ABUSE TRACKER

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio
October 24, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Archbishop John Nienstedt has hired an outside firm to examine whether any priests in ministry pose a danger to children.

Writing in his weekly column, Nienstedt said he ordered the review after reading recent media reports and hearing from “so many Catholic faithful” that there is “real fear that some priests in ministry today constitute a danger to children.”

He said would never knowingly allow such a situation and decided to order a review of all clergy files by an outside firm.

The announcement comes after intense scrutiny over how Nienstedt has handled clergy misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. An MPR News investigation has found that church officials disregarded concerns over priest misconduct over the past ten years.

“The first thing that must be acknowledged is that over the last decade some serious mistakes have been made,” Nienstedt wrote Thursday. “There is reason to question whether or not the policies and procedures were uniformly followed. There is also a question as to the prudence of the judgments that have been made.”

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

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press
POSTED: 10/23/2013

MINNEAPOLIS—The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis made serious mistakes in the way it handled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct in the last decade, Archbishop John Nienstedt acknowledged Thursday as he announced he has ordered an external review of all priest files.

Nienstedt apologized to victims in a column posted on the website of The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocese’s official newspaper, and said he knows the ultimate responsibility is his as head of the local church.

“My heart is heavy with the agony that these errors have caused,” he wrote.

The archdiocese has come under fire since a former employee claimed church leaders mishandled abuse allegations. Nienstedt’s top deputy has stepped down, police are investigating, and there have been public calls for Nienstedt to resign. …

David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Nienstedt’s words are just more of the same and any external review would not be independent if ordered by the archbishop.

“Nothing he can say will matter. Only what he does matters,” Clohessy said. “And today he exposes no predators, disciplines no enablers, reveals no secrets, and deters no cover ups. It’s just more promises from a bishop who has repeatedly broken promises.”

Clohessy said secrecy is a key part of the problem. His group has called for the archdiocese to make public a list of 33 priests it has identified as having credible allegations of abuse lodged against them.

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

UNITED STATES
Associated Baptist Press

“Something’s terribly wrong when ESPN is calling for the truth, but the church remains silent.”

By Bob Allen

A lifelong Baptist who advocates on behalf of clergy sex-abuse victims says the media is doing more to promote healing and children’s safety than pastors who try to keep it out of the headlines.

Amy Smith, Houston representative of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, reacted to recent remarks by a Southern Baptist seminary president that church members should “just accept” wrong and injustice rather than taking church matters to civil authorities or the press.

“We don’t take matters before unbelievers,” Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson said in a chapel sermon Oct. 15. “What goes on in the church of God doesn’t go to the press.”

Patterson didn’t specify what kind of internal matters he meant, but critics termed his blanket statement ill-advised and potentially dangerous given evangelicals’ poor track record of mishandling reports of known or suspected criminal abuse in churches.

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

UNITED STATES
Pope Crimes & Vatican Evils…

Paris Arrow

Updated October 24, 2013

On October 21, 2013, the Vatican Information Service publish the audiences that Pope Francis met – for a few minutes – and the new American Ambassador was one of them. It said a few words, Kenneth F. Hackett, the new ambassador of the United States to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters.

Credentials for what? Theology? Agreement for the Pope’s ultra conservative doctrines that are totally obsolete and useless for the poor of Christ!

We do not need to pay millions of dollars for some theological papaers that anyone can now read in Google.

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

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

MN archbishop will comment on his crisis today; SNAP responds

MN – What to look for today from Archbishop Nienstedt

For immediate release: Thursday, October 24

David Clohessy, Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143), 314 566 9790 cell ( SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

In response to scandal stemming from secrecy, Archbishop John Nienstedt proposes more secrecy.

[Catholic Spirit]

He does one thing today – he promises hiring more lawyers. That’s all. The rest of his column is just more promises from a powerful prelate who keeps breaking old promises.

Here’s the only real change: Soon the number of hand-picked, church-paid lawyers looking at predators’ files will go from six or eight to 12 or 14. That’s not progress.

Those files – all of them – must be turned over to law enforcement. Despite his protestations to the contrary, this is “clear” to Nienstedt. But he refuses to do it.

It doesn’t matter if they’re paid permanently or temporarily by Nienstedt. The lawyers he picks aren’t police or prosecutors. They’re regular employees or contract employees. They’re beholden to him. And they’ll help him keep his secrets secret, as church lawyers have virtually always done. (The one exception, obviously, is Jennifer Haselberger.)

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MINNESOTA
MinnPost

[Archbishop Addresses Media Questions – St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

By Beth Hawkins

As calls for his resignation swelled, Archbishop John Nienstedt issued a public apology this morning to victims of clergy sex abuse, saying that his understanding of the problem has become clearer over the last month.

“As the head of this local Church, I know that the ultimate responsibility here is mine. My heart is heavy with the agony that these errors have caused,” Nienstedt wrote in a column in the official publication of the Archdiocese, the Catholic Spirit.

“To those who have been hurt, to the victims of clergy abuse and their family members, I can only tell you how sorry I am,” he continued. “I realize how damaging such actions are in violating the care of their human dignity. And so, with genuine sorrow, I apologize to all those who have been victimized, whether on my watch or not.”

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

IRELAND
Irish Central

By NICK BRAMHILL, IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, October 24, 2013

An outspoken Irish priest, who was removed from his post last month after performing an unconventional baptism, is to receive his former parish’s highest honor on Thursday.

Augustinian priest Fr. Iggy O’Donovan clashed with the Vatican on several matters, most recently after a complaint was made that he went against Catholic tradition by allowing godparents to pour water on a baby’s head during a baptism.

O’Donovan was hugely popular in Drogheda,a town of 40,000 30 miles from Dublin especially among young people . He is credited with saving many depressed young people from suicide.

The complaint, which was made without the knowledge of the parents who later said they fully supported the cleric, was addressed to Cardinal Sean Brady and subsequently forwarded to Rome.

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

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

[Archbishop Addresses Media Questions – St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

BAIRD HELGESON , Star Tribune Updated: October 24, 2013

Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt writes in a new column to the faithful that he is hiring an outside firm to review of clergy files at the archdiocese.

Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt writes in a new column to the faithful that he is hiring an outside firm to review of clergy files at the archdiocese.

Nienstedt’s ordered the review after a new wave of allegations of priest sexual abuse and recent revelations that archdiocese leaders tried to keep the accusations private.

“This is unacceptable,” Nienstedt wrote in a column published Thursday in The Catholic Spirit, the official publication of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “As the head of this local Church, I know that the ultimate responsibility here is mine. My heart is heavy with the agony that these errors have caused.”

Nienstedt also apologized to victims, their families and to those who’s faith has been shaken by the allegations.

“To those who have been hurt, to the victims of clergy abuse and their family members, I can only tell you how sorry I am,” he wrote. “The sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult is reprehensible, morally repugnant and goes against Christ’s teachings to promote goodness, life and light. This is not who we are as the Catholic Church.”

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

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

A man who was sexually abused as a boy by a Church of England priest has rejected a six-figure compensation offer.

The man, who cannot be identified, was one of a number of boys abused by Robert Coles when he was a priest in Horsham and Chichester, in Sussex.

Coles, of Upperton Road, Eastbourne, was jailed for eight years in February after admitting 11 sex abuse charges.

The victim, now 45, says he wants a sum “in proportion” to his suffering.

‘Archbishop appalled’

He told the BBC: “I’ve been sectioned, I’ve self-harmed. I’ve tried to end my life.

“Numerous times I’ve been in intensive care.”

The man, who said he had reported the abuse to Sussex Police in 1997, says he is prepared to go to court to get the compensation he believes he deserves.

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

MISSOURI
National Catholic Reporter

Dennis Coday | Oct. 24, 2013 NCR Today

Msgr. Thomas J. O’Brien, subject of more than two dozen lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of minors, one of which ended in a $10 million settlement against the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese, died this week according to his lawyer, The Kansas City Star is reporting. He was 87.

Leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SNAP, are asking Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph to keep funeral services for O’Brien discreet.

Six lawsuits against the diocese involving O’Brien are pending. In July the diocese settled a wrongful-death lawsuit for $2.25 million with the parents of a boy whose family claimed he took his own life 30 years ago because of repeated sexual abuse by O’Brien.

O’Brien, who was ordained a priest in 1950 and served in a number of Kansas City parish, was principal of a Catholic high school 1961-1968 and superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese 1969-1971.

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MINNESOTA
WJON

[Archbishop Addresses Media Questions – St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – St. Paul Archbishop John Nienstedt acknowledges “some serious” mistakes have been made in the way the archdiocese handled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct over the last decade, and he pledges new steps to protect the faithful.

Nienstedt made the comments in a column posted Thursday on the website of The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocese’s official newspaper.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been under fire since a whistleblower went public with claims that church leaders mishandled abuse allegations. Nienstedt has denied interview requests from The Associated Press.

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UNITED STATES
Catholic League

Bill Donohue comments on last night’s episode of the E! show, “Chelsea Lately”:

Priests and Germans were libeled last night by two of Chelsea Handler’s guests, Kurt Braunohler and Moshe Kasher.

The objectionable part began with a discussion of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, the German bishop who was suspended by Pope Francis for his opulent lifestyle.

Braunohler: “I love that the Catholic Church has like a zero tolerance policy on everything other than child abuse.”

Kasher: “It’s a German priest, so that’s a difficult set of circumstances. You know what I mean, it’s like-do I make out with that kid or do I kill that Jew.”

The remark by Braunohler came the day after the teachers unions, led by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, sought to stop a bill that would prohibit the hiring of convicted sex offenders in the public schools. The bill, which was approved by the House, is aimed at bringing the public schools up to speed so that they will have the same zero tolerance policy that Catholic schools have had for years.

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MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date:Thursday, October 24, 2013

In the Q&A below, Archbishop Nienstedt answers many questions that have been asked recently by the media.

Question: Since your arrival as archbishop, has the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis followed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Essential Norms?

Archbishop John Nienstedt: Yes.

Q: Why didn’t you go to police about the images found on Father Jon Shelley’s computer?

Archbishop: The analysis completed in 2004 did not find evidence of possession of child pornography. The images that Haselberger showed to coworkers were of pop-up ads. Pop-up ads are unsolicited and often attach to the hard drive without the user’s awareness or permission. The St. Paul police completed a 7-month review of the same material from the hard drive that was analyzed in 2004 and came to the same conclusion: there is no evidence of possession of child pornography.

Q: Why were priests such as Robert Kapoun receiving additional retirement payments? Who authorized those payments, why did they continue, and which priests are still getting additional payments? What action did you take when Jennifer Haselberger reported these payments to you?

Archbishop: Every bishop is required by canon law to provide financial support for priests of his diocese. In some cases, it was determined that offenders should be removed from active priestly ministry, be subject to compliance with our monitoring program, and required to undergo therapy and spiritual direction to avoid reoffending. These decisions were made due to a number of factors, including the projected likelihood that the priest would be not be able to find secular employment or be a candidate for laicization.

Q: Has anything changed with the monitoring of Father Robert Kapoun?

Archbishop: The monitoring program is modeled after probation programs that include periodic visitations and determination of compliance with expected restrictions. Fr. Kapoun has met all requirements of the program, despite the inferences made by the media. We have no reason to believe he is a danger to the community.

Q: Why do you need a new task force?

Archbishop: Our own investigations give us reason to believe that our policies and procedures may not have been uniformly followed and that is a serious issue we have been addressing. At the same time, we believe that we need truly independent analysis from a group of outside and impartial experts to help tell how we can do better. That may mean changes or additions to policies, procedures or practices. It may mean better auditing to ensure compliance with current policies, procedures and practices. The Task Force will have unprecedented authority to examine any and all issues associated with clergy sexual abuse. Its findings and recommendations will be welcomed and implemented.

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

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 24

Statement by Bob Schwiderski of Wayzata, SNAP Minnesota Director

Archbishop John Nienstedt is a coward. His archdiocese is embroiled in scandal. Already wounded clergy sex abuse victims feel re-victimized. And thousands of Nienstedt’s flock feels betrayed.

Based on the on-going recklessness, callousness and deceit by Nienstedt and his colleagues, those feelings are justified.

Yet the ‘shepherd’ of this ‘flock’ refuses to talk about the scandal he has largely created, despite repeated pledges, year after year, to be “open and transparent” about clergy sex crimes.

He answers a handful of questions, in writing, from Minnesota Public Radio yesterday and promises he’ll write about this crisis on his website today. Big deal.

That’s cowardice.

Nienstedt isn’t alone. Most accused wrongdoers Twin Cities Catholic circles are dodging the media.

St. Thomas University officials are keeping silent about their alleged investigation into a predator priest on their payroll.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 24

Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, president of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com )

Here’s what we think you can expect from Archbishop John Nienstedt’s column today when he writes about the continuing crisis in his archdiocese stemming from repeated clergy child sex crimes and cover ups of those crimes.

Look for lots of spin, hair-splitting and word-parsing.

Look for Nienstedt to imply that he and his staff made “mistakes,” instead of admitting that he and his staff deliberately and repeatedly took self-serving, deceitful and secretive actions.

Look for lots of sweeping promises designed to mollify his outraged flock, promises that will be broken once the heat of intense scrutiny fades, like his earlier promises have been.

Look for Nienstedt to use the word “allegations” to describe what are really “revelations.” He and his public relations team are trying to ‘spin’ actual church documents as “accusations” when, in fact, they are “disclosures.” (Lawsuits are “allegations.” Actual archdiocesan memos are not.)

Look for Nienstedt to subtly distance himself from predator priests, instead of admitting that most are still on his payroll yet are monitored and supervised

Look for no disclosures today. That’s significant – and tragic – because secrecy is what largely is causing this mess. But today, and in the future, Nienstedt and his staff will continue to practice secrecy, because their reputations and clerical careers matter most to them and if their secrets are revealed, their reputations and clerical careers may suffer.

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BROOKLYN (NY)
Social Science Research Council

By Marilyn McCord Adams

October 22, 2013

[Editor’s Note: This post is in response to “Praying Angry” by Robert Orsi.]

Robert Orsi, in his sensitive and insightful piece, brings out how “praying angry” is a necessary spiritual exercise for many who have been touched by God and abused by life. I say “many,” because abuse convinces some to give up on God. They trusted God to “be there” for them, to protect them from the worst that we can suffer, be, or do. They cried to the Lord in their trouble. But no rescue was forthcoming. For some, abuse makes belief in God psychologically impossible. Others conclude that even if God exists, God is not the kind of person they want to have anything to do with. Abuse is evidence that God is a deadbeat deity, that God is aloof and doesn’t care, that God is callous or cruel, even that God hates us. Still, for whatever psycho-spiritual reason, many who have been touched by God and abused by life, find themselves unable to let go. They are hurt. They feel abandoned and betrayed by God. But they aren’t finished with God. They can’t heal without confronting the authorities that allowed the abuse to happen. In imitation of the bible’s Job, praying angry calls God to account.

Sexual abuse of children by adults on whom they depend for love and nurture always digs deep into the human person. Physical violation is an outward and visible sign of role confusion and shattered expectations. Orsi’s wider work helps us to appreciate how this struggle amplifies when children are abused by priests. Especially pre-Vatican II, the Roman Catholic church set itself up as the sole institution chosen by God to open heaven’s doors. It proclaimed the sacred office of priesthood as necessary for salvation. Because God is above reproach, holy church is likewise above reproach, and her sacred ministers participate in this presumption. Moreover, not only does the Roman Catholic church enforce beliefs by catechetical instruction; it also uses an elaborate material cult presided over by priests to habituate the worshipper to postures and gestures, rote prayers and responses—all of which root religious feeling and conviction in the body and unconscious as well the conscious self.

If the priest is an alter Christus, then predator priests send the message that God is a predator, that Christ is a pederast. The consecrated host stuck up the girl’s vagina turns the really present Christ into a sexual molester. [McCord is referring to the Cudemo case.] John Paul II’s encyclical insists that priests are not only sacrificers but shepherds. Predator priests advertise God as handing over the flock to hirelings who care nothing for the sheep, who sacrifice the lambs to meet their own needs.

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MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Victims want private funeral for priest
He’s accused of molesting dozens of kids
Abuse group writes Catholic bishop for help
“Please prevent more pain,” SNAP urges Finn

For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013

For more information: David Clohessy (314) 566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Barbara Dorris (314) 862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is writing the Diocese of Kansas City – St Joseph’s top Catholic official asking him to make sure that a priest’s funeral is private, not public.

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are asking Bishop Robert Finn to keep services discreet and out of the parish’s spotlight for the funeral of a credibly accused predator clergy member.

Msgr. Thomas O’Brien was sued at least 20 times for sexually abusing boys and had worked in Springfield MO, Independence MO, as well as Kansas City.

[BishopAccountability.org]

“Dozens of boys who were sexually assaulted by Msgr. Thomas O’Brien have suffered enough. And thousands of Catholics who were scandalized and betrayed – by Msgr. O’Brien’s crimes and church cover ups – have suffered enough,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP’s director. “Please do not add to their pain. Please do not let Msgr. O’Brien be buried in a Catholic cemetery with full honors in a public ceremony. ”

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IRELAND
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, October 24, 2013

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

Irish Catholic religious orders are refusing to live up to promises they made years ago to help victims of abuse. Shame on them.

[Irish Independent]

These selfish and cold-hearted church officials are victimizing the already-wounded for the third time. First, these innocent boys and girls were violated as kids. Second, they were violated again when a callous Catholic hierarchy ignored their pleas for help, openness and healing. Now, they are violating these still-suffering adults by breaking their promises of help.

Catholic officials are blaming the depressed property market for the shortfall.” That’s baloney. The Catholic church is a huge, wealthy monarchy. The hierarchy almost always seems to find money for its pet projects. When a pope visits a nation, all of that country’s Catholic entities “chip in”, pool their funds to make sure they can capitalize on the energy and attention a papal visit brings.

When it’s advantageous for them, they claim the church is a world-wide institution in which Catholic entities help one another financially. When it’s advantageous to claim the reverse – that each Catholic entity is entirely separate – they claim the reverse. It’s utterly deceitful.

We believe “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” In Boston, the now-disgraced Cardinal Bernard Law had the decency to at least borrow money (some $25 million) from the Knights of Columbus to help hundreds of victims. These religious orders can and should do the same if necessary.

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GERMANY
Whispers in the Loggia

Saying Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst “cannot, at the present moment, continue to exercise his episcopal ministry” after months of embarrassing revelations on the prelate’s lavish spending for a new diocesan compound, while it was anything but surprising that Rome moved yesterday to depressurize the fraught situation in Limburg, the solution reached was a remarkable departure from the standard course of action.

Instead of accepting the 53 year-old prelate’s resignation or announcing his forced removal from office, the Vatican instead relayed that Tebartz-van Elst was being “authorized” to spend “a period outside the diocese,” pending the outcome of an investigation by the German bishops’ conference. In addition, “by decision of the Holy See,” a new vicar-general previously named by the embattled prelate and scheduled to take office in January was placed in post immediately to oversee the diocese in the absence of the so-called “luxury bishop.”

With some 700,000 Catholics, the Limburg church encompasses the far larger city of Frankfurt and much of its sprawling metro area.

After disclosures that Tebartz-van Elst spent $475,000 on walk-in closets and $20,000 on a bathtub among other big-ticket items for his residence in the new facility adjacent to his cathedral, the Vatican’s handling of the fallout is extraordinary on several fronts. First, because it precisely isn’t the “suspension” that has been widely misreported – nor, indeed, is the move a formal canonical act of any kind – but likewise as it’s a substantive instance of the anticipated fresh push for collegiality by Pope Francis. In other words, far from derailing a locally-called probe to impose a definitive, permanent resolution from on high, the Holy See has indicated that, in essence, the final verdict on Tebartz-van Elst’s future lies with his confreres at home.

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AUSTRALIA
7 News

ABC News

BY KERRY BREWSTER –
October 24, 2013

A senior lawyer has warned that the Catholic Church will not win back public trust and confidence until its current “tainted” leaders have gone.

Patrick Parkinson, who reviewed the church’s Towards Healing protocol for dealing with victims of sexual abuse, has previously described allegations of the church’s cover-up of sexual abuse as amounting to organised criminality.

In a speech on Thursday night, the University of Sydney lawyer, a non-Catholic, declared there were still some rotten apples among the church’s hierarchy.

“There are those still apparently who fail to understand their civic duty as citizens of this country to cooperate with the police,” he said.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

JOHN FERGUSON THE AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 24, 2013

THE Catholic Church in Victoria has received nearly 100 sex abuse complaints in the past financial year as the state’s inquiry into the issue appears to have prompted victims to seek redress after many years of silence.

There is now a growing body of evidence to suggest the overwhelming majority of cases relate to decades ago, suggesting that the church has faced, and dealt with, the worst of the scandal.

New figures show the church’s two dispute resolution processes have received 53 new complaints in Victoria in the past financial year related to the parliamentary investigation.

Of these, only seven people have referred the matters to police, underlining the reluctance of many victims to seek justice through the drawn-out process of the courts. A further 42 complaints were made directly to church entities, such as three religious orders and the dioceses that appeared before the inquiry.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

October 25, 2013

Patrick Parkinson

There ought to be little doubt that as a society, our record of dealing with child sexual abuse is one of shocking moral failure. It is a reasonable estimate to say that one in four Australian girls and one in 10 boys growing up in the 1970s and ’80s experienced some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16. These are truly shocking figures.

Some of that abuse has occurred in church contexts. By far the most of these cases have been in the Catholic Church. Figures produced by the Victorian police of cases since 1950 indicated there were 10 times as many cases in the Catholic Church as in the Anglican Church, which was the next largest group. If that history were not bad enough, the cover-up of those crimes has been a scandal.

In the court of public opinion, the judgment has already been delivered. It is only the consequences of that judgment which are still being worked out in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Yet there is still a need to understand why these failures occurred. The reality is that no church or other community organisation is free from reproach. In Australia, there have been three inquiries established by the Anglican Church into its past failings in dealing appropriately with child sexual abuse cases. Much has changed since the mid-1990s, and child protection is typically taken very seriously in churches. Nonetheless, there is no room for complacency in any community organisation.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

DAN BOX THE AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 25, 2013

A LAW professor who has worked closely with senior Catholic Church officials to review their response to child abuse by priests says some of its current leaders are “rotten apples” who need to be removed.

The University of Sydney’s Professor Patrick Parkinson, who gave last night’s annual Smith Lecture in Sydney, was recently cited by the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, as a leading authority who twice reviewed the church’s Towards Healing protocols on child sexual abuse.

“There remain a few rotten apples in the church’s fruit bowl, and they have yet to be called to account. Those who still apparently fail to understand their civic obligations as citizens of Australia in terms of co-operation with the police. Those whose greatest concern would appear to be to protect their organisation from scandal rather than the children in their care,” he said.

Professor Parkinson, who has publicly withdrawn his support from the church’s National Committee for Professional Standards over its handling of his 2010 review, said many within the church have acted honestly and with compassion.

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UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition

EDITORIAL

Pope Francis suspended the German bishop, tagged as the bishop of bling, for his lavish spending not only on his mansion but as a way of life including his first class airline ticket to visit the poor in India.

Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, spent a reported $42 million in renovations for his home.

Here’s a link to the story:

[USA Today]

All well and good that he’s been removed – at least temporarily – to go to a hopefully less lavish room and think about what he’s done.

Now, where’s the action on convicted Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City- St. Joseph?

Without action by Pope Francis the message is and will continue to hang heavy in the air if you get caught putting on the ritz you’re bounced, but if you’re convicted of knowledge of and non-reporting as a mandated reporter of a priest who was hip boot deep into child pornography and who is now serving a 50 year sentence in a federal prison for production of child pornography – it’s business as usual?

Germans were outraged about the bishop of bling and showed it.

Where is the outrage for what Bishop Finn failed to do?

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CANADA
CBC News

This story may trigger painful memories for former residential school students. If that’s the case for you, we encourage you to tell someone you trust about how you are feeling. You can also find help from the toll-free 24-hour crisis line for victims: 1-866-925-4419.

Federal authorities are tightening rules to protect Indian Residential School claimants from being taken advantage of by lawyers.

The new rules will curtail lawyers from giving clients high interest cash advances, charging finders fees, or billing for improper expenses.

Click here to listen to Dan Shapiro explaining the rule changes on The Trailbreaker with Loren McGinnis

“The vast majority do excellent work they’re ethical and very professional,” says Dan Shapiro, chief adjudicator for the independent assessment secretariat, and the man responsible for making sure the settlement process is being handled appropriately. “There are, however, a handful of lawyers that have engaged in conduct that we feel is unconscionable and in some cases illegal.”

Across the country, more than $2 billion has already been given out in compensation for victims of residential schools. The new rules aim to get rid of the bad apples in that process, to make sure unscrupulous lawyers don’t skim more than they are entitled to from victims.

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CANADA
Nunatsiaq Online

The chief adjudicator of the Independent Assessment Process for residential school survivors announced new measure this week designed to protect claimants from lawyers who engage in illegal conduct.

The IAP is specifically for former students of residential schools who experienced serious physical, sexual, or emotional abuse during their time at school — distinct from the common experience payments, which were designed for anyone who attended residential school.

But the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, which oversees the IAP, became aware of a small number of lawyers who were bilking clients.

Complaints emerged about one particular Calgary-based lawyer, prompting an investigation.

“The vast majority of lawyers representing claimants in the IAP are diligent and do excellent and highly ethical work,” Dan Shapiro, the chief adjudicator, said in a news release.

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MINNESOTA
Inside Higher Ed

October 21, 2013
The University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, is facing fallout from a series of allegations about sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests. The abuse is not alleged to have taken place at the university, but St. Thomas has been drawn into the scandal.

* The Rev. Michael Keating, a professor of Catholic studies, is on leave following the filing of a lawsuit by a woman alleging that he abused her in the late 1990s when she was 13 to 15 years old. While Father Keating has not spoken about the allegations, his lawyer has denied the allegations. Minnesota Public Radio has reported that documents it obtained suggest that church leaders may have planned to communicate with the university about the allegations as early as 2006.

* The Rev. Harry Flynn, a former archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis at a time that many victims say the church didn’t do enough about abuse allegations, has resigned from the St. Thomas board.

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MINNESOTA
Cardinal Newman Society

Minnesota Sex Abuse Scandal Entangles University of St. Thomas; Leads to Clergy Resignations

October 23, 2013, at 9:49 AM | By Matthew Archbold

The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota has found itself in the middle of the ongoing sex abuse crisis in Minnesota, according to Inside Higher Ed. While none of the allegations of abuse took place at the university, several clergy implicated in the scandal either were employed at the institution or served on its board.

The Most Rev. Harry Flynn, the archbishop emeritus of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese, recently resigned from the board amid allegations that he did not do enough to prevent the abuse. Flynn, according to the university, had served as board chair since 1995.

The board elected Michael Dougherty as interim chair. Dougherty, who has served as a trustee since 2003, said in a press release,“On behalf of the board of trustees, I want to thank Archbishop Flynn for his many years of dedicated service to the board and to the university.”

The Rev. Michael Keating, professor of Catholic studies, is also on leave from the university following the announcement of a lawsuit by a woman alleging abuse in the late 1990s when she was still a minor. Keating’s lawyer has denied the allegations.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 24 October 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

– His Royal Highness Prince Guillaume, hereditary Grand-Duke of Luxembourg, with Princess Stephanie and entourage.

– Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, apostolic nuncio to Australia.

– Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.

– Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez of Los Angeles, U.S.A.

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GERMANY
The Salt Lake Tribune

By NELE MAILIN OBERMUELLER And JABEEN BHATTI | Religion News Service
First Published Oct 23 2013

Berlin • The $20,000 bathtub and $482,000 walk-in closets ordered by “Bishop Bling-Bling” — the moniker of Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, the now-suspended bishop of Limburg — have scandalized the German public.

But Tebartz-van Elst, 52, is only the latest German clergyman to run into trouble since Pope Francis took the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. Francis temporarily suspended the bishop on Wednesday while a church commission investigates the expenditures on the $42 million residence complex.

As the new pontiff tries to reform the way the church does business, German dioceses, which reportedly include the world’s wealthiest in Cologne, are chafing under the new direction as membership numbers continue to dwindle.

“Tebartz-van Elst is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Christian Weisner, spokesman for the German branch of We Are Church, an organization advocating Catholic Church reform. “There is a real clash of cultures between Germany’s current cardinals and bishops — nominated under John Paul II or Benedict XVI — and Pope Francis.”

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GERMANY
Los Angeles Times

By Carol J. Williams
October 23, 2013

When Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Germany traveled to India last year to minister to poor slum dwellers, he reportedly flew first class.

This year, renovations of the Roman Catholic bishop’s church-owned residence in the city of Limburg ran massively over budget to cover $620,000 worth of artwork, $1.1 million in landscaping and last-minute design revisions — $42 million in all, billed to the Vatican and German taxpayers, Hamburg’s tabloid daily Bild reported.

Dubbed the “Bishop of Bling” by European media that have been avidly tracking the bespectacled clergyman’s lavish lifestyle, Tebartz-van Elst was suspended from his post by Pope Francis on Wednesday in a clear sign that the new pontiff is serious about diverting resources from the “princes of the church” to the paupers in its congregations.

Tebartz-van Elst flew to Rome this month — on budget carrier easyJet, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported — to explain his finances to the pope after a Vatican delegation was dispatched last month to investigate what had become an embarrassing scandal for the church.

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GERMANY
BBC News

Dubbed the “bishop of bling” by German media, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been suspended by the Vatican over claims of excessive spending.

The Bishop of Limburg was ordered to leave his diocese for an “appropriate period” after a meeting with the Pope following a scandal about the spiralling costs of a multi-million-dollar renovation of his official residence.

He is accused of spending 31m euros (£26m; $42m) on the development, which was originally costed at 5.5m euros.

The bishop – and his alleged spending habits – has become infamous in Germany, where many people pay tax to the Catholic Church. …
Bishop Tebartz-van Elst was born in the village of Twisteden in north-west Germany in 1959.

He has described himself as being a loner as a child, preferring to read rather than help on his family’s farm, according to the German newspaper Der Zeit.

He was ordained as a priest in 1985 and named auxiliary bishop of Munster in 2003 by Pope John Paul II.

In an article for Deutsche Welle, German Catholic theologian David Berger says Bishop Tebartz-van Elst was a “professor of liberal ideas” while in Munster.

But this changed under Pope Benedict, he says, and he came to believe in the dominant authority of bishops.

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GERMANY/VATICAN CITY
RTE News

Pope Francis has ordered the German Roman Catholic prelate known as the “bishop of bling” for spending around €31m on a residence to leave his diocese for an unspecified period.

The move, just short of a resignation, was taken against Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg.

It comes two days after he met the pope to discuss the scandal in the German church at a time when the pontiff is stressing the importance of humility and serving the poor.

The renovation costs went from an initial €5m to over €30m, with an additional €10m also likely due because of damage to surrounding streets and structures caused by the construction work.

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GERMANY/VATICAN CITY
NBC News

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

A senior member of the Catholic Church known as the “luxury bishop” has been suspended from his diocese in Germany while the Vatican investigates a house refurbishment that reportedly ran into the millions of dollars.

Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, who had been under pressure to resign, will leave his diocese for an unspecified period, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday. Monsignor Wolfgang Roesch will be in charge of the diocese during the bishop’s absence, the Vatican added.

Tebartz-van Elst “cannot presently exercise his episcopal ministry,” the statement said.

The Vatican also said it would audit spending on renovations to the bishop’s residence, which Germany’s Spiegel magazine reported cost up to 31 million euros ($42.70 million).

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VATICAN CITY/GERMANY
Telegraph (UK)

[with video]

Pope Francis has ordered Germany’s Bishop of Limburg to leave his diocese after spending millions of Church money on refurbishing his home

The Vatican on Wednesday suspended indefinitely a German Catholic cleric dubbed the “bling bishop” for his luxury lifestyle, despite multiple calls in Germany for the prelate to be dismissed.

The bishop flew to Rome last week with low-cost airline Ryanair to explain himself to Pope Francis – following accusations he took an expensive ticket on a trip to India and squandered money.

His private quarters in a new diocesan building are reported to have cost up a €31 million (£26.4 million), and included a 63-square-metre dining room and a £12,000 bathtub – using the revenue from a religious tax in Germany.

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VATICAN CITY/GERMANY
Irish Examiner

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Pope Francis has banished a German Catholic prelate known as the “Bling Bishop” from his diocese for spending €31m of Church funds on his residence at a time when the pontiff is stressing austerity.

By Philip Pullella Vatican City

However, the pontiff stopped short of dismissing him outright, a step which many German Catholics and the media had called for.

In a highly unusual move, Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg was ordered to leave his diocese while an investigation and audit into cost over-runs is held, a Vatican statement said.

The bishop, who met the Pope on Monday, “was currently not in a position to carry out his episcopal ministry”.

It said he should stay outside his diocese “for a period,” and that it would be administered in his absence by a vicar-general.

The issue has proven a major embarrassment for the Pope, who has called for a more austere Church that sides with the poor. He has told bishops not to live like princes, and has also promised to clean up the murky finances of the Vatican bank.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent
24 Oct 2013

Organisations are at risk of being “complacent” about tackling abuse because of a tendency to concentrate on historic cases, the new law enforcement agency has concluded in its first major report.

It said abusers can hide their grooming of children if they are working for institutions that are highly regarded or respected.

Poor leadership also makes it less likely that colleagues will raise concerns about suspected paedophiles, it said.

The report comes after a series of scandals involving high-profile institutions including the BBC and the Roman Catholic Church, as well as a number of care homes.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Press Association

Children in institutions such as schools, churches and care homes are still not safe from abuse, child protection experts have warned in a new report.

More has to be done to keep children in institutions including sports clubs, youth groups and charities safe, the report published on Thursday by the National Crime Agency (NCA) warns.

The report, called The Foundations of Abuse, found that children are not only at risk from abusers but from “bystanders” who are aware of abuse but fail to report it.

And it warned that child sex offenders often manipulate victims into believing the attention they get is an “honour”, making it hard for them to report abuse.

The report, carried out by the NCA’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command, is the first “thematic assessment” published by the agency since it was launched three weeks ago and looked at the risk of child sexual abuse by adults in institutions.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

SARAH MACDONALD – 23 OCTOBER 2013

BROADCASTER and columnist Fr Brian D’Arcy has said his censure by the Vatican “destroyed” him “as a human being and as a priest” and almost caused him to leave the priesthood.

In his new book, ‘Brian D’Arcy’s Food for the Soul’, the 68-year-old said it has been “the most devastating faith crisis of my life”.

Recalling the events that led to his rap on the knuckles from the Vatican, Fr D’Arcy said that in 2010 he was formally censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

The then head of the CDF wrote to the Superior General of his religious order, the Passionists, accusing him of being “a source of great scandal”.

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IRELAND
Herald

GREG HARKIN – 23 OCTOBER 2013 02:30 PM

FATHER Brian D’Arcy is prepared to quit the Church if he is censured by the Congregation of the Faith over his new book.

In his new book, Brian D’Arcy’s Food for the Soul the cleric reveals that he almost walked away in the past – only for his mind to be changed by thousands of letters he received pleading with him not to give up the priesthood.

However, he has warned that if the Vatican attempts to censor his latest writings: “That would be it.”

He explained: “The fact is there is nothing in it that Pope Francis hasn’t said.

“I don’t believe there would be any grounds for censoring me again or any attempt to shut me up.

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UNITED STATES
Religion News Service

Michael J. O’Loughlin | Oct 23, 2013

That Pope Francis has shaken up and reinvigorated parts of the Catholic Church is well known, but what may be less apparent are the changes he is implementing at the Vatican bank, reforming the once perennially corrupt institution to bring it up to international banking norms.

Earlier this month, the bank, known officially as the Institute for the Works of Religion, published an annual report for the first time in its 125-year history and highlighted its reforms. The bank’s new president, Ernst von Freyburg, told Vatican Radio that the bank has “reviewed our procedures for taking on clients to make sure that no money laundering can happen at the institute. We do have a new handbook, we do have new procedures, and we are also ready for inspection by third parties.”

To that end, the bank has contracted with US-based Promontory Financial Group to review all 19,000 accounts, totaling nearly $9 billion, held by the bank. This follows a 2012 evaluation by Moneyval, a European anti-money laundering organization, which praised the Vatican for “coming a long way in a short time.” According to the National Catholic Reporter’s John Allen, Promontory “currently has about twenty inspectors stationed inside the Vatican bank,” and Allen observes that a “new day is apparently dawning at the bank, where the old climate of trust is being leavened with a strong dose of ‘but verify.’”

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

SHANE PHELAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDITOR – 24 OCTOBER 2013

A scheme set up to pay for the treatment for survivors of institutional abuse faces being cut short after Catholic orders failed to stump up almost €40m in promised funding.

The 18 religious orders pledged €110m towards the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF), which will pay for mental health, social, educational and housing services for survivors.

However, the Irish Independent has learned just €72m has been received by the fund, which is due to begin issuing grants in January.

The scheme was initially anticipated to last up to five years, but this period may now have to be shortened due to the funding shortfall.

In contacts with the Department of Education, the religious orders – with the Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity to the forefront – have blamed the depressed property market for the shortfall.

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UNITED STATES
Spiritual Politics

Mark Silk
Oct 24, 2013

There’s no doubt that the profligate lifestyle of the Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, stinks like the local cheese. One can hope that Pope Francis has exiled him him from his palatial residence to contemplate his behavior in a monastic cell with a hard cot, a diet of bread and legumes, and the bathroom down the hall.

But what Americans would do well to contemplate in this case of episcopal discipline is the criticism that the head of the German bishops conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, has leveled at his colleague. Zollitsch said that Tebartz-van Elst had created credibility problems for the church. The “decisive” turning point came, he said, when the public prosecutor asked the court to fine the bishop for falsely testifying in a related case. He announced the creation of a church commission to investigate, and said it would do its work “quickly and carefully.”

Compare that to the response of the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, to misbehavior by his colleagues. Not a peep when Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City is convicted of the crime of covering up a suspected case of child abuse. Not a peep when Archbishop Robert Myers of Newark is revealed to have failed to follow his agreement with the court on the handling of an abusive priest. Not a peep when it comes to light that Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been covering up abuse cases.

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NEW YORK
Gothamist

Last winter, ultra-Orthodox Jewish counselor Nechemya Weberman was convicted by a Brooklyn jury of 59 counts of sexually abusing a teenage girl, and was sentenced to 103 years in prison for his crimes.

During the trial, victim Boorey Deutsch testified about being abused from the ages of 12 through 17, despite threats of retaliation. Now, nearly 10 months later, she and her husband Hershy Deutsch are receiving death threats.

“I know my Jewish rights…I am allowed to kill you and that [is] what I am going to do,” the Post reports one person wrote on Deutsch’s Facebook. “I AM GOING TO KILL YOU WITH IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS you may be stronger than one thousand satmar people but not stronger than a gun bullet.”

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is investigating the threat, which was left by “Ben Weiss” (believed to be a fake account) under one of the couple’s wedding photos. “If he can write such things, he might be able to actually do it. My body got very cold,” he told the Post. “I’m willing to do anything in the world to get him locked up.”

This isn’t the first time the Deutsches have been harassed since the trial ended: back in September, the couple were harassed in their family’s synagogue on Rosh Hashanah.

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WALES
Wales Online

A church minister has been arrested over an allegation of historical child abuse.

The man, from Johnstown, Carmarthen, has been suspended from duties at two chapels pending the outcome of a police investigation.

Dr Geraint Tudur, general secretary of the Union of Welsh Independents, told the BBC his members were “naturally traumatised”.

Dyfed Powys Police said: “An 81-year-old man was arrested in connection with an historic allegation of sexual activity with a minor.

“He remains on police bail while enquiries continue.”

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AUSTRALIA
Christian Today

By: Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
Thursday, 24 October 2013

Victims of child sexual and physical abuse continued to come forward to the Catholic Church pastoral processes during the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into child abuse, the Church announced today.

Church spokesperson, Father Shane Mackinlay, said that in the 12 months to 30 June 2013, 53 complaints were received in Victoria by the Melbourne Response and Towards Healing that were relevant to the Inquiry.

Eighteen complaints were received by the Melbourne Response, with 13 upheld so far, and 35 complaints were received by Towards Healing, with 15 upheld to date.

The remaining five complaints to the Melbourne Response, and the 20 to Towards Healing, are still to be determined and are ongoing.

Seven of the Towards Healing complainants have chosen to go to the police and their cases will not resume until police actions are completed.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Your Local Guardian

By Alexandra Rucki, Senior Reporter

Worshippers at an Ethiopian church are working to secure peace after months of simmering tensions erupted into violence erupted last weekend.

Five people were arrested on October 19 following a protest against the current trustees of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in St Philip Street, Battersea.

Protests have been taking place at the building every weekend with the trustees accused of covering up a sexual abuse scandal.

The church has been closed since April, but was re-consecrated last weekend against the wishes of some members of the congregation who clashed violently with rivals despite a heavy police presence.

A meeting is now scheduled to take place with the Charity Commission on November 6 in a bid to find a solution to the disorder with the arguing parties.

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CONNECTICUT
Patch

Posted by Aaron Boyd (Editor) , October 23, 2013

Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel and several of its youth program coordinators have been named as defendants in a civil suit asserting their culpability in the 2009 sexual abuse of a minor by a member of the church’s youth leadership.

Former church member Matthew Anastasia was arrested in April 2010 and pled “guilty” to felony risk of injury to a child and misdemeanor sexual assault in the fourth degree. He was sentenced in 2011 to 10 years imprisonment, suspended after one year, and five years probation.

The civil suit filed in Danbury Superior Court claims that the church should have been aware of Anastasia’s “propensity to sexually abuse… minor females within the youth program yet failed to take steps to prevent his sexual abuse of the minor plaintiff.”

Along with the church, the complaint names Senior Pastor Clive Calver, Pastor of Community Life Scott Shockley and Youth Pastor Craig Mowrey as defendants, stating that their role as leaders in the church’s youth program at the time made them “responsible for the actions and conduct of all persons affiliated with the youth ministry programs and youth leadership of the church.”

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AUSTRALIA
7 News

ABC News

The Catholic Church in Victoria says complaints about child sexual and physical abuse are continuing to pour in.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has released new information that shows 95 complaints from victims of child sexual and physical abuse were received in the last financial year.

Fifty-three of the complaints are being dealt with by the church’s internal response programs, Towards Healing and the Melbourne Response.

The church says 28 of those complaints have been upheld so far.

Seven of the unresolved complaints have been taken to the police.

The church says another 42 complaints from child victims were made directly to representatives of the church after the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child abuse.

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AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times

October 24, 2013

Barney Zwartz
Religion editor, The Age.

More than 100 new complaints of clergy child abuse have been made to the Catholic Church in Victoria since the parliamentary inquiry into how the churches handled child sexual abuse began last year.

There were 95 new complaints in the 2012-13 financial year ended June 30, the Melbourne
Archdiocese announced on Thursday, and church spokesman Shane Mackinlay said that victims had come forward “at the same rate” in the first three months of this financial year.

Because the figures came from different sources he did not have precise figures for this year, but it would be about 25. The church gave the updated figures to the Victorian inquiry on Wednesday.

The new complaints relate to abuse from the 1940s to the 1990s, and one parish priest has been stood down and had his faculties removed, Father Mackinlay said.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Mail (UK)

Family’s outrage as ‘predatory pedophile priest’, 75, escapes rape trial for attack on 11-year-old altar boy in 1998 after his victim dies of a drugs overdose

By JAMES NYE

Philadelphia prosecutors today announced they have no choice but to drop child-rape charges against a priest because the only witness able to testify died two weeks ago of an overdose after battling substance abuse for years.

Sean McIlamil, 26, a former alter boy under Fr. Robert Brennan, came forward in January with startling allegations that the priest sexually abused him 15 years ago – but today his family spoke only of their grief and anger that Brennan will now walk free.

At a press conference today in the city his mother Debbie explained that her son spoke up because he wanted to be a voice against child abuse for his nephews sake’s and other young children like them.

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MINNESOTA
KAAL

As the priest sex abuse scandal continues to play out in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, some are calling for the resignation of Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt.

In the weekly newsletter published for parishioners, Father Bill Deziel from the Church of St. Peter wrote, “These accounts of priest abuse and misconduct are disturbing, yet even more disturbing to many of the faithful is the apparent lack of good judgment and common sense on the part of archdiocesan leaders to deal with offending priests.” Deziel later writes, “it may be time for a do over with our archdiocesan leadership.”

Local attorney Thomas Lyons says he’s a member of the Church of St. Peter. He says dissatisfaction with church response has boiled over, “At some point the rage rises to the level that you have to express that this is not acceptable. I don’t know who is advising the bishop!”

Lyons says Archbishop Nienstedt does not meet the new Pope Francis’ high standards, “Corruption, worldliness, arrogance, vanity and pride, and that’s all put together in Nienstedt. He should resign for the purpose of allowing the Pope, who has this high standard, to appoint someone for that position.”

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

by: TONY KENNEDY , Star Tribune Updated: October 23, 2013

Payments from 2003 to 2012 went to victims of abuse, as well as to priests, lawyers and therapists.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis spent nearly $11 million from 2003 through 2012 to cover costs directly associated with sexual abuse and other misconduct committed by priests who were removed from active ministry, according to church documents obtained by the Star Tribune.

The archdiocese wrote checks directly to victims of abuse, in cases involving children and vulnerable adults, in every year of the period covered by the reports, totaling more than $476,000 over the decade. Also, $1.5 million was paid on behalf of victims to cover counseling, therapy and other medical services.

Additional money was distributed to child victims via a trust account funded by the archdiocese and managed by the St. Paul law firm Meier, Kennedy & Quinn.

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NEW YORK
WBNG

[with video]

By Jillian Marshall

Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Sexual abuse allegations against Catholic priests and bishops have been making headlines for decades. A former priest speaks out against child abuse in Catholic churches at a church in Binghamton.

Father Thomas Doyle was invited to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Binghamton to speak about the “unfinished business” of clergy sex abuse in the Catholic church.

Doyle was a priest in the Dominican Order for 49 years. He is no longer allowed to be an active priest in the institutionalized Catholic Church. Doyle believes it’s because he’s been standing with sexual abuse victims of the church for the past 30 years.

“I’ve spoken out too loudly and too often for the comfort level for the leadership of the Catholic church,” Doyle said.

Doyle was invited by Fr. Tim Taugher, St. Francis of Assisi Church pastor and a leader of Upstate NY Call to Action.

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MINNESOTA
Faribault County Register

October 24, 2013
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Archbishop John Nienstedt said in remarks published Wednesday that he regrets some parishioners and priests have lost confidence in him over new concerns about alleged clergy sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

But in an email response to Minnesota Public Radio’s questions, Nienstedt denied any abuse cover-up. He repeated the archdiocese’s assertion that there are no offending priests in active ministry. He also said he has not offered to resign.

“As head of this local Church, I accept responsibility for addressing the issues that have been raised and am completely committed to finding the truth and fixing the problems that exist,” Nienstedt wrote. “My highest priorities are to ensure the safety of our children and to restore the trust of Catholics and our clergy. I will do everything in my power to do so.”

MPR reported earlier that some who track weekly church collections are worried media reports of how church leaders handled warnings about at least two priests could cause parishioners to give less.

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MINNESOTA
MinnPost

By Brian Lambert

The archbishop has spoken … or at least written. Madeleine Baran of MPR continues her coverage of the church’s local problems saying: “Archbishop John Nienstedt said he accepts responsibility for addressing the unfolding clergy sexual abuse crisis and regrets that a growing number of parishioners and priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have ‘lost confidence’ in him. However, he denied any abuse cover-up or illegal actions and repeated the archdiocese’s claim that there are no offending priests in active ministry. Nienstedt’s remarks came in an e-mailed response to questions from MPR News. It’s the first time the archbishop has answered questions about the scandal since MPR News began publishing investigative reports in late September. … Nienstedt wrote … ‘My highest priorities are to ensure the safety of our children and to restore the trust of Catholics and our clergy. I will do everything in my power to do so.’ ” Will this be before or after the next anti-gay campaign?

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MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
Oct. 23, 2013

In a major victory for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a federal judge has ruled that a sex abuse victim, who was paid $80,000 in an earlier settlement, cannot seek additional compensation in the church’s bankruptcy.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa on Tuesday dismissed the claim of the victim, a deaf man molested by the late Father Lawrence Murphy, who alleged the archdiocese lied to him in meditation to get him to sign the settlement. If it stands, Randa’s ruling could force the dismissal of nearly 100 of the 570-plus claims filed in the bankruptcy.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki was not available for comment. But Jerry Topczewski, his chief of staff, welcomed the ruling as “fair.”

This is “another step forward…toward a plan of reorganization that will allow the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to emerge from bankruptcy,” Topczewski said in an email.

Michael Finnegan, whose firm represents most of the victims in the bankruptcy, including this man, called the ruling a disappointment and said they are contemplating filing an appeal.

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WISCONSIN
WTAQ

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) – A sex abuse victim who got an $80,000 settlement from the Milwaukee Archdiocese cannot get more money from the church’s bankruptcy case.

That’s according to a new ruling from Federal Judge Rudolph Randa.

The male victim took part in a mediation program set up by the Catholic archdiocese 10 years ago.

He said he deserves to be a creditor in the church’s bankruptcy, saying he was lied to during the mediation process. Judge Randa disagreed. He said state laws protect what’s said during mediation sessions — and it cannot be used as evidence in the church’s bankruptcy proceeding.

Church spokesman Jerry Topczewski praised the ruling, saying it’s fair to everyone involved.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Frankfurter Allgemeine

23.10.2013 · Der Limburger Bischof Tebartz-van Elst darf seinen Posten vorerst behalten, muss sich aber von den Amtsgeschäften im Bistum zurückziehen. Mit sofortiger Wirkung setzte der Vatikan den designierten Generalvikar Wolfgang Rösch als Verwalter des Bistums ein.

Papst Franziskus hat am Mittwoch den Bischof von Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, auf unbestimmte Zeit von der Leitung seines Bistums entbunden. Dem Vernehmen nach soll sich Tebartz-van Elst, mit dessen Abreise aus Rom am Mittwoch gerechnet wurde, in ein Kloster zurückziehen.

Seines Amtes enthoben wurde der Generalvikar des Bistums Limburg, Franz Kaspar. Er wurde ersetzt durch den bisherigen Stadtdekan von Wiesbaden, Wolfgang Rösch. Tebartz-van Elst hatte diesen personellen Wechsel bisher erst zum Jahreswechsel vorgesehen. In einer am Mittwoch veröffentlichten Erklärung des Vatikans hieß es: „Auf Entscheidung des Heiligen Stuhls tritt die durch den Bischof von Limburg zum 1. Januar 2014 ausgesprochene Ernennung des Herrn Stadtdekan Wolfgang Rösch zum Generalvikar bereits mit dem heutigen Tag in Kraft.“

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ROM
Frankfurter Allgemeine

Es fiel Franziskus nicht schwer, dem Limburger Bischof für eine Zeit das Amt zu entziehen. Denn das Amt gibt er einem, der das Vertrauen von Tebartz-van Elst genießt.

Von JÖRG BREMER, ROM

Papst Franziskus hat weise entschieden. Er hat Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst aus der Schusslinie genommen und einen Administrator sede plena nach Limburg geschickt, der zwar die Arbeit des Bischofs übernimmt, aber nicht den Bischofsstuhl. Der soll Tebartz-van Elst zumindest so lange erhalten bleiben, bis die Prüfungskommission, die am vergangenen Freitag ihre Arbeit aufnahm, alle Kosten, und Rechnungen sowie den Ablauf der Entscheidungen überprüft hat. Das kann Wochen dauern. Vorher kann ein guter Dienstherr seinen Arbeitnehmer nicht feuern.

Es geht in Rom nicht nur um Tebartz-van Elst und den Strafantrag, der gegen ihn wegen Falschaussage an Eides statt erging. Und auch nicht nur um die Schwindel erregenden Kosten für seine Residenz beim Limburger Georgsdom, die von drei auf 30, wenn nicht gar auf 40 Millionen Euro anschwollen.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Frankfurter Allgemeine

23.10.2013 · Dass Papst Franziskus den Kommissionsbericht abwarten will, bevor er den Limburger Bischof Tebartz-van Elst womöglich absetzt, ist ein Fortschritt. Doch wie viel Zeit lässt die Kirche vergehen, bevor sie aus Schaden klug wird und ihr Verwaltungsrecht reformiert?

Von DANIEL DECKERS

Es ist Zeit vergangen, bis Papst Franziskus und seine Berater erkannten, dass Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst sein Amt als Bischof von Limburg nicht mehr ausüben kann. Der materielle Schaden in der Amtszeit des Bischofs mag zu verkraften sein. Schwerer wiegt der immaterielle, um nicht zu sagen geistliche Schaden, der eingetreten ist.

Im Frühjahr vergangenen Jahres beklagte eine Gruppe von Priestern die „Atmosphäre lähmender Furcht“, die sich im Bistum Limburg ausgebreitet habe. Die Geistlichen werden bis heute als Quertreiber gegen einen rechtgläubigen und romtreuen Bischof dargestellt. Im Frühsommer dieses Jahres brach der Schutzwall aus Dementis und Halbwahrheiten zusammen, den Bischof und Generalvikar um die Baustelle des Bischofshauses errichtet hatten. Doch noch zwei Monate später versicherte der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz Zollitsch seinen Limburger Amtsbruder der „kollegialen Solidarität“. Der Münchner Kardinal Marx, der Anfang September öffentlich Zweifel an der rechten Amtsführung des Limburger Bischofs erkennen ließ, musste sich der Ahnungslosigkeit zeihen lassen – Grabenkämpfe, bei denen es auch um den demnächst vakanten Vorsitz der Bischofskonferenz geht. Weh dem, der solche Mitbrüder hat – und wohl denen, die trotz solcher Kabalen in ihrem Glauben nicht irre werden.

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UNITED STATES
Daily Caller

The Catholic League is upset over a Halloween costume featuring a sexually aroused priest and issued a statement asking why the store Spirit Halloween doesn’t sell similar costumes for imams and rabbis.

Spirit Halloween sells the costume, known as “Happy Priest,” alongside a “Thank You Father” costume that shows a pregnant nun.

The League’s Bill Donohue called both the costumes “offensive.”

“Anyone who wants to buy a costume with a rabbi or imam sporting an erection is out of luck — there are none available,” Donohue said in a statement. “There are also no vulgar Jewish or Muslim women costumes available. Just ones for nuns.”

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NEW YORK
Post-Star

DON LEHMAN — dlehman@poststar.com

A federal judge has declined to dismiss a federal lawsuit against a former local Catholic priest who was convicted of repeatedly molesting two young male parishioners.

A Queensbury resident who has alleged he was molested by the Rev. Gary Mercure is seeking unspecified damages for “sexual exploitation and abuse of children.”

Mercure, who is serving a prison sentence in Massachusetts for child molestation, could stand trial in U.S. District Court in Vermont as early as the spring.

U.S. District Judge William Sessions III recently refused to dismiss the lawsuit, which also names as a defendant the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

The diocese is accused of “breach of fiduciary duty” for not properly supervising Mercure.

The plaintiff, whose name is being withheld because The Post-Star does not identify victims of sexual abuse, filed the lawsuit in August 2011. It was filed in Vermont because Mercure is accused of taking the victim there for the purpose of sexual abuse.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
My Fox Philly

PHILADELPHIA –
Child sex abuse charges have been dropped against former Philadelphia priest Robert Brennan now that his 26-year-old accuser has died.

Brennan, now 75, was charged with sexually assaulting Sean McIlmail between 1998 and 2001 beginning when the boy was 11-years-old.

The abuse allegedly happened while McIlmail was serving as an altar boy at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Northeast Philadelphia.

He died unexpectedly of a suspected drug overdose last week.

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MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Archbishop John Nienstedt says he accepts responsibility for addressing fresh concerns about clergy sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
And he tells Minnesota Public Radio ( http://bit.ly/1h9u5Wr) he regrets that a growing number of parishioners and priests have lost confidence in him.

But in an email response to MPR’s questions, he denies any abuse cover-up or illegal actions. And he repeats the archdiocese’s assertion that there are no offending priests in active ministry.

He says he’s committed to finding the truth and fixing problems that exist. He says his highest priorities are ensuring children’s safety and restoring trust.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)– Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced charges will be withdrawn against former Philadelphia priest Robert Brennan.

The alleged victim,26-year-old Sean McIlmail, who had brought the charges against Brennan died unexpectedly last week of an accidental drug overdose.

Seth Williams released a statement saying, “Before announcing the status of the case against Robert L. Brennan, I would like to take a moment to again express my respect and gratitude to the victim in this case, 26-year-old Sean McIlmail. The sentiment that I expressed last week when it was discovered that Sean had unexpectedly passed away are the only words that I can find to say again today. The decades long demons and scars that Sean endured ended when he was found dead by Philadelphia Police Detectives. I can not say enough about the bravery Sean displayed in coming forward to bring these crimes to light. His courage should serve as an inspiration to us all.”

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Capital Gazette

Associated Press

Philadelphia prosecutors will drop rape charges against a suspended priest because the 26-year-old accuser has died of an overdose.

District Attorney Seth Williams announced the decision regarding the Rev. Robert Brennan with the family of accuser Sean McIlmail by his side.

The family wants McIlmail’s name publicized in the hope that sexual abuse victims will get help. The Associated Press does not usually identify sexual abuse victims.

Williams say there is not enough other evidence to go forward with the case, which was filed after McIlmail contacted authorities this year.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday Oct 23, 2013

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

This is dreadfully sad. A predator priest walks free and kids are at risk. Despite Fr. Robert Brennan’s age we still feel he is dangerous. (Most predators use cunning and manipulation not physical prowess to hurt kids)

It is clear what Archbishop Chaput will do now: virtually nothing. At most he might put a tiny mention of Brennan in his archdiocesan newspaper but more likely he will stay silent. And it is clear what he SHOULD do: personally visit each parish where Fr Brennan (starting with the most recent one) and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call the police. It is also clear what everybody who saw suspected or suffered Fr. Brennan’s crimes should do: speak up now!

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Article by: BAIRD HELGESON , Star Tribune Updated: October 23, 2013

The pastor of a large Twin Cities parish has taken the unusual step of publicly questioning whether Archbishop John Nien­stedt should continue in his post amid a widening priest sex abuse scandal.

The Rev. Bill Deziel, who heads the 6,000-member Church of St. Peter, used his church’s Sunday bulletin to call for a “do-over” of archdiocesan leadership. “When things get this bad,” Deziel wrote to his parishioners, “sometimes a fresh start is needed for all involved.” Such a change, he said, “could get us moving again with all that Christ calls us to do.”

Jim Accurso, spokesman for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said Tuesday that Nienstedt will address clergy sexual misconduct in his column for the Catholic Spirit, which will be available online Thursday.

Deziel, who was appointed to his North St. Paul parish by Nienstedt in 2011, also publicly called on the archdiocese to release the names of 33 priests accused of sexually abused children and to open the so-called vault in the chancery offices so its files on priests can be inspected by law enforcement.

In addition, a St. Paul attorney has begun an online petition drive calling for Nienstedt’s resignation. Thomas Lyons, a Catholic and a former president of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, said Tuesday that Nienstedt can no longer fulfill the duties of his office.

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MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
October 23, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Archbishop John Nienstedt said he accepts responsibility for addressing the unfolding clergy sexual abuse crisis and regrets that a growing number of parishioners and priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have “lost confidence” in him.

However, he denied any abuse cover-up or illegal actions and repeated the archdiocese’s claim that there are no offending priests in active ministry.

Nienstedt’s remarks came in an e-mailed response to questions from MPR News. It’s the first time the archbishop has answered questions about the scandal since MPR News began publishing investigative reports in late September.

“As head of this local Church, I accept responsibility for addressing the issues that have been raised and am completely committed to finding the truth and fixing the problems that exist,” Nienstedt wrote. “My highest priorities are to ensure the safety of our children and to restore the trust of Catholics and our clergy. I will do everything in my power to do so.”

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UNITED STATES
Public Catholic

October 23, 2013 By Rebecca Hamilton

The so-called Bishop of Bling, Bishop Frantz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, has been suspended for what may prove to be misappropriation of funds.

The charges against him are basically that he has been living large off monies that should have gone to Church ministries.

Other bishops find themselves in situations like that of Archbishop John Nienstedt of the Archdiocese of St Paul Minneapolis. This bishop is in trouble for failure to remove priests with pedophile problems from active ministry.

While the charges against both these bishops are serious, I don’t feel nearly as strongly about the things Bishop Tebartz-van Elst is accused of doing as those that Archbishop Nienstedt may have done. I am, as I said yesterday, out of patience with the refusal by some bishops to do their jobs vis a vis the clergy child sex abuse scandal.

Both these situations highlight a simple fact: The Church’s way of dealing with the public failings of its bishops is going to have to change.

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NEW YORK
Failed Messiah

Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Yossi Gestetner, who served as a spokesperson for the massive Williamsburg fundraising event for hasidic pedophile Nechemya Weberman, was hired by Thompson’s campaign as a consultant to set up events in the hasidic community.

Gestetner was dumped by the New York State Republican party last year, which had hired him to be its Jewish liaison, after it learned about Gestetner’s role in that Weberman fundraiser and about Gestetner’s affiliation with a vehemently anti-Zionist hasidic group. Ken Thompson hired him anyway.

Months ago, Brooklyn D.A. Charles J. Hynes’s primary campaign was allegedly negotiating with Gestetner with the aim of hiring him as a consultant to do much of the same things Gestetner is now doing for Thompson. But that deal apparently was never finalized and both Hynes and Gestetner at the time denied it.

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UNITED STATES
Artists Direct

Christmas is coming early and in punk rock style, as those icons known as Bad Religion are releasing a Christmas album, Christmas Songs, on October 29. Christmas Songs features eight new studio recordings of traditional Christmas hymns and an alternate mix of their single “American Jesus” by Andy Wallace.

Get in the holiday spirit and listen to Bad Religion’s rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” below.

Bad Religion will contribute 20 percent of the proceeds from Christmas Songs to SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. For more information visit snapnetwork.org.

“This might be the most subversive album we’ve done,” co-songwriter and guitarist Brett Gurewitz explains. “To me, what the album is indirectly stating is that this music, and thus the world, can be powerful and beautiful stripped of God and religion. These are just really good songs, and a historically non-religious band like Bad Religion can perform them with as much power and feeling as anyone.”

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday October 23, 2013

Statement by Barbara Blaine of SNAP, 312 399 4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com

We applaud this victim’s brave family for speaking up and hope their courage prods others who are suffering in silence to step forward.

It’s tough for anyone to talk about child sex crimes. It must be especially tough doing that when you have just lost a child because of the horror of such crimes. Still, it is clear that this family has chosen to step forward in the hopes of saving kids who might be abused in the future and in the hopes of helping adults who have been abused in the past.

They should be praised for taking this difficult but responsible and caring step.

Why aren’t Archbishop Charles Chaput and other catholic officials joining this grieving family in begging others who saw suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes and cover ups to step forward? Why does Chaput continue to hide behind his expensive defense lawyers and shrewd public relations professionals? Why won’t he act like a true shepherd and personally go to every parish where Fr. Brennan worked, strongly urge those with suspicions or knowledge of the allegations against Fr. Brennan to pick up the phone and call 911?

Please, if you were hurt, let his brave family’s compassion move you to break your silence and get help. If you might be able to share even a scintilla of information about clergy sexual misdeeds – however slight, old or seemingly insignificant it might be – with law enforcement, please act with generosity and courage now, so that others might be spared decades of pain.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WPVI

PHILADELPHIA – October 23, 2013 (WPVI) — Sex abuse charges against a Philadelphia priest were formally dropped Wednesday, less than two weeks after his most recent accuser died of what his lawyers called a suspected drug overdose.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams made the announcement regarding Rev. Robert Brennan Wednesday, surrounded by the family of Brennan’s accuser.

Williams said the family of Sean McIlmail wanted his name and the alleged abuse against him made public.

McIlmail, a former altar boy, came forward earlier this year to accuse Brennan of having molested him over a period of three years, beginning in 1998 when McIlmail was 11.

In withdrawing the charges, Williams said prosecutors determined that there was not enough evidence apart from McIlmail’s testimony to try Brennan.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Washington Post

Philadelphia DA drops priest’s rape case; accuser, 26, overdosed days before court hearing

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, October 23, 2:46 PM
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia prosecutors will drop rape charges against a suspended priest because the 26-year-old accuser has died of an overdose.

District Attorney Seth Williams announced the decision regarding the Rev. Robert Brennan with the family of accuser Sean McIlmail by his side.

The family wants McIlmail’s name publicized in the hope that sexual abuse victims will get help. The Associated Press does not usually identify sexual abuse victims.

Williams say there is not enough other evidence to go forward with the case, which was filed after McIlmail contacted authorities this year.

An explosive 2005 Philadelphia grand jury report says Brennan was named in more than 20 complaints about inappropriate behavior around children.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Sean Patrick McIlmail kept his secret for 12 years as it chewed away at him and his close-knit family watched him descend into mental illness and drug abuse.

On Wednesday – four days after they buried the 26-year-old – his parents, brother and sister decided the time for secrets was over.

In an interview at the home of their lawyer, McIlmail’s parents, older brother and younger sister publicly confirmed that Sean was the person who accused former Philadelphia Catholic priest Robert L. Brennan of sexually molesting him over a four-year period beginning when he was 11 years old.

That prosecution by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office was called off Wednesday following McIlmail’s accidental death on Oct. 13 from a drug overdose.

District Attorney Seth Williams has set an afternoon news conference and is expected to announce that prosecutors were wiithdrawing charges against Brennan, 75, of Perrysville, Md.

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MINNESOTA
LaCrosse Tribune

New questions about the way the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis handled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct are posing some financial concerns, including the potential for new legal expenses and a falloff in donations.

Minnesota Public Radio News reported ( http://bit.ly/1aFO9JA) some who track weekly church collections are worried media reports of how church leaders handled warnings about at least two priests could cause parishioners to give less.

Before these recent allegations came to light, the archdiocese was already concerned that a new law easing the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse would open the church up to more lawsuits _ and legal expenses.

The archdiocese’s finances have been under heightened scrutiny in recent years, mostly due to the nearly $1 million it spent between 2010 and 2012 on a failed campaign to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NBC 10

Sex charges were dropped against a Philadelphia priest on Wednesday after his accuser died of a drug overdose.

Sean McIlmail, 26, was found dead last week. He was an alter boy under Fr. Robert Brennan and alleged the priest sexually abused him 15 years ago — eventually coming forward in Jan.

“Sean suffered in silence for over a decade,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams on Wednesday. “Sean found his own way of self-medicating, which unfortunately led to his death.”

Williams dropped rape and sexual assault charges levied against Brennan saying there was no longer enough evidence — direct or circumstantial — to continue a trial.

He called McIlmail courageous and a voice for child sexual abuse victims.

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UNITED STATES
American Pancake

Two words that should not go together are Priest and Rapist but unfortunately these two words that should be morally opposite seemingly go hand in hand rather hold hands as it were with the remaining hands holding the hands of innocent children. The disgusting truth has been out there for decades and while the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has a history of easily half a century of feigning concern but really doing nothing there are organizations that have sprung up to not only fight the good fight but to give a voice to those who have been sexually, physically, mentally abused within the supposed sanctity of the “house of God.”

Bad Religion is releasing “Christmas Songs” and 20% of the proceeds from the albums sales will be contributed to SNAP which is a “Survivors Network” for people sexually abused by Priests. I do not endorse SNAP as an organization because I don’t know that much about it but their Mission Statement is a just one. I encourage anyone who donates to any organization to check them out to make sure they are who they say they are. Be smart and be just.
–
Fight the good fight!

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OHIO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday Oct 23, 2013

Statement by Carol Zamonski, SNAP Central Ohio Leader ( snapcentralohio@yahoo.com, 614-447-2084 )

A Fisher Catholic High School teacher in Columbus was suspended a few days ago for allegedly “sexting” – sending nude or partially nude photos of herself to a student.

We in SNAP believe in the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” This teacher should not be jailed unless she’s convicted.

[10TV]

But that concept doesn’t preclude common sense safety steps being taken right now, especially because kids are involved here, because sex crimes are most apt to be repeated and because she’s taught for five years, so the chances of there being other victims are higher.

In child sex cases, we must consider the reputation of one adult AND the well-being of multiple kids. And we must always come down on the side of protecting the safety of several youngsters over the privacy of one adult.

This teacher is suspended. But that doesn’t mean kids are safe. If, in fact, she committed these crimes, she used a cell phone to do so and likely still has a cell phone. So we must put the protection of kids first here.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Big Trial

By Ralph Cipriano
for Bigtrial.net

There’s an unexplained mystery in the arrest of Father Robert L. Brennan.

The alleged victim in the case came forward in January 2013 to charge that between 1998 and 2001, when he was 11 to 14 years old, he was an altar boy sexually assaulted by Father Brennan. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia immediately reported the allegation to the district attorney’s office. Yet, District Attorney Seth Williams waited eight months to arrest Father Brennan on Sept. 25th.

Yesterday, Brennan’s lawyer, Trevan Borum, a former Philadelphia assistant district attorney, asked why.

“If the allegation was credible, why does it take nine months?” said Borum, who likened the case to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. “I’ve had no explanation whatsoever. I don’t know what on earth took them so long.”

For the past nine months, District Attorney Seth Williams has stonewalled questions from this reporter. So sadly, someone else in the all-too compliant local media will have to ask the D.A. to explain the eight-month gap in the record on Father Brennan.

All I can do is post the question publicly. So here goes: If Father Brennan was such a menace to society, as the D.A. contends, why wasn’t he taken off the streets immediately?

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DEUTSCHLAND
RP

Limburg/Rom (RPO). Aufgeschoben, nicht aufgehoben: Der Papst hat Bischof Tebartz-van Elst beurlaubt. Vor einem endgültigen Urteil will er Fakten auf dem Tisch haben. Damit gewinnt Franziskus zwar Zeit. Aber Frieden im Bistum herrscht deshalb noch lange nicht.

Der Papst setzt auf Zeit. Und er setzt auf die Kassenprüfer, wenn es darum geht, im krisengeschüttelten Limburger Bistum für Ruhe zu sorgen. Den seit Wochen schwer angeschlagenen Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst schickt Franziskus in den unfreiwilligen Urlaub, er entzieht ihm angesichts der Vorwürfe um Verschwendung und Verschleierung die Führung der Amtsgeschäfte – und wartet ab.

Zunächst will Papst Franziskus schwarz auf weiß sehen, ob das, was den Bischof ins Wanken bringt und die deutsche Kirche in eine Krise um Transparenz und Anspruchsdenken stürzt, der Wahrheit entspricht.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Die Welt

Von Claus Christian Malzahn

Die Tragikomödie um Bischof Franz Peter Tebartz-van Elst geht in den letzten Akt. Dass der Kirchenmann am Ende dieses kostenträchtigen Stücks noch in Limburg auf der Bühne stehen wird, ist kaum wahrscheinlich. Unmöglich ist es allerdings auch nicht.

Der neue Papst will sich in seiner endgültigen Entscheidung offenbar von niemandem treiben lassen. Das Votum des Prüfungsausschusses der deutschen Bischofskonferenz hält Franziskus wohl für wichtiger als das schnelle Urteil vieler Zeitungen und TV-Sender, denen der Limburger Kirchenfürst in den vergangenen Wochen eine Steilvorlage nach der anderen geliefert hat.

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NEW YORK
The Jewish Week

Rabbi Gary Lieberman sexually abused a 10-year-old student at Hebrew Academy of Nassau County when he was a teacher there, police said Friday.

The abuse allegedly took place at the yeshiva’s lower school campus in West Hempstead between between November, 2009 and May 2010. The rabbi, who lives in Far Rockaway, was fired from the yeshiva for unspecified reasons in the summer of 2010.

“There was an allegation regarding an incident which allegedly occurred years ago which was recently brought to our attention regarding a teacher that has not worked at the school for several years,” said its executive director, Bob Shelley, in a statement emailed to The Jewish Week Friday.

The same message was sent to parents.

“The school was proactive in reporting the allegation to the police and we are continuing to cooperate with their investigation. We have been asked not to comment any further.”

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NEW HAMPSHIRE
A Ram in the Thicket

By Ryan A. MacDonald

A right of defense for accused priests is supported on paper in the Diocese of Manchester, but in one case it has been suppressed and obstructed at every turn.

I became quite familiar with the scene above during a short trip this past summer. A nice 4-hour drive from New York took me along Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River. From Brattleboro, Vermont (locals call it “Brat”) I drove east on Route 9 for 18 miles to the picturesque City of Keene, New Hampshire and its much admired downtown Main Street.

Keene is a small city with a population of about 23,500 – not counting the 5,000 students enrolled in Keene State College. The social and economic hub of southwest New Hampshire, it boasts the widest Main Street in the United States, and its bustling downtown collection of quaint and busy shops, restaurants, a theatre, offices, and concerts on the Keene Commons is the envy of many cities its size. Keene’s downtown begins at the doors of St. Bernard Church, today part of a three-parish community known as the Parish of the Holy Spirit.

Saint Bernard Church and Rectory are depicted above. The building in the background is Saint Joseph RegionalCatholic School (grades K to 8). The entire complex is bordered on the left by the bustling campus of Keene State College, and on the right by busy downtown Keene. Across the wide, heavily traveled Main Street from the rectory is the region’s largest and busiest U.S. Post Office, a pizza take-out, and a convenience store conducting a brisk college town business 24/7.

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UNITED STATES
Mary DeMuth

I anticipated writing a different post for today, but I remembered some brave folks and wanted to honor them for their courage. This isn’t just about my opinion, though. Read further for your role in nominating folks for the Bravery Badge.

Here are the five (and an amazing+1) folks I’m honoring today with Bravery Badges. …

Ed Cyzewski. He wrote a post yesterday that ROCKED about churches protecting sexual abusers, dismissing their sin, marginalizing victims, and turning a blind eye to the scourge that many sexual abuse victims face when they dare to report their story. …

Amy Smith of Watchkeep. We’ve not met, but she has been passionate about telling the truth about Bluebonnets 119predators. I’m sure she’s gotten flak about being vocal in her reporting, but I’m grateful she’s willing to highlight what has been going on in the nation in the realm of sexual abuse. Go Amy!

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UNITED STATES
Associated Press

By ADAM GELLER

PASSAIC, N.J. (AP) — Working at St. Mary’s Hospital was all about making do. When supply shelves emptied, respiratory therapist Lori-Ann Ligon made frantic calls to compatriots at nearby medical centers, arranging meetings on the fly to barter for blood gaskets. For a couple of years, she and other managers were told the endless budget squeeze left no room for raises.

But when St. Mary’s outlasted two competitors to become this city’s lone hospital, executives heralded a new era: “Not just health care. Human care.”

That care, though, only went so far.

“Presently, the retirement plan’s trust is severely underfunded,” the CEO wrote to employees in early 2011, blaming investment losses and the hospital’s decision not to put any money into one of its pension plans for more than a decade. “As a federally recognized church plan,” he continued, St. Mary’s had the right to do that — and there was no government pension insurance to fall back on.

The news angered many St. Mary’s workers, but their situation is not unique. Pension shortfalls at some religiously affiliated hospitals, businesses and social service agencies are raising new alarms and spotlighting a largely overlooked gap in the law protecting Americans’ retirement benefits.

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UNITED STATES
Nonprofit Quarterly

WRITTEN BY RICK COHEN CREATED ON WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2013

In the Jewish Daily Forward, Josh Nathan-Kazis takes on the subject of the spate of scandals that have hit a number of prominent Jewish charities. “One Jewish charity CEO hid allegedly stolen cash in his apartment closet. Another had an affair with his assistant while the assistant’s son-in-law stole from the CEO’s organization. A third covered up sex abuse charges for decades.”

The big scandals he’s discussing are Yeshiva University’s former president, Rabbi Norman Lamm, admitting to two decades of covering up sexual abuse of high school students; news that top officials at the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany had been told eight years earlier of a multimillion dollar scam; the firing of the CEO of the 92nd Street Y—after an affair with his executive assistant—whose Y-employed son was charged with taking kickbacks from vendors; and the firing of William Rapfogel, the CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, on charges of participating in a two-decade long $5 million kickback scheme.

Those are just the recent scandals. Nathan-Kazis also notes that Yeshiva University and the Met Council were also too close to the Madoff fraudulent investment scheme. Madoff was the chairman of the board of the University’s business school, and one J. Ezra Merkin on the university’s investment committee fed funds to Madoff—and negotiated an investment for the Met Council with Madoff that lost $1.4 million.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

Some Minnesota child molesting clerics get paid more than their non-offending peers, a new MinnPost story reveals.

There’s a simple explanation: blackmail.

Predator priests are often cunning and selfish and insist on more money. We believe that bishops comply out of fear. They are scared that unless they comply, predator priests may tell what they know and suspect about other wrongdoing in the church – sexual and financial. And bishops – more than anything else – desperately want to avoid being dragged into a public scandal.

There’s an old saying: “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.” Bishops realize that priests know a lot about private misdeeds in their dioceses. This is especially true of predator priests. So if bishops “crack down” or threaten to “crack down” on predators, those predators can retaliate by disclosing wrongdoing by their peers or supervisors.

That’s why some predator priests get special treatment and “sweetheart deals.” That’s one reason why some get their tuition paid to return to school and get degrees in teaching or counseling (like Fr. Patrick O’Donnell in Seattle).

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UNITED STATES
In a Mirror Dimly

Christians have a tradition of “laying hands” on each other to impart the Holy Spirit, to heal, and to bless. My church “trains” people to pray, which basically means we teach people to ask questions like, “Can I put my hand on your shoulder as I pray for you.”

Touching and consent go “hand in hand.”

Touch has a foundationally sacred and important place in the Christian tradition.

Touching each other inappropriately undermines the healing and life that God desires to impart in our lives. Our hands can be used to destroy, imprison, and wound or they can be used to impart freedom, spiritual gifts, and blessings.

Our message collapses if we approve inappropriate touching in one moment and then reach out to heal in another. (Trigger warning below for sexual abuse and rape.)

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NEW YORK
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013

Statement by Peter Isely of Milwaukee, national board member of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com )

A judge’s new ruling could further shield NY Cardinal Tim Dolan from the legal and public consequences of clergy child sex abuse cases he handled for eight years in Milwaukee.

The decision comes weeks after the same judge refused to rescue himself from the Milwaukee bankruptcy case even though he and his family have strong connections to the archdiocese.

Late yesterday, Judge Rudolph Randa ruled that a deaf survivor of the Fr. Lawrence Murphy is bound by an agreement he reached with church officials even though he was deceived in order to secure that agreement.

The agreement was reached in an archdiocesan program designed by Dolan in 2003. We believe the purpose of that program was to quickly and quietly settle with victims while deliberately misleading them about the archdiocese’s prior knowledge of the criminal history of abusers. At the same time, it induced victims to accept nominal restitution in exchange for waving all future legal rights. If the victim would later discover they had been deceived by Dolan and the archdiocese, as we now know they were, they would have no legal recourse.

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CANADA
Northern Life

By: Darren MacDonald – Sudbury Northern Life | Oct 23, 2013

Jerome Myre has written a letter to Pope Francis, and is hoping for a personal reply. While it’s a long shot, he’s got a better chance of hearing from the pontiff than most of us.

Myre was 12 years old when he was sexually abused by Fr. Bernard Cloutier, a former priest who was convicted in 2009 for incidents that took place in Sudbury, Espanola and Massey. Myre, who is allowing his name and face to be made public, was one of five victims abused between 1974 and 1983. He attended a parole hearing last month, where he and another victim read their victim impact statements, doing their part to ensure Cloutier, 71, serves his full sentence, which runs until Oct. 14, 2014.

While no longer a Catholic, Myre says he still believes in God. But not in a church that refuses to defrock priests who abuse children. So he’s written the Pope, asking for a change in policy.

“I think it would show some good faith to victims around the world,” Myre said. “To me, they shouldn’t have any status whatsoever.

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OHIO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

SNAP: “Disclose accused teacher’s name”
She allegedly sent inappropriate photos to student
Group wants Catholic school & church officials to “reach out”
“It’s especially hard for boys who are sexually exploited by females,” SNAP says

WHAT
Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will urge Catholic church and school officials to do more about allegations last week of child sex crimes by a teacher. They will prod Columbus’ Catholic bishop to

–disclose the accused teacher’s name,
–write to former staff, students and their families about her, and
–post notices about her in church bulletins and on church websites to “help police and prosecutors determine whether formal charges should be filed” and to “help find others who may have been hurt by her.”

WHEN
TODAY, Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 1:45 p.m.

WHO
Two members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), including a Columbus woman who is the organization’s local director

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph Cathedral, 212 East Broad Street (corner of N 5th St.) in downtown Columbus

WHY
For the sake of kids’ safety, and to help law enforcement, SNAP wants Columbus Bishop Frederick Campbell to publicly reveal the name of a Fisher Catholic High School teacher who has been suspended a few days ago for allegedly “sexting” – sending nude or partially nude photos of herself to a student.

[Newark Advocate]

The teacher also allegedly rubbed a boy’s leg under a desk in a classroom.

SNAP believes that too often, Catholic officials are secretive about alleged child sexual abuse. The group notes that for more than a decade, official church policy mandates “openness and transparency” in such cases.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

Nicola Anderson – 23 October 2013
A WRITER who survived years of abuse at a religious institution collapsed after making an impassioned speech at a protest against government cuts.

Patrick Touher (72), from Balbriggan, who wrote ‘Fear of the Collar, my Terrifying Childhood in Artane‘, was sent into the care of the Christian Brothers at the age of eight after the death of his mother and the departure of his father, who left the country.

In his book, he wrote about years of physical and sexual abuse during his time at Artane.

Two other people are believed to have collapsed at yesterday’s protest which saw up to 5,000 demonstrators, most of them elderly, descend on Leinster House.

Many had travelled from the farthest-flung parts of the country and carried placards attacking the Government.

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MINNESOTA
MinnPost

By Beth Hawkins

Like pretty much every traditional American pension plan, Catholic clergy retirement funds are struggling to deal with the triple punch of an aging work force, lengthening lifespans and lagging investments.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, however, has some special complications with its plan, sparked by recent sex abuse scandals and controversy over its handling of continuing “disability payments” to priests.

In some cases, critics say, the abusers end up with larger incomes from the pension fund than priests who retire with unblemished records.

Among the recent revelations: The woefully underfunded priests’ pension plan has been stretched even thinner by the church hierarchy’s decision to classify some priests accused of abuse as disabled and grant them early retirement.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

Pope Francis has suspended a German bishop for financial misdeeds.

But he ignores bishops who have concealed or are concealing child sex crimes. He should suspend them promptly, starting with Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City Missouri, who was convicted in 2012 of withholding evidence – hundreds of sexual photos of young girls – from police.

[Kansas City Star]

There are many bishops who should be suspended. But Finn is the most clearly proven wrongdoer. His guilt was established in an impartial trial in open court, despite a bevy of experienced and highly-paid lawyers fighting on his behalf.

Many Catholics no doubt applaud the German bishop’s suspension. But think about the message it sends hundreds of thousands of victims of child molesting clerics: “The Pope cares more about saving the church’s money than about saving the church’s children.”

One reason to suspend a wrongdoer is to deter others from emulating him. So what’s more crucial to deter? Child sex crimes and cover ups? Or financial extravagance?

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UNITED KINGDOM
Manchester Evening News

A Catholic priest has resigned despite being told he won’t be prosecuted over allegations he sexually abused a young girl.

Father Tim Hopkins, 44, was interviewed under caution last year by detectives investigating allegations a girl was molested on three occasions between 2004 and 2007. He was not arrested.

The M.E.N. revealed last week that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to take no further action against the clergyman after considering a police file on the case.

Now it has emerged Fr Hopkins has resigned as priest for the St John Fisher and St Mary’s churches in Denton.

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GERMANY/VATICAN CITY
The Atlantic Wire

ALEXANDER ABAD-SANTOS

Only a very few people on this earth will ever get a punishment handed down to them by the central governing body of the Catholic Church. One of those people is bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst a.k.a. the “bling bishop” who was suspended by the Vatican on Wednesday for, among other things, spending $20,000 on his bathtub. Tebartz-van Elst, as the AFP reports, first got into trouble after it was reported that he purchased a business-class ticket to fly to India, which led to some digging into his other extravagant purchases.

“His private quarters in a new diocesan building are reported to have cost some 2.9 million euros ($3.9 million) and included a 63-square-metre dining room and a 15,000 euro bathtub — using the revenue from a religious tax in Germany,” the AFP reported. This, of course brought up accusations that Tebartz -van Elst was squandering money, abusing his position, and basically living like a Kardashian. This luxurious spending goes against Pope Francis’s aim to make the Catholic Church a “poor church that looked after others” after Pope Benedict’s tenure was marred by financial corruption scandals and controversy.

Tebartz-van Elst flew on a low-cost airline to his meeting with Pope Francis on Wednesday, but that didn’t save him from being put on leave. “The Vatican didn’t say Wednesday if Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst would permanently leave the diocese of Limburg. But it said Limberg’s newly named vicar general, Monsignor Wolfgang Roesch, would administer the diocese during Tebartz-van Elst’s ‘period of time away,'” the AP reports.

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GERMANY/VATICAN
International Business Times

[with video]

Pope Francis has temporarily expelled German bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the “Bishop of Bling”, over a scandal regarding his €31million (£26m, $40m) project to renew a sumptuous diocesan residence in the western small city of Limburg.

The Vatican said Tebartz-van Elst “could no longer exercise his episcopal ministry” and Limbrug’s newly named vicar general, Monsignor Wolfgang Roesch would administer the diocese.

“The Holy See deems it appropriate to authorise a period of leave from the diocese for Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst,” the Vatican said in a statement.

“The Holy Father has been continuously and objectively informed of the situation,” it said.

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