ABUSE TRACKER

I was still working at Vatican Radio when Pope Benedict XVI announced he was resigning his office, way back in 2013.

It shocked the world – it shocked Vatican staff – and it added something unusual to the chance any impending change in papal leadership offers Catholics, as they reflect on the state of the Church. Big ideas were in the air. I was focused on practicalities.

Before the election of Pope Francis, I wrote something about the issues facing the Vatican and the Church in 2013. As we enter a new “historic period” in 2025 – Pope Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pontiff – it might be interesting to look back at it.

One of my suggestions was for a sweeping reform of Church law regarding crimes of sexual abuse. “[A]fter consulting both canon and prominent civil lawyers and sexual abuse experts,” I wrote (in a Facebook “note” in…

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The Vatican ruled that Archbishop Hundt did not provide a just cause for closing the parish.

For the second time in 15 months the Vatican overturned a Canadian archbishop’s decision to close a small parish, thus continuing a three-year dispute between parishioners and the archbishop.

Parishioners at Holy Rosary Parish in Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Newfoundland, announced earlier this week that the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy had once again overturned Archbishop Peter Hundt’s decision to close Holy Rosary and merge it with the nearby Holy Trinity parish.

This new decree continues a three-year saga that began after the archdiocese announced it would sell Holy Rosary Church and 17 of the archdiocese’s other 34 parish properties in the midst of ongoing bankruptcy filing and court order to compensate victims of sexual abuse.

Holy Rosary parishioners protested and attempted to purchase the church.

The archdiocese reached an agreement with a group of…

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Degree of Merger revoked for Newfoundland parish

For the second time in 15 months, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy has overturned St. John’s Archbishop Peter Hundt’s 2022 decision to close Holy Rosary Parish in Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Nfld., and merge it with Holy Trinity Parish in Torbay, Nfld.

Ed Martin, the parishioner who served as procurator of this canonical challenge, said he is waiting to learn if Hundt plans to file an appeal within the 60-day window from learning of the decision (Martin received confirmation of the ruling June 7).

Assuming Hundt also opened the letter the same day, the 68-year-old cleric would be obliged to make a move by Aug. 7 (no such move was made by the Register’s press deadline). Two of the potential ways forward is to again challenge the decision and then, once more, state his intention to merge Holy Rosary and Holy Trinity, or…

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THE hope and dream of the late pope Francis was to reform the Catholic Church and make it a synodal church at every level, where everyone — laypeople, priests and bishops — are considered equal before God and Jesus of Nazareth, working together, sharing thoughts, listening and learning from one another, and participating humbly in proclaiming the vision and values of the Gospel through action. This same hope and dream are also what motivates Francis’ successor, Pope Leo XIV. It’s a call for bishops and priests to be humble “washers of feet” and support child victims of clerical abuse, not with more words, but with action toward justice.

Francis began a synodal movement to restore the spirit of the early Church as Jesus began it: a spiritual and social movement with a mission to act on behalf of the poor and downtrodden. Those in the early Church lived the great…

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WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – FactFinder has continued to investigate sexual abuse allegations against Bodie Weiss, a former student ministries director at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita.

Weiss died in 2020.

Last summer, allegations were brought to Eastminster’s Board of Elders accusing Weiss of sexually abusing boys in his youth group during the 1990’s and 2000’s.

In 2024, the church hired Fact Finding Ministry, a third-party investigative group, who determined there to be 23 victims of sexual abuse.

Robert Golden says he is one of those victims and called 12 News investigators to share his story about Weiss and how he tried warning Eastminster about his actions.

Golden says his sexual interaction with Weiss occurred over 40 years ago when they were teenagers attending the same church in Pennsylvania, a decade before Weiss was hired at Eastminster.

Golden told 12 News that Weiss was 18-years-old at the time and attending college,…

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The couple had been members since 1990, but left during the pandemic

MIDLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A Saginaw County couple is speaking out about a sex abuse scandal involving the Living Word Church in Midland.

The scandal continued in court as a pastor from the church faced a pre-trial hearing. Two other individuals associated with the church’s leadership have also been charged.

Dan and Dana Stahl, former members of the Living Word Church, started attending in 1990. They initially helped in the church nursery, believing they were serving God. However, recent events have led them to feel they were misled.

“We loved it, we absolutely loved it,” Dana Stahl said.

The Stahls reduced their involvement after Dan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. They were disappointed with the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which they felt was mishandled.

“The members of the church’s response was that it was tyranny,”…

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Three former Gateway Church elders told a Dallas court they didn’t defame a sexual abuse victim of disgraced church founder, Robert Morris, despite knowing she was only 12 years old when the abuse started.

The court filings involved former Gateway Executive Pastor Thomas Miller, Network Pastor Gayland Lawshe, and Elder Jeremy Carrasco—all removed from church leadership last November. They say they didn’t defame Cindy Clemishire when they said in 2024 that Morris “acknowledged ‘inappropriate sexual behavior’ with a ‘young lady.’”

Morris, who resigned from the megachurch in June 2024, now faces child sex abuse charges in Oklahoma and is expected in court there in September.

As The Roys Report (TRR) reported at the time of Morris’s departure, the then-elders said Morris “had ‘been open and forthright’ about this ‘moral failure’ and had undergone a two-year restoration process.”

But Clemishire, who sued Morris, Gateway Church, the former…

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It’s the latest development in a high-stakes civil case that stems from allegations of sexual abuse and institutional cover-up within Gateway Church in Southlake.

Gateway announced Thursday that Pastor Nic Lesmeister has been named its new executive pastor, marking a new era for the North Texas megachurch.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Three former elders of Gateway Church have officially denied defaming Robert Morris’ accuser, Cindy Clemishire, in a series of recent court filings, which stem from allegations of sexual abuse and institutional cover-up with the megachurch founded by Morris.

Former elders, Thomas H. Miller Jr., Gayland Lawshe, and Jeremy Carrasco, denied any wrongdoing in the recent court filings. They were among the elders removed from the church in November after church leaders claimed they had information about Clemishire’s abuse allegations.

Cindy Clemishire is the Oklahoma woman who accused  Morris of sexually abusing her starting when she was 12 in…

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Thomas Pinkerton was arrested and extradited to Maryland to face charges for child sex crimes. He used to be involved with a Comstock Park church.

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. —

Editor’s note/content warning: This story contains detailed victim testimony of alleged sexual abuse of minors.

A former Michigan youth pastor and traveling evangelist has been charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse stemming from allegations that he abused at least seven boys while serving at a Maryland church in the late 2010s.

Thomas “Tommy” Pinkerton, who also served as treasurer and associate pastor at a Comstock Park church, was arrested in Georgia last month and extradited to Maryland to face 20 felony charges including child abuse, sexual assault and sexual offense charges related to incidents that allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2010 when he was youth pastor at Central Christian Church in Baltimore County.

13 ON YOUR SIDE first learned…

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Sons of Patriarchy hosts live episode at Moscow theater

MOSCOW — A podcast that has investigated allegations of abuse in Christ Church visited Moscow on Friday to record a live episode.

A crowd of people nearly filled the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, located just two doors from Christ Church’s downtown office, to watch the Sons of Patriarchy podcast recording.

Sons of Patriarchy host Peter Bell interviewed author and journalist Sarah Stankorb about her work studying female survivors of abuse in churches across the country.

Bell told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News the idea for Sons of Patriarchy started three years ago when a think tank that was examining Christ Church Pastor Doug Wilson reached out to him about starting a podcast on the subject.

Bell has a background in podcasting and theology.

“So I put all that together, got connected with some survivors from the church and said, ‘I think I…

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Coming up in October, hundreds of victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy will get to vote to approve or reject a settlement with the Archdiocese of New Orleans. But attorneys representing large groups of survivors say the deal is short and will advise clients to reject it.

NEW ORLEANS — Documents filed recently in the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ five-year bankruptcy case provide more clarity on how claims will be doled out to each victim if a proposed settlement is approved. Points will be assigned to each abuse claim based on the severity of the abuse and its impact on each victim’s life, but the records do not offer much clarity on how much actual money those points will be worth.

Claims that a Catholic church employee raped them will be worth twice as much money to abuse survivors as having a priest masturbate in front of them, four…

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In July, a judge temporarily blocked the Washington state law from going into effect while the court case proceeded.

• In summer 2025, a rumor spread online that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration moved to overturn a law requiring Catholic priests to report child abuse. 
• It is true that the Trump administration joined a lawsuit against a Washington state law adding religious clergy to the list of “mandatory reporters,” a group of professions legally required to report suspected child abuse. However, the administration’s issue with the law focused on a provision that would require Catholic priests to report child abuse when they learn the information through confession — a Catholic rite in which a penitent confesses sins to a priest, who vows complete confidentiality. 
• As of this writing, it was not clear whether a ruling in favor of the administration would overturn the entire law or the specific part requiring…

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“In my view, the Plaintiff’s claim is not essentially doctrinal or ecclesiastical in nature,” the judge wrote.

A lawsuit accusing prominent media figure Fr. Thomas Rosica of sexual assault will move forward after a Canadian judge rejected the priest’s petition to dismiss the suit.

Judge Evelyn M. ten Cate of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario on Thursday dismissed a motion by Rosica to toss out the lawsuit in order to allow the allegations against him to be addressed exclusively in a canonical court.

“In my view, the Plaintiff’s claim is not essentially doctrinal or ecclesiastical in nature – it is of interest to all Canadians and goes well beyond the internal matters of the Roman Catholic Church,” she said in her Aug. 7 decision.

“Moreover, the canonical court does not have an adequate internal dispute mechanism meant to cover claims for damages arising from sexual assault cases,” she…

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A U.S. Catholic bishop is sharply criticizing a large payout to his accusers even after the Holy See said it had found no evidence to support allegations of abuse against him.

Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based lawyer who has represented numerous Catholic abuse victims, said in a press release this week that two accusers of Brooklyn Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio had received separate six-figure payouts to settle their abuse claims.

The two accusers claimed DiMarzio had abused them in the 1970s and early 1980s when the prelate was then a priest in New Jersey. The men went public with the allegations in 2019 and 2020.

Both accusers filed suits against DiMarzio and the Archdiocese of Newark in 2021. Later that year, what was then the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith found that the allegations did not have “the semblance of truth.”

DiMarzio himself has repeatedly and…

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The Diocese of Buffalo is reportedly dismissing a substantial number of workers at its headquarters as it continues to move through a nine-figure sex abuse bankruptcy payout. 

A leaked email from Bishop Michael Fisher, reported on by local media, said the diocese’s ongoing settlement “require[s] us to make further sacrifices” at the diocesan Catholic Center, located in downtown Buffalo.

The diocese said earlier this year that it would pay a $150 million settlement “to survivors of sexual abuse for acts perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers.” 

Fisher in the leaked email said the settlement means the diocese needs to “significantly reduce costs” at the Catholic Center. 

“This entails the painful reality of having to [reduce] the number of positions in order to create a leaner, more cost-effective central administration,” the prelate said. 

An Aug. 6 press release from the diocese said…

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The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has announced staff layoffs and other measures to the 75 employees at the downtown Catholic Center. The diocese will lay off 22% of those staff members, or about 17 people. A source confirmed to BTPM NPR that the cuts include the diocese’s entire communications team.

Employees affected will be paid until the end of the month, and those remaining will transition to just four workdays a week. Health benefits to those losing their jobs will continue until the end of September.

The cost cutting measures are part of bankruptcy restructuring, triggered by hundreds of lawsuits in the past six years for claims of sexual abuse by priests. The diocese reached a $150 million settlement in April with around 800 survivors of abuse.

Ryan Zunner
Ryan is the assistant managing editor of BTPM NPR. He first joined the organization in the summer…

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July 27 could have been a landmark day for the survivors of child abuse.

That was the day that Washington state’s new law designating clergy as mandatory reporters — even if the abuse was discovered during confession or spiritual counseling — was set to take effect. Just as teachers, childcare workers, and law enforcement officers must report knowledge of child abuse, Washington became the first state in the nation to mandate that all clergy must do so as well.

But just 72 hours after Washington’s governor signed the law, the Seattle Archdiocese, along with Yakima and Spokane, filed a federal lawsuit to stop it.

Predictably, Donald Trump has now joined the fray. His Department of Justice is backing the Catholic clergy’s lawsuit, falsely claiming that mandatory reporting laws infringe on religious liberty and are inherently “anti-Catholic.” Now, a Federal judge has blocked the law — maintaining a status quo where clergy can…

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A former youth pastor at a Baltimore County church is accused of sexually abusing six people between 2006 and 2010.

Thomas Pinkerton Jr., 52, was working at Central Christian Church in Rossville at the time of the abuse, Baltimore County Police allege. He’s facing 24 charges, including six counts of sexual abuse of a minor and related offenses.

Pinkerton, who now lives in Winder, Georgia, was arrested on July 16 and extradited on Wednesday to Maryland. He’s being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center without bail.

“These are just accusations,” said Justin Hollimon, Pinkerton’s attorney. “Mr. Pinkerton is confident that once a jury of his peers hears this case, he will be exonerated and found not guilty of these charges.”

Detectives talked to six men who reported that the abuse happened in Maryland, and one man who disclosed that it took place in Georgia, police assert. The investigation began…

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Another cyber attack is jeopardizing the personal information of victims of child sex abuse at the hands of the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Stinson LLP, a law firm representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the church’s bankruptcy case, announced they were breached by cyber hackers in February.

The attack was not disclosed until June, according to court documents.

Stinson is now taking steps to keep survivors and the court informed about what information may have been leaked.

The firm says it will provide quarterly updates and report any findings of confidential information posted on the internet.

The breach is especially concerning for survivors because many entered into the legal proceedings anonymously due to the nature of the abuse they faced as children.

This is the second cyber breach to impact survivors of childhood abuse at the hands of the Archdiocese.

In May, Berkeley Research Group, a financial advisor…

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Judge who found Bishop Hubert O’Connor guilty says concept of ‘genuine consent’ decided trial

When Bishop Hubert O’Connor stood trial in the 1990s for rape and indecent assault, he was one of the first Catholic clergymen in Canada to be charged with sexual offences committed at a residential school.

Court documents and records in the IJF’s residential schools database show that the case against him was ultimately sunk by legal questions over how to determine consent in the context of young Indigenous students and staff facing sexual advances by a respected religious leader.

O’Connor was found guilty of raping a teenage former student working as a secretary at St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School in B.C. in the 1960s. In his 1996 ruling, then-B.C. Supreme Court Justice Wally Oppal wrote he could not conclude she was able to consent. But that ruling was later overturned by a panel of appeal court justices, who…

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Henry C. Pilliod, a former teacher and coach of Berks Catholic High School, has been arrested and charged for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student, officials announced.

A former teacher and coach at Berks Catholic High School has been arrested and charged for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student, officials announced.

According to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, on March 31, 2025, officials received two childline referrals from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which alleged a coach with Berks Catholic High School was exchanging inappropriate photos with a student. Based on that information, a criminal investigation was initiated.

Officials said that an investigation found that in November of 2024, Henry C. Pilliod, 22, of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, and a student, a 17-year-old girl, began to have a inappropriate electronic communications with one another.

In January of 2025, officials said Pilliod and the student began…

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Nearly two years have passed since Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, was slammed with a stunning series of sexual abuse allegations that brought down his ministry.

But to the horror of multiple victims this past Sunday, his youngest sister, Lisa Bickle Stribling, dismissed the accounts as “exotic trash.”

“There has been a narrative that has surrounded Mike’s situation,” she said. “This narrative is a false narrative. The Lord is retrieving this narrative right now . . . Concerning Mike Bickle, this is the most integrous-filled, righteous man that we know.” 

She said she was speaking “on God’s behalf” at HopeCity, a prayer ministry and church led by Stribling and her husband, Ray.

She was referring to an independent investigation published on Feb. 3 that found Bickle had groomed and sexually abused at least 17 women, including some who were minors at…

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Key Points

• New Cincinnati Archbishop Robert Casey led Casa Jesus in Chicago more than 20 years ago.
• Some priests connected to Casa Jesus later became the subjects of misconduct allegations.
• Casey said he strictly enforced the rules when he was in charge of Casa Jesus, which closed in 2016.

Not long after he became Cincinnati’s new archbishop in February, Robert Casey’s name started popping up in conversations online and among local Catholics about a now-closed program in Chicago called Casa Jesus.

Casey served as director of the program, which recruited Hispanic men for the priesthood, more than two decades ago. Neither Casey, who was then a young priest, nor Casa Jesus, a small project in the Archdiocese of Chicago, got much attention at the time.

But they are getting attention now.

That’s because Casey’s new job in Cincinnati makes him one of the most prominent Catholics in the…

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Archbishop Casey’s resignation would not be an act of disgrace, but of humility and responsibility. A gesture that allows the healing to begin and puts the needs of the people first.

Letters to the editor – Cincinnati Enquirer

Recent events in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have left many local Catholics disillusioned and heartbroken. Media reports describe disturbing behavior by a priest involving pornographic, violent and occult-themed material. Instead of transparency, the response from Church leadership has been dismissive. Archbishop Robert Casey declared the matter resolved, called the priest “in good standing,” and allowed parishioners who demanded accountability, including a father of young children, to be escorted out of Mass.

This is not the transparency the faithful deserve. This is not the healing we need. And for many of us, this is not the first red flag.

Before he arrived in Cincinnati, Archbishop Casey served…

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ROELAND PARK, Kan. — Bishop Miege High School officials confirmed Wednesday that Phil Baniewicz is no longer serving as the school’s president.

His last day was on Wednesday, the school said in a statement.

The Board of Trustees said the decision followed “careful consideration of the present circumstances.”

”We are grateful for the prayers and support of our families and benefactors. Please continue to pray with us for all impacted by this situation,” stated Holly Bentley, chair of the board of trustees.

“As we move forward, we’re committed to strengthening Bishop Miege High School by reviewing our practices and continuing to ensure a safe environment for our students. At the request of Archbishop McKnight, we’ll work with the archdiocesan Catholic Schools Office and the Office for Protection and Care to create opportunities for the school community to be heard and supported. We’ll share more information as it becomes available.”

…

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Editor’s note: This story is part of Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women, a series by Global Sisters Report and Global Sisters Report en español, focusing on how Catholic sisters respond to or are affected by this global phenomenon.

This summer, the subject of various types of abuse of Catholic sisters rose to importance, with two conferences focusing on the issue.

One conference, held in Rome, was sponsored by a collaboration of the U.S.-based Conrad H. Hilton Foundation (a major funder of Global Sisters Report) and the German Missio Foundation.  One in Germany was sponsored by the University of Regensburg and titled “Behind the Veil: Analyzing the Hidden Patterns of Spiritual and Sexual Abuse among Catholic Women Religious.”

Lucy Huh, a doctoral candidate and researcher at Baylor University, was invited to participate in the June 26-29 Regensburg conference, as she is currently conducting a study…

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The Catholic Archdiocese of Newark has agreed to pay out two six-figure settlements to men who said they were sexually abused by Father Nicholas DiMarzio, who spent years as a priest in the North Jersey diocese before rising to serve as bishop in Camden and Brooklyn.

The settlements were announced at an Aug. 6 online news conference by Mitch Garabedian, an attorney who has represented numerous clergy abuse victims around the country.

The accusers — Mark Matzek, now 62, and Samir Tadros, 52 — say DiMarzio abused them in the 1970s when they were young children in two Jersey City parishes. Matzek said the abuse “stopped when the boy told his mother that he wanted to quit being an altar server,” said Garabedian.

DiMarzio, who retired as Brooklyn’s bishop in 2021, has steadfastly maintained his innocence. Both he and the Newark Archdiocese noted that an investigation by the Archdiocese of…

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The parish priest of Wesunile Catholic Parish in Buyende district, eastern Uganda, has been arrested for his alleged role in the torture and death of a 14-year-old boy, Joseph Kiirya.

The suspect, Rev. Fr. Silver Osuna Owori, 33, was apprehended alongside his driver, Robert Gabula, and both are now detained at Buyende central police station. Police say they will face court once investigations are concluded.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that on Friday, August 1, 2025, Fr. Owori discovered that Shs 5 million was missing from his residence. Believing that Kiirya, who had previously been accused of stealing from the priest, was responsible, he reportedly instructed Gabula and another accomplice, only identified as Waiswa, to track down the boy, who had gone into hiding.

The two men reportedly apprehended Kiirya and delivered him to the parish premises. According to investigators, Owori allegedly ordered the boy to be beaten in a bid…

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A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Owori Silver Osuna, 33, and his driver, Robert Gabula, have been remanded to Buyende Government Prison over their alleged involvement in the unlawful detention and death of a 14-year-old boy.

The duo appeared before Kamuli Chief Magistrate Paul Owino at Buyende Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the mention of their case.

Due to the capital nature of the charges, which fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court, they were not allowed to enter a plea.

They were remanded until August 21, 2025, when they will reappear for further proceedings.

According to prosecution, the case arose after Fr Owori reported the disappearance of Shs5 million from his room during his absence.

He suspected Joseph Kirya, a 14-year-old boy from Makanga Ward, Wesunire, Buyende Town Council, of theft.

The priest allegedly enlisted his driver Robert Gabula and another individual known as Waiswa to apprehend Kirya on…

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18 Diocesan staffers losing their jobs

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has announced layoffs and other cost-cutting moves as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring process.

According to the diocese, there will be a 22 percent reduction in personnel of the Catholic Center, which currently numbers 75. The diocese said those impacted will be paid through August 31, 2025, and will receive health benefits through September 30, 2025. After that, they will be eligible for COBRA for health coverage.

7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley learned from two sources late Wednesday morning regarding the layoffs. A spokesman for the diocese said 18 employees are losing their jobs. A source also tells Buckley that the entire communication department has been eliminated, and none of the employees saw this coming.

Buckley also received a copy of a letter sent to employees from Bishop Michael Fisher explaining…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woodbridge, NJ – August 5, 2025

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), along with our New Jersey Coordinator Mark Crawford, is calling on Church leaders to fully address the deeply troubling leadership record of Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. We urge that he be excluded from consideration as a successor to Cardinal Joseph Tobin in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Abbot Lorenzo, a monk of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, held multiple leadership roles at Delbarton School, including Director of Liturgy, Director of Monastic Formation, Prior of St. Mary’s Abbey (1995–2002), and Rector of the Abbey Church (1995–2009). In 2002, he was appointed liaison to the Abbey’s review board when procedures for handling sexual misconduct complaints were implemented.

Numerous monks and teachers affiliated with Delbarton have been accused in civil lawsuits of sexually abusing students in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2018, school officials disclosed…

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It’s been nearly two years since the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy, forcing it to take account of its assets and file insurance claims to eventually pay survivors who were abused as children by clergy and staff.

However, after a series of delays and twists, the survivors have yet to see any payout and many are feeling out of the loop.

One survivor wrote about their frustration to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Harner last week.

“What started as a positive situation as the rust of a newly enacted law by the Maryland legislature years ago has developed into what one might describe as a circus,” the survivor wrote. Who do the victims believe and what can they believe? Especially when there is almost complete secrecy surrounding this case.”

The survivor expressed further concern that the 12 law firms and financial organizations working the…

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A former priest accused of sexually assaulting 13 women while he was the head of a church group has said consent was the “grounding of everything”.

Chris Brain, 68, denies one count of rape and 36 charges of indecent assault, relating to his time with the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical church movement in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.

Prosecutors allege he used his position to abuse a “staggering number” of female members, exerting control over their lives and ostracising them.

Giving evidence at Inner London Crown Court, Mr Brain, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, said he had sex with one of the complainants, but said it “just went too far” but insisted it had been consensual.

He said the Sheffield-based evangelical movement was a “free, open, really caring, very fun environment” and denied claims he had abused anyone.

Discussing one victim, Mr Brain admitted there had been “petting…

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The court dismissed a battery charge stemming from an incident last November.

A court in Illinois has dropped battery charges against Fr. Carlos Martins, a prominent priest accused of inappropriate conduct toward a student during a relic tour at a parish in Joliet last November.

An official with the Will County State’s Attorney confirmed to The Pillar that the battery charges were dismissed this week.

A court order from the “12nd [sic] judicial circuit,” signed Wednesday, dismissed the charge against Martins, noting that “The Court has considered of [sic] all facts known to it regarding the underlying circumstances of this matter.”

The court order said it was issued in response to the state attorney’s motion for deferred prosecution and nolle prosequi – a prosecutor’s decision not to pursue a case.

The court order dismissing the charge said, “The State has confirmed that Fr. Martins has never been charged with a crime, accused of a…

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Christopher Brain, who denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault, claims he engaged in kissing, massaging and stroking with ‘close friends’ from the Nine O’Clock Service, a court heard

A former priest accused of leading an evangelical cult in the Church of England claims his followers gave him “sensual” massages to relieve his tension headaches as he stands trial for sexually abusing 13 women.

Christopher Brain, who led the rave-style Nine O-Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, allegedly surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or revealing clothes as part of his “homebase team” who kept his house “spotlessly clean”.

Jurors at Inner London Crown Court previously heard the women – sometimes referred to as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “the Lycra Nuns” – were on a rota to help maintain the home of then-Reverend…

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A federal court has blocked a new Washington State law that would have required Catholic priests to report abuse or neglect disclosed during confession, the sacred practice where individuals confess their sins to a priest to receive forgiveness.

A federal court has blocked a new Washington State law that would have required Catholic priests to report abuse or neglect disclosed during confession, the sacred practice where individuals confess their sins to a priest to receive forgiveness.

The law which was set to take effect July 27 included penalties of up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine and potential civil liability for priests who failed to comply with the state’s reporting policies.

The law was temporarily suspended after a hearing on July 14 and an order issued July 18 by district Judge David Estudillo. The ruling stated that the new law violated plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion. Citing the…

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JOHNSTON COUNTY – A Catholic priest at St. Ann Catholic Church in Johnston County was arrested early Monday morning and charged with felony solicitation of prostitution, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

Clemente Guerrero-Olvera, 47, was taken into custody around 1:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the church, located along U.S. Highway 70 Business West near Clayton. Deputies were in the area searching for a missing juvenile when they encountered Guerrero-Olvera under suspicious circumstances.

A patrol deputy searching the church grounds reportedly spotted a young man inside a parked vehicle and another man attempting to flee on foot behind the church. The deputy detained the individual who had been running, later identified as Guerrero-Olvera, and located a 20-year-old male in the vehicle.

Authorities said the investigation revealed Guerrero-Olvera had arranged to meet the 20-year-old via the dating app Grindr, allegedly for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity….

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A Catholic priest was arrested Monday morning in Johnston County after allegedly soliciting a prostitute in the church parking lot.

CLAYTON, N.C. (WTVD) — A Catholic priest was arrested Monday morning in Johnston County after allegedly soliciting a prostitute in the church parking lot.

Deputies said they were near St. Ann Catholic Church in Clayton about 1 a.m. searching for a missing child when they encountered Father Clemente OIvera Guerrero, 47, under suspicious circumstances.

Olvera, of Smithfield, allegedly tried to run, but when he was caught, deputies determined he was allegedly soliciting sex from a man.

St. Ann Catholic Church released a statement saying that while police investigate the alleged crime, Olvera’s priestly faculties in the Diocese of Raleigh have been revoked.

“While Fr. Clemente deserves a full presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, his priestly faculties in the Diocese of Raleigh have been revoked and he will be returned to…

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Johnston County deputies arrested a priest from Saint Ann Catholic Church in Clayton, Clemente Olvera Guerrero, and charged him with soliciting prostitution.

Johnston County deputies arrested a Catholic priest on Monday, alleging he solicited a prostitute.

Clemente Olvera Guerrero, 47, of Smithfield, is charged with one count of felony soliciting prostitution, an arrest warrant shows.

On Monday, the Diocese of Raleigh sent a notice to its parishioners of Saint Ann Catholic Church in Clayton.

“The diocese received notice this morning of the arrest of Fr. Clemente Olvera Guerrero on criminal charges connected to alleged inappropriate behavior with an adult,” the notice reads. “Upon receiving that information, he was immediately removed from ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh.

“While Fr. Clemente deserves a full presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, his priestly duties in the Diocese of Raleigh have been revoked and he will be returned to his religious order while…

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An Arizona appeals court has resuscitated a high-profile lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ruling unanimously that the church may have been obligated to report a man to police after he confessed to sexually abusing his children.

Why it matters: The ruling argues there are limits to Arizona’s guarantee of “clergy-penitent privilege,” reversing a lower court’s dismissal.

• “In this tragic case involving abuse perpetrated by the children’s father, the church and its clergy acted in accordance with Arizona law,” a prepared statement reads.

The intrigue: The judges also found that LDS doctrine may not actually require bishops to keep confessions confidential.

• They cited a passage in the church handbook that allows bishops to report “when disclosure is necessary to prevent life threatening harm or serious injury.”

What they’re saying: “There is a genuine issue…

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‘I have been quiet since the Pope was elected, but I am not planning on being quiet forever,’ said Ana María Quispe Díaz at an event in Chicago.

A Peruvian woman assaulted by a priest aged nine said the future Pope Leo XIV failed to investigate her allegations while he was bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo.

Ana María Quispe Díaz and her two sisters reported being sexually molested by two priests in the diocese to Robert Prevost, then Bishop of Chiclayo, in April 2022.

“He told us how he appreciates us for coming forward,” Quispe said last week, speaking in Chicago.  “He told us, ‘You are very brave, and I believe you.”

Speaking through a translator, Quispe continued: “Prevost never investigated, Prevost never offered us psychological support.”

“I have been quiet since the Pope was elected, but I am not planning on being quiet forever,” said the 29-year-old, who…

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A former school principal and Catholic brother has been ordered to return to prison after his child sexual abuse conviction appeal was dismissed.

Desmond Gregory Mackrell was convicted in March by a Queensland District Court jury of repeated sexual conduct with a child and two counts of carnal knowledge against a boy aged between 13 and 15.

Mackrell was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment but was later granted bail after launching his appeal.

The Queensland Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed Mackrell’s bid to overturn his convictions.

Mackrell committed the offences in his office and a school toilet in the early 1980s.

In one of the incidents Mackrell held the boy down while he was sexually assaulted by another Catholic brother.

Mackrell’s convictions were unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence, Appeal Justices Debra Mullins, Thomas Bradley and Philip Morrison were told at hearing in July.

Barrister Tim…

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Trier/Köln/Vatikanstadt ‐ Lange waren unklare Verfahren in der Kirche dafür verantwortlich, dass Missbrauch und seine Vertuschung ungeahndet blieben. Das hat Papst Franziskus geändert. Die Prüfung der Vorwürfe gegen Kardinal Woelki folgt diesem Verfahren. Noch gibt es kein Ergebnis – doch das kann sich bald ändern.

Jetzt ist Rom am Ball: Der Trierer Bischof Stefan Ackermann hat die Anzeige des Betroffenenbeirats bei der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz gegen Kardinal Rainer Maria Woelki nach Rom weitergeleitet. Damit nimmt alles den Gang, den Papst Franziskus 2019 mit den Verfahrensregeln im Motu proprio “Vos estis lux mundi” festgelegt hat. Viel Spielraum hatte Ackermann nicht: Die Verfahrensordnung legt sowohl seine Zuständigkeit als auch seine Aufgaben klar fest.

In der Sache geht es bei der Anzeige um den Umgang von Kardinal Woelki mit der mutmaßlichen Kenntnis von Missbrauchsfällen. Der Betroffenenbeirat sieht in seiner Anzeige, die katholisch.de vorliegt, mehrere Punkte. Dazu gehören ein “nachlässiger Umgang mit Akten über mutmaßliche bzw. erwiesene Missbrauchsfälle sowie…

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The Chicago Sun-Times has published an article arguing that a Vatican document released in February prohibiting dioceses from publicly listing the names of priests credibly accused of abuse but not yet been found guilty or innocent could lead to “a new era of secrecy over child sex abuse.”

The Aug. 1 article by Robert Herguth focuses on the status of such lists in dioceses in Illinois and nearby states.

“As part of their stated commitment to transparency and healing over the decades-long clergy sex abuse crisis, all six Catholic dioceses in Illinois post public listings online that name clergy members deemed to have been credibly accused of molesting children,” the Sun-Times reported.

The Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, however, has no intention of creating a similar listing, according to the Sun-Times, because of  because of the Vatican document, which was issued to bishops in September 2024. The document says such lists fail to uphold the presumption…

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The newly filed complaints names seven priests

The Catholic Church’s handling of decades-old sexual abuse allegations involving priests who served in southern New Mexico and West Texas has again come under scrutiny. Eight new lawsuits against the Diocese of Las Cruces and the Diocese of El Paso allege that church officials knowingly concealed child abuse to protect the institution’s reputation.

The lawsuits, filed by the Davis Kelin Law Firm and Huffman Wallace & Monagle, allege systemic abuse of minors spanning more than three decades – from 1956 to 1990 – involving children aged 3 to 15.

“There’s a perception in these communities and across the country that this is a closed chapter in the Church’s history, that this is the past,” says Levi A. Monagle, partner at Huffman Wallace & Monagle. “On a day-to-day basis, this is still the present and the future for…

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CBS Chicago

[See video.]

A letter was sent to members of several local parishes where Father Ron Kondziolka served.

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[See full text of the Cardinal’s letter here.]

The Archdiocese of Chicago distributed the following letters today to the communities of All Souls Parish, Mother of the Americas Parish, Our Lady of the Heights Parish, Our Lady of Unity Parish, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, St. Benedict the African Parish, St. John Neumann Parish, St. Veronica Parish and Franciscan Health Alliance regarding Father Ronald Kondziolka:

• All Souls Parish (English)
• Mother of the  Americas Parish (English, Spanish)
• Our Lady of the Heights Parish (English, Spanish)
• Our Lady of Unity Parish (English, Spanish)
• St. Anthony of Padua Parish (English, Spanish)
• St. Benedict the African Parish (English)
• St. John Neumann Parish (English)
• St. Veronica Parish (View Cache

The Catholic Diocese of Rochester, its insurers, and survivors of clergy sexual abuse have agreed on a $246 million fund to pay abuse claims as part of the diocese’s Chapter 11 plan to emerge from bankruptcy.

The plan came together last week when the last holdout among the insurers, Continental Insurance Co. (CNA), agreed to contribute $120 million.

The western New York diocese and its parishes are contributing $55 million to the claims fund. The rest will come from insurers. In addition to the $120 million from CNA, the fund will include $19.5 million from London Market Insurers (LMI), $1.1 million from LMI Underwriters, $50 million from Interstate and $750,000 from First State.

Payments to the fund will go to resolve an estimated 470 sex abuse claims filed against the diocese.

The 300,000-member diocese declared bankruptcy in 2019 when hundreds of lawsuits were filed against it after the state enacted the…

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In 2023, Archbishop Gregory Aymond told New Orleans’ 500,000 Roman Catholics in a letter that they would eventually be asked to contribute to a settlement in the archdiocese’s long-running bankruptcy case.

Now, that number — and what it would mean to the church’s parishes and charitable organizations — is coming into greater focus.

Court documents filed last week show that the archdiocese’s 104 parishes and 19 of its charitable organizations will be required to pay $60 million toward a financial settlement that will eventually total around $180 million. That does not include $45 million or so from the anticipated sale of Christopher Homes, a portfolio of elderly senior housing.

The settlement funds, to be placed in a trust, would benefit hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse and be distributed over several years, provided the plan is approved by two-thirds of abuse survivors and confirmed by U.S. Bankruptcy…

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The Brief

• Father Ronald Kondziolka has been accused of sexually abusing a minor more than 40 years ago at St. Brendan Parish, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago; he denies the allegation.
• Kondziolka has served in various roles across Chicago-area parishes and hospitals since 1976, most recently at St. Veronica Parish until June 2023.
• He has been removed from ministry during the investigation, and the Archdiocese will present findings to an Independent Review Board for further action.

A local priest has been accused of sexually abusing a minor, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

What we know:

Father Ronald Kondziolka has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor at St. Brendan Parish in Chicago. The alleged abuse occurred more than 40 years ago.

Kondziolka has served as a resident, assistant pastor, associate pastor, administrator, and chaplain at parishes and hospitals throughout the Chicago area since 1987.

The Archdiocese of Chicago…

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On Thursday, the Diocese of Salt Lake City announced its findings in a case of sexual abuse allegations from the 1990s. According to its leadership, a victim came forward last year. After months of investigating, they found the allegations credible.

The victim, Bill Hambleton, met with KSL TV at the Cathedral of the Madeline to speak about what came of the investigation — a written apology.

“The cover-up is more devastating than the abuse,” he said.

In his view, the apology was appreciated, but fell far short of the justice he’s been pushing for. Hambleton grew up in Ogden, attending Holy Family Catholic Church. He was 16 years old when Fr. Heriberto Mejia came to town from Columbia in 1991. 

“Over time, boundaries started to cross,” Hambleton recalled. “He would invite me into his room after dinner, and it would just be the two of us.”

Hambleton said he was interested in…

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The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has issued an apology to a victim of sexual abuse by a priest that happened in the 1990s, and the victim responded, urging the Diocese to remove additional Church officials who he says enabled his abuse.

William Hambleton was abused by a Catholic priest in Salt Lake City from 1991-1992, beginning when he was 16 years old, Hambleton said in a statement. In December of 2024, he made a report of that abuse to the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who then investigated his claim.

The Diocese found that Hambleton’s allegation of abuse was credible, and that the priest involved would have his faculties permanently removed. Hambleton stated that he is grateful for this outcome and for the apology, but that other church officials were involved in concealing his abuse, and as such, they also need to be removed.

What the Diocese found

…

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Carlo Alberto Capella served prison time for a child pornography conviction but was allowed to return to work at the Vatican, posing a test for Pope Leo XIV.

He was the personification of shame in the Vatican, the lone prisoner in the three-cell jail of the world’s smallest sovereign state. Now, the Rev. Carlo Alberto Capella — convicted of possessing and distributing a “large quantity” of child pornography while serving as a Vatican diplomat in Washington — is presenting Pope Leo XIV, the new American pontiff, with one of the first challenges of his papacy.

Capella, a 58-year-old Italian priest, was investigated by U.S. and Canadian authorities for almost two years for gathering and sharing child pornography while a senior diplomat at the Holy See’s embassy in Washington. In 2017, the U.S. State Department asked the Vatican to waive his diplomatic immunity, a…

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Following the announcement of a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Diocese of Rochester over decades’ worth of childhood clergy sexual abuse claims, survivors are beginning to speak out.Rochester clergy sex abuse survivors accept $246M settlement

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, of Garabedian Law, organized a media briefing Wednesday morning, providing a platform for two survivors who have been at the forefront of the court case for the past six years. He represents 97 of the 466 claimants who agreed to the settlement.

“They were abused when they were children. These cases are decades, decades old—more than 50 years old for many brave survivors. They are to be commended for their relentlessness in seeking validation,” Garabedian said. “We recently had a court date earlier this week, and it was disclosed that 466 survivors who filed proofs of claim in the Diocese of Rochester matter voted in favor of accepting…

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The Diocese of Salt Lake City on Thursday said it had deemed “credible” several allegations of sexual misconduct made against a Colombian-born priest, with the alleged misconduct dating to the 1990s. 

A press release from the diocese said that in December it had received allegations against Father Heriberto Mejia, a priest from the Diocese of Villavicencio in Colombia who served in Utah in the early 1990s. 

The diocese opened a formal investigation into the allegation, using an independent investigator who interviewed “numerous witnesses” connected to the case. The diocese received the report in July.

After reviewing the report and following a recommendation from the diocese’s review board, Bishop Oscar Solís “determined the victim’s allegation of abuse against Father Mejia is credible,” the press release said. 

The diocese said it offered counseling to the victim and family members and would also share the allegations with law enforcement. 

Mejia’s…

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Cardinal Carlos Castillo has been accused of covering up sexual misconduct at the capital see’s archdiocesan seminary

Cardinal Carlos Castillo of Lima has been accused of covering up sexual misconduct at the capital see’s archdiocesan seminary, and of retaliating against seminarians who accused the former rector of failing to respect personal boundaries.

Former seminarians and several diocesan sources told The Pillar that Fr. Luis Sarmiento, rector of the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Major Seminary from 2020 to 2023, was the subject of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against seminarians.

Sources added that in 2018, before he was appointed rector, Sarmiento was dismissed for inappropriate behavior from his post as a formator at the seminary.

Despite the allegations, Castillo brought Sarmiento back to lead a reform of the seminary. But former seminarians charge that Sarmiento fostered a dysfunctional environment and crossed personal boundaries with seminarians.

Several sources told The Pillar that Castillo personally intervened to…

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Prominent Southern Baptist minister Steven W. Smith, who led a historic SBC congregation in Arkansas before resigning in scandal last year, has reemerged at a Houston-area megachurch.

In a video posted last week, Jarrett Stephens, senior pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church (CFBC), announced that Smith will be a featured speaker at their upcoming “Let’s Talk Preaching” intensive for pastors. 

“I, along with my friend, Dr. Steven Smith . . . will lead during this time,” said Stephens. “And we’re going to take a deep dive into what text-driven preaching is and why we believe it’s necessary for today’s pastor and preacher.” 

A church spokesman confirmed to The Roys Report (TRR) that Smith and his family are members of CFBC, but that Smith “is not now, nor has he ever been employed” by CFBC.

Two other prominent ministers set to speak at the CFBC pastors intensive—Tommy Nelson and Bryan…

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A Peruvian survivor of clergy sex abuse brought her public campaign for reforms to the American hometown of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, saying he failed in investigating her case when he was a bishop in her home country and needs to step up now as leader of the world’s Catholics.

“I’ve been quiet since the pope has been elected,” Ana María Quispe Díaz said in Spanish at a news conference in downtown Chicago. “But I’m not planning to be quiet forever.”

She appeared with members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The advocacy group sent a letter to the pope on Thursday renewing demands for more accountability on clergy sex abuse complaints and released documents related to Díaz’s case.

The Associated Press doesn’t name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to being identified or decide to tell their stories publicly, as Díaz has. She…

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A Peruvian woman repeated allegations July 31 that Pope Leo XIV, as a bishop in Peru, failed to investigate allegations of abuse she and two sisters reported to him against two priests in his diocese.

The Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, has repeatedly denied that then-Bishop Robert Prevost did not investigate the allegations. 

Ana María Quispe Díaz said that Prevost lied to her about investigating allegations of abuse that she and two other women made against Frs. Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén Paiva. 

Quispe has said Yesquén touched her inappropriately and kissed on the mouth when she was 9 years old, and that Vásquez shared a bed with her and fondled her during a service trip when she was a minor.

Quispe made the public remarks, her first since Pope Leo XIV’s election, at a news conference in Chicago, the pope’s hometown. She said her two children were her motivation…

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The documentation seized by the police includes letters and complaints of sexual assault against at least a dozen priests, whose crimes were covered up by the Catholic congregation

EL PAÍS launched an investigation into pedophilia within the Catholic Church in 2018 and maintains an updated database with all known cases. If you know of any case that hasn’t received attention, you can write to us at: abusos@elpais.es. If it’s a case in Latin America, the address is: abusamerica@elpais.es.

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A judicial investigation in Bolivia against two senior officials of the Catholic congregation Society of Jesus (also known as Jesuits) who are accused of covering up for the Spanish pedophile priest Alfonso Pedrajas – has uncovered up to a dozen cases, eight of which have never been reported before. These deal with the sexual abuse of minors committed by religious leaders, which the Jesuit hierarchy has concealed since the 1980s.

The documentation,…

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Neal Gumpel said the abuse he suffered more than 50 years ago shaped his adult life.

Neal Gumpel has spent most of his life looking for a sliver of validation that the damage was real.

The violent sexual assault he said he suffered at the hands of a Jesuit priest and professor at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine when he was 16 years old threw his life onto a dark track. He became suicidal. He spent years addicted to alcohol and drugs, which he says helped destroy his first marriage and strain his relationship with his three children. He went years without speaking to his parents, who he said refused to believe what happened to him that night in 1974. Many of his siblings still insist he’s lying.

A settlement agreement announced Thursday between the New York Province of the Society of Jesus and Gumpel does not undo the sins…

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Ana María Quispe Díaz of Chiclayo, Peru, says a priest there assaulted her when she was 9 years old.

A Peruvian woman assaulted by a priest alleges Pope Leo XIV, while he was a bishop in Peru, neglected to investigate her case.

Ana María Quispe Díaz of Chiclayo, Peru, appeared publicly for the first time in downtown Chicago alongside advocates from Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a group representing survivors of clergy abuse.

“I have been quiet since the pope was elected, but I am not planning on being quiet forever,” Díaz, 29, told reporters Thursday through a translator.

Díaz alleges she was abused by a priest in Chiclayo when she was 9 years old. Her two sisters were also assaulted by the same priest. In April 2022, she said, the three sisters brought their allegations to Robert Prevost, who was then Bishop of Chiclayo.

“He told us…

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[This article was republished on August 1, 2025. It was originally published in the Journal of Anglican Studies in 2024.]

[Editor’s note: This article by Mark Joseph Williams and Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ, speaks with clarity and honesty about one of the most painful and urgent issues facing the Church: how it listens to, responds to, and accompanies survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

Rather than offering abstract theories or institutional talking points, this piece grounds its reflections in lived experience. It challenges the Church to move beyond defensiveness and to engage survivors with humility, consistency, and genuine care.

The authors explain that healing requires listening, honesty, humility from Church leaders, and the courage lay aside institutional self-protection.

The article also discusses the risks of re-traumatization in interactions with Church representatives. Trust must be earned, and those accompanying survivors must be transparent and emotionally aware. Further, the authors call for the…

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A victims advocacy group has continued to advance allegations of coverup against Pope Leo XIV despite revelations that the accusations were made by a former priest who himself was defrocked for sexual misconduct, and who has a historic grudge against the pontiff.

On July 31, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priest (SNAP) held a press conference to again discuss allegations of the sexual abuse of several women from the Diocese of Chiclayo.

The case involves allegations made by Ana María Quispe Díaz and her two sisters against two priests in Chiclayo, Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén, of sexually abusing them as minors.

A source with knowledge of a pending Vatican case against Vásquez Gonzáles told Crux that it has already reached a conclusion, though the results have not yet been conveyed.

Among other things, SNAP has repeated old claims that Pope Leo XIV covered up the case – allegations…

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Chicago – Survivors of clergy abuse held a news conference Thursday to speak out against alleged coverups in the U.S. in Peru by Pope Leo XIV when he was a bishop.

Ana Maria Quispe Diaz spoke with an interpreter, saying her case was directly covered up by then-Bishop Robert Prevost during his time in the Diocese of Chiclayo.

She said she reported abuse by a priest to the archbishop and a mediator in 2022. She was told by the mediator that the priest took responsibility, but he was moved to another clergy and was still able to practice.

She said Pope Leo never actually investigated the case and claimed she and other victims received mental health support, which they did not.

Now survivors and advocates are calling for accountability from the pope and the Catholic Church.

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[See also the letter by Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm., Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts (in Italian with English translation), offering his “observations” and “negative” answer to an anonymous bishop’s question about the posting of lists of credibly accused. Iannone cites Pope Francis’ Reflection Points, no. 14.]

A Vatican opinion released shortly before Pope Francis died advises against public church listings of clergy members deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse — which virtually every American diocese has.

As part of their stated commitment to transparency and healing over the decades-long clergy sex abuse crisis, all six Catholic dioceses in Illinois post public listings online that name clergy members deemed to have been credibly accused of molesting children.

So do the Diocese of Gary, which covers northwest Indiana, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which includes Kenosha and Walworth counties. Most of the archdioceses and…

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Chicago – A Peruvian survivor of clergy sex abuse brought her public campaign for reforms to the American hometown of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, saying he failed in investigating her case when he was a bishop in her home country and needs to step up now as leader of the world’s Catholics.

“I’ve been quiet since the pope has been elected,” Ana María Quispe Díaz said in Spanish at a news conference in downtown Chicago. “But I’m not planning to be quiet forever.”

She appeared with members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The advocacy group sent a letter to the pope on Thursday renewing demands for more accountability on clergy sex abuse complaints and released documents related to Díaz’s case.

The Associated Press doesn’t name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to being identified or decide to tell their stories publicly, as Díaz…

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Pope Leo XIV affirmed Wednesday that priests must be celibate and insisted that bishops take “firm and decisive” action to deal with sex abusers, as he gave marching orders Wednesday to the world’s Catholic hierarchs.

Leo met in St. Peter’s Basilica with about 400 bishops and cardinals from 38 countries attending this week’s special Holy Year celebrations for clergy. A day after he gave an uplifting message of encouragement to young seminarians, Leo offered a more comprehensive outline of what bishops must do to lead their flocks.

It’s an issue the former Cardinal Robert Prevost would have long pondered given his role as the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops. In that job from 2023 until his election in May, the Chicago-born Prevost vetted bishop nominations for Pope Francis, identifying the type of leader who would further Francis’ view of a church where all are welcome and dialogue is…

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Montville — Saint Bernard School has decided to cut ties with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, which has sponsored the school since it was founded in 1956, Head of Schools Don Macrino confirmed Wednesday.

Macrino said the school wants to “create a firewall between the finances of the school and the diocese.”

“Most (donors) who we’ve talked to over the past two years — they explained that they were really kind of cautionary as long as there was really significant financial ties to the diocese,” Macrino said. “I think they were worried about further bankruptcy issues.”

“We felt that it would reinvigorate our donations from our alumni and other benevolent members of the community,” he added.

The school’s Board of Directors, which consists mostly of alumni, and the diocese put out a joint news release Wednesday announcing the decision.

The news release announced the separation as “a strategic transition…

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Survivors will share documents showing that the Diocese of Chiclayo is now claiming it could take up to seven months to process the voluntary retirement of one priest whom Pope Leo XIV failed to investigate – despite multiple reports of abuse. The group will call attention to the harm caused by this delay and demand immediate accountability.

U.S. and Peruvian Survivors Unite: Leo Must Act Now to Protect Survivors from Threats and Retaliation in his Former Diocese

WHAT: A press conference featuring survivors of clergy sexual abuse from the United States and Peru, including Ana María Quispe Díaz, whose case was directly covered up by then-Bishop Robert Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) during his tenure in the Diocese of Chiclayo.

Survivors will share documents showing that the Diocese of Chiclayo is now claiming it could take up to seven months to process the voluntary retirement of one priest whom Pope Leo XIV failed to investigate…

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The Rev. David F. Ryan of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church is accused of abusing a minor about 30 years ago when he was on the staff at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines. Ryan has previously been accused and cleared of abuse three times.

A Lake Zurich priest who was accused — and cleared — three times of child sexual abuse has been placed on leave by the Archdiocese of Chicago amid new allegations.

The Rev. David F. Ryan of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church is accused of abusing a minor about 30 years ago when he was on the staff at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, Cardinal Blase Cupich wrote in a letter to the Lake Zurich parish Tuesday.

“The archdiocese must take seriously the obligation to investigate all allegations, including this one,” Cupich wrote. “Accordingly, Father Ryan has agreed to abide by my request to remain…

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When Carol DuPré and other abuse survivors had the chance to tell their stories to the court and to leaders of Rochester’s Roman Catholic Diocese last week, she went first.

“I wanted to speak to the bishop, because I think the bishop is the one that is responsible for what has happened,” the Spencerport woman said, referring to Bishop Salvatore R. Matano. “He represents the diocese in Rochester that we’ve been fighting.”

Fighting for nearly six years to reach a financial settlement, now in the offing. But also fighting for six decades, since being molested by her priest when she was 15 or 16 years old.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge is expected to give final sign off in September on a $246 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and nearly 470 survivors of alleged child sexual abuse by clergy.

But in that courtroom last…

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Sexual abuse survivors have voted unanimously to accept a multi-million dollar settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

The $246 million settlement is part of the diocese’s bankruptcy proceedings that have been ongoing for years. However, there is a potential end in sight now that the victims have approved the settlement.

The diocese’s bankruptcy plan is set to go before a judge for approval on Sept. 5, which could then lead to payouts for more than 460 victims.

Some of them say the settlement will help them turn the page.

“I hope for the rest of the other survivors that they will have an experience similar to my own and that they will accept what has gone on in this case and they will see this as an acknowledgement of something awful that happened to them,” said abuse survivor Carol Dupre.

The diocese issued this statement: 

“The Diocese of…

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“As far as I’m concerned, we’re done. We just need to put a ribbon on it,” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul R. Warren said July 29, directly addressing roughly a dozen abuse claimants who had just heard an hour-long discussion of legal issues related to confirmation of the Eighth Amended Joint Plan for Reorganization of the Diocese of Rochester.

The hearing took place six days after the Continental Insurance Company (commonly known as CNA) became the final insurer to settle with the Unsecured Creditors Committee, which represents abuse claimants in the bankruptcy case.

The $120-million settlement with CNA will add to a combined $71.35 million from four diocesan insurers that previously had settled with the committee and $55 million from the diocese, its parishes and other “Participating Parties.” The plan establishes the Rochester Abuse Claim Trust to receive and manage the $246.35 million total, and to disburse funds to survivors according…

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[See also the tabulation of the votes.]

Hundreds of clergy abuse victims agreed to a massive settlement from the Diocese of Rochester, New York, this week, bringing the diocese’s yearslong bankruptcy proceedings closer to an end. 

Documents obtained by CNA show a near-unanimous vote in favor of accepting the diocese’s proposed $246 million settlement plan, with just a handful of “abstain” votes and none voting against it. 

The payment comes after years of wrangling in U.S. bankruptcy court as the diocese, the survivors, and diocesan insurance providers worked to come to a settlement amount on which all of them could agree. 

In 2022 the diocese said it would pay $55 million into a settlement fund, with Bishop Salvatore Matano noting that “additional recoveries” could come from diocesan insurers. 

Earlier this month Continental Insurance Co. agreed to pay $120 million into the settlement fund, bringing the total…

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[Includes a three-and-a-half minute video that is somewhat more detailed than the printed report.]

Hundreds of sexual abuse survivors have taken a significant step toward justice and accountability, as they voted unanimously to accept a $246 million settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

The settlement, which is part of the diocese’s bankruptcy plan, is expected to be approved by a judge Sept. 5.

The approval will pave the way for 475 survivors to begin receiving their payouts.

Carol DuPré, a 78-year-old survivor, expressed relief as the nearly six-year legal battle nears its conclusion.

“I’m seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and I don’t think it’s another train,” DuPré said.

Reflecting on the lengthy process, she added, “It’s been six years. We’re going to be, like, six days shy of exactly six years, and we’re pretty exhausted.”

The legal proceedings began after the diocese filed for…

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Parishioners from four parishes in Lockport, Jamestown, Depew, and Lancaster are suing the Buffalo Diocese after they were ordered to contribute to an $150 million child sexual abuse settlement.

The move comes after five local parishes sued the diocese and got a July 15 deadline to pay toward the settlement pushed back.

Parishioners sue Buffalo Diocese to stop payments in abuse settlement

Parishioners from All Saints Parish in Lockport, Procurator of Holy Apostles Parish in Jamestown, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta in Depew, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and Diocese Shrine in Lancaster are requesting a temporary restraining order.

They allege that the payments would be “financially devastating” and would cause “irreparable harm” to their operations.

Parishes were ordered to pay upwards of 80% of their unrestricted cash toward the settlement.

The diocese said in a statement that it does not comment on pending litigation.

“We are committed…

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The long-awaited trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch, who faces allegations of mishandling sexual abuse allegations in the Upper Midwest Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, continues to face serious setbacks two weeks after it began.

On July 18, just days into the trial, the church prosecutor resigned, calling the proceedings “irreparably tainted,” causing the court to pause the trial until Aug. 11. A week later, the lawyer who served as the prosecutor’s assistant counsel followed with a letter accusing denominational leaders of withholding key information about the trial.

After convening Monday, two of the denomination’s governing bodies issued a joint statement voicing confidence in the court’s ability to carry out the trial.

“We affirm the integrity of the elected members of the Court and have full confidence in the Court as an independent body that…

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Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault.

As victims of Michael Tait continue to snowball, two more men have come forward and say the rock star sexually assaulted them while he was still in the band DC Talk.

Since then, both men say the assaults wreaked havoc on their personal lives. As their careers spiraled down, Tait’s spiraled up.

Randall Crawford, a Christian songwriter, and his friend Jason Jones, the founding manager of the American hard-rock band Evanescence, revealed all to The Guardian in a lambasting report about their former friend Michael Tait. They have confided similar allegations to The Roys Report (TRR).

“It’s the first time this year, in 25 years since the incident, (that I’ve) said that he raped me,” Crawford told TRR.

“I was at the height of my career,” said Crawford. “I got Grammy nominated. I won a Dove, and I got signed to a major…

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The leader of an isolated and conservative Christian commune in New Zealand pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a dozen indecency and assault charges against women and girls who were members of the religious group.

The admission of guilt from Howard Temple came three days into a trial at which he was accused of abusing members of the Gloriavale commune aged between 9 and 20 over a period of two decades.

Complainants who appeared in the opening days of Temple’s trial at the Greymouth District Court said he had touched or groped them while they were performing domestic duties, including in front of other Gloriavale members during mealtimes, Radio New Zealand reported.

They told the court they were too scared to challenge the leader and feared being told the abuse was their fault.

Temple, who is 85 and known as the Overseeing Shepherd of Gloriavale, earlier denied the two dozen charges, and was…

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William Auburn Jones was arrested after police said he touched students inappropriately while working at Elvaton Christian Academy

A pastor and former teacher in Anne Arundel County was ordered to be held without bond Monday after he was charged with sexually abusing students, according to court officials.

William Auburn Jones, 58, was arrested Friday after police said he touched multiple students inappropriately while he was working at Elvaton Christian Academy in Anne Arundel County.

Jones worked at the school between 2020 and March 2025 before he was removed from his position. According to police, Jones also serves as the pastor of Jessup Baptist Church and is affiliated with Mission Fields International, a global missionary organization.

Police responded to the school May 1 for a reported sex offense. Once they arrived, a parent told them that their child was involved.

After an investigation, Child Protective Services identified five alleged victims between…

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The pastor of a north suburban parish has been accused of sexual abuse of a child for at least the third time, Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a Chicago Archdiocese press release Tuesday.

Father David Ryan, who has been reinstated twice after being accused of abuse, serves as pastor for St. Francis de Sales in Lake Zurich.

Cupich’s letter Tuesday said the Catholic priest was most recently accused of sexual abuse of a child when he was on staff at Maryville Academy about 30 years ago.

Father Ryan will remain out of ministry and refrain from all parish and school activities during an investigation, Cupich said.

“He strenuously denies this allegation, and states that he has never harmed a child,” the letter said.

The allegation was also reported to civil authorities.

“Our responsibility for the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance to us,” Cupich…

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Court records show a former Frisco pastor who was booked into the Denton County Jail in May has now been indicted on child pornography charges.

Jim Mustain, 64, was indicted last Tuesday on four counts of possession of child pornography, a first-degree felony. His bond was set at $100,000 and he was in custody as of Tuesday.

Mustain was arrested April 25 in Ashe County, North Carolina after Lewisville Police issued warrants for his arrest, the department confirmed to KERA News last month. He was then extradited to Texas and booked into Denton County Jail on May 14.

The alleged crimes took place in February, according to court records.

Mustain served as a community pastor at Preston Trail Community Church between 2019 and 2023.

In a June statement, Preston Trail said the church condemns any form of sexual misconduct and hired a third-party law…

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[See also the lawsuits:

• Jane Doe 208 v El Paso Diocese
• Jane Doe 214 v El Paso Diocese
• John Doe 207 v Las Cruces Diocese
• John Doe 209 v El Paso and Las Cruces Dioceses
• John Doe 210 v El Paso Diocese
• John Doe 211 v El Paso Diocese
• John Doe 212 v El Paso Diocese
• John Doe 213 v Las Cruces Diocese]

The Catholic Church’s handling of decades-old sexual abuse allegations involving priests who served in southern New Mexico and West Texas has again come under scrutiny. Eight new lawsuits against the Diocese of Las Cruces and the Diocese of El Paso allege that church officials knowingly concealed child abuse to protect the institution’s reputation.

The lawsuits, filed by the Davis Kelin Law Firm and Huffman Wallace & Monagle, allege systemic abuse of minors spanning more than three decades—from 1956 to 1990—involving children aged 3 to 15.

…

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Votes on a settlement offer for the victims of the sex abuse bankruptcy case with the Rochester Catholic Diocese are expected to be counted Tuesday.

If the federal court accepts the vote, this six-year case will be over, and payouts to the 475 survivors will begin. The settlement includes $55 million from the diocese and its parishes, along with $120 million from the holdout insurance company called CNA.

A lawyer told News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean that about two-thirds of the votes need to be in favor for the settlement to be accepted, and the bankruptcy judge must also agree.

Carol Dupre, a church abuse survivor, spoke with Brean at the beginning of July about the settlement, saying her and others feel hopeful.

“I’m tired. I feel like I’ve been in a wrestling match for, it’s been more than six years. The case will be a full six years by September,” said…

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Seven years after then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a shocking grand jury report on priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania, some victims tell 11 Investigates they are still fighting for justice.

While Catholic dioceses across the state settled with many victims, other victims said they have been left out.

Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke with one of those victims, who now has renewed optimism.

That renewed hope comes after the Pennsylvania House passed legislation that would pave the way for victims to file civil lawsuits.

However, the victims Earle spoke with said they’ve been here before and heard the promises. But so far, nothing has changed.

Earle: “You feel betrayed?”

Rich Westwood: “Yeah, exactly. I feel betrayed by the government, the people up in Harrisburg.”

“It’s been seven years since the release of that landmark grand jury report on clergy sex abuse, but Rich Westwood said that, for him and many…

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Abuse victims sacrifice a lot for many years. The subtitle of Dr. Robert Hoatson’s new book, The Sacrifice of the Masses, tells you a lot of his story: A Former Priest Turned Whistleblower Tells His Private Experience of Clergy Abuse & Cover-Up, What He Witnessed on the Inside, and What He’s Doing About It Now.

Hoatson is co-founder of Road-to-Recovery, an organization that helps abuse victims find their way. Over the years they have helped over 5,000 victims of abuse. They provide not only counseling, but also food and housing, to those in need of assistance. Hoatson was a client of Attorney Mitchell Garabedian of Boston, who worked devotedly on cases for victims. On the book’s cover is a recommendation by Thomas Doyle, another former priest who wrote the 1985 report that first warned the Catholic Church about the extent of abuse in the church.

The church, of course, did not listen to any…

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Date: Monday, July 28
Start Time: 6:30 p.m. Central / 7:30 p.m. Eastern / 5:30 p.m. Pacific
End Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Registration for Virtual Presentation

This presentation examines the widespread, yet underreported phenomenon of emotional, spiritual and sexual abuse perpetrated against Catholic sisters and nuns in religious orders. Drawing on survivor testimonies, institutional documents and recent investigations, this presentation will explore the power imbalances, cultures of silence and inadequate accountability mechanisms that have enabled this abuse to persist across centuries and continents.

TERENCE MCKIERNAN founded BishopAccountability.org in 2003 and is the organization’s president. He was a project leader of Gender, Sex and Power at Notre Dame’s Cushwa Center 2020-2022. Terry and BishopAccountability.org received the 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the American Catholic Historical Association.

LUCY HUH is a Ph.D. candidate at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Her research examines clergy sexual exploitation of adults, with a particular focus…

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Washington state’s new law puts clergy in a bind: Break your vows or break the law.

Washington state wants to put priests in an impossible bind: Break your vows or break the law. A new law, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in May, would require clergy to violate the confessional’s seal of confidentiality if they hear about potential child abuse. Failing to break the seal and report suspected abuse to authorities carries a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a fine as high as $5,000.
 
Catholic clergy in the state sued, and U.S. District Judge David Estudillo of the Western District of Washington blocked the law with a preliminary injunction on July 18. Judge Estudillo ruled the law likely violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free exercise of religion because it denies priests the confidentiality extended to other professions. The state has until Aug. 18 to appeal.
 
Confession is…

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[Useful summary and comparison of the Rochester and Buffalo bankruptcies. An 8-minute audio clip, including several ads at the beginning.]

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian tells us about the settlement and how it compares to the Buffalo Diocese ongoing bankruptcy.

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Former principal of The Madeleine Choir School says he was abused by a priest as a teenager and now he wants Salt Lake City’s diocese to make things right.

Bill Hambleton kept a secret for 30 years.

The would-be priest — who left the vocation but not his Catholic faith in 2001 — never shared it with fellow seminarians or reported it to his superiors. He didn’t tell his family or the people in his Ogden area parish. He didn’t divulge it to either of his first two wives nor his only child.

Hambleton carried it with him through decades of service to his church. He buried it during the years he taught in two of Utah’s Catholic schools. It ate away at him when he was the principal of The Madeleine Choir School, and it followed him to other Catholic classrooms and administrative assignments on the East and West…

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“I want to say once again … how very sorry I am for my past actions.”

A North Carolina priest has resigned his parish, after news reporting detailed allegations of sexual and spiritual manipulation in the context of spiritual direction.

The priest, who has been banned from a Catholic university in Virginia over the allegations against him, was made last month administrator of St. Paul Parish in New Bern, North Carolina, and resigned from the office Friday evening.

“After a recent news publication, I will be voluntarily stepping away from ministry at St. Paul and St. Peter the Fisherman and moving away from New Bern,” wrote Fr. Steven Costello in a July 25 email to parishioners, obtained on Saturday by The Pillar.

“I want to say once again as I did when I returned here in October how very sorry I am for my past actions.” I will say that it…

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Eight new lawsuits alleging past sexual abuse by priests who served in southern New Mexico parishes were filed this month in New Mexico’s 3rd Judicial District.

The civil complaints name the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces and/or the Catholic Diocese of El Paso as defendants along with individual parishes: Our Lady of Health in Las Cruces, Our Lady of Purification in Doña Ana, Immaculate Conception in Alamogordo, Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tortugas Pueblo in Mesilla Park, St. Anthony in Anthony and St. Eleanor in Ruidoso.

The plaintiffs, who are anonymous in court filings, include men and women claiming the sexual abuse happened from the 1950s to the 1990s, when they were between the ages of 3 and 15.

“We are shocked by the number of victims and the ages of the victims who continue to step out of the shadows,” Levi Monagle, one of the lead attorneys bringing…

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The former leader of a nonprofit urging Christians to vote their values has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of possession of child sex abuse material.

Jason Yates, former CEO of Fort Worth-based My Faith Votes, filed a guilty plea July 21 in McLeod County, Minnesota, to two felony counts of possession of pornography involving minors under 14. If the deal is accepted by the court, six additional counts of possession of child sex abuse material will be dismissed.

Conditions of the plea deal include supervised probation for up to five years, 240 days in jail, a psychosexual evaluation, no contact with females under the age of 14 and registration as a sex offender.

The court released Yates on his own recognizance, according to a court document signed July 22. It requires Yates not to have contact with females younger than 14 years old, not possess or use any…

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A home linked to a pastor featured in the Netflix docuseries “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” was raided Friday by federal agents in relation to an investigation into sex trafficking, money laundering and other accusations, according to authorities.

Property records show the home in the 7700 block of McGroarty Street in Tujunga is linked to multiple owners, including Robert Shinn, pastor of the Shekinah Church and the subject of a 2024 docuseries. He operates a talent agency that purportedly helps social media stars and TikTok dancers find jobs in Los Angeles.

Those featured in the docuseries call Shinn an abusive cult leader. They say he kept them away from their families by telling them that in order to be saved, they had to “die” to their loved ones who did not follow his teachings. He reportedly told them that if they were “godly” enough, they would also save…

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Hundreds of people are still traumatised as a result of abuse they suffered at the hands of a now-disgraced evangelical movement. Jon Ironmonger, who investigated the Jesus Army group prior to its closure five years ago, has been to meet the director of a new BBC documentary series telling its story.

At first glance, the Jesus Army seemed a “happy-clappy” church set in the Northamptonshire countryside, with two- or three thousand members, a gaudy military-style uniform, and a fleet of rainbow-coloured battle buses.

The reality was very different.

In 2016 I found myself embarking on a years-long journey to expose one of the UK’s most abusive cults.

There had been reports already about dubious practices and unexplained deaths, including that of a young man whose body was found on a railway track.

But months later, over tea at St Pancras Station, a woman who had fled the group as a…

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