ABUSE TRACKER

For the first time ever, San Diego prosecutors have brought criminal charges against someone suspected of failing to report sexual abuse of a minor, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The man charged is Eric Manuel Merino, a pastor at Victory Outreach Church in San Ysidro, California, according to a statement from the San Diego District Attorney’s Office

Merino was arraigned in court last Thursday on a misdemeanor count of not complying with the state’s mandated reporter law, the District Attorney’s Office added. If convicted, Merino faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The 43-year-old pastor has pleaded not guilty to the charges, the Union-Tribune reported.

In California, the mandated reporter law requires professionals deemed “mandatory reporters” to report any suspected cases of child sexual abuse. Clergy members, along with teachers, doctors, social workers, police officers, and other professionals who work…

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In February of last year, I wrote to you indicating that it was highly likely that the Diocese of San Diego would enter into bankruptcy as an effort to achieve the settlement of the approximately 450 legal claims that have been brought to court seeking compensation for victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and lay employees over the past eighty years. For the past year, the Diocese has held substantive and helpful negotiations with the attorneys representing the victims of abuse, and I, in collaboration with the leadership of the Diocese, have come to the conclusion that this is the moment to enter formally into bankruptcy and continue negotiations as part of the bankruptcy process.

The Diocese faces two compelling moral claims in approaching the settlement process: the need for just compensation for victims of sexual abuse and the need to continue the…

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In a letter to parishioners and clergy released today, Cardinal Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, announced that the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, June 17.  The action comes 16 months after Cardinal McElroy said the diocese was considering bankruptcy as a means of achieving a just settlement with abuse survivors and a year after the diocese confirmed it would seek bankruptcy and began mediation with attorneys for abuse survivors.

In his letter, the Cardinal says that, “The Diocese faces two compelling moral claims in approaching the settlement process: the need for just compensation for victims of sexual abuse and the need to continue the Church’s mission of education, pastoral service and outreach to the poor and marginalized.

“Bankruptcy offers the best pathway to achieve both,” said Cardinal McElroy.

Only the diocese is filing for bankruptcy. Parishes, Catholic Charities, parochial schools and…

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[See the document.]

U.S. bishops on Friday approved new guidelines for ministering to Indigenous Catholics, a long in-the-works effort to reinvigorate the ministry and assure those communities that they don’t need to feel torn between their Native identity and their Catholic one.

“You are both. Your cultural embodiment of the faith is a gift to the Church,” states the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document. It was completed as new details emerged during the past two years of widespread abuses inflicted on Native children over many decades at Catholic-run boarding schools.

“The Church recognizes that it has played a part in traumas experienced by Native children,” according to the new “Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry.” The document received overwhelming support at this week’s USCCB meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

It is meant to help bishops “refocus and invigorate ministry among Indigenous populations in the…

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A former Franklin priest is facing new charges after being indicted this month by a Williamson County grand jury.

Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, 31, of Franklin, was indicted on two additional counts of sexual battery on June 5.

In February, Garcia-Mendoza was indicted for the continuous abuse of a child, aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and two counts of sexual battery. Garcia-Mendoza is a former associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin.

The diocese had received reports of alleged misconduct by Father Garcia, resulting in an investigation by the Franklin Police Department and his removal from his position in early November 2023.

Garcia remains jailed in the Williamson County Jail on a $2 million bond.

The Franklin Police Department is asking the public to contact Detective Andrea Clark at 615-550-6829 or andrea.clark@franklintn.gov with information about Garcia-Mendoza.

Daniel Smithson

CONTENT PRODUCER

…

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Dana Hedgpeth and Sari Horwitz answered questions about their reporting during a live chat Tuesday.

Washington Post reporters Dana Hedgpeth and Sari Horwitz are examining the legacy of Indian boarding schools in the United States. From 1819 to 1969, the federal government forced tens of thousands of children into more than 500 boarding schools across the country in a systematic effort to destroy Native American culture, assimilate children into White society and seize tribal lands.

At least 80 of the schools were operated by the Catholic Church or its religious affiliates. The Post investigation revealed that for decades, Catholic priests, brothers and sisters raped or molested Native American children who lived at and attended some of those schools.

Dana and Sari answered questions about their reporting during a live chat Tuesday. You can read a transcript of the chat below. Questions may be edited for accuracy…

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‘This is a public safety issue,’ a SNAP leader said at a press conference outside the Cathedral of St. Paul

Five former priests who have been deemed “credibly accused” abusers by church officials and who previously worked in Minnesota aren’t listed on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ public list, clergy abuse victims said Wednesday.

That needs to change, said organizers with the Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

Each of the five were investigated, “declared a credibly accused child molester by his own direct supervisor,” and are on an official list of credibly accused clerics in another Catholic jurisdiction, said David Clohessy, SNAP’s former national director and now SNAP’s volunteer Missouri director.

Rev. Bernard Hebda, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said of the five men brought to their attention by SNAP on Wednesday: “I have asked our experienced investigators to review the…

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“IMPACT” looks at the 2×2 church and abuse claims spanning generations.

[Includes an eight-minute video]

In a secretive Christian sect unknown to most Americans, a reckoning is underway. Allegations of abuse that have been insular for so long are now coming to light.

Sheri Autrey was 14 when she says she was abused by a 28-year-old man who was a minister in her church. She says her abuse happened every night for two months.

“He’d be touching me everywhere, kissing me,” Autrey, now 55, told ABC News. “And it was scary. It was scary because I knew if we got caught, I would be in trouble. I was the one doing something wrong.”

Autrey grew up in a secretive sect of Christianity known by outsiders as the 2×2 church. Within the church, members refer to it as “The Truth” or “The Way” or even call it the church that has…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego announced Thursday that it plans to return to U.S. bankruptcy court to help manage its response to hundreds of lawsuits filed by people who say they were sexually assaulted by Catholic priests when they were young.

It is the second time San Diego church officials have gone to bankruptcy court to limit damage from claims from child sex-abuse victims.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, who serves as bishop to the 1.4 million Catholics in San Diego and Imperial counties, alerted parishioners to the decision in an open letter that was publicly released by the diocese on Thursday.

The legal action, which is expected to be filed Monday, comes after church officials acknowledged last year that they were considering a return to bankruptcy court and began mediation with survivors.

“For the past year, the Diocese has held substantive and helpful negotiations with the attorneys representing the…

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Great majority of allegations arose from incidents that took place in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s

A total of 252 allegations against Catholic Church personnel were reported to the Maynooth-based National Board for Safeguarding Children in the year to the end of March.

This is broadly in line with the 251 allegations that were received by the board in the previous 12 months.

The figures are recorded in the board’s annual report published on Wednesday.

Of the 252 allegations it received up to March 31st, 183 involved sexual abuse with an additional 26 allegations of physical abuse, 17 of emotional abuse, one allegation of neglect and one of boundary violations. There were 24 allegations of other types of abuse.

Of the clergy accused, 65 were diocesan with 187 members of religious congregations, nine of whom are in prison while 101 of the accused are deceased. Of those making the allegations,…

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Prosecutors in New Orleans hope they can prove a 92-year-old retired Catholic priest is mentally competent to answer to charges he kidnapped and raped a teenage victim.

Lawrence Hecker is charged with first degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, and other crimes. But trial at Orleans Criminal District Court has been put off while prosectors and the defense wrangles over whether the 92-year-old defendant can even stand trial.

“The state cannot force a criminal defendant to trial if he is incompetent, which means he cannot assist his counsel with his defense or understand the nature of the proceedings against him,” said Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino.

Ciolino said memory loss and other factors of aging could make it hard to prosecute

“It’s certainly possible he may never be confident enough to go to trial,” Ciolino said.

The Orleans District Attorney’s office secured an indictment that charges Hecker with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping,…

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Hebda says they have already begun the process of investigating the priests

Alleged clergy abuse victims blast Catholic archbishop Bernard Hebda on Wednesday outside the St. Paul Cathedral.

This after members of The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests claimed that the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul have not acknowledged the names of five Minnesota priests who they say committed sex crimes against minors.

SNAP support group leader Frank Meuers says the church owes it to the survivors of these five men to hold them accountable.

“I can speak for myself as an abuse victim,” says Meuers. “The abuse is over. The physical abuse is over. But the hurt, the pain, is never over.”

Meuers says this is just the first of many future efforts the group will pursue to push top church officials to be ‘more open and honest’ about outing predators.

SNAP director David Clohessy says…

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With major implication for state’s Catholic church, court allows victims to sue over decades-old abuse

[See also the Louisiana Supreme Court opinion.]

Louisiana’s state supreme court on Wednesday reversed its decision to strike down a law that allowed child-molestation victims to file civil lawsuits over long-ago abuse.

The decision affects all alleged abusers and their enablers – but it is particularly significant for Louisiana’s Roman Catholic church, which is facing hundreds of decades-old claims of child molestation in various state and federal courts.

The state supreme court’s earlier decision would have given the New Orleans church leverage to settle about 500 such claims for pennies on the dollar.

Instead, those claims all have standing to proceed under a 2021 law allowing what is known as a “lookback window”, retroactively eliminating statutes of limitations for filing such claims.

The 2021 lookback window, reinforced unanimously by the state’s legislature in 2022, was…

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The U.S. Catholic bishops are expected to approve a document at their spring meeting this week that apologizes to Catholic Indigenous communities for a “history of trauma” caused in part by their “abandonment” by the Church and proposes a way forward that takes into account the “unique cultural needs” of these communities. 

The draft document, “Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry,” provides an updated pastoral plan to address the concerns of Catholic Indigenous communities. The preface notes the last time the bishops formally addressed these communities was 1977.

“EWTN News In Depth” acquired the draft document from a source close to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to that source, the document seems likely to pass in its present form without significant changes. This Friday, the USCCB is expected to vote in approval of the text at its annual spring meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. 

In the document,…

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A new church document cites a “history of trauma” inflicted on Native Americans, including generations of children removed from their families to be forcibly assimilated.

The organization that represents Catholic bishops in the United States is set to vote Friday morning on a document that apologizes for the church’s role in inflicting a “history of trauma” on Native Americans, includingat church-run Indian boarding schools where a Washington Post investigation published last month documented pervasive sexual abuse.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is expected to approve the document, called “Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry,” at its spring meeting in Louisville.

The vote would represent the most direct expression of regret to date by seniorofficials in the Catholic Church for its participation in a systematic effort by the U.S. government spanning 150 years to forcibly assimilate Native Americans into White society.

Pope Francis traveled…

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The Rev. Gérard Tsatselam boarded the ferryboat and settled in his usual place, on a reclining seat, at the back of a cold, unlit room that would have been packed in summer. Uneasy, he sat shrouded in his large, black coat as high winter winds delayed the boat’s arrival in the village where he was trying to save the church.

Except for a quick stopover for a funeral, he had not visited his parish — in Unamen Shipu, an Indigenous reserve on the frigid, isolated coast of northeastern Quebec — in months. Mold had invaded the presbytery and left him scrambling for lodging on each visit.

Another reason behind his unease was the enduring fallout from the accusations of sexual and other abuse by a predecessor, a Belgian priest. Though the transgressions dated back decades, during what Father Gérard called the Roman Catholic Church’s “colonial” era, dealing with the parishioners’…

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[See also the Louisiana Supreme Court opinion.]

Adults abused as children decades ago will be able to sue over the mistreatment under a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling released Wednesday. 

Justices overturned their decision from March that declared a “lookback window” for lawsuits over older child abuse allegations unconstitutional. Now such cases can move forward.

The new ruling likely creates greater liability for the Catholic Church and other organizations accused of systemic child exploitation over decades. It could also affect individual schools, summer camps and other institutions that tolerated misconduct toward minors.

“I am thankful that the Court saw the error in its original opinion and was willing to reconsider this matter and find the Lookback Window to be constitutional,” Frank Lamothe, a New Orleans attorney who represents child abuse survivors in lawsuits against the Catholic Church, said in a written statement. “This is a victory for the…

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The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has concluded its investigation at St. John the Apostle. Bishop Barry C. Knestout expresses his sorrow and compassion to the victims and their families affected by this tragic situation and applauds the courage it took to come forward.

Bishop Knestout has determined that St. John the Apostle parish would benefit from new pastoral leadership. Fr. Rob Cole will no longer serve as pastor effective June 12, 2024. Bishop Knestout appreciates Fr. Cole’s dedication and service as the pastor to this community for more than 15 years. While this decision and transition will be difficult, the bishop appreciates the patience and support of the community.

Fr. Esteban De Leon, V.F., pastor of Star of the Sea Catholic Church, will continue to serve as St. John’s temporary administrator until a new pastor is assigned in the near future.

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The Diocese of Richmond announced today that, Father Rob Cole, pastor of St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Virginia Beach, is no longer in the role he held for over 15 years. The move comes after a parent was accused of sexual abuse during Fr. Cole’s tenure at the church.

Last month, Tim and Meredith Hatchell accused Vincent Jakawich of sexually abusing their child, who was a friend of Jakavich’s child.

“It was incredibly difficult for my wife and our daughter and my sons who had to learn about this all together,” said Tim Hatchell.

This was not the first offense for Jakawich. He was indicted on a felony charge of aggravated sexual battery involving a child under 13 in 2020.

The charge was later downgraded to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge that he pleaded guilty to in 2022 .

Jakawich died by suicide in Currituck County following…

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It has been a challenging week for the local Catholic community. Recently, the Diocese of Buffalo has recommended the merger or closure of numerous churches within the coming months. Currently, 25 churches in both the northern towns and downtown Buffalo face potential closure.

Conversations with several parishioners have revealed their understandable concerns about the future steps.

Parishioners have voiced concerns over the potential loss of specialty Masses, such as those conducted in Latin or Vietnamese.

The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is suggested for closure; according to the Vicar for Renewal, Father Brian Zielenieski, it predominantly serves a Vietnamese immigrant community.

St. Anthony’s, renowned for its Latin Mass, may be at risk, threatening the continuation of the only weekly Latin Mass.

“We want to make sure that there’s a continuation of the Vietnamese mass of the traditional Latin mass. We’ll still have a home. We want to make sure there’s…

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The Buffalo Diocese announced more recommended closures and mergers of parishes affecting the Southern Tier West Vicariate Tuesday night during a meeting at the Blessed Mary Angela Parish in Dunkirk.

The decision comes after the diocese’s announcement on May 28 to “rightsize and reshape” their parishes by closing or merging approximately one-third of Western New York’s 160 parishes.

The diocese is facing challenges of a priest shortage, declining Mass attendance, and financial troubles from payouts to settle child sexual abuse cases.

As of Tuesday night, 40 churches have been recommended to close or merge. The full list of affected parishes can be viewed here.

You can see the list of affected parishes within the Southern Tier West Vicariate below:

Family No. 3

• St. Anthony (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
• St. Joseph (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Silver Creek): close St….

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Majority of allegations relate to sexual abuse in 60s,70s and 80s

One allegation of sexual abuse in 2023

A total of 252 allegations of abuse were made against 209 members of the Catholic Church in Ireland over the past year, a slight increase on the previous year, according to a new report.

The annual report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCI), published on Wednesday, covers the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and for the first time shows type of abuse alleged and the breakdown between allegations against diocesan personnel (65) and members of religious congregations (187).

While the majority of the 252 allegations relates to sexual abuse (183) in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, four allegations relate to the year 2000 or later. Two relate to sexual abuse that is alleged to have taken place in the 2000s…

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When I was little, a lion was living in the walls outside my room. I knew this couldn’t possibly be true, but I was also terrified any time I went into the hall because I could hear him growling.

Years later, I figured out what that sound really was. Our old Victoria-style house had a turbine vent on the roof, and when it got clogged with ice during the winter, it made a deep, ominous growling noise that seemed to be emerging from the walls.

I did not tell anybody, though, because there were actually two things I was afraid of: The lion and being told I was imagining the lion. So I quaked through many nights, terrified.

I am not mad at my parents. It was the ’70s, and parenting standards were different. I’ve done the same thing to my kids—shushing their fears, telling them not to be silly—before…

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Former president Rodrigo Duterte and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) condemned what they described as “overkill” in police operations to serve arrest warrants for accused sex offender and human trafficker Apollo Quiboloy and his accomplices.

“I strongly condemn the use of excessive and unnecessary force in serving the warrant of arrest for Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by police officers who are not even from Davao City,” Duterte, who is also KOJC property administrator, said yesterday.

He added that the operation “is absolutely unacceptable,” having occurred in a place of worship and on school premises.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) condemned what they described as “overkill” in police operations to serve arrest warrants for accused sex offender and human trafficker Apollo Quiboloy and his accomplices.

“I strongly condemn the use of excessive and unnecessary force in serving the…

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The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) is set to press charges against the police officers involved in what it called as ‘excessive and overkill’ serving of arrest warrants against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and five others in Davao City.

In a statement, KOJC condemned the manner by which authorities carried the operation out, which caused tension among those present.

KOJC said the operation were conducted simultaneously at four of its properties – the KOJC compound, the Prayer Mountain and Glory Mountain in Barangay Tamayong, and another property in Kitbog, Sarangani.

“We strongly condemn the manner of implementing the arrest warrants insofar as they were not only laden with irregularities, but they were excessive and overkill. The PNP deployed special battalions who were in full battle gear, some CIDG officials were even seen wearing bulletproof vests, and hundreds of police personnel in anti-riot gear and shields strategically positioned themselves at the KOJC…

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About a hundred policemen stormed the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) Compound in Barangay Buhangin in this city to arrest Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his companions early Monday morning.

He is wanted for child abuse, sexual abuse and qualified trafficking cases against him in Davao and Pasig courts.

Quiboloy’s followers initially met the arresting authorities with a protest at the gate, demanding justice for the pastor.

The arrest warrants were served against the fugitive televangelist and five others.

In a phone patch interview with reporters, Police Regional Office 11 – Public Information Office chief Major Catherine Dela Rey said the service of the arrest warrants was conducted around 4 a.m.

“PNP served three warrants of arrest against Quiboloy and five others issued by RTC of Davao for acts of child abuse, other sexual abuse and in-issue ng Pasig court anti-trafficking in person act of 2000,” the police official said.

She…

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The Rev. Rob Cole of St. John the Apostle Church has until Wednesday to decide if he wants to resign as pastor or take leave while he challenges his removal. This decision comes in the wake of an investigation by The Diocese of Richmond into claims made against a now-deceased parent at the parish school.

The Diocese put Rev. Cole on temporary leave last month after a parish parent went public with allegations of sexual abuse against another parishioner involving her daughter.Richmond Diocese investigating sexual abuse allegations involving Virginia Beach students

Meredith Hatchell, the mother of a St. John student, told WAVY she had notified school officials in early May that a parent, whom she later identified as Vincent Jakawich, had allegedly molested her daughter. Hatchell also informed the school that she had reported the allegation to the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD).

She told WAVY that on May…

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Rodney Locklear was a pastor at Victory Church where he led a children’s Bible study

A Greene County grand jury has indicted a Ruckersville pastor already charged with child sex crimes with three additional charges.

Rodney Martin Locklear, 47, was indicted in Madison County Circuit Court on March 4 on six crimes against children: abduction of a minor, sexually penetrating a minor with an object, three counts of indecent liberties with a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges stem from incidents that occurred in 2023, according to authorities. Those six charges were transferred to the Greene County Circuit Court in May.

On Monday, a Greene County grand jury indicted Locklear on additional charge: one count of abduction with the intent to defile and two counts of aggravated sexual battery by force of a 13- or 14-year-old. According to court records, the charges stem from incidents…

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A late priest from Ilion has been added to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany’s List of Credibly Accused after an investigation into allegations that he abused a vulnerable adult.

In a Saturday, June 8 release, the diocese announced that it has concluded an investigation into Rev. J. Gregory Mulhall, and determined that there is reasonable cause to a claim that he sexually abused a vulnerable adult.

The survivor filed an official complaint in 2023, and after the investigation was completed, the Review Board made the recommendation to Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger that there is enough evidence to verify that the allegation is credible. The survivor died before the completion of the investigation.

There have been three other allegations of abuse against a minor or vulnerable adult against Mulhall that have been filed with the Victims Assistance Coordinator, but none of the survivors filed formal complaints or participated in the…

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Pope Francis’s homophobic slur helped distract the attention from other sex-related blunders affecting the Catholic Church all over Latin America.

As with Pope Francis’s homophobic slur, Argentine archbishop Mestre’s sudden resignation reveals the many contradictions affecting the Catholic Church.

On top of the Roman and Argentine sex-related blunders, new details about clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church emerged in Ecuador and Bolivia in the first week of June.

By Rodolfo Soriano-Núñez

News of Pope Francis’s using a homophobic slur during a meeting with Italian bishops, back on May 20th, stressed the contradictions in Roman Catholic doctrine and practice about sexuality.

Oddly enough, it also played well to hide another blunder made by two of the closest allies of the Pontiff both in Rome and back in Argentina, while hiding from view other attempts of the Church’s hierarchy in Argentina at making themselves relevant in the public sphere.

A few…

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Victims blast LaCrosse bishop on abuse

SNAP: He leaves several predators off his ‘accused’ list

One priest pled ‘no contest’ to child sex crimes in 2021

The cleric also admitted sexual contact’

Yet church officials refuse to acknowledge his wrongdoing

“At least five other clerics should be added,” group says

SNAP: Young woman’s pending civil suit attracts no attention

 

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

• blast top LaCrosse Catholic officials for leaving several “proven, admitted or credibly accused” child molesting clerics off their ‘credibly accused’ abusers list, including a recently admitted and convicted offender,
• urge the new LaCrosse bishop to add the names of the alleged abusers, and
• prod anyone who has ‘seen, suspected or suffered’ crimes by any Catholic employee or volunteer to ‘come forward as soon as possible to trusted sources of help, like friends, family, therapists, police, prosecutors…

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A volunteer at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested last month after church leaders learned he had been accused of sexual abuse by a student at the church’s Christian school.

The student had told church officials in April that her father, Jeffrey Riesenberg, who had volunteered with the church’s student ministry for a decade and had coached in its recreation program, had assaulted her. She said she had not told other family members about the alleged abuse.

“Administration officials immediately reported this disclosure to Child Protective Services, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police were dispatched to begin an investigation,” Hickory Grove pastor Clint Pressley, currently a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told church members in a letter dated early May.

Riesenberg was arrested and charged May 9 by the Union County Sheriff’s Office with two counts of alleged abuse,  View Cache

Increasing financial transparency, combatting sexual abuse and electing a new slate of officers were among highlights of the SBC Executive Committee’s meeting June 10 at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.

Financial Transparency

The EC declined to act on a pair of messenger motions from last year’s SBC Annual Meeting that would have required SBC entities to publish the information required on IRS Form 990, the IRS’s primary tool for gathering information about tax-exempt organizations. But along with its decision to decline the motions, the EC urged Convention entities to uphold all current reporting standards and promised to study how financial reporting can be improved.

The EC, “in cooperation and collaboration with SBC entities, institutions, and commissions, commits to reviewing the [SBC] Business and Financial Plan, to determine ways to enhance transparency and clarity of reporting to the Convention, and will report its findings and recommendations to the messengers at the 2025 SBC…

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A Jesuit priest and former theology teacher at Boston College High School faces an indictment for raping a student at the school between 2008 and 2009.

Kevin White, 62, of Weston, will be arraigned on one count of rape and abuse of the child on June 27, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced on Wednesday. White, who lived in another state from 2010 through 2021, was indicted on Friday.

The DA’s office withheld additional details about the case pending the arraignment.

“All teachers, and all religious officials, are figures of authority and have a professional and moral obligation to always wield that authority properly and appropriately. Our office will provide this former student continual support as this case moves forward,” Hayden said in a statement.

Attorney Doug Brooks, who said he represents White, disputed the allegation in a statement sent via email.

“Fr. Kevin White is innocent of this charge, as…

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Katherine Archer is involved in Californian legislative efforts to criminalize clergy-based exploitation of adults. What is her work, now?

Katherine Archer has been involved in California legislative efforts to criminalize clergy exploitation of adults. Her primary interest is in trauma occurring in church settings, where one should expect to find more support for healing. She has been involved in nonprofit work with dual-diagnosis adults experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and youth experiencing foster care. Currently, Archer is completing studies towards a Master of Theological Studies at Antiochian House of Studies. She is co-founder of Prosopon Healing, a resource center for Orthodox Christian victims/survivors of clergy abuse, and is involved in research efforts to better understand the impact of clergy-perpetrated abuse on those victimized by religious institutions. 

The series on the Eastern Orthodox Church amounts to a formal project into the clergy-related abuse in it. These publications provide a free, open-source electronically available resource for…

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The trial for the former Dubuque priest accused of sexually abusing altar boys in the 1980′s is set for July 30.

Father Leo Riley faces five counts of sexual abuse. He entered a written plea of not guilty last week.

Prosecutors are accusing Riley of molesting the altar boys when he was the associate pastor from 1984 to 1986 at the Resurrection School.

The criminal complaint details accusations from several former altar boys who claim Father Riley repeatedly abused them – often in the Sacristy. At least two described permanent medical damage connected to the abuse.

One former altar boy came forward after getting treatment for a damaged pelvic floor. A second boy also reported suffering from a damaged pelvic floor. That is a condition studies have linked to sexual abuse.

Multiple former altar boys said counseling and treatment helped to bring back specific memories of the…

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New Zealand’s retired archbishop of Wellington has been cleared to return to ministry following a Vatican inquiry into an historical abuse complaint.

Cardinal John Dew stepped aside from ministry during a review under procedural norms established by the papal document “Vos Estis Lux Mundi” and an earlier police investigation into a complaint of sexual abuse against a minor during his time as an assistant priest in the 1970s.

The cardinal strenuously denied the allegation, and a 10-month police investigation concluded earlier this year without bringing any charges against the prelate.

“Cardinal John stood aside from all public church activities during the police investigation,” Archbishop Paul Martin of Wellington said in a June 5 statement. “With the church’s procedures complete, and no further action proposed, Cardinal John can resume public church activities.”

Martin informed the archdiocese about the launch of the church investigation in an open letter March 7, following media reports about the allegations.

…

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Life: My Story Through History was published March 19, 2024. “For the first time, Pope Francis recalls his life through memories and observations of the most significant occurrences of the past eight decades,” the Amazon review noted. “Pope Francis tells the story of his life as he looks back on the momentous world events that have changed history – from his earliest years during the outbreak of World War II in 1939 to the turmoil of today.”

“The book opens with three-year-old Jorge in the kitchen with his mother in Argentina as World War II breaks out, and he goes on to witness several historic events: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the moon landing in 1969 and even the 1986 World Cup in which Maradona scored the unforgettable ‘hand of God’ goal,” the review recapped.

“Here are the frank assessments and intimate insights of a pastor reflecting on the Nazi extermination of…

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Deceased priest Rev. J. Gregory Mulhall has been added to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany’s list of clergy who has been credibly accused of sexual abuse, the diocese announced over the weekend.

Mulhall, who died in 2001, was the subject of a formal complaint last year after a survivor came forward with allegations of sexual abuse.

The diocese announced on Saturday that the organization had found reasonable cause related to the allegations of sexual abuse by Mulhall against a vulnerable adult.

The victim of the abuse passed away before the diocese’s investigation was completed.

Following the conclusion of the diocese’s investigation, the group’s review board recommended to Bishop Edward Scharfenberger that there was sufficient evidence to support the victim’s allegation as credible, according to the diocese.

Mulhall is the 53rd member of the diocese’s list of clergy removed from ministry who have been accused of sexual misconduct while serving…

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Child abuse survivors may have more time as adults to file lawsuits against their perpetrators under a new law. It’s a measure meant to strengthen efforts to hold organizations such as the Catholic Church accountable for decades of mistreatment.  

Louisiana’s original “lookback window” for civil suits over older child abuse allegations was set to expire Friday, but the Louisiana Legislature approved Senate Bill 246 to extend the period another three years, until June 14, 2027. Lawmakers approved the new deadline without any objections, though Gov. Jeff Landry did not sign the bill before it became law last week. 

The proposal is the latest attempt to get relief for adults who were abused as children but are no longer able to pursue criminal charges because the perpetrator is deceased or the applicable statute of limitations has lapsed. 

People who only come to terms with…

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The book titled “Sexual Abuses on Nuns in Africa” by the Togolese nun Mary Lembo compiles the work done for her doctoral thesis, discussed five years ago at the Gregoriana. The latest translation of the volume is in German, and it is causing discussions in Germany due to the material that the nun has collected over many years of service.

Talking about abuses by priests towards African nuns is not at all simple, also because the topic remains a taboo. “Yet abuse is a reality,” Lembo said, highlighting the role of power that the priest exercises, fueling asymmetric relationships, with nuns in close contact with priests who they rely on spiritually, asking for advice and help, considering them as fathers. Many times nuns do not imagine that a consecrated man can harm them.

The dynamic described by Sister Lembo is the one recently denounced by some victims of the…

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Rev. Mulhall served 24 years at Annunciation Church

A Catholic priest who served the last 24 of his active priesthood at Annunciation Church in Ilion has been added to the Albany Diocese’s List of Credibly Accused priests. Rev. J. Gregory Mulhall was at the valley church from 1961 to 1985, when he retired from active ministry. The incident that Fr. Mulhall is accused of involved a vulnerable adult.

According to a report in the Albany Times Union, the victim came forward with a formal complaint last year. The survivor has since passed away. A review board examined the complaint and recommended to the Bishop of Albany that the complaint be accepted for consideration.

Father Mulhall passed away in 2001 at the age of 90.

There are four allegations of abuse by Fr. Mulhall filed according to the Child Victim’s Act. The Albany Diocese urges anyone who may have been abused…

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Southern Baptists are descending on the Midwest to make decisions that will ripple throughout Christianity nationwide.

The Southern Baptist Convention is gathering in Indianapolis for its two-day annual meeting starting Tuesday to take up key legislation for the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Some of the highest profile items include a measure to enshrine a ban on women pastors, the long-term future of abuse reform, and a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization, or IVF.

Southern Baptist voting delegates, called messengers, will elect a new SBC president out of six candidates, and former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will make an appearance. But before those events, the SBC Executive Committee is set to meet on Monday, which typically sets the tone for the business that follows in the subsequent days.

Follow along for live updates.

SBC Executive Committee faces mandate for long-term abuse reform

A nearly expired SBC task force is urging…

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Back in April, a state appeals court ruled that the insurance company Chubb may move forward with its lawsuit against the Archdiocese of New York.

Chubb is arguing its policies shouldn’t cover claims of child sexual abuse that may have been enabled and covered up by church officials.

However, advocates of child victims are pushing back and accusing Chubb and other insurers of denying and delaying payment to survivors to protect their own profits.

They are now calling on lawmakers and the State Attorney General’s office to intervene and investigate those insurance companies.

Stephen Jimenez, an advocate and survivor of childhood sexual abuse who helped pass the Child Victims Act five years ago, joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Thursday to discuss more.

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Eleven years after he was first investigated for an “inappropriate relationship” with a minor, a Stanislaus County volunteer coach has been arrested on multiple felony charges for sex acts with a minor after he was discovered in a parked car with a girl who “looked young.”

David Odom, who volunteered as a coach two high schools and a local church, was well-known to adults for his inappropriate behavior with minor girls, including holding the hands of former students in public.

Other witnesses told investigators that Odom was fired from a position at Hughson High School due to repeated inappropriate relationships.

According to Fox 40 News:

Odom was terminated from that position after being seen holding hands with a former female student, according to Superintendent Brenda Smith.

“David Odom… was fired after staff observed him holding hands with a former female student who was 18 years old at the time,” according…

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Thousands will gather in Indianapolis June 11-12 for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The meeting comes at a fraught time in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Messengers — as voting delegates are known — will vote on whether to establish a constitutional ban on churches with women pastors. They’ll hear a report — and get outside criticism — of their handling of sexual abuse among their clergy.

With membership in steady decline, they’ll hear a report on how an earlier effort to reverse that trend fell short. And they’ll vote for a new president from among six candidates.

Speaking of presidential candidates, an outside group is inviting attendees to a virtual speech by former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, at an off-site event. Proposed resolutions deal with topics ranging from Gaza to abortion and in vitro fertilization.

Here’s some of what’s facing the SBC:

WHAT’S THE…

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CLOSE TO 300 people have reported instances of being abused by lay staff members and clergy at Spiritan schools, with the vast majority having occurred at Blacrock College and Willow Park Junior School.

The Blackrock College Union of past pupils released an update on its website today in relation to historical abuse suffered by former pupils of schools run by the Spiritan Order. These include Blackrock College and Willow Park, as well other schools such as Templeogue College and Rockwell in Tipperary. 

According to the update (from the Restore Together group), to date 49 Spiritan clergy and 12 lay members of staff have been reported for abuse by over 290 people. Two priests have been jailed, though many of the perpetrators are dead.

“The vast majority of cases relate to Willow Park and Blackrock College,” the group said. 

“As with many institutions involved with educating children in Ireland, Spiritan schools have…

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As allegations of clergy sexual misconduct mount up, even resulting in churches being closed down, #ChurchToo survivors and advocate organizations call on the government to criminalize adult clergy sexual abuse.

As allegations of clergy sexual misconduct mount up, even resulting in churches being closed down, #ChurchToo survivors and advocate organizations call on the government to criminalize adult clergy sexual abuse in alignment with the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2022 resolution. However, a recent bill in CA to criminalize adult clergy sexual abuse, similar to laws in 13 states and D.C., failed to leave the Public Safety committee under questionable circumstances, and survivors are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to investigate. 

In an urgent appeal to Governor Gavin Newsom, survivors and advocates of the #MeToo/ #ChurchToo movement are calling for immediate action regarding California Senate Bill 894 (SB 894), titled “Sexual Exploitation by a Member of Clergy.” The bill was presented to the Senate Public Safety Committee…

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Prosecutors allege that a Victory Outreach pastor was informed that a church choir leader may have assaulted a teen girl in 2021 but did not report it to authorities, as state law requires

A South Bay pastor pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge that he failed to report suspected sexual abuse of a teen girl by a church choir leader.

The case marks the first time that San Diego County prosecutors have charged someone in connection with an alleged failure to report abuse, as the law requires of people such as teachers, social workers, clergy members and several others.

The pastor of Victory Outreach in San Ysidro, Eric Manuel Merino, 43, faces up to six months in custody and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the sole count.

Asked for comment, Merino’s attorney Brian Carter said in an email that his client is “troubled” by the accusation that he…

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The Albany Roman Catholic Diocese said Saturday it found reasonable cause in a sexual abuse allegation against a priest who died almost 23 years ago following an investigation

The diocese said in a statement it will add the late Rev. J. Gregory Mulhall to its List of Credibly Accused in an abuse case of a vulnerable adult. The survivor in this case came forward with a formal complaint in 2023, sharing details needed for an investigation, the diocese said. A review board recommended to Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger that there was sufficient evidence to support the allegation as credible and the bishop has accepted the recommendation.

“Sadly, the survivor passed away before the investigation concluded,” the diocese said. 

Mulhall retired in 1985 after serving about 24 years at the Annunciation Church in the Herkimer County village of Ilion. He died Nov. 14, 2001, at the age of 90 at Our Lady of Hope Residence…

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• An investigation uncovered sexual abuse at Native American boarding schools 
• Tens of thousands were forced to the schools between 1819 and 1969  
• Read more: Mass grave found at Indigenous boarding school in South Dakota 

For over 100 years, Native American children were subjected to ruthless sexual abuse at the hands of priests and teachers after being forced to live in culture-destroying boarding schools, an investigation has revealed. 

Through a systematic effort to eviscerate Native American society, the federal government sent tens of thousands of children to over 500 boarding schools across America between 1819 and 1969. 

While the measures were intended to seize indigenous land and rid generations of Native Americans of their identity, an investigation by the Washington Post revealed how they also opened the door to sickening sexual abuse. 

Deborah Parker, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes and the chief executive of the National Native American Boarding School…

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Eleven years after he was first investigated for an “inappropriate relationship” with a minor, a Stanislaus County volunteer coach has been arrested on multiple felony charges for sex acts with a minor after he was discovered in a parked car with a girl who “looked young.”

David Odom, who volunteered as a coach two high schools and a local church, was well-known to adults for his inappropriate behavior with minor girls, including holding the hands of former students in public.

Other witnesses told investigators that Odom was fired from a position at Hughson High School due to repeated inappropriate relationships.

According to Fox 40 News:

Odom was terminated from that position after being seen holding hands with a former female student, according to Superintendent Brenda Smith.

“David Odom… was fired after staff observed him holding hands with a former female student who was 18 years old at the time,” according…

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Lawyers representing claimants against St. John’s archdiocese urge court to facilitate compensation process, saying at least nine elderly claimants have died

Lawyers representing victims of abuse by members of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s say they are concerned with the way the claims settlement process is going, and fear the longer it drags on, the fewer claimants will be left to bene t from it.

Many of the abuse claimants have died waiting for justice, lawyers Geoff Budden and Bob Buckingham told Justice Garrett Handrigan in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Thursday. Related stories Survivors of abuse by members of St. John’s Archdiocese won’t see their compensation yet ‘We’re a wounded province and it delays us all from healing’: Compensation process delays for N.L. clergy abuse survivors disappointing, says advocate Lawyers concerned over delay as insurance company wants ‘11th hour, 59th minute’ involvement in St. John’s archdiocese…

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This isn’t the first time Vatican News has decided to use the controversial art.

The Vatican is once again drawing criticism for using the artwork of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik in a Vatican News article on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7.

Father Rupnik, a priest and artist, has been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters. He was removed from the Jesuits last June, and the Vatican has announced that Rupnik will face a canonical process over the abuse allegations after Pope Francis decided to waive the statute of limitations on the claims.

Father Rupnik was briefly excommunicated in 2019 for absolving a woman with whom he had a sexual relationship in confession. His excommunication was lifted, and he continues his priestly duties in a Slovenian diocese. 

The Vatican also used Father Rupnik’s artwork recently for the Solemnity of the Most…

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As the Southern Baptist Convention prepares for its annual gathering next week in Indianapolis, few in the abuse survivor community hold any expectation that it will make meaningful progress toward protecting kids and congregants against clergy sex abuse.

It’s now been more than five years since the “Abuse of Faith” investigatory series brought national attention to the pervasive sexual abuse and cover-up problem in the country’s largest Protestant faith group. The six-part series, jointly published by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, documented more than 700 people who were sexually abused by Southern Baptist clergy and church staff, nearly all of them children at the time of the abuse.

Survivors and advocates immediately recognized this was just “the tip of the iceberg.” And even J.D. Greear, SBC president at the time, acknowledged the number likely represented “only a fraction of the actual amount of abuse that occurs in SBC churches.”

The “Abuse of…

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On June 6, the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (ACNA) published a resolution calling for a moratorium on ordaining women.

At an Anglican theological conference in January, UK priest and political commentator The Rev. Calvin Robinson stirred up a long-simmering controversy when he called women’s ordination a “slippery slope” akin to a “Trojan horse” and to “cancer.”

“This is how the liberal infestation of the church began,” Robinson insisted. “The doors were left open for the Marxist ideologies to gain a foothold, gender theory, queer theory, critical race theory — it all began with feminism.”

Robinson’s provocative remarks, delivered in an Anglican Church in North America diocese that ordains women, led to his removal from the remainder of the event. Months later, nearly 300 ACNA clergy have signed an open letter opposing women’s ordination to the priesthood, a wedge issue that has divided ACNA members since its inception in 2009, and an…

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Julio Sandoval was dean of students at Agape Boarding School in Cedar County before leaving to become director of ABM Ministries’ Lighthouse Christian Academy near Piedmont. 
He’s been accused in lawsuits of abusing boys, faces a federal criminal charge in California and was found to have abused or neglected students at a southwest Missouri boarding school.

Yet across the state earlier this year, Julio Sandoval was running another school, one that is now closed and under investigation for abusing students during the past two decades.

The school — Lighthouse Christian Academy, operated by ABM Ministries — shut down three months ago after its owners were charged with kidnapping a student.

Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch said when he began investigating after a string of runaways at ABM, he was “very surprised” to see Sandoval, who was indicted in California in a case involving his side business that transported students to boarding…

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The Catholic Church organization estimates it could face between $500 million and $1 billion in liability from child sex abuse lawsuits in Maryland.

Hundreds of claims have been presented against the Baltimore Archdiocese following the passage of a new law, which eliminated the statute of limitation for the filing of child sexual assault lawsuits in Maryland, clearing the way for individuals to pursue damages from entities that enabled predators to abuse children, regardless of how long ago the incidents occurred.

Just before the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 went into effect last October, the Archdiocese of Baltimore declared bankruptcy in anticipation of the child sex abuse lawsuits, which required all potential claimants to file notice of their claim in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland by May 31, 2024.

According to a report by The Baltimore Sun, at least 700 claims were filed by…

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Pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage have been given instructions aimed at avoiding controversy over disgraced artist Fr. Marko Rupnik when they visit Washington, D.C.’s John Paul II Shrine on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the National Eucharistic Congress told The Pillar that perpetual pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage have been directed not to pose for photographs June 8 in front of mosaics designed and created by Rupnik, who was expelled from the Jesuit order last year, and who has been accused of sexually abusing some 30 religious sisters. 

Some of the allegations against the priest involve claims of sexual abuse which reportedly occurred directly in the context of designing and creating his works of art.

According to the spokesperson, pilgrims have also been instructed not to go together into the John Paul II Shrine’s Luminous Mysteries Chapel, in which prominent murals were designed and created by Rupnik.

They will also reportedly avoid…

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Jury selection started on Thursday morning in the trial for the former Cape Cod priest charged with rape.

Mark Hession faces two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, according to the clerk’s office. A count of intimidating a witness was dropped. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in January of 2021.

Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Halprin Isaacs will prosecute the case. Hession is represented by attorneys Frank C. Corso and Paolo G. Corso of Corso Law LLC.

The first pool of about 50 potential jurors filed into a Barnstable Superior Court courtroom where Judge Mark C. Gildea told them the details of the case.

Hession is alleged to have assaulted an individual with the “intent to commit rape and did commit rape upon such person” on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2008 in Barnstable County, according to…

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An update into historical abuse was released today.

CLOSE TO 300 people have reported instances of being abused by lay staff members and clergy at Spiritan schools, with the vast majority having occurred at Blackrock College and Willow Park Junior School.

The Blackrock College Union of past pupils released an update on its website today in relation to historical abuse suffered by former pupils of schools run by the Spiritan Order. These include Blackrock College and Willow Park, as well other schools such as Templeogue College and Rockwell in Tipperary. 

According to the update (from the Restore Together group), to date 49 Spiritan clergy and 12 lay members of staff have been reported for abuse by over 290 people. Two priests have been jailed, though many of the perpetrators are dead.

“The vast majority of cases relate to Willow Park and Blackrock College,” the group said. 

“As with many institutions involved…

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Florida pastor Alan Brumback believes a fence at the top of a cliff always beats an ambulance at the bottom. He takes the philosophy to heart in guarding First Baptist Church of Naples against sexual abuse.

“We take this seriously,” Brumback told Baptist Press. “We want the church to be the safest place that people can go where the vulnerable are not exploited and Christ and the Gospel are the main things.”

As a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP), First Baptist Naples at least annually conducts mandatory training for all church employees, requires background checks and screenings for all staff and volunteers – with periodic updates, provides sexual abuse prevention resources and conducts a counseling ministry.

“To be a charter member of ECAP — and we really wanted to be on the frontend of this — was important for us,”…

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Two women recently told their stories of sexual abuse by a man who served as their youth pastor years ago – and now they say the same man was recently spotted at a newly-opened art studio for children in Lincoln Square.

The women are asking the City of Chicago to do something.

“His wife just opened up a children’s play space, art space business,” said Ellen Kim.

John Kim, the man who called himself youth pastor at the Salvation Army Mayfair Community Church years ago, is now a convicted felon for aggravated battery. A photo also appears to show him at the Bunny Ears Art House, at 4541 N. Lincoln Ave. in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

His wife is the co-owner.

“For her to open a business, that in turn tells us that you are still willing to have him around you – and you’re around children,”…

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Three leaders at televangelist Mark Barclay’s Michigan church face charges of sexual assault. Now, the latest leader to be involved is facing additional charges, according to Midland County Circuit Court records.

Randy Saylor, associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, was charged with three new charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct at a pre-exam conference on Tuesday. Two of the charges involve a minor while the other involves someone he was related to, according to court records.

In May, Saylor, was charged with two other second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.

Saylor, 71, faces a total of five criminal sexual conduct charges that will be tried in two separate cases. All of the charges are connected to alleged acts that occurred between 2016 to 2019, according to court records.

Saylor posted a $50,000 bond on Tuesday and is due back in court…

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A South Bay pastor was arraigned in a San Diego County Court on Thursday for allegedly failing to report sexual abuse of a teenage choir member at the hands of a member of his church’s congregation, the district attorney’s office said.

Victory Outreach Church pastor Eric Manuel Merino, 43, was charged with one misdemeanor count of violating the state’s mandated reporter law, stemming from the arrest and conviction of 27-year-old Rafael Valentin Magana for sexual abuse of a teenager.

Magana was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl back in 2021 while he was transporting her home from a baby shower held by another member of the congregation. He was found guilty in April on one felony count of a lewd act on a minor.Steele Canyon High School aide arrested for allegedly offering alcohol to students

Now, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is turning to…

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Once again, the powerful have prevailed and the vulnerable cast aside. Such is the way with the Southern Baptist Convention.

The latest version of the sexual abuse task force has released their latest recommendations. This one weaker than the last. And why? Because those in power just want this all to go away. More words that’ll result in no real action. And they’ll place the foxes in charge of the hen house…again.

In the latest communique from the latest version of the sexual abuse task force, they began with self-praise, claiming they “worked aggressively” and “vigorously pursued” priorities and “made substantial progress.” All of that may sound good to the SBC base, and perhaps it keeps the donations flowing, but to us survivors, it sounds as though they’re using some bizarre up-is-down kind of dictionary. In reality, abuse reform progress is nearly non-existent and at best wholly stalled. Worse, the…

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Pietro Orlandi, the brother of a 15-year-old girl whose 1983 disappearance remains the most notorious unsolved Vatican mystery of the 20th century, has called a new Vatican investigation of the case announced in January 2023 a “farce.”

“I had great enthusiasm for this investigation,” Orlandi said June 4. “Unfortunately, I’ve come to understand that for me, sincerely, that investigation is a farce. They’re not doing anything.”

“I asked people close to Pope Francis to ask the pope, who requested this investigation, if he’s aware of what the people to whom he entrusted it are doing, because it’s the exact opposite of what they should be doing,” he said.

Orlandi’s comments came during a June 4 public event in Milan, where he appeared during a discussion of Italy’s femicide crisis along with Father Patrizio Coppola, a well-known Italian priest known as “Father Joystick” for having founded a video game development academy for…

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Kevin White, 67, was charged with raping a student at the school between 2008 and 2009.

A Suffolk County grand jury indicted a former Boston College High School teacher and priest on Friday for allegedly raping a student at the school between 2008 and 2009, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

Kevin White, 62, of Weston, will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on June 27 on one count of rape and abuse of a child, according to a press release from Hayden’s office. 

The release said White was a theology teacher at the school and lived outside of Massachusetts from 2010 to 2021. 

“All teachers, and all religious officials, are figures of authority and have a professional and moral obligation to always wield that authority properly and appropriately,” Hayden said in a statement. “Our office will provide this former student continual support as this case moves forward.”

Douglas…

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Kevin White was a theology teacher at Boston College High School, prosecutors said.

A Jesuit priest and former Boston College High School teacher is accused of raping a student over 10 years ago.

Kevin White, 62, was charged with one count of rape and abuse of a child, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.

The incident happened at the school between 2008 and 2009, according to prosecutors.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.

White, who lived outside of Massachusetts from 2010 to 2021, was indicted by a grand jury last week, authorities said. He will be arraigned on June 27.

The 62-year-old Weston man was a theology teacher at Boston College High School, prosecutors said.

…

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The Irish priest who heads up Vatican investigations into allegations of abuse has said he’d like to see more transparency in dealing with victims and their families.  “If I had a child who was abused by a priest, I would want to know the status of the case.”  “It’s a question that’s discussed in the office, it’s something to have in mind for the future, but not too distant of a future,” he said.

Monsignor John Joseph Kennedy from Dublin is Secretary of the Disciplinary Section of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), and is one of the Holy See’s leading authorities when it comes to investigating instances of clerical abuse and handing out punishments for abusers.

Mons Kennedy confirmed that Cardinal Fernández, after his appointment as prefect, only handles doctrinal cases such as heresy, apostasy and schism, and that “he leaves to me and the…

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Editor’s note: Names of some survivors are omitted to respect their privacy.

Since the exposure of sex abuser Pete Newman at Kanakuk Kamps in 2009, a growing community of child sex abuse survivors and justice advocates has formed. In interviews with BNG, survivors, former campers and camp counselors and other Kanakuk attendees shared that over the years, efforts have consistently been made to sweep stories of abuse under the rug.

But years later, they are telling their stories.

The website “Facts About Kanakuk” serves as an online database of information about Kanakuk-related sex crimes and offers space for survivors to share their stories. Sources told BNG they have accrued child sex abuse allegations from more than 200 survivors or sources against “about 60 unique perpetrators dating from 1958 to today.” They know of at least 17 survivor suicides.

Multiple survivors emphasized that alongside the website’s activism, investigative reporting by journalist  View Cache

On May 28, the Dallas Police Child Exploitation Squad arrested Matthew Harmon, 46, on charges of sexual assault of a child for an offense that allegedly occurred in 2007 after a yearlong investigation. The alleged incident involved a victim Harmon met while working at The Providence Christian School in Dallas, where he was a teacher and coach from 2004 to 2007.

Additional charges are possible.

Harmon was a volunteer at Trinity Christian Academy for several years, assisting with an eighth grade wilderness camp, and worked summers at Kanakuk in Durango, Colo., and Kanakuk in Branson, Mo., beginning in 1995 through the mid-2000s.

The survivor told investigators Harmon began grooming her during private tutoring sessions when she was in eighth grade, sometimes buying her gifts such as bras and underwear. When she was around 16 years old, “Harmon had intercourse with her at his apartment and various hotels,” she said.

Although the abuse…

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I have been describing my work on social problems and nightmares, and how that approach affects our understanding of mainstream American religious history. Last time I discussed the Satanism Scare of the 1980s as a critical factor in our understanding of modern evangelical and Pentecostal history. Today, I will talk about the role of clergy sexual abuse scandals as a factor in  American Catholic history.

The Roman Catholic church has long been the largest single institution in the American religious spectrum, usually claiming the adherence of around a quarter of the population. Catholic History is, naturally, a very sizable and thriving field of scholarship. But if you want to understand that history over the past half century, you absolutely have to understand the problem of clergy sexual abuse, and the financial and political impacts of successive scandals. Such scandals have utterly transformed the power, status, and…

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Living Word Church Associate Pastor Randy Saylor has been charged with three additional counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct. 

Saylor, 71, was charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct of a person under 13 and one count of second-degree CSC with a relationship during his May 22 arraignment. He was freed on a $50,000 cash/surety bond.

On Monday, he was charged with the additional counts by Midland County District Court Magistrate Gerald Ladwig: Two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under 13 and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a relationship.

Saylor is the second pastor and third person involved with the church to be charged with sexual assault. Randy Saylor’s son, Brandon Saylor, a church volunteer, admitted to sexually assaulting four children under the age of 13 for a decade and was sentenced in April to five to 15 years in prison…

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Like dozens of his colleagues, Fresno Bishop Joseph V. Brennan plans to continue hiding important information about his clerical colleagues and underlings who have committed and concealed child sex crimes.’ How? By filing for Chapter 11 in federal court soon. Let’s make this inexcusable and irresponsible goal – even more secrecy about abuse –  more challenging for Bishop Brennan. How? By looking more closely at his diocese and some of the most noteworthy (i.e., awful) priests there who have hurt kids. Towards this end, there may be no better person to start with than Fr. Eric Swearingen.

Please read the underlined and bolded sentence below carefully. At first, you may react to it with skepticism or even disbelief. But we assure you:  it’s entirely accurate:

In 2006, after a trial, nine of 12 jurors ruled that Fr. Swearingen likely abused a boy, but Fresno church officials kept him on the job for 13 more years, moving…

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Note: when church officials initially discovered his misconduct in 2011, (now former) Pastor Jud Hendrix voluntarily renounced his ordination, which protected him from further accountability.

Recently, Into Account has been working to support members of a Presbyterian Commission in navigating an investigation into a pastor’s sexual misconduct. That man is (now former) Pastor Jud Hendrix, and he is located in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, Into Account’s Dr. Krehbiel has been providing advocacy for survivors who reported Pastor Jud Hendrix’s sexualized violence.

As revealed by survivors and the investigation, this pastor targeted a congregation whose members and attendees included many LGBTQ+ people. Christian leaders and institutions had previously betrayed and harmed many of these folks. In addition, the investigation and survivor reports illustrated the ways Pastor Jud Hendrix manipulated that experience of betrayal and harm by creating an isolated and insular environment. There, he claimed a superior sexual ethic, one that…

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The idea of God is a hope in the life of most humans. In the heart and mind of a child, God is their connection with the purity of their innocence. A man of God violating this innocence for sexual gratification is worse than a criminal. He is an embodiment of evil. More importantly, the religious institution that has for decades covered up such demonic crimes of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults is not an institution of faith but an institution that gives home to perverted sex-starved pedophiles. And in that house of God, they allow them to prey on the innocent unknowingly but sometimes even knowingly by turning a blind eye.

As a firm believer in the teachings of Jesus, I have been greatly distraught and disturbed by the cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests reported in India and globally. Jesus’ teachings, particularly in Matthew 18:5-6, emphasize…

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[Watch: The Vatican has decided New Zealand Cardinal John Dew can resume his duties.]

The Vatican has concluded there will be no further church investigation into an allegation of abuse against New Zealand Cardinal John Dew and he can return to normal church duties. 

The Archbishop of Wellington, Paul Martin, said in a statement that the Vatican concluded no further church inquiry is required.  

“Cardinal Dew can now resume public activities that he stood aside from under Church protocols when the allegation was brought to the attention of the Church in May last year,” Archbishop Martin said. 

“The Church became aware of an allegation of abuse being made against Cardinal Dew at about the same time as his retirement,” he continued.

“Cardinal Dew immediately stood aside from all public church activities while the police investigated the allegations.”

In March, Newshub revealed Dew had been investigated by police.  

The investigation…

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The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell recently said it is seeking court approval to release a public report that would disclose the names of priests who have allegedly sexually abused children.

New England Public Media reported that a few years ago, then-Attorney General Maura Healy conducted an investigation into claims of clergy child sexual abuse in three of Massachusetts’ four dioceses: Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. The investigation, apparently, did not look into the Archdiocese of Boston.

One survivor named Skip Shea told New England Public Media that though he met with investigators in 2021, a report with the investigation’s results was never published.

In addition to picketing outside the attorney general’s office, Shea has written to the office several times in the last few years, each time asking for the report to be published.

It wasn’t until April 26, 2024, that Shea received an…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno announced this week that it will be filing for bankruptcy in the summer as the number of sexual abuse allegations it faces rises beyond 150.

Fresno diocese leader Bishop Joseph V. Brennan said in a statement that the Central Valley church will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.

The diocese did not respond to calls and an email seeking comment.

The move allows the diocese “to address those claims honestly, compassionately and equitably,” Brennan’s statement said.

Brennan said the move was necessary because the diocese has been flooded with claims — 154 that it is aware of — in the three years since Assembly Bill 218 was enacted in January 2020. The deadline to file a claim closed Dec. 31, 2022, under the legislation.

AB 218 opened a three-year window for some civil sexual assault claims that previously timed…

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Defense says it’s too late to file lawsuit alleging abuse in 1970s

A judge is deciding whether a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse in the mid-1970s at a Catholic camp in New Hampshire can go forward.

The abuse allegedly happened at Camp Fatima in Gilmanton Iron Works. The Diocese of Manchester is also named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the abuse happened at Camp Fatima from approximately 1974-76. The defendants include the bishop of Manchester and the associated camps Bernadette and Fatima. The defense said the suit should be dismissed without a trial.

“The statute of limitations would bar his claims at this point,” said defense attorney James Armilly.

The complaint goes into graphic detail about the nature of the alleged abuse, but the defense said that’s not what’s at issue.

“There’s no dispute, your honor, the conduct that’s alleged here occurred in the mid-1970s,” Armilly said.

The defense…

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Kansas Catholic officials disclosed this week that child sexual abuse accusations against a long-time priest have been found “substantiated.” We find it very disturbing that the accusations were first disclosed in 2004, yet the cleric remained in active ministry until his retirement in 2013, and likely continued to work as a supply priest in the following years. The clergyman was not placed on the Diocese’s list of abusers until this week. We know that false accusations of child sexual abuse are extremely rare, and that those who prey on children rarely stop on their own. Our hearts ache for all the young lives that may have been endangered over the past 20 years.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, announced on May 27, 2024, that Father Roderic Giller, OSB, who retired from parish ministry in July 2013, was…

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As part of a settlement with D.H., the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Vancouver agreed to make public all the troubling evidence presented in the case

A civil trial in which a sex-abuse victim poised was to confront the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Vancouver has been called off after an out-of-court settlement.

The church agreed to settle the lawsuit late last month, with a promise to publish all documents produced in the case against Westminster Abbey in Mission, the archdiocese and the late Father Placidus, who the church has acknowledged was credibly accused of serial sexual abuse during his lengthy tenure at the B.C. Benedictine abbey’s Seminary of Christ the King for teens and young adults.

It’s the first time such a demand has been accepted in a church sexual abuse case in Canada, said Sandra Kovacs, the lawyer for the survivor identified in court documents only as D.H.

D.H. becomes…

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Their report marks the second time a proposed database for abusive pastors has been derailed.

A volunteer Southern Baptist task force charged with implementing abuse reforms in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination will end its work next week without a single name published on a database of abusers.

The task force’s report marks the second time a proposed database for abusive pastors has been derailed by denominational apathy, legal worries and a desire to protect donations to the Southern Baptist Convention’s mission programs.

Leaders of the SBC’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force say a lack of funding, concerns about insurance and other unnamed difficulties hindered the group’s work.

“The process has been more difficult than we could have imagined,” the task force said in a report published Tuesday (June 4). “And in truth, we made less progress than we desired due to the myriad obstacles and challenges we encountered in the…

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One of New Zealand’s most senior Catholics can now resume public activities after a Vatican-led review into sexual abuse allegations against him concluded no further inquiry is required.

Cardinal John Dew, a former Archbishop of Wellington who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015, was the subject of sexual abuse allegations in May last year, a day after his 75th birthday and retirement.

The allegations dated back to the 1970s.

“Cardinal Dew can now resume public activities that he stood aside from under church protocols when the allegation was brought to the attention of the church in May last year,” said Archbishop of Wellington Paul Martin.

Discover more

• Catholic Cardinal John Dew accused of sexual abuse, …
• ‘Deeply sorry’: Catholic Church apologises to sufferers …
• Destiny Church disciple stood down, police investigation …
• NZ victims of child sexual abuse in Two by Two…

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The Catholic school board and Diocese of Peterborough say Rev. Paul Massel wasn’t authorized to write a letter of support for former Douro teacher Thomas Christopher Cavanagh.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article contains descriptions of sex crimes against children that may be upsetting or disturbing for some readers. If you or anyone you know is in need of assistance, the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre runs a 24-hour crisis support line at 1-705-741-0260.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough are in damage control after Rev. Paul Massel provided the court with a letter of support for convicted child predator Thomas Christopher Cavanagh.

Cavanagh, a former Grade 4 teacher at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Douro, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, transmitting sexually explicit material to a person under 18, and communicating with a person…

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UPDATE: A North Jersey school teacher who took upskirt photos and videos of female students faces at least 10 years in state prison when he’s sentenced next month.

Michael F. Wagner, 41, of Hopatcong took a deal from prosecutors rather than risk the potential outcome of a trial, admitting that he recorded female 8th graders of his at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta during class and collected child porn.

In order to secure the agreement – and whatever leniency may come at his July 26 sentencing in Newton — Wagner had to plead guilty earlier this month to first-degree child endangerment and second-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse materials.

The first-degree endangerment conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in state prison, and up to 20 years.

The second-degree conviction requires a minimum of five years in prison, although the judge will most likely allow it…

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As clergy sex abuse crisis simmers, Southern Baptists focus on ousting women pastors.

Beginning this Sunday, thousands of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) delegates will assemble in Indianapolis, and one of the most misogynistic gatherings in all of Christendom will be on display.

Southern Baptists hold to “male headship” as the purportedly God-ordered right way. Though this has long been their belief, they’re now doubling down and seeking to enshrine the practice into their Constitution.

Southern Baptists Prepare to Purge Women Pastors … Again

The SBC’s doctrinal statement declares that “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Though this language is obviously exclusionary, in recent years, many in the denomination have deemed it not effective enough in keeping women out. Some churches were interpreting it to mean only that a woman couldn’t be the head pastor of a church.

Horrors. With much metaphorical hand-wringing and hyperventilating, manly men of…

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As the church continues to address sexual abuse cases among clergy and religious, Deacon Steven A. DeMartino, director for safeguarding initiatives for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, recently spoke with OSV News’ Charlie Camosy about the past history of these efforts and the best practices the church now has in place.

Charlie Camosy: I realize this is a big question, but would it be possible to summarize in broad strokes what has been done by Popes St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis with regard to sex abuse and safe environment in the Catholic Church?

Steven A. DeMartino: A good place to start is with the reality that safeguarding ministry has gradually matured in the church over the past 30 years.

This new ministry is a response to our Catholic obligation to defend life and the dignity of the human person across the life span and has been informed…

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André Denis, a retired Quebec superior court judge mandated by Pope Francis to investigate accusations of sexual abuse made against Cardinal Gérald C. Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, has said he found no evidence to support the accusations. But Denis noted the investigation’s conclusion was significantly impacted by the accuser’s refusal to participate — something which could change in the future — leaving the cardinal in the meantime feeling like he was “fighting a ghost.”

“The elements collected during my investigation make it implausible that the facts alleged against the cardinal occurred,” Denis wrote in his 66-page report submitted to Francis May 6. “I do not find sufficient elements to justify the holding of a canonical trial against Cardinal Lacroix and this is the conclusion that I formulated to Pope Francis.”

Denis on May 21 made public a 10-page summary of this report and held a press conference the same day to answer questions.

On Jan. 25, the cardinal, who…

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A secretive sect being probed for historical child sexual abuse is facing venue cancellations for some of its half-year meetings, held from this weekend.

The religious group known as the Two by Twos or The Truth is holding 18 events across New Zealand in June, for its 2500 members – part of its usual calendar of meetings.

Members book the venues, often as a ‘Christian fellowship group’ because the sect has no official name and is not registered as a charity.

A group of five former members of the fellowship have sent a generic email to the venues, with links to recent stories.

The links included the RNZ story as well as links to the various media that picked it up including the NZ Herald, Newshub and the Otago Daily Times.

“As ex members we are concerned that this group is still operating in community venues and schools,” the…

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The U.S. bishops’ conference has released the sexual abuse report investigating cases reported between July 2022 and June 2023.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a report The report contains data on sexual abuse and financial compensation within the national Church for the year 2023.

The report indicates that 1,254 victims of abuse filed a total of 1,308 complaints. Of these, the vast majority are adults who have now reported the assaults they suffered as children.

Fight against abuse in the United States

To address these cases, dioceses and eparchies in the United States provided services to 183 victims and their families to support them. At the same time, they continued to provide assistance to another 1,662 individuals whose cases had already been included in previous years’ reports.

As part of the prevention work, the Church examined the background of people working in church activities, whether they were priests,…

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released the 2023 Annual Report – Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The report is based on the audit findings of StoneBridge Business Partners, a specialty consulting firm headquartered in Rochester, New York, which provides forensic, internal, and compliance audit services to leading organizations nationwide. A survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) regarding allegations of abuse of minors and costs is also included as a part of the report.

This is the twenty-first such report since 2002 when the U.S. bishops established and adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive framework of procedures to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and establish protocols…

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The Catholic religious order, which runs St. Rita High School on the South Side and Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, won’t explain why the Rev. Richard McGrath, who was accused of sex abuse and having child pornography on his phone, isn’t on the group’s newly posted public listing.

After hiding the names of sexually abusive priests and religious brothers for years, the Augustinian Catholic order has posted its first public listing of clergy members in its Chicago province deemed to have been child predators, listing five men.

The list doesn’t include the Rev. Richard McGrath, who was the longtime head of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox until he was ousted in 2017 after a student reported seeing a nude image of a boy on the priest’s cell phone while he was a spectator at a wrestling match.

The police investigated McGrath, but the case ended up…

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(OSV News)—The U.S. Catholic bishops’ latest annual report on child and youth protection shows abuse allegations are down, while safe environment protocols have taken root in the church—but guarding against complacency about abuse prevention is critical, as is providing ongoing support for survivors.

On May 28, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection released the “2023 Annual Report — Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

The 2023 report is the twenty-first since the charter was established by the U.S. Catholic bishops in 2002 as a number of clerical abuse scandals emerged. Commonly called the Dallas Charter, the document lays out a comprehensive set of procedures for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, and includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of abuse.

Data for the report came from audits…

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Thank you to the Legislature for enacting the lookback law, and thank you to Attorney General Liz Murrill and the majority of Louisiana Supreme Court, which will reconsider their decision. I hope the specious reasoning of Justice Jeff Hughes won’t sway the court’s decision this time.

Hughes’ dissent to the reconsideration was all over the place. He mocked the consideration of the law of adult survivors of childhood abuse to survivors other crimes saying, “Adult rape victims? Holocaust survivors? Descendants of the enslaved? Which of these shall we favor?” He trivialized and disparaged every one of these people with this opinion. Hughes doesn’t see what is at stake for adult survivors of child sex abuse by clergy.

He mentioned equal protection and said that didn’t happen for children over many decades. The government gave consideration to Roman Catholic clerics and bishops. The children and teens sexually abused were just as…

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Saskatoon police and the provincial education ministry confirmed they’re investigating new allegations of assault at a private Christian school embroiled in a $25 million lawsuit claiming a history of abuse.

In a statement to CTV News on Monday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said it’s aware of the allegations that a staff member at Legacy Christian Academy assaulted a young student, and it is investigating.

The Saskatoon Police Service also confirmed it was investigating a report of an assault involving a staff member of the school.

A spokesperson would not confirm details of the investigation, but said police received the report on June 1.

CTV News contacted Legacy Christian Academy about the latest allegation and has not yet received a response.

The private Christian school is at the centre of a civil lawsuit and several former staff members are facing criminal charges.

Roughly two dozen officials from Legacy…

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Hundreds of people who were sexually abused as children by employees of the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore filed in the church’s bankruptcy case ahead of Friday’s deadline for claims, but the exact figure remains unclear.

“Right now there are over 700, but the claims that were uploaded on Friday are still being counted,” Paul Jan Zdunek, chair of the committee of abuse survivors representing all victims in the bankruptcy case, told The Baltimore Sun on Monday. “It’s taking time. There was a rush at the end.”

Zdunek said that figure “will probably go up.” While it also includes non-abuse-related claims filed by insurers and other entities who did business with the archdiocese, “the majority will be abuse cases,” he added.

It could take awhile to determine the exact number of sex abuse claims filed in the case, said attorney Jonathan Schochor, who represents victims in the case, including a member…

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