, but Hecker would not disclose their estimated monetary value.

“I still have flashbacks during the day and nightmares at night,” the plaintiff said in an interview. “But it’s the sense of deep shame that I continue to carry that has damaged my life the most.”

The lawsuit is one of about 1,700 filed in New York State under the Child Victims Act, passed in January after a long battle with both Catholic and Jewish organizations to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

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.

Wheaton College Details Allegations Against Ousted Chaplain After He Threatens Lawsuit

CHICAGO (IL)
Roys Report

July 9, 2020

By Julie Roys

Wheaton College has just released details about the alleged sexual misconduct and racial comments that led to the recent dismissal of its chaplain, Timothy Blackmon. This comes after Blackmon reportedly threatened legal action against the school on Wednesday.

According to a report in the Daily Herald, Blackmon said in a statement that it “pains” him to think of taking legal action against Wheaton, but it might be necessary. Blackmon added that he was “completely blindsided” by Wheaton’s Title IX investigation, which he said stemmed from public comments Blackmon made in 2015 and 2016.

“Moreover, there were no allegations of flirtation, inappropriate relationships, sexual misconduct or any sexual action towards anyone,” Blackmon added. “At no time did anyone, either the complainant or any witness, communicate offense or discomfort.”

Yet in an email to faculty and staff today, Wheaton President Philip Ryken disputed Blackmon’s account.

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.

Importing N.J.’s bishops sends the wrong message

SECAUCUS (NJ)
Jersey Journal

July 12, 2020

By Rev. Alexander Santora

In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin said, “New Jersey is like a beer barrel, tapped at both ends, with all the live beer running into Philadelphia and New York.”

Those twin pulls still persist today. The Giants and Jets may play in the Meadowlands, but they are still considered New York teams. And Manhattan and Philadelphia television stations cover northern and southern New Jersey, but there is no statewide television station.

And for the Catholic church, the five New Jersey Roman Catholic dioceses are headed by bishops not native to the dioceses they lead. In fact, four of five aren’t even from New Jersey. (Bishop James Checchio is from Camden but heads Metuchen.)

And for the most diverse state in the union, four are of Irish ancestry.

If there’s any doubt that Franklin was right, consider what happened last month in the Diocese of Paterson. Bishop Arthur Serratelli’s retirement was accepted by Pope Francis, who appointed a Brooklyn priest, Bishop Kevin Sweeney, to succeed him.

*
At first, New Jersey was considered, well, what else, part of the New York diocese. Then in 1853, the entire state became its own diocese, Newark.

The first bishops and archbishops alternated between New York priests and native Newark priests with the last being Thomas Boland. But since 1974, they have all be outsiders: Peter Gerety, a native of Connecticut; Theodore McCarrick, New York; John Myers, Illinois; and now Joseph Cardinal Tobin, Michigan.

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.

Longtime area dentist accused of sexual abuse under Child Victims Act

BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

July 12, 2020

By Stephen T. Watson

Nancy Shirley Peters met Dr. Robert J. Herzog, a family friend, back in the early 1970s when she was hired to babysit his children.

After about a year, during moments when they were alone, Herzog began telling her how much he cared for her, kissing and groping her and suggesting he could teach her how to enjoy sex, according to Peters. She said she was 15 years old when this started.

Then over a period of two or three years, while she was still underage, Peters claims Herzog had sex with her on several occasions at his home and in a room at his office. Peters said she never told anyone at the time and it was years before she could grapple with the emotional pain of what she says Herzog did.

Now, Peters has filed a Child Victims Act lawsuit against Herzog. She agreed to an interview and to let The Buffalo News identify her.

“When you’re abused you carry tons of shame, like it’s your fault. And I don’t have that (anymore). I’m the person I am because of what happened to me, but I’m not ashamed because it wasn’t my fault,” Peters said. “And I want other people out there to realize it’s not their fault.”

Peters said she fears that there may be other victims of Herzog, a longtime soccer coach at Nardin and Mount St. Mary academies whose dental license is still active.

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.

Letter on the Release of the Presentation High School Report

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Sisters of the Presentation

July 9, 2020

By Sister Michele Anne Murphy, PBVM

Dear Members of the Presentation High School Community,

We are writing to you today to express our profound sadness regarding the sexual misconduct and subsequent regrettable ineffective action, or in some cases, lack of action at our dearly loved Presentation High School. They run contrary to everything the Sisters of the Presentation believe in – and stand for, most critically, promoting a society which respects the dignity of all persons.

In addition, they do not reflect the core beliefs on which our school was founded in 1962.

Particularly distressing to the Presentation Sisters is the pain these actions have caused the survivors. We are grateful for their courage in coming forward, recognizing how difficult it must have been.

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.

Report: Claims of Sexual Misconduct at Presentation High School

SACRAMENTO (CA)
Van Dermyden Maddux Law Firm

Released July 9, 2020; dated June 30, 2020

This Report summarizes the information gathered, and sets forth our findings and conclusions. We have endeavored to keep the Report as succinct as possible, while providing enough information to explain and support our findings and conclusions. Below, we provide an Executive
Summary of key points.

• None of the individuals who we determined engaged in sexual misconduct or abuse are currently employed at Pres.

• We sustained allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse as to five former faculty members and one former coach, for conduct that took place from the early 1980s to 2013. These individuals are identified in this Report because we received sufficient information to form a good-faith belief the alleged conduct occurred, applying the standards outlined herein.

• This Report also details allegations against six additional Staff members, none of whom are currently employed at Pres. These individuals are not named because we received less supporting evidence for the claims, and/or after a full review of the information collected, we determined the conduct asserted, while in some cases inappropriate or unprofessional, did not meet the definition of sexual misconduct, as defined. For these, the Report details information we received regarding Pres’ knowledge of and response to the claims. We also list additional claims for which, despite best efforts, we could not obtain enough information to meaningfully analyze or assess the allegations.

• Some of the conduct was reported to former Principals Marian Stuckey or Mary Miller or other Staff at the time, but no action – or ineffective action – was taken. In several instances, there was a concerning lack of curiosity about information which was shared, resulting in a failure to adequately investigate or act timely on information which may have led to more immediate and effective responses. In other cases, the conduct was
appropriately addressed by Pres. In some instances, the allegations were not known to the Principal or other Staff at the time.

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.

Independent Investigation

SAN JOSE (CA)
Presentation High School

July 9, 2020

In September 2019, Presentation High School launched a thorough and impartial investigation into past reports of sexual abuse and misconduct and the handling of such allegations throughout the history of the school. Read the Sept 26, 2019 community announcement here. This process stemmed from upsetting stories about past reports of sexual abuse and misconduct.

On July 9, 2020 we shared the investigation report with the community. We know that the findings are difficult to read and to digest, however, this investigation was necessary to examine our past to build and maintain a safe and thriving environment for all students past, present, and future, and to ensure we do not repeat any mistakes.

To the survivors of abuse, we deeply and sincerely apologize. The stark truth is that our school did not live up to its commitment to protect you. We added further harm when we responded defensively when reports of past abuse began to surface in 2017. We understand that words cannot measure our regret or erase the harm that you endured. You were hurt, and we can only hope to make amends by caring for you now and doing everything within our power to ensure that students now and in the future will be cared for and safe.

We thank everyone who participated in the investigation and are grateful for your bravery and honesty. Without you, we would not be able to confront our past to ensure this does not happen again. We also recognize this investigation may not have revealed all instances of prior misconduct. Anyone with information about inappropriate conduct may contact Holly directly at helkins@presentationhs.org, call the hotline at (800) 490-7513, or reach out to Anne Maas, Investigation Coordinator, at amm@vmlawcorp.com.

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.

South Bay Catholic School Probe Reveals Sexual Misconduct: Report

LIVERMORE (CA)
Patch

July 10, 2020

By Gideon Rubin

A former Presentation High School student’s Washington Post op-ed precipitated the investigation.

San Jose – An elite South Bay all-girls Catholic school has issued a public apology after an independent investigation it launched last year revealed a pattern of sexual abuse that goes back decades, NBC Bay Area reports.

San Jose’s Presentation High School initiated the probe in September of last year after former Presentation student Kathryn Leehane wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post alleging sexual abuse at her former school.

Presentation issued a public apology that appears on its website’s homepage acknowledging the “hurt” sexual abuse survivors experience, and that “the stark truth is that our school did not live up to its commitment to protect you.”

The probe, conducted by Van Dermyden Maddux, a Sacramento law firm, revealed a pattern of sexual abuse spanning four decades, from the early 1980s through 2013, the report said.

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.

Investigation Confirms Decades of Sexual Misconduct Allegations at Presentation High

SAN JOSE (CA)
KNTV

July 10, 2020

By Michael Bott and Sergio Quintana

Nearly three years after an explosive op-ed in the Washington Post during the height of the “Me Too” movement snowballed into an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations at San Jose’s Presentation High School, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school, a months-long independent investigation “sustained allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse” against six former staffers and found school officials at times failed to report allegations of abuse to authorities and inappropriately retained teachers accused of misconduct.

The report found the abuse occurred over a span of decades, from the early 1980’s through 2013, although it did not delve into a 2004 allegation from a former student who said she was sexually abused by her theater teacher because the claim was at the center of a lawsuit that has since been settled. That teacher was later forced to register as a sex offender when we was caught by police at another school with child pornography on his computer.

“Some of the conduct was reported to former Principals Marian Stuckey or Mary Miller or other Staff at the time, but no action – or ineffective action – was taken,” the investigation conducted by Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux concluded. “In several instances, there was a concerning lack of curiosity about information which was shared, resulting in a failure to adequately investigate or act timely on information which may have led to more immediate and effective responses.”

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.

Presentation Catholic H.S. admits they failed to protect students from sexual abuse

OAKLAND (CA)
KTVU 2 Fox

July 11, 2020

By Jesse Gary

San Jose – Decades after the first complaint, Presentation High School officials admitted Thursday their premier San Jose educational institution failed some of its students.

“I’m relieved. Because it just validated everything I’d been saying for three years,” said former student Kathryn Leehane.

She first penned an op-ed article about her alleged abuse at the school in the 1990s. That led to almost two dozen victims coming forward, who said administrators did not report instances of sexual abuse and assault stretching back more than three decades.

“It just goes to show deep and vast this cover-up was. To think that we started this well over a year ago, and their reaction at the time was to blast the messenger,” said childhood sexual abuse attorney Robert Allard.

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.

San Jose Catholic school releases sex abuse report, apologizes ‘with heavy hearts’

SAN JOSE (CA)
The Mercury News

July 11, 2020

By John Woolfolk

‘Good faith belief’ six former Presentation High staff members abused girls

Nearly three years after a former student exposed sex abuse complaints dating back decades at San Jose’s Presentation High School for girls, its leaders released a damning outside investigation Thursday that found administrators failed to seriously pursue credible allegations against six former staffers.

Investigators the school hired in September found sufficient information “to form a good faith belief that sexual misconduct or abuse occurred by five former faculty members and one former coach” for conduct that took place from the early 1980s to 2013, the school’s president and board chair said in a statement.

“It is with heavy hearts that we are writing to you today to share the results of the investigation,” wrote Holly Elkins, Presentation’s president, and Sister Pam Chiesa, who chairs the schools board of directors. “To the survivors of abuse, we deeply and sincerely apologize. The stark truth is that our school did not live up to its commitment to protect you. We added further harm when we responded defensively when reports of past abuse began to surface in 2017.”

The report drew praise from Kathryn Leehane, who graduated from the school in 1991, disclosed abuse by her former Spanish teacher in a guest column for the Washington Post in 2017 and led other alleged victims in a campaign to hold the school’s leaders accountable.

“I am incredibly satisfied with their response,” Leehane said Thursday. “Holly Elkins’ compassionate and moral leadership is exactly what the school needed.”

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.

Cleveland priest faces multiple federal child pornography charges

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service/USCCB via NCR

July 7, 2020

Cleveland – A grand jury indicted a Catholic priest on federal charges involving child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children.

The July 2 indictment charged Fr. Robert McWilliams, 40, a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland, with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of pornography-related charges involving children and three counts of sexual exploitation of children.

McWilliams was arrested Dec. 5 at St. Joseph Parish in suburban Strongsville where he had been serving as parochial vicar. He continued to be held without bond July 6.

The diocese said in a statement it was “grateful to those in law enforcement who have worked diligently to investigate this matter. As the criminal case against McWilliams proceeds, let us continue to pray for justice to be served and healing for those who have been harmed by sexual abuse.”

Officials of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested McWilliams in December while serving a warrant to search the living and office spaces of the priest at the parish. The raid led to the seizure of electronic equipment, which had child pornography stored, according to court records.

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.

Your thoughts on accusations of misconduct against David Haas

KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter

July 10, 2020

Two weeks ago, NCR published a report by Soli Salgado on David Haas, the Catholic composer who has been accused of sexual misconduct. The following week, NCR columnist Jamie Manson responded to the allegations, writing that “Part of the doubt cast on Haas’ victims is rooted in our theological tradition that trains us to not believe women.” Following are letters to the editor that have been edited for length and clarity.

***

Thank you for publishing Soli Salgado’s important and informative article about David Haas.

While victims of Haas may not wish to have charges pressed against him, I am disappointed to learn that so far none are at least considering civil action against him. The justice system could offer a measure of empowerment to those he has disempowered and, by filing civil suit, victims may influence event organizers to stop inviting him and, thus, protect women he would otherwise prey upon.

Language is also important. Although the term “sexual misconduct” is frequently used to describe sexual assault of adults, this crime is nonetheless a form of sexual abuse and should rightly be called this. Sexual misconduct sounds like mere naughtiness but it’s much, much more. Just because a person has reached their 18th birthday, this does not protect them from being deeply harmed by sexual assault, whether that be kissing, fondling or outright rape. Abuse is abuse!

Rosemary Anderson
Vancouver, British Columbia

***

I believe in being innocent until proven guilty but it sounds like the sheer number of cases lean towards David Haas as being a sexual deviant.

My heart goes out to the young women who claim to have been molested, assaulted, and the victim of lewd comments and behavior at the hand of Haas. I, too, enjoyed his music until I saw this article.

Julie Haugen
Oakdale, Minnesota

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.

Colorado faith-based organizations received millions in coronavirus bailout money

DENVER (CO)
KMGH 7 ABC

July 9, 2020

By Jennifer Kovaleski

Colorado churches got millions in federal money through PPP loans

As small businesses fought for much-needed loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through the Small Business Administration (SBA), national retail chains cashing in on these funds sparked outrage and forced some businesses to return the money.

Now, we’re learning Colorado churches and faith-based organizations received millions of dollars in coveted PPP loans.

Denver7’s Rebound team followed the money and found at least 45 faith-based organizations received more than $150,000 in PPP loans, according to newly released government data.

The SBA released special guidance in April that said “faith-based organizations are eligible to receive SBA loans regardless of whether they provide secular social services.” But Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, questioned if churches should have been allowed to do so.

“So often we hear from our religious institutions that they don’t want the federal government messing with them and now we’re seeing that these same churches are going with their hat in hand to the federal government saying we want your help,” Singer said. “You know, there’s certainly an ounce of hypocrisy there.”

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.

Chicago Catholic parishes got as much as $63 million in federal PPP coronavirus money

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune

July 10, 2020

By David Heinzmann

Roman Catholic parishes and organizations in the Archdiocese of Chicago received between $24.4 million and $63.6 million in loans through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program that was designed to save jobs amid the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to federal records.

The money was mostly applied for by individual parishes, so archdiocese officials said they did not immediately know the total of money received here.

The Archdiocese of Chicago itself did not apply for funds because it is a large employer with thousands of employees, many more than the threshold of 500 staff laid out by the PPP program, spokeswoman Paula Waters said.

Since the federal data on who received PPP money was released this week, public scrutiny has mounted on some deep-pocketed corporate interests that received millions from the forgivable loan program.

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.

Taxpayer-funded Chicago charter schools cashed in on COVID-19 loans; CPS seeks probe

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times

July 8, 2020

By Lauren FitzPatrick and Nader Issa

[Includes informative graph.]

The privately run schools got the federal Paycheck Protection Program money though they also got their full funding from Illinois taxpayers, a Sun-Times analysis finds.

Publicly funded charter schools in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois received a total of between $31.2 million and $74.7 million in federal loans intended to bolster small businesses and non-profits during the coronavirus pandemic, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found.

Thirty operators of 56 schools got the federal money even though, unlike many other employers that sought Paycheck Protection Program loans, they hadn’t lost any of their normal funding from Illinois taxpayers.

*
Paycheck Protection Program loans to Illinois schools

Schools in Illinois took home over $133 million in federal coronavirus funding

This chart displays the maximum and minimum loan amounts, categorized by type of school, for institutions receiving loans over $150,000. Data is based on loan ranges provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Schools receiving loans less than $150,000 were not identified and are not included in this chart.

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.

PPP loans in Chicago: The inside story of who got what

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times

July 7, 2020

By Caroline Hurley, Lynn Sweet, and Lauren FitzPatrick

Faith-based institutions

Faith-based organizations were eligible for PPP loans, and the Sun-Times analysis found about 475 religious-based groups in Illinois received at least $140 million. Some of the groups getting the loans provide social services or operate community centers; the list also includes houses of worship of a variety of religions. Another 170 operators of religious schools were awarded at least $70 million more.

Getting between $5 million and $10 million in PPP loans — Lutheran Social Services of Illinois in Des Plaines to cover 500 jobs and Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington for 353 jobs.

Between $2 million and $5 million — Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, for 313 workers; Jewish Child and Family Services, for 250 jobs; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, for 258 employees.

In the $1 million to $2 million category — St. Clement Parish, 642 W. Deming, for 92 jobs. That’s the most PPP funds any individual parish received. Most Catholic parishes took loans in the $150,000 to $350,000 range. Plus, Wheaton Bible Church with 114 jobs; Anshe Emet Synagogue, 3751 N. Broadway, 225 jobs; Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester, 125 jobs.

In the $350,000 to $1 million range — Christ the King Parish, 9235 S. Hamilton, 67 jobs.

In the $150,000 to $350,000 range — St. Sabina Parish, 1210 W. 78th, with 26 jobs; the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, with 94 jobs.

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.

July 11, 2020

Rancor on Springfield Diocesan Review Board leads to resignations, lapse in faith

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Mass Live

July 11, 2020

By Stephanie Barry

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield’s volunteer Diocesan Review Board has begun bleeding members in the wake of the so-called Weldon Report, with one intending to abandon the church altogether.

A 350-page analysis released in late June, authored by retired Judge Peter Velis, found the late Bishop Christopher J. Weldon repeatedly raped a young boy during the early 1960s. The victim told investigators Weldon was part of a cabal of priests who sexually passed around young boys at a rectory and campground during that era.

Weldon was leader of local Catholic churches from 1950 to 1977. He died in 1982.

The Diocesan Review Board is tasked with hearing accounts of alleged clergy abuse and assessing their credibility for church officials, who can then recommend a variety of repercussions to the Vatican.

After the report was released, there has been rancor between some board members and the diocese focused on the handling of the victim’s early disclosures. Any whiff of an attempted cover-up should be assigned to the diocese and not the board, two members argue, although a spokesman for the church says there was not one.

Longtime member Theresa Finnegan and Chairman John Hale resigned from the panel this week, contending a former diocesan investigator and diocesan staff manipulated the initial investigation and left the volunteer board to appear culpable in both the report and media coverage. strongly feel that any wrongdoing was done by the employees of the diocese and not the Review Board,” said Finnegan, an attorney from Wilbraham. “We’re volunteers giving our time to try to make the church a safer place and it’s not an easy job.”

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.

Reporter on Catholic Church Getting over $1 Billion in Coronavirus Aid

WASHINGTON (DC)
NPR

July 10, 2020

By Mary Louise Kelly Interviewing Michael Rezendes

Kelly: The stories have become almost commonplace by now – big companies, politically connected companies cashing in on the massive federal rescue package that was designed to help small businesses weather economic devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic. Well, today we are learning, courtesy of The Associated Press, that the U.S. Roman Catholic Church managed to secure billions of dollars in loans from that rescue package through the Paycheck Protection Program. Reporter Michael Rezendes has been reporting on the Catholic Church for a long time. He is one of the reporters who has been crunching these numbers and trying to track where that money is going. Hey there. How are you?

Rezendes: Hey, not so bad. Nice to be here.

Kelly: How much money exactly are we talking about?

Rezendes: Well, what what I and my colleague, Reese Dunklin, identified – and I got to really give a shoutout to Reese here because he’s a great data reporter. But we were able to identify between $1.4 billion and as much as $3.5 billion. And the reason there’s a range here is because the Small Business Administration did not release precise loan amounts. They only released ranges of loans. And we identified 3,500 loans worth between 1.4 billion and 3.5 billion.

Kelly: OK. So a huge range, but we are talking upward of a billion. That’s billion with a B. It’s a lot of money. How has it been spent?

Rezendes: Well, it’s been spent, as far as we know. We don’t have a very clear accounting. I have to say, as usual from the Catholic Church on precisely how the money is being spent, we’re assured it’s being spent for payroll and utilities, keeping people employed. But I have to say there is no monitoring of this program. It’s self-monitoring. It’s self-certification. So we don’t actually know for sure.

Kelly: Do we know for sure whether any of it has been diverted to help cover past gaps in the finances? And I will note that many Catholic dioceses were in really bad financial shape going into the pandemic because they had to pay out these big settlements to victims of clergy sexual abuse. Does that factor into how any of this rescue money is being spent at all or do we know?

Rezendes: Well, this is one of the points we made in our story is that a lot of this money is going to dioceses that might be experiencing financial stress not so much because of the coronavirus pandemic but because of the large payouts they’ve had to make to clergy abuse survivors, sometimes in the hundreds of millions of dollars. You never hear much about these payments. You do hear a lot about supposed stress from the pandemic. And I think a lot of that stress is real. But, in effect, I think what’s happening here is you’re seeing churches who are stressed financially because of clergy sex abuse getting a break through the federal government through direct payments from the federal government that are being used to pay, actually, the salaries of priests and ministers, which is unprecedented.

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.

Catholic decline matters – so do our actions

PITTSFIELD (MA)
Berkshire Eagle

July 10, 2020

By David O’Brien

Catholicism matters, and so does its absence. In Western Massachusetts, Catholics helped make our shared history. Now shuttered parishes and empty schools leave neighborhoods a bit more impoverished. Worse, we learn that disgraced and criminal bishops and priests assaulted children and caused lifelong suffering for too many of our neighbors and friends. They left behind shattered communities, demoralized Christians, and children and grandchildren disenchanted with churches. That Catholic decline matters; we are all diminished, and rendered less hopeful, when Catholicism as we once knew it is no longer with us.

No one can defend the leaders of the Catholic Church of Western Massachusetts. One revered former Bishop, Christopher Weldon, was credibly accused of the violent sexual abuse of children. This startling news comes 16 years after another former Springfield Bishop, Thomas Dupre, was the first American bishop indicted for abuse of children. Both revelations came amid credible reports of abuse by many diocesan priests. Since the first news of clergy crimes against children came out of Louisiana in 1984, all four Massachusetts Catholic dioceses have been shaken by accounts of criminal sexual crimes by priests, blundering cover-ups by bishops and their enablers, and lifetimes of suffering of victims and their families.

Locally steps are now being taken to protect children. Full responsibility for handling reports of abuse has been turned over to the area’s three District Attorneys. And yet another committee will try to improve church procedures for handling abuse. All of this while church attendance declines, Catholic pronouncements on sex sound hypocritical, and long-standing Catholic support for immigrants, working people and the poor is smothered by highly politicized, even cruel, pronouncements about abortion and homosexuality. Many younger Catholics no longer acknowledge a religious identity — former Catholics are now America’s second-largest religious group — and the once awesome Catholic infrastructure of churches and schools, hospitals and social service agencies fades from the civic landscape.

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.

New chair of diocesan board heard from Bishop Weldon victim. He says he doesn’t remember it.

PITTSFIELD (MA)
Berkshire Eagle

July 10, 2020

By Caroline White and Larry Parnass

Springfield – The Springfield Diocese said Friday that a survivor of clergy abuse will take the helm of an internal board. That survivor, a Dalton resident, was present when his board heard allegations in 2018 against Christopher J. Weldon, one of the diocese’s most prominent bishops.

But, James A. Stankiewicz says he does not remember that other survivor’s emotional presentation to the board he now will lead — and could not say why.

In two interviews Friday with The Eagle, Stankiewicz was not able to explain why he does not recall a Chicopee man’s presentation to the board about sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of Weldon and other priests in the early 1960s.

The diocese confirmed Friday that Stankiewicz attended the survivor’s meeting with the board.

“I don’t know what to say,” Stankiewicz said.

The Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski appointed Stankiewicz to lead the board this week, after its former chair, John M. Hale, stepped down after holding the post since 2018 and serving on the panel for more than a decade.

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.

Diocese Review Board has new chief following scathing report

NORTHAMPTON (MA)
Daily Hampshire Gazette

July 10, 2020

By Scott Merzback

Less than a month after the release of an independent report criticizing the Diocesan Review Board’s investigation into sexual abuse complaints against late Springfield Roman Catholic Bishop Christopher J. Weldon, that panel’s chairman has resigned.

The diocese announced Friday that John Hale, who stepped down as chairman, will be replaced by James A. Stankiewicz, a member of the panel and a survivor of clergy sexual abuse.

Stankiewicz will be the interim chairman based on an appointment by Archbishop-designate Mitchell T. Rozanski, the diocese’s apostolic administrator.

Stankiewicz assumes the position as the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Springfield Diocese, of which he is also a member, continues to review the 373-page report issued last month by retired Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis. The task force is supposed to work toward improving the diocese’s response to future complaints.

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.

Seminary student reported priest sexual abuse at Shiloh orphanage 54 years ago

BELLEVILLE (IL)
Belleville News-Democrat

July 11, 2020

By Teri Maddox

Memories came flooding back for Bob Fellner this spring, when news broke that the Catholic Diocese of Belleville had expanded its list of clergymen credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors or serious sexual misconduct with adults.

One of the new names was the Rev. Arthur W. Niemeyer, who died in 1988 after serving churches in Belleville, Shiloh, Kinmundy, Salem and Cahokia. He also worked as director of St. John’s Orphanage in Shiloh in the 1950s and ‘60s, when Fellner was a seminarian who volunteered as a house parent for three summers.

Fellner, 79, of St. Louis, said he and the orphanage’s mother superior reported suspected sexual abuse of grade-school boys by Niemeyer in 1966 to Bishop Albert R. Zuroweste, now deceased, who transferred Niemeyer to another parish.

To Fellner, it seemed like the bishop was sweeping allegations under the rug without holding Niemeyer accountable.

“It kind of blew my mind,” he said last week.

Fellner went on to become a priest in 1967, despite what he believes was an attempt by Zuroweste to get him kicked out of seminary because of his involvement in the case. Fellner served at the former St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church in Cahokia before leaving the ministry, getting married and working in the insurance business for more than 30 years. He’s now retired.

Fellner said he’s glad the truth about abusive clergymen is coming out all over the country, even though it took 54 years in Niemeyer’s case.

“Some of the things that I’ve found out since then, and some of the kids that were affected … One boy in particular, he committed suicide, which I suspect was a result of the trauma,” he said. “I still get worked up talking about it today. It did not have to happen.”

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.

Ex-school principal jailed for sexually abusing seven of his pupils

DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Independent

July 10, 2020

By Declan Brennan and Brion Hoban

A former school principal convicted of sexually abusing seven of his pupils has been jailed for three years.

After a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last March, Patrick Harte (78) was convicted of 11 counts of indecently assaulting seven pupils at the Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school on Synge Street, Dublin between September 1968 and September 1970.

The court heard that when gardai put the victims’ allegations to Harte in 2015, the former teacher claimed they had “a vendetta against him”.

Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, told the court that there was no evidence that any of the victims were ever in contact with each other since the offending took place. Detective Garda Garvan Ware said “as far as I’m concerned, they are all independent”.

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.

‘We hoped and we prayed this day would come’ – Victims’ joy as ex-principal is jailed over abuse

DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Independent

July 11, 2020

By Declan Brennan and Brion Hoban

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/we-hoped-and-we-prayed-this-day-would-come-victims-joy-as-ex-principal-is-jailed-over-abuse-39358684.html

A former school principal convicted of sexually abusing seven of his pupils has been sentenced to three years in jail.

Patrick Harte (78) was convicted of 11 counts of indecently assaulting seven pupils at the Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school in Synge Street, Dublin, between 1968 and 1970.

Afterwards Fr Tony Conlon, one of the victims and who is now a Catholic priest, said he “hoped and prayed” this day would come.

Outside Dublin’s Criminal Courts of Justice, Fr Conlon said they had fought the case for seven years and that “finally vindication has come for all of us”.

He said he had not thought they could ever get justice and it shows that no matter how long ago it was “that there is justice”.

The priest called on people to come forward “if you have been abused or hurt in anyway”. He urged people not to be ashamed and said that if they come forward “you will get the best help and support”.

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.

Abuse victim of school principal had no idea other boys were being attacked

DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Irish Times

July 9, 2020

By Declan Brennan and Brion Hoban

Priest said the abuse had ‘a paralysing effect’ on his life and prevented him from achieving so many things in life

A child sex abuse victim of a former school principal has said he had no idea his abuser was attacking other boys in the school.

After a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last March, Patrick Harte (78) was convicted of 11 counts of indecently assaulting seven pupils at the Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school on Synge Street, Dublin between September 1968 and September 1970.

At his sentence hearing on Thursday the court heard that when gardaí put the victims’ allegations to Harte in 2015, the former teacher claimed they had “a vendetta against him”.

Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, told the court that there is no evidence that any of the victims were ever in contact with each other since the offending took place. Detective Garda Garvan Ware said “as far as I’m concerned, they are all independent”.

Harte, of Glendown Park, Templeogue, Dublin had denied the charges and in a speech to the court he claimed that the State had “validated” his teaching at the time and could not now “invalidate it”.

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.

Bishop acknowledges ‘disappointment for survivors’ as former Catholic priest dies awaiting trial

SYDNEY (NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

July 7, 2020

By Elle Rixon

A former Catholic priest, accused of 139 child sexual offences spanning four decades, has died awaiting trial.

David Joseph Perrett, 82, was accused of assaulting 40 victims across eight parishes between the 1960s to 1990s, and had a trial date set for January 2021.

At his last appearance in court, in November 2019, Mr Perrett pleaded not guilty to the 139 charges.

In a statement, Bishop of Armidale Michael Kennedy said Perrett’s death would bring “significant disappointment” for alleged victims.

“His death means that survivors will not get to see these charges heard in court,” Bishop Kennedy said.

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.

Alleged church sex abuse victim asks federal court to make Archdiocese documents public

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WVUE

July 10, 2020

By Kimberly Curth

In a new motion filed this week, an alleged church sex abuse survivor is fighting to unseal church documents.His case, along with more than 30 others, was immediatey stayed and moved to Federal court when the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in May.

The anonymous plaintiff referred to as JW Doe says former priest Lawrence Hecker sexually abused him. The Archdiocese placed Hecker on the 2018 list of clergy credibly accused of child sex abuse. According to the new motion, “the documents are relevant to all of Hecker’s victims as well as to the Archdiocese’s policy, practice, and procedure of covering up abuse allegations and enabling predators.”

“Basically, they’re saying this stuff that has been redacted by the Archdiocese should not have been redacted by the Archdiocese, that the plaintiffs were entitled to it and judge you need to make them turn that over to us, which is all really part of the discovery issues and why they don’t want to be in bankruptcy court, they want to be back in state court, where they can get all of this discovery,” said Fox 8 Legal Analyst Joe Raspanti.

The plaintiff’s attorneys also object to the Archdiocese’s payment to certain professionals, whose names are redacted in the motion. According to the federal documents, “these ‘ordinary course professionals’ should not be allowed to be retained by the Archdiocese” without “a thorough review of the documents” and “discovery to determine the full breadth of their involvement in the various cover-ups.” The plaintiff’s lawyers add “whatever the debtor was to pay these “professionals” would be better served paying sexual abuse claims.”

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.

Defamed Detroit Priest Vindicated

FERNDALE (MI)
Church Militant

July 10, 2020

By Christine Niles

Unanimous finding awards Fr. Eduard Perrone $125K

Detroit – A falsely accused Detroit priest has been vindicated, an arbitration panel unanimously finding he was the target of defamation and awarding him damages of $125,000.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to my outstanding, dedicated attorneys for this vindication of truth,” Fr. Eduard Perrone said in comments to Church Militant. “I join all those who have prayed for me in thanking God. While there is more yet to be done in my case, this award marks a notable first triumph. Thank you, all.”

“I feel completely vindicated in everything we’ve tried to do,” Kathleen Klaus, attorney for Fr. Perrone, told Church Militant, “because here are three people, complete strangers — lawyers — strangers to the facts, strangers to the parties, and all of them found unanimously that Fr. Perrone was defamed by Nancy LePage.”

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.

‘The whole truth’: Bankruptcy judge urged to unseal records of alleged abusive New Orleans priest

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Times Picayune / New Orleans Advocate

July 10, 2020

By Ramon Antonio Vargas

Attorneys for a man who alleges he was preyed upon by a New Orleans priest wants a federal bankruptcy judge to unseal reams of confidential documents outlining how the Archdiocese of New Orleans handled accusations against the cleric.

The plaintiff’s attorneys first asked an Orleans Parish Civil District Court judge in early March to allow for the public release of those documents, and The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, along with WWL, WDSU and WVUE, joined in the request, arguing that the documents held information which community members could use to protect themselves from the still-living priest, Lawrence Hecker.

But the archdiocese’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections halted that push indefinitely, along with lawsuits from the plaintiff and dozens of others whose cases were automatically stayed and transferred from state court to federal court.

Late Thursday, the plaintiff’s legal team filed a motion requesting that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill, who’s presiding over the archdiocese’s reorganization filing, make the documents “immediately available to the public.”

“Knowing the whole truth without limitation is an important part” of clergy abuse survivors’ ability to retake “control of events that caused so much pain they have been forced to carry in silence for so long,” said the motion, prepared by attorneys Richard Trahant, John Denenea and Soren Gisleson, who represent dozens of clerical molestation claimants.

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.

New Orleans clergy abuse plaintiff aims to move bankruptcy-halted case out of federal court

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WWL

July 8, 2020

By Ramon Antonio Vargas

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/new-orleans-clergy-abuse-plaintiff-aims-to-move-bankruptcy-halted-case-out-of-federal-court/289-d643e207-3caa-4e8f-bf3a-4a339021cffb

“The longer this case stays in federal court, … the more likely the pedophile priests will die before receiving civil or criminal justice.”

The plaintiff in a Catholic clergy sex abuse lawsuit halted by the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ federal bankruptcy filing is seeking to have his case moved back into state court in hopes of continuing to pursue his claims.

In a filing late Tuesday, the plaintiff’s attorneys argue that the suit revolves around matters of state law and therefore should be transferred back to Orleans Parish Civil District Court rather than handled in the federal system.

It is the first time a clerical molestation claimant has asked to return his case to state court and advance it since the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 1. The bankruptcy automatically stayed more than two dozen unresolved clergy abuse lawsuits filed in Orleans Parish civil court, which the archdiocese separately moved to the city’s federal courthouse.

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.

Suspended priest who spoke on clergy abuse backed by supporters outside Richmond mass

RICHMOND (VA)
WRIC 8 ABC

July 10, 2020

By Ben Dennis

Dozens showed up outside mass in Richmond Friday to show their support for a priest suspended after blogging about sexual abuse committed by the clergy.

Nearly 50 parishioners silently protested and prayed outside the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond on Friday. Many drove over three hours to show their support for Father Mark White and stand in opposition to Bishop Barry Knestout and his decisions to suspend him.

“You know, there’s a lot of talk these days about social justice. If you want to see what social injustice looks like, just look at this case that’s going on between the bishop and Father Mark,” Joseph Karen told 8News.

Back in April, Catholic Diocese of Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout ordered Father Mark White to leave Saint Joseph’s parish in Martinsville and Saint Francis of Assisi in Rocky Mount following their criticisms about the church’s handling of clergy sexual abuse.

“I think Father Mark did what he felt God was calling him to do,” said Judy Rogers.

Supporters and parishioners protested outside mass where diocesan priests gathered to renew their commitment to the priesthood. It was a celebration that Father White couldn’t be a part of during his suspension.

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.

Church of England accused of turning blind eye to priests’ abuse of their wives

LONDON (ENGLAND)
The Telegraph

Women claim disciplinary procedure failed them after abuse and violence at the hands of their clergymen husbands

July 10, 2020

By Daniel Foggo and Katherine Rushton

The Church of England has been accused of dismissing or ignoring serious complaints about priests’ conduct which are being made by their own wives.

An investigation by The Telegraph has identified instances where Church authorities failed to take action over allegations including sexual abuse, domestic violence and adultery, even when handed apparently compelling evidence.

On Friday evening one of the women who accused her husband of rape and marital violence said the Church was “turning a blind eye to abuse and immorality in its own ranks”.

She said: “They have absolutely been ignoring abuse. The clergy just want to protect themselves. They cover for each other and it comes from the top down.”

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.

Archdiocese of Denver received a $1.9 million PPP loan

DENVER (CO)
KUSA 9 NBC

July 10, 2020

The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

The Archdiocese of Denver said it received a $1.9 million dollar loan and some individual Catholic parishes also got money.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese said it used that money to keep its 4,000 workers employed and to keep soup kitchens and food pantries open.

Read the full statement below.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into the Paycheck Protection Program, a $659 billion fund created to keep main street open and Americans employed.

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.

Seal of confessional vital for some survivors of sexual abuse

BRISBANE (QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA)
Catholic Leader – Archdiocese of Brisbane

July 10, 2020

By Mark Bowling

A group of survivors of sexual abuse have defended the Seal of Confession as a vital lifeline and aided their recovery.

Their testimonies paints the confession box as a safe place to speak and ease their trauma, and contradicts the intent of new laws across Australia aimed at compelling priests to report child sexual abuse offences disclosed during confessions.

South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have already enacted laws that make it a criminal offence for a priest to withhold abuse disclosures.

Western Australia and Queensland are moving towards similar laws.

New South Wales has deferred any action.

A spokesman for a survivor group in Western Australia said few people realised that victims and survivors – Catholic and non-Catholic – often visited the confessional precisely because of the Seal of Confession.

“The Seal offers victims a safe, secure and watertight place where they can be listened to without cost, where they can remain anonymous, and can decide what they’re ready, and not ready, to share – and all of this in complete confidence,” spokesman James Parker said.

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.

Erie diocese dropped from suit charging Bishop Trautman with abuse cover-up in NY

DENVER (CO)
Catholic News Agency

July 9, 2020

The Diocese of Erie has been dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit against Bishop Donald Trautman and the Diocese of Buffalo which claims they covered up a priest’s sex abuse of a 10-year-old boy in the mid-1980s.

The suit, filed in January, concerns actions that Trautman allegedly took while serving in the curia of the Buffalo diocese. After his time in Buffalo, Trautman was Bishop of Erie.

The Erie diocese had asked to be removed from the suit, saying that the claims against Trautman concern only his time in Buffalo.

“The Erie Diocese has absolutely no relationship whatsoever to this case,” it said in a dismissal request filed May 18.

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.

Lawsuit alleges priest sexually assaulted altar boy at Luzerne church

WILKES-BARRE (PA)
Citizens Voice

July 8, 2020

By Michael P. Buffer

A Berks County man claims a priest sexually assaulted him in the mid-1970s when he was an altar boy between the ages of 10 and 13 at Sacred Heart Church in Luzerne Borough, according to a lawsuit that also alleges the Diocese of Scranton covered up prior incidents of the priest sexually abusing boys.

The priest named in the lawsuit is the late Rev. Robert Caparelli, an admitted and notorious child predator who is believed to have molested multiple boys during his 30 years as a diocesan priest.

In separate cases in the early 1990s, Caparelli was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two altar boys between 1985 and 1989, in a Pike County rectory. Caparelli pleaded guilty to the abuse and died in prison in 1994.

The diocese settled at least three lawsuits filed by Caparelli’s victims. Two were filed by the parents of the Pike County boys and alleged the priest had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, when he sexually abused their sons.

The latest lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Luzerne Court Court. Daniel F. Monahan, an attorney from Exton, represents Joseph Storz, the plaintiff from Berks County. Storz, 56, is seeking punitive damages and a jury trial.

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.

July 10, 2020

After lobbying, Catholic Church won $1.4B in virus aid

NEW YORK (NY)
Associated Press

July 10, 2020

By Reese Dunklin and Michael Rezendes

The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

The church’s haul may have reached — or even exceeded — $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into the Paycheck Protection Program, a $659 billion fund created to keep main street open and Americans employed.

By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.

The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.

In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral estimated to cost over $70 million recently opened, diocesan officials working at the complex received four loans worth at least $3 million.

And elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million went to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, where a church investigation revealed last year that then-Bishop Michael Bransfield embezzled funds and made sexual advances toward young priests.

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.

Former Bucks County priest sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of altar boys

LANSDALE (PA)
Bucks Local News

July 9, 2020

Doylestown – A former Catholic priest who served for 10 years at a Lower Bucks church has been sentenced to state prison for the sexual abuse of two altar boys.

Francis Trauger, 74, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty Wednesday, July 8 to two counts of indecent assault of a person under 13, admitting to one first-degree misdemeanor for each victim charged.

He had been accused of molesting two altar boys, one in the mid-1990s and another in the early 2000s. The abuse occurred while Trauger, known in the church community as “Father Frank”, was a priest at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Tullytown.

– Advertisement –
Judge Jeffrey L. Finley sentenced Trauger to serve 18 to 36 months in state prison, a penalty in the aggravated range recommended by state sentencing guidelines, followed by seven years of probation.

“After evading justice for decades, this defendant is headed today to state prison for molesting two boys decades ago,” said District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub. “I hope the message to any other victims out there is clear: It is almost never too late to come forward to speak your truth.”

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.

John Ortberg’s Church Says ‘No Evidence of Misconduct’ As More Details Emerge

CAROL STREAM (IL)
Christianity Today

July 7, 2020

By Daniel Silliman

Megachurch pastor’s son named as the volunteer who confessed sexual attraction to children.

A California megachurch is defending the investigation and restoration of senior pastor John Ortberg as more information emerges about his concealment of a church volunteer’s confession of unwanted sexual attraction to children.

The pastor’s son Daniel Lavery, frustrated by what he has characterized as a lack of concern for the seriousness of sexual abuse, publicly named the volunteer on Twitter in late June: his brother and Ortberg’s youngest child, 30-year-old John Ortberg III.

Menlo Church elders first learned of the concealment when Lavery wrote them in November 2019. In the letter, Lavery said he believed there was “a credible basis for a serious and thorough investigation of every aspect of my brother’s work with children.” He said his father was choosing to take the younger Ortberg at his word that he had never acted on his sexual attractions, despite a clear pattern of seeking out opportunities to be alone with children.

“In the most charitable reading possible, my parents have acted with unconscionable disregard for their responsibilities as leaders, ministers, and parents,” Lavery wrote.

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.

In Aurora teacher sex abuse case, Court of Appeals dismisses charges against 2 employees

DENVER (CO)
Colorado Politics

July 9, 2020

By Michael Karlik

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/in-aurora-teacher-sex-abuse-case-court-of-appeals-dismisses-charges-against-2-employees/article_c6e726c2-c219-11ea-950f-bf4f7cc022b5.html

Two separate panels of the Colorado Court of Appeals both concluded that the statute of limitations for failing to report child abuse begins when a party who is required to report first learns of the abuse and does not immediately notify authorities.

“In the absence of clear legislative intent, we must conclude that failure to report is not a continuing offense,” wrote Judge Jaclyn Casey Brown, “and that the statute of limitations begins to run when a mandatory reporter has reason to know or suspect child abuse or neglect but willfully fails to make an immediate report.”

18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, whose office brought the charges, said on Thursday he was frustrated that two former school employees in the Cherry Creek School District would face no legal consequences for allegedly talking a minor out of her sex assault accusation.

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.

Danbury clergy sex abuse case postponed 2 months

DANBURY (CT)
News Times

July 9, 2020

By Kendra Baker

The pre-trial hearing of the former local priest accused of sexually assaulting two boys has been pushed to Sept. 4.

Jaime Marin-Cardona, 52, is charged with three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, three counts of risk of injury to child and three counts of illegal sexual contact. He pleaded not guilty to all nine charges.

The warrant for Marin-Cardona’s arrest alleges that he groomed two boys over the course of four years, and sexually abused one of them over the same period of time.

The alleged abuse began in 2014 — the same year Marin-Cardona became a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Golden Hill Road.

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.

Priest abuse: Local student journalist’s story helps right a wrong at St. Bonaventure

ROCHESTER (NY)
Democrat & Chronicle

July 9, 2020

St. Bonaventure NY – St. Bonaventure University is pulling the name of a deceased priest off one of its buildings thanks to an article written by a Brockport High graduate and local television journalist.

Msgr. James Hopkins, the Catholic Diocese of Erie said in July 2018, was the subject of an abuse report in 1993, long after his 1957 death. His name was among those included in a grand jury’s report in August 2018 on sexual abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses including Erie.

Hopkins attended seminary at St. Bonaventure in the late 1890s and received an honorary degree in 1950, the university said. He was pastor at St. Titus Church in Titusville, and the sex abuse allegations stemmed from his time there.

Hopkins Hall has been the name of the university’s administration building. The sign in front of the building has been removed and it will be known as the Administration Building until renaming discussions start at an undetermined time.

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.

Ex-Latter-day Saint bishop pleads guilty to child pornography charge

SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
Deseret News

July 9, 2020

By Dennis Romboy

A former Latter-day Saint bishop admitted in federal court Thursday to having child pornography on his cellphone.

Timothy James Hallows, 62, of Kaysville, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in an agreement with federal prosecutors. He admitted to having images of prepubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults on his cellphone and sending them to a woman in the Philippines last November.

Hallows faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Hallows was bishop of the Wellington Ward in the Kaysville Utah Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was arrested in October and later charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in 2nd District Court in Davis County.

The state charges were dismissed June 29 after the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Davis County Attorney’s Office decided to pursue the case in federal court.

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.

July 9, 2020

La Iglesia archivó una denuncia de abuso sexual contra el ex cura Walter Avanzini

(ARGENTINA)
La Voz de Misiones [Posadas, Argentina]

July 9, 2020

By Unknown

Read original article

La víctima de abuso eclesiástico fue notificada el jueves por el Arzobispado de Córdoba.


CÓRDOBA-VATICANO. A más de un año de la denuncia mediática que Daniel Vera hizo contra el ex cura cordobés Walter Eduardo Avanzini por presuntos abusos sexuales en 1986, la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe, con sede en Roma, archivó la causa.

El jueves 2 de julio Daniel Vera fue notificado por el Arzobispado de Córdoba, a través de un escrito con fecha del 29 de abril, que la denuncia fue desestimada porque “los hechos referidos en la denuncia no reúnen los extremos previstos por la ley canónica vigentes en el año 1986”. Además, porque Walter Eduardo Avanzini “ya no posee estado clerical”.

Asimismo, instaron a que Vera siga con su denuncia en la justicia ordinaria: “Visto que la ley canónica no sustituye las leyes penales del Estado argentino, le ruego haga llegar, en homenaje a la verdad y la justicia, la denuncia ante las autoridades penales del estado”. La mencionada carta está firmada por el obispo Adolfo Uriona, de la diócesis de Río Cuarto.

Tras ser notificado, el cordobés manifestó a La Voz del Interior que irá “con todo por la parte penal” para que Avanzini sea juzgado por los abusos que padeció cuando era menor de edad.

El caso

Daniel Vera conoció al cura Walter Eduardo Avanzini (quien también era médico) en 1985cuando iba a visitar en el Seminario Mayor en Río Cuarto a su hermano, el ahora también ex sacerdote Raúl Vera. “Cuando lo conocí, me pareció un dios. Era un tipo supercarismático. Yo quería ser como él”, recuerda Vera. Según la denuncia del cordobés, sufrió abusos por parte del cura cuando tenía 17 años, en 1986, en Arias, una localidad a 360 kilómetros al sudeste de Córdoba Capital.

La denuncia de Vera no es la única que involucra a Avanzini. En 1983, un seminarista lo denunció por un intento de abuso. Pese a eso, fue ordenado cura a los meses por la diócesis de Río Cuarto. Y en 1998, cuando ya llevaba 13 años en el ejercicio del ministerio sacerdotal fue grabado en un programa de televisión mientras pagaba para tener sexo con un menor en la plaza de Córdoba Capital.

Luego de ese escándalo, el religioso no fue expulsado de la Iglesia Católica, sino enviado a un retiro espiritual en San Fernando, provincia de Buenos Aires. No hubo investigación judicial ni canónica.

Después de abandonar el sacerdocio, Avanzini ingresó como docente y secretario escolar cerca de Villa Carlos Paz. En 2009, entró como empleado del Ministerio de Educación provincial. En 2011 pasó a cumplir funciones a una inspección zonal dependiente de la Dirección General de Institutos Privados de Enseñanza de la Provincia de Córdoba (Dipe).

De 2014 a la actualidad, el ex cura estudió y sumó a su curriculum un profesorado, una licenciatura y una maestría. Esta última la rindió en 2016 cuyo tema de su tesis fue “Acoso entre pares desde la mirada de los actores educativos adultos”.

La Voz del Interior/Cosecha Roja/LVM

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.

Former Philadelphia priest pleads guilty to decades-old sex assaults of altar boys in Bucks County

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

July 8, 2020

By Vinny Vella

After years of dodging allegations of abusing children, a former Catholic priest pleaded guilty Wednesday to molesting two altar boys in Bucks County decades ago.

Francis Trauger, 74, admitted his guilt to two counts of indecent assault of a minor, and Bucks County Judge Jeffrey L. Finley sentenced him to 18 to 36 months in a state prison and seven years’ probation.

Trauger did not speak during the hour-long hearing, which played out in a mostly empty courtroom, with only a few onlookers and a huddle of journalists.

His attorney, Brian McVann, said that the defrocked priest’s conduct “cannot be defended” and that Trauger felt compelled to admit his guilt and take responsibility for his actions.

“He has done great good in his life,” McVann said. “Unfortunately, it has been lost in this case.”

Finley, in handing down the sentence, told Trauger that any good he had done during his decades-long tenure with the church had been “torn down” and destroyed by these actions.

“I don’t know that you truly understood that,” the judge said. “Or at least that you truly didn’t understand that until you were arrested.”

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.

Bucks County, Pennsylvania priest sentenced in sex abuse case

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WPVI 6 ABC

July 8, 2020

Tullytown PA – A former Catholic priest pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to sexually abusing two altar boys in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Father Francis Trauger was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in a state prison in addition to seven years probation.

Trauger served at St. Michael the Archangel in Tullytown between 1993 and 2003, when the assaults happened.

Michael McDonnell, of Bristol, was molested by Trauger in 1981. He says this is a step towards closure.

Trauger was removed from the priesthood in 2003 and two years later was named in the Philadelphia Grand Jury Report about predator priests.

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.

Delbarton sex abuse lawsuits may be first of a wave, raise new questions about abusers

NEWTON (NJ)
New Jersey Herald

July 8, 2020

By Abbott Koloff

A new round of lawsuits filed against the order that runs the Delbarton School in Morris Township underscores questions about how allegedly abusive monks are being dealt with even now — with one still having voicemail at a residence on school grounds after being the subject of another lawsuit settled two years ago.

Attorneys filed six lawsuits Tuesday that contain new accusations of sexual abuse allegedly committed by five men who have been monks of St. Mary’s Abbey and the Order of St. Benedict and one former Delbarton lay teacher. This was the first wave, the attorneys said, of what is expected to be more than 20 such complaints.

The accused clerics are Timothy Brennan, Justin Capato, Donal Fox, Benedict Michael Worry and Malachy Robert Flavin. Also accused is a former teacher, Giacomo Pagano. All six men have been the subjects of prior sex abuse settlements made by the order.

Capato, Fox and Worry were accused in a 2015 civil complaint settled in 2018. Last year, a Catholic directory still listed all three as priests assigned to St. Mary’s Abbey. Worry has a phone extension at the abbey.

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.

‘Difficult decisions’ loom as Catholic Charities misses fundraising goal

BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

July 8, 2020

By Jay Tokasz

When Catholic Charities of Buffalo officials announced in January they would seek to raise $10 million in the 2020 appeal, the big question was how much an anticipated Buffalo Diocese bankruptcy filing might hurt the human services agency’s fundraising.

But the agency faced an even bigger obstacle than the diocese’s February bankruptcy filing when the global coronavirus pandemic shut down parish life and Masses in 161 Catholic churches across Western New York for three months during the heart of the appeal effort.

Despite the pandemic, Catholic Charities ended up raising $8.4 million through the appeal, which ended June 30. It was $1.6 million short of the goal, but Deacon Steve Schumer, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit, said he was very happy with the results, especially under the extraordinary circumstances of the past few months.

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.

Deadline Set for St. Cloud Diocese Clergy Sex Abuse Claims

ST. CLOUD (MN)
KNSI

July 7, 2020

By Jenifer Lewerenz

The Diocese of St. Cloud has announced a deadline for claims for victims and survivors of clergy sex abuse.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota issued an order Tuesday saying anyone making a claim against the Diocese for sex abuse must make a claim with the bankruptcy court no later than 5:00 p.m. October 21, 2020. This is to ensure the claim is considered for compensation if the person believes the Diocese of St. Cloud is responsible for any injury or other damages to them because they claim that they were sexually abused by a priest, a clergyman, a worker, a volunteer, an employee, or other person or entity associated with the Diocese.

If you would like to get additional information, or make a claim, click here. You can also call 520-770-8712.

The deadline is part of the $22.5 million settlement framework agreed to by clergy sex abuse survivors, attorneys, and the Diocese.

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.

Bishop Admits Recycling Predator Priests

FERNDALE (MI)
Church Militant

July 8, 2020

By Bradley Eli

Rochester diocese discredits testimony

Rochester NY – Testimony from Rochester’s former bishop is confirming he routinely reassigned to ministry priests accused of pedophilia.

In testimony released on Monday, Rochester’s Bp. Emeritus Matthew Clark admits under oath that he was aware of sexual abuse allegations against priests, who he nonetheless returned to active ministry after sending them to rehabilitation centers. Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney representing 94 sexual abuse victims suing the diocese of Rochester, says Clark’s deposition, given in March, indicates Clark did shelter known pedophile priests.

“The testimony by Bp. Matthew Clark under oath in his deposition of March 3, 2020 indicates that Bp. Clark hid pedophilia from the public for decades just as clergy sexual abuse victims had suspected,” Garabedian commented.

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.

Firms file 20 Child Victims Act lawsuits against diocese

PLATSBURGH (NY)
Press-Republican

July 2, 2020

By Cara Chapman

Twenty new lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Ogdensburg under the New York Child Victims Act Tuesday.

The suits collectively named 14 priests.

“The Diocese of Ogdensburg takes all allegations of abuse seriously, and these new allegations will be investigated,” Diocese of Ogdensburg Communications Director Darcy Fargo said.

“We hope and pray that victims of abuse are able to find healing and reconciliation, and that justice is served in these cases.”

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.

Statute of limitations runs out on assault allegation

ELLSWORTH (ME)
Ellsworth American

July 8, 2020

By Jennifer Osborn

The statute of limitations for reporting sexual assaults will prevent a potential case involving a priest or pastor from being prosecuted, according to District Attorney Matt Foster.

“I tried to see if the United States Attorney’s Office would be able to prosecute, but they didn’t think they could prosecute the case either,” Foster said.

Hancock County Sheriff’s Det. Stephen McFarland last week took a complaint from a New Jersey man who reported sexual assaults were committed against him between 1978 and 1980 in Dedham.

The statute of limitations is “complex,” the detective said. “It depends on the charge, the age of victim at the time, the date of offense and laws in effect at the time.”

Foster said “basically we cannot prosecute a late report that is alleged to have occurred prior to Oct. 9, 1980 for GSA [gross sexual assault] of a child under 16.”

Whether the accused has been out of state for any period of time during the statute of limitations is another factor, Foster said. For example, any time a defendant spent out of state after the alleged crime, can be added to the statute of limitation to extend it up to an additional five years.

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.

Former Norfolk Catholic teacher given 3 years for sexually abusing student in 1970s

PORTSMOUTH (VA)
WAVY

July 2, 2020

By Sarah Fearing

Norfolk VA – A former teacher at Norfolk Catholic High School has been sentenced to five years in prison with two years suspended in connection with sexual abuse of a student that happened in the late 1970s.

Daniel Wolfe was arrested in March 2019 after the victim came forward alleging sexual abuse between 1978 and 1979, when Wolfe was employed as a teacher at Norfolk Catholic High School.

Wolfe pleaded guilty to one charge of crimes against nature in October 2019 in connection with the allegations.

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.

Two Catholic priests who worked in Fort Worth were accused of molesting kids elsewhere

FORT WORTH (TX)
Star-Telegram

July 8, 2020

By Domingo Ramirez Jr.

Two Marianist religious order priests accused of molesting children in the United States worked in the Diocese of Fort Worth. But they aren’t on a list of clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors in the Fort Worth area because the alleged abuse didn’t occur here, according to a statement from the diocese.

The Roman Catholic religious order based in St. Louis recently released the names of its members found to have sexually abused a minor since 1950 in the United States.

That list included Father John N. Schlund and Father Daniel A. Triulzi, who both worked in the Diocese of Fort Worth at one time. Triulzi was removed from the ministry in 2006 and Schlund in 2004. Triulzi died in 2017, according to the religious order, the Marianist Province of the United States.

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.

Sarasota County man sues priest, alleging sexual abuse

SARASOTA (FL)
Sarasota Herald-Tribune

July 8, 2020

By Frank Fernandez

The 33-year-old man said sexual abuse took place when he was a teenager about 20 years ago.

A 33-year-old man has filed a lawsuit against a retired Catholic priest who lives in Ormond Beach, accusing the priest of sexually molesting him two decades ago when the man was a teenager being held in a juvenile detention facility.

Louis Reed, the accuser who has filed the lawsuit, agreed to have his name published for this story.

Reed’s suit is filed in Polk County Circuit Court against the Rev. Fred Ruse. An attorney for the former priest said his client did not want to discuss the lawsuit and denied the allegations in a phone interview, citing Reed’s criminal history to question his credibility.

“I already had mental health issues and someone gained my trust as a vulnerable teenager and took advantage of me,” Reed said in a phone interview.

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.

Name of diocesan priest removed from St. Bonaventure administration building

ST. BONAVENTURE (NY)
St. Bonaventure University

July 8, 2020

St. Bonaventure University has removed the name from Hopkins Hall, the university’s administration building.

Some investigative reporting this spring by Sean Mickey, a reporter for The Bona Venture student newspaper, revealed that the building was named after Msgr. James Hopkins, a diocesan priest who was credibly accused of sexual abuse.

“We didn’t realize that Hopkins was on a list of priests accused of sexual abuse, but when Sean inquired about it when he saw his name, I confirmed with the Diocese of Erie that Hopkins was on the list, and that he had more than one abuse claim,” said Tom Missel, chief communications officer. “Kudos to Sean for bringing it to the university’s attention.”

Dr. Dennis DePerro, university president, authored a resolution to have Hopkins’ name removed from the building. The university’s Board of Trustees approved the resolution at its annual summer board meeting.

“It’s reprehensible what’s been uncovered and heartbreaking for the families who’ve been victimized,” DePerro said. “It doesn’t matter that the abuses in this case might have happened a century ago. Anytime a story surfaces like this, anyone who’s been a victim of sexual abuse feels the pain.”

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.

Late Erie diocese priest’s name removed from university building

ERIE (PA)
Erie Times-News

July 9, 2020

[See also SBU to consider renaming building after claim of sexual abuse, by Sean Mickey, Bona Venture, March 12, 2020; and the description of the Hopkins case in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, August 14, 2018.]

St. Bonaventure NY – The name of a deceased priest who is on the Catholic Diocese of Erie’s list of credibly accused has been removed from a building on the St. Bonaventure University campus.

Msgr. James Hopkins, the Erie diocese said in July 2018, was the subject of an abuse report in 1993, long after his death in 1957. His name was among those included in a grand jury’s report in August 2018 on abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses including Erie.

Hopkins attended seminary at St. Bonaventure in the late 1890s and received an honorary degree in 1950, the university said. He was pastor at St. Titus Church in Titusville, and the allegations of abuse stemmed from his time there.

Hopkins Hall has been the name of the university’s administration building. The sign in front of the building has been removed and it will be known as the Administration Building until renaming discussions start at an undetermined time.

University President Dennis DePerro drafted a resolution to have Hopkins’ name removed from the building. The Board of Trustees approved the resolution at its annual summer meeting.

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.

Survivors react to former bishop’s testimony of secret files, shuffling of accused priests

ROCHESTER (NY)
WHAM

July 7, 2020

By Jane Flasch

For 32 years, Matthew Clark led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

The former bishop now admits publicly that the diocese kept secret archives and priests accused of sexual abuse were allowed to continue to serve, sometimes moving from parish to parish.

The statements are contained in a three-hour deposition given in March as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The legal transcript was released to the public Monday.

“I just want to see the truth come out,” said Carol Dupre, who has filed a sexual abuse lawsuit.

She says she was just a teenager when she was first molested by her parish priest back in 1962. During his deposition Bishop Clark said he didn’t recall allegations about Rev. Stuart Hogan or some of the other 50 priests he was asked about.

In other cases, his memory was clear.

For example, he said Rev. Eugene Emo was sent away for treatment, then reassigned to a Livingston County parish – but with no restrictions on access to children.

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.

Albany Diocese adds deceased Capital Region priest to list of offenders

ALBANY (NY)
Times-Union

July 7, 2020

By Cayla Harris

Rev. Alan Jupin, who died in 2019, allegedly molested five minors in ’70s, ’80s, ’90s

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany on Tuesday added Rev. Alan Jupin – who spent most of his tenure as a priest at Our Lady of Fatima, now St. Kateri Tekakwitha, in Schenectady – to its list of priests and clergy “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children.

Jupin, who died in January 2019, is accused of molesting five children in Schenectady and Albany in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He is the latest, and the first 2020 addition, to a list of nearly 50 priests and clergy who have substantive complaints of molestation filed against them, as determined by a diocesan review panel.

Jupin’s name was added to the list after the review board hired an investigator last year to probe a new allegation against the reverend, as well as past accusations that the panel had previously decided were unsubstantiated. Jupin had been placed on administrative leave twice – in 2003 and 2011 – for allegations of sexually abusing children, but the review board at those times found those accusations to have “no reasonable cause for action.”

The 2019 investigation, instead, did find reasonable cause to add Jupin’s name to the list, according to a release from the Albany Diocese. The review board meets privately to determine whether sexual abuse allegations are credible and typically relies on information from private investigators; ultimately, the bishop is responsible for any action against priests.

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.

Retired Pope Benedict follows his brother’s funeral virtually

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service via Crux

July 8, 2020

Regensburg, Germany – Retired Pope Benedict XVI followed the funeral of his brother, Georg Ratzinger, via live streaming, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA.

Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg said Pope Benedict, 93, was connected to the Mass taking place for his older brother July 8 in the Regensburg Cathedral. Msgr. Georg Ratzinger died on July 1 at age 96.

During the Mass, the Regensburg bishop recalled the surprise June 18-22 visit Benedict paid to the sickbed of his dying brother.

“This sign of humanity touched many people. So all the more do we share in your mourning,” he said in words addressed to the retired pope.

KNA reported that alongside Voderholzer at the altar was Benedict’s private secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and the papal ambassador to Germany, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic. Among other participants were the former Regensburg bishop, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, and Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

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.

July 8, 2020

Suit against Scranton Diocese alleges abuse, cover-up by repeat-offender priest

WILKES-BARRE (PA)
Times Leader

July 7, 2020

By Patrick Kernan

Rev. Robert Caparelli had predatory history, served time

A Berks County man filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Scranton on Tuesday, claiming the diocese conspired to cover up evidence of abuse in order to protect the alleged abuser.

The Times Leader does not identify the victims of sexual abuse, but the suit was filed through the man’s attorney, Daniel F. Monahan. According to the suit, the man was abused by the late Rev. Robert Caparelli while the plaintiff was between the ages of 10 and 13.

Caparelli was a priest at various churches throughout the Diocese for decades, until he was arrested in the early 1990s, dying while serving prison time in 1994. The plaintiff in this case claims he was abused by Caparelli during his time at Sacred Heart Church, now the site of Holy Family Parish, in Luzerne Borough.

According to the suit, Caparelli’s abuse of the plaintiff began roughly around 1974, while he was an altar server at the church and Caparelli worked as a priest. The suit says Caparelli abused the plaintiff on numerous occasions, telling the boy that “his actions were acceptable because he liked him and he was ‘special.’”

The suit says the abuse occurred in the sacristy of the church.

The suit claims the Diocese of Scranton, including its former leaders J. Carroll McCormick and Bishop John O’Connor “were familiar with Caparelli’s sexual interest in male children as early as Aug. 14, 1968, and continued to be aware through direct confirmation of that sexual interest thereafter.”

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.

Polish Church faces reckoning over sex abuse

WARSAW (POLAND)
Agence France-Presse

July 8, 2020

Jakub Pankowiak’s story of sexual abuse by a local priest is shaking up Poland’s Catholic hierarchy, amplifying calls for full transparency after decades of cover-ups in the former communist country.

Pankowiak, an organist’s son and a young boy at the time, recalls that Father Arkadiusz Hajdasz was “friendly, open, smiley” when he arrived in the town of Pleszew.

“It started with tea and cookies… until one day he sat down and just started kissing and fondling me,” Pankowiak told AFP in a phone interview.

“I was speechless to the point of no reaction. I just waited for it to end,” said the 35-year-old who still recalls the priest’s bad breath and pimply ruddy cheeks.

Pankowiak, now a musician and lecturer, said Hajdasz molested him hundreds of times, as well as his younger brother Bartlomiej and others.

The siblings tell their story in a documentary called “Hide and Seek” by Marek and Tomasz Sekielski.

Viewed seven million times on YouTube since its May release, it has ignited debate on the issue of clerical sex abuse in Poland.

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.

SNAP Asks Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth to Add Names to List of Accused Priests

FORT WORTH (TX)
KXAS 5 NBC DFW

July 8, 2020

Fr. John N. Schlund and Fr. Daniel A. Triulzi were named as abusers on the list released by the Marianist

Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network, are requesting that the names of two clerics be added to the rosters of abusive priests in the Diocese of Fort Worth and explain why they were omitted.

Fr. John N. Schlund and Fr. Daniel A. Triulzi were named as abusers on the list released by the Marianist order in late June.

According to the Marianists, Schlund worked in “Campus Ministry” in Denton, and Triulzi worked at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth and at St. Mark’s in Denton.

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.

Rochester Catholic Church Abuse Victim Speaks on Release of Deposition

ROCHESTER (NY)
Spectrum News

July 7, 2020

By Jonathan Hunter

Former Rochester Catholic Bishop Matthew Clark admitted that he allowed priests who were sexually abusing children to continue to work. The deposition was just released to the public. This comes after he was questioned in March as part of a bankruptcy hearing for the Diocese of Rochester.

“If someone was working for a big company, he’d be fired on the spot when he was caught,” said Carol Dupré, a victim.

Dupré is just one of many victims who say they were abused by priests in the Rochester region. She says her abuse took place in the 1960s at a church in Wayne County.

“Without going into any details about it, I finally told my mother what was going on and she reported it to the dioceses and they did nothing,” said Dupré

In the 140-page deposition, Bishop Clark admitted he knew there were priests who were sexually abusing children. He says he sent them to treatment and reassigned them when they returned. Mitchell Garabedian is an attorney who represents clients who were sexually abused by clergy members.

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.

Judge declines to dismiss sex abuse case against ex-youth symphony director

SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
Deseret News

July 7, 2020

By Annie Knox

Charges have tested victim’s memory in alleged crime and the reach of statutes of limitation

West Jordan – A judge has declined to dismiss a set of criminal charges against a former youth symphony orchestra director accused of decades-old sexual misconduct with teenage boys.

Third District Judge Kristine Johnson ruled late Monday that prosecutors in Salt Lake County have met their burden of proof, a preponderance of the evidence, at the early stage in the case against Brent E. Taylor, a former longtime director of the Utah Valley Youth Symphony.

Attorneys have focused their attention on the nitty-gritty of Utah’s statutes of limitation and whether they provide Taylor a defense to allegations from a former teenage employee who worked for him in the 1980s.

No one disputes that the charges will hold up only if the boy was legally a child — age 13 or younger — at the time the alleged sexual abuse began. While the defense says the evidence fails to prove his age, prosecutors contend it strongly suggests he was not yet 14 years old.

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.

Bishop: North Carolina priest kept on leave on abuse claims

CHARLOTTE (NC)
Associated Press

July 2, 2020

A Catholic priest in North Carolina will remain on administrative leave after allegations of sexual abuse against him were revealed last year, the Charlotte diocese’s bishop said.

Bishop Peter Jugis made the announcement to St. Matthew parishioners in a letter Wednesday, writing that he had accepted the recommendation of the diocese’s Lay Review Board to keep the Rev. Patrick Hoare out of ministry, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Hoare was originally put on administrative leave in December after the diocese received “an allegation against him of child sexual abuse that was said to have occurred in Pennsylvania more than 25 years ago, before Father Hoare entered ministry” the Charlotte Observer quoted Jugis as writing.

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.

Albany Diocese adds deceased priest to list of offenders following investigation

SCHENECTADY (NY)
Daily Gazette

July 7, 20200

By Brenton Blanchet

Rev. Alan Jupin died in 2019; investigation finds “reasonable cause” to accept allegations of sexual abuse against minors credible
|
Albany – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany announced Tuesday that it’s adding Rev. Alan Jupin, who died in 2019, to its “List of Offenders” after an investigation found “reasonable cause” related to allegations of sexual abuse against minors.

The findings followed 2019 allegations which the Diocesan Review Board hired an investigator to examine.

Jupin has been accused of sexually abusing a total of five minors in Schenectady and Albany in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Previously, he was on administrative leave between 2003 and 2011, before the Diocesan Review Board found the allegations he was on leave for had “no reasonable cause for action.”

Last year, Timothy Sawicki of Schenectady joined a multi-plaintiff lawsuit, filed by the Marsh Law Firm in White Plains, and alleged Jupin groomed and sexually abused him when he was 16 and 17 years old from 1975 to 1977. Jupin worked at St. John the Baptist in Schenectady at the time and Sawicki claimed Jupin introduced him to other priests who also sexually abused him.

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.

Red Sox dogged by claims of racism, sexual abuse

NEW YORK (NY)
Associated Press

July 7, 2020

By Michael Rezendes

Last month, when former Major League All-star Torii Hunter said he’d been called the N-word “a hundred times” at Boston’s storied Fenway Park, the Red Sox were quick to back him up with a promise to fight racism.

“Torii Hunter’s experience is real,” the team said in a June 10 Twitter post, adding that there were at least seven incidents as recently as last year where fans used racial slurs. The team promised to do a better job dealing with racism: “As we identify how we can do better, please know we are listening.”

But those words rang hollow for more than a dozen Black men who have spent the last several years trying to get the Red Sox to listen to their claims that they were sexually abused by a former Red Sox clubhouse manager who died in 2005.

The former clubhouse manager, Donald “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, pleaded guilty to criminal charges of attempted sexual battery in 2002, admitting that he used Red Sox team memorabilia to lure young, Black clubhouse workers into secluded areas of the team’s Florida spring training facility, where he abused them. Fitzpatrick did not admit to abusing young boys in other ballparks.

Since then, a growing number of men have stepped forward to allege that they, too, were abused by Fitzpatrick at Fenway Park and at major league stadiums in Baltimore and Kansas City, when the Red Sox were playing on the road. Because their claims date to the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, they are too old to be included in civil lawsuits, and the men say their requests for out-of-court settlements have fallen on deaf ears.

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.

Prestigious N.J. Catholic school hit with more lawsuits alleging students were sexually abused

WOODBRIDGE (NJ)
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

July 8, 2020

By Joe Atmonavage

Six lawsuits alleging former employees at a prestigious Morris County Catholic school sexually abused minors were filed Tuesday and more than a dozen additional lawsuits will be added in the coming weeks, an attorney representing the victims said.

The lawsuits, filed against Delbarton School, an all-boys school in Morristown, St. Mary’s Abbey and the order that runs the school, St. Benedicts of New Jersey, allege that minors dating back to the 1960s were sexually abused by former employees of the school. The suits were filed in state Superior Court in Morris County.

Greg Gianforcaro, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the new cases, said he expects additional lawsuits to be filed “soon.”

The Delbarton School has been the subject of a number of lawsuits in recent years by former students who allege they were sexually abused by clerics at the school. Gianforcaro said he has settled at least 15 cases on behalf of sexual abuse survivors against the Delbarton School since 2004.

“This institution cared more about their reputation than they did about the students in the school,” Gianforcaro said about the number of cases filed against the school.

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.

Patristics scholar appointed new papal ambassador

LONDON (ENGLAND)
The Tablet

July 4, 2020

By Christopher Lamb

Pope Francis has chosen Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti to be his next ambassador to Great Britain.

The 64-year-old Italian diplomat will move to London from Ukraine, where he has served as papal representative, known as an apostolic nuncio, since the end of 2015.

*

Born in Verona, Archbishop Gugerotti is a patristics scholar and expert on the Eastern churches who has taught at the Pontifical Oriental Institute and worked at the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

He is not a career diplomat, but in 2001 Pope John Paul II named him the papal representative to Georgia, Armenia and Arzebaijan.

The archbishop’s appointment to the complex, and delicate posting of Ukraine signalled his diplomatic expertise. He also took over that position from Archbishop Timothy Gullickson, who had been openly critical of Pope Francis.

*
As nuncio, the archbishop’s role will see him draw up shortlists for crucial leadership positions in the Church in England and Wales. Whenever a diocese needs a new bishop, the papal nuncio is responsible for drawing up a shortlist of three candidates along with a detailed report into the local church.

Later this year the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, will reach the retirement age of 75, while in 2021 the Archbishop of Cardiff, George Stack, also turns 75.

Archbishop Gugerotti is also facing the outcomes of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. His predecessor, Archbishop Adams, was criticised for not giving evidence to the inquiry.

As a Holy See ambassador he had diplomatic immunity and could not be compelled to give evidence. The inquiry wanted information about the apostolic nunciature’s handling of abuse at Ealing Abbey and St Benedict’s school, particularly on the case of Laurence Soper, the former abbot who skipped bail while under suspicion for abuse.

It later emerged that the Vatican financial authorities provided crucial information which led to the arrest and conviction for Soper for child abuse offences.

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.

Pittsburgh Diocese announces job cuts, move of administrative office

PITTSBURGH (PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

July 7, 2020

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will eliminate 11 jobs, reduce the hours for two others, and relocate its administrative offices as it tries to reduce costs while responding to the “ongoing challenges presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic,” the diocese announced Tuesday.

The reorganization plan will move diocesan headquarters from the Boulevard of the Allies in Downtown to the St. Paul Seminary campus in East Carnegie, where some of its offices are already located. The Downtown building would likely be put up for sale.

The plan was announced to staff and clergy Tuesday during two online conference calls.

In the release, the diocese did not specify which jobs were eliminated.

The diocese said a long-term decline in Mass attendance and donations “has been exacerbated by the ripple effect of COVID-19. Decreased donations to parishes directly impacts Parish Share giving, which is the primary source of funding for the diocesan budget.”

The cuts were originally expected to be higher, but the diocese was able to reduce the cuts, in part due to a $2.5 million loan through the federal Payroll Protection Program, which the diocese says helped prevent further layoffs and furloughs.

“Having to let one person go is sad enough, but we have 11,” Bishop David Zubik said. “We just try to be very responsible about using the money the best way we can.”

The cuts come on top of a previous round of cuts last year in which the diocese eliminated about 32 positions.

Long-term declines in attendance and donations have been exacerbated in the past two years, first by some parishioners upset over parish mergers and the grand jury report into sexual abuse by priests, and more recently by the pandemic. Churches were closed for several weeks, and the usual required attendance remains waived even with their reopening. Donations have been down 20% since the pandemic started.

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.

July 7, 2020

Dan último adiós al padre Vicente Condado

XALAPA (MEXICO)
Diario de Xalapa [Xalapa, Veracrúz, Mexico]

July 7, 2020

By Miguel Salazar

Read original article

Impulsó la construcción de la Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, en El Dique

Xalapa, Ver.- El arzobispo Hipólito Reyes Larios ofició una misa para pedir por el eterno descanso del padre Vicente Condado Sánchez, quien falleció el pasado domingo en esta capital a la edad de 84 años, por motivos de salud.

En compañía de sacerdotes de la Diócesis de Xalapa y de un grupo limitado de fieles en la Catedral, a causa de la cuarentena por coronavirus, le dieron el último adiós a quien fue impulsor de la construcción de la Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ubicada en el barrio de El Dique. 

Al término de la ceremonia de cuerpo presente y que se llevó a cabo las 12 horas de ayer, los restos del sacerdote fueron trasladados a las catacumbas de la catedral, para su eterno descanso. El padre Vicente Condado Sánchez nació en la ciudad de Xalapa el día 6 de abril de 1936.

Fue hijo de Celerino Condado y Esther Sánchez. Tuvo el privilegio de recibir la Ordenación Sacerdotal el 22 de agosto de 1968, en Bogotá, Colombia, de manos del entonces papa Paulo VI. 

El 4 de enero de 1990 fue trasladado a la parroquia y Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Xalapa, donde permaneció hasta el 13 de octubre de 2009, además de que le tocó estar al frente de la construcción la Basílica de Guadalupe y llevó el proyecto hasta un 80% de avance. El 19 de septiembre de 1985 fue nombrado vicario Parroquial y en 1987 se convirtió en párroco.

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.

PADRE VICENTE CONDADO

XALAPA (MEXICO)
Golpe Político [Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico]

July 7, 2020

By Alfredo Quezada Hernández

Read original article

La mañana del pasado 5 de julio, a la edad de 84 años y luego de varios padecimientos de salud,

falleció el padre Vicente Condado Sánchez.

El ministro religioso es recordado como una persona muy tratable, culta, carismática, atenta y servicial; era

un gran conocedor de la liturgia y el arte sagrado; gozaba de la admiración y la estima de muchas personas.

Una de sus grandes aportaciones a esta ciudad capital es que a él le tocó construir el santuario de la actual

Basílica de Guadalupe, en la zona de Los Lagos.

Fue el encargado de llevar el proyecto de construcción hasta un 80%.

El 4 de enero de 1990 fue trasladado a la parroquia y Santuario de Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe en Xalapa

donde permaneció hasta el 13 de octubre del 2009.

Tenía grandes capacidades de oratoria y se distinguía por su calidad humana y evangélica.

Condado Sánchez nació en esta ciudad de Xalapa, Ver., un 6 de abril de 1936. Fue hijo de Sr. Celerino

Condado y Esther Sánchez.

Tuvo el privilegio de recibir la Ordenación Sacerdotal el día 22 de agosto de 1968, en la ciudad de Bogotá,

Colombia, de manos de S.S. el Papa Paulo VI. Cursó sus estudios de Humanidades en el Seminario de

Xalapa, así como sus estudios de Filosofía y Teología. En el año de 1969 fue enviado a la ciudad de Roma

para hacer estudios superiores, se especializó en Psicología y Pedagogía en la Universidad Pontificia

Salesiana de Roma.

Descanse en Paz.

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.

Abusos: la Iglesia archivó la denuncia de Daniel Vera contra el excura cordobés Walter Avanzini

(ARGENTINA)
La Voz [Córdoba, Argentina]

July 7, 2020

By Lisandro Tosello

Read original article

El hombre fue notificado el jueves por el Arzobispado de Córdoba. La denuncia mediática la hizo en junio de 2019. “Ahora iré con todo por la parte penal”, manifestó.

más de un año de la denuncia mediática que Daniel Vera hizo contra el excura cordobés Walter Eduardo Avanzini por presuntos abusos sexuales en 1986, la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe, con sede en Roma, archivó la causa.

A más de un año de la denuncia mediática que Daniel Vera hizo contra el excura cordobés Walter Eduardo Avanzini por presuntos abusos sexuales en 1986, la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe, con sede en Roma, archivó la causa.

El jueves 2 de julio, el denunciante fue notificado por el Arzobispado de Córdoba. Por medio de un escrito, con fecha del 29 de abril, se le informó que la denuncia fue desestimada porque “los hechos referidos en la denuncia no reúnen los extremos previstos por la ley canónica vigentes en el año 1986”. Además, porque Avanzini “ya no posee estado clerical”.

Por último, instaron a que Vera siga con su denuncia en la justicia ordinaria.

“Visto que la ley canónica no sustituye las leyes penales del Estado argentino, le ruego haga llegar, en homenaje a la verdad y la justicia, la denuncia ante las autoridades penales del estado”.

La carta está firmada por el obispo Adolfo Uriona, de la diócesis de Río Cuarto.

“Iré con todo por la parte penal”

Tras ser notificado, Vera manifestó a La Voz que irá “con todo por la parte penal” para que Avanzini sea juzgado en los tribunales.

En estos 13 meses de la exposición de su caso, el hombre se fortaleció y se puso en contacto con Lisandro Gómez, su letrado e integrante del Instituto Laico de Estudios Contemporáneos de Argentina (Ilec), para formular la denuncia, la cual será presentada cuando se flexibilicen las actividades pospandemia por coronavirus.

La historia

Daniel Vera conoció al cura Walter Eduardo Avanzini en 1985 por intermedio de su hermano, el ahora también exsacerdote Raúl Vera. Avanzini, luego de su etapa de formación en el Seminario Mayor de Córdoba y de su ordenación en la diócesis de Río Cuarto, había sido enviado a su destino pastoral en Arias.

Daniel, quien viene de una familia muy católica, vivía con su madre y su padre a 53 kilómetros, en la localidad de Canals. Los domingos viajaba a Río Cuarto para visitar a su hermano en el Seminario Mayor. Allí conoció a Avanzini, quien además de sacerdote era médico y oriundo de una localidad cercana, Sampacho.

“Cuando lo conocí, me pareció un dios. Era un tipo supercarismático. Yo quería ser como él”, recuerda Vera.

En 1985, Daniel cursaba cuarto año en el Instituto Belisario Roldán de Canals y soñaba con ser cura y misionero en África. Para sus padres, que se habían conocido dando catequesis, tener dos hijos religiosos no podía ser un regalo mejor.

Avanzini se convirtió en su referente. Al vivir en localidades vecinas, Daniel empezó a visitarlo en la parroquia. “A veces, la Iglesia organizaba encuentros pastorales de jóvenes”, recuerda. “Como él sabía que yo quería seguir sus pasos, me invitaba y yo viajaba. Me quedaba a dormir con él, en otra habitación”.

Daniel asegura que a veces, cuando se duchaba en la casa parroquial, Avanzini irrumpía en el baño para llevarle una toalla y lo veía desnudo. Y que en ese contexto el sacerdote le hizo una observación íntima sobre su órgano sexual, aunque siempre dando la impresión de que se trataba de una preocupación médica.

“Me preguntó si tenía problemas, porque me vio el prepucio largo”, dice Vera. Y añade: “Como él era médico, no me hizo ruido en ese momento. Pensé que era una observación profesional”.

En 1986, Daniel transitaba su último año en el secundario y su vocación por lo social crecía. Ya había decidido ser religioso y misionero. Su vínculo con Avanzini continuaba, y su familia también se había encariñado con el sacerdote.

En diciembre de ese año, Avanzini lo invitó a un nuevo encuentro pastoral con estudiantes de Río Cuarto y de Buenos Aires.

Firme en su decisión de ser sacerdote, viajó a Arias ilusionado por compartir con otros adolescentes un nuevo encuentro pastoral, sin saber que ese diciembre, según sus palabras, le quedaría “marcado a fuego” para siempre.

Recuerda que una noche de mucho calor, Avanzini lo llamó a su habitación. Quería hablar sobre cómo le estaba yendo con el resto de los estudiantes que estaban en la misión. Daniel asegura que entró a la habitación del cura y lo encontró en calzoncillos. Esa noche, relata, ocurrió el abuso sexual.

Según su testimonio, el sacerdote lo hizo sentar en la cama y empezaron a conversar. Luego de unos minutos, Avanzini lo abrazó y lo besó.

“Me quedé paralizado. Me empezó a manosear los genitales y a decirme cosas subidas de tono”. Luego, contó, “me dijo que lo penetrara, pero yo no le hice nada”. Vera recuerda que Avanzini estaba muy excitado, pese a que él no lo correspondió.

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.

Deposition of Bishop Matthew Harvey Clark

ROCHESTER (NY)
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York

Released July 6, 2020; taken March 3, 2020

Examination by William Gordon of the Law Offices of Mitchell Garabedian for the Creditors Committee

[Excerpt from pages 53-54.]

Q. So Father Emo had admitted to you, correct me if I’m wrong, that he had sexually abused a minor. Is that correct?

A. Uh-huh.

Q. You sent him away to treatment to some facility, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. And after he came back, you reassigned him to a position at a parish?

A. Yes.

Q. Was he assigned as a pastor or assistant pastor?

A. Assistant.

Q. And was it your understanding that as an assistant pastor, Father Emo would have access to minors?

A. Yes.

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.

New information revealed from bishop’s deposition in Rochester Diocese bankruptcy case

ROCHESTER (NY)
WROC

July 6, 2020

A transcript of the March deposition of former bishop Matthew Clark of the Rochester Diocese was released Monday.

The Diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September of last year, less than one month after a flurry of lawsuits were filed against the Catholic organization related to the Child Victims Act.

Clark, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, answered questions about what he knew about dozens of priests and if he knew about prior allegations against them.

He did admit to knowing about prior sexual misconduct allegations against some priests. He said that some accused priests returned to the ministry after either going to get rehabilitation or seeing a psychologist.

*
Mitchell Garabedian, the attorney representing 94 sexual abuse victims in the Diocese of Rochester also released a statement concerning the deposition:

“The testimony by Bishop Matthew Clark under oath in his deposition of March 3, 2020 indicates that Bishop Clark hid pedophilia from the public for decades just as clergy sexual abuse victims had suspected. By hiding pedophilia, Bishop Clark was part of the horrible problem and not part of the solution. Given his testimony under oath, Bishop Clark had an utter disregard for the safety and well- being of children.”

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.

Statement regarding deposition of Bishop Emeritus Matthew H. Clark

ROCHESTER (NY)
Diocese of Rochester

July 6, 2020

The Diocese of Rochester appreciates Bishop Emeritus Clark’s cooperation in undergoing approximately three hours of questioning in his deposition of March 2020. While any individual would have difficulty providing accurate memory of events that occurred over a period of more than 33 years, Bishop Clark was further hindered by his struggle with early Alzheimer’s Disease.

In a January 13, 2020 letter filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in early February, prior to the deposition, Bishop Clark’s physician had forewarned of potential issues by stating that Bishop Clark’s “memory impairment limits his ability to assimilate and recall information presented in lengthy and complex questions and his ability to recall past events. His language impairment limits his ability to form clear, cogent and reliable responses to such questions.” As a result of these limitations, the deposition is in many instances imprecise and inaccurate and thus calls into question whether it is a credible addition to the bankruptcy case record.

We continue to pray for the victims of sexual abuse, that they might find the hope and healing they deserve. We pray for Bishop Clark and for all those who suffer from this debilitating and tragic disease, and for the dedicated health professionals and caregivers working to assuage the difficult challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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.

Deposition of Bishop Matthew Clark reveals information on child sex abuse

ROCHESTER (NY)
WHEC 10 NBC

July 6, 2020

By Jennifer Lewke

What did he know and when did he know it?

That’s what attorneys for the victims of priest sex abuse were trying to find out from former Bishop of the Rochester Diocese, Matthew Clark during a recent deposition.

The transcript of that deposition was just filed.

News10NBC Investigative Reporter Jennifer Lewke has been reading through it.

The transcript is 145 pages long and the deposition lasted three hours. Bishop Clark was in frail health while providing it.

His doctor was there with him to monitor his condition as he answered questions as part of the diocese’s bankruptcy filing.

Bishop Clark was asked about dozens of priests by name and whether he was aware of sexual misconduct allegations against them.

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.

Priests accused of sex abuse remained in ministry, former bishop admits

ROCHESTER (NY)
WHAM 13 ABC

July 6, 2020

By Ginny Ryan

For the first time, and under oath, Bishop Emeritus Matthew Clark has admitted priests accused of sex abuse continued to serve in ministry.

The bishop’s testimony came as part of bankruptcy proceedings for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

In his own words, he offers a rare look into how priests accused of sex abuse were handled.

“In times past, there was no accountability,” according to Jeff Anderson, an attorney for sex abuse survivors. “There was not an opportunity to take this kind of deposition and ask a broad range of questions.”

During a three-hour deposition, Bishop Clark was questioned about more than 50 priests accused of abuse. Some, he said, he did not remember.

But there are many he did, including Rev. Eugene Emo.

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.

A survivor of abuse by an Opus Dei priest condemned by the Vatican tells poignant story

MADRID (SPAIN)
Religión Digital / Kairos News

July 5, 2020

Santiago, Chile – The survivor is a young man who lives today in Santiago, Chile, who agreed to an exclusive interview with Kairós News.

He says that he decided to come forward when he heard the case of Barros and Karadima, while Pope Francis was in Chile. That he would like Opus to learn from what has happened in our country.

“Cociña always talks about massages. I couldn’t tell anyone, because nobody was going to believe me”

“What is Opus playing at? That sentence has sixteen pages and the sentence … five years is nothing. He has not been expelled from Opus Dei”

“Canon Law is very bad, because we are not the same as we denounce each other. Rather, it is the Catholic Church that denounces one of its own, which in this case is Manuel Cociña” [Google translation]

El sobreviviente de los abusos del cura del Opus Dei condenado por el Vaticano cuenta su conmovedora historia

El sobreviviente es un joven que vive hoy en Santiago de Chile, quien accedió a una entrevista exclusiva con Kairós News

Dice que se decidió a denunciar cuando conoció el caso de Barros y Karadima, estando el papa Francisco en Chile. Que le gustaría que el Opus aprendiera de lo que ha pasado en nuestro país.

“Cociña siempre habla de los masajes. Yo no podía decírselo a nadie, porque nadie me iba a creer”

“¿A qué está jugando el Opus? Esa sentencia tiene dieciséis páginas y la condena… cinco años es nada. No se le ha expulsado del Opus Dei”

“El Derecho Canónico está muy mal, porque no somos iguales que nos denunciamos uno al otro. Sino que es la Iglesia Católica quien denuncia a uno de los suyos, que en este caso es Manuel Cociña”

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.

Covid delays Riverside clergy-abuse suit v. LA archdiocese and San Bernardino diocese

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Daily News / City News Service

July 6, 2020

Citing the coronavirus, a judge said Monday that trial of a case brought against an archdiocese and a diocese by plaintiffs who allege they were sexually abused by a priest more than 25 years ago will not go forward as scheduled in October and instead be delayed for five months.

“Our world is a different place than it was when we last spoke,” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Sotelo told attorneys in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused all but a few civil case matters to be put on hold from early March until June 22.

Sotelo, presiding over a status conference, rescheduled the trial from Oct. 6 to March 2, 2021. By the time a jury is impaneled, the lawsuit may no longer include the accused priest, the Rev. Carlos Rene Rodriguez, as a defendant.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Anthony M. De Marco stated in a report to the court that he has been unable to locate the clergyman and that the defendant likely has little or no money, so De Marco has decided to drop him from the case.

De Marco stated in his court papers that the decision is “without prejudice,” meaning it could be reversed later if circumstances warrant.

The two plaintiffs are identified only as John R.R. Doe and John R.F. Doe. In February 2018, they sued the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Diocese of San Bernardino, as well as the Congregation of the Mission Western Province, which conducts religious education and activities.

The plaintiffs allege they were abused by Rodriguez when he was assigned to a Riverside parish that was part of the San Bernardino diocese, which is formally known as the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Bernardino. The parish is not identified in their suit.

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.

Abuse victims ask court to dismiss New Orleans Archdiocese bankruptcy

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WWL 4 CBS

July 6, 2020

By David Hammer

The victims say the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy to block lawsuits rather than because they are having severe money issues.

Victims of alleged child sex abuse by priests are asking a federal judge to throw out the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ bankruptcy case, saying the Church filed for the legal protection in “bad faith” as a way to block their lawsuits rather than for a legitimate financial need.

At least 34 abuse lawsuits have been halted by the local Church’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection May 1. Another half dozen cases filed since then are also on hold pending the bankruptcy.

Last week, the Archdiocese filed a motion in the bankruptcy case asking the court to bar any new abuse claims starting Sept. 29. A committee of attorneys representing the Church’s unsecured creditors, mostly the alleged abuse victims, came right back with a motion late Friday to dismiss the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy case completely, a move that would help pending abuse claims move forward.

In their motion to dismiss, the creditors said the bankruptcy was filed as a “litigation tactic” just as many abuse victims had asked the courts to release internal Church documents and force top archdiocesan officials to testify under oath.

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.

Attorney Blog: Three More Catholic Priests Accused of Child Sexual Abuse Under NY Child Victims Act

PINELLAS PARK (FL)
Legal Examiner – Saunders & Walker

July 6, 2020

By Joseph H. Saunders

Three former priests with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse have been accused of sexually abusing a young boy in a graphically detailed lawsuit, according to Press Connects. The alleged abuse began when the victim, now 61, was in fifth grade and continued through his high school years.

The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file claims against their abusers and any institutions that knowingly obscured or failed to prevent the abuse, regardless of how much time has passed. The Syracuse Diocese, which is now facing over 100 sexual abuse lawsuits, filed for bankruptcy on June 19.

The diocese had previously identified the three priests — Robert Kloster, David Pichette and Thomas Zedar — as having been “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse. All three were permanently removed from ministry, but not in time to stop them from abusing this plaintiff.

In the lawsuit, Kloster, Pichette and Zedar are accused of methodically grooming the young boy for the purpose of sexually abusing him. It argues the boy “felt trapped over the years by feelings of helplessness and shame,” and that each former priest committed abusive acts that “ultimately ruined his life.”

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.

Megachurch pastor John Ortberg kept a family member’s attraction to children secret. Then his son blew the whistle.

COLUMBIA (MO)
Religion News Service

July 6, 2020

By Bob Smietana

Megachurch pastor John Ortberg kept a family member’s attraction to children secret. Then his son blew the whistle.

In the summer of 2018, a volunteer at Menlo Church came to the Rev. John Ortberg seeking help.

The congregation member, who volunteered with youth and children at the Bay area megachurch and in the community, had been experiencing “an unwanted thought pattern of attraction to minors” and needed the pastor’s support.

After hearing this admission, Ortberg asked if the volunteer had ever acted on that attraction.

The volunteer said no.

Once Ortberg was convinced the volunteer was telling the truth and was not a danger to others, he prayed for the person and offered a referral for counseling and then allowed the volunteer to continue working with children.

In what Menlo Church’s elders would later call “poor judgment” and a betrayal of trust, the megachurch pastor did not notify the church’s staff of the volunteer’s admitted attraction to minors.

He did not notify the church’s elder board.

He did not suggest the volunteer stop working with children – in fact, the pastor and his family encouraged the volunteer in his work as a coach of an Ultimate Frisbee team for high school students.

Instead, Ortberg, the lead pastor of Menlo, kept what he had learned about the volunteer secret from his congregation.

Especially the volunteer’s name: John “Johnny” Ortberg III, the pastor’s youngest son.

But nothing in a church or in a family stays hidden forever.

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.

July 6, 2020

Primate of Poland: Church must rebuild trust amid abuse crisis

Denver (CO)
Catholic News Agency

July 6, 2020

The Catholic Church can only rebuild trust in its handling of clerical abuse by “taking responsibility for clarifying all crimes and omissions,” the Primate of Poland said Monday.

In a statement issued July 6, Archbishop Wojciech Polak noted the steps that the Polish bishops have taken in response to a burgeoning abuse crisis in the country.

“I am convinced that only by standing in truth and taking responsibility for clarifying all crimes and omissions, we will rebuild our credibility and trust in the Church in Poland,” he said.

Polak is the Polish bishops’ delegate for the protection of children and youth. As the metropolitan archbishop of Gniezno, the Polish primatial see, he is the Primate of Poland.

His comments came a week after more than 600 people took out a full-page advertisement in the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica urging the pope to intervene in the growing abuse crisis in the country.

A Vatican spokesman said that Pope Francis had been informed of the appeal and was praying for those who sent it.

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.

English Catholic bishop: parishes see ‘dramatic fall’ in income following lockdown

DENVER (CO)
Catholic News Agency

July 6, 2020

An English bishop has said that parishes have seen “dramatic fall” in income as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.

Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury urged the government to step in to help dioceses struggling financially as a result of the pandemic.

“The weeks of the national lockdown saw a dramatic fall of about a third in parish income. This is having a serious impact on the operation of parishes,” he told CNA.

Mike Kane, a local Member of Parliament, raised the financial plight of the Diocese of Shrewsbury, in western England, in the House of Commons last month.

He noted June 25 that the diocese’s income was down by a third since the government announced a nationwide lockdown March 23. He said that this loss of around $875,000 would have a long-term impact on the diocese’s ability to maintain its buildings.

Kane, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, urged the government to consider introducing an “enhanced gift aid scheme” to shore up diocesan finances.

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.

Accused clergymen worked at Catholic high schools in Belleville, East St. Louis

BELLEVILLE (IL)
Belleville News-Democrat

July 6, 2020

By Teri Maddox

Allegations against five clergymen who worked at metro-east Catholic high schools decades ago had been made public well before June, when the Society of Mary order put them on a list of 46 priests, brothers and aspirants “found to have sexually abused a minor.”

But all of the publicity occurred in other states over the past 20 years.

“For the first time, parishioners and the public in this area are likely being made aware of these allegations and the fact that these five were in the Belleville diocese,” said David Clohessy, co-founder of the St. Louis chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “(The allegations) are now publicly and clearly deemed credible.”

The five clergymen had assignments at Cathedral Central Catholic High School in Belleville and Central Catholic High School and Assumption Catholic High School in East St. Louis, which are all closed. It’s unknown if abuse occurred at these schools.

Four of the clergymen are known to be deceased, according to the order.

The one with the most assignments was the late Eugene T. Fitzsimmons, a brother who professed his vows in 1947 and taught at Assumption, which closed in 1989. He had nine other assignments in Texas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Hawaii and California before leaving ministry in 2000. He died in 2011.

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.

What Has Stalled Progress in Uprooting the Vatican’s Financial Corruption?

IRONDALE (AL)
National Catholic Register

July 2, 2020

By Edward Pentin

A range of sources agree that profound change is required to correct the flawed underlying mentality that continues to give rise to problems, and has allowed senior officials to escape taking responsibility.

Vatican City – Cardinal George Pell, the former prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy which Pope Francis created six years ago to monitor and reform Vatican finances, delivered a pointed message on June 30 about the threat that financial corruption poses to the Church’s mission.

“Undoubtedly, money is one of God’s gifts, it is also a source of temptation,” Pell said in a video message delivered June 30 to the Global Institute of Church Management at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. “To say that the Church is not a business provides no justification for us to be inefficient much less for us to be corrupt.”

He recalled being surprised to learn that St. Teresa of Calcutta had said “for the clergy there are two great challenges: one touches on sexuality and another touched on money. And she thought that the danger from money was greater and stronger than that from errant sexuality.”

Cardinal Pell’s remarks were conspicuously well-timed, coming in the wake of the arrest last month of Italian financier Gianluigi Torzi on charges of “extortion, embezzlement, aggravated fraud and money laundering,” relating to a London property deal carried out by Vatican Secretariat of State officials that went sour.

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.

Weigel’s ‘The Next Pope’ has a crimped, Americanist vision of papacy

KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter

July 6, 2020

By Michael Sean Winters

George Weigel’s latest book, The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission, is a thin one at only 141 pages. But it is thin, too, in the sense that what it communicates is either a repeat of Weigel’s earlier themes or a recantation of ideas — some of which are true but banal and others are misleading and given to caricature. The only real novelty is the degree to which he casts aspersions on the current pope with catty insinuations without sufficient courage to say plainly where he thinks Pope Francis has erred.

Does anyone argue against this claim of Weigel’s when he writes, early in the book: “Jesus Christ and his Gospel are the reason the Church is. And because of that, the proclamation of that Gospel and that Christ must be at the center of what the Catholic Church does.” Yes, of course this is true. Does anyone doubt it?

Weigel almost immediately descends into caricatures of the various approaches to evangelization. He writes, “At this moment in Catholic history, in which some deny that God’s revelation judges history and suggest that the flow of history and our present experience judge the truths of revelation, it is important to remember how robust the Second Vatican Council’s defense of the reality and the truth of divine revelation was.”

Who thinks history stands in judgment of revelation? To frame the contemporary debates within the church this way is not an instance of putting one’s finger on the scale, it is a misframing of the debates.

After a beautiful quote from Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, Weigel writes, “The next pope must understand this and teach it to the entire world Church.” Is there any chance he won’t?

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.

July 5, 2020

Reverend on hunger strike in response to Church’s silence on her case

CAPE TOWN (SOUTH AFRICA)
Cape Town Etc.

July 5, 2020

South Africa continues to be one of the most dangerous places for women to exist. Having extremely high numbers of gender-based violence and rape cases, women are living in fear every day. Now, a survivor is speaking out in the form of a protest.

Reverend June Major, an Anglican priest from the Cape Town Diocese, has gone on a hunger strike, as she continues to fight for justice for herself and other victims of rape and gender-based violence (GBV). The hunger strike began on July 1.

Major was allegedly raped by a fellow priest in 2002 at Grahamstown Seminary. Despite reporting the rape to the SAPS and to the Church authorities her rapist continues to minister to congregations and justice has not been served, according to a press release.

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.