ABUSE TRACKER

The full text of Pope Leo XIV’s speech at the conclusion of the January 7–8 consistory, published today, announces a new meeting of the cardinals in June and insists that victims and survivors of abuse “need to be accompanied with the closeness of authentic pastors.”

Although it was not a specific topic of the Extraordinary Consistory held on January 7–8, Pope Leo XIV took the opportunity to speak to the roughly 170 cardinals—both electors and non-electors—about a problem that “remains a real wound in the life of the Church in many places”: the sexual abuse crisis.

This is a topic Pope Leo, like his predecessors, has repeatedly highlighted in recent months. Even in the Consistory—focused on the themes of synodality and mission, chosen by majority vote of the cardinals—he did not fail to mention this issue.

He addressed it in his concluding speech after the two day meeting, the full…

A new bill before the Arizona house will force priests and pastors to break their seal of confession. House Bill 2039 could also require priests or pastors to testify about confessions in court about child abuse cases.

The bill states a member of the clergy, the Christian Science practitioner or the priest may withhold reporting of the communication or confession unless there is reasonable suspicion to believe the abuse is ongoing, will continue or may be a threat to other minors.

About half of the states in the U.S. have designated clergy as mandatory reporters. At least 18 others say any person, including clergy, must report any suspected child abuse.

However, many of those laws do carve out an exception for instances like confessions.

Catholic Canon Law states a priest is “prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of…

After keeping a scandal secret for five years, Arise Vineyard Church in San Luis Obispo has lifted the veil in a very public way.

On the church’s website, you’ll see a prominent headline on the landing page: “FAQ Regarding Rick and Becky Olmstead.”

Click on that you’ll be led to a version of events that — albeit somewhat sanitized — acknowledges the church’s former pastor, Rick Olmstead, “exercised poor judgment when he took unsolicited photographs of young women while waiting in line outside a local store.”

Specifically, he used his phone to surreptitiously photograph young women’s backsides while he was waiting in line outside Trader Joe’s. (This was in 2020, when social distancing rules were enforced on account of the COVID pandemic.)

Olmsted was then seen following young women around inside the store and, according to some observers, he appeared to be possibly be intoxicated, according to…

A Brazilian court sentenced former priest Bernardino Batista dos Santos to 24 years and nine months in prison for the rape of an underage person, a document obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday showed.

The ruling was issued earlier this week, though the case remains sealed.

In a 22-page document, the court in the state of Minas Gerais also sentenced the 78-year-old dos Santos to pay 30,000 Brazilian reais in damages ($5,570) to the person.

Dos Santos’ lawyer, Leonardo Diniz, said in a short statement he is shocked by the court’s decision and will appeal it.

The Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte removed dos Santos from his position in the neighboring city of Contagem in 2021 following dozens of complaints going back to 1975. His conviction, though, is based on a single case in 2016, after Brazil changed its laws on statutes of limitation in similar cases.

The former priest…

Police in Jasper County, Missouri, arrested a pastor from Parsons, Kansas, after he allegedly held a 16-year-old girl at gunpoint and sexually assaulted her.

Joshua Price has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of armed criminal action, first-degree sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor, according to Jasper County court records.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by KAKE stated that officers responded to the report of a sexual assault on November 3, 2025, that took place earlier in the day.

The victim told police she left a friend’s home and decided to walk to another friend’s house in Joplin when she got bored and decided to turn around. While she was near the intersection of 7th Street and Moffet Avenue, a vehicle with Kansas plates pulled up to the teenager and asked the victim if she needed a ride.

Related: Ex Televangelist Arrested in Missouri, Accused of…

Police have to go through 650 pages of communications in the case against a Lifford-based priest facing child sex offences.

Edward Gallagher (58) of Orchard Park in Lifford, County Donegal had been charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17, 2025 and seven further offences including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch sexual activity on April 17 this year as well as charges of possessing indecent images of children.

At today’s hearing at Derry Magistrates’ Court, a prosecutor told the court that the Investigating officer was going through all the communications and would then attend the cyber unit to cross reference these. This then would allow files to be prepared for the PPS.

He added that there were 650 pages of communications to be gone through.

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said that…

Making a film that details accusations of the sexual and spiritual abuse of nuns in the Catholic Church while maintaining a message of hope is no easy feat. Yet this is the very challenge that the Italian filmmaker Lorena Luciano took on with her new documentary “Nuns vs. the Vatican.” 

Making its worldwide debut in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, the documentary focuses on the abuse of women religious in the Catholic Church at the hands of male clergy. The film features testimonies and commentary from a variety of women who are raising awareness about clerical abuse in the Catholic Church. These voices include journalists Federica Tourn and Lucetta Scaraffia, activist Barbara Dorris and attorney Laura Sgrò. Mariska Hargitay, famous for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” serves as an executive producer.

“Nuns vs. the Vatican” prominently features…

Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual acts and may be triggering for some readers.

Christian music singer Stacie Joy Orrico has filed a lawsuit, accusing her ex-manager Britt Ham of sexually abusing her as a minor. She also claimed the music industry failed to protect her during events in California.

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges Ham committed acts of childhood sexual assault against Orrico, starting when she was 14. It also names Universal Music Group as a defendant, asserting the company is liable as successor to Orrico’s former label, ForeFront Records, for negligence and failure to supervise.

Orrico seeks unspecified damages and demands a jury trial.

“After the Christian music industry ‘discovered’ twelve-year-old Stacie Orrico, it exploited her and destroyed her innocence,” the lawsuit states.

In a statement released through her attorneys, Orrico added, “The music industry failed…

The Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), the Spanish Conference of Religious Orders (CONFER, by its Spanish acronym), and the government have agreed on a channel for compensating victims of abuse within the Catholic Church, in which the Ombudsman’s Office will collaborate.

The agreement was signed Jan. 8 by the president of the CEE, Archbishop Luis Argüello; the president of CONFER, Father Jesús Díaz Sariego, OP; and Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with Parliament Félix Bolaños.

The agreement reached by the three parties will be valid for one year, renewable for another year.

The agreement reached for this new comprehensive reparations system will be complementary to the one being developed by the Catholic Church through the PRIVA Plan Advisory Commission since September 2024 and must be formalized through an agreement that will be ratified within one month.

PRIVA, a condensed Spanish acronym, stands for “comprehensive reparation…

[Click to see video.]

Francesco Zanardi is demanding transparency. He wants the Catholic Church in Italy to finally take decisive action against cases of abuse.

Francesco Zanardi was just 11 when he began suffering years of abuse by a priest in northern Italy. Decades later, he founded Rete L’ABUSO, a network exposing clerical abuse and demanding accountability from the Italian Catholic Church.

Despite over 1,250 alleged cases and more than 1,000 accused priests, Italy’s bishops have never referred a case to justice, citing no legal obligation. Cultural resistance and lack of transparency persist, even as Pope Leo XIV has urged decisive action. Survivors are still waiting for real change.

George Ndungu, 45, was arrested by Bexar County sheriff’s deputies in September 2023; charge dismissed on Jan. 7

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – In a statement sent to KSAT Friday, the Archdiocese of San Antonio expressed its dismay after an aggravated sexual assault case against one of its priests was dismissed by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

George Ndungu, 45, was arrested by Bexar County sheriff’s deputies in September 2023. He was accused of sexually assaulting a church employee and parishioner after they came forward to the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Ndungu’s attorney, Joseph Mick Aguilera, shared the case dismissal paperwork with KSAT on Wednesday. On it, the DA’s Office’s reason for case dismissal was “insufficient evidence.”

“The Archdiocese of San Antonio is surprised and disappointed that the Bexar County District Attorney’s office decided to dismiss the aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault charges against…

PROVIDENCE – Six-and-a-half years after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence agreed to turn over records dating back to 1950 of alleged sexual molestation of children by priests, Attorney General Peter Neronha has finalized his investigators’ report.

Among the findings and conclusions:

The Catholic Church in Rhode Island, in a determined effort to “hide scandal,” allowed “dozens of priests” to abuse “hundreds of children,” unstopped even in the face of credible reports, Neronha told The Providence Journal on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in an exclusive interview on the day he conveyed the long-awaited report to the diocese.

Neronha said what stood out again and again was the “inadequacy” of the church’s response to allegations and the refusal of church higher-ups in Rhode Island – including then-Bishop Thomas J. Tobin – to meet with and talk to his investigators.

Summarizing…

Leer en español 

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s Catholic bishops agreed Thursday to let the Spanish government’s ombudsman have the final say in the church’s compensation of victims of sexual abuse by clergy members who have died or whose possible crimes are too old to be prosecuted.

The agreement, which envisages a one-year window for claims, marks a rare concession by the Catholic hierarchy. It is aimed at resolving disagreements between the left-wing government and church authorities over reparations after victims criticized the church’s original in-house compensation proposal.

The Spanish bishops conference said in a statement that the new agreement will allow victims who don’t want to seek help directly from the church to turn to the government and the state’s ombudsman, who has taken a lead role in shedding light on abuse. The ombudsman will evaluate the claims and ultimately will have the final say on any possible awards.

…

The Church of England will take no further action in relation to a complaint about the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury’s handling of an abuse case.

It emerged in December that Dame Sarah Mullally had been accused in 2020 of improperly handling a complaint against a priest in London, but the allegation against her had not been properly looked into.

She acknowledged last month that the complaint against her had not been dealt with correctly but said the original abuse claim had been fully handled by the Diocese of London.

The complainant will be able to appeal against the Archbishop of York’s decision not to further pursue the case against Dame Sarah, who is due to become the first woman to lead the Church at the end of January.

Officials said in December that she had not been told about the complaint against her when…

A survivor who brought a safeguarding complaint against the Archbishop of Canterbury-elect has said he will appeal against the Archbishop of York’s decision to dismiss the case against her.

Most Rev Stephen Cottrell announced earlier this week that he would take no further action against Rt Rev Dame Sarah Mullally for her handling of abuse allegations by a man known as Survivor N.

N believes Bishop Sarah still has a case to answer because in a December statement to Premier Christian News she said his allegations against a priest in the Diocese of London had been “fully dealt with”. However, yesterday the church announced it was reopening an investigation into those allegations.

Dr Andrew Graystone who is an advocate for victims and survivors of church-related abuse told Premier: “It’s not even logical. Was the initial complaint fully and fairly investigated under Bishop Sarah Mullaly, the Bishop of London as she…

Later this month, individuals who have filed claims of childhood sexual abuse against the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo or its affiliates have an opportunity to make a statement in the bankruptcy courtroom where reorganization and a victim settlement are still being ironed out.

The US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York will hold four sessions at the Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse, 2 Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo. The sessions will be held January 27 and 28, and then February 25 and 26, all of which begin at 10 a.m. during which claimants may present nontestimonial statements before the judge, and the parties involved in ongoing mediation.

Those interested in speaking must contact the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors by January 15 at DioceseBuffaloCommittee@pszjlaw.com or 212-319-5527.

The diocese and the committee representing claimants are working to finalize a $274 million settlement. A spokesman for the…

(OSV News) — The Archdiocese of St. Louis filed a Dec. 23 motion seeking to have several counts dismissed in a lawsuit alleging “decades” of sexual abuse against minors by clergy, men and women religious, archdiocesan employees and other affiliated persons.

Judge Christopher E. McGraugh of the 22nd Judicial Court in St. Louis has granted a request to continue the case until March 26, with his order noting that “the parties are in the early stages of discovery.”

Lisa Shea, director of community and media engagement for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, told OSV News, “We are unable to provide additional information or comments regarding ongoing legal proceedings.”

Details of the suit

The initial suit was brought in July 2024 by 25 plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, who were all minor residents of Missouri at the time of the alleged abuse.

Named as defendants in that suit were the Archdiocese…

MADRID, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Spain’s Catholic Church, reeling from a clergy sexual abuse scandal, agreed with the government on Thursday to compensate victims of abuse whose cases have expired under the statute of limitations or where the perpetrator has died.

“Today we are settling a debt and doing justice to the victims. We are moving from decades of silence and oblivion to fair reparation paid by the Church,” Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said of the deal signed by his ministry and the Church.

The abuse scandal surfaced after an investigation by El Pais newspaper in 2021 uncovered more than 1,200 alleged cases, echoing similar scandals in the Catholic Church in the United States, Ireland and France.

A 2023 report by Spain’s human rights ombudsman estimated hundreds of thousands of victims over decades, based on a survey of 8,000 people. It urged the creation of a state fund and accused…

ROME, January 7, 2026 – As Pope Leo convenes his first extraordinary consistory in Rome, the world’s Catholic cardinals – the men who have overseen, enabled, and concealed the largest institutional sexual abuse scandal in modern history – will formally gather behind closed doors. These are the men who transferred known offenders, concealed criminal evidence from the public, obstructed justice, and facilitated hundreds of thousands of sexual assaults across generations. Absent from the consistory’s agenda is any plan to hold themselves accountable, dismantle the systems of secrecy they created, or take any concrete action to end the ongoing cycle of abuse and cover-up they have perpetuated.

On the day of Pope Leo’s election, SNAP delivered a letter outlining a clear and actionable roadmap to stop sexual abuse and institutional concealment within the Catholic Church. Instead of embracing that mandate, Pope Leo has moved the Vatican backwards. In his first interview, he dismissed…

Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans has issued a formal apology to abuse survivors in that archdiocese, following last month’s court approval of a $230 million settlement in the five-year-long bankruptcy case.

“With this letter, I express on behalf of the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, my predecessors, and myself, profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm you have suffered at the hands of your abusers,” said Aymond in a widely distributed Dec. 26 letter addressed “to all child abuse claimants” in the archdiocese.

The seventh amended plan for the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 filing — dating to 2020, and prompted by some 500 abuse claims — was approved by Judge Meredith Grabill on Dec. 8.

The archdiocese advised the court on Dec. 29 that “all conditions” required for the plan’s taking effect had been satisfied as of Dec. 26.

Aymond’s apology letter was posted to the archdiocesan website and that…

A former Greene County pastor will spend 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor, child endangerment and felony embezzlement.

A judge handed down that sentence for Rodney Locklear in Greene County Circuit Court Monday, January 5. The decision was made in an almost four hour session.

Locklear, former pastor of Victory Church in Ruckersville, was sentenced on a series of felony and misdemeanor charges involving embezzlement crimes and sexual abuse of a child.

In court, the victim told deputies the abuse was the most traumatic experience of her life, leaving her teenage years marked by fear and uncertainty.

Her parents also testified that they noticed drastic changes in her behavior, saying she became withdrawn and angry. They said this was never part of her personality before attending the church.

Captain Kevin Freid with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office was able to retrieve messages with the minor talking to…

The Douglas County trial is expected to take eight days.

A jury trial for a former Minnesota pastor charged with repeated sexual assault of a child at a cabin in Douglas County is set to start Tuesday, Jan. 6, in Douglas County Circuit Court.

Jeffrey Anthony Charles, 64, of Danbury, Wisconsin, faces one felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child as a persistent repeater. A cash bond of $500,000 was set at his initial hearing on May 18, 2022. Charles was in custody at the Douglas County Jail as of Monday, Jan. 5.

According to the charging documents:

Charles sexually assaulted a victim three or four times at his cabin in the town of Summit over the course of five years. At the time, the victim was between the ages of 3 and 7. Charles served as the pastor of Neighbors to Nations Church in Princeton, Minnesota, and…

A Pierce County jury has delivered a guilty verdict on 12 of 13 counts of first-degree child molestation against Jordan Henderson, a former elementary school teacher and volunteer worship pastor.

The jury also affirmed that Henderson abused his position of trust in committing these offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Pierce County elementary teacher, pastor charged with 9 counts of child molestation

Henderson, 34, was arrested at his Gig Harbor home by Pierce County Sheriff’s Department deputies in April 2024 after five female students from Evergreen Elementary School reported being assaulted during school hours.

The allegations led to Henderson being placed on administrative leave by the Peninsula School District. He then resigned.

Prosecutors highlighted the breach of trust in their charges, stating, “The defendant used [his] position of trust, confidence, or fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the commission of the current offense, and against…

A former pastor of a Red Bank church has been arrested and criminally charged with repeatedly engaging in various forms of sexual activity with a juvenile parishioner, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced last week.

Enrique Molina, 50, is charged with two counts of first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault, four counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, three counts of second-degree Sexual Assault, two counts of third-degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, one count of third-degree Attempted Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, one count of third-degree Hindering Apprehension, and three counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact.

An investigation into Molina’s activities was recently initiated by a report received by the Red Bank Police Department, which subsequently coordinated with  members of the Eatontown, Neptune Township, and Ocean Township police departments and the Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau. 

The investigation determined that Molina met the victim at his church – Iglesia Pentecostal…

A jury has returned guilty verdicts on 12 of 13 counts of child molestation against a Key Peninsula teacher, with jurors also finding he abused a position of trust, court officials said.

The verdicts were announced after a trial involving 34-year-old Jordan Henderson, a fifth-grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary School.

Jurors found Henderson guilty on 12 counts of child molestation in the first degree and not guilty on one count.

For each of the guilty counts, jurors answered “yes” to special verdict questions determining that Henderson held a position of trust over the children involved.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 10.

Henderson was arrested in April 2024 by deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

At the time, prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of sexual molestation involving children younger than 12, alleging the acts occurred inside his classroom over a two-year period.

Court documents previously detailed allegations from several…

A Mountain Home pastor accused of sexually assaulting women at his church pleaded not guilty on Monday morning in Elmore County Court.

RELATED | Former daycare volunteer speaks out about Mountain Home pastor accused of sex trafficking

Gregory Wayne Jones, who previously served as the pastor of Liberty Christian Fellowship Church, entered his plea as his case moved to district court after a judge determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed.

WATCH: Mountain Home pastor pleads not guilty

The case centers on allegations that Jones exploited his pastoral role during counseling sessions that prosecutors said escalated into sexual abuse over several years.

During a preliminary hearing, an alleged victim provided hours of graphic testimony detailing the accusations against Jones.

Jones’ defense attorney presented text messages in court, arguing the alleged victims’ actions were based on religious belief rather than criminal coercion.

Jones remains out on bond with his next court hearing…

Brian Boucher came into contact with 1 of his victims, parole board says

Brian Boucher, a former Montreal priest imprisoned for sexually abusing two boys, has been banned from parts of the city after coming into contact with one of his victims on several occasions.

Boucher is serving an eight-year sentence after being found guilty in 2019 of sexually abusing two boys while he was a priest in LaSalle and, later, in the Town of Mount Royal. He was defrocked in 2020.

Boucher was granted statutory release on July 23, 2024. He is serving the remainder of his time in the community under supervision.

Following his release, the victim’s family said Boucher appeared in “their presence on several occasions,” according to a Parole Board of Canada decision dated Dec. 29, 2025. The location of the run-ins are redacted in the decision.

The victim, according to the parole board, expressed discomfort because…

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond has announced the schedule for the group meetings for survivors of sexual abuse.

These meetings are open to survivors of child sexual abuse or other adults who may have experienced sexual abuse by a person in the ministry of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The archdiocese said the purpose of the meetings is for survivors to listen, question, and freely share their experiences and otherwise freely participate in these open visits for survivors.

Here is the list of when the ten group meetings will be held:

Friday, February 6

• Holy Name of Jesus Parish 12:00 Noon, 6367 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana
• St. Peter Claver Parish 7:00 pm, Office – 1910 Ursulines Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturday, February 7

• St. Philip Neri Parish 3:00 pm, 6500 Kawanee Avenue, Metairie, Louisiana
• St. Charles Borromeo Parish 6:30 pm, 13396 River Road, Destrehan,…

GRETNA, La. (WVUE) – Gregory Aymond, the outgoing Archbishop of New Orleans, is scheduling 10 in-person group meetings with survivors of clergy sex abuse.

The first meeting will take place Feb. 6 at noon at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in New Orleans. The series of meetings is part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ recent multi-million bankruptcy settlement.

It follows a personal letter of apology from the archbishop that was published Jan. 3 and is circulating through Louisiana and some neighboring states’ media outlets. The apology letter is addressed to “All Child Sexual Abuse Claimants in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.”

New Orleans’ archdiocese issues public apology letter to clergy sex abuse victims

For some claimants, the apology contained in the letter rings hollow.

Ever since Jackie Berthelot joined a wave of lawsuits that led to the recent bankruptcy, he says some people treated him like an outcast…

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – The Bolivian Network of Church Abuse Survivors says it still hopes that an Uruguayan laicized priest involved in several abuse cases against children in Bolivia will be punished for his crimes, after Uruguay decided not to extradite him to the Andean nation in December.

Former Father Juan José Sant’Anna Trinidad, also known as Padre Juanjo, is accused of abusing at least 30 students of a boarding school in Tapacarí, in the region of Cochabamba, in Bolivia.

The scandal emerged in October of 2007, when the first accusation against Juanjo was brought to the authorities. He used to work at the Monseñor Ángel Gelmi boarding school and was in charge of its male sector. His victims were between 6 and 18 years old.

In November of that year, Juanjo was officially charged by Cochabamba’s Social Management Departmental Service to the District Attorney’s office. Shortly later, he ran…

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board claims insurance companies ‘pursued an avenue of denial’ by refusing to pay legal costs for civil suits concerning historical allegations of sexual abuse made by former students

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board is suing insurance providers for more than $21 million after they allegedly denied coverage for lawsuits linked to historical sexual abuse claims.

It alleges the companies “wrongfully refused to acknowledge and defend the claims” brought forward by three former students in 2024, according to an eight-page statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court last month.

The sexual abuse claims stem from alleged incidents involving teachers and principals at Catholic schools in Sault Ste. Marie between 1964 and 1987, court documents show.

HSCDSB, which provides education services to both the Sault and Algoma District, claims the insurance companies are liable for all costs of defending the civil suits in court and paying any…

Despite achieving constitutional separation from the Catholic Church after much bloodshed, the French state is still subservient to the Church when it comes to child abuse, says Keith Porteous Wood.

The 120th anniversary of France’s landmark law codifying the separation of Church and state was commemorated last month. The 1905 law’s ideological origin was of course the Revolution of 1789, which sought to end, through the establishment of a republic, the corruption and excessive power of the monarchs, the aristocracy and the Catholic Church.

However, France wasn’t the first jurisdiction to make religious freedom a right and forbid state support for religion – the US state of Virginia was. There, the Anglican Church was established just as it was, and still is, in England. Virginia’s stance formed the template for the first amendment to the US Constitution in 1789, thanks to visionaries James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, the latter of whom…

Will Pope Leo XIV follow the progressive example of his predecessor or chart a more moderate course? His work in Chicago and Peru may shed light on his approach.

In Peru every August, throngs of Catholics set out on foot from the remote northern town of Motupe, bound for a cliffside chapel that houses the Cross of Chalpon. The cross, made of guayacán wood and ringed with precious metals, stands about eight feet tall and is believed to have been discovered, as if by a miracle, in a nearby cave in 1868. The ascent takes about an hour, and venders along the way sell religious images and replicas of the cross, as well as roasted corn and Inca Kola. A highlight of the pilgrimage comes when a procession bears the cross downhill, to the church of San Julián, in Motupe’s main plaza. The next day, the Bishop of Chiclayo, the…

That fallen pastor or troubled tradition was never responsible for the truthfulness of the gospel. That is God’s work, and God never fails us.

Imagine a well-known denomination is enjoying a season of prosperity. Attendance is high. Ministry is faithful. Prayers are answered. God feels near. The good times last for years. 

But then, cracks appear. Long-held doctrine comes under doubt. Prominent ministry figures are exposed in corruption or abuse. Questions arise first about the leaders, then about the theology undergirding their ministries. Finally, questions are raised about the tradition itself. Was there ever anything good there? Or was it always rotten?

Sound familiar? If you guessed that I’m thinking of third-century North African Christianity, you’re correct—and that history is far from the pristine vision of unity and holiness we might imagine. Church history may not repeat itself, exactly, but it sure does rhyme. 

Around the year 250, a crisis…

The letter was made public on Jan. 4 and emphasized that the Archdiocese of New Orleans ‘takes responsibility for the abuse.’

The Archdiocese of New Orleans released a letter written to child sexual abuse claimants apologizing for the “inexcusable harm” they suffered.

“On behalf of the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans expressed in the Dec. 26, 2025, letter his “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm” child abuse survivors suffered.

The letter was made public on Jan. 4 and emphasized that the Archdiocese of New Orleans “takes responsibility for the abuse.” Archbishop Aymond said the archdiocese “pledges to keep children and all vulnerable people safe in our ministry.”

“I sincerely apologize to you for the trauma caused to you and to those close to you as a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy,…

NEW YORK, New York — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations has led to the indictment of several leaders of the La Luz del Mundo Church on charges of sexual, financial, and related criminal conduct. The charges allege a racketeering enterprise that facilitated systemic sexual abuse of children and women over decades.

The indictment names Naasón Joaquín García, Rosa Sosa, Azalia Rangel García, Eva García De Joaquín, Joram Núñez Joaquín, and Silem García Peña as defendants. The enterprise allegedly operated for the sexual gratification of Naasón and his late father, Samuel Joaquín Flores, according to a press release from ICE Homeland Security Investigations. “A yearslong investigation that spanned the country and involved the support of dozens of courageous victims culminated with today’s charges,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel.

Naasón Joaquín García was taken into federal custody on September 10 in Chino, California, where…

The principal of Christ Alone Lutheran School in Thiensville has been charged with failing to report child abuse and is now on administrative leave.

THIENSVILLE, Wis. — The principal of Christ Alone Lutheran School in Thiensville has been charged with failing to report child abuse and is now on administrative leave.

Mike Henning faces a misdemeanor count of failure to disclose child abuse in connection with inappropriate touching by a former teacher at the school. According to court documents, prosecutors allege Henning knew about the abuse for a year before it was reported to authorities.

The case involves former teacher Daniel Rick, who is accused of inappropriately touching students on the buttocks, kissing them on the forehead and pulling a boy’s pants down. Rick was charged in January 2025 and is currently awaiting trial.

Prosecutors allege in their charging documents that Henning was first made aware of the…

ST. LOUIS – The Archdiocese of St. Louis has asked a judge to dismiss several counts in a lawsuit alleging decades of clergy sexual abuse, arguing the claims do no meet Missouri’s legal standards to proceed.

The lawsuit, filed in July 2024 on behalf of 25 individuals, accuses the Archdiocese of enabling, covering up and concealing the sexual abuse of children by clergy and other employees over several decades.

The 74-page lawsuit lists at least 30 clergy members under the authority of the Archdiocese and the archbishop who have been accused of sexual misconduct. It describes alleged abuse dating back to 1945 and includes reports of alleged abuse as recently as 2021.

The lawsuit states, “the Archdiocese and Archbishop did not act in any manner to protect the young children of its parishes, churches, community, and other organizations within its ambit… Instead of removing the Abusers from their employ and…

 “I did what I had to do to keep a child predator away from children,” said the attorney, Richard Trahant.

NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans attorney remained defiant Saturday as another federal court upheld $400,000 in sanctions against him for warning a local high school that a priest with a secret history of abuse allegations was working there.

“I did what I had to do to keep a child predator away from children,” said the attorney, Richard Trahant.

That was Trahant’s response to WWL Louisiana hours after a federal appeals court rejected his years-long bid to overturn a contempt finding and a $400,000 sanction imposed in the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy case.

Trahant added that he would “go to my grave knowing I didn’t violate the protective order,” insisting his conduct was necessary to protect students after he learned the archdiocese had placed Paul Hart on the Brother…

Mandatory reporting laws, how they’ve changed, and what falls under clergy-penitence

In a troubling trend, police in Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and Louisiana have arrested a number of church leaders in separate cases for failing to report alleged child abuse.

The wave of cases, which have arisen in the last month, raises questions about church and ministry accountability and their legal and moral obligations to protect children in their care, specifically by alerting civil authorities when leaders suspect abuse.

This basic duty has been a fixture of American law for well over half a century. Since 1967, every state has enacted some form of mandatory child-abuse reporting law.

But in nearly 60 years, there have been changes, and what has changed most is not whether the laws exist, but the scope of those laws: who must…

[See PDF of complete letter here.]

The Archdiocese of New Orleans has released a public apology to all abuse claimants.

The letter will be printed on Sunday, Jan. 4, in local newspapers and throughout the upcoming days and weeks in the various media markets.

In the letter, Archbishop Aymond expressed, “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm” child sexual abuse survivors suffered writing, “I sincerely apologize to you for the trauma caused to you and to those close to you as a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, a religious sister or brother, or a lay employee or volunteer working within the Catholic Church.”

Aymond continued on describing sexual abuse as “an inexcusable evil” and expressed shame that survivors were sexually abused by someone working within the Catholic Church.

“Please know that you are not to blame for the abuse perpetrated on you,” writes…

(*The United Nations Committee Against Torture reviewed the Vatican and issued a report in 2014 stating clerical sexual abuse is a form of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.)

 “We have to do something. We’re losing people,” Vatican officials will say. This is the assessment of Timothy D. Law, a Catholic advocate for survivors and accountability as published on goodmenproject.com on Nov. 23, 2025.

“The Italian-language Vatican Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook) 2022 gave the number of Catholics in the world at the end of 2021 at 1.376 billion (the last time they published Catholic demographics). But the World Christian Database  reported 1.272 billion Catholics as of 2024” stated James M. Thunder in the June 28, 2025, edition of newoxfordreview.org.

“Count me skeptical about the Vatican reports on the number of Catholics in the world,” wrote Thunder, an attorney who writes extensively about Catholic issues. 

 “With respect to the numbers from the Annuario Pontificio, the…

Calling the decades of sexual abuse of children by New Orleans-area clergy members “an inexcusable evil,” New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond issued a written apology to victims as part of the church’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy settlement agreement. 

In the letter dated Dec. 26 and published on its website and online in the Clarion Herald on Saturday, Aymond said the archdiocese takes responsibility for the abuse suffered by victims and “pledges to keep children and all vulnerable people safe in our ministry.”

The letter was issued as part of the $230 million settlement between the Archdiocese of New Orleans and hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse, which was approved by a federal judge last month after years of negotiations. 

Aymond apologized on behalf of himself, his predecessors, the clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, expressing “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm you…

[See PDF of complete letter here.]

NEW ORLEANS, La – Beginning this weekend, throughout Louisiana and beyond, the Archdiocese of New Orleans is releasing a public apology letter from Archbishop Aymond to all claimants of child sexual abuse. This extensive media outreach is part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’s commitment to the nonmonetary provisions laid out in its Chapter 11 settlement plan. The letter will run in print first on January 4, 2026 and throughout the upcoming days and weeks in the various media markets.
 
In the letter, Archbishop Aymond expresses, “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm” child sexual abuse survivors suffered writing, “I sincerely apologize to you for the trauma caused to you and to those close to you as a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, a religious sister or brother, or a lay employee or volunteer working within the Catholic…

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and outgoing Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Saturday (Jan. 3) released a public letter of apology to “all claimants of child sexual abuse.”

The public letter, to be printed Sunday in area newspapers and other media outlets, will be distributed in coming days and weeks in various media markets. It is required of the archdiocese as part of its bankruptcy settlement approved by a federal judge on Dec. 8, 2025.

In the letter, Aymond expresses “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm” child sexual abuse survivors suffered.

“I sincerely apologize to you for the trauma caused to you and to those close to you as a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, a religious sister or brother, or a lay employee or volunteer working within the Catholic Church,” Aymond wrote.

Aymond described the sexual abuse…

Talks con­tinue on who else should pay abuse vic­tims

The St. John’s Roman Cath­olic arch­diocese has received another exten­sion of its cred­itor pro­tec­tion, as law­yers for clergy abuse sur­viv­ors meet with other organ­iz­a­tions who may also be liable for the his­toric harms.

The Roman Cath­olic Epis­copal Cor­por­a­tion of St. John’s (RCECSJ) has been in cred­itor pro­tec­tion since Decem­ber 2021 as it sells its assets to com­pensate more than 300 sur­viv­ors of his­toric abuse by Chris­tian Broth­ers at Mount Cashel orphan­age and other loc­a­tions.

The courts found the arch­diocese vicari­ously liable for the abuse, and an inde­pend­ent claims adju­dic­a­tion awar­ded the vic­tims $121.3 mil­lion.

So far, the claimants have received just over 30 per cent of what they’re due, and the arch­diocese con­tin­ues its efforts to col­lect the funds needed. It reques­ted and was gran­ted a 60-day exten­sion of its pro­tec­tion against cred­it­ors in the Supreme Court of New­found­land and Lab­rador…

Stearns County prosecutors plan to seek an aggravated sentence and an additional offense in a case involving a Catholic priest charged with stalking, criminal sexual conduct and violence against a woman.

Joseph Paul Herzing, 61, of Milaca, is charged with one count of stalking, one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of threats of violence, according to court records.

However Assistant Stearns County Attorney Jamie Reinschmidt filed a Dec. 3 motion to offer an additional third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge at trial, saying that Herzing “engaged in numerous instances of sexual penetration and sexual contact from 2014-18 in Hennepin and Stearns counties while being a member of the clergy.” An intent to seek an aggravated sentence was filed on Nov. 26.

Herzing appeared in court virtually on Monday for a bond hearing. Conditions include not leaving the state nor engaging in pastoral duties….

A 60-year-old Catholic priest from Kerala, India, has been arrested and charged in Canada with sexual offences involving children under the age of 16, prompting his immediate removal from pastoral duties.

Father James Cherickal, a priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church hailing from Kozhikode, Kerala, was arrested by the Peel Regional Police on 18 December 2025. He faces one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference, which in Canadian law, refers to sexual crimes committed against children under 16 years of age.

According to a statement issued by the Archdiocese of Toronto on 20 December 2025, the arrest followed an allegation of misconduct against Cherickal, who was serving as the pastor of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton at the time. The Archdiocese stated it learned of the allegation and subsequently cooperated with the police investigation.

“Following our protocols and procedures relating to allegations of…

Senior Pastor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Chris Okafor, has stepped aside from active pastoral leadership following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations that have sparked widespread debate within Nigeria’s Christian community and renewed scrutiny of clerical accountability.

Okafor’s decision comes amid mounting public outrage and internal pressure from senior Christian leaders after several women, including a Nollywood actress and his former wife, accused him of sexual impropriety, manipulation, and abuse spanning several years.

The cleric had, during a church service last Sunday, publicly apologised to actress Doris Ogala, kneeling on the pulpit and admitting to past “mistakes” while asking for forgiveness. His apology followed days of intense social media backlash triggered by Ogala’s claims that she had been in a secret relationship with the pastor for nearly a decade, during which she alleged he promised marriage but later married another woman.

Okafor married a new bride, identified as…

“We don’t actually know what Pope Leo is yet,” my friend observed. “Right now, we are seeing the post-Francis era,” he continued, “and I don’t think we are going to see the Leo era until next year.”

My friend – who happens also to be Crux’s managing editor, Charles Collins – made his remarks to the BBC on Christmas Day, ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever Christmas urbi et orbi blessing.

It struck me as a succinct statement of a keen and penetrating insight, one no other Vatican-watcher has articulated as well as Collins in the nine-ish months since Leo’s election, except Andrea Gagliarducci (especially in his Monday Vatican columns), another dear old friend and veteran observer of Roman affairs.

“The pontificate of Leo XIV hasn’t truly begun yet,” Gagliarducci said in last week’s column – not the first time he has said such or similar – but he also noted how we…

The Diocese of Joliet only took action against Father Nestor Sanchez, formerly of Holy Family, after Joliet Patch revealed the lawsuit.

JOLIET, IL — As Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks prepares for his upcoming promotion and move to the Big Apple, replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan as the new archbishop of New York, a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Diocese of Joliet and one of Joliet’s priests is off to a slow and mysterious start.

It has now been two and a half months since Joliet Patch first broke the news, revealing the filing of the sexual harassment lawsuit at the Will County Courthouse against the Diocese of Joliet and Father Nestor Sanchez, a Catholic priest who has served in recent years at Saints Peter and Paul in Naperville and as pastor in small-town parishes including Paxton and Gibson City. The lawsuit was filed in connection with Father…

A 60-year-old priest from Kerala, Father James Cherickal, has been arrested in Canada over alleged sexual offences involving minors. The Archdiocese of Toronto has suspended him from duties pending the court process.

Toronto: A Malayali priest serving in Canada has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting minors. Father James Cherickal, 60, a native of Kozhikode and a priest belonging to the Syro-Malabar Church, was arrested by Peel Regional Police on December 18.

Police have charged him in connection with alleged sexual offences involving children under the age of 16. Following the arrest, the Archdiocese of Toronto temporarily suspended him from priestly duties.

Father Cherickal is a member of the Thamarassery Diocese in Kerala and has been serving in Canada for nearly three decades. Until his suspension, he was vicar of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton.

Archdiocese Confirms Allegations and Suspension

In a statement issued on December 20, the Archdiocese of…

(KNSI) – A Catholic priest who was serving five parishes in central Minnesota appeared in court Monday on charges related to a woman he allegedly abused while providing her spiritual counseling and could face more charges for a second victim.

Father Joseph Paul Herzing faces one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of stalking, and three counts of threats of violence related to a woman he counseled between 2018 and 2022.

Court documents say multiple witnesses reported seeing Herzing at the woman’s home late at night and early in the morning. In February 2022, he choked her and threatened to kill her. Three months later, after she confronted him about another relationship, he choked her again, wrestled her to the ground, pulled her hair, and threatened to kill her. Then in August 2022, during a motorcycle ride, he threatened to crash into a tree and swerved toward an…

Joseph Paul Herzing, 61, is charged with stalking, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and threats of violence against a woman he had been counseling.

ST. CLOUD — Stearns County prosecutors plan to seek an aggravated sentence and an additional offense in a case regarding a Catholic priest charged with stalking, criminal sexual conduct and violence against a woman.

Joseph Paul Herzing, 61, of Milaca, is charged with one count of stalking, one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of threats of violence, according to court records.

However assistant Stearns County attorney Jamie Reinschmidt filed a Dec. 3 motion to offer an additional third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge at trial, saying that Herzing “engaged in numerous instances of sexual penetration and sexual contact from 2014-18 in Hennepin and Stearns counties while being a member of the clergy.” An intent to seek an aggravated sentence was filed on Nov. 26.

…

A Catholic priest accused of alleged sexual abuse appeared in court Monday, Dec. 29. The Stearns County District Court hearing took place over Zoom.

The Rev. Joseph Herzing had his charges reviewed and was read his rights, according to court minutes. Stearns County prosecutors on Nov. 26 filed felony charges of stalking, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of threats of violence.

On Monday, according to an order for release, Stearns County Judge Matthew Engelking set Herzing’s bail at $0 with the conditions he does not provide pastoral services, surrenders his passport and stays in Minnesota unless the court gives approval.

If Herzing doesn’t agree to those conditions, bail is set at $150,000.

Herzing is accused of reportedly abusing a woman he allegedly provided spiritual guidance to from about May 2018 though October 2022, according to the criminal complaint filed by the Stearns County Attorney’s Office. Stearns County prosecutors…

A judge has denied the Delbarton School’s request for a new trial, months after a jury unanimously awarded $5 million to a former student who sued the all-boys Catholic school, alleging sexual assault by one of its monks nearly five decades earlier.

In a decision filed Dec. 29, state Superior Court Judge Louis Sceusi denied a motion brought by the Morris County school, ruling that the record fails to establish “clear and convincing evidence” of any miscarriage of justice that would require a legal do-over.

The jury arrived at a “fair and well-reasoned verdict” after its five-week trial this fall, Sceusi wrote.

The unanimous Oct. 8 verdict was a milestone, hailed by clergy abuse victims and advocates. It was the first civil sex abuse lawsuit against the Catholic Church to go to a jury in New Jersey since the state extended its statute of limitations in 2019….

[Includes a 50-minute audio interview with reporter Dana Hedgpeth.]

On this edition of Your Call, Washington Post reporter Dana Hedgpeth discusses her reporting on the 523 Indian boarding schools established in the US.

Hedgpeth and her colleagues found that 3,104 students died at boarding schools between 1828 and 1970, three times as many deaths as reported by the US Interior Departmentlast year.

Two Native American tribes have filed a class-action lawsuit against the US government for its role in running a system that separated Native children from their families to eradicate their language and culture and force them to assimilate into White society.

Guest:

Dana Hedgpeth, reporter at The Washington Post and enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of North Carolina

Resources:

The Washington Post: Tribes sue U.S. government over deaths, abuse at boarding schools

The Washington Post: View Cache

[See also the complete Greater Grace World Outreach report.]

Independent investigator recommends ousting Greater Grace World Outreach leadership

It couldn’t be proven, he said. Besides, the decision wasn’t his. Also, the family that reported the sexual abuse was having marital problems. Those people, he insisted, were trouble. Even if their story had some truth to it, the victim was partly at fault, anyway. It was, he said, “the way she operated and how she moved about.”

The victim was 8 years old.

This interview with Pastor Steven Scibelli, director of missions for Greater Grace World Outreach (GGWO), was among many similar stories cited in a blistering 172-page report that dropped on Dec. 18, concluding a 14-month investigation into GGWO’s handling of sexual misconduct.

The verdict: GGWO’s approach protected the wolves and harmed the sheep, and the shepherds must go.

“GGWO leaders have been involved, sometimes…

Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the launch of a comprehensive criminal investigation into Native American boarding schools and other institutions that were located throughout the State of Michigan. The Department of Attorney General is seeking to identify, document, investigate, and prosecute instances where criminal acts may have occurred at these institutions.

To support this effort, the Department is asking survivors, witnesses, and individuals with firsthand knowledge to come forward and share information that may assist the investigation.

“This investigation seeks to bring truth and accountability to a painful chapter in our state’s history,” Nessel said. “My office is committed to ensuring that survivors’ voices are heard and that any criminal acts uncovered are thoroughly investigated and, when possible, prosecuted.”

Individuals with information that may assist the Native Boarding Schools investigation can contact the Department of Attorney General via email or by phone at 517-897-7391. Tips can be…

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday announced a criminal investigation into Native American boarding schools that operated across the state. Nessel said her department will investigate and prosecute crimes that may have occurred at these sites.

Investigators are asking survivors, witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.

“This investigation seeks to bring truth and accountability to a painful chapter in our state’s history,” Nessel said in a statement. “My office is committed to ensuring that survivors’ voices are heard and that any criminal acts uncovered are thoroughly investigated and, when possible, prosecuted.”Advertisement

Tips can be submitted by email or phone at 517-897-7391 and may be anonymous. More information is available on the investigation’s website.

For more than a century, the federal U.S. government and religious organizations operated Indian boarding schools designed to assimilate Native children by suppressing language, culture and religion. Children’s hair was cut,…

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel launched a criminal investigation into Native American people experienced boarding schools that operated across the state between 1823 and 1983 on Friday, Dec. 19.

Her department wants to “identify, document, investigate and prosecute” criminal acts that may have occurred at these shuttered institutions, per a press release.

Nessel is asking survivors, witnesses and others with firsthand knowledge to share information that may assist in the investigation.

“This investigation seeks to bring truth and accountability to a painful chapter in our state’s history,” Nessel said.

The state has identified eight Indigenous boarding schools and institutions, the last of which closed in 1983:

• Baraga Chippewa Boarding & Day School, Baraga
• Catholic Otchippewa Boarding School, Schoolcraft County
• Holy Childhood, Harbor Springs
• Holy Family Orphanage, Marquette
• Mackinac Mission School, Mackinac Island
• MI Indian Industrial Boarding School, Mt. Pleasant
• New Mission House, Omena
• St. Joseph Orphanage, Assinins

Individuals with information…

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is launching a criminal investigation into Native American boarding schools and other institutions that previously operated in Michigan. 

Nessel’s office plans to document, investigate and prosecute instances where criminal acts might have taken place at these boarding schools and institutions. 

“This investigation seeks to bring truth and accountability to a painful chapter in our state’s history,” said Nessel in a statement. “My office is committed to ensuring that survivors’ voices are heard and that any criminal acts uncovered are thoroughly investigated and, when possible, prosecuted.” 

Michigan was home to five federally run Native American boarding schools, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including Holy Childhood of Jesus School in Harbor Springs, which began operation in 1829 and remained open until 1983. 

Other federally run schools in Michigan included the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School, the Mackinac Mission School on Mackinac Island, the Catholic…

A New York State Supreme Court judge has ruled in favor of Harlem’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church and its senior pastor, the Rev. Kevin R. Johnson, bringing an end to a yearlong legal battle that challenged the validity of his election.

In a decision issued Dec. 22, Judge James G. Clynes denied a lawsuit filed by four current and former church members who sought to nullify Johnson’s 2024 election and bar him from future consideration as senior pastor. The ruling affirms Johnson’s position as the duly elected leader of one of the nation’s most prominent Black churches, ReligionNews.com reported.

Johnson succeeded the late Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, who led Abyssinian for five decades before his death in 2022. Johnson was formally installed in September 2024 following an election held June 21–23 of that year.

The plaintiffs — Kevin McGruder, Jasmine McFarlane-White,…

I am proud to be an American Baptist. Our denomination is not perfect; far from it.  But we have been on the right side of history more often than not. On this day, I feel compelled to point out what distinguishes us from Southern Baptists and independent Baptists, who are much in the news for their incidence of clergy sexual abuse and subsequent cover-ups.

American Baptists are Baptists; this means that we believe in congregational autonomy. Autonomy means each church chooses its own pastoral leadership. However, we have accountability within our system that provides a layer of protection for our churches. A system like this has been in place in the American Baptist family for decades.

A pastor who has American Baptist “standing” has completed a number of steps. In my region of Massachusetts, these include a background check, a course on ethical boundaries in ministry and an evaluation at a…

Pierce County schools pay annually for liability and property coverage from one of two risk management pools in Washington state.

The Puyallup School District has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit that alleged a second-grade teacher abused an 8-year-old student with autism, Pierce County Superior Court records show.

Filed by the student’s parents last year, the lawsuit claimed that a Pope Elementary instructor locked the plaintiffs’ son outside the classroom on multiple occasions, “leaving him alone in the hallway for large stretches of time,” jerked him around by his arm and repeatedly yelled at him during the 2022-23 school year. The teacher had been the subject of a prior complaint for allegedly being aggressive with another student who had behavioral needs, according to the suit.

The district, which was accused of improperly placing the plaintiffs’ son in a general education classroom despite his special needs, failed to take…

Some women, forced into prostitution by violence, desperation, or false promises, line the streets of Rome and Abruzzo at night — until they see a nun, dressed in a habit, offering them a way out.

“Ten years ago, I felt a calling within a calling,” Sister Carla Venditti told CNA. “I felt that God was calling me to something beautiful. I had to go out onto the streets because he was waiting for me there in the faces of the least among us.”

Venditti, of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, lives in Avezzano, Italy, and is known as the “anti-trafficking nun.” She goes out into the streets, ministering to women and girls who are being trafficked. Along with her fellow sisters and other volunteers, Venditti helps victims rebuild their lives.

Starting anew with love

“I look forward to Friday evenings so I can enter the world of…

In summary

The law creates an array of measures to educate school staff, beef up reporting requirements and stop teachers credibly accused of abuse from getting jobs at other districts.

Facing a mountain of lawsuits, California K-12 schools will have a system in place beginning this year to prevent teachers and other staff from sexually abusing students.

A new California law creates an array of measures to educate school staff, beef up reporting requirements and stop teachers credibly accused of abuse from getting jobs at other districts.

The law, Senate Bill 848, goes into effect Jan. 1 and schools must have protocols in place by July. The law applies to all schools, including private schools.

“I’m proud to see this bill move forward. It’s been really personal for me,” state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, the bill’s author, told CalMatters after it passed. “For survivors, this is an important step toward…

Dec. 15 began a most unusual week for the U.S. Catholic Church. A Spanish publication, Religión Digital, reported late on that day that Pope Leo XIV would appoint Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, to succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York. The appointment, the story said, was expected the next day. In fact, two more days would pass before the appointment finally came, as Catholics in the United States speculated wildly.

Bishop appointments rarely leak. Many new bishops are named each month around the world. Confidentiality is kept with remarkable effectiveness, given that for each appointment the process is lengthy and consultative, and a lot of people know which candidates are being vetted. It works in part because everyone’s participation in the process is constrained by what is called a pontifical secret: To leak word is a grave sin for someone, and it can incur penalties under…

Derwood, Md. — A Maryland church teacher in Derwood was sentenced Monday for sexual abuse charges. 

Ervin Alfaro-Lopez, 34, of Germantown, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars by a Circuit Court judge in Montgomery County. Alfaro-Lopez pleaded guilty in February to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense.

In May of 2023, detectives with the police department’s Special Victims Investigations Division opened an investigation after a victim reported being sexually abused by a teacher at a Derwood church located near the 15700 block of Crabbs Branch Way in Montgomery County.

Pastor Bernal Osorio with the Elim Giathersburg Church confirmed to WUSA9 that the alleged abuse happened in their Derwood location. 

After the first victim came forward in May, police say three more victims came forward between September 2023 and January 2024. All of the victims claimed to…

A teacher at a church in Derwood, Maryland, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing four minors who were under his care at the church, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Ervin Alfaro-Lopez, 34, of Germantown, pleaded guilty in February to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sexual offense. The charges stem from crimes against four young children during the time span of 2014-18, when the defendant was employed as a teacher at a church located in the 15700 block of Crabbs Branch Way in Derwood.

Charging documents provide detailed accounts from the four victims, stating Alfaro-Lopez was able to get the victims separated from other students to abuse them. In one case, Alfaro-Lopez directed a student to sit on his lap before abusing her while the rest of the kids were watching a movie…

A prominent Catholic order failed to disclose the sexual misconduct of a key witness during a Supreme Court trial, which has prompted an appeal and is likely to result in a retrial.

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart also failed to provide the court with crucial documents that contained evidence of alleged sexual misconduct concerning former Monivae College teacher Brother John Frith.

Comments made by Court of Appeal Justice David Beach indicated a fresh civil trial was likely because of the serious disclosure breaches, which the appeals court bench ruled had likely skewed the outcome of the original hearing.

“Three other judges of this court could spend two days doing this, or the parties could come to the conclusion that it’s blindingly obvious – their words, not mine – that whatever happens, there has to at least be a retrial,” said Beach at a hearing on November 14.

Lawyer Michael Magazanik…

Mandatory reporters in Minnesota can be charged with a misdemeanor if they do not report child abuse to authorities. But violators of the statute are rarely convicted, and fines are often similar to traffic tickets.

Co-published with Minnesota Star Tribune

A Minnesota senator wants to strengthen state laws meant to hold adults entrusted with children’s safety accountable for failing to report suspected child abuse, after an investigation by the Minnesota Star Tribune and ProPublica found that the leadership of a church in Duluth for years protected a child sex predator.

Sen. Erin Maye Quade, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party from suburban Minneapolis, said she’s focused on situations where such an adult has concrete knowledge that a specific person is abusing children and nonetheless stays silent, allowing the abuse to continue.

“If you know an adult who is committing child sexual abuse, you need to report that,” she said. “For that,…

Decades of concealed clergy abuse are coming back to haunt the Archdiocese of New York

In what sounds like a joke, but very much isn’t, the Archdiocese of New York says its insurance company won’t give it the money it needs to pay victims of child sexual abuse because the Catholic group has supposedly allowed “a pattern of abuse to persist for many years.”

You may have seen news article about recent settlements by archdioceses to settle hundreds of lawsuits from survivors of abuse. The Archdiocese of New Orleans, for example, announced earlier this month that it would give about $305 million to roughly 600 survivors of clergy sexual abuse. (That particular group had already filed for bankruptcy as a way to limit their payouts.) \

Where was all this money coming from? The company Travelers, which insured the archdiocese between 1973 and 1989, when much of the abuse occurred.

The situation…

Can the Church bring back the formerly faithful?

Catholicism is hot right now. The new American pope is popular for speaking his mind on political subjects such as AI and the death penalty. On Instagram and TikTok, Catholic influencers rank local Masses and their favorite Christmas hymns, and priests go viral for DJ’ing raves, while others protest ICE raids. The Catholic Church is at the center of the new Knives Out film, which premiered at No. 1 on Netflix this month. And more and more young people are going to Mass.

Today’s youth aren’t particularly religious. The Pew Research Center reports that 44 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds are unaffiliated with a faith. Yet at the same time, Catholic Gen Z is showing up strong. A new survey from the Catholic Leadership Roundtable found that members of Gen Z are now the most engaged Catholics—attending Mass, confession, and parish functions more frequently than any other generational cohort. (They…

The Church of England is “learning lessons” and making its processes more rigorous to deal with reports of sexual abuse following recent scandals, a bishop has said.

The Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, who will retire from his role in the summer after nearly a decade, said his diocese has improved its safeguarding training.

Dr Croft previously said he had learned from his own “mistakes”, including in the way he dealt with a rape allegation made against a parish priest who later took his own life.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby left the role earlier this year after a review found he “could and should” have reported a prolific child abuser to police in 2013.

Dr Croft currently oversees 800 churches in 609 parishes across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

He told the BBC: “Nationally and in all dioceses, I think our processes are better, I think our churches are safer…

Mother-of-four Mary McCarthy alleges that she was raped twice by a priest in Co Mayo in 1990 – but her case was ultimately investigated by a Detective who was himself sued over an alleged rape

The Garda Commissioner has admitted to a woman who alleges she was raped by a priest that she was not treated properly in the original garda investigation.

Mother-of-four Mary McCarthy alleges that she was raped twice by a priest in Co Mayo in 1990 – but her case was ultimately investigated by a Detective who was himself sued over an alleged rape, and had to be re-investigated years later.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) refused to take her claims to trial in early 2006, and in a subsequent review of the case by gardai in 2022, it once again declined to charge the priest, even though gardai recommended charges – leaving her devastated.

“In…

A chaplains group facing a legal battle with the Anglican Church in North America has launched a new denomination known as the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church.

Bishops with the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently established the ARCC, with it being officially incorporated in Alabama as a new nonprofit organization.

JAFC Bishop Derek Jones will serve as the leader of the new denomination, according to Virtue Online. The group’s leaders are calling ARCC “classic Anglican.”

“We live in the tradition and prayer book expression we have all known and loved in the JAFC for nearly 20 years,” they told Virtue Online.

“It is Reformed and Catholic as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Bishop John Jewel, Bishop Lancelot Andrewes, and other Anglican reformers envisioned — ancient in faithfulness to the witness of the Apostles and formulated in the ancient Creeds and Councils.”

According to the ARCC  View Cache

A New York State Supreme Court judge has ruled in favor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church in a lawsuit brought by current and former church members who challenged senior pastor the Rev. Kevin Johnson’s 2024 election and sought to remove him.

Johnson succeeded the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, who served as a minister at the historically Black church for 50 years and died in 2022. Johnson was installed in September 2024.

In their lawsuit filed in October 2024 in the Civil Branch of the New York Supreme Court, the plaintiffs — Kevin McGruder, Jasmine McFarlane-White, Clarence E. Ball III and Rev. C. Vernon Mason Sr. — claimed Johnson’s election as Abyssinian’s senior pastor didn’t comply with the church’s bylaws. The group sought to nullify his election and render him ineligible in future church elections. 

But Judge James G. Clynes sided with Johnson and his church in…

At least 13 lawsuits were filed in 2025, one as recently as Dec. 17, against the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, alleging sexual abuse by priests and other employees against minors across Acadiana, bringing the total pending lawsuits filed since June 2024 to about 50.

The Louisiana Supreme Court in June 2024 upheld a Louisiana law giving abuse survivors a three-year window — until June 14, 2027 — to sue for damages.

The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette had challenged a 2021 “look back” law, arguing in court that it violated due process rights. The Supreme Court disagreed, opening the door for victims to file lawsuits against the diocese, churches and others.

The lawsuits filed in 2025 in the 15th Judicial District, which includes Lafayette, involve allegations of abuse at churches and schools in Church Point in Acadia Parish, Abbeville and Gueydan in Vermilion Parish, East Cameron in Cameron Parish, Grand Prairie…

As one of his final acts in office, Mayor Adams late on Christmas Eve vetoed a City Council bill that would temporarily allow victims of gender-based violence to sue their perpetrators even if the statute of limitations for their claim has lapsed.

The veto, which Adams issued just a week before he leaves office on Dec. 31, came even though the City Council passed the bill in a unanimous 48-0 vote last month.

The Council has 30 days to override a mayoral veto after it’s formally received by the chamber, a step that won’t happen until January. Three-fourths of the chamber’s 51 members would need to support an override for it to be successful.

The gender-based violence bill’s author, Queens Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, said in a statement late Wednesday that the chamber “must” next month “override this callous veto and restore survivors’ right to seek accountability.”

“By vetoing Intro 1297 on Christmas…

A retired New York bishop has filed for personal bankruptcy protection in federal court after a state jury verdict found him, along with other officials, personally liable for the collapse of a Catholic hospital pension fund that left about 1,100 retirees without the lifetime monthly payments they were expecting.

It’s not clear whether a Catholic bishop in the United States has ever previously filed for personal bankruptcy protection.

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, 77, who served as bishop of Albany from April 2014 until his retirement in October, is seeking protection from creditors for his assets valued at between $100,001 and $500,000, according to a filing Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York.

The seven-page filing does not list the bishop’s assets but states that he has between 100 and 199 creditors and debts totaling between $1,000,001 and $10 million.

Last week, a jury found Scharfenberger…

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has agreed not to assert charitable immunity in its bankruptcy case.

Survivors of sexual abuse and their legal representatives view the decision as a pivotal moment in their pursuit of accountability.

Teresa Lancaster, a survivor and attorney, feels cautiously optimistic following the archdiocese’s Friday filing of a stipulation.

“I was delighted, because we were prepared to go to court today,” Lancaster said.

The stipulation also prevents parishes or schools from filing for bankruptcy unless they waive the legal protection.

Jonathan Schochor, an attorney helping represent the 900 survivors of sexual abuse in the church, emphasized the importance of this development.

“It’s off the table, finally,” Schochor said.

The legal protection could have shielded the church from paying survivors, and going to trial over it would have extended the already two-year-old case.

“I think it’s within the realm of possibility if the…

Bishop Scharfenberger filed for bankruptcy after a court found him personally liable for the failure of a shuttered Catholic hospital’s pension plan.

Albany’s retired Bishop Edward Scharfenberger filed for bankruptcy this month, shortly after a New York court assigned him personal liability for the failure of a shuttered Catholic hospital’s pension plan.

In a December 12 judgement, Scharfenberger, who led the Albany diocese from 2014 until October of this year, was assigned 10% personal liability in a $54 million judgement for compensatory damages against the former board of St. Clare’s Hospital, which closed in 2008.

The bishop immediately filed for bankruptcy protections, with his personal assets estimated to cover between 2 and 5 percent of his liability for the hospital pensions.

The ruling is unique in that it held personally liable the bishop, as well as his deceased predecessor Howard Hubbard and deceased former diocesan vicar general, but not the…

Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams issued a Christmas Eve veto of a bill that would have granted sexual abuse victims an 18-month window to sue the alleged perpetrators and facilitating institutions, including against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate.

The “Gender Motivated Violence Act” — unanimously passed by the City Council last month — would create a “look back” window for alleged victims to file lawsuits even if the statute of limitations on their claims was expired.

The mayor’s veto statement claimed the bill amounted to a free $300 million “debit card” for law firm Levy Konigsberg, which reps a large swath of alleged victims bringing such claims, including under previous “look back” legislation like the state’s Adult Survivors Act and the Child Survivors Act. 

In a statement to The Post on Thursday, soon-to-be Speaker Julie Menin vowed that the incoming council would vote to override Adams’ veto in the new year.

“The Mayor’s veto message…

Nikki Heidenreich felt a swirl of emotions while reading a massive investigative report that examines sexual abuse at her former church, Greater Grace World Outreach: anger, disgust, vindication.

Anger that church leaders had downplayed the allegations of people who were abused as children, including Heidenreich’s sister, according to the report.

Disgust that high-ranking pastors blamed victims, including one who accused Heidenreich’s sister, who was 8 when she said a pastor molested her, of being culpable due to “the way she operated.”

But Heidenreich felt vindicated by the report, which was the culmination of a 14-month investigation by Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, or GRACE, an independent evangelical organization.

“I feel grateful for the fact that this wasn’t a sham investigation,” said Heidenreich. “I think it lays bare what we have known for a long time that these men [church leaders] were callous and malicious rather than simply…

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet as the next archbishop of New York, marking a decisive shift in leadership style for one of the most visible dioceses in the United States. 

Hicks, 58, succeeds Cardinal Timothy Dolan, whose resignation was accepted after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in February. The appointment, announced today (Dec. 18) by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, ends months of speculation and places a bishop with a markedly pastoral and missionary profile at the helm of an archdiocese facing institutional and financial restructuring and deep cultural change.

The appointment is widely seen as a signal from Rome that the center of gravity in U.S. Catholic leadership is continuing to move away from media-driven cultural confrontation and toward a model rooted in listening, social engagement and pastoral proximity — a model closely associated with both…

A Brampton priest has been removed from pastoral ministry after being charged with sexual assault and sexual interference, the Archdiocese of Toronto says.

Rev. James Cherickal, pastor of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, has been charged by Peel Regional Police, according to a statement by the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Peel police confirmed he was arrested and charged Dec. 18 with one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference.

A Brampton priest has been removed from pastoral ministry after being charged with sexual assault and sexual interference, the Archdiocese of Toronto says.

Rev. James Cherickal, pastor of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, has been charged by Peel Regional Police, according to a statement by the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Peel police confirmed he was arrested and charged Dec. 18 with one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference.

“As the matter is now before the courts, and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no further information can be provided…

Marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s decrees on priestly training and on priestly life and ministry, Pope Leo XIV’s new Apostolic Letter aims at a deeper understanding of the ministry and role of priests.

Fidelity expressed in humble service to every person, in constant dialogue with God and His People through ongoing formation, in the context of fraternity among priests and with the whole Church, in the missionary and synodal spirit that transcends any temptation to self-celebration: these are some of the priorities that Leo XIV wishes to see intensified in priestly life, contained in the Apostolic Letter  Una fedeltà che genera future (“A fidelity that generates the future”) signed on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and released today, 22 December.

The Letter was occasioned by the sixtieth anniversary of the conciliar decrees Optatam totius and Presbyterorum ordinis: documents the Pope said, “that constitute a milestone…

At a time when so much pressure and so many demands are placed on priests, they should find support, freedom and relief in recognizing the gifts of laypeople and collaborating with them, Pope Leo XIV said.

“The ministry of the priest must move beyond the model of exclusive leadership, which leads to the centralization of pastoral activities and the burden of all responsibilities entrusted to him alone,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter titled, “A Fidelity that Generates the Future.”

Vatican II decrees on priests

The letter, released Dec. 22, marked the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s decrees on priestly formation and on the life and ministry of priests.

Pope Leo used the letter to express his “gratitude for the witness and dedication of all priests throughout the world who offer their lives in celebrating the sacrifice of Our Lord in the Eucharist, proclaiming the Word and…

Another former student at Paramus Catholic High School has filed a lawsuit claiming he was sexually assaulted by a gym teacher and a hockey coach at the school more than 30 years ago.

The plaintiff, whose identity is withheld, alleges he was the victim of “unpermitted sexual contact” by two employees identified in the lawsuit as former gym teacher Donn Ernst and former ice hockey coach Bernard Garris.

The alleged violations occurred from 1986 to 1989, when the student was 14 to 17, the lawsuit says.

The teenager came from a “devout Roman Catholic family,” and was vulnerable to the power that adults had over him, the lawsuit says.

“The culture of the Catholic Church over Plaintiff created pressure on Plaintiff not to report the abuse,” the lawsuit says.

The complaint, which was filed on Dec. 17 in Essex County, is the latest in…

Catholic priest was removed from the ministry after a decision by the Archdiocese of Toronto

A Catholic priest in Brampton, Ont., has been charged with sexual offences and removed from the ministry, the Archdiocese of Toronto says.

It says the man is accused of one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference, an offence that applies when the victim is under 16 years old. 

A statement the archdiocese posted on its website over the weekend says Peel Regional Police laid the charges on Thursday.

Police confirmed Tuesday that “the individual in question was arrested and charged.”

“As the matter is now before the courts, and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no further information can be provided at this time,” Peel police said in a statement 

The archdiocese statement says the priest was most recently attached to St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton, and also served at other parishes across…

Accused, Fr. James Cherickal, had been serving at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton since 2024

A priest posted at a Catholic church in Brampton has been removed from pastoral ministry after being charged with sex crimes, the Archdiocese of Toronto said.

The archdiocese announced the charges and the priest’s removal in a statement on its website Saturday, saying that Fr. James Cherickal had been charged by Peel Regional Police last week on one count of sexual assault and another of sexual interference.

For reference, a sexual interference charge pertains to a victim under the age of 16.

Cherickal had been serving at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton since 2024 when he was charged, the statement said, with the Archdiocese of Toronto saying it learned of the allegations last week.

“Following our protocols and procedures relating to allegations of misconduct, Fr. Cherickal has been removed from pastoral ministry,” the…

• A lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville has been dismissed at the request of the plaintiff due to health concerns.
• The lawsuit asserted the diocese mishandled a rape accusation against a seminarian and tried to discredit the accuser.
• Former Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika’s resignation in June 2023 followed multiple scandals, including his handling of the alleged rape.

The lawsuit that put an unwelcome spotlight on the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and ultimately contributed to the departure of former Bishop Richard Stika has been dismissed at the request of the man who filed it.

Filed in 2022, the lawsuit asserted the diocese tried to discredit the man, identified by the pseudonym John Doe, and did not properly investigate his report that he was raped in 2019 by a seminarian who worked for the diocese and who was a favorite of Stika.

John Doe’s attorney, Patrick Thonson, told Knox News on Dec….

Fifty million people are currently being trafficked around the world, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index, driving over $236 billion into the hands of criminals, with numbers continuing to rise.

The 2024 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report documented that between 2019 and 2022 the number of identified trafficking victims increased by 25%, forced labor rose by 47%, and the number of child victims rose by 31%, with a dominating 38% increase in girls. 

Earlier this month, the Sovereign Order of Malta, Praeveni Global, the Santa Marta Group, and the Institute of Anthropology of the Pontifical Gregorian University organized an international conference in Rome to discuss prevention efforts, strengthen collaboration, and promote comprehensive action plans. 

Conference panelists included law enforcement, activists, United Nations rapporteurs, and human rights experts as well as appearances from Cardinal Fabio Baggio, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development,…

KRAKOW, Poland (OSV News) — Entering the centuries-old Royal Wawel Cathedral in Kraków on Dec. 20, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś opened a new chapter of one of the oldest archdioceses in Catholic Poland, telling the faithful that without them he “doesn’t make sense.”

He pledged a more listening, synodal church and signaled openness to an independent diocesan commission on past abuse cases.

Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, apostolic nuncio to Poland, presented the papal bull of appointment to the faithful during the Mass of installation, attended by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and dozens of bishops.

Thousands of faithful

Poland’s deputy prime minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, was also in attendance, as well as thousands of the faithful, most of whom did not fit into the 14th-century cathedral that…