ABUSE TRACKER

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

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It is with great hope that I write to share with you that the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors have reached a Memorandum of Understanding to settle our bankruptcy that protects our parishes and begins to bring the proceedings to a close. I am grateful to God for all who have worked to reach this agreement and that we may look to the future towards a path to healing for survivors and for our local church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  

I met with pastors of our area parishes this week to share this news with them and to give them more information. We will continue to share updates as they are available, for there remains much work to be done as we look…

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atholic League President William A. Donohue has written to Washington state Senator Noel Frame, urging the state to “follow Canon law” on assisted dying.

The letter followed Frame’s suggestion that the church could “change their rules” to allow priests to disclose any allegations of child abuse heard during confession to the relevant authorities.

Newsweek contacted the state senator for comment on Thursday via email outside regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Earlier this month, the state of Washington passed a law requiring clergy to report any suspected child abuse they learn of during confession, a requirement they were previously exempt from for religious reasons.

In response, the Archdiocese of Seattle said, “Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession—or they will be excommunicated from the Church.”

What To Know

On Tuesday, the Catholic League published the letter Donohue sent to Frame under the title “Washington State…

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The Archdiocese of New Orleans this week agreed to pay a massive $180 million to victims of clergy abuse there, bringing an end to years of bankruptcy proceedings in federal court and pointing to what Archbishop Gregory Aymond called “a path to healing for survivors and for our local Church.”

The law firm Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, which represented abuse victims in the proceedings, said in a press release that the sum represented “more than 20 times the archdiocese’s initial settlement estimate” when the archdiocese first filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

The settlement, if it is accepted by the abuse survivors, brings an end to almost exactly five years of bitter disputes over how the archdiocese handled sex abuse cases in the past and how it planned to compensate victims of clergy abuse now. 

The process was protracted enough that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge…

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A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375.

The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27.

A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests.

“SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith…

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This story has been updated.

The Diocese of Norwich is ready to move past its legal troubles and focus on its Catholic faith.

The United States Bankruptcy Court in Hartford confirmed the Diocese of Norwich’s Joint Plan of Reorganization on Thursday, “marking the official emergence of The Norwich Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation from chapter 11 bankruptcy,” a press release stated.

“This resolution allows the Diocese, parishes and Catholic entities to move forward with clarity, accountability, and renewed dedication to charitable and religious work throughout the community, and provides an opportunity for healing to survivors,” the press release stated.

There are no plans to close any churches or reassign any priests at this time, a spokesperson for the Diocese stated.

The Joint Plan was proposed by the Diocesan Corporation, The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, the Association of Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, and the Official…

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The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has reached a tentative $179 million settlement to resolve over 600 sex abuse claims in its bankruptcy.

The settlement, which must still be voted on by abuse survivors before it can be approved in bankruptcy court, would resolve one of the longest-running Catholic bankruptcies in the U.S. The Archdiocese, which serves 505,000 Catholics, filed for bankruptcy in New Orleans in 2020.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond said in a Wednesday letter that the settlement “offers a path to healing for survivors and for our local church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans,” although he cautioned that there is “much work to be done” before it is finalized in court.

The settlement was negotiated by a committee that was appointed in bankruptcy court to represent people who allege they were abused by clergy. The committee said that the $179.2 million deal was “more than 20 times the…

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The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached a $500,000 settlement with a former janitor at a Maywood church who alleged that emotional distress caused the Long Beach woman to quit in 2019 after an associate pastor groped her in the rectory and tried to coerce her into his bed.

An attorney for the plaintiff signed the offer presented by the archdiocese attorneys on April 9, and the court papers notifying Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Christopher Lui of the accord were filed with him on Monday.

In July 2022, Lui granted judgment in favor of the archdiocese, affirming his ruling a month earlier dismissing the case brought by the woman who worked as a custodian at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. The parish is adjacent to a school as well as a rectory that housed the living areas and offices of Pastor Dario Miranda and Associate Pastor Primitivo Gonzalez,…

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[See also the court filing that revealed Seton Hall’s action, and former Seton Hall president Nyre’s amended complaint in his whistleblower lawsuit.]

Cardinal Joseph Tobin promised “full cooperation” from the Catholic university in New Jersey, but the school is pushing back.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of New Jersey left for Vatican City earlier this month to help select the next pope — a rare moment on the global stage for one of the most powerful Catholic leaders in the United States.

Back home, Seton Hall University — the oldest Catholic diocesan university in America, where Tobin personally oversees both governing boards — was preparing to defy him.

A day after the new pontiff was chosen on May 8, attorneys for the university blocked a key witness from participating in a clergy abuse investigation Tobin had ordered, according to a court filing. That inquiry centers on whether Seton Hall’s…

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As part of the church’s bankruptcy case, survivors — and now creditors — were allowed the opportunity to detail in open court how they were violated by priests.

The bishop waited inside the courthouse foyer for his turn through the metal detector. On a clipboard ledger, he jotted his name — “John McDermott,” omitting his honorifics — along with the time he was signing in, 9:32 a.m. on May 14, a Wednesday.

He had arrived alone.

McDermott, 62, wore a black shirt and a pectoral cross around his neck. A signifier of his status, the bulky, silver crucifix dangled near his abdomen from a chain.

When he was next to be screened, McDermott placed the cross into one of the gray plastic bins that ferry visitors’ belongings through an X-ray machine for inspection by a court security officer. He walked through the detector without setting off the machine, draped…

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Tim Gioe was abused by a priest as a child. Now his state senator father-in-law is proposing a bill to stop the grooming of kids for exploitation.

The wife of a Catholic clergy molestation survivor who helped authorities catch the priest who abused him in his childhood has teamed up with her state senator father to devise a law in Louisiana criminalizing grooming – conduct that increased her husband’s vulnerability before his abuse.

Tim Gioe; his wife, Sarah Connick Gioe; and her father, Louisiana state senator Pat Connick, are at the heart of the legislative saga – as the tight-knit family collectively fights back after being victimized by the clerical molestation scandal that for decades has plagued the Catholic church both in their home state and globally.

Pat Wattigny, a New Orleans-area priest, pleaded guilty in June 2023 to charges that he had previously molested two children whom he…

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Pope Leo XIV is under renewed scrutiny over claims that he mishandled priest abuse cases while serving as a leader in the Catholic Church in Chicago.

On Tuesday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a news conference, claiming Leo exhibited a “pattern of failure to properly investigate abuse claims” during his time as head of the Augustinian order in Chicago.

“It was his responsibility to follow the meager church protocols and laws put in place,” James Egan, a SNAP spokesperson, said. “Given his record, it doesn’t seem that he prioritized protecting children at all.”

Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, became the first American pope earlier this month. While he led the Augustinian order in Chicago, the Archdiocese faced numerous clergy abuse allegations. A 2023 report by the Illinois Attorney General found that more than 450 Catholic clergy in the state had…

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But attorneys representing large groups of survivors say the deal is short and will advise clients to reject it.

Some attorneys involved in the bankrupt New Orleans Catholic archdiocese’s federal financial reorganization say they have reached terms on an agreement to settle decades’ worth of clergy molestation claims, but lawyers representing a sizeable share out of more than 600 abuse claimants contend the proposed deal falls short by about $100 million — and they’re hoping they have the votes to block its approval.

Both developments came on Wednesday amid a struggle to resolve a tortuous Chapter 11 case that has cost the church more than $45 million in legal and other professional costs. The case could theoretically be dismissed at a hearing toward the end of June if the presiding judge, Meredith Grabill, determines she is unsatisfied with its progress.

Wednesday’s announced agreement was between attorneys for the archdiocese…

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Three now-deceased priests were added to a list of clergy offenders with substantiated claims.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas reported that Fr. John “Fidelis” Forrester, Fr. Donald Redmond and Fr. Joseph Cramer were found to have abuse allegations against them be substantiated.

Fr. Fidelis, who was previously found to have substantiated allegations against him outside the Archdiocese, also had allegations of sexual abuse of a minor within the Archdiocese confirmed.

He died in 2022.

Fr. Fidelis had served at Camp St. Maur Hill (Atchison), Maur Hill Mount-Academy (Atchison), Mount St. Scholastica Academy (Atchison) and Ursuline Academy (Paola) prior to his ordination in 1954. He was assigned to St. Peter and Paul Parish (Seneca). The Archdiocese listed his estimated timeframe for abuse to have been between 1947-1961.

Fr. Cramer, who was ordained in 1977, had substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors that occurred in the Archdiocese. He also…

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The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has revealed what it says are recent substantiated allegations of sex abuse involving three priests, bringing to nearly 30 the number of credibly accused clergy who have served in the archdiocese.

The priests all have died in recent years, according to an announcement last week by the archdiocese and St. Benedict’s Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Atchison, Kansas. The organizations said the announcement was made “with deep sorrow for the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse.”

“The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and St. Benedict’s Abbey take all allegations of misconduct by church personnel very seriously and work to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect, and compassion,” the announcement said.

The information on the priests has been updated on the archdiocese’s list of “substantiated clergy offenders” found on its website. The list contains the names of 29 clergy who the…

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The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church.

The archdiocese, its parishes and several insurers will pay $179.2 million into a trust to benefit survivors, according to a statement by the committee that negotiated the agreement. The money will be distributed after the church emerges from bankruptcy, it said.

But many of the survivors were not on board, their lawyers said.

“This proposed settlement was made in a secret backroom deal that the Archdiocese, the creditors committees and the mediators knew the overwhelming majority of victim-survivors would never agree to and will undoubtedly vote down,” attorneys Soren Gisleson, Johnny Denenea and Richard Trahant said in a statement to The Associated Press. “It makes no sense and is a continuation of the lifetime of abuse the Archdiocese…

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‘To our knowledge, Pope Leo XIV has acted in accordance with Church policies in every abuse case’: Chicago Archdiocese

In the wake of the elevation of Pope Leo XIV, advocates for people abused by Catholic priests spoke out Tuesday.

They are claiming the pope didn’t take enough action on cases that were previously under his purview.

The advocates said they filed a complaint against then-Cardinal Robert Prevost just six weeks before he was elected pope.

None of the accusations made Tuesday directly implicate Pope Leo XIV in any abuse.

Rather, they are allegations that, throughout his decades-long career, he didn’t take enough action on cases that were under his purview.

Victims advocates said they were so worried that they filed a complaint against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican back in March.

While Catholics around the U.S. continue to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, members of SNAP, the Survivors…

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Champion Forest Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in Houston, has settled with “strict confidentiality” a lawsuit alleging church and denominational leadership’s complicity in the sexual misconduct of former youth pastor Timothy Jeltema.

Three women, anonymously referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, filed a joint lawsuit against both the Southern Baptist Convention and Champion Forest Baptist Church on April 19, 2024, seeking $1 million in damages. The parties agreed on a settlement on May 14, according to a notice submitted to Harris County Court by mediator Lema Mousili.

The church’s attorney, Marc Sheiness, told Law 360 last week, “The settlement was made by the insurance carrier on behalf of the church.” He further explained, “The church had no say-so on when the case was settled, where it settled or the amount that the case settled.”

Jeltema went to prison in 2022 and is currently serving a five-year sentence on counts of sexual…

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A criminal case involving the son of Ohio megachurch pastors that has drawn massive media coverage in central Ohio intensified on Monday when a grand jury added five additional charges, including two additional counts of felony rape.

The total number of sex abuse charges against Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee, Jr., 36, now add up to 32, court records show. He is the son of Gary and Drenda Keesee, pastors of Faith Life Church in New Albany, just east of Columbus, Ohio.

The charges include incidents with one additional victim, bringing the total victim count to four, Licking County Capt. Jay Cook told The Roys Report (TRR). The fourth victim was 6 or 7 years old when Keesee allegedly sexually abused her in Mt. Vernon, a small town in Ohio’s Knox County, according to Knox County court records.

Keesee’s other three alleged victims ranged in ages 5 to 15 when the…

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A Roman Catholic priest from Massachusetts will return to public ministry after charges that he sexually assaulted a child more than two decades ago were dropped.

In 2022, Monsignor Francis Strahan was indicted on forcible child rape and indecent assault and battery charges. Strahan was accused of assaulting an altar boy when he was a priest at St. Bridget Parish in Framingham, a Boston suburb, on two occasions from 2004 until 2008 when the boy was between the ages of 11 and 13.

But over the weekend, the Archdiocese of Boston said Strahan, a senior priest who retired, had been cleared of civil and canonical allegations and would return to public ministry. Criminal charges were dropped in 2023, and the Archdiocese said it had completed its canonical investigation, which found that the allegations “did not have a semblance of truth, and therefore unsubstantiated.”

“We recognize the significant impact this has had…

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Catholic Church officials in Kansas have released new reports this month into allegations of abuse against three former priests.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas released three announcements on May 12 regarding allegations of abuse against three of its priests. Fr. Joseph Cramer, Fr. Donald Redmond and Fr. John “Fidelis” Forrester are named in the announcements.

Each of the priests died before the release of the abuse allegations this month. The priests served at dozens of different churches across Kansas, including in the areas of Topeka, Lawrence, Atchison, Seneca, Sabetha, Olathe, Emporia, Marysville and more.

The Archdiocese called the allegations of abuse “credible” and “substantiated” for the priests. Allegations designated as substantiated are corroborated with evidence such as witness statements, documents, emails, photos and other sources of information or law enforcement authorities.

All three priests were added to the Substantiated Clergy Offenders list, which…

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A former long-term volunteer with the Assumption and Sacred Heart Catholic Parishes’ youth ministry program was sentenced Monday in Bellingham to 67 months in prison on charges related to the molestation of a young girl who was known to him.

A jury previously found Michael Wayne Breeding, 62, guilty of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and two counts of first-degree child molestation. Breeding was arrested in September 2021 and released the following day on bond.

The girl Breeding sexually abused met him through Assumption Church in Bellingham. According to court records, Breeding told the girl at a 2019 church function to visit pornographic websites. He later took her on bike rides, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times. Breeding threatened to harm her and her family if she disclosed the abuse.

The victim, now 15, spoke at Breeding’s sentencing in Whatcom County Superior Court. She said she…

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A County Tyrone priest has gone on trial on historical indecent assault charges against five young men.

Canon Patrick McEntee, 70, from Esker Road, Dromore, faces a total of nine counts of indecent assault dating back to the late 1970s.

Canon McEntee, who was a teacher at St Michael’s College in Enniskillen, has denied all the charges.

The prosecution told Dungannon Crown Court that during the late 1970s and into the 1980s, Canon McEntee abused young boys who were pupils at the school.

It was alleged that the priest took the boys, who were aged between 11 and 17, into his private quarters where some of the boys were made to sit on his knee or touched inappropriately.

The jury was told that it would have to decide if the priest’s action “was pastoral care or sexual deviance”.

He is charged with four counts of indecent assault on one male…

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Reagan Danielle Gray, a former middle school teacher and Immanuel Baptist Church praise team member, pleaded no contest Monday to second-degree sexual assault involving one of the congregation’s minors.

Originally charged with first-degree sexual assault, she accepted a plea agreement reducing the count and dismissing a separate count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

If the case had proceeded to trial, deputy prosecuting attorney Claire Maddox said the evidence would have shown that Gray had engaged in sexual contact with a minor while she was serving as a volunteer in the student ministry at Immanuel Baptist Church and that she had done so while holding “a position of trust or authority” over the minor.

After briefly questioning her, Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge LaTonya Honorable found her guilty, determining that Gray had “knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily” entered the no-contest plea.

She sentenced Gray to six years probation, assessed her $1,000 in fines…

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Liberty University will pay its former president, Jerry Falwell Jr., about $15 million to settle litigation following his resignation in 2020 after a high-profile sex scandal that drew national attention to the private Christian institution.

The settlement was announced in 2024, but neither Falwell nor Liberty shared details about what it included − or how much Falwell would be paid.

But buried deep in a recently filed 2023-2024 tax form, the university revealed it’s paying Falwell a multimillion-dollar figure to “settle certain claims and close certain transactions.” As part of the agreement, Falwell agreed to pay the university $440,000 to settle “disputed expenses” between him and the university. Details about those claims were not included.

In total, Falwell will receive roughly $5.5 million to settle the lawsuits in addition to roughly $9.7 million he already received as part of his retirement package, according to the tax documents.

Liberty University declined to…

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Survivors of clergy sexual abuse amplified calls Tuesday for a global zero-tolerance policy from the new pope’s American hometown and raised questions about Leo XIV’s history of dealing with accused priests from Chicago to Australia.

The cases span Robert Prevost’s previous posts. They include leading a Catholic religious order, bishop and as head of the Vatican’s office for bishops, where he was made cardinal.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, called out alleged abuse by Chicago priests and other clergy in Peru, Colombia, Canada and Australia where it contended the new pope should have done more.

Along with a worldwide zero-tolerance law for accused priests, SNAP has called for a global truth commission, survivor reparations and church transparency measures.

“It is our hope that Pope Leo does the right thing,” Shaun Dougherty, SNAP president, told reporters in Chicago. “It is our gut, in our experience, that says that he will need…

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“He’s the one who gave me permission” to stay at a Hyde Park monastery in 2000, former priest James M. Ray told the Chicago Sun-Times of Robert Prevost, the newly installed pope who was then head of the Midwest province of his Augustinian order.

A defrocked priest from the suburbs says the future Pope Leo XIV signed off on his move in 2000 to a Hyde Park monastery near a Catholic school after the priest had been accused of molesting children.

Robert Prevost, now newly installed as Pope Leo XIV, was the head of the Midwest province of the Catholic Church’s Augustinian religious order at the time.

“He’s the one who gave me permission to stay there,” James M. Ray, the former priest, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ray was accused of being a pedophile priest, restricted from public ministry and needed someplace to live where the church deemed he wouldn’t…

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A group known for protecting those sexually abused by Catholic priests has sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV to ask him to sign new canon law taking a zero tolerance stance on sex abuse in the clergy, while questioning why he didn’t do more in his decades spent in the Catholic Church.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests sent the letter the day the new pope stepped out onto the Vatican balcony. It calls for a number of action in his first 100 days.

The biggest ask is making zero tolerance part of the church’s canon law, defining it as the permanent removal of a person from ministry following a single act of sexual abuse “admitted or established after an appropriate process,” “found guilty” in the judicial system, or “found liable in a civil proceeding.”

“It is our hope that Pope Leo does the right thing. It…

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A jury has been sworn in the case County Tyrone priest who is to stand trial for historic sexual abuse charges against a number of males, which began with two complainants but has now increased to five after further reports in recent months which have now been joined to the original matters.

Canon Patrick McEntee (70) from Esker Road, Dromore requested a leave of absence in 2022 while a serious safeguarding investigation was carried out.

Last year he was charged with sexual offences against five males which allegedly occurred in the County Fermanagh area.

There are four counts of indecently assaulting one complainant on dates between 1988 and 1989 and a single count of indecently assaulting another complainant between 1980 and 1981.

In addition there are a further four counts of indecent assault against three males- two counts against one and single counts against the other two.

These matters allegedly…

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[A four-minute video about survivors of Fr. Henry Brian Highfill, relevant documents, and other New Orleans abuse cases.]

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Just as his predecessor was a prime target for fake news, Pope Leo XIV has been hit with various false claims on social media and elsewhere.

One week into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has already found himself in the middle of multiple false narratives, much like Pope Francis before him.

A social media post, for example, claims that an attached video shows the new pontiff deliberately snubbing and turning away from the LGBTQ rainbow flag as he greets onlookers at the Vatican.

However, the flag in the video isn’t the LGBTQ flag — it’s the Italian peace flag, first used in 1961, which predates the LGBTQ flag.

We can see that the lettering on the flag, while back to front, says “Pace”, the Italian word for “Peace”, and there’s no indication that Pope Leo purposely turned away from it as he approached.

The original video can be…

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Re: “Activists look to pope’s handling of past sex abuse cases,” Metro, May 10:

Among survivors of clergy sexual abuse, there is talk of the church being a broken vessel. No pope has used his power to mend this vessel. Pope Francis came close with the Vos Estis Lux Mundi and the Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors. But under Vos Estis Lux Mundi, bishops report internally with no accountability.

The new pope must have the courage to turn over the tables and start anew for survivors to trust in the church’s ability to prevent clergy sexual abuse. Survivors of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) San Antonio is asking for child abuse to be a criminal act under canon law.

In 2018, the Archdiocese of San Antonio put Edward Pavlicek on the credibly accused priest list and removed him from ministry. Seven years…

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Mounting evidence points to pattern of failure to properly investigate abuse claims across Leo’s ecclesiastical career

CHICAGO, IL – The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will hold a press conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM at 1 E. Wacker Dr. (the Izard Room) in Downtown Chicago, to present new evidence concerning Pope Leo XIV and his alleged involvement in the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse cases during his previous roles in the Catholic Church.

SNAP will unveil new whistleblower documents from the Diocese of Chiclayo (Peru) that substantiate allegations made by survivors and detailed in a formal complaint submitted under Vos estis lux mundi on March 25, 2025. These documents directly implicate Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, in the mishandling of abuse reports during his time as Bishop of Chiclayo. Furthermore, they demonstrate the Diocese of Chiclayo has continued to cover-up Prevost’s failure to properly investigate abuse allegations and misrepresented their…

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Although there is no evidence directly tying Pope Leo XIV—formerly Robert Prevost—to acts of abuse, his record as an administrator places him at the center of a pattern survivors say is all too familiar: cases of clergy sexual abuse mishandled, minimized, or allowed to languish in secrecy under his watch. These patterns are not unique to Pope Leo XIV, but emblematic of a broader crisis that has plagued the Catholic Church for generations, a crisis where the protection of the institution has often taken precedence over justice for survivors.

In New Orleans, where Prevost’s Creole roots and local ties have generated pride among many Catholics, his ascension to the papacy has been widely celebrated as a historic moment for the city’s Catholic community. Yet for survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their advocates, those hometown connections only sharpen the sting. What makes Pope Leo XIV’s rise particularly troubling for many…

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Three Irish-born senior figures in the Roman Curia look set to remain in prominent roles under the new pontiff

The hurly-burly is almost done. Pope Leo XIV’s Mass of inauguration in St Peter’s Square takes place tomorrow and then the new papacy begins properly.

As the first US pontiff becomes the 267th occupant of the Throne of St Peter, it would not be unreasonable to consider the likely fate of those Irishmen working at the Vatican, particularly given the high profile that at least one of them took in the run-up to the conclave where Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope in a surprise vote.

For now, all officials there stay in place, as announced by the new pope last week. They include prominent Irish figures: Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as Camerlengo effectively ran the Vatican between the two popes; Archbishop John Kennedy, secretary for discipline at the Dicastery…

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In its 2017 Final Report, the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended changes to canon law, the most important of which was the abolition of the pontifical secret over child sexual abuse by clergy.

The pontifical secret prevented bishops from reporting allegations of child sexual abuse to civil authorities unless there were civil reporting laws. Most countries do not have adequate reporting laws. In 2019, the late Pope Francis abolished the pontifical secret over child sexual abuse thus ending the cover-up written into canon law by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

Another consequence of the pontifical secret was the Church’s failure to develop case law jurisprudence over child sexual abuse, as it had done for marriage annulment cases. Quite apart from issues of transparency, case law jurisprudence is an essential tool for both civil and canon lawyers to know how courts will apply the law…

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Washington state Senator Noel Frame has rejected the Catholic Church’s claim that it would have to excommunicate priests who comply with her new child abuse reporting law.

During an interview with NRP’s Dave Miller, she said: “There’s nothing to say they cannot change their rules.”

Newsweek contacted state Senator Frame for comment via online inquiry form on Friday outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

The debate highlights the tension that can exist between what religious groups claim are theological requirements and secular legislation.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon told the New York Post that the new law “demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion” showing the Trump administration is placing itself firmly on the side of religious authority.

What to Know

Washington state Governor Bob…

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A Washington state lawmaker has called on the Catholic Church to change its centuries-old confessional policy so that priests can comply with a new child abuse reporting law.

Democratic state Sen. Noel Frame said the Catholic Church has the ability to alter its internal rules to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 5375, which takes effect in late July.

The new law removes an exemption that had previously shielded Catholic clergy from having to report suspected child abuse or neglect if they learned of it during confession.

Once in force, priests — along with other members of the clergy — will be legally required to report such cases to law enforcement or the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Families within 48 hours.

Frame, a sponsor of the bill and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, said she discovered that clergy were not already mandatory reporters while researching abuse allegations…

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By Karin Brulliard, Samantha Schmidt, Jonathan Edwards and Jonathan O’Connell

Even as Pope Leo XIV’s profile as a humble champion of the disenfranchisedtakes shape,a looming question ishow he will approach the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis while leading a global institution that has maintained secrecy and silence around its handling of claims against clergy.

Leo has assumed his role a dozen years after Pope Francis inherited a church roiled by clergy abuse scandals and then went on to devote more attention to the issue than his predecessors. But survivors and scholars say the new pontiff must urgently improve on Francis’s complicated legacy, pushing where he didn’t by robustly committing to transparency and accountabilityin investigations of harm.

“He’s a man of justice and a man who has cared for those who are marginalized, and certainly victims should be at the top of that list,” said Daniel Griffith, a Minneapolis priest and founding…

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I wanted to root for the new pope who grew up just a few miles from me in Illinois. But his role in the Catholic hierarchy’s century-long campaign of organized crime against children made me hesitate.

While the rest of the country watched excitedly as white smoke heralded the election of a new pope, and then rejoiced after learning that Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago had been installed as Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in history, I remained wary.

I wanted to root for the new pope who grew up just a few miles from where I lived in Blue Island, Illinois, and slightly farther from where I taught English at St. Francis De Sales High School in southeast Chicago. But his role in the Catholic hierarchy’s century-long campaign of organized crime against children made me hesitate. 

Testimony by tens…

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As a missionary and bishop in Peru, the future Pope Leo came face-to-face with one of the most serious and far-reaching scandals in the church in Latin America.

For years, there were allegations of abuse within the hugely influential Catholic society Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), which had deep ties to Peru’s powerful and wealthy.

The scandal came to a head in 2015, the year after Leo, then known as Robert Prevost, was appointed bishop in the northern city of Chiclayo. A book written by one of the victims, Pedro Salinas, with journalist Paola Ugaz, “Half Monks, Half Soldiers,” described alleged beatings, humiliation and sexual assault in stark detail from 30 anonymous victims that enflamed the country.

Several survivors in Peru, Ugaz and a Vatican source closely involved in the case told CNN that Leo’s eventual intervention – after a key meeting in 2019 and a crucial promotion in Rome –…

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Survivors say Pope Leo must commit to transparency in investigations of priests accused of sexual abuse. His record on doing so in past years has some worried.

Even as Pope Leo XIV’s profile as a humble champion of the disenfranchised takes shape, a looming question is how he will approach the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis while leading a global institution that has maintained secrecy and silence around its handling of claims against clergy.

Leo has assumed his role a dozen years after Pope Francis inherited a church roiled by clergy abuse scandals and then went on to devote more attention to the issue than his predecessors. But survivors and scholars say the new pontiff must urgently improve on Francis’s complicated legacy, pushing where he didn’t by robustly committing to transparency and accountability in investigations of harm.

“He’s a man of justice and a man who has cared for those…

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Special to The Seattle Times

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an inquiry into a new Washington law, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 2, that adds clergy to the list of professionals required to report child abuse or neglect to law enforcement. It does not protect what is said in Confession. “It is anti-Catholic,” the administration says.

I say the law is not anti-Catholic. Anti-Catholic behavior would be allowing actions that harm children. Reporting crimes against children is the best of Catholic behavior. The Catholic Church is not being singled out or persecuted — the law includes all faiths and spiritual institutions that argue they do not have a duty to report sexual abuse against children.

The fact that the DOJ is investigating the validity of our constitutional right to put forward a bill and pass it strikes me as ludicrous.

As a survivor of clergy abuse…

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Projects will help in preparing ‘advice and recommendations’ for ministers on the way forward for clerical abuse victims

Draft recommendations from three research projects into historical clerical abuse are to be presented to victims at an upcoming summit in Belfast.

The studies were commissioned earlier this year to examine the “extent and systemic nature of historical child abuse in faith settings in Northern Ireland”.

The aim is to “best address the needs of those affected by historical clerical child abuse”, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said in January when the studies were announced.

The research is being overseen by the Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG) formed to develop recommendations over historical clerical child abuse and in respect of mother and baby institutions and Magdalene laundries – areas not covered by the north’s Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.

In January, victims of faith-based…

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In an order issued on May 12, Judge William L. Campbell Jr. announced that the jury trial in the lawsuit brought by Johnny Hunt against the Southern Baptist Convention and others has been canceled. The trial was set to begin June 17.

Campbell, who presides over the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, wrote that his decision was “due to the parties’ pending motions to reconsider.”

The judge issued a summary judgment last month dismissing all but one count in the lawsuit. That lone count concerned a 2022 social media post by then-SBC President Bart Barber about the allegations against Hunt.

Hunt, a former SBC president, prominent Georgia pastor and North American Mission Board vice president, was seeking more than $100 million, claiming lost salary and speaking engagements, reputational harm and emotional distress.

The case stemmed from Guidepost Solutions’  View Cache

Anglican Watch, the unofficial watchdog organization for the Episcopal Church, today called on Episcopalians opposed to child sexual abuse to withhold donations from the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts until the Diocese complies with state mandatory child abuse reporting laws.

The move comes after the Diocese refused to hold clergy accountable for failing to report historical child sex abuse allegations involving Episcopal priest Richard Losch, who is accused of taking boys across state lines in the 1970s in order to rape them, to state law enforcement.

Under Massachusetts law, clergy are mandated reporters unless the disclosure is made as part of a confession. Historical incidents also must be reported, which is essential, as other victims frequently come forward when a case becomes public.

Additionally, taking a child across state lines for an illicit purpose is a federal felony and not subject to a statute of limitation.

Anglican Watch filed a formal…

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A priest who was accused multiple times of sex abuse, including possession of child pornography, has been dismissed from the Order of St. Augustine reportedly after a lengthy “disagreement” with the order.

Father Richard McGrath was allegedly barred from the order “following a prolonged period of disagreement with his direct superior,” according to Michael Airdo, an attorney who has represented the Augustinians in the past. 

The dismissal reportedly happened in December 2024, according to Airdo. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the controversy on Thursday.

The Sun-Times did not say what prompted its Thursday report if the dismissal happened in December. The Midwest Augustinians did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, including whether or not they knew the whereabouts of McGrath. Airdo also did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. 

McGrath was previously accused of sexual abuse by Robert Krankvich,…

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A gym teacher from a Catholic school in Burbank faces five felony counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of one of his students. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleged that Dimitri Altobar, 33, committed the lewd acts between March 1 and April 28. Prosecutors added an allegation that he used his position at St. Francis Xavier School to take advantage of the trust and confidence he developed with students. 

The Burbank Police Department arrested Altobar on May 14, following a weeks-long investigation. St. Francis Xavier School officials placed him on leave after reporting the allegations to police earlier this month. 

In a letter sent to parents on May 14, the school said Altobar “will not be returning to serve at our school.”

“If you believe your child may have experienced any misconduct, please contact the Burbank Police Department and the Office of Victims Assistance at (213) 637-7650,”…

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‘Pope Leo XIV has been the most responsive to these cases in the Peruvian Church, and he has listened to us. He has allowed us to achieve justice.’

The Bishop of Chiclayo refuted claims that Pope Leo XIV mishandled allegations of abuse by clergy in his Peruvian diocese.

Bishop Edinson Farfán, who replaced Robert Prevost as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2024, described the claims as a “lie”, saying his predecessor had “listened” and “respected the processes” of handling accusations.

He added: “This process is still ongoing … believe me, I am the most interested person in justice being served and, above all, in being able to help the victims.”

Farfán referred to claims that Prevost had failed to open a proper canonical inquiry into a priest accused of sexual assault.

Three sisters reported Fr Eleutorio Vásquez for sexual harassment to Prevost in April 2022. The alleged events occurred while they were…

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Whether or not a man who claims he was sexually abused as a child by a Roman Catholic priest is allowed to bring a lawsuit against the Diocese of Manchester is about to get decided by the state Supreme Court.

The Justices will have to decide if the statute of limitations for bringing a civil lawsuit in a child sex abuse complaint applies after the legislature removed the limits in 2020.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who helped bring the sexual abuse scandal in the Boston Archdiocese to light in 2002, told InDepthNH.org there are competing legal issues at play.

“Much of the court’s decision will hinge on the facts of the case before it when applying the applicable law,” Garabedian said.

Garabedian is not connected to the case, but agreed to comment on it as an analyst. He said there’s an argument to be made for both sides when the case…

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• Clergy abuse survivors and their advocates praised Camden Bishop Joseph Williams for ending the diocese’s legal challenge to a proposed grand jury investigation.
• Bishop Joseph Williams said the reversal was a message to victims and a step to “restore their faith.”
• The New Jersey Supreme Court is still considering the diocese’s arguments over the validity of the grand jury and could still rule against the Attorney General’s Office.

[Redacted]’s eyes widened in disbelief as he read the message from his bishop.

Joseph A. Williams, recently appointed leader of the Catholic Diocese of Camden, said on May 7 that the diocese would drop its four-year-old legal fight against a statewide investigation of clergy sexual abuse. Williams said he’d informed the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of “our desire to be partners with them in this public service.”

It was a startling reversal coming just days after diocese lawyers argued before the state…

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Diocese begins meeting with pastors to determine amounts

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Diocese of Buffalo is now deciding where it will get the money to fund a recently announced settlement with more than 900 survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests. 

The diocese confirmed in a news release Thursday that some of the $150 million settlement will come from individual parishes. The pastors of those churches are now being called downtown to learn just how much that will be. 

Other sources include “available funds of the diocese, from individual parishes from their available funds, and contributions from Catholic-affiliated entities,” according to a news release from diocese spokesperson Joe Martone on Thursday.

“In the next several weeks, meetings with lay leadership from all parishes will be held to discuss information on the progress made in reaching an agreement, and the expectations on parishes as we together work to fulfill…

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“Today, as an adult, I am still working on the side effects,” said one former altar boy at a Wednesday hearing on past clergy misconduct in the state’s largest religious denomination.

BURLINGTON — Two decades after news broke of a nationwide Catholic priest misconduct scandal, seven Vermont child sex abuse claimants spoke in court Wednesday about the lingering impact.

“He molested me in my own house, in my own bed,” a 61-year-old man identified as Speaker 5 recalled of being an altar boy a half-century ago. “I froze and never said a word. Today, as an adult, I am still working on the side effects.”

Leaders of Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese have heard many such comments over the years as they’ve paid out $34.5 million to settle 67 civil lawsuits alleging clerical improprieties dating as far back as 1950.

But Wednesday saw officials in a different venue: U.S. Bankruptcy Court…

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I wanted to root for the new pope who grew up just a few miles from me in Illinois. But his role in the Catholic hierarchy’s century-long campaign of organized crime against children made me hesitate.

While the rest of the country watched excitedly as white smoke heralded the election of a new pope, and then rejoiced after learning that Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago had been installed as Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in history, I remained wary.

I wanted to root for the new pope who grew up just a few miles from where I lived in Blue Island, Illinois, and slightly farther from where I taught English at St. Francis De Sales High School in southeast Chicago. But his role in the Catholic hierarchy’s century-long campaign of organized crime against children made me hesitate. 

Testimony by tens…

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In testimony to a parliamentary committee hearing, French Prime Minister François Bayrou continued to deny he knew of sexual abuse allegations at a Catholic school in the Pyrenees when he served as education minister in the 1990s.

Bayrou said he only learned of the alleged abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram through media reports, and insisted he had not received any official information when he was Education Minister from 1993 to 1997.

“I had nothing to hide,” he told the committee Wednesday, indicating he was ready to cooperate with the inquiry into allegations of widespread abuse for many decades at the Catholic boarding school near the town of Pau, where he has been mayor since 2014.

Around 200 legal complaints have been filed since February last year accusing priests and staff of physical or sexual abuse from 1957 to 2004 at the school where Bayrou sent many of his children, and where his…

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Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of 1.4billion Roman Catholics, has been accused of ‘looking the other way’ of child sex abuse allegations.

A survivors’ group claims that Robert Prevost failed to act upon accusations of abuse while one of Chicago’s top officials in 2000 and two decades later, while in Peru.

Prevost, then prior provincial of the Order of St. Augustine’s Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, allowed Augustinian priest James Ray to transfer to St. John Stone Friary.

Ray had faced allegations that he posed a risk to children nine years before and was not allowed to minister to the public, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in 2021.

The friary was only a block away from an elementary school. Ray was later removed from the friary two years later under laws to keep those accused of abuse far from schools.

Prevost did not inform the St Thomas the Apostle Catholic school…

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The Rev. Richard J. McGrath was a longtime leader of Providence Catholic High School, run by the Augustinians, whose Midwest province, and ultimately the order worldwide, were led by now-Pope Leo XIV. McGrath wasn’t expelled over the misconduct allegations but had refused to obey his superiors about where to live after the accusations surfaced.

A Chicago-area priest who was a longtime member of the Augustinian religious order formerly led by Pope Leo XIV has been kicked out of the group.

The Rev. Richard J. McGrath had been accused of molesting a student at Providence Catholic High School in the 1990s and of having child pornography on his phone in 2017.

But McGrath apparently still remains a Catholic priest.

And his expulsion from the Augustinians wasn’t over the allegations of sexual misconduct.

That’s according to a Chicago lawyer representing the Midwest province of the Augustinians — the international order’s Chicago-based arm…

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BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Survivors of clergy abuse by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington were given the chance Wednesday to share their stories in federal court as part of the church’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. There are more than 100 new sexual misconduct claims against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington.

Seven survivors spoke about the years of suffering they endured at the hands of the church. Cameras were not allowed in court, but reporter Cam Smith spoke with one of the victims.

“I really meant it when I said, where was the diocese during all of this?” said Michael Veitch, who says he was just 15 years old when he was sexually abused at his church in Weston.

Now in his 70s, Veitch says he suffered from PTSD and alcohol addiction. “It’s a bizarre reunion to be in that courtroom, and they’re all bonded by something that should have…

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The submissions come after 67 previous child sex abuse lawsuits prompted the state’s largest religious denomination to pay out $34.5 million in settlements and push for bankruptcy protection.

Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese, now seeking to reorganize its depleting finances in U.S. Bankruptcy Court after settling 67 priest misconduct lawsuits, is bracing for a new wave of child sex abuse claims.

The state’s largest religious denomination paid out $34.5 million to survivors in the two decades between when news of a nationwide scandal broke in 2002 and its filing for Chapter 11 protection last fall.

As part of the bankruptcy process, all pending and future lawsuits have been placed on hold, with Judge Heather Cooper inviting accusers who haven’t reported abuse before to join the case as potential creditors.

As a result, 118 people have submitted confidential claims, records show — almost double the number of previously settled lawsuits.

The bankruptcy court…

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The current bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Edinson Farfán, is publicly defending the actions of his predecessor, Bishop Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — in the face of accusations that he covered up sexual abuse in the diocese.

Responding to a question at a press conference about the issue, Farfán stated: “That’s a lie. He has listened, he has respected the processes, and this process is still ongoing… believe me, I am the most interested person in justice being served and, above all, in being able to help the victims.”

The bishop of Chiclayo was referring to the allegations of three sisters who met with Prevost in 2022 to report that they had been abused by a priest years earlier when they were minors. They allege that the then-bishop did not open an effective canonical investigation and that the accused continued to celebrate Mass.

Farfán said he has accompanied the…

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This week, the world’s cardinals elected the first ever American pope – Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicagoan who will be known by the papal name Leo XIV. He has been, it seems, lauded the world over in recent days. The Guardian called him “moderate” and “good humoured”. People in his Diocese referred to him as a “hard-working leader”. Another profile referred to him as a “deft leader and administrator”. 

But what these articles don’t mention – what nobody, somehow, seems to be mentioning, is that Prevost is allegedly implicated in one of the greatest and, by now, most well documented and sprawling crimes in modern history – the Catholic Church’s cover up of the sexual abuse of children.

In Chicago in 1999, as provincial of the Augustinians, Prevost oversaw a priest named Father James Ray – who, by the year 2000, had been accused of abusing minors over the course of nine…

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The Catholic religious order said Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, has always sought “to protect the innocent and offer healing to victims, while removing offenders from ministry.” But the order still won’t answer questions.

Facing nagging questions about how he handled the sexual abuse crisis while a leader of his Catholic religious order in Chicago and internationally, the group released a statement Friday defending Robert Prevost, elected a day earlier to lead the worldwide church as Pope Leo XIV.

“He has taken steps to protect minors and vulnerable adults in numerous countries, always seeking to protect the innocent and offer healing to victims, while removing offenders from ministry,” according to the statement released by attorney Michael Airdo, who represents the Augustinians’ Chicago-based Midwest Province.

Prevost was the “prior provincial” of the Midwest Province from 1999 to 2001, during which time his group allowed an accused pedophile priest named James…

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[Click here to see video.]

As the first American pope addressed the faithful from St. Peter’s Basilica last week, he called for peace and unity, but what Pope Leo XIV did not address has some concerned. Investigative Reporter Tracee Wilkins explains what clergy sex abuse survivors say they want to hear from Pope Leo now that he’s the leader of the Church.

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French Prime Minister François Bayrou will take questions on Wednesday from a parliamentary committee investigating claims of decades of abuse at a Catholic school in southwest France. Critics claim that, as education minister in the 1990s, Bayrou knew about widespread physical and sexual abuse at the school, which several of his children attended.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou on Wednesday faces one of the most delicate moments of his five months in office as he responds to questions from a parliamentary committee investigating claims of decades of sexual abuse at a Catholic school.

Bayrou has faced accusations from the opposition that, as education minister in the mid-1990s, he knew of the widespread physical and sexual abuse allegations at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school in southwestern France.

The 73-year-old politician, who served as France’s education minister between 1993 and 1997, has denied any wrongdoing and denounced what he called a campaign to “destroy” him. 

On Monday, the father…

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The seal of the confessional is one of the first things Catholic children learn as they are preparing for their first confession. At first, it comes as a shock to many children, prompting questions to test the limits of total confidentiality: What if I said I killed someone? Father won’t even tell my parents?

The answer to all of these questions is a firm answer, “No, under no circumstances will a priest repeat anything you say in confession.” This is because when someone confesses a sin, they are not really confessing it to their priest but to God himself; the priest does not forgive their sins, God does. To maintain the integrity of the sacrament, absolute confidence is required.

This fundamental principle to the sacrament of confession is being called into question more and more as governments work to limit child abuse, and especially in light of the child sex…

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Catholic priests are pushing back against a new Washington state law that requires clergy to report child abuse to law enforcement.

VANCOUVER Wash. (KPTV) – Catholic priests are pushing back against a new Washington state law that requires clergy to report child abuse to law enforcement, even if the information was obtained in the privacy of a confession booth.

Senate Bill 5375 was signed into law by Washington Governor Bob Ferguson on Friday.

On top of the Archdiocese of Seattle announcing they will excommunicate priests if they break the seal of confession, pastors in Vancouver say they will not follow the law because they believe it goes against their religious freedom, and they do not think it’s enforceable.

At the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Father Thomas Nathe walks into the confessional booth located in the back of his church’s sanctuary.

“The red means someone is in here on…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington filed for bankruptcy in October 2024, with at least 30 unsettled cases of abuse.

A hearing has been scheduled for abuse survivors to deliver victim impact statements against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont. It’s the second of two hearings scheduled by a bankruptcy judge after the diocese filed for Chapter 11 back in October 2024.

The latest court records were filed on Monday. According to the Diocese, 118 additional survivors have come forward with claims of abuse as of April 4. That was the deadline the court had set for survivors to file proofs of claim after Chapter 11 was filed.

In April, a judge granted a request to schedule two opportunities for survivors to present impact statements. To date, more than 60 cases have been settled against the Diocese. By the time the church filed for…

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In short:

• Two Victorian sisters abused by a paedophile priest in the 1970s are speaking out against a legal decision they say has halted their quest for compensation.
• The High Court last year ruled the same priest was not an employee of the Catholic Church, so the church could not be held vicariously liable for his abuse.

What’s next?

• A private member’s bill is before Victoria’s upper house seeking to change the law, but the state government says it would prefer a national solution.

“You don’t sleep afterwards like a normal human sleeps. You’re never carefree again,” Bernie said.

To sleep soundly, the sisters need to know no-one can come through their bedroom doors, so their husbands made them special wooden jams to lock them in place.

“You can have happy days, and you can do things, but you’re not that innocent,” Bernie said.

“You never, ever become that…

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A new law signed by Washington Go. Bob Ferguson requires all members of the clergy to report cases of child abuse or neglect regardless of the source of the details, including the confessional.

The law goes into effect this July.

The Archdiocese of Seattle has responded by threatening excommunication for any Catholic clergy who follow the new law.  Archbishop Paul D. Etienne says the Church already has a policy of mandatory reporting in place for priests but it does not apply to information received during the rite of confession.

Etienne cited Acts 5:29 in a statement responding the law  “We must obey God rather than men”.  His May 4th statement titled Clergy: Responsible to God or State was clear on the Catholic Church’s response

“This is our stance now in the face of this new law. Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession – or they will…

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Survivors of abuse by clergy members are defending a new Washington law against accusations from the U.S. Department of Justice that it is “anti-Catholic” and worthy of a federal investigation.

Signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 2, the new provision adds clergy to the list of professions required to report child abuse or neglect to law enforcement. It does not protect what people say in confession.

The Catholic Church has long sought an exception for what priests hear in a confessional and say without it the law puts them at risk of excommunication. The DOJ says the law violates the First Amendment protection given to religious expression, referring to it as “anti-Catholic.” But those who were abused by clergy members are pushing back.

“As people of many faiths, we are deeply disappointed that the DOJ and the Catholic Church see this as ‘anti-Catholic.’ It is not,” said…

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Governor Bob Ferguson of Washington State recently signed into law legislation obligating Catholic clergy to disclose reports of child abuse heard during sacramental confessions, adding “members of the clergy” to a list of other professionals who are mandatory reporters on child abuse.

The new law, signed on May 2, has been denounced by local Catholic leaders as an infringement of Catholic religious freedom, forcing priests to choose between ecclesial and secular authority, as Washington’s bishops say that priests who violate the seal of confession will incur an automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication. Similar laws have been defeated in other U.S. states over the past several years.

Washington is not the first state to enact or introduce legislation on this matter. New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia all already require clergy to disclose information about sexual abuse obtained in the context of a confession. In 2023 a flurry of legislation was introduced…

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A Chicago-based group filed complaints about him with Vatican officials, claiming Cardinal Robert Prevost fell short in his responses to allegations of abuse in there and in Peru

An advocate for victims of clergy abuse said Saturday they are holding on to cautious hope about Pope Leo XIV, but keeping a close eye on recently surfaced allegations that he previously sheltered those accused of abuse.Article content

Newfoundlander Gemma Hickey, the board president of Ending Clergy Abuse, was in Rome this week to push for the church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for clergy abuse. They said Saturday that survivors have mixed reviews about Leo, which is the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday.

“It’s only been two days now to his papacy,” Hickey said in an interview. “I am being cautiously optimistic based on what I have heard.”

The bottom line, however, is that the church…

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Archbishop Ryan Jimenez has said that although plaintiffs have asked that civil sexual abuse cases be dismissed against former Archbishop Anthony Apuron, a church investigation found that Apuron was guilty of abusing minors, and nothing has changed that determination.

On May 7, documents were filed by plaintiffs in the District Court of Guam asking to drop eight cases of alleged sexual abuse and one case of defamation against Apuron. The former archbishop responded with a statement and a video saying the dismissal requests, which originated with the plaintiffs, are proof of his innocence.

Apuron said he remains a bishop, the only bishop or priest ever allowed to retain the designation after being found guilty of sex crimes, which proves his innocence.

Apuron spoke of one day returning to Guam, and that he prays for Jimenez to receive the “courage to seek the truth and to do what’s right.”

On Friday,…

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(This story has been updated to include a statement from the plaintiffs’ attorney.)

Former Archbishop Anthony Apuron on Wednesday broke his years of silence in a video message, maintaining he’s innocent of the clergy sex abuse allegations against him.

He issued a video message after plaintiffs initiated proceedings that sought dismissal of cases, according to his attorney. Apuron is required to agree to the dismissal, his counsel said.

He did, and the parties filed a motion that dismisses with prejudice eight clergy sex abuse cases and one defamation case against him.

Delia Lujan Wolff, attorney for the plaintiffs, on Wednesday night said dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims against Apuron “is not evidence that Apuron did not sexually abuse or defame them.”

“To be clear, Apuron has not been vindicated by the dismissals and they do not affirm his innocence. While our clients have dismissed their claims against Apuron,…

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The U.S. Department of Justice says a recent data breach of a California consulting firm exposed data of Catholic clergy abuse survivors in nearly a dozen bankruptcy lawsuits.

In a May 6 letter addressed to attorneys at law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, the Justice Department’s Nan Eitel, the associate general counsel for Chapter 11 practice in the Executive Office for United States Trustees, said that late last month multiple government trustees received notice of a data breach at Berkeley Research Group (BRG).

The Emeryville, California-based BRG offers corporate finance and economic consulting, including to Catholic dioceses in bankruptcy proceedings. The government’s letter said the data breach had occurred on March 2 but that trustees were only first informed on April 28.

The breach “affected multiple Chapter 11 cases … and the security of data maintained by BRG in its role as a financial adviser to official committees…

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We have a new pope, but the challenges he faces are not.

Pope Francis fashioned himself as a reformer, starting with his name — taken in part from St. Francis of Assisi, who was tasked by God himself to “rebuild my church.”

The reforms most urgently needed when Francis assumed the papacy were a church in financial shambles and ongoing fallout from the sexual abuse crisis.

While he certainly made progress in some areas, no one denies that his work on both fronts was left incomplete.

The Catholic Church’s financial deficit only grew under Francis, and mere months before he died, Francis warned in a letter that the Vatican’s pension fund was in serious trouble and would require “difficult decisions.” One Vatican expert described it as a “five alarm fire.” Shortly before he died, one of the banks managing Vatican funds cut…

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Pope Leo XIV—born Robert Francis Prevost—is the first American Pope. His election on May 8 signals a shift in the world order of the Church—a shift that many people did not believe would happen anytime soon. But as the once improbable has become reality, Leo must now choose how he will lead the Church—and the some 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe—and how to build on Pope Francis’s legacy.

Read More: ‘Peace Be With You’: Pope Leo XIV Steps Onto the World Stage

Francis, who died on April 21 at 88 years-old, was known for prioritizing inclusivity—if an imperfect inclusivity—and his push to globalize the Catholic Church. He accomplished much during his 12-year tenure, including making the College of Cardinals more global, making the Catholic Church more inclusive, and centralizing the Vatican on climate emergencies.

Yet, that does not mean his challenges were not plentiful. The new Pope is left with…

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The Catholic Church and federal government reacted vehemently to new legislation in Washington state that requires priests to report child abuse or neglect to law enforcement after learning about the crime through confessions. 

Gov. Mike Ferguson signed the controversial bill into law last week, making it mandatory for all clergy to report child abuse, without exemptions for information disclosed during confession. Confessions were previously considered privileged.

The Archdiocese of Seattle — which was made up of 160 priests and 90 permanent deacons as of 2024 — said it will excommunicate priests who comply with the legislation. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice called the law “anti-Catholic” in a statement announcing a probe into the policy, just days before the Vatican selected the first pope from the United States.

The Seattle Archdiocese in a statement, warned that breaking the confidence…

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The state law, in Washington, applies to all religions but has outraged Catholics in particular. The Justice Department is investigating.

The secrecy of the confessional in the Roman Catholic Church is so sacrosanct that any priest who violates it is automatically excommunicated.

In Washington State, a new law requiring clergy to break the seal when child abuse has been revealed has kindled a heated battle involving the state, the Roman Catholic Church and the Justice Department.

The legislation, signed into law last week by Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect to authorities, even if that knowledge arises during the sacrament of confession. It has outraged many Catholics in the state, and across the country.

“This law is a clear intrusion into the practice of our Catholic faith,” said Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle. “The state is now intruding…

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – There was some shock – both positive and negative – expressed locally Thursday when the College of Cardinals selected the first U.S.-born pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, a Chicago native, ascended to the papacy, taking the name Leo XIV, following Pope Francis, from Argentina, who died April 21.

The Rev. Matthew Baum, rector of St. John Gualbert Cathedral in Johnstown, became “very excited to see the white smoke” coming from the Vatican on television, indicating a new pope had been picked.

“I don’t think any of us expected there to be a North American pope,” Baum said. “We certainly had Pope Francis who was the first pope from South America, but no one expected us to have a North American pope. It’s very exciting to think that our new holy father was born in Chicago and went to school…

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He has been described as a peace-seeking bridge builder but he opposes female ordination and abuse survivors are wary

What is the position of Pope Leo XIV on the issues that face him and the Roman Catholic church?

Church unity

Within hours of his election as the 267th pontiff, Leo was being talked about as a bridge builder, a pope that would continue in Francis’s footsteps but without alienating traditionalists in the way his predecessor sometimes did. He is “known for solid judgment and a keen capacity to listen, and someone who doesn’t need to pound his chest to be heard”, according to a recent profile on Crux, a Catholic news website. He is “more pragmatic, cautious and discreet than the late pope”, it added.

In his first appearance on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, he wore traditional papal attire, signalling that his style will be more formal than Francis’s,…

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Then-Robert Prevost did not take action quickly enough after alleged abuse committed by Father Richard McGrath: SNAP

CHICAGO (WLS) — While Chicago is celebrating the election of a new pope from the South Side, not everyone’s cheering. Some are hoping this could be a moment when it comes to how the Catholic Church addresses child abuse by its priests.

The Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) told the ABC7 Chicago I-Team that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, or Cardinal Robert Prevost, didn’t act quickly enough or transparently in response to local cases of child sex abuse by priests.

Peter Isley of SNAP said he is sounding the alarm.

“We cannot have another pope that’s covered up sex crimes,” Isley told the I-Team from Rome. “The last three have; we cannot have another one. We can’t drag this into another papacy.”

SNAP said when then-Robert Prevost was head…

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Pope faced questions about his handling of clerical sexual abuse cases earlier in his career after a survivors group filed a complaint

Groups supporting clergy-molestation survivors say they are gravely concerned and insulted by the election of Pope Leo XIV after he overcame questions about his handling of clerical sexual abuse cases earlier in his career to become the Roman Catholic church’s first-ever US-born leader.

Before Robert Prevost’s ascent to the papacy at age 69, he was leading a chapter of the Augustinian religious order in his home town of Chicago when allegations surfaced that a priest and Catholic high school principal under his jurisdiction had molested at least one student as well as kept child-abuse imagery.

Prevost reportedly allowed that cleric to continue in his role despite the allegations, though the Augustinian order later paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to the abuse survivor and in December booted the priest from the order.

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When Greg Thompson became the bishop of Newcastle, he refused to turn a blind eye to the decades-long child sex abuse scandals in the diocese.

For him, it was personal. He was himself a sexual abuse survivor.

But speaking out came at huge personal cost — and left Greg wondering where he fits in the Anglican Church.

Warning: This story contains themes which may be upsetting for some readers.

For a man who made the decision to become a priest at the age of 16, it’s been a devastating experience.

“I was seen as an outsider and they were telling me I’m an outsider,” Greg told ABC TV’s Compass.

“I am a cynic now of the Anglican institution because of what I’ve seen and experienced.

“But I look back and think, ‘I’ve invested my life in people, and the institution was the framework for me to do that.’”

Where it…

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The new pope, Leo XIV, elected Thursday under the birth name of Cardinal Robert Prevost, is already facing calls from victims’ groups for a thorough review of his handling of sexual abuse cases in his former jurisdictions, notably in Chicago and Peru. Although he has not been accused of any acts of abuse, some denounce a lack of transparency and an insufficient response to cases reported under his authority.

“It is up to Pope Leo XIV to earn the trust of the victims and their families,” said Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, which advocates for transparency in abuse cases. The organization criticizes Prevost for never publishing the list of accused priests in the dioceses he led, unlike other Church officials. It also accuses him of maintaining a certain opacity in the disciplinary treatment of bishops under his authority at the Vatican.

In March, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by…

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In case you hadn’t heard, the cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV to succeed Pope Francis to the See of Peter.

Born Robert Francis Prevost, the Augustinian missionary priest who served as prior general of his Augustinian order in Rome and was bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, came late to the Vatican – in 2023 – when the recently departed Pope Francis made him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and gave him the red hat.

There is little without precedent in the Catholic Church, but it is fair to say nothing exactly like this has happened before and safe to say it took Church watchers quite by surprise.

Hard power, soft power

Conventional wisdom had it that cardinals would not pick a fellow from the United States because it would combine the “soft power” of the papal office with the “hard power” of US political (economic, military, and cultural) clout…

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The new pope, Leo XIV, has this in common with many of his peers in the Catholic hierarchy: He’s been in positions of authority when accusations of sexual abuse have arisen against priests under his supervision.

Now some advocates for victims say there needs to be an accounting of how Leo — the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday — handled such cases when he held positions of church authority in Chicago and Peru. And they hope that as pope, he will crack down on other bishops who they say are mishandling similar cases.

“Some might advise giving the new pontiff the benefit of the doubt. We disagree. It is on Pope Leo XIV to win the trust of victims and their families,” Anne Barrett Doyle of the advocacy group BishopAccountability.org said in a statement.

In its statement, BishopAccountability.org contended that unlike many dioceses and religious…

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Survivor groups call election ‘an insult’, cite past inaction and failed oversight; Vatican maintains no wrongdoing.

Groups supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse have expressed outrage over the election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, citing his past handling of molestation cases and describing his elevation as a grave insult.

Prevost, 69, who became the first-ever US-born pontiff after a short conclave at the Vatican on Thursday, had previously faced scrutiny for decisions made during his tenure as head of the Augustinian order in Chicago and later as bishop in Peru.

As The Guardian reported, while leading the Augustinians in Chicago, Prevost faced allegations against Richard McGrath, an Augustinian priest and principal of Providence Catholic High School, accused of molesting a student and possessing child abuse imagery. Despite these allegations, McGrath remained in his post. Though McGrath retired in 2017, the order only expelled him in December 2023 — a…

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An advocate for victims of clergy abuse said Saturday they are holding on to cautious hope about Pope Leo XIV, but keeping a close eye on recently surfaced allegations that he previously sheltered those accused of abuse.

Newfoundlander Gemma Hickey, the board president of Ending Clergy Abuse, was in Rome this week to push for the church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for clergy abuse. They said Saturday that survivors have mixed reviews about Leo, which is the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday.

“It’s only been two days now to his papacy,” Hickey said in an interview. “I am being cautiously optimistic based on what I have heard.”

The bottom line, however, is that the church must change, they added.

“You can’t be married and be a priest,” Hickey said. “But you can be a child rapist and be a priest. There’s something wrong with…

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A new state law in Washington is set to take effect this summer, but members of the Catholic clergy are refusing to comply based on the Church’s own laws.

A new Washington state law is set to take effect on July 27 which will require clergy members to report suspected child abuse – including with information obtained during confessions. Following this law would violate the Catholic Church’s traditional confidentiality protections.

How the Catholic Church has responded to new Washington law

Although the law is put in place to protect children from abuse, the Archdiocese of Seattle has warned its priests that if they comply with this law, they would face automatic excommunication from the Church for violating the canon law and breaking the seal of confession. They also argue that the law itself crosses constitutional lines.

“All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by…

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The new pope, Leo XIV, has this in common with many of his peers in the Catholic hierarchy: He’s been in positions of authority when accusations of sexual abuse have arisen against priests under his supervision.

Now some advocates for victims say there needs to be an accounting of how Leo — the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday — handled such cases when he held positions of church authority in Chicago and Peru. And they hope that as pope, he will crack down on other bishops who they say are mishandling similar cases.

“Some might advise giving the new pontiff the benefit of the doubt. We disagree. It is on Pope Leo XIV to win the trust of victims and their families,” Anne Barrett Doyle of the advocacy group BishopAccountability.org said in a statement.

Some advocates, however, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive,…

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After Pope Leo XIV’s first day as the pontiff, a local attorney says he and his clients aren’t thrilled about the decision from the Vatican.

Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based attorney, has represented thousands of victims and survivors over decades of alleged clergy sexual abuse.

He told Boston 25 News on Friday he was disappointed to see Pope Leo XIV was appointed.

“There’s a track record here that doesn’t give many survivors or victims hope,” said Garabedian. “He doesn’t send a message he’s going to protect children or help survivors heal.”

He pointed towards two incidents over the last 25 years.

Garabedian said in 2000, as head of the Augustinian Order in Chicago, Prevost allegedly housed a priest near a school facing accusations of sexual abuse.

Garabedian explained, “That priest was a pedophile, and those children were susceptible.”

He also pointed to an incident while Pope Leo XIV was serving in…

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Robert Prevost was elected as Pope Francis’ successor on Thursday, May 8, concluding a two-day papal conclave. Hailing from Chicago, Prevost—who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV—is the first American Pope. But his service in the Catholic Church stretches beyond the U.S., as Leo holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, and has dedicated many years of his life to missionary work in South America.

Leo was appointed a cardinal in September 2023 by Pope Francis, and also served as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops from January 2023 until Pope Francis’ death on April 21.

In an unearthed interview from 2023, Leo spoke to the BBC about his appointment to Prefect, during which he mentioned his American roots and how that might aid him in helping with the challenges faced by the Catholic Church in the United States.

”It’s not coincidental that Pope Francis chose me. I’ve been…

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Survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests are calling for Pope Leo XIV to institute a zero-tolerance policy and for the church to investigate his handling of prior sexual abuse allegations. “He needs to be transparent. He needs to be honest,” says Peter Isely, a survivor of sexual assault by a Catholic priest and a co-founder of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. “Wait and see,” says James V. Grimaldi, executive editor of National Catholic Reporter. “Don’t listen to what they say. Watch what they do.” We are also joined by Father Bryan Massingale, professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University.

Guests

• Peter Iselysurvivor of sexual assault by a Catholic priest, global affairs chief of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
• James Grimaldiexecutive editor of National Catholic Reporter.
• Bryan Massingaleprofessor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University in New York. He identifies as a Black,…

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Less than a day after Pope Leo XIV assumed his role as the head of the Catholic Church, a national organization claimed he mishandled abuse allegations in the past.

“We find ourselves with Pope Leo now who, in his past, had turned his back on some sexual abuse charges that he knew of, and that concerns us very much,” said Eduardo Lopez De Casas, national vice president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Before Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, he served as a provincial of the Augustinians in his hometown Chicago. SNAP claims during his time there, Prevost allowed Father James Ray, a priest accused of abusing a minor, to reside at the Augustinians’ St. John Stone Friary — which was close to a Catholic elementary school.

“That is something that was very, very concerning to…

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As the world celebrates a new pope, the largest group for survivors of clerical abuse in the U.S. – SNAP – is calling for a zero tolerance policy, but there’s more to the story in the Chicago area.

The longtime leader of SNAP’s Chicago office knows Pope Leo XIV’s family. So, while he echoes the group’s call for change with this new pope, his main message is one of hope.

SNAP stands for Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. Larry Antonsen does more than lead the group in Chicago, he’s a survivor himself, and has been involved in the organization for more than 20 years.

“He seems like a pretty normal guy, from what I’ve heard and seen,” he said of Pope Leo XIV, whose Chicago connection goes back a long way. “His mom and dad were at our wedding, so we go back kind of a long way.”

…

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America’s first pontiff will grapple with the church’s decline in Europe and rise in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and will need to confront the decadeslong sexual abuse scandal.

Pope Leo XIV has inherited a raging battle for not only the soul of the Catholic Church, but also its place in the geopolitical world.

The new pope will have to decide whether his global pulpit will continue Pope Francis’ broadly progressive legacy, or revert to a more conservative approach. The first American pontiff will grapple with the spiritual decline in the church’s European power base, coupled with its rise in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. And he will be forced to confront the legacy of the decadeslong sexual abuse scandal.

“Usually the most important thing that the pope has to take care of is the Catholic Church…

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Richard McGrath is no longer part of the Augustinian Order under which he served as priest, Patch has learned.

Richard McGrath, the embattled priest and former president of Providence Catholic High School, has been dismissed from the religious order under which he served, its leadership has confirmed to Patch.

The factors behind his dismissal were not disclosed in the Augustinian Order’s statement. It was also not clear if McGrath is dismissed from solely the Order, or clerical state entirely. Patch is seeking to verify.

Both McGrath and the Order which runs the school were previously sued by former student Robert Krankvich, who alleged in 2017 that he had been raped by McGrath as a teen. The lawsuit was settled in 2023, with the school and Order paying Krankvich $2 million.

Krankvich died in April 2025, at the age of 43. His death, attorney Marc Pearlman said, was…

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Catholic bishops in Washington state are rejecting a new law that requires clergy to report child sexual abuse revealed during the sacrament of confession—setting up a constitutional clash between church doctrine and state law.

The law requires clergy of all faiths and traditions throughout Washington to come forward about child abuse, including priests who are told about abuse during confession.

However, a priest who reveals anything told to him during confession will be excommunicated from the Church, even when it comes to a crime being committed within their congregation.

Why It Matters

The law raises significant First Amendment questions and could reshape how religious confidentiality is handled across the U.S. While clergy are mandated reporters in most states, the majority still protect confessions as privileged communication. Washington is set to become one of the few states to explicitly deny such an exemption.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a civil…

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Robert Morris, the founding pastor of Southlake-based megachurch Gateway Church, is set to make his first court appearance in front of an Oklahoma judge Friday at 10 a.m. as he faces five different counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child dating back to the 1980s.

Here’s everything you need to known about Morris’ case and what his initial hearing could mean for him.

The accusations

Morris first faced accusations nearly a year ago from Cindy Clemishire, who told religious blog The Wartburg Watch Morris abused her when she was 12 years old in 1982. The abuse lasted for more than four years when Clemishire resided in Oklahoma, she said.

Morris, 63, resigned last June after admitting to “sexual inappropriate behavior” with a child in a statement to The Christian Post.

“When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual…

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Pastor Landon Schott and his Mercy Culture Church gave Michael Brown a hero’s welcome with confetti and applause, as he returned to ministry this week, following sex abuse allegations.

In an Instagram post, Schott said he refuses to participate in “cancel culture,” claiming Brown has “only made me want to be a better man, a better leader, and a better Christian.”

Schott added, “Though all the noise and accusations, Jesus said, ‘You will know them by their fruit’ . . . I’m a part of the fruit of Dr. Brown.”

Last December, a former secretary of Brown’s accused the acclaimed apologist of grooming her in the early 2000s and sexually abusing her, as first reported by The Roys Report (TRR). The woman, who later identified herself on social media as Sarah Erin Monk, claimed Brown had a pattern of holding her hand, kissing her on the lips, and slapping her on…

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