ABUSE TRACKER

Four men are suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the state of Washington, alleging the church reinstated a known pedophile to the position of high priest without warning members, allowing him to continue sexually abusing children as young as 5 years old. 

In a complaint removed to Washington federal court on Monday, the four, suing anonymously as John Roe 1 through 4, say they were each abused by David Herget, who had previously admitted to raping his own 13-year-old daughter in 1993 but then was rebaptized by the church and allowed to rise to a position of authority once again.

According to the complaint, Herget was convicted of raping his daughter but only served 180 days in prison after the church urged leniency. And despite the church excommunicating Herget, he was allowed back into certain church services by 1997 and became a regular presence in the church…

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Dallas County Judge Emily Tobolowsky has rejected a plea by disgraced pastor Robert Morris, founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, to have abuse survivor Cindy Clemishire’s lawsuit dismissed on First Amendment grounds.

The judge, who has won her last three four-year-term elections without any opposition, provided no reason for rejecting arguments made by Morris and his wife Deborah. She also denied motions to dismiss the same lawsuit from church elders Tra Willbanks, Kenneth Fambro, Gayland Lawshe and Dane Minor.

Clemishire and her father Jerry Lee Clemishire sued Morris, his wife, Gateway Church and others in June, seeking $1 million in damages.

With the rejection of the dismissal motions, the trial is set to take place next summer, media reports indicate.

In October, Morris pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire, then aged 12, in the 1980s. He is serving a six-month jail term in Oklahoma that will be followed by 9.5…

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One day, almost a decade ago, Argentinian filmmaker María Silvia Esteve (“Silvia”) turned on the television and saw a woman talk about her fight for justice against the priest who sexually abused her and many others for years. Her name was Mailin Gobbo. Esteve immediately felt she was someone who could help her tell her story. The two met for coffee, the result of that meeting and eventual friendship becoming IDFA competition title “Mailin.” Watch the exclusive trailer below: see original article for video

Speaking with Variety ahead of the festival, the filmmaker recalls first seeing Mailin crying on television as the interviewer asked her intrusive details about her abuse at the hands of her local priest and family friend Carlos Eduardo José. Mailin was a key witness in the legal case against José, who was cleared of all charges in 2021 because of Argentina’s statute of limitations. 

“I remember she was crying, and I…

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Clergy in the Anglican Church in North America are calling for the denomination’s archbishop, Steve Wood, to be inhibited, or temporarily suspended from ministry, in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and plagiarism against him.

The archbishop announced his paid, voluntary leave of absence Nov. 3, following a series of reports in The Washington Post in which a former church employee and another woman accused Wood of unwelcome advances.

“Given the seriousness of the charges against our Archbishop (sexual harassment and abuse of power), we believe that a voluntary leave of absence is insufficient. Canonically, a voluntary leave of absence allows the Archbishop to return to office when he sees fit,” the letter says. “Instead, we suggest that the Archbishop be inhibited until the conclusion of the trial that will determine his guilt or innocence.”

As of Friday afternoon (Nov. 14), more than 80 clergy in the denomination had…

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Matthew McGinley, formerly a worship pastor at the Ascent Project in Fort Collins, Colorado, has been arrested and charged with felony sexual assault of a minor after confessing to a past sexual relationship with a student.

Court records indicate McGinley, now 30, was 24 at the time of the misconduct, which began while he was a part-time educator at a prominent Northern Colorado Christian school.

Investigators say private flirtatious communications escalated over time, eventually leading to sexual contact in 2020, after he had left the school.

He was arrested and charged with felony sexual assault of a minor.

In an email to the victim’s family, McGinley reportedly expressed remorse, apologizing and attributing his actions to a “quarter-life crisis.” He also wrote that he had repented.

McGinley was a part-time teacher during the 2018–2019 academic year, when his relationship reportedly began with the student, starting with flirtatious texts.

The relationship allegedly…

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A 68-year-old pastor was accused of sexually assaulting a child while he was working at a church in California, according to authorities.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified him as Quintilo Sagrero. He was charged with two counts of “lewd acts upon a child.”

Authorities said the alleged incidents occurred on October 7 while Sagrero was serving as the pastor of the Templo Pentecostal El Camino Church in Compton.

Based on the nature of the offenses, detectives believe there may be additional unidentified victims and are seeking the public’s help in identifying any additional victims,” the sheriff’s office said on Thursday in a news release.

Sagrero was arrested on November 6 and he is being held in custody on a $200,000 bail.

The sheriff’s office said anyone who has information about the case — or anyone who believes they may have been a victim — should contact…

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Lindsey Whiteside, the former youth minister of Getwell Church in Hernando, Mississippi, who was set free pending trial for child sex abuse after a recent conviction for a similar crime, is back in jail and will remain there until her trial next year.

Whiteside’s bond was revoked on Wednesday. She was taken back in custody on Thursday by U.S. Marshals pending her federal trial on Feb. 9, WJTV reports. 

Facing the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison for two counts of transportation of a minor across state lines for illicit sexual purposes and one count of enticement of a child, a federal magistrate judge had ordered Whiteside released on a $60,000 unsecured bond last month.

Her schoolteacher mother, Gale Whiteside, had testified that she was not a danger to society, according to court documents reviewed by The Christian Post….

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Seton Hall University must disclose a litany of documents to attorneys suing the Archdiocese of Newark over its handling of sexual abuse claims, a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Avion Benjamin’s order will force the university to disclose more than 20,000 pages of documents to opposing counsel, including documents from a 2019 outside probe into abuse allegations at the school’s seminary and whether Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, the university’s president and a former seminary dean, properly reported them.

“These documents are going to reveal additional examples of systemic behavior within both the archdiocese and Seton Hall where these institutions failed to discipline priests accused of sexual abuse and ratified a culture that turned a blind eye to perpetrators who preyed on these vulnerable children,” said John Baldante, one of the plaintiffs’ lead attorneys.

Benjamin’s order, delivered verbally over about an hour Wednesday, would see the outside…

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No announcement has been made regarding the compensation amount for each victim, according to a statement noting that the compensation committee is currently reviewing the opinions produced by the investigative committees.

During the 212th Plenary Assembly, which started on Monday, the bishops assessed the ongoing financial compensation process and approved the creation of a solidarity fund to finance these compensations.

This fund will be sustained by 50% contributions from CEP, with the remaining 50% shared among all dioceses and religious institutes.

The document emphasizes that this is not a legal process but a gesture of solidarity from the Church in Portugal, expressing communion with the victims’ suffering and aligning with the path undertaken so far.

The bishops reaffirm their commitment to ensuring a safe Church environment, preventing abuse, and express gratitude to national and diocesan structures which support victims, redirect complaints appropriately, and engage in prevention, protection, and care training.

…

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The plaintiff was a resident of the Whitbourne Boys Home, where others have alleged sexual abuse

A man who alleged a priest sexually assaulted him while he was a resident at a Newfoundland and Labrador youth detention center in the 1980s cannot pursue claims against the province through a summary trial, even though the province lacks evidence to contradict his claims, the province’s appellate court has ruled. 

In a Nov. 7 decision, the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador found that “there is no principled reason why serious or substantial cases that involve historical sexual abuse do not lend themselves to summary trial disposition.”

However, the appellate court said that summary trials – which hinge on written evidence like affidavits rather than oral testimony – are only appropriate in such cases when the issues are “discrete, well defined, and contained, and the judge is confident that the record…

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One day, almost a decade ago, Argentinian filmmaker María Silvia Esteve (“Silvia”) turned on the television and saw a woman talk about her fight for justice against the priest who sexually abused her and many others for years. Her name was Mailin Gobbo. Esteve immediately felt she was someone who could help her tell her story. The two met for coffee, the result of that meeting and eventual friendship becoming IDFA competition title “Mailin.” 

[Watch the exclusive trailer.]

Speaking with Variety ahead of the festival, the filmmaker recalls first seeing Mailin crying on television as the interviewer asked her intrusive details about her abuse at the hands of her local priest and family friend Carlos Eduardo José. Mailin was a key witness in the legal case against José, who was cleared of all charges in 2021 because of Argentina’s statute of limitations. 

“I remember she was crying, and I felt the person…

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Survivors say archbishop’s administration shows ‘lack of empathy’

BRUSSELS 

Belgian survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have formally asked Pope Leo XIV to remove Archbishop Luc Terlinden from his position, Flemish broadcaster VRT News reported on Friday.

“The current administration under Archbishop Terlinden has continuously inflicted harm on victims, the faithful and the Church itself,” read their letter to the pope, according to VRT. “His handling of the abuse crisis is marked by a lack of empathy, a lack of decisiveness and a leadership style focused on protecting the institution rather than addressing the harm done.”

The letter was made public after a 2.5-hour meeting last weekend between 15 survivors and Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, during which they discussed financial compensation and measures to protect victims in the future.

Terlinden currently serves as Belgium’s main point of contact for abuse victims and assists them in communication…

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This week on an interview-only episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with Sister Theresa Aletheia and Sister Danielle Victoria, founding members of the Sisters of the Little Way, a private association of the faithful intending to become a religious institute, who live a mission of listening and solidarity with people who have been hurt by the church.

00:00 Introduction

2:18 Starting a new religious community

8:05 When your life breaks down; how the new mission is being received

16:48 Defining “spiritual abuse”

20:57 Health (and unhealthy) applications of power in the Catholic Church

23:45 Sharing personal stories of abuse

25:42 Why the Sisters chose to stay in the church

37:00 How the Sisters understand digital mission today

42:20 Where the Sisters find beauty, truth, and goodness

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To the Clergy, Religious, and Laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As I write to you, our team is preparing for the Confirmation Hearing for our Chapter 11 Reorganization. That is set to begin on Monday and continue over the course of several days until December 4. We remain hopeful that with the support of the plan proponents and the overwhelming number of votes in support of the plan from abuse survivors that we will bring these proceedings to a close. As we look ahead, please continue to join me in prayer for the survivors and for the successful resolution of our Chapter 11 Reorganization.

As many of you may have heard from your pastors or read in the media, this week the parishes and several ministerial agencies of the Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for Chapter 11 Reorganization as part of our reorganization plan….

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elected conservative Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City as its new president Nov. 11. The move by the American Catholic Church drew both calls for unity from the new leader and a swift and furious condemnation from clergy abuse survivor networks.

During their Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the bishops selected Coakley to succeed Archbishop Timothy Broglio. In a statement reported by Vatican News, Coakley, 70, said he was “humbled” by the election. He asked for prayers that he “may be a faithful steward and a wise servant of unity and communion with our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and with my brother bishops and priests.”

However, not everyone is buying the calls for unity.

Coakley’s election was immediately met with a damning rebuke from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

In a press release issued moments after the vote, SNAP called Coakley “a known enabler of…

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[Play video.]

Hundreds of child sex abuse victims who said the Catholic Church protected their abusers may be one step closer to some semblance of justice after a settlement was agreed to last month. A lawyer representing one victim said there is still a long road ahead, and the victim said no amount of money will ever be enough.

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It is the first investigation of its kind into the conduct of a serving Spanish bishop.

The Vatican has opened an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of a minor against Bishop Rafael Zornoza of Cádiz, the first probe of its kind against a serving Spanish bishop.

According to Spanish media, Zornoza, 76, is accused of abusing a minor when he served as rector of the seminary of the Diocese of Getafe, south of Madrid, between 1994 and 2001. The alleged victim sent a complaint to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the summer. Zornoza denies the allegations.

Zornoza was ordained a priest in 1975 in the Archdiocese of Madrid. When the Diocese of Getafe was created from the territory of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Zornoza was incardinated in the new diocese and served as the first bishop’s secretary. He then became rector of the seminary in 1994….

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‘The Presbyterian Church of Ireland is not alone in its safeguarding failures’

A Dromore-based group comprising survivors of clerical sexual abuse from the Diocese of Dromore, and their families has welcomed the decision of the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to stand down from his role.

The Dromore Group – which aims to raise awareness and understanding of clerical sexual abuse, supports survivors and those in the process of litigation and provides advocacy and advisory inputs to government and other bodies working on clerical sexual abuse – described Rev. Trevor Gribben’s decision to stand down on November 12 as a “first step in ensuring accountability for the safeguarding failures of his Church”.

In a statement provided to Armagh I, the Group said: “The Presbyterian Church of Ireland is not alone in its safeguarding failures.

“A 2023 safeguarding report at the Catholic Diocese of Dromore by the National Board for…

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The study had praised recent diocesan leadership while noting past failings and recommending measures to strengthen prevention of abuse.

German researchers criticised a study of abuse in the Diocese of Augsburg published last month. 

Martina Steber und Dietmar Süß of the University of Augsburg told the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung that the study “suffers from very fundamental methodological flaws”. It failed to seek archival traces or sources other than diocesan documents, nor did it make a systematic evaluation of the experiences of victims.

The study had praised recent diocesan leadership while noting past failings and recommending measures to strengthen prevention of abuse, including training to sensitise priests of cases of abuse and making new abuse cases public in accordance with data protection laws. The Bishop of Augsburg Bertram Meier responded to the report saying the diocese “cannot rest on our laurels”.

Steber and Süß also queried the the independent commission responsible for the report,…

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The head of the Anglican Mother Church did not hesitate to punish his own brother for abusing an underage woman

The release of Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice — a memoir of her abuse by billionaire Jeffrey Epstein — tells the story of how he got away with his crimes with hardly any accountability.

The book, published on Oct. 21, aims to raise awareness about sexual abuse and support other survivors. Giuffre and other young women abused and trafficked by Epstein to his powerful friends around the world were denied their day in court, to tell their abuser how they feel about his abuse of them.

Shortly after he was convicted and condemned to 39 years in prison, Epstein killed himself in his prison cell on Aug. 10, 2019, thus denying his victims an opportunity to confront him, which could have been an…

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A year ago, the High Court handed down a decision that was a blow to survivors of child sexual abuse everywhere.

In a case brought by a man who was abused as a little boy, the Catholic Church’s Diocese of Ballarat argued that it couldn’t be sued for the actions of one of its priests, because priests are employed by God – not by the Church.

The ruling in the Church’s favour left thousands of survivors devastated – but the court said it was up to parliaments to act.

Last week, the ACT government went first, legislating to overrule the High Court decision, in a major win for victim-survivors.

Today, lawyer and advocate Judy Courtin on when the other states will follow – and how the Catholic Church will fight back.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at  View Cache

BARCELONA – Following news that the Vatican has opened an investigation into sexual-abuse allegations that he denies, Bishop Rafael Zornoza of Cádiz and Ceuta, has stepped back from his duties to “clarify the facts.”

The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta released a statement Nov. 10, responding to news in El País that the Vatican has opened an ecclesiastical investigation into accusations dating back to 1994 that Zornoza sexually abused a young man aged between 14 and 21.

The accusations were sent to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith by mail earlier this summer and are alleged to have begun in 1994 when Zornoza was a 45-year-old priest of the Diocese of Getafe and rector of the seminary.

According to El País, a Spanish newspaper, the complainant said: “It was at night when he came to the room and I suffered the abuse. He got into my bed, caressed me and kissed me….

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Canonistas consultados señalan que es el Tribunal de la Rota quien debe adoptar las medidas cautelares “Monseñor Zornoza debería comunicar a Roma que se aparta, no que renuncia, pero sí apartarse”. Es la opinión de un canonista español, que comparte la sorpresa entre otros muchos colegas que en estas últimas horas refrescan la doctrina vaticana del papa Francisco relativa a cómo actuar cuando quien es objeto de una denuncia por presuntos abusos es un obispo “Las medidas cautelares las impone el investigador, que en este caso es el Tribunal de la Rota, tras activarse el artículo 6 de Vos estis lux mundi, y todo a través de la Nunciatura en España”, indican a Religión Digital, añadiendo que el presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Española debería estar convenientemente informado

“Monseñor Zornoza debería comunicar a Roma que se aparta, no que renuncia, pero sí apartarse”. Es la opinión de un canonista español, que comparte…

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BALTIMORE (OSV News) — The U.S. bishops’ conference has elected its next president, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City.

Archbishop Coakley was elected by a narrow margin — 54%, or 128 votes out of 237 — in a third-ballot runoff against Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who subsequently was elected vice president of the conference on the first ballot, a fraction of a percent over the majority.

This was Archbishop Coakley’s fourth time on a ballot for the bishops’ top leadership, with an appearance on each triennial ballot since 2016. At 70, he would have been ineligible to stand for office in three years, as bishops must be able to complete a three-year term ahead of the mandatory retirement age of 75. 

Presidential elections in years past

Since 2007, an archbishop or a cardinal has been elected conference president, and the same for those elected vice president. With the…

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The vast majority of bishops see their priests as potential liabilities, lawsuits waiting to happen, and they treat their priests accordingly.

In this age of the unrelenting back and forth of social media, where people lob insults and accusations like mortars, it is hard to find genuine charitable rebuttals to another person’s work. This article will endeavor, with charity, to rebut the article “Can Fallen Priests Be Restored to Ministry? Yes—Here’s How” recently penned by Mr. Matt Robinson. Until reading his article, Mr. Robinson and his company, The Shepherd Within, were unknown to me. I applaud his efforts, and I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to read Mr. Robinson’s article first, then return and read this rebuttal.  

Let me start with our principal agreement: the relationship between a bishop and priest is “critical to a flourishing priesthood, and a flourishing priesthood is critical to…

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Theologian Susan Reynolds said the limited awareness surrounding the abuse of women by the clergy is indicative of the broader issue of misogyny within the Catholic Church.

“What is also clear is that the Church ignores the testimony of women and girls at its own peril,” said Reynolds, CSTM ’13 and GMCAS ’18. “There is simply not a credible future for an institution that finds the testimony of women uncredible.”

Reynolds returned to the Heights on Thursday for the second annual Nancy Marzella Lecture on Women and American Catholicism, hosted by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. Reynolds is an associate professor of Catholic studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. 

The limited visibility of women and girls in the narrative results in a skewed representation of survivors, according to Reynolds. 

“This fractional visibility of women and girls in the story of clergy abuse doesn’t only…

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Bell pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. The other charges were dismissed.

A former Columbus pastor accused of raping a juvenile pleaded guilty and was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison, according to Franklin County Court of Common Pleas documents.

George Bell was indicted last year on four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition with the alleged crimes reportedly happening between 2021 and 2024. According to the indictment, the victim was under the age of 10.

Bell pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. The other charges were dismissed.

He was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison and must register as a Tier III sex offender.

Bell was a pastor at Anchor Baptist Church in Columbus at the time of the incidents.

The church said in a statement last year that Bell had resigned in front of the church…

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Parishes and other charities linked to the Archdiocese of New Orleans will file for bankruptcy this week.

This comes as the Archdiocese is poised to settle its years-long bankruptcy case involving clergy sex abuse.

An estimated 150 parishes and charities will file bankruptcy this week.

The additional bankruptcies will shield future liabilities for past acts of abuse. Once the diocese’s bankruptcy ends, the additional entities’ bankruptcies will also end.

For a list of parishes and charities impacted, click here.

This does not mean that schools are closing or will see major impacts.

Tuition is not going up, according to the Archdiocese.

Some parishes could see money come out of rainy-day funds or investments; however, sources tell WDSU that the school’s operating budgets should not be impacted.

When it comes to churches, the impact is not expected to be major.

While no mergers are planned for parishes as…

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Fort Collins police have arrested Matthew McGinley, 30, accusing the former worship pastor and teacher of sexual assault of a minor by a person in a position of trust. In police and court records obtained by CBS News Colorado, McGinley is accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student that continued for more than one year.

McGinley was a part-time educator at a prominent Northern Colorado Christian school for the 2018-2019 school year, according to the school.

According to police, that is when McGinley met the victim in one of the classes he helped teach. The student was younger than 18 when they met.

Police reported that McGinley, 24 at the time, and the student started off by sending flirtatious late-night texts before the relationship evolved to kissing. Police said the two started having sex at the beginning of 2020. It continued through part of 2020 until the…

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A former member of Chapelstreet Church in Geneva has sued the church, claiming a youth leader sexually abused him after a senior pastor had been informed of a prior allegation against the accused.

The plaintiff, identified in the lawsuit as “John Doe,” names the church, an interim lead pastor and former youth pastor as defendants.

The plaintiff, now 21 and living in British Columbia, Canada, claims in the lawsuit that between 2011 and 2018, the youth leader “repeatedly subjected (John Doe) to sexual abuse.”

Church leaders, including the pastor, have not responded to emails or voicemails seeking comment. Court records do not list attorneys for the defendants.

At the time of the claimed abuse, the plaintiff was a child of missionaries who stayed at the youth leader’s house in Kane County, according to the suit, which was filed Oct. 21 in Kane County court.

The lawsuit alleges that a man…

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A second family has joined a federal lawsuit against Ursuline High School in Youngstown, which had already alleged players on the school’s football team engaged in hazing and sexual abuse of fellow students and that coaches and administrators either allowed the behavior to take place or covered it up.

Cleveland-based civil rights attorney Subodh Chandra and his team filed the amended lawsuit Monday in Northern Ohio U.S. District Court. In addition to the new plaintiffs (listed as “John and Jill Roe, individually and on behalf of their minor son, Son Roe”), the complaint now names athletic director John DeSantis as a defendant. Besides the school itself, prior defendants still include:

• Principal Matthew Sammartino
• Assistant Principal Margaret Damore
• Head football coach Dan Reardon
• Assistant coach Timothy McGlynn
• Assistant coach Christian Syrianoudis
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
• 11 Ursuline players (only their initials are given since they are minors)

The first lawsuit sent shockwaves…

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New victim and family join suit; allegations of obstruction of justice and a continuing cover up by school officials

Victims of misconduct within the Ursuline High School football program have filed a Second Amended and Supplemental Complaint in federal court, broadly expanding the original 200-page lawsuit’s scope (the “Ursuline-hazing Complaint”).

The expanded, 290-page complaint adds a second family, Plaintiffs John and Jill Roe and their son, Son Roe (pseudonyms), and incorporates vital new evidence and allegations that detail at least a four-year pattern of systemic abuse, hazing, and official cover-ups by school administrators and coaches.

New allegations and revelations

The amended and supplemental complaint adds these new allegations:

• Multi-year hazing tradition: The Roe family alleges that Son Roe was subject to hazing and threats during the 2024 football-camp trip, a year before the assaults detailed in the “Doe” family’s initial filing. The complaint now includes evidence that the hazing…

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• Legislation to improve child sexual abuse victims’ prospects in church compensation claims
• Bill addresses High Court ruling which found church not vicariously liable for priest’s assaults
• Cook Government committed to implementing sensible and effective law reform to deliver on its priority to build safe communities

The Cook Government has introduced legislation to close a loophole that can allow churches to avoid liability in civil cases for child sexual abuse committed by their priests.

The legislation comes in response to a 2024 High Court ruling which found a Catholic diocese was not vicariously liable for a priest’s sexual assaults because he was not an employee.

Vicarious liability is where an employer is held liable for the acts or omissions of an employee, despite the employer not being at fault.

The Civil Liability Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse Actions) Bill 2025 will deem religious practitioners to be employees of religious institutions for the purposes…

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Leadership has to come from the top if the Church wishes to change culture of secrecy at its lower levels

In an address to the National Safeguarding Conference held in the Philippines from Oct. 20-24, Pope Leo stated that “there can be no tolerance for any form of abuse in the Church.”

At the same time, he had a meeting with board members of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA Global), which has been advocating a “zero tolerance” policy for child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

The pope acknowledged that there was some “resistance in some parts of the world” to zero tolerance. What he did not mention was that most of the resistance comes from his own dicasteries.

The usual meaning of “zero tolerance” is the imposition of the law’s maximum penalty for any breach, irrespective of the circumstances. The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses…

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The Church’s highest trial court reportedly ruled in favor of an American priest who sued over the release his name in a list of “credibly accused” clergy.

The Church’s highest canonical trial court has ruled in favor of an American priest who sued the religious order which released his name in a list of religious “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors, according to an Italian media report.

A Nov. 9 report published by La Repubblica said that the unnamed priest had successfully brought a claim for defamation before the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, under the norms of canon 220 of the Code of Canon Law, which bars the “illegitimate harm” of a person’s good reputation — a potentially landmark ruling with sweeping effects for how U.S. dioceses handle accusations of abuse.

The rota functions as the ordinary appellate court for judicial proceedings, and as the court of first…

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A Spanish Catholic bishop is under investigation by the Vatican over an allegation of sexual abuse dating back three decades, his diocese confirmed this week.

Bishop Rafael Zornoza Boy of the Diocese of Cádiz y Ceuta has temporarily stepped back from public duties while the Holy See examines claims that he abused a teenage boy in the 1990s, when he was a priest and rector of a diocesan seminary near Madrid.

The 76-year-old bishop, who has led the southern diocese since 2011, “firmly denies” the allegation, which he described through his office as “false.”

The Spanish newspaper El País first reported the case on Monday, stating that the complaint was submitted this summer to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

According to the report, the alleged victim claimed that the abuse took place over several years while Zornoza was in charge of the major seminary of Getafe. The case, which…

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“We face a growing worldview that is so often at odds with the Gospel mandate to love thy neighbor,” the group said in a letter to Pope Leo.

As the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign continues, and Pope Leo XIV urges support for migrant families, America’s Roman Catholic bishops redoubled their focus on immigration while electing new leaders at their annual meeting on Tuesday.

In a hotel ballroom in Baltimore addressing the first major gathering of American bishops in the Leo pontificate, the outgoing bishops’ conference president opened with pointed remarks. Bible teaching, he noted, is to have “special care for strangers, aliens and sojourners.”

“It is not rocket science, but the Word of God,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio said.

The bishops elected Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City to be their next president, to serve for a three-year term. An institutionalist with ties to the church’s right…

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This afternoon, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) selected Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley as their next president. 

“While it is not surprising that the USCCB has once again chosen a leader who has kept known abusers in ministry and misled Catholic families, survivors are furious that the U.S. bishops will take direction from a man with a history of minimizing criminal sexual assault and endangering the public,” said SNAP Board President Shaun Dougherty.

In 2016, SNAP criticized Coakley after he issued a statement justifying his assignment of Father José Davila to a parish, five years after Davila entered a guilty plea for three counts of sexual battery of a 19-year-old woman in his home. San Diego prosecutors charged Davila when the victim alleged he touched her buttocks, put his finger in her vagina, and touched her left breast against her will. 

In his statement,…

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ROUND LAKE, Ill. — The Archdiocese of Chicago has removed a suburban deacon from active ministry following sexual abuse allegations against minors.

In a letter dated Nov. 5, Archbishop Blase Cupich wrote to families of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Round Lake that Deacon Rajan Fernando has been removed from service due to sex abuse allegations against minors.

The archdiocese said the allegations have been reported to authorities.

“I know that this is difficult news, but the welfare of our parishioners is of critical importance to me. The Archdiocese of Chicago takes seriously the obligation to ensure the fitness for ministry of all who serve the People of God,” part of the letter reads.

The church is located at 114 N. Lincoln Ave.

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MELROSE PARK, Ill. (WLS) — A deacon who served at a Chicago-area church is facing an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor, the Archdiocese of Chicago said.

Deacon Rajan Fernando serves at St. Joseph Parish in north suburban Round Lake, Illinois.

Fernando will be stepping away from ministry during an investigation into the accusation, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, announced.

“I know that this is difficult news, but the welfare of our parishioners is of critical importance to me,” Cupich said.

Civil authorities and the Archdiocese are conducting investigations. According to the Archdiocese, Fernando has denied the allegation.

” We encourage anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward. You will be received with compassion and respect,” Cupich said in the letter.

The Archdiocese did not provide further details about the abuse allegations.

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November 4, 2025

The Archdiocese of Chicago distributed the following letters to the St. Joseph Parish (Round Lake) community regarding Deacon Rajan Fernando.

Letters to the St. Joseph Parish community (English, Spanish, Polish)

[See BishopAccountability.org’s caches of the letter: English, Spanish, Polish]

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A deacon at a church in Round Lake has been suspended after the Archdiocese announced an investigation into him regarding the sexual abuse of children.

Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced the news in a letter to members of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 114 North Lincoln Avenue in Round Lake, on Wednesday.

The Archdiocese received allegations against Deacon Rajan Fernando regarding sexual abuse of minors.

Cupich said he has removed Fernando’s faculties to minister while the allegations are investigated “in keeping with archdiocesan policy.”

The allegations have also been reported to civil authorities and the person bringing the report has been offered the services of the Archdiocese Office of Victim Assistance.

“I know that this is difficult news, but the welfare of our parishioners is of critical importance to me,” Cupich said.

“The Archdiocese of Chicago takes seriously the obligation to ensure the fitness for ministry of all…

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV spent close to three hours listening to and praying with 15 Belgians who had survived clerical sexual abuse as children.

“The meeting, held in an atmosphere of closeness with the victims, deep and painful listening and dialogue, lasted nearly three hours and concluded with an intense moment of prayer,” the Vatican press office said in a statement after the meeting late Nov. 8.

September 2024 meeting

CathoBel.be, the news site of French-speaking Belgian Catholics, said the 15 survivors are part of the group of 17 survivors who had met in September 2024 with Pope Francis during his trip to Belgium.

Members of the group, CathoBel said, waited for more than a year for “a new meeting to evaluate the promises that had been made” during their encounter with Pope Francis. “The emotion in the room was palpable. Would the…

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Some participants handed the Pope a letter calling for the resignation of Archbishop Luc Terlinden of Mechelen-Brussels, accusing him of indifference toward victims. For them, his leadership symbolizes an institutional culture more concerned with damage control than repentance.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed fifteen Belgian survivors of clerical sexual abuse on November 8, the meeting was intended to be one of healing. What unfolded over nearly three hours was a moment of painful honesty — an encounter that revealed not only wounds long left open, but also the hopes pinned on a new pontificate.

According to Vatican sources, the Pope prayed with the survivors and listened in what witnesses described as a profoundly human, at times agonizing, conversation.

“The emotion in the room was palpable,” said one participant. “We wondered if the new Pope would be as attentive as his predecessor — or if we would have to start from the…

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 The Catholic church’s plan to use funds intended for feeding the hungry in Acadiana to pay for a clergy sex abuse settlement has been a topic of concern. However, an anonymous donor has stepped in to resolve this financial dilemma. An anonymous benefactor has agreed to cover the $16 million …

NEW ORLEANS (NEWS 15) — The Catholic church’s plan to use funds intended for feeding the hungry in Acadiana to pay for a clergy sex abuse settlement has been a topic of concern. However, an anonymous donor has stepped in to resolve this financial dilemma.

An anonymous benefactor has agreed to cover the $16 million share of the settlement that was expected from Second Harvest. The food bank’s board members had initially resisted paying this portion of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ bankruptcy settlement, leading Archbishop Gregory Aymond to remove board members and change bylaws to dismiss longtime CEO…

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Rafael Zornoza, the Bishop of Cadiz and Ceuta, is accused of sexually abusing a minor between the ages of 14 to 21 in Getafe, near Madrid, in the late 1990s when he was a 45-year-old priest of the Diocese of Getafe and rector of the seminary.

Now aged 76, Zornoza’s case marks the first time a sitting Catholic bishop responsible for overseeing a given region in Spain has been investigated for alleged child sexual abuse.

In a statement, the Diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta said Zornoza had decided to temporarily suspend his public duties to ‘clarify events’ and focus on treatment for cancer.

“The accusations made, referring to events that took place almost thirty years ago, are very serious and also false,” the statement said.

In a letter obtained by Spanish newspaper El País, the alleged victim says Zornoza abused him for years, often entering his room at night to touch…

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La investigación a Rafael Zornoza, acusado de agredir sexualmente a un menor en los noventa, supone la primera prueba para León XIV en su relación con la CEE ante el escándalo de los abusos del clero

El presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal admite la “verosimilitud” de la denuncia contra el prelado Rafael Zornoza

Madrid / Roma – NOV 10, 2025 – 23:30 EST

El Vaticano y la Iglesia española han mantenido durante cuatro meses en el cargo y en contacto con menores al obispo de Cádiz y Ceuta, Rafael Zornoza, investigado canónicamente por abusos a un niño en los años noventa, cuando era sacerdote y dirigía el seminario de Getafe, en Madrid. El caso, ya prescrito en la justicia penal, llegó a comienzos de este verano a la Santa Sede, cuando la víctima envió una denuncia por correo al Dicasterio para la Doctrina de la Fe, que dio credibilidad a los hechos…

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Los obispos no entran a valorar la investigación del Vaticano tras la acusación contra el religioso por abusos sexuales continuados en los años noventa a un menor

Madrid – NOV 10, 2025 – 08:34 ACTUALIZADO:Nov 10, 2025 – 09:26 EST

EL PAÍS puso en marcha en 2018 una investigación de la pederastia en la Iglesia española y tiene una base de datos actualizada con todos los casos conocidos. Si conoce algún caso que no haya visto la luz, nos puede escribir a: abusos@elpais.es. Si es un caso en América Latina, la dirección es: abusosamerica@elpais.es.

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“Confianza en la justicia y respeto al trabajo del Tribunal de la Rota”. Con esta única frase, la Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE) ha valorado la noticia destapada por EL PAÍS este lunes: el Vaticano abre una investigación por pederastia contra el obispo de Cádiz, Rafael Zornoza, de 76 años. A preguntas de EL PAÍS, la conferencia no ha querido…

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The 88th Academy Awards in 2016 were frontloaded with an eclectic mix of Best Picture nominees, all worthy of the honor. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant appeared to be the likely winner thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio’s outstanding performance. At the same time, Adam McKay’s The Big Short featured a star-studded cast tackling corporate greed, a theme relevant to the times. When Oscar presenter Morgan Freeman announced Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight as the Best Picture winner, however, it was not just a surprise. It was a loud statement made by an emotionally restrained picture.

As a true-life drama dealing with the controversial subject matter of abuse in the Catholic Church, Spotlight held back its quiet rage through a measured depiction of journalistic integrity. Most seminal dramas dealing with the world of investigative journalism, including Frost/Nixon, She Said, and The Post, tend…

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A man who said he was molested as a boy by Chapelstreet Church congregant Don Vanthournout, identified in the lawsuit as a youth leader at the evangelical congregation based in Geneva, said he told interim lead pastor Brian Coffey years ago about the misconduct. But nothing was done, and another child was then sexually abused, the suit says.

A large evangelical congregation in the far western suburbs called Chapelstreet Church is being sued by a man who says he was molested as a boy by a former youth leader there, another sign that child sex abuse by clergy and other religious figures is something faith groups well beyond the Catholic church need to guard against.

Don Vanthournout is also accused in the lawsuit of abusing another boy from a different suburban Protestant church years earlier, though that second alleged victim is not a plaintiff in the suit.

The complaint says…

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El prelado Rafael Zornoza está acusado de agredir sexualmente a un menor en los años noventa mientras dirigía el seminario de Getafe. Es la primera vez en España que se conoce un caso de abusos que afecta al jefe de una diócesis

Madrid / Roma – NOV 09, 2025 – 23:30 EST

EL PAÍS puso en marcha en 2018 una investigación de la pederastia en la Iglesia española y tiene una base de datos actualizada con todos los casos conocidos. Si conoce algún caso que no haya visto la luz, nos puede escribir a: abusos@elpais.es. Si es un caso en América Latina, la dirección es: abusosamerica@elpais.es.

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El Vaticano ha abierto una investigación contra el obispo de Cádiz y Ceuta, Rafael Zornoza, de 76 años, por presuntamente agredir sexualmente a un menor de manera continuada durante los años noventa, cuando el prelado era sacerdote en Getafe y dirigía el seminario de la diócesis….

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A Catholic organization recently returned land to an Ojibwe tribe in northern Wisconsin, marking what officials are calling the first known return of Catholic-owned land to an Indigenous tribe as an act of reparations.

The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration on Oct. 31 formally transferred its Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center property located on the shores of Trout Lake in Arbor Vitae to the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Nation, which has a reservation about six miles away. Marywood was a retreat for the sisters.

“This return represents more than the restoration of land – it is the restoration of balance, dignity and our sacred connection to the places our ancestors once walked,” Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr. said in a statement.

“The Franciscan Sisters’ act of generosity and courage stands as an example of what true healing and partnership can look like….

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Pope Leo XIV spent almost three hours on Saturday with 15 victims of clerical sexual abuse from Belgium.

The Holy See Press Office described the pope’s meeting with the survivors, each of whom was abused by a member of the clergy as a minor, as “profound and painful.” The office said the meeting took place “in a spirit of closeness, listening & dialogue.”

The Belgian Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of devastating clerical abuse scandals in recent years, which Pope Francis confronted directly during a visit to Belgium last year, spending more than two hours with survivors.

During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.

The appalling revelations of clerical sexual abuse in Belgium over the past 30 years include the case of a former bishop who abused two of his nephews. The…

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Pope Leo XIV met on Saturday with 15 survivors of clergy sexual abuse in a meeting marked by dialogue, listening, and prayer, according to the Holy See Press Office.

The encounter, described as one of “closeness with the victims, of deep and painful listening and dialogue,” lasted nearly three hours. The meeting concluded with “an intense moment of prayer” shared between the pope and the survivors.

This was the second time in less than three weeks that Leo has met at the Vatican with victims of clerical abuse. On Oct. 20, he received four survivors and two representatives of the international coalition Ending Clergy Abuse, which brings together victims and advocates from more than 30 countries.

That earlier meeting lasted about an hour and was described by participants as a “deeply meaningful conversation.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by…

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Pope Leo meets with a group of survivors of clerical abuse in Belgium in a climate of “closeness, deep listening, and painful dialogue”, which concluded with a moment of prayer.

Pope Leo XIV met on Saturday afternoon with fifteen people from Belgium who were victims of clerical abuse when they were minors.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the meeting took place “in a climate of closeness with the victims, of listening and dialogue, both profound and painful,” and lasted nearly three hours, concluding with an “intense moment of prayer.”

The group was accompanied by members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which continues to work closely with the Church in Belgium on safeguarding issues.

Earlier in the day, the Commission also met with the same group to continue the dialogue begun last July, when a delegation from the Commission visited Belgium.

Continuing a path of…

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Pope Leo met and prayed with a small group of abuse survivors, and listened to their stories “in a climate of closeness.”

Pope Leo XIV met on Saturday with a group of people who were sexually abused by members of the clergy in Belgium.

The group of fifteen were victims of abuse when they were minors, the Holy See Press Office said. 

Many of the survivors had previously met with the late Pope Francis during his 2024 visit to Belgium, the Vatican said, adding that the late pontiff had heard their story “with a sense of shame for the suffering they endured as children.”

Belgium is a largely Roman Catholic country, where the Belgian Catholic Church has been plagued by a series of abuse scandals in recent years.

What do we know about pope meeting with abuse survivors?

The meeting lasted almost three hours, taking place “in a climate of closeness with the victims, of listening and dialogue,…

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A Missouri man has been convicted of trafficking minors in Benton County and sentenced to more than three decades in prison, according to authorities.

A jury found Daniel Smathers, 47, of Joplin, Mo., guilty of one count of trafficking of persons on Wednesday, Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Robinson confirmed to KNWA/FOX24. Robinson said sentencing deliberations began shortly after Smathers’ conviction.

Smathers was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Smathers was accused of knowingly enticing, soliciting or obtaining a minor for commercial sexual activity.

He was arrested in 2022 after an investigation revealed a teenage girl meeting and having sexual contact with an older man at a hotel in Bentonville, a probable cause affidavit said.

The affidavit said Smathers was a tutor at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami and that “he either is or was a Reverend for a Baptist church in Diamond, Missouri.”

A spokesperson with NEO gave Nexstar’s…

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An Oklahoma pastor has been accused of trafficking members of a church that he ran from his home. He abused the members under the guise of ministry, authorities report.

Elmer Baca Flores, the pastor of Ministerio Levantando Adoradores Para Cristo in Del City, Oklahoma, had five counts of human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery filed against him on October 31.

Flores allegedly victimized the church members in his Oklahoma City-area church by forcing them to quit their jobs and move into his home, according to a press release from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN).

He also isolated church members and forced them to work for him without pay, OBN spokesman Mark Woodward said.

“He would threaten them with physical harm if they attempted to leave, claiming he was a member of the violent gang, MS-13,” Woodward added. “Flores used his influence…

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Robert Morris, the controversial founder of Gateway Church, has asked a Dallas County court to dismiss a $1 million defamation lawsuit from Cindy Clemishire. Morris’s motion to dismiss comes just weeks after the embattled pastor pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Clemishire in the 1980s, starting when she was 12 years old.

His motion argues that Clemishire’s lawsuit is solely a religious matter and shouldn’t be up for debate in the courts. However, Clemishire’s lawyer argued in response that her case deals with a crime, which is a secular matter.

Clemishire, along with her father, Jerry Lee Clemishire, filed the lawsuit in June. She alleges that Morris and Gateway church leaders on June 14, 2024, publicly dismissed the pastor’s abuse as merely a “moral failure” involving a “young lady,” instead of the sexual assault of a child.

She also contends Morris and church leadership made “knowingly false” statements about her that…

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The Carlisle Indian Industrial School had not yet held its first class when Matavito Horse and Leah Road Traveler were taken there in October 1879, drafted into the U.S. government’s campaign to erase Native American tribes by wiping their children’s identities.

A few years later, Matavito, a Cheyenne boy, and Leah, an Arapaho girl, were dead.

Persistent efforts by their tribes have finally brought them home. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma received 16 of its children, exhumed from a Pennsylvania cemetery, and reburied their small wooden coffins last month in a tribal cemetery in Concho, Oklahoma. A 17th student, Wallace Perryman, was repatriated to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in Wewoka.

Burial ceremonies are “an important step toward justice and healing for the families and Tribal Nations impacted by the boarding school era,” the Cheyenne and Arapaho government said. Seminole communications director Mark Williams said Perryman’s family wanted…

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Switzerland’s Protestant church is to commission an independent inquiry into sexual and spiritual abuse within its ranks. On Monday the parliament of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland voted unanimously to instruct its council to launch a scientific investigation into the issue, reported RTS.

The synod approved funding of up to CHF 250,000 for the project, according to a church spokesperson. The motion passed by 61 votes to one, with two abstentions. The study, expected by the end of 2027, will examine both sexual and spiritual abuse in the context of Reformed congregations and the structural conditions that may have enabled them.

The decision follows a landmark 2023 report by the University of Zurich that documented more than a thousand cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Switzerland since the mid-20th century. That report prompted a wave of departures from both the Catholic and Reformed churches.

Across the border,…

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The Vatican has clarified that the resignation of Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, former head of the Diocese of Verdun in eastern France, was prompted by reports of inappropriate relationships with women rather than solely by health concerns as initially stated at the end of September.

In a statement issued on Nov. 4, the apostolic nunciature in France said it had received “information concerning relationships toward women by Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, then bishop of Verdun,” which was forwarded to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome.

According to the communiqué, despite the bishop’s “persistent denials” and the “fragmentary and contradictory” nature of the reports, he had pledged to the dicastery “to avoid in the future any behavior toward women that could be interpreted as contrary to his priestly commitments.”

However, “given the persistence of the situation,” Pope Leo XIV solicited and accepted his resignation, which took effect Sept. 27. The nunciature clarified that the “health reasons…

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Bishop Ray Sutton, who was tapped to take on Archbishop Steve Wood’s duties during Wood’s leave of absence, is also facing criticism for his previous handling of spiritual abuse complaints.

A second woman has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the leader of the Anglican Church in North America after an Oct. 23 report in The Washington Post in which a former church employee detailed his alleged attempt  to kiss her against her will in his office.

According to a new report from the Post, the second complaint came from a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, who accused Archbishop Steve Wood of “pressuring me to be in situations I was uncomfortable with, even after I expressed my discomfort, pressuring me to be in a private space with him, one-on-one, to drink alcohol with him, despite me saying it was inappropriate and that I was uncomfortable.”

Wood,…

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Sexual and physical assault claims hurled at Central Catholic in both lawsuits.

A prominent San Antonio Catholic school – which has produced several eventual city leaders – is under fire again this week after another parent is pointing the finger at officials, saying they failed to properly handle bullying outcries. This time, parents of a student want more than $1 million from the prestigious all-boys school.

When local attorney Jesse Guerra, who founded the J. Guerra Law Firm, first sounded the alarm on Central Catholic High School back in September, he warned there would be more students coming forward. He held true to that word. He’s now representing another student and set of parents making similar claims.

“Central Catholics [sic] failure to provide such requirements to its students was a proximate cause of the assault, assault by an offensive conduct and…

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To the Notre Dame family,

After writing my first letter to The Observer about the ongoing investigation of alleged sexual abuse by Fr. Thomas King, I decided to do more research to see how large the problem was at Notre Dame. Were there more alleged clergy abusers than just King?

Unfortunately, I found seven other priests employed by Notre Dame who were accused of abuse of minors or ND students at some point in their priestly careers.

These findings suggest that Helen Cantwell’s investigation of King should be expanded to look at all other cases of clergy sexual abuse on campus as well. Broadening the scope of the investigation now is the perfect time for the University to do justice to all Notre Dame student victims of clergy sex abuse.

I compiled the following list using publicly available online sources, most of which were Notre Dame or Holy…

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An abuse report said Cardinal Reinhard failed to give sufficient attention to the care of victims when he was Bishop of Trier.

Cardinal Marx said that ‘during my time as Bishop of Trier, I did not perceive the issue of sexualised violence and sexual abuse as comprehensively and clearly as would have been appropriate’.

Reports on sexual abuse published last week in two German dioceses found that the Church in Germany does many things right though by no means all.

Academics of the University of Trier identified 734 victims of sexual violence in the Diocese of Trier and 246 perpetrators during the last eight decades.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, now Archbishop of Munich and Freising, was Bishop of Trier from 2002 to 2008 Bishop of Trier. The report said he failed to give sufficient attention to the care of victims.

In a written response Marx said: “I was very happy to…

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In Brief

• Jury awards $4.8 million to clergy abuse survivor Charles Brown.

• Abuse by Rev. Joseph Cashman occurred at Lourdes High School in the 1970s.

• Lawsuit filed under Minnesota’s 2013 Child Victims Act.

• Diocese of Winona-Rochester previously filed for bankruptcy amid abuse claims.

More than 50 years after he was abused by a priest, and nearly a decade after he served a lawsuit, a man who was sexually assaulted as a child has received a significant jury award. An Olmsted County jury has awarded more than $4.8 million to Charles Brown, initially identified as Doe 222.

After Brown’s mother died when he was just 6 years old, he was adopted by his devout Catholic aunt and uncle. He subsequently became Catholic and attended Lourdes High School in Rochester.

The high school is where he encountered the Rev. Joseph Cashman, a Roman Catholic priest employed by the…

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The rural Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana filed for bankruptcy in federal court to begin the process of settling dozens of child sexual abuse allegations against priests who served in the state’s sparsely populated interior.

The Oct. 31 filing came a day after hundreds of clergy abuse victims voted to approve a $230 million bankruptcy agreement with the larger Archdiocese of New Orleans. Alexandria is the second of Louisiana’s seven dioceses to seek Chapter 11 protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws.

“We are at this moment for one reason: some priests sexually abused minors,” Bishop Robert W. Marshall, Jr., shepherd of the Alexandria Diocese since 2020, wrote in a letter apologizing to both parishioners and abuse survivors. 

The diocese has identified more than 30 former priests and deacons it believes were credibly accused of committing sexual abuse in previous decades. The diocese said that 85 people have come forward with abuse claims,…

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This comes amid another ongoing scandal, involving a priest who also served in Rabat between 2017 and 2024.

Three underage migrants have testified against French priest Antoine Exelmas, accused of sexually abusing asylum seekers and migrants in Casablanca.

AFP quoted the Catholic Archbishop of Rabat, who said the archdiocese fully cooperated with Moroccan and foreign authorities on the case.

“As soon as the facts were brought to our attention, we undertook the procedures required by church rules and fully cooperated with authorities, both in Morocco and abroad, by sharing the results of our investigation,” Archbishop Cristobal Lopez Romero told AFP.

The viral case was reported by Enass, a Moroccan news outlet, which said that police received a complaint against Antoine Exelmans in May last year, accusing him of sexual abuse.

The news outlet said the priest is allegedly involved in sexually abusing at least six victims, the majority…

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His dream was to attend Calvert Hall College High School, but Thomas Roberts initially did not get accepted.

Then Roberts and his mother, Michelle, spoke with the Rev. Jerome “Jeff” Toohey after Mass one Sunday during a tumultuous time in their lives.

Toohey served as chaplain at the private all-boys Catholic prep school in Towson and one week later called him with the news: “Hey, Tommy, you’re in.”

“It was the best day of my little life,” said Roberts, who formerly worked as an anchor for CNN and MSNBC.

Every Tuesday, Roberts said, he stayed with the priest. But Toohey began sexually abusing him when Roberts was 14 and ratcheted up the behavior after Roberts tried to take his own life.

When he was 33, Roberts reported the abuse.

Toohey pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2005 in Baltimore County Circuit Court. He served 10…

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A jury has ordered the Diocese of Winona to pay a man $4.8 million for sexual abuse by a priest.

In July 2023, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit claiming he had been sexually abused by Father Joseph Cashman between 1972 and 1974 when the plaintiff was a minor and Father Cashman was a Roman Catholic priest employed by the Diocese.  The sexual abuse allegedly happened while the plaintiff attended Lourdes High School.

Both Rochester Catholic Schools and Lourdes High School had been named as defendants in the lawsuit, but were removed after reaching undisclosed settlements with the plaintiff.

Cashman was ordained as a priest in 1960 and worked in parishes throughout southern Minnesota.  The Diocese of Winona says it learned of allegations of sexual misconduct against Cashman in 1986 and his ministerial privileges were revoked in 1992.

Cashman died in 2018.

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Survivors of child sexual abuse were in court on Wednesday, calling out the Catholic Church and Archdiocese of Baltimore for ongoing hypocrisy.

“I need to make it clear that the hypocrisy that is going on inside the Catholic Church is continuing,” said Erin Maze, a survivor of child sexual abuse and one of 10 people who spoke at the hearing.

It has been two years since the Archdiocese of Baltimore went into bankruptcy. In September, survivors filed a motion to dismiss the process because they believe there has been no meaningful progress.

“Somebody in the church needs to realize they keep throwing roadblocks up, and it’s hurting survivors more,” said Teresa Lancaster, an attorney and survivor.

Now, the court is deciding if the archdiocese should get charitable immunity.

“People may have different definitions of what charity is,” said Frank Schindler, a survivor. “Raping a…

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Ten survivors of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore testified in federal court on Wednesday, and many expressed frustration at the Catholic church’s efforts toward accountability in the scandal. 

The emotional hearing was part of the archdiocese’s bankruptcy proceedings, and the key question about how much the church will pay the victims remains unanswered in the long and painful court battle. 

Shattered lives 

The first survivor to testify detailed sexual abuse at Archbishop Curley. 

“To shield a man who molested children is the greatest insult to our faith and to survivors,” he told the judge. 

He said he left Catholic school “lost, confused, and broken.”

He read a letter the priest who abused him sent years later, describing the priest’s suicide attempt. 

“As I laid on my bedroom floor bleeding, I thought of you,” he said. “I felt bad, I never got a chance to tell you how much…

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An Olmsted County jury has awarded more than $4.8 million in damages to a man who was sexually abused as a child by a Catholic priest in Rochester.

According to court documents, Charles Brown was a student at Lourdes High School in the early to mid-1970s and was sexually abused by Father Joseph Cashman, who was the principal of the Catholic high school at the time. The documents indicate Brown was in the 9th and 10th grades when the abuse occurred multiple times between 1972 and 1974.

Abuse Occurred in the 1970s at Lourdes High School

The sexual abuse allegations were first reported in 1991, which was after the statute of limitations to bring a lawsuit had expired. That changed in 2013 when the Minnesota Legislature approved the Minnesota Child Victims Act. The law opened a window allowing victims of childhood…

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A retired priest who sexually abused schoolchildren at his home in the 1980s has pleaded guilty to two further crimes which relate to a boy.

Edward Phillips-Smith, 75, appeared at Cannock Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to indecent assault of a boy under the age of 14 and to inciting the boy to commit an act of gross indecency.

Phillips-Smith was released on unconditional bail on 28 October, ahead of sentencing on 9 January at Stafford Crown Court.

In January 2024, Phillips-Smith was jailed for 32 months and was subsequently released on licence in May this year, according to the Ministry of Justice.

He had pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault on a male and two counts of indecency with a child.

The latest two charges relate to incidents which took place in Brewood, Staffordshire, between 1982 and 1983, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

In a previous court…

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Central Catholic High School is confronting a second lawsuit alleging sexual harassment.

Earlier this year, local parents filed a separate lawsuit claiming their son was bullied, beaten, and sexually abused. The same attorney is representing the victims in both cases.

Related: Parents sue Central Catholic HS, allege their son was bullied, beaten, and sexually abused

The attorney stated that the allegations date back to 2021 and involve a student who withdrew from the school in 2023. However, Central Catholic maintains that the allegations are unfounded.

The attorney also mentioned plans to file additional lawsuits on behalf of two other plaintiffs alleging sexual harassment by other students.

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Pope Leo XIV asked accusers of Father Marko Rupnik to have patience as a trial on the priest’s alleged abuse begins at the Vatican.

“A new trial has recently begun, judges were appointed. And processes for justice take a long time. I know it’s very difficult for the victims to ask that they be patient, but the Church needs to respect the rights of all people,” the pope said, addressing a question from Magdalena Wolinska-Reidi of EWTN News just outside his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, on Nov. 4.

“The principle of innocent until proven guilty is also true in the Church,” he added. “Hopefully, this trial that is just beginning will be able to give some clarity to all those involved.”

Leo answered questions from journalists as he left Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He has spent almost every Tuesday at the papal retreat, located 18 miles…

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Archbishop Steve Wood, who heads the Anglican Church in North America, is taking a voluntary leave of absence in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and plagiarism. Those allegations will be investigated by a 10-person Board of Inquiry, made up of ACNA clergy and laypeople, that will assess whether there are reasonable grounds to initiate a church trial. 

In a statement Monday evening (Nov. 3) to the denomination, Wood denied the allegations against him.

“While I grieve that anyone experiences harm in the Church, as I have noted to my parish, I believe the charges against me lack merit, and I categorically and emphatically deny the particular accusation of attempted physical contact made against me by a former St. Andrew’s employee,” Wood said in a public letter Monday to the denomination.

Wood also announced his retirement as rector of St. Andrew’s Parish in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina…

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The Assemblies of God denomination’s ongoing failure to listen to victims and implement safeguards has led to hundreds of people being sexually abused by pastors and other church leaders, according to an NBC News investigation.

The Oct. 30 report by journalists Mike Hixenbaugh and Elizabeth Chuck outlines decades of sexual abuse allegations against nearly 200 church leaders dating back to the 1970s. A video and accompanying transcript maps out the Pentecostal denomination’s apparent prioritization of forgiveness and money over protecting potential victims. 

In some cases, church leaders who admitted to sexual misconduct returned to pastoral roles or other church leadership positions and abused again. Many of the victims were children.

Survivors said the denomination’s handling of abuse allegations “deepened their trauma,” according to the report.

“What I’ve internalized my entire life was the sense that I wasn’t worthy of being protected,” said Jen Doyle, who said she…

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The leadership crisis in the Anglican Church in North America escalated dramatically this week, as Archbishop Steve Wood announced he is taking a temporary leave of absence amid allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying. His appointed replacement, however, immediately faces scrutiny after an explosive open letter from alleged victims of another embattled bishop accused him of dismissing whistleblower complaints for years.

The denomination, already reeling from dual misconduct crises at its highest levels, now finds its interim leadership implicated in the very crisis it has been tasked to solve.

On Nov. 3, the ACNA announced Wood would take a voluntary, paid leave of absence from his duties as archbishop and as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas “pending the resolution of proceedings to address recent allegations.”

Those allegations, previously reported by BNG and first published by the Washington Post, include a formal complaint accusing Wood of sexual harassment, bullying and financial impropriety.

In…

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The Catholic Archbishop of Rabat says he has “fully cooperated” with Moroccan and foreign authorities after a French priest was accused of sexually abusing underage refugees in Casablanca.

The Catholic Archbishop of Rabat told AFP on Tuesday he had “fully cooperated” with Moroccan and foreign authorities after a French priest was accused of sexually abusing underage refugees in Casablanca.

Archbishop Cristobal Lopez Romero’s comments came a day after Moroccan news website Enass reported that Father Antoine Exelmans ran “a system of sexual exploitation” targeting migrant and refugee minors over the course of at least four years.

“As soon as the facts were brought to our attention, we undertook the procedures required by church rules and fully cooperated with authorities, both in Morocco and abroad, by sharing the results of our investigation,” Romero said.

Enass reported that a complaint had been filed in May last year against Exelmans.

Six victims

According to…

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The Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, Oct. 31, making it the 41st U.S. diocese to seek court-supervised reorganization in the wake of clergy sexual abuse claims.

Bishop Robert Marshall Jr., who has led the 50-parish diocese in central Louisiana since 2020, announced the petition in a letter and video posted to the diocese’s website. 

“As your bishop, I apologize to abuse survivors for the harm, pain, and suffering they experienced and continue to experience in their lives,” Marshall wrote. “This action is occurring because some past priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, actions that are evil, sinful, and go against everything the Church and the priesthood represent.”

Eighty-five survivors have already filed claims, according to the diocese, with more expected after the court sets a bar date. More than half the allegations date to the 1970s or earlier; nearly every named…

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[See also the original lawsuit.]

A lawsuit alleging that Bishop Peter Anthony Libasci, the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Manchester, sexually abused a child decades ago has been dismissed.

Libasci had been accused of sexually abusing a boy around 12 or 13 years old in the 1980s while he was serving as a priest at St. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church in Deer Park, New York.

The man who accused Libasci died in July 2024.

A court order filed last month shows the case was dropped.

Libasci has maintained his innocence since the lawsuit was filed in 2021. His attorney previously said the bishop “categorically denies the allegations.”

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[See also the original lawsuit.]

A civil lawsuit accusing Manchester Bishop Peter A. Libasci of sexual abuse while he was a priest in New York in the 1980s has been dismissed.

The former altar boy who was suing Libasci died at the age of 53 in 2024.

The alleged victim filed a lawsuit in the Suffolk County (New York) Supreme Court in 2021. The man claimed Libasci, now the head of the Catholic Diocese of Manchester, had fondled and groped him on numerous occasions in 1983 and 1984 at Saints Cyril and Methodius Church and school in Deer Park, New York, where Libasci was a priest in his early 30s.

Libasci, who has denied the allegations, was not facing criminal charges. The status of the case was uncertain after his accuser’s death, according to Christian Curran, who was representing him.

On Friday, Libasci’s attorneys at Hinckley…

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More than 40 Roman Catholic dioceses have filed chapter 11 claims, 28 of which had obvious indicators of abuse fallout

The number of Roman Catholic dioceses in the US that have declared federal bankruptcy amid the worldwide church’s clergy abuse scandal has grown after one in central Louisiana recently filed for chapter 11 protection.

The diocese of Alexandria announced in a statement on Friday it had joined more than 40 Catholic institutions in the US which have filed for bankruptcy protection. According to Penn State’s law school, 28 of those bankruptcies had concluded in one of the most obvious indicators of the clergy abuse scandal’s fallout.

Alexandria’s bishop, Robert W Marshall, explained in the statement that his diocese filed for financial reorganization because of the number of clergy sexual abuse claims with which it had been faced.

“This action is occurring because some past priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, actions that are evil,…

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The Delbarton School is seeking a new trial following a $5 million verdict in favor of a man who sued the all-boys Catholic school, charging sexual assault by one of its monks nearly five decades ago.

In an Oct. 28 state court filing, Delbarton and the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, which operates the Morris County school, complained of a “litany of errors” from “start to finish” at the trial, which ended in October with a unanimous jury verdict for the former student.

The landmark trial was closely watched by clergy abuse victims and advocates. It was the first civil sex abuse lawsuit against the Catholic Church to go to a jury in New Jersey since the state extended the statute of limitations for such allegations in 2019. It was also the first of dozens of clergy abuse cases against the school to go to trial.

But James Barletti,…

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Rome formally announced an apostolic visitation to the Community of the Emmanuel, a Catholic group known for its predatory practices.

Early this year, Pope Francis forced out of office French bishop Rey, a leading member of the Emmanuel Community.

While the visitation to the Emmanuel signals some interest in Rome to address sexual abuse in Europe, in Paraguay the Oblates keep protecting one of their priests accused of clergy sexual abuse.

October ended with official news from Rome about an “apostolic visitation” to the Community of the Emmanuel. It is hard to actually grasp the true reach of these activities. Formally, they are rendered as actions reflecting the communion between the Holy See and dioceses, religious orders, and movements.

However, when, Rome announced an “apostolic visitation” of the so-called Community of the Emmanuel, the French-speaking Catholic world got a jolt. If carried with some care, a major…

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• The Diocese of Alexandria has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization due to financial claims from sexual abuse survivors.
• Bishop Robert W. Marshall, Jr. stated the action is a result of past abuse by some priests against minors.
• The diocese aims to fairly compensate survivors and continue its essential ministries.
• Chapter 11 will allow the diocese to handle all unresolved claims in a single, court-supervised process.

The Diocese of Alexandria posted on their website stating that the Diocese has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on Friday due to paying out financial claims to survivors of sexual abuse perpetuated by some priests against minors. 

Bishop Robert W. Marshall, Jr., posted a letter and spoke in a video about the filing. Both were posted to social media. 

“This action is occurring because some past priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, actions that are evil, sinful and go against everything the Church and the priesthood represents. As a result, there are financial claims pending against the…

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Bishop Robert Marshall provides full statement on the diocese’s decision

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – The Diocese of Alexandria has announced they are filing for a Chapter 11 reorganization of financial affairs under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Bishop Robert Marshall posted a video to YouTube (CLICK HERE TO WATCH) explaining what this means for the diocese.

You can also read Bishop Marshall’s full statement on the bankruptcy below:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace be with you!

About one year ago, there were some reports in the media about the Diocese of Alexandria considering entering a bankruptcy proceeding.  After consultation with my priest consultors, diocesan advisors, and after my own prayerful consideration, I write to tell you that I have directed attorneys for the diocese to file a petition for a Chapter 11 reorganization of its financial affairs under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

This is not an easy decision and…

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The Diocese of Alexandria will be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Bishop has announced.

In a message posted on the Diocese social media, Bishop Robert W. Marshall Jr.  explains that the move is necessary because there are sex abuse claims pending against the diocese that “are beyond our means.”

“This action is occurring because some past priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, actions that are evil, sinful and go against everything the Church and the priesthood represent. As a result, there are financial claims pending against the diocese that exceed our means,” the Bishop says. “In taking this action, we have two goals. First, we want to do as much as we can, as fairly as we can, to compensate those who have been harmed. Second, we want to carry on the essential ministries of the diocese so we can continue to meet the needs of our parishes, parishioners and others who…

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For months, a Washington state bill generated controversy over two critical interests: protecting children from abuse and protecting the freedom of religion.

Signed by the governor in May 2025, SB 5375 designated clergy as mandatory reporters, requiring them to report child sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect – even if they learned of the abuse during a confidential sacred rite.

Some faiths, including the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches, prohibit clergy from revealing information learned through a confession or sacrament. In the Catholic Church, there are no exceptions – and the penalty for disclosure is excommunication.

In mid-October, however, Washington state announced it would not enforce the mandatory reporting requirement for information learned during confidential rites. On Oct. 14, 2025, a federal court approved the state’s agreements with groups of Catholic and Orthodox clergy who had sued to block that part of the law, arguing it violated their religious freedom. The U.S. Department of…

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How does trauma-informed storytelling empower survivors of clergy and cult abuse through narrative agency and psychological healing?

Michelle Stewart is a cult survivor, author, and advocate whose memoir, “Judas Girl: My Father, Four Cults & How I Escaped Them All,” chronicles her childhood entry into, and adult exit from, multiple high-control religious groups. Raised in an environment that included a Hutterite community and other Anabaptist and Orthodox enclaves, she examines how spiritual authority, conformity, and secrecy enable abuse: Stewart’s work centers survivor safety, legal accountability, and ethical pastoral confidentiality. From Colorado, she speaks and writes about distinguishing mainstream faith from cultic enclaves, reforming confession practices, and fostering healing narratives that emphasize agency, nonlinearity, and evidence-based support for survivors.

In this interview with Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Stewart differentiates organized religion from cults by centering survivor experience, highlighting speech suppression, enforced conformity, and authoritarian leadership. She recounts entering high-control groups as a child, including…

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Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV continues with determination the work of renewal he initiated, showing with clarity and patience that he has precisely identified the unresolved knots of the Roman Curia he inherited. “Popes pass, the Curia remains,” he reminded everyone on May 24, 2025.

It is a bitter but realistic observation, matured through his own direct experience during his brief yet intense service in the Curia, and confirmed by his previous years as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, where he had already come to know those slow and sometimes lifeless dynamics that creep into certain ways of exercising ecclesiastical power.

“The wheel turns,” murmurs an elderly monsignor in the corridors of Piazza Pio XII, aware that history in the Curia tends to repeat itself with an almost liturgical regularity. And so, just as Pope Francis, with his famously “gentle and courteous” style, dismissed Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patrón Wong, sending him to Jalapa despite his dedication to seminarians and clergy, today an even harsher fate befalls his successor.

Archbishop Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, current Secretary of the Dicastery for…

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UPDATED with comments from Michael Connolly, Libasci’s attorney, emailed Saturday.

The New York sex abuse lawsuit filed against Manchester Bishop Peter Libasci is getting dismissed weeks after the case was sent to mediation.

Lawyers for the defendants, Libasci and the Roman Catholic order the Sisters of St. Joseph, and the estate of the alleged victim, Charles O’Connor, filed a joint stipulation this month in Suffolk County Supreme Court in New York to dismiss the case with prejudice. The agreement to permanently dismiss the case comes weeks after Judge Leonard Steinman sent the lawsuit to mediation.

Michael Connolly, Libasci’s attorney, said in an email Saturday: “The civil lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court in Suffolk County against Bishop Peter Libasci of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, has been dismissed with prejudice.

“The allegations in the lawsuit were false. Bishop Libasci never abused anyone. The proof revealed as much during…

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Robert Mendez Esquivel appeared in court on Friday. He is facing charges of rape of a minor. The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

BOISE, Idaho — A Nampa Catholic priest accused of raping a minor appeared in Canyon County court Friday for his arraignment.

A Canyon County judge entered a not guilty plea for Robert Mendez Esquivel, who remained silent during the hearing.

Mendez, a priest at Saint Paul’s in Nampa, was taken into custody in late August on an arrest warrant for child sexual battery charges. Prosecutors later charged him with rape of a child.

Prosecutors allege Mendez knowingly met with a victim after connecting on the dating app Grindr before the alleged assault occurred.

Mendez’s defense argued the 16-year-old victim was on Grindr and lied about their age. Prosecutors said state evidence shows Mendez knew the victim was 16 and expressed concern…

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A new court date has been set for a former Romanian Orthodox priest, charged in connection with a historical sexual assault in the Russell area.

In June of last year, Russell RCMP say a woman in her 60’s reported that a priest at a church in Lennard, Manitoba, had sexually assaulted her multiple times over the course of two years, in the early 1970’s.

The victim was between the ages of 11 and 12 at the time of the alleged assaults.

82-year-old Constantin Turcoane of Regina, had his matter heard in Brandon Court of King’s Bench Tuesday, where it was adjourned to December 2.

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The Archdiocese of New Orleans secured nearly unanimous approval for a $230 million bankruptcy settlement on Thursday, paving the way for payouts to over 650 victims after five years of contentious litigation in the nation’s second-oldest Catholic archdiocese.

The vote, which closed at midnight on Oct. 30, saw 99.63% of creditors — including hundreds of abuse survivors — endorse the plan in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana, according to The Guardian.

Only the bondholder class, owed $30 million, opposed it, voting against the plan by a vote of 59 to 14, according to court documents. In 2017, bondholders lent the Church $40 million to help refinance parish debt and have been repaid only 25% of the outstanding balance. They have alleged fraud against the Church after it withheld promised interest payments. Legal experts say their “no” vote will not derail confirmation of the settlement, however. 

…

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The Archdiocese of New Orleans has secured near-unanimous support from victims of clergy sexual abuse, with 99.63 per cent of creditors approving a proposed US$230 million settlement. 

On 30 November, the archdiocese reported that “hundreds of survivors voted overwhelmingly to accept the plan,” signalling a rare moment of unity in one of the largest Catholic Church bankruptcy proceedings in the United States.

Under the agreement, compensation will be distributed through a points system reflecting the severity and long-term impact of abuse. Key provisions include the release of files on abusive priests and deacons, and new safeguards for children and vulnerable adults. While the total number of votes cast was not disclosed, the approval rate suggests minimal dissent. The plan required only a two-thirds majority to pass.

Initial objections from lawyers representing a large bloc of survivors centred on the plan’s lack of a guarantee for roughly US$50 million tied to…

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A Nampa priest facing sex crime charges appeared in court Friday morning for the first time since his arrest in August.

Supporters packed the gallery as the judge reduced the bond for Robert Mendez Esquivel, known in the community as Father Toto.

As Idaho News 6 has previously reported, Mendez served at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Nampa and faces three felony charges, including sexual battery and rape of a 16-year-old. Prosecutors allege he met the victim through the dating app Grindr.

Inside the courtroom, Mendez remained silent as the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. His attorney argued that the original $300,000 bond was too high, citing his clean criminal record, low flight risk, and strong community support.

The court reviewed letters from neighbors, church members, and additional submissions highlighting Mendez’s positive impact in the community.

Prosecutors disagreed, calling him a flight risk with limited ties…

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