ABUSE TRACKER

UNITED STATES
Legionaries of Christ

In keeping with the Legion of Christ’s commitment to safe environments for all its members, Fr Luis Garza, LC, North American territorial director of the Legion of Christ, informed its members of a sexual abuse case involving Fr William Izquierdo, LC.

In July 2012, Fr Garza was informed of an allegation regarding sexual abuse in the United States involving Fr Izquierdo and a novice when the former served as novice instructor in Cheshire, CT. He held that position from 1982 to 1994.

In addition to reporting to local authorities, the Legion commissioned Praesidium, Inc. to provide a thorough, independent investigation, which concluded in August 2013. Its findings were presented and carefully analyzed by the Legion’s North American review board in October 2013.

“After reviewing the information, we have no reason to doubt that sexual abuse with a minor actually occurred,” Fr Garza said. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has been informed of the case.

Since the early 2000s, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) have provided strong leadership in the vital goal of providing a safe environment for young people in all Church activities. The Legion of Christ, following their lead, has adopted policies and procedures aimed at protecting young people and eliminating abuse. The congregation is committed to investigating and responding appropriately to all allegations of misconduct, so that the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse may be overcome.

Over the past decade, the Legion has implemented a stringent program to maintain safe environments, including audits of its facilities, training of its members and adoption of a strict code of conduct. This case occurred many years ago, but Fr Garza said he learned about it in 2012 and that it was handled with the openness and transparency demanded by current standards.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Tom Roberts | Dec. 5, 2013

The Legion of Christ, a religious order of priests still dealing with the fallout from revelations of sexual abuse by its disgraced founder, announced Thursday that a recent investigation has uncovered “significant evidence of sexual abuse” by another Legion official who served as the order’s novice master at its Cheshire, Conn., seminary.

At the same time, the order issued a summary of actions it has taken in addressing other cases of alleged sexual abuse by its priests, as well as a long letter from Fr. Sylvester Heereman, the order’s acting general director, detailing the Legion’s approach to dealing with the issue of sexual abuse.

The announcements come just ahead of an extraordinary general chapter at which the Legion will elect new leaders and approve a new constitution. The general chapter is to open in Rome Jan. 8 and is expected to run about a month.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Velasio De Paolis to govern the order as it and Regnum Christi, its lay branch, underwent reform and reorganization. The January general chapter is the culmination of that reformation processes.

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CANADA
The StarPhoenix

MONCTON, N.B. – RCMP in New Brunswick say a retired Roman Catholic priest faces several charges, including one count of sexual assault, in connection with alleged incidents involving boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Johnston says 71-year-old Yvon Arsenault of Aldouane is also charged with three counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.

Police say the alleged incidents occurred in Shediac, Rosaireville and Collette and involved four boys under the age of 18.

RCMP began investigating last December after receiving a complaint.

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MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Fridley priest is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Gilbert DeSutter was at St. William between 1976 and 1983. He then moved to St. Michael in Prior Lake, where he stayed until he resigned in 1993. He continued to have limited ministry until he was permanently removed from the ministry in 2003. The 85-year-old now lives in Mesa, AZ.

Nearby Columbia Heights had four former priests on the list:

* Thomas Adamson was at Immaculate Conception from 1979-1980. He transferred to Risen Savior, when he stayed until he returned to the Diocese of Winona in 1985. He was removed from the ministry that year. The 80-year-old now lives in Rochester.

* Francis Hoefgen never served at a Columbia Heights, but the 63-year-old lives there now. He was a member of the Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey and served in Cold Spring, St. Boniface and Frontenac between 1980 and 1994. He was permanently removed from the ministry in 2002. He left the order and was laicized in 2012.

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VATICAN CITY
The Daily Beast

By Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 5th 2013

For victims who silently suffered child abuse at the hands of priests, nothing the Vatican does will ever be quite enough. But a new commission ordered by Pope Francis could be a solid step in the right direction.

On Thursday, Pope Francis agreed to appoint a special ad-hoc “commission for the protection of minors” to address alleged and proven sex abuse by Catholic priests. The commission was suggested by a council of eight cardinals, tasked with advising the pope on church reform, who are meeting in Rome this week.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston—a city that was once the epicenter of the sex-abuse coverup scandal—briefed reporters after the council met with the pope. “Specifically, the commission will study present programs in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, and so forth.”

Taken at face value, that would imply that the pope wants to hear from not just those inside the church hierarchy, but perhaps he would also call in advisors from outside the church to help deal with the problem. O’Malley said that the commission could be made of up priests, men and women religious, including nuns, and laypeople. Roping in secular entities, including law enforcement officials, has always topped the wishlist of victims groups, who feel that clerical child abuse is often “dealt with” in secret out of the long arm of the law. No other entity that deals with minors, including education systems, groups like Boy Scouts, or sports organizations, have the same umbrella protection that the Catholic church provides its clergy when it comes to child sex abuse.

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VATICAN CITY
The New York Times

By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO and ALAN COWELL
Published: December 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will set up a commission to advise him on protecting children from sexually abusive priests and on how the church should counsel victims, the Vatican said on Thursday. The step was his first to address one of the most sensitive issues facing his papacy.

The timing of the announcement, two days after a United Nations panel criticized the Vatican over its handling of abuse cases, suggested that the pope and his closest advisers want to be seen to be tackling the issue with greater firmness than in the past.

The announcement was a forthright acknowledgment by the Vatican of the enduring problem of abusive priests, and it fit with Pope Francis’s pattern of willingness to set a new tone in dealing with religious and secular critics of the church.

The suggestion to set up the commission came from the group of eight cardinals brought together by the pope a month after his election in March to advise him on reforming the Vatican’s labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Precisely who will serve on the advisory commission and what authority it will have remained unclear. But Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the only American among the eight cardinals advising the pope, said on Thursday that it would include priests, men and women from religious orders and lay people with expertise in safeguarding children, and that it would offer advice on pastoral care rather than judicial functions. That seemed to signal that it would not make proposals for exposing or punishing abusive clerics.

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VATICAN CITY
Washington Post

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, December 5

VATICAN CITY — Thomas Williams, the onetime public face of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order who left the priesthood after admitting he fathered a child, is getting married this weekend to the child’s mother, The Associated Press has learned. The bride is the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences. She is also one of five people on Francis’ commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank. Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a Rome-based art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

At the time, Williams apologized for “this grave transgression” against his vows of celibacy and said he had stayed on as a priest because he hoped to move beyond “this sin in my past” to do good work for the church. The Legion’s retired superior later admitted he had learned about the child in 2005 but allowed Williams to keep teaching and preaching about morality.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Megan Peterson, Twin Cities SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 218-689-9049 cell, survivor19@live.com )

Neinstedt must now force child molesting clerics into remote, secure treatment centers so they’ll be kept away from kids and give every shred of information about them and their crimes to police and prosecutors.

After 25 years of watching Catholic bishops act recklessly, deceitfully and callously in clergy sex cases – in the US and across the globe – we don’t stun easily.

But we are stunned that Archbishop Neinstedt claims “It is the practice of the archdiocese to report promptly to law enforcement all allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The recent cases of Fr. Jonathan Shelley and Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer- prove this is a lie.

[Star Tribune]

It’s almost as stunning that he claims “Any clergy member facing a credible claim of sexual abuse of minors will be removed from ministry pending an investigation of the claim.” The recent case of Fr. Michael Keating proves this is a lie.

It’s shocking that Neinstedt makes these claims with a straight face.

It’s not shocking, however, that Neinstedt makes no mention of law enforcement or of cover up.

That’s because he wants victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to keep contacting church officials, not secular officials. And that’s because he wants the attention focused solely on the predator priests, not their corrupt church supervisors.

Neinstedt conveniently doesn’t mention that the abuse training he brags about doing is required by the church’s belated, grudging, weak and vague national abuse policy. Neinstedt implies this training is something he’s doing voluntarily. That’s just not true.

We should keep in mind that this disclosure of names is also not voluntary. It’s something forced on Neinstedt by legal and public pressure. If not for brave whistleblowers and journalistic investigations and determined victims, Neinstedt would still be hiding these predator priests’ names.

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MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 12/05/2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released Thursday its list of priests “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children.

The list consists of 33 priests who have worked in the archdiocese beginning in 1950.

Nearly half of the parishes in the archdiocese — 92 out of 188 — have had at least one offending priest, the archdiocese reported.

Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North on Monday ordered the list of 33 priests be made public. He gave the Twin Cities archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona until Dec. 17 to do so. The archdiocese said it would release at least some of those names Thursday.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a letter on the archdiocese website Thursday that it would disclose all “credible and … substantiated” claims on the website from now on.

“This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the church,” Nienstedt wrote. “I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured.”

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UNITED STATES
Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery, Inc.
P.O. Box 279
Livingston, NJ 07039

December 5, 2013

Response by Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse to the news that the Vatican is establishing a papal advisory commission on sexual abuse of children, teenagers, and vulnerable adults

The specifics of the Vatican commission on sexual abuse have not yet been determined, but many aspects of the commission already announced cause us to be skeptical. Why?

1) The proposed commission will be composed of an international range of experts and will focus on the pastoral aspect of the continuing clergy sex abuse crisis.

Our response: Once again, the Catholic Church emphasizes the “pastoral” aspect of its programs, hoping the faithful will empathize with their attempts to be sensitive and caring, the hallmarks of “pastoral ministry.” Instead, the Church should be focused, first of all, on the criminal and psychological aspects of clergy sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of children and many others is criminal behavior, for the most part, and cases should be handled by civil authorities. Establishing a commission that “appears” to be focused on the pastoral aspects of sexual abuse diverts attention away from the needs of victims: justice in the civil and criminal arenas, and psychological services that promote healing.

2) The proposed commission will be composed of priests, women and men religious, and lay people.

Our response: Once again, the Church turns inward instead of outward to solicit the opinions and counsel of “experts.” The “experts” regarding clergy sexual abuse are the victims themselves, yet no victims will be invited to sit on this commission. In addition, should the Vatican want to assemble an international panel of “experts,” it should never begin with priests and men and women religious because they and their colleagues have been the abusers, enablers, and deniers of clergy sexual abuse for centuries. The Church must look “outward” toward experts if it wants an independent commission. Entrenched lay people would be just as myopic as priests and men and women religious.

3) The proposed commission will have no clout or independence, in the same way that international Church review boards, panels, and experts appointed by Church officials have no clout and are not objective entities.

Our response: Unless and until Church authorities are held to the same legal and moral standards as other service-oriented persons, the Church’s credibility will continue to be virtually non-existent. There are Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops who have concealed crimes against children and the vulnerable but continue to serve as Church leaders. If the new commission is able to charge, indict, prosecute, and punish those Church leaders who covered up and enabled the serial sexual abuse of children (and continue to do so), then it will have clout. Otherwise, the new commission will be a paper tiger, just like all other Church commissions.

Contact: Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Co-founder and President, Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 – rmhoatson@gmail.com

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Barbara Blaine, SNAP President, SNAPblaine@gmail.com, 312-455-1499 (office), 312-399-4747 (cell)

This Pope has been a breath of fresh air to many. But he’s a breath of stale air to wounded victims, vulnerable children, and betrayed Catholics.

Catholic officials have tons of knowledge about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups. They must simply give all this information – right now – to law enforcements and sanction their colleagues who conceal it.

Pope Francis and his staff refuse to do this. They even refuse to directly and honestly answer questions from a United Nations panel.

[BBC News]

So we have little faith that this latest in a long series of hundreds of church abuse panels will make any difference whatsoever.

According to news outlets, among other things, the committee will focus on “codes of conduct for clergy.” That’s ridiculous. No priest, nun, bishop or seminarian ever sexually assaulted a child because of a lack of a formal “code of conduct” prohibiting clergy sex crimes.

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MINNESOTA
Patch

(James Warden wrote the original version of this post.)

A priest assigned to Lake Elmo nearly 30 years ago appears on the newly released list of clergy deemed “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese published a list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Many of those listed had associations with parishes on the east side of the Twin Cities metro area, with one (see below) having served in Lake Elmo in 1984.

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MINNESOTA
News & Observer

BY AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
December 5, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled such allegations.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases have been managed, said the disclosures are not intended to be final and that the list could be updated after a review of clergy files.

“All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests. We deeply regret the pain caused by sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and we remain committed to protecting children and promoting healing for victims,” Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website. “I sincerely pray that these efforts will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public.

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VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

David Gibson

(RNS) Pope Francis is creating a special commission to deal with the clergy sexual abuse crisis on a global scale, a step that comes amid growing criticism that Francis had not given sufficient attention to the scandal.

Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley made the announcement on Thursday (Dec. 5) in the Vatican where he was meeting this week with Francis and the other members of the so-called “Gang of Eight” cardinals that the pope chose to help him reform the Roman Curia.

O’Malley, who is the U.S. bishop with perhaps the most credibility on the abuse issue, listed a range of programmatic ideas for the commission, whose members are expected to include lay people, mental health professionals and other experts in the field as well as leading churchmen.

But O’Malley acknowledged that Catholics were most keen to hear how and whether the pope and the new commission would tackle the question of disciplining bishops who have shielded abusive priests.

“Quite frankly that’s something that the church needs to address,” O’Malley said, noting that he wasn’t sure whether the commission, the Congregation for Bishops or the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — the Vatican department that has been handling most abuse cases — would take the lead on rogue bishops.

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VATICAN CITY
BBC News

Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims.

The announcement, by the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.

It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.

One of the main Italian associations of clerical abuse survivors has said it has “little trust” in the Vatican.

Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church’s credibility.

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MISSOURI
Lake Expo

MONITEAU COUNTY, Mo. — The case of a Stover pastor charged with statutory rape and sexual abuse will go to a jury trial next year.

Rev. Travis Ray Smith, age 43, is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Stover, Mo.

He is charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Statutory Rape, one count of Forcible Rape, and one count of Sexual Abuse. He pled Not Guilty to the charges at a hearing in the Moniteau County Circuit Court on July 12, 2013.

Over the past four years, Smith has been accused of molestation or statutory rape in the cases of four different girls. Two of those accusations were made in 2010, but one case was dropped and Smith was acquitted in the other.

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MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013

For more information please contact SNAP Director David Clohessy of St. Louis
(314) 566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com

Another KC predator priest passes away
He admitted “inappropriate relationships”
Cleric later became a Lutheran and an Episcopalian
Victims blast Catholic bishop for “continuing secrecy”

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is disclosing that another Kansas City Catholic priest who was accused of molesting children has passed away.

He is Fr. Bede Parry who worked in Conception, Missouri and in Nevada, Minnesota and New Mexico.

Parry’s passing was noted on the Facebook page of his lawyer, Joseph Paul Smith:

[Facebook]

Parry belonged to a Catholic religious order known as the Benedictines.

In 2011, Parry was sued for allegedly molesting a boy in the late 1980s in northwest Missouri. He admitted to his church supervisors that he had been involved in three “inappropriate relationships.”

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging Bishop Robert Finn to “aggressively seek out anyone else who may have seen, suspected or suffered Fr. Parry’s crimes.”

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

List of priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Article by: TONY KENNEDY , Star Tribune Updated: December 5, 2013

List on archdiocese website includes many priests previously named in civil and criminal cases.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released a list today of 32 priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

The list was published in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocesan newspaper, in response to ongoing litigation of childhood sexual abuse cases in Ramsey County against the church and individual priests. Many of the priests named today have previously been named in criminal charges and civil lawsuits, but some are new to the public domain.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in his written announcement that his administration will publicize additional “credible claims of abuse of a minor by a member of the clergy” as the archdiocese learns of them. If a credible claim is substantiated, the archdiocese will list the accused priest in a permanent disclosure section of its website, Nienstedt said.

“The disclosures made today are not intended to be final,” the archbishop wrote. “We cannot bring others to the light of Christ unless we first live out his love through our witness.”

The disclosure was ordered Monday in St. Paul by Judge John B. Van de North Jr. All but one of the priests named today were originally identified in a church document created in 2004 listing 33 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse over several decades. The archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona have fought St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson’s attempts to make the names public for the past five years, winning court protection of the list in 2009.

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MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

By Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
Dec. 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the names of 30 priests it believes sexually abused children between 1950 and 2013.

The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009.

Seven of the priests named today were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. Others, such as the Rev. Robert Kapoun, are already well known through lawsuits and media coverage. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92, in total — of the 188 parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests Wednesday by vicar general Rev. Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop’s top deputy.

The archdiocese released the names on its website and in the print edition of The Catholic Spirit newspaper, along with each priest’s birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it also released the year of death.

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MINNESOTA
The Republic

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: December 05, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The archbishop in St. Paul and Minneapolis says he hopes the disclosure of names of priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors will help restore trust in the church and foster healing for those who have been harmed.

Archbishop John Nienstedt made the comments Thursday in a column in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.

He says the 34 names disclosed in the newspaper are not intended to be a final list. He says a review of clergy files is under way, and the list could be updated. Going forward, new abuse claims that can be substantiated will be disclosed on the archdiocese website.

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MINNESOTA
Fox 9

posted by Mike Durkin

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) –
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released its list of priests with credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor.

ARCHDIOCESE DISCLOSURE

Below is a list of ordained ministers of the Catholic Church who previously had assignments in the archdiocese, and who have had credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor in our archdiocese. All of these claims have been substantiated, which means that there is reasonable grounds to believe that the reported abuse occurred. Most of the reported incidents of abuse occurred between the mid-1950s and the 1980s, and most of these men have been previously identified in media reports. All of these men have been permanently removed from ministry, and most of them have been out of ministry for a decade or more.

Clergy who have committed acts of sexual abuse have caused insufferable harm to victims, families, parishioners, and the Church. We grieve and pray for all who have been harmed and are committed completely to combating acts of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church.

THE LIST

Priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Thomas Adamson – Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese in 1985.

John Brown – Permanently removed from ministry in 2002.

Cosmas Dahlheimer – Permanently removed from ministry (date unknown, died in 2004).

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MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

In his Nov. 7 column in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt identified fulfillment of the charter as a top priority of the archdiocese. Below are answers to some common questions regarding the charter’s scope and provisions.

Q. What is the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”?

A. The charter is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The charter includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of further acts of abuse. It directs action in all the following matters:

Creating a safe environment for children and young people;
Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
Making prompt and effective responses to allegations;
Cooperating with civil authorities;
Disciplining offenders; and
Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

Q. Where can I read it?

A. The charter is available for download from the USCCB Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection website.

Q. How does the charter define a “minor”?

A. In both civil and canon law, a minor is anyone under the age of 18. Until 1994, under canon law, a minor was considered any person under the age of 16. In 1994, canon law was changed for dioceses of the USCCB so that anyone under the age of 18 was considered to be a minor. In 2001, it changed for the universal Church. Also covered under the charter is anyone over the age of 18 who habitually lacks the use of reason and therefore is considered equivalent to a minor.

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MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

As part of its ongoing efforts to address issues related to clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is releasing information related to priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese.

The information can be found in this issue of The Catholic Spirit and on a special page titled “Disclosures Regarding Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors” on the archdiocese’s website, http://www.archspm.org.

In his column this week in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt said the disclosure is part of the archdiocese’s safe environment efforts, which he hopes “will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

The disclosure includes the following information:

the cleric’s name;
his year of birth and age;
year of ordination;
if deceased, the year he died;
the cleric’s prior assignments;
the date of his removal from ministry and current status; and
the city and state where he presently resides.
The information being released is mostly related to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s, the archdiocese said in a Dec. 2 statement. Most of the men identified have been previously identified in media reports. All of them have been permanently removed from ministry or are deceased.

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MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Notes regarding disclosure

Included in this disclosure are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors in our archdiocese, to the extent we have reliable and sufficient information to determine whether the claim was credible and could be substantiated. These disclosures will indicate that the individuals are non-diocesan clergy. We may not be able to report on the present status of such clergy members because the archdiocese does not always have access to such information since they are under the authority of their respective diocese or religious order. We do not have sufficient information to make a disclosure regarding priests from outside our archdiocese who may have served here at some point in time but committed child sexual abuse elsewhere.

Also, please note: Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information, our listings at this time may include some errors or omissions. The archdiocese requests that anyone with additional information or corrections regarding clergy members that are or should be subject to disclosure, to contact Greta Sawyer, the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 651-291-4497.

Thomas Adamson
Date of birth: 7/12/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1958

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Diocese of Winona, 1958-1975;
St. Leo the Great, St. Paul, 1975-1976;
St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius, 1976;
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park, 1976-1979;
Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1979-1980;
Risen Savior, Apple Valley, 1981-1985;
Returned to Diocese of Winona, 1985
Diocese or religious order: Diocese of Winona

Date removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Rochester, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese

John Brown
Date of birth: 7/2/1920 (Age: 93)
Date of ordination: 1948
Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 1948-1949;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1949-1950;
Associate priest, St. John, St. Paul, 1950-1951;
Associate priest, Hopkins, 1951-1956;
Chaplain, U.S. Army, 1956-1958;
Associate priest, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1958-1960;
Temporary administrator, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1960;
Administrator, St. Mary, Waverly, 1960-1963;
Pastor, St. Mary, Waverly, 1963-1964;
Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Marysburg, 1966-1970;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Faribault, 1970-1978;
Pastor, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1978-1981;
Pastor, Annunciation, Hazelwood, 1981-1990
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Cosmas Dahlheimer
Date of birth: 11/20/1908, deceased
Date of ordination: 1936

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. John’s Abbey, 1936-1969;
Associate priest, St. Augustine, St. Cloud, 1969-1973;
Associate priest, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1973-1978;
Returned to St. John’s Abbey, 1978
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: Unknown (died 2004)
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2004

Gilbert DeSutter
Date of birth: 4/28/1928 (Age: 85)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1954-1956;
Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1956;
Associate priest, Annunciation, Minneapolis, 1956-1964;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Richfield, 1964-1968;
Spiritual director, St. John Vianney Seminary, St. Paul, 1968-1973;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1973 -1976;
Pastor, St. William, Fridley, 1976-1983;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1983-1993;
Resigned with limited ministry, 1993-2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Mesa, Ariz.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Gilbert Gustafson
Date of birth: 4/18/1951 (Age 62)
Date of ordination: 1977

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1977-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1978;
Associate director, Continuing Education and Spiritual Growth for Priests, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 1982;
Student, Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., 1982-1983;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1983-1988;
In residence, St. Peter, Mendota 1988-2002 (unassigned);
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Louis Heitzer
Date of birth: 7/15/1914, deceased
Date of ordination: 1942

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted (New Ulm) 1942-1944;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, Fairfax (New Ulm), 1944;
Associate pastor, Assumption, St. Paul, 1944-1945;
Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Marshall (New Ulm), 1945;
Associate priest, St. Mary, Sleepy Eye (New Ulm), 1945-1948;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1948;
Associate priest, St. Aloysius, Olivia (New Ulm), 1948-1950;
Administrator, Sacred Heart, Franklin (New Ulm), 1950-1954;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Rosen, 1954-1955;
Pastor, St. Michael, Gaylord (New Ulm), 1955-1956;
Pastor, St. Luke, Clearwater, 1956-1958;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1958-1966;
Associate priest, St. Richard, Richfield, 1966-1967
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1969
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1969

Rudolph Henrich
Date of birth: 4/3/1906, deceased
Date of ordination: 1933

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. James, St. Paul, 1933-1937;
Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted, 1937-1938;
Associate priest, St. Mark, Shakopee, 1938;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1938-1942;
Chaplain, U.S. Navy, 1942-1946;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1946-1952;
Chaplain, U.S. Forces, 1952-1954;
Pastor, St. Boniface, Stewart (New Ulm), 1954-1957;
Pastor, St. Margaret Mary, Minneapolis, 1957-1976
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1976
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1992

Francis Hoefgen
Date of birth: 8/1/1950 (Age 63)
Date of ordination: 1979

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Boniface, Cold Spring, 1980-1984;
Associate priest, St. Boniface, Hastings, 1985-1992;
Confessor, Villa Maria Center, Frontenac, 1985-1994
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left order and laicized in 2012

Richard Jeub
Date of birth: 2/21/1940 (Age: 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1967-1970
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Associate priest, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1976-1978;
Chaplain, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, 1978-1982;
Chaplain, Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, 1978-1982;
Pastor, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1981-1990;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart/St. Lawrence, Faribault, 1997-2000;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 2000-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Crosby, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Dennis Kampa
Date of birth: 5/31/1932 (Age 81)
Date of ordination: 1968

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1968-1969;
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1974-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Trinity, South St. Paul, 1976-1980;
Pastor, St. Vincent de Paul, Osseo, 1980-1989;
Administrator, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1989-1990;
Administrator, St. Michael, Kenyon, 1989-1990;
Pastor, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1990-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Victoria, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Robert Kapoun
Date of birth: 12/1/1938 (Age 75)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1964-1967;
Associate priest, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1967-1971;
Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1971-1974;
Chaplain, Home of the Good Shepherd, St. Paul, 1974-1976;
Medical leave, 1976-1977;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Cedar Lake, 1977-1984;
Administrator, St. Catherine, Spring Lake, 1977-1984;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1984-1996;
Administrator, St. Joseph, Lexington, 1984-1996;
Pastor, St. Thomas, St. Thomas, 1991-1996;
Resigned, 1996;
Retired, 1998
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Cold Spring, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Jerome Kern
Date of birth: 3/20/1941 (Age 72)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1967-70;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1970-1975;
Administrator, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1975-1976;
Co-pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka, 1976-1994;
Sabbatical, 1994-1995 (in residence at St. Paul Seminary);
Temporary administrator, St. Dominic, Northfield, 1995;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1995-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Edina, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Lee Krautkremer
Date of birth: 8/28/1940 (Age 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1966;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1967-1968;
Associate priest, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1968-1970;
Associate priest, St. Michael, West St. Paul, 1970-1975;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1975-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1978-1984;
Pastor, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1984-1987;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1987-1989;
Chaplain, North Memorial Hospital, Robbinsdale, 1987-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Laicized in 2006

Ronan Charles Liles
Date of birth: 9/6/1942
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis, 1969-1978;
Dominican Fathers provincial office, Chicago, 1978-1979;
Dominican Fathers and Brothers, Southern Dominican Province, New Orleans, 1979- 1982;
Leave of absence
Diocese or religious order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

Date permanently removed from ministry: Dismissed from order and dispensed from vows in 1985
Current location: Believed to have died sometime before 2006
Current status: Believed to have died sometime before 2006

Alfred Longley
Date of birth: 9/17/1913, deceased
Date of ordination: 1939

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1939-1942;
Military chaplain, U.S. Army, 1942-1952;
Pastor, St. Richard, Richfield, 1952-1961;
Chaplain, Riverside Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1962-1964;
Pastor, St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi, 1964
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1968
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1974

Brennan Maiers
Date of birth: 4/27/1936 (Age 77)
Date of ordination: 1963

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Pastor, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1983-1990
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Collegeville, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Timothy McCarthy
Date of birth: 6/26/1946 (Age 67)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1973-1974;
Associate priest, All Saints, Lakeville, 1974-1977;
Administrator, St. Andrew, Elysian, 1977-1982;
Associate priest, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1982-1984;
On special assignment, 1982-1984;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Lake Elmo, 1984;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1984-1986;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1986-1991;
Resigned, 1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1991
Current location: Believed to be residing in Oakdale, Minn., or St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

John McGrath
Date of birth: 4/13/1931, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Nativity, St. Paul, 1957-1965;
Associate priest, St. Helena, Minneapolis, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1969-1970;
Faculty, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1976-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1995
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1995

Paul Palmitessa
Date of birth: 1/18/1931 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1956

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Cathedral of St. Paul, 1956-1968;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, St. Paul, 1968-1979;
Pastor, St. Paul, Zumbrota, 1979-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary, Bellechester, 1979-1982;
Diocese of San Diego, 1982-1988;
Excardinated, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; incardinated, Diocese of San Diego, 1988
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of San Diego

Date permanently removed from ministry: Retired in 1998, limited ministry until 2012
Current location: Santee, Calif.
Current status: No longer in ministry, (determined by the Diocese of San Diego)

Joseph Pinkosh
Date of birth: 10/27/1943 (Age 70)
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Cross, Minneapolis, 1974-1981;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1981-1992
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1992
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1992

Francis Reynolds
Date of birth: 9/5/1922, deceased
Date of ordination: 1955

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Maternity of Mary, St. Paul, 1955-1957;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Associate priest, Visitation, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1966-1968;
Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo, 1968-1985;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1985-1986;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1987
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1988

Richard Skluzacek
Date of birth: 8/10/1932, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Administrator, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1967-1968;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1968-1973;
Administrator, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1970-1974;
Pastor, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1974;
Pastor, Corpus Christi, Roseville, 1974-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1978-1990;
Chaplain, Veterans Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1990-1998;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2005
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2012

Michael Stevens
Date of birth: 12/24/1954 (Age 58)
Date of ordination: 1980

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1980-1982;
Associate priest, Epiphany, Coon Rapids, 1982-1988;
In residence, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1988;
In residence, St. Adalbert, St. Paul, 1988-2003
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Believed to be residing in St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Thomas Stitts
Date of birth: 5/5/1935, deceased
Date of ordination: 1962

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1962-1965;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1965-1966;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1966-1970;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1970;
Administrator, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1970-1973;
Pastor, St. George, Long Lake, 1973-1980;
Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Brighton, 1980-1985
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1985

Robert Thurner
Date of birth: 11/25/1925 (Age 88)
Date of ordination: 1951

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1951-1963;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1959;
Associate priest, St. Luke, St. Paul, 1963-1967;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1967-1970;
Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins, 1970-1983;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1983-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Edward, Bloomington, 1986;
Pastor, St. Therese, St. Paul, 1986-1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Clarence Vavra
Date of birth: 3/13/1939 (Age 74)
Date of ordination: 1965

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1969-1970;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1970-1971;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1971-1972;
Absent, 1972-1973;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1973-1975;
Diocese of Rapid City, 1975-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Spirit, St. Paul, 1976-1977;
Pastor, Sacred Heart Rush City, 1977-1978;
Administrator, St. Gregory, North Branch, 1977-1978;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1979;
Associate priest, St. Jerome, Maplewood, 1979-1981;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1981-1986;
Unassigned, 1986-1987;
Temporary administrator, St. Genevieve, Centerville, 1987;
Pastor, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1987-1992;
Temporary administrator, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1992-1993;
Pastor, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1993-1996;
Sabbatical, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Nativity of Mary, Cleveland, 1997;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1997-2003;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1997-2003;
Retired, 2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: New Prague, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Joseph Wajda
Date of birth: 2/9/1947 (Age 66)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1973-1977;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1977-1981;
Administrator, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1980-1981;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1982-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1986;
Temporary administrator, Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto, 1986;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1986-1987;
Pastor, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1987-1989;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1990-1991;
Student, Catholic University of America, 1992-1994;
Judicial Vicar, Metropolitan Tribunal, St. Paul, 1996-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Raymond Walter
Date of birth: 7/28/1915, deceased
Date of ordination: 1941

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center, 1964-1978, 1981-1989
Diocese or religious order: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists)

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2003

Curtis Wehmeyer
Date of birth: 9/28/1964 (Age 49)
Date of ordination: 2001

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate pastor, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 2001-2006;
Parochial administrator, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2006-2009;
Pastor, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul, 2009-2011;
Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2009-2012
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2012
Current location: Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry. Incarcerated

Robert Zasacki
Date of birth: 5/13/1940, deceased
Date of ordination: 1967

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Entered archdiocese from Archdiocese of Newark, 1979;
St. Bridget, Lindstrom, 1982-1983;
St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1983-1984:
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, 1984-1985;
Administrator, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1985-1987;
Incardinated, 1987;
Pastor, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1987-1989;
Pastor, St. Peter, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1995-2001;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 2001-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2008

Clergy included on John Jay Commission list with unsubstantiated claims

We have disclosed above the names of 29 of the 33 priests on the list provided to the John Jay Commission in 2004 by the archdiocese. We have been able to determine that those 29 priests had substantiated claims asserted against them of sexually abusing a minor. We have not determined that the other four priests had substantiated claims against them of sexually abusing a minor. In fact, we were unable to verify any claim in two of the four cases. Nevertheless, in deference to a recent order from the Ramsey County District Court, we are listing these four priests separately below with further explanation on each.

Eugene Corica
Date of birth: 7/31/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1960

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights, 1974-1979;
Pastor, St. Bridget, Minneapolis, 1979-1983;
Associate pastor, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1983-1985;
Temporary administrator, Holy Childhood, St. Paul, 1985;
Administrator, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1985-1987;
Pastor, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1987-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1995
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1995

Eugene Corica was accused of having sexual relationships with adult women. No claim of sexual abuse of a minor was made or substantiated against Corica. We have not been able to determine why he was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission.

Robert Loftus
Date of birth: 12/22/1930 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1963

Parish assignments:

Assistant pastor, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1963-1966;
Assistant pastor, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1966-1967;
Assistant pastor, St. Mary’s Basilica, 1967-1971;
Pastor, St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis, 1971-1977
Leave of absence, 1977
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1977
Current location: Coon Rapids, Minn.

Current status: Laicized in 1977

Robert Loftus was credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a “young woman” in the early 1970’s. We do not have knowledge of the complainant’s age at the time of the misconduct. An independent investigator was hired to review the file and advise on whether Loftus should be disclosed as a “substantiated claim.” To date, the investigator has not determined whether a claim of sexual abuse of a minor was or can be substantiated. The investigation is continuing, and our disclosures will be updated when the investigation is completed.

Patrick Ryan
Date of birth: 12/2/1892, deceased
Date of ordination: 1919

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1919;
Associate priest, St. Clement, Minneapolis, 1919-1921;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Minneapolis, 1921-1922;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1922-1933;
Pastor, St. John, Ortonville (New Ulm), 1933-1943;
Pastor, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1943-1965
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1965
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1965

Patrick Ryan was accused posthumously in 2002 of sexually abusing a minor in 1961, and was consequently included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. The Archdiocese subsequently met with the complainant and hired a private investigative firm. The firm investigated the matter through more than two dozen conversations and face-to-face meetings with the complainant as well as interviews with more than a dozen persons thought to have information relevant to the claim against Ryan. The private investigative firm reported that “this investigation found no credible, corroborating or supporting information which would validate [the] claim of sexual abuse.” The claim of sexually abusing a minor was never substantiated.

Roger Vaughn
Date of birth: 6/16/1948 (Age 65)
Date of ordination: 1977

Parish assignments:

Crosier Monastery and Seminary, Onamia, 1977-1980. Never assigned to ministry or residence in the archdiocese
Diocese or religious order: Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers)

Date no longer in ministry: 2000
Current location: Yonkers, N.Y.
Current status: Left the Crosier order in 2001

We have not been able to determine why Roger Vaughn was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. There is no record of Vaughn being assigned to ministry or residence in this Archdiocese. He was a priest of the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers) until he left the order in 2001. We do not have knowledge of any claims that Vaughn sexually abused a minor in this archdiocese.

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

MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date:Thursday, December 5, 2013

Source: Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt

Over the last several decades, some clergy members of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis unfortunately have violated the sacred trust placed in them by children, youth and their families by committing acts of sexual abuse.

This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the Church. I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured. You have been on my mind and in my heart as I offer my daily prayers for you.

My staff and I are completely committed to combating the problem of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church. To that end, as I have been communicating to you over the last two months, we are evaluating and improving our policies and practices in our concerted effort to protect children and prevent sexual abuse.

Today, I am announcing the details of our new disclosure practices. These disclosures being made now, and the changes in our disclosure practices generally, are part of a comprehensive and cohesive set of actions we have been taking here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis this fall to address the issues associated with clergy sexual misconduct.

These decisions reflect not only a great deal of my own prayer and reflection, but also wise counsel provided by my staff and other advisers. I also have considered the practices of a number of other dioceses. As we progress with our disclosure, our practices may continue to evolve, including recommendations that may be made by the independent task force or through the review of our clergy files by an outside firm. Please be assured that I will let you know of any changes to the practices that may develop in the future.

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MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (MN)
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

[The archdiocese is having website problems. We have PDF’d the list from the Catholic Spirit digital edition for use until the web page is available from the archdiocese.]

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VATICAN CITY
Catholic Register

Written by Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Thursday, 05 December 2013

VATICAN CITY – For Pope Francis, the reform of the Catholic Church and its structures “isn’t a project, but an exercise of the Spirit” that will take time, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

The cardinal, co-ordinator of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals, which is working on the reform of the Roman Curia and advising him on Church governance, spoke about the Pope and his approach during a Dec. 4 book presentation at the Vatican.

Other cardinals on the council were in attendance as well for the presentation of Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro’s book, La Mia Porta ‘E Sempre Aperta (My Door is Always Open), an expanded version of the interview with Pope Francis published in Jesuit periodicals around the world in September.

Rodriguez said the title of the book could well be the main theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

“The theme of open doors is central to the preaching of Pope Francis,” he said, and signifies an attitude of trusting and welcoming others, but also — as far as Church doors go — refers to the Pope’s insistence that parishes welcome people in and let the Gospel out into the world.

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VATICAN CITY
eNCA

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Thursday formed a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in a landmark initiative after thousands of abuses and cover-ups, but campaigners said the new body would be “toothless”.

While the composition and precise tasks of the committee are yet to be established, the Vatican said it could vet future priests and establish codes of conduct and guidelines for responding to allegations.

It could also propose ways of offering pastoral care to victims of abuse and look at ensuring greater cooperation between religious and lay investigators — a key bone of contention in many of the abuse scandals.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of the eight members of a new council of cardinals set up by Francis to advise him and on whose recommendation the committee is being set up. …

There was immediate support for the move in many parts of the Catholic world, with US priest and blogger Michael Duffy saying: “This is a big deal!”

In Italy, the Famiglia Cristiana weekly said it signalled a “crackdown” by the new pope.

But the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a US campaign group, said the initiative was “meaningless” and just “a toothless church panel”, arguing secular authorities should deal with clergy sex crimes.

“It’s like offering a band aid to an advanced cancer patient,” SNAP director David Clohessy said.

“Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises,” he added.

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UNITED STATES
NBC Chicago

By Mary Ann Ahern | Thursday, Dec 5, 2013

On the day that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis plan to disclose the names of roughly 30 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, the Vatican announced the Pope will form a new international commission to examine this crisis.

The Minnesota archdiocese sent an email to priests Wednesday saying 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest at some point – that’s nearly half of the 188 parishes there. Most of the allegations stem from the 1950s to the 1980s.

As for the new Vatican Commission, the Pope’s spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica told NBC 5 in an email that the commission will be different than the one established in Chicago.

“What is new… it is a commission established by the Vatican at the universal level of the Church,” he said in the email. “What Cardinal Bernardin established was for Chicago.”

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MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson and Associates

December 5, 2013

Sexual Abuse Survivors React to Release of Secret List Containing Names of 33 Priests with Credible Abuse Allegations

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona ordered to release the names of 46 priests

WHAT: At a news conference today in St. Paul, sexual abuse survivors James Keenan, Al Michaud, and David Pususta, along with sexual abuse attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, will respond to the court-ordered release of a list containing the names of 33 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“Today our communities are safer, survivors know that they are not alone, and law enforcement will have more information about the crimes committed within this Archdiocese,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, “we applaud each and every courageous survivor who has broken the silence and fought for this day.”

WHEN: Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 2:00PM CST

WHERE: Law Office of Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street
Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

WHO: James Keenan, a sexual abuse survivor of Thomas Adamson at Risen Savior in Apple Valley, Minnesota; Al Michaud, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. Jerome Kern at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka, Minnesota; David Pususta, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. John Brown at St. Mary’s in Waverly, Minnesota; Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, sexual abuse attorneys based in St. Paul, Minnesota who have represented hundreds of sexual abuse survivors.

Notes:
· Judge Van de North’s Order dated December 3, 2013, and the original Doe 1 complaint can be found on our website at www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Jeff Anderson: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.817.8665
Contact Mike Finnegan: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.205.5531

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SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Victims want accused priest disciplined
He’s accused of raping a pre-teen girl
Catholic officials supposedly “retired him”
But cleric still acts like a priest in public
He was on radio & TV as archdiocesan spokesman
Group urges others he hurt to “come forward & get help”
It also blasts SF church officials for “continued secrecy and inaction”
SNAP: For kids’ safety, Archbishop should put him in secure treatment center

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose that a high-profile predator priest who was supposedly “retired” or “resigned” because of child sexual abuse allegations is still performing priestly functions in public, in violation of church abuse policy. They will urge

— Catholic officials to suspend him, discipline him, and put him in a treatment center,
–disclose any other allegations or settlements against him, and
— “aggressively reach out to anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered his crimes,” prodding them to “call police, expose wrongdoers, and protect others.”

Afterwards, they will try to hand deliver a letter to the SF archbishop urging him to post on his website the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of all predator priests.

WHEN
Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 1 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the San Francisco archdiocesan headquarters 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco CA 94109

WHO
Three-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
In 2002, a very high profile priest, Father Miles O’Brien Riley resigned or was “retired” by San Francisco Catholic officials after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting an eleven year old girl. But he still publicly functions as a priest and calls himself a priest, in what SNAP calls “a clear and egregious violation” of the church’s abuse policy.

According to BishopAccountability.org and news accounts, Fr. Riley is “an author, actor, and former church spokesman who was well-known for his radio ministry and as a fixture on the old God Squad TV show.” The SF Chronicle reports that he has “written many books, produced films and written and directed musical comedies, as well as hosting 1,500 television and 4,000 radio programs.”

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VATICAN CITY
Gazzetta del Sud

Vatican City, December 5 – Pope Francis has decided to set up a special commission to advise him on how the Catholic Church should protect children and help the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy. A panel of eight cardinals who have been advising the pontiff on reforms suggested he set up the commission, the details of which will be described in depth in a forthcoming papal announcement. Officials said the commission will report on the current status of abuse victims, as well as propose clergy and laypersons to oversee the implementation of new initiatives. According the Vatican, those new initiatives will likely include guidelines and standards for the protection of children, training programs, criminal background checks and psychiatric evaluations for those who work with children and minors, and protocols for collaborating with civil authorities and for reporting offenses.

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VATICAN CITY
AFP

Vatican City — Pope Francis on Thursday set up a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and give pastoral care to victims following a recommendation from a council of cardinals he has asked to advise him.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council, who said the precise composition of the new committee will be announced “in the near future”.

O’Malley said the council suggested the new committee on Wednesday and Francis approved it on Thursday, adding that the initiative was also in line with the zero tolerance approach of pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

“The Holy Father has decided to constitute a committee for the protection of children,” O’Malley said.
The committee could come up with codes of professional conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials in individual countries on how to deal with misconduct and checks for would-be priests, O’Malley said.

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VATICAN CITY
Buenos Aires Herald

The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, said.

“Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that,” O’Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.
The commission of experts would “study these issues and bring concrete recommendations” for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

O’Malley was speaking on the third and final day of a series of closed-door meetings between Pope Francis and a special commission of eight cardinals who are discussing the Vatican’s troubled administration.

The commission, named a month after the pope’s election, underlined his determination to push through reforms of the Vatican’s top-heavy administration and tackle festering scandals like the issue of sexual abuse of children by priests.

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VATICAN CITY
The Pilot

By Francis X. Rocca

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis accepted a proposal to set up a special commission on the sexual abuse of children, which will advise him on ways to prevent abuse and provide pastoral care for victims and their families.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, a member of the pope’s advisory Council of Cardinals, announced the decision at a Vatican briefing for reporters Dec. 5, during a break in the council’s meetings with the pope.

The cardinal said the new commission would continue the work of Pope Benedict XVI against clerical sex abuse, and that among its tasks would be to “study the present programs in place for the protection of children, and to come up with suggestions for new initiatives” by the Vatican, in collaboration with national bishops’ conferences and religious orders around the world.

According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Pope Francis heard the proposal on the afternoon of Dec. 4, during the second of three days of meetings with his 8-member Council of Cardinals, and announced his decision to the council the following morning.

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ESPANA
El Mundo

Pese a que al cura de Borja (Zaragoza), Florencio Garcés, el juez le imputa delitos de apropiación indebida, de 185.183,63 euros, y contra la libertad sexual, su pueblo se ha volcado con el sacerdote “casi más que antes”, incluida Cecilia Giménez, la pintora local que hizo los retoques a la ya famosa obra del eccehomo.

El apoyo al cura es de tal envergadura que ya suman tres las concentraciones multitudinarias y “espontáneas”, que se han celebrado en la plaza del pueblo desde el pasado viernes cuando fue detenido el sacerdote, explica a Efe el alcalde, Francisco Miguel Arilla.

Los vecinos de Borja “primero se llevaron mucha sorpresa, porque nadie se iba a imaginar lo que iba a pasar, pero prácticamente el apoyo es total”, describe el alcalde; “incluso más que antes”, agrega.

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SPAIN
UPI

BORJA, Spain, Dec. 5 (UPI) — Police said they arrested a Spanish priest — from a church where a woman defaced a fresco of Jesus while trying to restore it — on sex and fraud charges.

The Rev. Florencio Garces, 70, was one of six men arrested Friday as part of a sting called Operation Thorn Tree, TheLocal.es reported.

He was released after his arrest but was remanded in custody without bail Thursday, Spain’s El Mundo newspaper said.

Garces allegedly embezzled $251,000 from the parish where he worked in Borja in the Zaragoza region.

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VATIKAN
Basler Zeitung

Franziskus bringt seine Reform der katholischen Kirche voran: Ein neues Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Angesichts zahlreicher Fälle von Kindesmissbrauch in der katholischen Kirche setzt Papst Franziskus einen Ausschuss für den Schutz der Kinder ein. Das Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Das teilte der Erzbischof von Boston, Kardinal Sean O’Malley, heute im Vatikan mit. Der Ausschuss soll zum Beispiel über die Situation der Opfer berichten und neue Initiativen erarbeiten. Die Zusammensetzung des Gremiums soll bald bekanntgegeben werden.

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ESPANA
La Informacion

Prisión provisional sin fianza para el cura de Borja por los delitos de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y abuso sexual

* La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual.
* La jueza habría tomado declaración por segunda vez tanto al parroco como a otros cinco testigos, a los que habría decidido dejar en libertad provisional.

La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual, según publica Telecinco en su página web.El cura ha declarado por segunda vez ante la jueza, que ha decidido dejar en libertad provisional a los otros cinco imputados. La parroquia de Borja adquirió fama internacional tras los retoques que una vecina pintora local hizo al Ecce Homo, que se exhibe en una iglesia del pueblo.

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SPAIN
Euro Weekly News

FLORENCIO GARCES, priest in the parish of Borja in Zaragoza has been remanded in custody for an alleged €185,000 fraud and sexual abuse.

The parish shot to international fame when an elderly local lady decided to repaint a picture of Jesus in the church. The unprofessional restoration became a media sensation and international laughing stock, but has since brought thousands of visitors and Euros to the church and town.

Guardia Civil arrested six people in total; five are all from the same family and have been released with charges. Florencio Garcés is currently in prison with no bail, although only a few days ago he had been released with charges.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON DECEMBER 05, 2013

December 5

David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

“Commission,” “survey,” “policies” – these are the words being used to describe the Vatican’s announcement.

Another commission surveying bishops and recommending policies is meaningless. It’s like offering a band aid to an advanced cancer patient.

These crimes and cover ups have gone on for centuries quietly and decades publicly. Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises.

No institution can police itself, especially not an ancient, secretive, rigid, all-male monarchy. Yet that’s what Catholic officials have long claimed and tried to do. This move is more of the same. Rather than show courage and creativity, top Catholic officials are repeating the same self-serving patterns of the past that have proven to be effective public relations but ineffective prevention and healing steps.

Like his predecessors, the pope knows precisely what must be done to protect kids and expose the truth. Like his predecessors, he lacks the strength of character to do it.

Clergy sex crimes should be dealt with by secular authorities. And more of could be if the pope punished bishops who conceal these crimes and ordered bishops to publicly disclose their child molesting clerics. This simple step would immediately make kids safer. But instead, parents and parishioners are being offered yet another toothless church panel.

The pope should also insist that bishops push secular officials to reform archaic barriers to justice like the statute of limitations. This simple step would also make kids safer.

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VATICAN CITY
CNN

By Hada Messia, CNN

Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis is creating a commission to prevent the abuse of minors and to support victims of abuse, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley announced Thursday in Rome.

The new commission is expected to tell church officials to collaborate with civil authorities and report cases of abuse, O’Malley said.

But he also said that the church has focused on the judicial aspect of sexual abuse in the past — and that Pope Francis wants to focus on the pastoral side, and caring for victims.

The Pope has not yet chosen the members of the new commission but it will be international in composition and include experts, O’Malley added.

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VATICAN CITY
The Tablet (UK)

Pope Francis to set up Vatican commission for child protection and care of victims of abuse by priests

05 December 2013 13:20 by Christopher Lamb

Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican commission devoted to child protection and the pastoral care of victims of sexual abuse by priests, it was announced today.

The commission will look at child protection programmes across the worldwide Church and work with dioceses to encourage best practice.

According to the US-based Catholic News Service, it will advise the Pope on improving the safeguarding of children and pastoral care to the victims of abuse.

It will also focus on the way candidates for the priesthood are screened, the formation of priests, and safeguarding codes of conduct.

The new commission was announced by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of Pope Francis’ eight-member Council of Cardinals, at a press conference in the Vatican.

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VATICAN CITY
swissinfo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, said on Thursday.

“Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that,” O’Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.

The commission of experts would “study these issues and bring concrete recommendations” for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

O’Malley was speaking on the third and final day of a series of closed-door meetings between Pope Francis and a special commission of eight cardinals who are discussing the Vatican’s troubled administration.

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VATICAN CITY
Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis (above) is to set up a Vatican child protection commission to combat child abuse, it was announced this morning.

Following a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston said that Pope Francis had accepted the cardinals’ proposal for a special commission established for the protection of children. Cardinal O’Malley said that the commission will survey child protection programmes and work with bishops and religious.

The commission will include lay people and will focus on supporting victims of abuse and advising the Pope on prevention policies and pastoral outreach for victims. The Vatican commission will look at guidelines in place, priestly formation programmes, codes of conduct and screening candidates for the priesthood. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s role in investigating and trying accused priests won’t change.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis has ordered the creation of a new commission in the church’s central bureaucracy tasked with advising the pontiff on safeguarding children from sex abuse and working pastorally with abuse victims, the Vatican said Thursday.

Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the lone American serving among the eight cardinals advising the pope on church reform, announced the new group at a press briefing. Creation of the new commission, he said, came at the suggestion of the cardinals’ group, known formally as the Council of Cardinals.

While O’Malley said the pope has not determined the specifics of how the commission will function or where it will fit into the Vatican’s bureaucracy, the cardinal said it is to be composed of an international range of experts and is to focus on the pastoral aspect of the continuing clergy sex abuse crisis.

“Up to now, there’s been so much focus on the judicial parts of this, but the pastoral response of the church is very, very important and the Holy Father is concerned about that,” said O’Malley.

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VATICAN CITY
Clarion-Ledger

by Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis is assembling a panel of experts to advise him on sex abuse in the clergy – a task that will involve looking at how to protect children from pedophiles, how to better screen men for the priesthood and how to help victims who have already been harmed.

But it remains unclear if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.

Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O’Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives for both the Holy See to implement inside the Vatican City State and for bishops to implement around the world.

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VATICAN CITY
Catholic Herald (UK)

Pope Francis will set up a Vatican child protection commmission in order to combat child abuse, it was announced this morning.

Following a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican, Cardinal Sean O’Malley told reporters that Pope Francis had accepted the cardinals’ proposal for a special commission established for the protection of children.

According to Catholic News Service, Cardinal O’Malley said that the commission will survey child protection programmes and work with bishops and religious.

The commission will include lay people and will focus aswell on supporting victims of abuse and advising the Pope on prevention polcies and pastoral outreach for victims.

The Vatican commission will look at guidelines in place, priestly formation programs, codes of conduct and screening candidates for the priesthood.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 5 December 2013 (VIS) – This morning’s briefing on the work of the Council of Cardinals involved the extraordinary participation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, who communicated the Pope’s approval of a proposal submitted by the eight cardinals – the creation of a Commission for the protection of minors.

“Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse. Specifically, the Commission will study present programmes in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, etc.

“The composition and competences of the Commission will be indicated shortly, with more details from the Holy Father in an appropriate document”.

The Cardinal went on to mention lines of action for the future Commission: guidelines for the protection of children, the development and extension of norms, procedures and strategies for the protection of children and the prevention of abuse of minors, educational programmes for children, parents, and all those who work with minors, guidelines for catechists, and for the formation of seminarians, the ongoing formation of priests, protocols for environmental safety codes of professional conduct, proof of suitability for priestly ministry, screening and checking of previous offences, the state of action of requests for psychiatric evaluation, co-operation with the civil authorities, reporting of crimes, compliance with civil law, communications regarding clergy declared guilty, pastoral care for victims and their families, spiritual assistance, mental health services, collaboration with experts in the research and development of the prevention of abuse of minors, psychology, sociology, legal sciences; collaboration with bishops and religious superiors, optimisation of procedures, implementation of laws and guidelines, relations with the faithful and with means of communication, encounters with victims, supervision and rehabilitation of clergy guilty of abuse.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., subsequently communicated that the work of the Council, which will be concluded this afternoon, continued its examination of the various congregations of the Roman Curia yesterday and this morning.

“The Pope participated in the meetings held yesterday afternoon and this morning”, said Fr. Lombardi, clarifying that Pope Francis is well and that yesterday’s meeting with the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola, who accompanied a delegation from EXPO MILAN 2015, was cancelled as the Holy Father was tired following the general audience celebrated in St. Peter’s Square and therefore preferred to postpone the event to a more suitable occasion.

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UNITED STATES
Pope Crimes & Vatican Evils…

Paris Arrow

TOP 10 BEST NEWS from Australia on the JP2 Army. Pope Francis new Apostolic letter is reminiscent of John Paul II’s Luminous Mysteries

We would like to thank Australia’s finest journalists for giving us comprehensive news on the heinous crimes committed by the JP2 Army in Australia – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army of Biblical Proportions named aptly after the longest reigned pope who said nothing and did nothing to save and protect children during his world trotting years as John Paul II “the Great”.

We also compare Pope Francis’ new Apostolic letter Evangelii Gaudium or Joy of the Gospel which us Pope Francis’ answer to Australia’s Victoria Inquiry…just like Luminous Mysteries was John Paul II’s answer to USA’s Boston pedophile priests in 2002

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NEW YORK
Niagara Gazette

Channel 4 News
Niagara Gazette

A small group of Community Fellowship Church members accompanied their pastor into Town of Yates Court on Wednesday night in a show of support.

The Rev. Roy Harriger Sr. is facing charges of molesting children.

About eight members of the Community Fellowship Church in the Town of Hartland accompanied the 70-year-old pastor into Town of Yates Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges of incest and sodomy of a young boy and girl about 12 years ago.

Harriger is free on bail after posting a quarter million dollars bail last week. His supporters have a hard time believing the charges against him.

Supporter Donna Kidney does not believe the allegations.

“He’ll bend over backwards to help people and I think these charges are ridiculous,” she told Channel 4 News. “I know he did not do it. He’s innocent. I know in my spirit that he’s innocent.”

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NEW YORK
WKBW

[with video]

By Kendra Eaglin

December 5, 2013

With his attorney, wife and other supporters by his side 70 year old Roy Harriger Sr. entered the Town of Yates courthouse Wednesday night leaving all the talking to his attorney who made an interesting comment.

“Eyewitness News reporter: Do you have any comments tonight before you go in?”

“Attorney Larry Koss: I hope Michigan State beats North Carolina.”

Harriger pleaded not guilty to felony sexual conduct, sodomy and incest. These charges surround incidents between 2000 and 2001 involving Harriger’s own grandchildren who now live in Pennsylvania.

“I would have never thought in my lifetime that he would’ve done this,” said Teresa Harriger, mother of the two victims.

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NEW YORK
WHEC

An Orleans County pastor has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of felony sex abuse.

Revered Roy Harriger was charged with several charges of incest, sexual conduct and sodomy. Our NBC affiliate in Buffalo WGRZ reports that he pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a Niagara County court.

Harriger was arrested in November after a possible victim came forward, and the investigation lead police to several other possible victims.

Investigators say there may be crimes dating back to the 1970’s, but Harriger can only be charged with the claims from two of the victims, a man and a woman, who claim the abuse happened between 2000 and 2001.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

IVAN YATES – 05 DECEMBER 2013

As a Wexford TD, I came to know and like Bishop Brendan Comiskey, appointed Bishop of Ferns in April 1984. I was extremely friendly with two priests of the diocese. I enjoyed dinner parties at which Brendan was also a guest. All three men were strong advocates of ecumenism, pioneering new protocols for mixed marriages.

When allegations first emerged of clerical sex abuse, my instinct was one of sympathy and support for the bishop’s handling of the matter. Eventually, Comiskey had to resign in 2002 for his stewardship of deviant priests such as Father Sean Fortune.

My judgment was proven mistaken as events unfolded. He tried to handle matters through internal church procedures, rather than as overt criminal activity requiring instant referral to the gardai and judicial processes.

The conviction and jailing of Liam Adams in Belfast for repeated rape and abuse of his daughter Aine last week reminded me of parallels between Gerry Adams and Brendan Comiskey. Much can be undone by a serious error of judgment. For a period of nine years (2000 to 2009), Adams did not tell the police what he knew from his brother about his guilt. He treated this information as a private family matter.

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NETHERLANDS
Reuters

By Tom Heneghan DECEMBER 3, 2013

Dutch bishops visiting Rome this week have given Pope Francis a dramatic snapshot of the steep decline of Roman Catholicism in its European heartland.

Both Catholic and Protestant Christian ranks have shrunk dramatically across Europe in recent decades, and hundreds of churches have been sold off to be turned into apartments, shops, bars or warehouses.

In the Netherlands, churches have been closing at a rate of one or two a week. The bishops told the pope in Rome on Monday that about two-thirds of all Roman Catholic churches in the Netherlands would have to be shut or sold by 2025, and many parishes merged, because congregations and finances were “in a long-term shrinking process”.

Their five-yearly report blamed a “drastic secularization” of society, although a critical group of Dutch lay Catholics said the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests, which has afflicted many Catholic dioceses around the world, had also driven many people away, as had the closures themselves.

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CALIFORNIA
The Record

By The Record
December 05, 2013

These are difficult times for the Diocese of Stockton – not just the entity, but the thousands of parishoners, too.

Stating that the diocese is out of options, Bishop Stephen Blaire penned a letter to the quarter million parishoners in six counties that a final decision on bankruptcy could come after the first of the year.

The financial situation is dire. It was preventable.

The Chapter 11 protection is needed because the diocese has been drained financially from settlements for sex-abuse lawsuits involving priests. Through 2010, the diocese had settled 22 cases at a cost of $18.7 million.

There could be more cases pending. “We have no apparent way to meet the expenses of pending lawsuits and possible future claims,” the bishop said in an earlier letter.

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MINNESOTA
Fox 9

[with video]

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will comply with a court order to name priests who have been sued, criminally charged, or publicly identified in a child sex abuse case by releasing a list of names and locations where each credibly accused priest worked.

Some Catholics in the metro area may be in for a shock because half of the parishes in the state — 92 of 188 — have been notified that at least one of the men touched by the sex abuse scandal was assigned to their church.

“It’s going to shock them — the level and depth of clergy abuse that surrounds them,” Bob Schwiderski, of the victims’ advocacy group SNAP, said.

For some parishes, like St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, Minn., multiple priests allegedly passed through — including Father Clarence Vavra, now 74, who admitted to molesting several boys in the 1970s at the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

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MINNESOTA
KARE

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is preparing its priests for the release of a list of 29 priests who it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92 of the 188 — of the parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests today by Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop’s top deputy.

The archdiocese plans to release the names on its website Thursday. It will also release each priest’s birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it will also provide the year of death. The planned disclosure comes after Ramsey County Judge John Van de North ordered the archdiocese on Monday to release the names of all priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse who had been included on a sealed list by Dec. 17. The 33 names were disclosed to attorneys in a 2009 clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, but a judge had ordered they remain private.

A spokesman for the archdiocese said the list will not include four of the 33 names. Three of the priests have allegations against them that church officials believe to be unsubstantiated, Tom Wieser, an attorney for the archdiocese, said Monday. The other priest’s name is not being released because there is no record that he served in the archdiocese, Wieser said.

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MINNESOTA
The Republic

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press
December 05, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — In response to months of criticism and allegations that church leaders mishandled cases of clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said it planned Thursday to disclose the names of at least 29 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has been under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases were handled, said last month that he would reveal the priests’ names to show that he is committed to transparency and the safety of youth. But those familiar with similar cases say publishing the list is unlikely to do much to restore church leaders’ credibility.

“I think it’s going to be hard for him to really win back public opinion in this, because it has been such a long time,” said Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org.

In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public.

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LOS ANGELES (CA)
Digital Journal

By Brett Wilkins
Dec 4, 2013

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Times has published extensive details chronicling Cardinal Roger Mahony’s complicity in a massive child sex abuse scandal involving hundreds of priests and other clergy members.

The Times’ lengthy report is based on more than 23,000 pages of internal documents from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which was presided over by Archbishop Mahony for nearly a quarter century until his retirement in 2010. The article details Mahony’s active involvement in covering up clergy sex abuse and protecting pedophile priests from prosecution, going back to 1986, his first year as archbishop, when a priest told him he molested two boys.

That priest, Father Michael Baker, raped or molested at least 23 boys, some as young as five years old, over the course of 26 years. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years behind bars in 2007. But long before that, Mahony decided to not report Baker to police. Instead, the archbishop sent him for ‘treatment’ in New Mexico. After completing therapy, Baker was welcomed back into the fold. He continued to abuse children for many years.

The Times article details how Mahony repeatedly refused to report child-raping clergy to police, transferring criminal abusers out of state to avoid investigations. Many of those transferred clergy continued to rape and molest children.

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CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times

Join Times reporters Ashley Powers and Victoria Kim for an L.A. Now Live chat at 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss their series on Cardinal Roger Mahony and his role in the Catholic Church’s child abuse sex scandal.

FULL STORY: Clergy abuse cases were a threat to agenda

Powers, Kim and reporter Harriet Ryan examined Mahony’s role and actions in a two-day series of stories.

They wrote:

In the child sex abuse scandal that has shaken the Catholic Church, Mahony is a singular figure.
He became the leader of America’s largest archdiocese at the very moment the church was being forced to confront clergy molestation. Because he was just 49 when he took office, he was in power for the entire arc of the abuse crisis. Long after peers had retired or died, Mahony was around to face the public’s wrath. Because of the unique way abuse lawsuits played out in California, his files on molesters became public while in most other corners of the church, they remain under lock and key. …

Readers can submit questions live during the chat or by tweeting @lanow.

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CANADA
Straight

FREELANCE WRITER Laura Robinson has applied for a judicial order to force former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong to set aside $100,000 as security for costs in a defamation suit.

The application, which was filed by Bryan Baynham of Harper Grey LLP, seeks to have the funds provided in cash or through a letter of credit to the district registrar in B.C. Supreme Court.

It’s scheduled to be heard on Monday (December 9).

“I am concerned that Mr. Furlong will not have assets in British Columbia to pay an award of costs after trial,” Robinson said in a December 3 news release. “Based on a search of the Land Titles Office, Mr. Furlong does not own real property in British Columbia.”

Furlong is suing Robinson for defamation in connection with an article she wrote in the Georgia Straight in September 2012, as well as for an email she sent two months later to Own The Podium, which Furlong chairs. The feature article revealed that Furlong arrived in Burns Lake in 1969 as a missionary and volunteer teacher at a Catholic school with a large aboriginal population.

Eight former students have sworn affidavits alleging that they experienced or witnessed verbal or physical abuse from Furlong. He has publicly declared that this abuse never happened and alleged that Robinson has a “vendetta” against him, which she has denied.

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COLORADO
Daily Camera

By Mitchell Byars, Camera Staff Writer
POSTED: 12/04/2013

Boulder police have ticketed VineLife’s senior pastor Walt Roberson for failing to report alleged sexual abuse of a child by his son, Jason Allen Roberson, a youth pastor at the church.

Walt Roberson was issued the summons on Nov. 25, according to Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel. Four other church officials — Executive Pastor Robert Phillip Young, 65, Pastor Luke Michael Humbrecht, 30, and church elders Edward Charles Bennell, 65, and Warren Lloyd Williams, 66 — were also ticketed back in early November, but Walt Roberson was out of the country at the time and so could not be issued a summons, Kobel said.

Jason Roberson, 35, is facing six felony charges in relation to the alleged abuse after Danielle DesGeorges, 24, went to police in April and told investigators that she and Roberson had an inappropriate relationship that began when she was 15 and continued for seven years.

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KENTUCKY
WKYT

HARRISON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – a former Cynthiana youth minister has been indicted on sex charges.

State Police say a Harrison County Grand Jury indicted 25-year-old Brent Smith on 14 counts, including rape, sexual abuse, and using someone younger than 16-years-old in a sexual performance.

Police say the victims were female teenagers in Smith’s church program.

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CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
RT

El Vaticano se ha negado a proporcionar a un comité de derechos de Naciones Unidas información sobre las investigaciones internas en materia del abuso sexual de menores por parte del clero.

Según informa Reuters, en respuesta a una serie de preguntas del Comité de los Derechos del Niño (CRC) la Santa Sede dijo que no revelaría información sobre sus investigaciones internas a menos que sea requerida por una solicitud de un Estado o de un Gobierno como parte de procedimientos legales.

La Santa Sede, que seguirá siendo interrogada directamente por el grupo especial en enero de 2014, será seguida de cerca mientras trata de poner punto final a los escándalos financieros y de abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes que han dañado la reputación de la Iglesia Católica Romana en todo el mundo.

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MINNESOTA
Enquirer-Herald

BY AMY FORLITI
Associated PressDecember 4, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly half the parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been served by priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor.

In an email sent Wednesday to priests and parish leaders, the archdiocese said 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest assigned to them at some point. The email, obtained by The Associated Press, was designed to brace parish leaders for Thursday’s disclosure of the names of at least 29 priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.

There are currently 188 parishes in the archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics. There were 213 parishes in 2010, before several merged.

The affected parishes were notified in a separate email. The main email offers reassurances to others, saying if they didn’t receive a notification, “that means that none of the men who will be disclosed this week were ever assigned at your parish in the past.”

The number isn’t shocking, said Mike Finnegan, an attorney who has worked on several clergy abuse cases.

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VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Lizzy Davies in Rome
theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 December 2013

The Vatican has refused to give a United Nations panel information it requested on clerical sex abuse, in a move that it said was part of its confidentiality policy but which was criticised as “a slap in the face” for victims.

In a series of questions asked in the runup to a public hearing scheduled for January, the UN committee on the rights of the child had requested the Holy See provide details of abuse cases and specific information concerning their subsequent investigation and handling.

But, in its response, the Holy See said that although it had answered the questions in a general way, it was not its practice to disclose information on specific cases unless requested to do so by another country as part of legal proceedings.

In the 24-page document, the Holy See said it had been “deeply saddened by the scourge of sexual abuse” and regretted the involvement of some members of the Catholic clergy.

It added that it had “amended norms” regarding the suitability of candidates for the priesthood, and had taken other steps including the revision of some canon law rules “to ensure that clerics and religious are properly disciplined”.

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MINNESOTA
CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is bracing parish priests and leaders for its upcoming disclosure of a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

In an email sent to priests Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the archdiocese says 92 parishes have had at least one priest on the list assigned to them at some point.

Those parishes were notified in an email last week that they would be affected.

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MINNESOTA
KSTP

By: Scott Theisen

The Diocese of Winona says it will comply with a judge’s order and release a list of 13 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

A Ramsey County judge on Monday ordered the Winona diocese and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to release the names of accused clergy by Dec. 17.

KAGE Radio reports Bishop John Quinn says the Winona diocese will cooperate with the judge’s order.

In a statement, Quinn says the diocese “is committed to the protection of children and the safe environment of our parishes, schools and greater communities.”

The Winona Daily News reports the exact date and procedure for releasing the information has not yet been determined.

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UNITED STATES
Huffington Post

Religion News Service | By David Gibson
Posted: 12/04/2013

(RNS) Pope Francis has spent his first nine months buoyed by a wave of good will and positive coverage generated by his disarming style and frank talk about the need to reform the Catholic Church. But the pontiff may be in for a rough patch as media attention begins to shift to an issue that has bedeviled Rome for more than a decade: the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

The pope himself put the spotlight on the crisis this week when he told bishops visiting from the Netherlands — where a 2011 report found that more than 20,000 children may have been abused in past decades — to support victims “along their painful path of healing.”

But critics said that the pontiff’s comments seemed almost perfunctory, coming at the end of a prepared speech that he handed to the bishops before they met privately for 90 minutes to discuss the grim prospects for Dutch Catholicism.

Moreover, the brevity of Francis’ remarks, their careful phrasing and the lack of any direct apology stood in pointed contrast to his powerful statements on issues such as economic justice and the need for the church to preach mercy and strip itself of pretensions.

Francis has also captivated the public by embracing disfigured pilgrims at the Vatican, cold-calling the downtrodden and washing the feet of young people at a detention center, but he has yet to meet with abuse victims.

“The world is starting to wonder if Pope Francis has forgotten the crisis,” Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org said after Francis’ meeting with the Dutch bishops on Monday (Dec. 2).

The pope, she said, “must address publicly the problems of clergy sexual abuse and its mismanagement with the same candor he has shown on a range of topics, from homosexuality to mediocre homilies. He has shown zest in ridding the Vatican of financial corruption. He must apply the same energy and determination toward ridding the church of bishops who have enabled abuse.”

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 4, 2013

ROME The new archbishop serving in the post traditionally considered one of the most powerful in the Vatican said Wednesday he knows Pope Francis intends to reform his office but not what those reforms might entail.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, who took over as the Vatican’s secretary of state Oct. 15, said the pope and the group of eight cardinals advising him on church reform have made clear they are looking at reforms to his office, which has typically controlled both the diplomatic and political functions of the Vatican.

“I don’t know if it’s a different name or if they want to give it a new structure,” Parolin told members of the press Wednesday on the sidelines of a book release event a few blocks east of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“The important thing is for it to become a structure that is at the service of the pope as it has always been, but that it can be enhanced,” he said.

The event Wednesday was for a new book-length version of the wide-ranging interview between Pope Francis and an Italian Jesuit priest, printed in September by 16 Jesuit publications around the world. The book, La mia porta è sempre aperta (“My door is always open”), was released in November by a publishing house that also owns one of Italy’s largest newspapers.

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UNITED STATES
Y108

By Robert Ham

The Season — you know, the one that ‘Tis — has officially begun, and with it comes the overwhelming flood of holiday music, old and new, upon our tender, frostbitten ears. If that weren’t enough, the rush to capture the attention of potential customers is faster than ever with many Noël-themed releases arriving on the physical and virtual shelves of retailers as early as October. Although it’s easier than ever to sort through the deluge to find the gems amid the lumps of coal, if you still have questions about what album to use to soundtrack your holiday festivities, allow us to provide some answers with five must-have collections (on the Nice List) and five to send back to Santa (on the Naughty List). You know, like the song. …

NICE

Bad Religion – Christmas Songs (Epitaph)
Release date: 10/29/13

Once you’ve wiped the cognitive dissonance out of your eyes upon seeing that a band named Bad Religion is giving their SoCal pop-punk attack over to a collection of Christmas covers, you’ll hopefully be ready to give this nine-song album a fair shake. Not only because the group is donating a portion of their profits to The SNAP Network, the Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests, but also simply because it’s a blast to hear “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Little Drummer Boy” spun out with such fury and fire. True to form, the band gets the last word in, tacking a version of their well-known original “American Jesus” on to the end.

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MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

by Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio,
Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
December 4, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is preparing its priests for the release of a list of 29 priests who it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92 of the 188 — of the parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests today by Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop’s top deputy.

The archdiocese plans to release the names on its website Thursday. It will also release each priest’s birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it will also provide the year of death. The planned disclosure comes after Ramsey County Judge John Van de North ordered the archdiocese on Monday to release the names of all priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse who had been included on a sealed list by Dec. 17. The 33 names were disclosed to attorneys in a 2009 clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, but a judge had ordered they remain private.

A spokesman for the archdiocese said the list will not include four of the 33 names. Three of the priests have allegations against them that church officials believe to be unsubstantiated, Tom Wieser, an attorney for the archdiocese, said Monday. The other priest’s name is not being released because there is no record that he served in the archdiocese, Wieser said.

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AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net

The submission of the Australian Human Rights Commission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse indicates it has limited experience of both child sexual abuse complaints, and of the Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” process which is to be the subject of hearings beginning on 9th December.

It points out that there are certain articles in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which are particularly pertinent to the handling of child sexual abuse complaints. These are articles 19,34,39,12 and 3.

Articles 19, 34 and 39 of the CRC oblige Australia to take all appropriate measures to protect children from sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by:

1. Implementing mechanisms to report abuse against children

2. Providing clear guidance and training on when and how to refer the issue of abuse to the responsible agency

3. Investigating instances of abuse

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

Article by: RICHARD MERYHEW , Star Tribune Updated: December 4, 2013

E-mail notices says there are 92 parishes where at least one priest on the list was assigned.

In a heads-up to parish priests and administrators, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Wednesday sent an e-mail to all clergy and church trustees preparing them for the disclosure of its list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The e-mail, from Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, did not identify how many priests would be on the list, which the archdiocese has said it plans to release Thursday.

Lachowitzer, however, wrote that the archdiocese has mailed notices to 92 parishes where at least one priest on the list had been assigned at one point during his career.

“We expect that most parishes will receive these letters by the end of the day Wednesday, but some may arrive on Thursday,” Lachowitzer said.

Wednesday’s e-mail follows a ruling earlier this week by a Ramsey County district judge ordering the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona to release the names of 46 priests accused of sexually abusing minors by Dec. 17.

The Twin Cities archdiocese has held secret the names of 33 credibly accused abusers since it compiled the list in 2004 and won a 2009 ruling allowing the list to remain private. In court Monday, archdiocesan officials said they were prepared to identify 29 of the 33 priests, but Judge John Van de North ordered all 33 identified by Dec. 17.

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UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on December 4, 2013

All of the cool cats are doin’ it this season!

The Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy is sloggin’ through the courts, complete with mysterious monetary maneuvers, secret payouts and cardinal denials that would make St. Peter blush. And that’s just the beginning.

In the Diocese of Gallup, the 341 meeting with creditors is scheduled for December 19. This first big public hearing is the chance for creditors (in this case, victims of abuse) to ask questions of Bishop Wall and his attorneys about the bankruptcy. In other dioceses, such as Wilmington, Delaware, these hearings have been a window into the soul of the diocese.

From the Associated Press‘ coverage of the Wilmington 341 hearing:

But [Wilmington Diocese CFO Joseph] Corsini drew a hostile reaction when, in response to a question from a victims’ attorney about the diocese’s assets and liabilities, said he was looking at “a roomful of liabilities” [referring to the victims in the courtroom]. He quickly apologized for the remark.

Now, the Diocese of Stockton is doing the pre-bankruptcy dance. Saying that “no viable option has emerged other than reorganizing financially under the protection of bankruptcy court,” Stockton Bishop Stephen Blaire announced that the California diocese will probably declare bankruptcy after the first of the year.

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UNITED STATES
ECPAT

For victims of child pornography the abuse continues, even after the primary abuser has been caught and prosecuted. This is because images and video of children being sexually abused are often shared between thousands of people online.

Amy* is a victim of child pornography living in the United States. When she was just nine years old, Amy was raped by her uncle, who documented and shared the abuse online. Now a young adult, Amy receives a court notification when someone has been arrested for viewing sexual abuse materials of her. These notifications arrive almost every day.

“It is hard to describe what it feels like to know that at any moment, anywhere, someone is looking at pictures of me as a little girl being abused by my uncle and is getting some kind of sick enjoyment from it,” Amy wrote in a victim impact statement. “It’s like I am being abused over and over and over again.”

Amy is seeking compensation for the damages she has suffered as a result of her images being viewed. In January, the US Supreme Court will decide what amount of compensation Amy is entitled to from the men who viewed her abuse.

ECPAT International, in partnership with ECPAT-USA, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Doyle Randall Paroline v. Amy Unknown and United States. ECPAT’s brief aims to give some background for the Court on the context of online child pornography, including the global scale of the problem, the harm caused to the victims, and the international legal framework in this area. ECPAT asks the Court to rule in favour of Amy, giving victims of child sexual exploitation in the United States the right to restitution from their abuser(s).

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VATIKAN
KIPA

New York, 4.12.13 (Kipa) Der Vatikanstaat arbeitet derzeit an einem eigenen Kinderschutzprogramm. Das geht aus einer Stellungnahme des Heiligen Stuhls gegenüber dem Kinderrechtskomitee der Vereinten Nationen (UNCRC) hervor. Laut dem Schreiben des Staatssekretariates, das auf den 25. November datiert und jetzt im Dokumentationsdienst der Vereinten Nationen veröffentlicht wurde, soll bis Ende 2014 ein entsprechendes Dokument verabschiedet werden. Eine Anpassung des vatikanischen Strafrechts an internationale Kinderschutznormen sei derzeit in Prüfung.

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VATIKAN
Frankfurter Allgemeine

04.12.2013 · Der Heilige Stuhl hat einen Fragenkatalog der UN nach Maßnahmen gegen Kindesmissbrauch in der Kirche nicht fristgerecht beantwortet. Gleichwohl tritt er dem Vorwurf entgegen, sich hinter „juristischen Formalitäten“ zu verschanzen.

Von JÖRG BREMER, ROM

Der Heilige Stuhl in Rom will doch auf den Fragenkatalog des UN-Ausschusses für die Rechte von Kindern bei der Menschenrechtskommission in Genf antworten, mit dem dieses Gremium die Vergehen pädophiler Geistlicher in aller Welt an ihren Schutzbefohlenen untersuchen will. Das sagte am Mittwoch Monsignore Massimo De Gregori von der ständigen Vertretung des Heiligen Stuhls bei der UN-Menschenrechtskommission in Genf. Er wies damit eine Meldung der BBC vom Vortag zurück. Allerdings habe man den Abgabetermin am 1. November nicht einhalten können. Doch die ersten Fragen seien schon bearbeitet worden, und die übrigen Antworten kämen rechtzeitig vor der Anhörung Mitte Januar.

Die BBC hatte am Dienstag mit Berufung auf die „National Secular Society“ britischer Humanisten berichtet, der Vatikan weise die Beantwortung zurück und verberge sich dabei hinter „juristischen Formalitäten“.

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MINNESOTA
Die Tagespost

Minnesota (DT/KNA) Das katholische Erzbistum St. Paul und Minneapolis darf die Namen von 46 des sexuellen Missbrauchs beschuldigten Priestern veröffentlichen. Auf gerichtliche Anweisung sind neben den Namen und dem Geburtsdatum auch das Jahr der Priesterweihe, bisherige Einsatzorte, die aktuelle Tätigkeit und die Wohnadresse zu publizieren, wie die Tageszeitung „Star Tribune“ (Dienstag) berichtet. Dafür setzte das Distriktgericht in Ramsey County eine Frist bis 17. Dezember. Das Erzbistum begrüßte der Zeitung zufolge die Entscheidung. Die Namen würden Donnerstag auf der Bistumswebsite und in der Kirchenzeitung aufgelistet.

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ITALIEN
Tageszeitung

von Artur Oberhofer

Roland Riz will das Urteil nicht kommentieren, der Professor sagt nur: „Ich freue mich für die Kurie.”

Am Oberlandesgericht in Bozen hat es am Mittwoch einen Paukenschlag gegeben: Das Oberlandesgericht hat nämlich die Vollstreckbarkeit des Urteils im Fall Don Giorgio Carli ausgesetzt.

Um was geht es?

Die Erste Sektion der Abteilung für Zivilsachen am Landesgericht in Bozen hatte im August die Diözese Bozen-Brixen bzw. die Pfarrei San Pio X. zur Zahlung des Schadenersatzes im Fall Don Giorgio Carli verurteilt.

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UNITED KINGDOM
National Secular Society

Posted: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 17:11 by Terry Sanderson

Did you know that the Pope “sneaks out” of the Vatican at night dressed as an ordinary priest so that he can minister to the homeless and destitute on the streets of Rome?

Isn’t it marvellous?

Did you know that Pope Francis once worked as a bouncer at a nightclub?

How wonderful – he’s just like one of us – a working man.

As the propaganda piles up, Pope Francis basks in the adulation of the uncritical masses.

But wait. What’s this? The sex abuse scandal that so tormented his predecessor seems to be emerging again after being swept under the rug during Francis’s honeymoon period.

The Holy See (the political wing of the Vatican) has at last responded to questions put to it by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child about the global issue of child rape by priests.

Or, more accurately, it has not responded. It says that it has nothing to do with what goes on in the dioceses and parishes of its churches. Therefore it cannot be held responsible in any way for the unspeakable things that some of its priests do to defenceless children.

And just when the Vatican thought it had distracted us from the horrors that thousands of its priests have perpetrated, it all starts slithering back again.

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CANADA
National Post

Charles Lewis | 04/12/13

The BBC is reporting that the Vatican has rebuffed a United Nations request for information concerning sexual abuse.

The Vatican, the report says, insist that the only valid jurisdictions are the ones where the alleged abuse took place.

“The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See — the city state’s diplomatic entity — last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all sexual abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995,” the BBC reported.

“The questions included whether priests, nuns and monks guilty of sexual crime were allowed to remain in contact with children, what legal action had been taken against them, whether the Church required clergy to report abuse to secular authorities and whether complainants were silenced.”

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MINNESOTA
Winona Post

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

By Chris Rogers

On Monday, a St. Paul judge ordered the Diocese of Winona to release a list of names of 13 priests or former priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. That list includes five living priests from the Winona Diocese, none of whom are currently serving the church, and eight deceased priests, according to diocesan officials. Winona Diocese leaders indicated Tuesday they would comply with the court order.

The attorney seeking the release, Jeff Anderson, called the ruling a “turning point” for justice in priest abuse cases. Officials from the diocese said that the release might condemn accused individuals without a fair trial.

The diocese created the list in 2004 and argued against its release on Monday, as well as during previous court proceedings. The order requires the diocese to release the names, city of residence, ordination date, and assignment history of the 13 priests by December 17, and the same information by January 6, 2014, for any priests who have been credibly accused since 2004. The archdiocese of St. Paul is also required to release a list of 33 priests under the order. The lists are of “credibly accused” priests as determined by the diocese and archdiocese. The priests have not necessarily been found guilty. Diocese of Winona Director of Mission Advancement Joel Hennessy said that he was not privy to all instances of credible accusations since 2004, but acknowledged one such case involving a priest in Blue Earth. According to a Pioneer Press report, Father Leo Koppala was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. A statement from Bishop John Quinn said that the diocese had not received any reports of sexual misconduct by Koppala prior to his arrest in that incident.

“There may not be a shocking number of new names” revealed in the list, but even one is incredibly important to victims and to public safety, said Anderson.

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CANADA
Nunatsiaq Online

DAVID MURPHY

Lieve Halsberghe tracked down the disgraced Belgian priest Eric Dejaeger and helped bring him to trial in Nunavut.

Now, she’s going after another priest accused of historic sex crimes — because of a promise she made to the late Marius Tungilik, whose lifelong struggle with childhood trauma finally ended a year ago, in December 2012, with his sudden death.

“I wanted to go to France to confront this man with this before [Joannis Rivoire] dies because that’s a promise I made to Marius,” Halsberghe said.

Fugitive priest Father Joannis Rivoire faces four charges related to his time spent in Nunavut starting in the 1960s. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 1998, but not much has happened since.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 4 December 2013 (VIS) – The Autorita di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding with its German Counterpart, the Zentralstelle fur Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

The Memorandum was signed in the Vatican by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president of the AIF, and Michael Dewald, director of the Zentralstelle fur Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is standard practice and formalises the co-operation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organisation of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

“This Memorandum is strengthening AIF’s international reach and further integrates the Holy See and Vatican City State with a co-ordinated global effort to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism”, said AIF director Rene Bruelhart. “Today’s signing underlines our fruitful relationship and will further facilitate our joint efforts”.

The AIF became a member of the Egmont Group earlier in July this year and signed in the last months MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of the U.S.A., Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands. More are expected to be signed in the course of the coming months.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 4 December 2013 (VIS) – The meetings of the Council of Cardinals continued, as planned, yesterday afternoon with the participation of the Holy Father.

“The work of the Council took place in an environment of great serenity, with an open and cordial exchange between all participants”, communicated the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.

“As mentioned yesterday morning, the new secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin was invited to the afternoon session to greet the members who wished him well in his new role, and in to establish contract in the hope of fruitful collaboration in the service of the Holy Father for the governance of the Church.

“This morning the Holy Father was not present due to the regular Wednesday general audience, but work continued as usual. The council considered the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia in turn (for example, the Causes of Saints, Catholic Education, Evangelisation of Peoples and so on).

“It is possible that during the meetings scheduled for these days, a first round of considerations on the Congregations may be completed, to be followed by an examination of the Pontifical Councils and the other dicasteries.

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National Catholic Reporter

Ken Briggs | Dec. 4, 2013 NCR Today

POPE FRANCIS: UNTYING THE KNOTS
By Paul Vallely
Published by Bloomsbury Continuum, $20.95

Well into Paul Vallely’s absorbing portrait of the show-stopping new pope, we see Jorge Bergoglio as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, presumably offering Communion to any and all takers in his born-again mission to the city’s poorest neighborhoods.

“When you’re working in a shanty town 90 percent of your congregation are single or divorced,” says Fr. Augosto Zampini, a diocesan priest who serves as one of Vallely’s key sources. “You have to learn to deal with that. Communion for the divorced and remarried is not an issue there. Everyone takes Communion.”

Vallely doesn’t explicitly place Zampini at the scene — nor is it clear how well he knew the archbishop — but the implication is clear. Faced with a choice of inviting the few or the many to partake, Bergoglio allowed pastoral needs to trump church rules.

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INDIANA
Daily Reporter

By Noelle Steele
Staff Writer
First Posted: December 03, 2013

GREENFIELD — A former New Palestine youth minister pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor Tuesday morning after admitting to the court he fondled a young girl at his church.

Steve Harding, 61, was sentenced to two years in Hancock County Community Corrections and one year of probation after accepting a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to the Class D felony charge. Harding’s community corrections sentence could include participation in work-release, a program that allows offenders to leave the facility to go to and from their jobs, or home detention.

State law does not require someone convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor to register as a sex offender.

Harding did not address the court in detail about his misconduct but was required to answer a series of yes-or-no questions as part of a plea agreement. When asked if he had touched the girl in a sexual manner, he answered, “Yes.”

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INDIANA
KPC

Associated Press

A former youth pastor at a suburban Indianapolis church has pleaded guilty to charges that he had sexual contact with a girl who attended the church.

A Hancock County judge sentenced 61-year-old Steve Harding to spend two years in a community corrections program and a year on probation. Harding pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a felony charge of sexual misconduct with a minor for his actions while he was a youth pastor at New Palestine United Methodist Church.

The Daily Reporter reports ( http://bit.ly/1k9SYA7) prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of child molesting.

Judge Richard Culver told Harding he took advantage of the girl’s trust in him as a family friend and mentor.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Republican

[Springfield Diocese List of Priests with Credible Allegations 08.30.11 via BishopAccountability.org]

WEST SPRINGFIELD
The Reverend John A. Koonz, 76 of West Springfield, MA died Wednesday November 27, 2913 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born in Cornwall, NY son of Joseph H. and Theresse (Gunther) Koonz. He attended St. Columba Elementary School in Chester, NY until 1946, when the family moved to North Adams. He then attended the former St. Joseph’s Elementary School and graduated from the former St. Joseph’s High School with the class of 1955. He graduated from St. Anselm’s College in 1959 and completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s University of Theology Seminary in Baltimore, MD in 1963. On May 26, 1963, Rev. Koonz was ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Christopher J. Weldon at his home parish of St. Francis of Assisi in North Adams, MA.

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VATICAN CITY/GERMANY
Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See (AIF) on Wednesday, December 4, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its German counterpart, the “Zentralstelle für Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt” (BKA).

The Memorandum was signed in the Vatican by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, President of AIF, and by Dr. Michael Dewald, director of Zentralstelle für Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

A Vatican Comuniquè explains that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is standard practice and formalizes the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries.

It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organization of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

“This Memorandum is strengthening AIF’s international reach and further integrates the Holy See and the Vatican City State with a coordinated global effort to fight Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism,” said AIF Director René Bruelhart. “Today’s signing underlines our fruitful relationship and will further facilitate our joint efforts.”

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MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Each settled for six figure amounts
One man was assaulted by two clerics
A Catholic religious order resolved his suit
But Bishop Finn’s diocese refuses to do so
In the other case, predator admitted wrongdoing

What:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, victims of clergy sex abuse and their supporters will disclose two recent settlements in local clergy sex abuse cases against two priests.

In one of them, a boy was assaulted by two priests. In the other one, a boy was assaulted by a priest who later admitted wrongdoing.

They will also

–prod Bishop Robert Finn to disclose the identities of predator priests (as a Minnesota judge just ordered a bishop there to do) and post their names on his KC diocesan website, and
–prod anyone who many have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes or cover ups to come forward, get help, expose predators, protect kids, deter wrongdoing and start healing.

When:
TODAY, Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 1:15 p.m.

Where:
Outside the KC Catholic diocesan chancery office/headquarters, 20 W. 9th Street in downtown KC.

Who:
Three members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s long time executive director

Why:
Two local pedophile priest lawsuits have settled.

1. – A high profile Kansas City clergy sex abuse victim has settled, for $125,000, with one of two Catholic defendants in a lawsuit that he filed two years ago.

[BishopAccountability.org]

In September 2011, Jon David Couzens Jr. filed a civil suit charging that two priests – Fr. Isaac True and Msgr. Thomas J. O’Brien – sexually assaulted him in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he was a nine and ten year old altar boy at Nativity parish in Independence.

Another defendant, Bishop Robert Finn’s KC diocese, has NOT settled with Couzens.

2. – John Doe M R has settled his case against Fr. James Urbanic, the KC diocese and Society of Precious Blood for $130,000. The case was filed in Feb. 2012 in Buchanan County, where the alleged crimes took place, at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic church. The two met at Bishop LaBlond High School in St. Joseph.

In this case, all three defendants settled.

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VATICAN CITY
Time

By Kharunya Paramaguru Dec. 04, 2013

The Vatican has told the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that it will not disclose information on cases of alleged sexual abuse of children committed by members of its clergy.

The committee wrote to the Church in July asking for “detailed information” on the investigations, legal proceedings and outcomes of cases of alleged sexual abuses.

In a written response to these questions — hand-delivered last month but just published online by the U.N. on Tuesday — the Vatican wrote that “it is not the practice of the Holy See to disclose information on the religious discipline of members of the clergy or religious according to canon law.” It said this was “in order to protect the witnesses, the accused and the integrity of the Church process.”

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VATICAN CITY
New Straits Times

[Read the list of questions from UN Committee on the Rights of the Child here.
Read the Vatican’s response here.
Read the SNAP-CCR report here.]

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has told a UN investigating committee that it cannot be held legally competent over the abuses of children carried out by Catholic churchmen because they are subject to national laws, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

“When individual institutions of national churches are implicated, that does not regard the competence of the Holy See but rather the laws of the countries concerned,” Father Federico Lombardi said.

Lombardi said Vatican officials would explain their position at a meeting in Geneva on January 16 with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is checking whether the Catholic Church is honouring the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“The competence of the Holy See is at the level of the Holy See,” Lombardi said, explaining that the Vatican was among the first states to sign up to the convention.

Campaign groups for abuse victims have criticised the Vatican in the past for making the legalistic distinction between the central administration of the Church and the actions of individual clergymen.

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CANADA
Sylvia’s Site

A warmer day yesterday. No wind. It made a world of difference. As cold as it is was it almost felt balmy 🙂

Yesterday (Tuesday 03 December 2013) the sex abuse trial of Father Eric Dejaeger recessed for the day in early afternoon. Two female victims testified.

I have had issues getting things sorted out with net access during the day, – think that’s all in hand now so will be able to make use of the lunch hour tomorrow. Other commitments last evening kept me from the computer until evening. I have the testimony of one witness here – will finish tomorrow.

First, some general observations.

Yet again, with one exception, during testimony Father Dejaeger listens intently, and fixes his gaze on the witness, He occasionally strokes his beard, but for the most part sits with hands clasped under his chin.

I will come back to the one exception later when I touch on the testimony.

I mention Dejaeger’s demeanour during testimony – I saw another picture of the man when he was escorted into court after lunch this afternoon.

Dejaeger arrived at 1:28. Court was scheduled to resume at 1:30 pm.

First I must say that Dejaeger looks lithe and fit. He has obviously lost weight if we compare pictures from Belgium (ie, cheeks hollowed) – but he is by no means fading away, and, he moves with ease.

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MINNESOTA
Winona Daily News

By Jerome Christenson jchristenson@winonadailynews.com

The Diocese of Winona said Tuesday it will not contest a judge’s ruling compelling the diocese to release the names of 13 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

“The Diocese of Winona will fully cooperate with the order,” said Bishop John Quinn in a statement, referring to a Ramsey County judge’s decision Monday ordering both the Winona and Minneapolis-St. Paul dioceses to release their lists of priests.

The information released will include each priest’s name, date of birth, year of ordination, whether the priest is alive or deceased, all parishes where the priest served within the diocese, current ministerial status and most current address known, according to the ruling.

Joel Hennessy, director of communications for the Diocese of Winona, said the information will be released by the Dec. 17 deadline set by the court. The exact date and procedure for releasing the information has not yet been determined, and some information regarding the current address of some individuals will need to be verified before the release could be made.

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RUSSIA/ISRAEL
Interfax

St. Petersburg, December 4, Interfax – Russian Orthodox priest Gleb Grozovsky, who is accused of lewd acts with a child, remains in Israel but his exact whereabouts are unclear, according to his lawyer.

“He is in Israel, I don’t know where exactly. In this situation he has the status of a citizen and not that of a priest,” Artyom Bakonin told Interfax.

Investigators claim that the 34-year-old priest sexually abused girls aged nine and 12 at a hotel on the premises of an Orthodox children’s camp on the Kos Island in Greece in June this year. Grozovsky, who was afterward temporarily posted at a drug abuse help center in Israel, had an arrest warrant issued for him and put on an international wanted list.

In November, the Diocese of Gatchina, near St. Petersburg, announced that Grozovsky’s posting in Israel had been terminated and urged him to return to Russia. Grozovsky was suspended as a priest for the period the alleged crimes are being investigated.

Grozovsky protests his innocence.

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CALIFORNIA
Lez Get Real

Earlier this week we reported on an LA Times two part feature article on Cardinal Roger Mahony’s mishandling of the child sex abuse scandal in Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

The article paints the picture of a man who had ambitious plans for the archdiocese and his legacy, but hid the abuse of children, because he saw his greater agenda would be endangered by the revelation of the molestation scandal… A man who was and is more worried about that legacy, then he was about justice and the safety of children.

Mahony went as far as to keep law enforcement uninvolved. Instead of turning priests accused of abuse over to the police for prosecution, Mahony would, instead, send them to out of state “treatment centers” he knew would keep a secret. And under his administration of the LA Archdiocese, abuse victims were discouraged from contacting the authorities.

All the while Mahony kept detailed documentation and files of the abuse cases safely locked in his desk.

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SCOTLAND
Evening Times

A MAN has failed in an attempt to sue disgraced Cardinal Keith O’Brien over alleged sex abuse by a parish priest.

The 33-year-old from Bathgate, West Lothian, claims he was given cash and rosary beads to buy his silence.

The priest he blames for molesting him between 1989 and 1992 has since died.

The man went to the Court of Session in Edinburgh seeking £100,000 damages, and in papers submitted to the court his lawyers tried to argue that Cardinal O’Brien and other senior figures in the Catholic Church’s hierarchy in Scotland should legally carry the blame – in the same way that an employer can be sued over an employee’s wrongdoing.

The churchmen named in the action are the trustees of the Archdiosese of St Andews and Edinburgh.

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