ABUSE TRACKER

A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. For recent coverage listed in this blog, read the full article in the newspaper or other media source by clicking “Read original article.” For earlier coverage, click the title to read the original article.

July 3, 2020

Catholic priest from Strongsville indicted on federal charges of child pornography, exploitation

CLEVELAND (OH)
Cleveland.com

July 2, 2020

By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer

A Catholic priest was indicted Thursday on federal charges involving child pornography and the exploitation of children.

A grand jury charged the Rev. Robert McWilliams, 40, with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of children and three counts of pornography-related charges involving children.

McWilliams had served at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Pearl Road in Strongsville at the time of his arrest Dec. 5. He is being held without bond.

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.

Alleged David Haas sexual assault victim speaks out

UNITED STATES
Catholic News Agency

July 2, 2020

By Jonah McKeown

In late May, allegations surfaced against contemporary Catholic musician and composer David Haas, which claimed that Haas had subjected multiple adult women to serial spiritual manipulation and sexual misconduct.

A former music and youth minister, who alleges that Haas aggressively kissed and groped her when she was 19, spoke to CNA this week about her experience. And one expert told CNA that the allegations against Haas point to the difficulties of ensuring that laity working in Church contexts are trustworthy, and beyond reproach.

Sidney

Sidney*, a California native, told CNA that she has worked in close proximity to the Church for more than 15 years, primarily in religious education, as a youth minister, and as a music minister.

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.

Altoona man who served at Lancaster County churches in the 1990s to 2003 charged with child sexual abuse

PENNSYLVANIA
Lancaster County Online

July 3, 2020

By Dan Nephin

A western Pennsylvania man who served at three Lancaster County churches in the 1990s and early 2000s has been charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a teenage girl and exposing himself to two other children where he now lives.

William J. Stonebraker, 50, of Altoona, was charged June 22 in Blair County with two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and 96 counts each of unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment and corruption of minors — all felonies. He’s also charged with 96 counts each of indecent exposure and indecent assault, which are misdemeanors.

Stonebraker’s attorney, Thomas M. Dickey, said Thursday that Stonebraker has pleaded not guilty to all charges and they’re awaiting details of the accusations.

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.

Texarkana pastor sentenced to five life sentences plus 220 years for sexual abuse of girls

TEXAS
TXKToday

July 2, 2020

By Field Walsh

A Texarkana pastor was sentenced Thursday to five life sentences plus 220 years for 16 counts of child sexual abuse.

Logan Wesley III, 56, was found guilty by a jury in Bowie County of five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to life on each count. The jury also found Wesley guilty of nine counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact and sentenced to the 20-year maximum on each count.

202nd District Judge John Tidwell ordered all of the sentences to run consecutively. The jury also ordered three $10,000 fines for a total of $30,000.

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.

Is this the beginning of the end for Scientology? Danny Masterson’s rape charges could be first nail in the coffin

UNITED STATES
NewsLagoon

July 2, 2020

Danny Masterson, who is best known for ‘The 70s Show’ has been charged with rape of three women. The allegations against him were filed on Tuesday (June 16) by three women who claimed that the actor had forcibly raped them. The incidents reportedly took place between 2001 and 2003. Masterson was arrested shortly after the charges were made public.

If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in prison, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment. While the news about Masterson becomes nationwide news, many people pointed out how the actor, a Scientologist, was previously accused of the same a couple of years ago but it was gagged by Scientology.

In a shocking article that was published by The Daily Beast in 2019, the media outlet had detailed how the Church of Scientology might be helping Masterson bury the crimes under the rug. The outlet stated that the church had received two letters from one of the victims asking the church to speak up on the matter. However, they had remained mum on the matter.

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.

July 2, 2020

Rubén Herrera fue separado de la Diócesis al conocerse presunto caso de abuso

LEóN (MEXICO)
Zona Franca [León, Guanajuato, Mexico]

July 2, 2020

By Laura Villafaña

Read original article

Irapuato, Gto. – Rubén Herrera Luna, presunto responsable del delito de violación en agravio a una menor de edad, ya no es sacerdote, sostuvo la Diócesis de Irapuato, tras reconocer que desde febrero pasado conocían del caso que fue denunciado a las autoridades.

Esto, luego de que se diera a conocer la detención del ex párroco, cuya audiencia nuevamente se pospuso, a petición aparentemente de los abogados de la defensa.

“Desde que se tuvo noticia de los presuntos ilícitos, en febrero de este año, inmediatamente la Diócesis avisó del asunto a las autoridades judiciales para lo correspondiente, y a la vez actuó conforme a los protocolos eclesiásticos, separándolo del ejercicio del ministerio”

La Diócesis pidió perdón a quienes se consideren ofendidos por el caso.

“Asumimos con pena y dolor este hecho, y de antemano pedimos perdón a quienes se puedan sentir ofendidos por este caso y manifestamos nuestra disponibilidad de asumir con responsabilidad los hechos que nos correspondan”, expone el documento.

Los representantes de la iglesia aseguraron que nunca se ha encubierto o se encubrirán actos que dañen a las personas.

Tal y como lo hicieron saber medios locales de Michoacán, la Diócesis de Irapuato confirmó que el ex sacerdote fue detenido el 29 de junio en su domicilio familiar en Morelia.

“Ahora está en manos de las instancias judiciales seguirlas investigaciones correspondientes para llegar a la verdad del caso”, agrega.

Asimismo, la Diócesis extiende su colaboración con las autoridades, en quienes confían actuarán con justicia y transparencia.

Extraoficialmente trascendió que los representantes de la Diócesis pidieron a los padres de la menor no denunciar, pues ellos se encargarían del asunto, que concluyo con la separación del Herrera Luna de sus funciones.

Incluso, su detención se habría dado a escasos días de que se cumplimentará la orden de aprehensión.

Posponen la audiencia.

Este miércoles se reanudó la audiencia, que nuevamente se pospuso para este sábado, pues los abogados de la defensa habrían solicitado prórroga constitucional.

Un juez de control, resolverá en dicha audiencia, si el ex párroco de San Felipe de Jesús, será vinculado, o no, a proceso.

La audiencia inicial se inició el martes, pero a petición de los abogados de la defensa y el Ministerio Público, fue privada.

Ese día también se suspendió la audiencia en dos ocasiones:  la primera cuando la defensa argumentó que ese mismo día recibieron la carpeta de investigación, por lo que requerían tiempo para estudiar el caso; pero una vez que se reanudó se registraron fallas de conectividad, por lo que se reprogramó para el miércoles,

Y es que cabe aclarar que en atención a las medidas sanitarias por Covid, la audiencia de ese día, se desarrolló mediante videollamada.

El ex clérigo es acusado de violación en agravio de una menor, delito que aparentemente habría cometido en el 2011 y se repitió en abril del 2019.

Cabe mencionar que también estuvo involucrado en el desfalcó de 18 millones de pesos de la Diócesis de Irapuato, que se registró entre 2012 y 2016, ingresos, que se obtuvieron de diezmos, rifas y donativos hechos por feligreses.

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.

New Orleans archdiocese seeks Sept. 29 deadline for abuse claims, survivors to fight for more time

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
NOLA.com

By Ramon Antonio Vargas

July 2, 2020

The Archdiocese of New Orleans asked a federal judge late Wednesday to require anyone with clergy abuse claims against the local church to come forward by Sept. 29, almost certainly setting up the next legal dispute in the church’s two-month-old bankruptcy case.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill did not immediately rule on whether to make Sept. 29 the so-called “bar date,” which is expected to prompt many more remaining claimants to file complaints of abuse and demands for compensation. That date would also stand as the deadline for other entities to claim debts from the church that predate its May 1 filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections, except for government agencies, for whom the church requested a couple of extra months.

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.

In video, Cardinal Pell details his time in prison before being cleared in abuse case

VATICAN CITY
Sight

July 2, 2020

By CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ

Cardinal George Pell, the former Vatican treasurer who was recently cleared of historic sex abuse charges in his native country of Australia, spoke about his experience in prison, Pope Francis’ financial reform and the need to avoid corruption in a video released on Tuesday.

“In jail, of course, I was there as a Christian, inspired by the teachings of Christ,” Pell said, adding that his time in prison offered plenty of opportunity to pray every day. “And that I did,” he said.

The cardinal was sentenced to six years in prison by the County Court of Victoria, Australia, in late 2018 for the sexual abuse of minors when he was bishop in Melbourne between 1996 and 1997. Pell had vehemently denied all charges against him and, in April, the highest court in Australia dropped all charges for lack of sufficient proof.

The newly released video is the cardinal’s first public appearance since he was acquitted. In it he said that though prison was “an adventure I would not have chosen,” he had “survived it.”

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.

Two new allegations added against Ascension priest once known as crusading priest-cop

LOUISIANA
The Advocate

July 1, 2020

By Jacqueline DeRobertis

A deceased Catholic priest formerly accused of abuse in Ascension Parish has two new credible allegations added in the latest Baton Rouge Diocese report.

The list now includes more information regarding The Rev. George Gensler, who is accused of abuse in the late 1970s and between 1984 and 1998, said Diocese of Baton Rouge Communications Secretary Dan Borné.

Reports of abuse were received in February 1994 and October 2018, but two new credible allegations were reported days apart in February 2020, he said.

Past abuse was reported at St. Anthony of Padua in Darrow, where Gensler served from 1979 to 1994; he was placed on administrative leave and permanently removed from ministry during his last year at the 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.

Columbus Diocese hires counselor to speak with victims, priest reassigned

COLUMBUS (OH)
Columbus Dispatch

July 2, 2020

By Danae King

The Columbus Diocese was one of three in the country that had a priest working with survivors of clergy sexual abuse to take their reports. On July 2, 2020, the diocese announced it had hired a counselor to take the reports.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus has hired a licensed clinical counselor to work with victims of sexual abuse by priests, replacing the priest who has been in the position since 1997.

Laura Lewis, a local counselor, will begin work as the interim Victims’ Assistance Coordinator on July 15, replacing Monsignor Stephan Moloney, the diocese announced Thursday.

The change comes after The Dispatch reported in March 2019 that Moloney was one of three diocesan victims’ assistance coordinators in the country who were also priests. Victim advocates and survivors have said such an arrangement makes it harder for victims to come forward to report abuse, and can even retraumatize 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.

Top Vatican investigator on sex abuse says church must empower victims

VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

July 2, 2020

By Claire Giangravé

It’s been more than a year since Pope Francis issued his historic document, “Vos Est Lux Mundi (You are the light of the world),” and ushered in a new wave of transparency and accountability for abuse cases in the Catholic Church.

But according to Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, much more still needs to be done.

“We need to empower disclosure” of abuse cases by providing victims with avenues for safe communication, said Scicluna, adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, during a webinar for “A Safer Church” on Tuesday (June 30).

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.

Former Norfolk Catholic school teacher sentenced for abusing student

NORFOLK (VA)
13NewsNow

July 2, 2020

Daniel Wolfe pleaded guilty to abusing a 15-year-old when he taught at Norfolk Catholic High School in the late 1970s.

A former Catholic school teacher will spend three years behind bars for sexually abusing a student.

A judge sentenced 70-year-old Daniel Wolfe on Thursday to five years in prison, with two suspended.

Wolfe pleaded guilty last year to abusing a 15-year-old when he taught at Norfolk Catholic High School.

The abuse happened in the late 1970s, and Wolfe hasn’t taught at the school since the 1980s.

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond maintains an updated list of clergy who have served there and have also had a proven allegation of sexual abuse involving a minor made against them.

Abuse allegations should be reported directly to local law enforcement, including Child Protective Services (CPS) at 1-800-552-7096 and by calling the Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-833-454-9064.

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.

Claims emerge that founder of Schoenstatt was abuser

VATICAN CITY
The Tablet

July 2, 2020

By Madoc Cairns

The founder of the Schoenstatt community, Fr Josef Kentenich, engaged in manipulative and abusive behaviour during his time leading the group, according to a German historian. The allegations against Kentenich, uncovered within the Vatican archives, include sexual abuse.

Alexandra von Teuffenbach, a theologian and church historian living in Germany, has claimed that recently opened sections of the Vatican archives include documents that portray Fr Kentenich as abusing his power within the community he founded. According to von Teuffenbach, after reports of abuse within the community were received by the Vatican in the early 1950s, an official visitation ensued. As a consequence, Kentenich was exiled to the United States for nearly 15 years, only returning to Germany in 1965, three years before his death.

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.

York man sues Diocese of Allentown, Hellertown school over alleged sex abuse

ALLENTOWN (PA)
WFMZ-TV

July 2, 2020

A man is suing the Diocese of Allentown and a Hellertown school and church over allegations that he was sexually assaulted by his teacher several decades ago.

Mark Beaky, who now lives in York, says he was 13 when Lawrence Haftle, his teacher at St. Theresa of the Child of Jesus Catholic School, abused him. Beaky attended the school from 1971-1975, and says the abuse occurred in 1974, when Haftle was his homeroom teacher.

It started with “off-campus car rides” during lunch, in which Haftle, who died in 2010, would offer Beaky marijuana, according to the lawsuit filed in Lehigh County court.

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.

Funeral planned Wednesday for retired pope’s elder brother

BERLIN (GERMANY)
Associated Press

July 2, 2020

A funeral is to be held in Germany next week for the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI who died Wednesday at the age of 96.

The Diocese of Regensburg said Thursday that Ratzinger will be laid to rest in the Bavarian city’s Catholic cemetery Wednesday afternoon following a service led by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer.

The acclaimed boys’ choir Ratzinger headed for several decades will stage a farewell concert Sunday. The public is invited to attend prayers in Regensburg Cathedral on Monday evening and to sign a book of condolences Tuesday.

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Archives reveal abuse allegations against founder of Schonstatt movement

VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Service via National Catholic Reporter

July 2, 2020

by Junno Arocho Esteves

Documents uncovered from the recently opened archives of the pontificate of Pope Pius XII revealed allegations of sexual abuse and abuse of power against the founder of the Schonstatt movement, Fr. Joseph Kentenich.

Reports of the apostolic visitation made in the early 1950s written by Dutch Jesuit Father Sebastiaan Tromp were made known by German scholar Alexandra von Teuffenbach July 2 after she wrote a letter regarding her discovery to German newspaper Die Tagespost and Italian journalist Sandro Magister.

Von Teuffenbach, a former professor of church history at Rome’s Pontifical Regina Apostolorum University, said the testimonies, letters and conversations Tromp had with members of the Schonstatt Sisters of Mary, as well as Kentenich, revealed “a situation of complete subjugation of the nuns, concealed in a certain way by a sort of family structure applied to the work.”

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Book review: Book takes scholarly yet accessible look at clerical sex abuse crisis

UNITED STATES
Catholic News Service voa CatholicPhilly.com

July 2, 2020

By Deborah Gyapong

“Clerical Sexual Misconduct: An Interdisciplinary Analysis,” edited by Jane F. Adolphe and Ronald J. Rychlak. Cluny Media (Providence, Rhode Island, 2020). 480 pp., $29.95.

Two years ago, the world learned former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick faced credible accusations of sexually abusing underage boys.

The Diocese of Metuchen and the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey revealed secret settlements had been made in 2005 and 2007 with former seminarians that McCarrick had preyed upon while he was the bishop in those dioceses. Somehow, despite revelations that several individuals had made internal complaints about McCarrick as early as the 1990s, he rose to become archbishop of Washington and a cardinal.

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.

Letter to Parishioners from Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Diocese of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE (NC)
Diocese of Charlotte

July 1, 2020

Dear St. Matthew parishioners,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am writing to let you know I have accepted the report and recommendation of the Diocese of Charlotte’s independent Lay Review Board that Father Patrick Hoare remain out of active ministry at this time. Father John Allen will continue as administrator of St. Matthew Parish.

As I shared with you previously, the diocese placed Father Hoare on administrative leave Dec. 9, 2019, after receiving an allegation against him of child sexual abuse that was said to have occurred in Pennsylvania more than 25 years ago, before Father Hoare entered ministry.

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.

Diocese of Baton Rouge adds name to list of credibly accused clergy members

BATON ROUGE (LA)
WAFB-TV

July 1, 2020

By Nick Gremillion

The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge has added another name to its list of clergy members credibly accused of abuse.

The additions come one year after the diocese released the list.

Fr. George Gensler, has been added to the list of credibly accused of abuse, bringing the total number of accused clergy members to 45.

Gensler is accused of abuse during the late 1970s and from 1984 to 1998. The diocese says it received reports of abuse allegedly committed by Gensler in 1994, 2018, and 2020.

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.

Paterson Diocese installs Brooklyn priest as new bishop

PATERSON (NJ)
NorthJersey.com

July 1, 2020

By Abbott Koloff and Deena Yellin

[VIDEO]

Bishop Kevin Sweeney emphasized a strong connection to the immigrant community and the importance of his family as he took over Wednesday as the leader of the Paterson Diocese in a ceremony held before a relatively small group of people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

His installation and ordination as bishop took place at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson three months after his promotion was announced, postponed because of the spread of COVID-19. About 100 people attended the invitation-only event, most wearing masks and sitting far apart to practice social distancing.

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Charlotte bishop bars St. Matthew pastor from active ministry after sex abuse claims

CHARLOTTE (NC)
The Charlotte Observer via WBTV

July 1, 2020

By Joe Marusak

The pastor of Charlotte’s St. Matthew Catholic Church, one of the nation’s largest parishes, will remain out of active ministry after decades-old allegations of sexual abuse of a minor surfaced last year, Bishop Peter Jugis said Wednesday.

In a letter to St. Matthew parishioners, Jugis said he accepted the report and recommendation of the diocese’s independent Lay Review Board that Father Patrick Hoare “remain out of active ministry at this time.”

Father John Allen will continue as administrator of St. Matthew Parish, Jugis said.

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.

After George Brignac’s death, what’s next for church sex abuse cases

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WDSU-TV [includes video]

July 1, 2020

The death of former Deacon George Brignac halted the only ongoing criminal case involving a local member of the Catholic clergy. The 85-year-old was awaiting trial on a rape charge when he died Monday.

He was one of 15 living priests and deacons the Archdiocese of New Orleans has identified since November 2018 as being credibly accused of sexual abuse. So far, Brignac is the only one to face a criminal accusation, a first-degree rape charge dating back to his time at Our Lady of the Rosary in New Orleans in the 1970s. He taught math at the church school and was in charge of its altar boys at the time.

No criminal charges have been brought against the other living clergy, but their accusers fear the clock is ticking. Most are in their 70s and 80s.

“These men are aging, and we don’t want them to age out of being punished for sex crimes … against children,” said Kevin Bourgeois, with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

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.

Open letter calls on USA Swimming to end “culture of sexual abuse”

UNITED STATES
Inside the Games

July 1, 2020

By Neil Shefferd

An open letter, released on behalf of six victims, has called on USA Swimming to “dismantle” a culture of sexual abuse within the organisation.

The letter, delivered to USA Swimming chief executive Tim Hinchey yesterday, has called on the organisation to take action to what it describes as an “epidemic” of sexual abuse within the governing body.

The letter, written on behalf of six victims by their attorney Robert Allard, includes the names of eight individuals, who the victims say should be immediately removed from USA Swimming.

An extract from the letter reads: “Having been deeply involved in the handling of sex abuse claims against USA Swimming for more than a decade, it is clear to us that there remains a deeply embedded culture within your organisation which condones the criminal sexual behaviour of coaches towards its underage athletes.

“This culture is similar to that of the Catholic Church, where a long-standing unofficial code enabled rampant sexual abuse by punishing those who report and rewarding those who remain silent. This must end, and it must end now.”

Last month six women filed lawsuits alleging that USA Swimming failed to protect them from sexual abuse from coaches Mitch Ivey, Everett Uchiyama and Andy King.

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Lutheran Pastor Arrested In Godfrey, Charged With Distributing Child Pornography

EAST ST. LOUIS (IL)
RiverBender.com

July 1, 2020

EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. District Court – Southern District of Illinois – on Wednesday announced a federal criminal complaint was filed late on Friday, June 19, 2020, against a Madison County pastor, Steven P. Tibbetts, 61, for one count of knowingly distributing child pornography in December 2019. At the time the complaint was filed, Tibbetts was employed as the head pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Godfrey.

Tibbets’ attorney, Bill Lucco, told prosecutors this afternoon that on account of the charge pending against him, Tibbetts has been “released of all duties, pastoral or otherwise, at Resurrection Lutheran.”

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Australian Bishops Reject Criticism of Move to Single Safeguarding Office

AUSTRALIA
The Catholic Universe

July 1, 2020

The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has hit back at claims that a new national safeguarding office may be a step backward from the work of Catholic Professional Standards Ltd. over the past three years.

Catholic Professional Standards Ltd. was established by the bishops in response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse to conduct audits of Church entities’ compliance with child safe standards and to deliver safeguarding training.

It was set up as a not-for-profit company operating independently of the Church hierarchy and runs at a cost of around $1.8 million (approx. £1.4 million) a year. It is expected to be replaced early in 2021 by a national approach to streamline and co-ordinate the Church’s work to protect children and vulnerable adults.

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UISG announces two initiatives during Safeguarding Webinar

MALAYSIA
The Herald – Malaysia Online

July 1, 2020

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp


The International Union of Superiors General unveils two initiatives during a webinar on Tuesday on Victimology and the Relational Safety Model

The International Union of Superiors General hosted the third in a four-part Safeguarding webinar on Tuesday. Guest speaker Dr Gabriel Dy-Liacco treated the topic on Victomology and the Relational Safety Model.

Sr Pat Murray, Executive Secretary for the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) announced two initiatives prior to the webinar. She said that on 22 June the first meeting took place of the Joint Commission for Care of the UISG and its male counterpart, the Union of Superiors General (USG) . The Commission is comprised of five representatives from each organization. This joint commission, Sr Pat said, “will lead our efforts into the future to work with Congregations and others on the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.”

But that was not all. There are “two other developments”, Sr Pat continued. The UISG has established two offices: the Office for Care and Protection and Catholic Care for Children International. “Together”, Sr Pat explained, “they form a world-wide initiative to join with those who are focusing on moving children from institutional-based care to family-based care”.

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National Redress Scheme: Jehovah’s Witnesses hold out over sex abuse

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

July 2, 2020

By Greg Brown

The Jehovah’s Witnesses is openly defying the child sex abuse royal commission, refusing to implement its recommendations because they go against the religion’s “Bible-based beliefs” despite allegations that 1800 children had been abused since 1950.

The secretive religion of nearly 70,000 members is one of six institutions that were publicly shamed and stripped of taxpayer funding by Social Services Minister Anne Ruston who condemned the groups on Wednesday for failing to uphold their “moral obligation” to society by signing-up to the redress scheme.

She warned the refusal of the six institutions, including the Boys’ Brigade NSW, to participate was blocking the compensation claims of 55 abuse survivors.

The Australian can reveal the Jehovah’s Witnesses has failed to reform its structures in line with the directions issued by the royal commission in addition to its rejection of demands it sign-up to the government’s scheme aimed at compensating victims.

The decision means those with sex abuse allegations within the religion will still need to have their stories corroborated by at least two witnesses before church elders consider whether an alleged offender should be sanctioned by the organisation.

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Two more women testify against local pastor in sex abuse trial

TEXAS
Texarkana Gazette

July 1, 2020

By Lynn LaRowe

Three women in their 30s testified Monday and Tuesday that they were sexually abused by a Texarkana pastor when they were children.

NEW BOSTON, Texas — Three women in their 30s testified Monday and Tuesday that they were sexually abused by a Texarkana pastor when they were children.

One of the women, now 38, testified Monday that Logan Wesley III, 56, is a close relative with whom she came to live at age 13. She claims Wesley sexually abused her for years, beat her when she confronted him as a teen and continued in his sexual assaults of her until she was 20, under questioning by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards.

A recording of a phone conversation last year between the woman and Wesley was played for the jury Monday. In the recording, Wesley, when asked by the woman if he knew how many times he assaulted her, replied “one time was too many,” and expressing that he could receive “life in prison” should the allegations reach law enforcement.

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‘Time for a Reckoning’: Flood of Abuse Cases Against NY Archdiocese Filed Amid Deadline Uncertainty

NEW YORK (NY)
The City

July 1, 2020

By Virginia Breen

Alleged victims of abuse decades ago have filed a flood of lawsuits — 95 in the last month alone — against the Archdiocese of New York amid confusion over the deadline for the look-back window provision of the Child Victims Act.

“We have dozens more in the works,” said attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who recently filed 59 cases against the Archdiocese, which serves 2.8 million Catholics in Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island and seven counties farther upstate. “The numbers demonstrate the magnitude of the problem never addressed in the archdiocese. Well, the courthouse doors are now open. It’s time for a reckoning.”

“We filed 100 cases against the Catholic Church across the state of New York in the last 60 days,” said attorney James Marsh.

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Man sues Allentown Diocese, Hellertown school, says teacher molested him

ALLENTOWN (PA)
Morning Call

July 2, 2020

By Laurie Mason Schroeder

A York County man who claims he was sexually assaulted by a Hellertown Catholic school teacher in the 1970s is suing the Allentown Diocese and others in the latest of a trickle of new lawsuits based on a potential legal loophole around the statute of limitations.

Mark Beaky, 59, says he was 13 when Lawrence Haftle, then a teacher at St. Theresa of The Child of Jesus Catholic School in Hellertown, sexually assaulted him.

Beaky claims that Haftle, who died in 2010, also gave him drugs and alcohol when he was a teen.

Named along the with diocese in the suit are the school and St. Theresa of The Child of Jesus Church in Hellertown. Beaky is demanding a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.

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Editorial: Rozanski’s actions in sex abuse case sets path for change in motion

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
MassLive.com

July 2, 2020

The claim by a Berkshire County man that he had been repeatedly raped and molested as altar boy by one of the most revered figures in the history of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield presented the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski with a most unenviable task.

Rozanski did not turn away. Instead, he turned to a respected retired Superior Court judge, Peter A. Velis, who last week delivered a report bearing uncomfortable news for Rozanski and the entire diocese of Western Massachusetts, from the ranks of its clergy to its devoted parishioners. Rozanski asked for the truth, and he got it.

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July 1, 2020

Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse by priest in 1990s

GREENSBURG (PA)
The Tribune-Review

July 1, 2020

By Tony LaRussa

The Diocese of Greensburg and Bishop Edward Malesic are being sued by a man who claims he was sexually abused by a priest who has since died.

The lawsuit, filed June 22, claims the Rev. Joseph L. Sredzinski began abusing the victim in 1991 when he was 11 years old and continued until the victim was 17.

Sredzinski served at the former St. Joseph Church in Everson, Fayette County, from 1989 to 1999. He died in 2015.

A diocese spokesman declined to comment because he said officials have not yet been served with the lawsuit.

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Steubenville priest who impregnated teen is defrocked

STEUBENVILLE (OH)
The Times Leader

July 1, 2020

Henry Christopher Foxhoven, the Catholic priest who admitted impregnating a 17-year-old altar girl, has been defrocked.

Foxhoven, 46, is serving 12 years in jail after pleading guilty in Athens County, Ohio in November 2018 to three counts of sexual battery.

In March, Pope Francis decreed that Foxhoven be dismissed from the clerical state, or laicized. The Catholic World Report says a priest dismissed from the clerical state can’t celebrate Mass, hear confessions or administer the sacraments, among other things.

The pope’s decision was communicated to Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffery Monforton on June 3, and to Foxhoven on June 19.

“We must remain vigilant in assisting victims of sexual abuse,” Monforton said. “We take every accusation very seriously and we will continue to do so.”

Monforton had revoked Foxhoven’s ministerial faculties and suspended him from priestly ministry on Oct. 27, 2018, when he learned Foxhoven had admitted to having sexual contact with a minor. At the same time, diocesan attorney Tom Wilson filed a report with the Athens County Sheriff’s Department, where Foxhoven said the abuse had occurred and the diocese “fully cooperated with authorities in their investigation,” a news release issued by the diocese Friday noted.

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Bergen Priest, Formerly Of Hillsdale, Resigns Amid Abuse Allegations

BERGEN (NJ)
Daily Voice

July 1, 2020

By Jerry DeMarco

The pastor of Cliffside Park’s Church of the Epiphany has resigned amid allegations that he abused a minor before he was ordained.

The Rev. Bruce Harger, 66, “has not been convicted of any civil or canonical crime” and has denied any wrongdoing, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Newark said.

He decided “after thorough and careful consideration” to step down until the matter is resolved, however, “out of concern for the people of the parish and for the benefit of the church,” the spokeswoman, Maria Margiotta, said in a statement.

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Georg Ratzinger, priest and brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict, dies aged 96

GERMANY
Press Association

July 1, 2020

Father Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys’ choir, has died at 96.

The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Fr Ratzinger lived, said in a statement on his website that he died on Tuesday.

His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother.

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St. Martins priest accused of misconduct resigns

ST. MARTIN (MO)
KMIZ

July 1, 2020

By Matt Ragsdale

The Diocese of Jefferson City said a St. Martin Parish priest in St. Marins resigned after being placed on leave last year.

Diocese spokeswoman Helen Osman said in an email the priest, Mark Porterfield, resigned on Tuesday.

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Retired pope’s elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, dies at 96

BERLIN
Associated Press

July 1, 2020

By David Rising

The Rev. Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys’ choir, has died at 96.

The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, said in a statement on his website that he died Tuesday. His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother.

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Msgr. Ratzinger, retired pope’s brother, dies at 96

VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Service

July 1, 2020

Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, a musician and retired Pope Benedict XVI’s elder brother, died July 1 at the age of 96.

According to Vatican News, Msgr. Ratzinger died in Regensburg, Germany, where he had been hospitalized. Pope Benedict, 93, flew to Regensburg June 18 to be with his ailing brother.

When the retired pope arrived in Germany, the Diocese of Regensburg issued a statement asking the public to respect his privacy and that of his brother.

“It may be the last time that the two brothers, Georg and Joseph Ratzinger, see each other in this world,” the diocesan statement said.

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Media Statement: New Lawsuit Filed Against the Diocese of Greensburg

ST. LOUIS (MO)
SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)

June 30, 2020

A new lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. We applaud this brave survivor for coming forward and hope that this news will encourage others who may have been hurt in Pennsylvania to come forward and find help and healing.

The lawsuit alleges that Fr. Joseph Sredzinski abused a child for six years starting when the boy was 11 years old. Fr. Sredzinski was first identified as an abuser in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report where multiple incidents and allegations were recorded. Our hearts ache for his victims, especially since it seems clear that Catholic officials had knowledge about Fr. Sredzinski’s behavior and chose not to take any action. Their apparently deliberate inaction allowed other children to come to harm.

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Pope Francis praying for Polish Catholics seeking Vatican intervention on clerical abuse

VATICAN CITY
CNA

July 1, 2020

Pope Francis is praying for a group of lay people who appealed to him to crack down on clerical abuse in Poland, the Vatican said Tuesday.

More than 600 people took out a full-page advertisement in the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica on Monday, June 29, urging the pope to intervene in the growing abuse crisis in the country.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told journalists June 30: “The Holy Father is informed of the appeal. He is praying for those who sent it. The entire Church must do everything possible so that the canonical norms are applied, cases of abuse are brought to light and those guilty of these serious crimes are punished.”

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Una causa contra el cura echado de la Iglesia por abuso fue cerrada en Ushuaia

MONTE GRANDE (ARGENTINA)
El Diario del Fin del Mundo [Ushuaia, Argentina]

July 1, 2020

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El sacerdote Daniel Omar Acevedo fue expulsado por un decreto del Papa Francisco, ante los casos de abuso sexual que lo involucran. Una de las causas se tramitó en Ushuaia, aunque fue cerrada porque la justicia consideró que el hecho ventilado no constituía delito. Otro desprendimiento de las denuncias es investigado por la justicia chaqueña, donde se aguarda un juicio.


na causa penal por presunto abuso sexual  que involucraba al ex sacerdote Daniel Omar Acevedo, echado de la Iglesia Católica por un decreto reciente del Papa Francisco, fue cerrada en la ciudad de Ushuaia por no constituir delitos los hechos denunciados, confirmaron fuentes judiciales a EDFM.
Acevedo había sido denunciado por un joven de 23 años, el 13 de noviembre de 2016.
El denunciante se presentó en la Comisaría de Minoridad y Familia de la capital fueguina y expuso que cuando tenía 15 años, el cura acudió unas vacaciones a su casa natal en la ciudad de Resistencia, Chaco, e intentó abusar de él.
Dijo que dos años después, cuando tenía 17 años, se repitió un hecho similar en el mismo sitio, y que al año siguiente el joven se mudó a Ushuaia donde volvió a ser contactado por Acevedo y se habría producido un tercer intento de abuso.
La causa judicial por esta denuncia tramitó en el Juzgado de Instrucción de Segunda Nominación de Ushuaia, a cargo del juez Javier De Gamas Soler.
El magistrado se declaró incompetente para investigar los hechos supuestamente sucedidos en Chaco, y giró esa parte de las actuaciones al Juzgado de Garantías 2, 1ra circunscripción de Resistencia. En esa provincia, la justicia procesó al sacerdote por abuso sexual y se aguarda la realización de un juicio oral.
En cambio, en relación al presunto abuso cometido en Ushuaia, a bordo de un automóvil, el juez De Gamas Soler rechazó el requerimiento de instrucción promovido por la Fiscalía, al entender que los hechos denunciados no constituían delito. Ese pronunciamiento no fue recurrido ni por el fiscal ni por el abogado querellante, por lo que el fallo quedó firme y se dispuso el cierre de las actuaciones, señalaron las fuentes consultadas.
En el plano de la justicia canónica, Acevedo fue expulsado de la Iglesia en un proceso que acaba de ser convalidado por el Papa Francisco en Roma.
Esa novedad fue ratificada hace pocos días por  el Consejo Pastoral para la Protección de Menores y Adultos Vulnerables de la Conferencia Episcopal Argentina, que a su vez compartió un comunicado firmado por el obispo de Río Gallegos, monseñor Jorge García Cuerva. 
“El decreto implica la pérdida de los derechos propios del estado clerical. Se lo ha dispensado de sus obligaciones sacerdotales y el celibato, y queda excluido del ejercicio del orden sagrado. Esta decisión es suprema e inapelable”, señala el comunicado.
Según reconstruyó el diario La Nación, Acevedo ejercía el ministerio en la parroquia San José Obrero de Río Gallegos cuando estallaron las primeras denuncias contra él, pero también estuvo de paso en Ushuaia donde se reencontró con su supuesta víctima.
Por su parte, los hechos que ahora juzgará la justicia chaqueña se remiten a tiempos en que Acevedo era seminarista a punto de convertirse en diácono y vivía en el sur del país. En unas vacaciones en Resistencia, Chaco, habría cometido abuso contra un menor dentro del ámbito familiar y en el hecho hubo otros menores involucrados.
Según quienes investigaron la causa, ni el menor ni la familia sabían que Acevedo era seminarista. Años más tarde, el denunciante se trasladó a vivir a Ushuaia, donde se encontró con Acevedo quien se encontraba de paso, y en esa circunstancia se enteró que era sacerdote. Si bien ya no era menor de edad, la víctima decidió denunciarlo en Ushuaia en el año 2016, por los hechos de Chaco y por circunstancias que se dieron en Ushuaia, informó La Nación.

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Laudato Si’ gets more attention in Church than child protection, expert says

ROME (ITALY)
Crux

July 1, 2020

By Elise Ann Allen

A leading expert says that the Catholic Church still has a long way to go in acknowledging and being aware of sexual abuse, pointing out that the pope’s environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ is often more visible in the Church than safeguarding.

Speaking during a June 30 webinar session on “Victimology and the relational safety model,” Dr. Gabriel Dy-Liacco noted that the Catholic Church’s response to abuse complaints has changed over time – from sending priests to treatment centers only to recycle them back into ministry somewhere else, to enforcing administrative leave when a complaint comes in, to a stricter adherence to restrictions on ministry when victims made allegations.

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French cardinal reveals future plans after ‘ordeal’ of abuse trial

FRANCE
Catholic News Service via Crux

July 1, 2020

By Jonathan Luxmoore

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who retired from the Archdiocese of Lyon, has left his see to serve as a convent chaplain and envoy for the pope.

In a radio interview, he thanked Catholics for helping the church survive his conviction and acquittal on charges he ignored sexual abuse by a local priest.

“I’m contented and happy to be embarking on something new and joyful at this return to calm after the tempest,” Barbarin told the Lyon-based Radio Chretienne Francophone.

“As an archbishop, I had an incredible amount of administration, official business and financial affairs to deal with, as well as national and international meetings. But my true vocation is as a priest, and I’m now able to rebuild the foundations of my priestly life.”

On July 1, the cardinal was to take up residence with the Little Sisters of the Poor at Saint-Pern, in northwestern France, after celebrating a farewell Mass in Lyon’s St. John Baptist Cathedral.

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Victims file 20 new child abuse suits against North Country priests

OGDENSBURG (NY)
North County Public Radio

July 1, 2020

Victims of child sexual abuse have filed 20 more claims against Catholic priests in the Diocese of Ogdensburg, which covers the North Country. The suits were filed under New York’s Child Victims Act by two law firms on behalf of “numerous” people.

They name seven priests publicly for the first time, including clerics who served in Malone, Schroon Lake, Parishville, Potsdam, Dannemora, Lowville, Massena, and Crown Point. They also name three other priests who had been the subjects of previous lawsuits.

The alleged perpetrators worked during various periods between 1961 and 1989.

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Lawsuit against Archdiocese of Philadelphia alleging priest abuse is transferred to PA federal court

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Pennsylvania Record

July 1, 2020

By Nicholas Malfitano

An Arizona man pursuing legal action against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a priest when he was a boy growing up in Pennsylvania, has had his case transferred to a federal court here.

U.S. District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson effectuated the transfer to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on June 22.

John Doe first filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on Dec. 2, 2019 versus the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The plaintiff, now 52, and his siblings grew up attending Catholic schools in Bucks County, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He met Brzyski in 1977, who then became a “fixture” in his family’s home, routinely celebrating Mass there with the plaintiff and family.

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Media Statement: These New Archbishops Have the Opportunity to Make an Immediate Impact

ST. LOUIS (MO)
SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)

June 30, 2020

Five Catholic archdioceses around the country have had a recent change in leadership with the installation of a new archbishop.

New Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski Has the Opportunity to Make an Immediate Impact
Five Catholic archdioceses around the country have had a recent change in leadership with the installation of a new archbishop, including Mitchell Rozanski in St. Louis.

With this promotion, Archbishop Rozanski now has more responsibility for the safety of children and the vulnerable than ever. It is crucial that within his first few official weeks in this new post that he takes tangible steps to prevent abuse.

First, the new archbishop should read every file of every person accused of abuse in his archdiocese and ensure sure that each case is being or was handled properly. He should also turn over every single one of those files to local police and prosecutors to let properly trained experts in law enforcement determine if there are any crimes that can be charged.

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20 additional sex abuse lawsuits filed against Diocese of Ogdensburg

OGDENSBURG (NY)
Watertown Times

June 30, 2020

The Diocese of Ogdensburg has been named in 20 additional child sexual abuse complaints under the New York Child Victims Act.

The law firms of Jeff Anderson & Associates and LaFave Wein & Frament announced the lawsuits Tuesday.

“I cannot comment on specific allegations or pending litigation. The Diocese of Ogdensburg takes all allegations of abuse seriously, and these new allegations will be investigated,” Darcy Fargo, director of communications for the Diocese, said in an email. “We hope and pray that victims of abuse are able to find healing and reconciliation, and that justice is served in these cases.”

A total of seven clergymen have been publicly identified for the first time, the law firm claims.

They include:

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Catholic order names alleged child sexual abusers who worked at St. Louis area high schools

ST. LOUIS (MO)
St. Louis Post Dispatch

June 25, 2020

By Nassim Benchaabane

A St. Louis-based Catholic order that staffs Catholic high schools across the country on Wednesday named former members who church officials say sexually abused children. The alleged abusers include 18 men who worked at several area schools.

The disclosure by the Marianist Province of the United States follows a review of more than 2,500 personnel files, including allegations dating as far back as 1950, Provincial Fr. Oscar Vasquez said.

The order also named a deceased Marianist, Harold J. Lootens, who it said worked at St. Louis schools and was credibly accused of charges relating to child pornography.

“Today, in a spirit of sorrow and accountability, and with a sincere desire for reconciliation and healing, we are confronting the darkness of these sins,” Vasquez said in a lengthy written statement published with the names of accused clergy on the order’s website.

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Víctimas de abuso sexual por parte de la Iglesia rechazan nombramiento de nuevo obispo de San Felipe

[Victims of sexual abuse by the Church reject the appointment of a new Bishop of San Felipe]

VALPARAÍSO (CHILE)
BioBioChile.cl

June 24, 2020

By Nicolás Díaz and Simón Valdebenito

El nombramiento del presbítero Gonzalo Bravo, como obispo de la Diócesis de San Felipe, que se concretó tras el nombramiento del Papa Francisco a fines de mayo, generó rechazo y molestia entre los denunciantes de abusos sexuales por parte de la Iglesia Católica de Valparaíso.

[GOOGLE TRANSLATION: The appointment of presbyter Gonzalo Bravo, as bishop of the Diocese of San Felipe, which took shape after the appointment of Pope Francis in late May, generated rejection and annoyance among those who reported sexual abuse by the Catholic Church of Valparaíso.]

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Laicos envían carta a sacerdote “clave” del Papa por nombramiento de Bravo como obispo de San Felipe

[Laity send letter to “key” priest of the Pope about appointment of Bravo as Bishop of San Felipe]

VALPARAÍSO (CHILE)
BioBioChile.cl

June 30, 2020

By Manuel Stuardo and Nicole Martínez

En una carta dirigida al sacerdote Jordi Bertomeu, oficial de la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe, laicos y víctimas de abuso sexual de Valparaíso manifestaron preocupación y dolor por el nombramiento de Gonzalo Bravo como obispo de San Felipe.

“Venimos con toda sinceridad -pero no sin miedo-, a expresarle nuestra profunda preocupación y dolor por el nombramiento del presbítero de la Iglesia de Valparaíso, Gonzalo Bravo, como obispo para la Iglesia de San Felipe”, dice la misiva titulada “Por las heridas de nuestra iglesia de Valparaíso”, en la que enfatizaron las acusaciones de encubrimiento de abusos sexuales.

[GOOGLE TRANSLATION: In a letter addressed to the priest Jordi Bertomeu, official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, laity and victims of sexual abuse in Valparaíso expressed concern and pain over the appointment of Gonzalo Bravo as Bishop of San Felipe.

“We come with all sincerity -but not without fear-, to express our deep concern and pain for the appointment of the priest of the Church of Valparaíso, Gonzalo Bravo, as bishop for the Church of San Felipe”, says the letter entitled “For the wounds of our church in Valparaíso ” , in which they emphasized the accusations of covering up sexual abuse.]

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June 30, 2020

Sacerdote que abusaba de una menor de edad en Irapuato se escondía en Morelia; ya está detenido

LEóN (MEXICO)
Vanguardia MX [Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico]

June 30, 2020

By Redacción

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Los abusos sexuales se cometieron entre 2011 y 2019; el cura además tiene antecedentes por desfalco en la Diócesis de Irapuato

Morelia, Michoacán. Un sacerdote de nombre Rubén Herrera Luna fue detenido este martes en Morelia por el delito de violación, en un operativo de la Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE).

El clérigo además tiene antecedentes por desfalco en perjuicio de la Diócesis de Irapuato, Guanajuato, según la información brindada por contactos oficiales.

El imputado fue aprehendido por los agentes investigadores de la FGE en la capital michoacana. Las autoridades de Guanajuato solicitaron mediante oficio de colación el apoyo de la Fiscalía de Michoacán para la captura del clérigo.

En relación con el tema, se supo que el ilícito de violación fue en 2011 en el estado en Guanajuato, al momento de que el indiciado aprovechó que se encontraba a solas con la víctima y la conducta delictiva se repitió hasta abril de 2019. Ahora se espera que la autoridad judicial competente resuelva la situación legal del arrestado.

En Irapuato, Herrera se vio involucrado en un escándalo por desfalco a las arcas de la Diócesis de aquella región por 18 millones de pesos entre 2012 y 2016, asunto que concluyó con el resarcimiento del daño y el perdón para los involucrados para que las partes involucradas no fueran a parar a la cárcel.

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Le llevó 15 años poder hablar

RIO GALLEGOS (ARGENTINA)
Diario El Sureño [Río Grande, Argentina]

June 30, 2020

By Diario El Sureño

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Leonardo Ordoñez, víctima del exsacerdote Daniel Acevedo, dijo que le llevó 15 años poder hablar del abuso.

RÍO GALLEGOS.- Tras la noticia de la expulsión del ahora exsacerdote Daniel Omar Acevedo de la Diócesis de Río Gallegos, una de las víctimas de Santa Cruz quien denunció haber sido abusado sexualmente cuando tenía 11 años, expresó que ahora el segundo paso “es lograr que se pudra en la cárcel”
Leonardo Ordoñez, quien actualmente tiene 27 años, expresó que “hace unos días me llamaron del obispado de Río Gallegos para darme la noticia que el papa Francisco expulsó definitivamente a Daniel Acevedo por abuso sexual a 3 personas, entre esas estaba yo cuando tenía 11 y 12 años”.
“Todavía tengo un sabor amargo, todavía tengo pesadillas y todavía tengo culpas, culpas que fueron creciendo a medida que pasó el tiempo, después la culpa se exteriorizó en psoriasis nerviosa, se convirtió en ansiedad y ataques de pánico”, y agregó, “lo que me duele todavía es que gente adulta del momento no actuó como debía. Esto se podía haber solucionado hace muchos años, pero no me creyeron o decidieron ser cómplices, prefirieron creerle al señor con túnica”, lamentó.
Tras la decisión del Papa de expulsar a Acevedo, el joven Ordoñez dijo que “el primer paso fue sacarlo de la iglesia, ahora el segundo paso es que se pudra en una cárcel”, y añadió que, “yo sí te creo. Hoy sé que la culpa no era mía, ni donde estaba, ni como vestía. Tenía 11 años, estaba en la iglesia de mi barrio y vestía de monaguillo.
“Gritalo, denuncialo, escrachalo, condenalo. Los que me conocen saben que me cuesta hablar este tema, es más, me llevó más de 15 años volver a hablarlo; pero me di cuenta que hay que visibilizar por todas esas personas que no se animan a contar o esas personas que actualmente están atravesando alguna situación similar, acá estoy, nos tenemos para apoyar, levantar y marchar. Hoy quemaría y rompería todo si te pasa”, concluyó.

Causa penal
La causa contra Acevedo comenzó en Tierra del Fuego hace cuatro años. Fue luego de una denuncia realizada por un joven (quien entonces tenía 23 años) que acusó al sacerdote de haber abusado de él cuando tenía entre 15 y 17 años, en Resistencia, Chaco, donde el cura solía ir de vacaciones.
Según el relato del joven, los abusos se repitieron en Ushuaia, donde había viajado por trabajo. Fue allí donde decidió radicar la denuncia penal.
En ese momento, el entonces obispo de Santa Cruz, Miguel Ángel D’ Annibale -fallecido hace pocos meses- inició las primeras investigaciones que determinaron la culpabilidad del sacerdote y lo apartó del cargo. Luego de la apelación del ahora excura, la expulsión fue ratificada por el Sumo Pontífice y es definitiva.
“De parte nuestra no quedan más que palabras de pedido de perdón una y mil veces, de disposición a seguirlos acompañando humana y espiritualmente y en nombre de la Iglesia asumir nuestro gran dolor, nuestra gran vergüenza”, dijo el Obispo de Santa Cruz y Tierra del Fuego, Jorge García Cuerva, tras la decisión papal la semana pasada.
“No sé en este momento cómo ha avanzado la justicia penal. Por supuesto que desde la Iglesia nos ponemos a disposición por si hay algún elemento más que aportar en cuanto a los hechos”, dijo García Cuerva.

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Bill to close teacher-student sex loophole clears Senate

CONCORD (NH)
Associated Press

June 29, 2020

A bill prohibiting sexual contact between New Hampshire teachers and students regardless of a student’s age is back on track after a rocky path toward passage.

Lawmakers proposed multiple bills in response to the arrest last year of Concord High School teacher Primo “Howie” Leung, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a student off school property in Massachusetts in 2015 and 2016. In a separate incident, students reported seeing him kiss a different student in Concord in 2018, but school officials did not notify police because state law allows teenagers 16 and older to consent to such contact if they are not being coerced.

While there was bipartisan support for closing that loophole, differences emerged over the scope of the legislation.

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Media Statement: Marianists release list of accused priests, SNAP calls for more action

ST. LOUIS (MO)
SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)

June 20, 2020

Finally, 18 years after US Catholic officials began posting the names of priests accused of abuse on church websites, the Marianist Order has released a list of 46 clerics and brothers found to have sexually abused a minor. Parents, police, parishioners, prosecutors and the public should look closely at this list and demand answers from the provincial as to why it took so long for it to be published.

Fr. Oscar Vasquez, Provincial of the Marianist Order, must explain this irresponsible delay. We also want Fr. Vasquez to take two further steps immediately:

First, the provincial should include the photos and whereabouts of every accused priest and brother, as well as the dates for each of his assignments. Additionally, the list should include information about when the Marianists were first informed of the allegations and what actions were taken in response.

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Former Prattville church employee indicted on sex abuse sentenced

MONTGOMERY (AL)
WSFA

June 30, 2020

A former Prattville church employee charged with sex abuse has been sentenced.

According to court documents, John Edgar Harris was convicted of second-degree assault. Harris, previously an employee at Glynwood Baptist Church, was indicted on first-degree sexual abuse, facilitating the travel of a child for an unlawful sex act, and enticing a child for immoral purposes.

The court dropped two of the charges and downgraded the sex abuse charge to second-degree assault after Harris pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 13 months in the Autauga Metro Jail.

Harris, who was also fined $1,000, was given credit for time served.

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Polish group seeks pope’s action against sex abuse, cover-up

ROME
Associated Press

June 29, 2020

By Nicole Winfield

The Vatican says Pope Francis has been informed about an appeal launched by a group of Catholics in Poland urging intervention into cases where bishops have continued to cover up for priests who sexually molest children.

The group “EnoughHarm” took out a full-page advertisement on Monday in Rome daily La Repubblica, addressed to the pope. It urged Francis to “repair our church” and heal the wounds of abuse victims.

“The lack of a decisive reaction by the church hierarchy to reports of reprehensible behavior by some bishops is cause for public scandal and harms the good of the church,” the ad said. “It harms its unity, because it divides those who are concerned for the image of the institution and those who have the good of victims at heart.”

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Former Catholic Deacon George Brignac dies at 85; was awaiting trial for rape

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WVUE

June 30, 2020

Former Catholic Deacon George Brignac died Monday at the age of 85, according to his attorney Martin Regan.

Brignac was removed from the Catholic ministry in 1988 after he was accused of sexually abusing young boys in the 1970s and 80s.

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Abuse in Poland: Pope informed, ‘the guilty will be punished’

ROME
Vatican News

June 2020

The Director of the Holy See Press Office responds to journalists after a Polish group of faithful publishes an appeal in the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica.” “The Church must do everything possible so that cases of abuse are brought to light”.

“The Holy Father is informed of the appeal. He is praying for those who sent it. The entire Church must do everything possible so that the canonical norms are applied, cases of abuse are brought to light and those guilty of these serious crimes are punished.”

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Report: Disgraced deacon George Brignac dies while awaiting 1980s child rape trial

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
4WWL

June 30, 2020

By Mike Perlstein and Ramon Antonio Vargas

Brignac was named in the November 2018 list of credibly accused sexual abusers within the Catholic Church. He stood accused of raping a child in 1980s.

A disgraced Roman Catholic deacon who was awaiting trial on allegations of raping a child in the 1980s died Monday, according to his attorney.

While George Brignac had been free since posting a $1 million bail in December, he never made it home, attorney Martin Regan said Tuesday.

While briefly locked up in the Orleans Justice Center as his bail was being processed in mid-December, Brignac broke a vertebrae when he fell inside the lock-up. He never recovered, Regan said, bouncing between hospital stays and a rehabilitation home.

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Lawsuit alleges sex abuse by priest in Greensburg diocese in 1990s

GREENSBURG (PA)
TribLive

June 30, 2020

By Tony LaRussa

The Diocese of Greensburg and Bishop Edward Malesic are being sued by a man who claims he was sexually abused by a priest who has since died.

The lawsuit, filed June 22, claims the Rev. Joseph L. Sredzinski began abusing the victim in 1991 when he was 11 years old and continued until the victim was 17.

Sredzinski served at the former St. Joseph Church in Everson, Fayette County, from 1989 to 1999. He died in 2015.

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20 suits filed against Diocese of Ogdensburg for alleged priest sexual abuse

OGDENSBURG (NY)
WWNY

June 30, 2020

Two law firms are filing 20 child sex abuse claims against the Diocese of Ogdensburg, including cases involving seven priests not previously accused.

Jeff Anderson & Associates and LaFave Wein & Frament filed the cases Tuesday under the New York Child Victims Act.

The firms have now filed a total of 34 lawsuits against the diocese. The cases had been stuck in limbo after courts closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The seven priests newly accused of sex abuse are:

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Eastbourne man who exposed abuse in church is awarded for ‘outstanding service’

UNITED KINGDOM
East Bourne Herald

June 30, 2020

By Ginny Sanderson

An Eastbourne man who exposed sexual abuse in the Church of England has been awarded by the church for ‘outstanding services’ to improving safeguarding.

From the age of around nine, Phil Johnson was abused by priests, and for 20 years has fought for justice and greater support for survivors of abuse within the Diocese of Chichester.

Today (June 29), he was awarded the Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He said, “I’m in two minds about it. It’s good to be recognised for the contribution that I have made, along with many others.

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Archdiocese will stop monthly payment for ex-Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron on July 1

AGANA (GUAM)
Pacific Daily News/USA TODAY Network

June 30, 2020

The Archdiocese of Agana on Tuesday announced it would halt monthly honorarium payments effective Wednesday, July 1, for former Archbishop Anthony Apuron.

Apuron was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors by the Vatican’s Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2018.

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Former New Orleans Deacon, 85, Dies Awaiting Rape Trial

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
The Associated Press

June 30, 2020

A former Roman Catholic deacon awaiting trial on rape charges in New Orleans has died, his defense attorney said Tuesday.

George F. Brignac, 85, had been accused of sexually abusing children for years before being removed from the ministry in 1988.

He was charged last year with first-degree rape after a former altar boy told police Brignac had repeatedly raped him beginning in the late 1970s. Police said the abuse began when the boy was 7 years old and continued until he was 11.

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Story of Fr. Antonio Demonstrates that Abuse Thrives When Church Officials Stay Silent

ST. LOUIS (MO)
SNAP Network

June 29, 2020

An excellent piece of investigative journalism from KQED lays bare an intrinsically dangerous truth within religious institutions: abuse thrives when those in charge do not do their jobs. (A Spanish version of this story is available here.)

KQED followed the story of Fr. Jesús Antonio Castañeda Serna – known to his parishioners as Fr. Antonio – from the first instances of wrongdoing by this priest in Washington state, where he was first allowed off the hook, to the scene of his alleged crimes in Fresno, California, and then back down to where Fr. Serna continues to head a church despite criminal charges related to dozens of allegations of sexual abuse.

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Marianists release names of priests in U.S. who have abused minors; Archdiocese releases two new names

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Archdiocese of St. Louis

June 25, 2020

Marianist Province also publishes names of members who sexually abused a minor in the U.S.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis has added two former priests to the list of clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. The Marianist Province of the United States also released a list of names of their clergy who have sexually abused a minor.

The archdiocesan priests were brought to the attention of the archdiocese, which triggered a thorough investigation of the allegations by independent investigators, according to a statement from the archdiocese. Their findings were presented to the Archdiocesan Review Board, composed mainly of lay Catholics who are not employees of the archdiocese. The Review Board made a recommendation to Archbishop Robert J. Carlson that the allegations should be considered substantiated, a recommendation that Archbishop Carlson has adopted.

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Pope prays for Poles who asked him to intervene in abuse cases

VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Service

June 30, 2020

By Carol Glatz

Pope Francis said he was praying for the hundreds of Catholics in Poland who turned to him directly, urging him to “rebuild our church” and criticizing the country’s bishops for hiding cases of abuse against minors.

Matteo Bruni, head of the Vatican press office, said the pope was aware of the appeal paid for by more than 600 Catholics in Poland so that it could be published as a paid ad in the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, June 29.

The pope “is praying for those who have turned to him,” Bruni said in a written statement June 30.

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Disinfecting denial and secrecy

CANADA
La Croix International

June 29, 2020

By Nuala Kenny OC, MD

“Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known” (Matthew 10, 26-28)

Courageous proclamation of the “good news” of God’s love for us is the heart of Jesus’ mission. He is unwavering in acknowledging the truth of this mission, even at great personal cost. And he is relentless in denouncing denial of the truth of God’s love.

The infection of Silence and Secrecy

Silence, secrecy and denial have been evident at every level of the clergy sexual abuse crisis – from the abuse of individuals to leadership’s response to victims’ stories and its minimization of the harm done, as well as its pursuit of gag orders, non-disclosure agreements and active cover-up.

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Priest accused of misconduct resigns position

JEFFERSON CITY (MO)
News Tribune

June 30, 2020

By Joe Gamm

Although allegations against a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Jefferson City could not be corroborated, he has agreed to resign as pastor of a Mid-Missouri parish.

Although allegations against a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Jefferson City could not be corroborated, he has agreed to resign as pastor of a Mid-Missouri parish.

The Rev. Mark Porterfield, who was pastor at St. Martin Catholic Church in St. Martins, was accused of misconduct involving a former adult employee.

His resignation as pastor is effective today.

“After a thorough investigation conducted by independent investigators, the allegation of misconduct could not be corroborated,” according to a diocese announcement made this weekend at the parish.

The diocese placed Porterfield on administrative leave in early 2019. He has regained his priestly faculties, which is the permission a bishop gives to a priest to perform sacraments.

“It was determined that the allegation was credible, but it could not be corroborated,” diocesan Director of Communications Helen Osman said.

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Axing of child sex body by Catholic Church praised

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

June 30, 2020

By Victoria Laurie

The Catholic Education body representing more than 764,000 students in 1,746 Catholic-run schools has welcomed the controversial move by the church hierarchy to disband an agency set up to audit the risk of child sex abuse.

The National Catholic Education Commission says it endorses the church’s decision to create a new national body to replace the role of the Catholic Professional Standards Ltd.

CPSL was established in consultation with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to audit and report on child safety standards within the Catholic Church. It is conducting independent safety audits of 264 Catholic Church entities, including religious orders that were the subject of harrowing sex abuse testimony in the Royal Commission.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference confirmed on Monday it will create a new national body to replace the CPSL by January. Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Conference president, says it will reduce costs to the church and form “a comprehensive response to safeguarding and professional standards needs.”

Supporters of the well-credentialed board of CPSL, headed by former Federal Court judge Geoff Guidice, have raised concerns over whether the new body will retain the strict independence and public reporting of safety audits currently conducted by the CPSL.

Catholic Education’s executive director Jacinta Collins says she welcomes the creation of a new single entity “to help provide streamlined support to Catholic schools in keeping children and vulnerable adults safe.

“The Royal Commission identified the need for institutions to have stronger leadership and governance processes to address child safety failings,” Ms Collins said.

“A consolidated national office will provide greater clarity and shine a light on the areas that still need to be addressed.”

John Warhurst, chairman of Concerned Catholics Canberra-Goulburn, says the Bishops Conference has not provided Catholics with any detail about how the new national body will operate.

“It’s still opaque, and there must be transparency around this whole area of standards.”

“It appears the new body, as an agency of the ACBC, will not be legally independent,” he said. “It’s a major issue that needs to be discussed and explained.”

Peter Johnstone, convener of the Coalition for Catholic Church Reform, says Catholic parents should be asking questions about the adequacy of the new arrangement for safeguarding safety standards in church schools.

“It could permit a return to the lack of accountability that led to the church’s cover-up of child sexual abuse,” he said.

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Safeguarding office to be independent

AUSTRALIA
The Catholic Weekly

June 30, 2020

By Marilyn Rodrigues

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has hit back at claims that a new national safeguarding office may be a step backwards from the work of Catholic Professional Standards Ltd over the past three years.

CPSL was established by the ACBC in response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse to conduct audits of church entities’ compliance with child safe standards and to deliver safeguarding training.

It was set up as a not-for-profit company operating independently of the church hierarchy and runs at a cost of around $1.8 million a year. It is expected to be replaced early in 2021 by a national approach to streamline and coordinate the Church’s work to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Some Catholics are worried that the new approach being considered by the bishops may lack the independence and transparency of CPSL, with The Australian reporting that there is “concern that old habits of secrecy and non-transparency are creeping back into the church”.

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National streamlined approach to child protection announced by Bishops conference

AUSTRALIA
The Sector (blog)

June 30, 2020

By Freda Lucas

A new national office will be charged with safeguarding, streamlining and coordinating the efforts of the Catholic Church to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are adequately protected from harm.

The news will be of interest to those working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector who follow child protection issues closely, and also to those who are employed by one of the many Catholic owned and managed ECEC services around Australia.

The creation of the office,which will bring together several national agencies working in the area of child protection and safeguarding into a single entity, was announced at the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference by president Archbishop Mark Coleridge who said the development of the entity has been on the cards since 2016,when Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPSL) was established.

The work of Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPSL) has been pivotal to the Church’s progress in the past four years, in the final stages of and beyond the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Archbishop Coleridge said.

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New national office will streamline, coordinate safeguarding efforts

AUSTRALIA
Blog of Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

June 29, 2020

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Mark Coleridge says a new national office for safeguarding will streamline and coordinate the Church’s work to protect children and vulnerable adults.

“The Catholic Church in Australia is bringing into a single entity several national agencies working in the area of child protection and safeguarding,” he said.

“This has been intended since 2016, when Catholic Professional Standards Limited was established.”

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Opinion: We need to talk about David Haas

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

June 30, 2020

by Jamie Manson

I first heard about sexual abuse allegations against composer David Hass from a Facebook friend in a post last week. “I haven’t heard much talk about this among progressive Catholics,” she wrote. “Maybe our hearts are too broken.”

Since the story first came to light, three of Haas’ victims have come forward, telling Soli Salgado for NCR about the ways they were groomed, forcibly kissed and relentlessly pursued by the lionized composer of well-known post-Vatican II hymns.

The news stunned the progressive Catholic world, whose liturgical soundtrack is filled with Haas’ tracks. His lyrics, so imbued with calls for love, justice and inclusion, earned him a place in the canon of luminaries of the Catholic reform movement.

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Mary McAleese blasts Catholic Church’s ‘disorderly and intrinsically evil’ teachings on homosexuality

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Extra.ie

June 30, 2020

By Eva Wall

Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has blasted the Catholic Church’s ‘disorderly and intrinsically evil’ teachings on homosexuality.

Ms McAleese, 69, is a renowned Catholic academic, obtaining a Licentiate of Canon Law in 2014 and a Doctorate in Canon Law in 2018 from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

A law lecturer by profession, Ms McAleese has been an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church’s exclusion of women from the priesthood, its legacy of institutional abuse and its stance on homosexuality, which she maintains ‘conduces to homophobia’.

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Cliffside Park pastor resigns over allegation of abuse from before he was ordained

NEW JERSEY
NorthJersey.com

June 30, 2020

By Deena Yellin and Abbott Koloff

The pastor at the Church of the Epiphany in Cliffside Park has voluntarily stepped down after the Archdiocese of Newark received a report that he allegedly abused a minor before he became a priest almost 20 years ago, church officials said Monday.

The Rev. Bruce Harger, 66, announced his resignation from the parish this past weekend.

“The alleged abuse occurred before Fr. Harger was associated with the Archdiocese of Newark, and before he was ordained,” Maria Margiotta, an archdiocese spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement.

She did not provide further information about the allegations. Harger, who was ordained in 2001, started working at the Church of the Epiphany as an administrator in 2018 and was installed as a pastor in 2019. The priest has denied any wrongdoing, according to thearchdiocese.

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Bankrupt archdiocese stops $1,500 monthly financial support to Apuron

GUAM
Guam Daily Post

June 30, 2020

By Haidee Eugenio Gilbert

Bishop Anthony Apuron, Guam’s former archbishop convicted by a Vatican tribunal in connection with sexual abuse of minors, will no longer receive a $1,500 monthly allowance from the Archdiocese of Agana, the archdiocese announced Tuesday.

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes’s decision will become effective July 1, according to the archdiocese.

“The monthly honorarium has been, to say the least, very difficult for the victim-survivors of sexual abuse to comprehend,” Father Ron Richards, episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Agana, said in a letter to Apuron last week.

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June 29, 2020

Clerical sex abuse survivor calls on Bishop Rozanski to resign over report

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Daily Hampshire Gazette

June 27, 2020

By Scott Merzbach

A clergy sex abuse survivor who leads a New Jersey organization that supports survivors and their families is calling on Mitchell T. Rozanski to resign as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield after a report this week described the response to abuse allegations against a late bishop as “woefully deficient.”

Robert M. Hoatson, who co-founded Road to Recovery Inc. in Livingston, New Jersey, held a press conference Friday morning in Springfield that also asked Pope Francis to rescind the appointment of Rozanski as archbishop for St. Louis.

Hoatson argues that Rozanski spent six years mismanaging the case reported by an anonymous Chicopee man who alleged being abused by the late Bishop Christopher Weldon. The allegations were first reported to the Diocese of Springfield in 2014 but were only confirmed in a report completed by retired Judge Peter A. Velis this week.

The Velis report determined that the allegation against Weldon was “unequivocally credible,” yet the diocesan investigation, led by an appointed Diocesan Review Board, failed to investigate fairly and accurately claims of clergy sexual abuse.

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New Sexual Abuse Allegations Surface Against Boise Catholic Diocese Priest

BOISE (IDAHO)
Boise State Public Radio

June 29, 2020

By Frankie Barnhill

[AUDIO SEGMENT]

Note: the following text and audio contains discussions of sexual assault.

It’s been nearly three decades since Lisa Houser first came forward with allegations of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

Houser, who now lives in the Midwest, says a well-known priest who ran the school’s abroad program in Florence, Italy assaulted her when she was a student in the early 1990s. His name is Father Bruno Segatta.

That same priest now leads a congregation in McCall, Idaho.

This story came to light because of our guest today. Emily Schwing is a reporter with the investigative public radio show and podcast “Reveal.” She joins Idaho Matters today to tell us more about her investigation into Father Bruno and his connections to the Boise Catholic Diocese.

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Opinion: We Find the Diocese of Syracuse’s ‘Reasons’ for Its Bankruptcy Hard to Believe

UNITED STATES
HorowitzLaw.com (blog)

June 28, 2020

Always wanted to read Alice in Wonderland but never gotten around to it? Here’s another idea.

Try reading why the Syracuse Catholic diocese claims it is ‘bankrupt.’

Sound weird? Well, believe us, some of its claims are fascinating/

Sound daunting? Well, some of the MOST fascinating parts are just a few paragraphs long.

And if it didn’t deal with the awful and largely preventable crisis of kids being assaulted by clergy, it could even be considered somewhat laughable.

Earlier this month, Syracuse Bishop Doug Lucia basically stonewalled dozens of clergy sex abuse victims who need and deserve healing and justice by stopping their lawsuits, exploiting Chapter 11 protection and going into bankruptcy court.

https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2020/06/19/catholic-church-sex-abuse-syracuse-diocese-files-bankruptcy/3221915001/

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Lawsuit Filed Against The Catholic Diocese Of Greensburg Over Alleged Sexual Abuse

GREENSBURG (PA)
KDKA-TV (Channel 2)

June 29, 2020

A lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, alleging a priest raped and sexually abused a boy from 1991 to 1997.

The lawsuit alleges the late Father Joseph Sredzinski started to abuse the boy when he was 11 years old. According to a news release, the Diocese of Greensburg allowed him to continue working after being made aware of accusations against him.

The lawsuit alleges clergy members and the former bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, are named as “co-conspirators.”

The plaintiff was only identified as John Doe MR. The suit was originally filed in Washington D.C. June 5, and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia confirmed the filing was accepted June 22.

Father Sredzinski died in 2015.

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Survivors want action on redress holdouts

AUSTRALIA
AAP via Channel 9 News

June 30, 2020

The federal government must follow through with its threat to impose financial sanctions on the institutions that refuse to join the national child abuse redress scheme, an advocate and Labor say.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will stop further public funding for those organisations that fail to sign up by the June 30 deadline and has warned their charitable status and tax concessions are also at risk.

The non-participating institutions will be named and shamed on Wednesday, when Social Services Minister Anne Ruston will also announce what action the federal government will take against them.

Child sexual abuse survivors want the “redress laggers” to lose their charity tax status, says the Care Leavers Australasia Network, which advocates for people who grew up in orphanages and children’s homes.

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Lawsuit filed against Diocese of Greensburg alleges years of abuse, orgies involving minor

GREENSBURG (PA)
WJAC-TV

June 29, 2020

by Sierra Darville

A lawsuit filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg in western Pennsylvania alleges that a former priest raped and sexually abused a minor for nearly six years.

The 25-page complaint was first filed on June 5 by attorneys Richard Serbin and Andrew Janet on behalf of the victim. The lawsuit was officially confirmed for filing pseudonymously on June 22.

It claims that Father Joseph Sredzinski abused a minor, identified as John Doe MR, beginning in 1991 when he was 11 years old and until 1997. The alleged abuse had occurred during Sredzinski’s time at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church.

The lawsuit also claims that the diocese and other parties affiliated with the church knew about the abuse and failed to take action against Sredzinski.

The defendants named in the lawsuit include the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, Bishop Edward C. Malesic, St. John the Baptist and St. Joseph (formerly known as Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church) and Donald Wuerl.

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Alarma entre los salesianos de Don Bosco por casos de COVID 19, entre ellos el sacerdote Luis Pezzolo condenado años atrás por abuso de menores

LA PLATA (ARGENTINA)
Data Judicial [Quimes, Argentina]

June 29, 2020

Read original article

Los salesianos de Don Bosco viven momentos de angustia ya que en uno de los hogares que se encuentra en Almagro, en CABA, se produjo un foco de coronavirus que afectó a los sacerdotes. Entre ellos estaba alojado en esa casa Luis Pezzolo, que se encuentra ahora internado con diagnóstico positivo de COVID 19; Pezzolo fue condenado años atrás por la Justicia de Quilmes por abuso sexual de menores que estaban a su resguardo.en un centro de Bernal. Asimismo se conoció el fin de semana que falleció el  sacerdote Roque Cella que se desempeñó en Nuestra Señora de la Guardia.

  Todo se originó a partir del contagio de una enfermera que cumple tareas en Casa Zatti de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. De inmediato se activó el protocolo y se hizo hisopado a todos los religiosos cómo también a los trabajadores. De los 13 sacerdotes, 12 han dado positivos y ayer se conoció el fallecimiento del padre Roque Cella como de otro sacerdote.

  Entre los positivos se encuentra el salesiano Luis Pezzolo; reconocido cura que años atrás fue condenado por la Justicia de Quilmes por abuso sexual de jóvenes que eran alojados en un hogar que estaba a su cargo. La decisión era tomada en 2010 por los jueces Ariel González Elicabe, Jorge Franklin Moya Panisello y Julia Rutigliano miembros por entonces del Tribunal Oral Criminal N° 2 de Quilmes.

Los fallecidos

  Uno de los fallecidos es Roque Cella, nacido en La Plata en 1934 y quien fuera ordenado presbítero en Córdoba el 20 de noviembre de 1960, informaron fuentes religiosas. Agregan que desempeñó su actividad como educador y pastor en Bernal, Sagrado Corazón de La Plata, Mar del Plata, Uribelarrea, Teologado en Villa Devoto, como ecónomo inspectorial de la Ex ALP y de Universidad Pontificia Salesiana (UPS) de Roma. Nuevamente como Director y Párroco del Sagrado Corazón de La Plata y Director de Bernal.

  El segundo era el Padre Ismael Castelli, de La Plata, nacido en 1939. Hizo su primera profesión en Morón el 31 de enero de 1957 y fue ordenado presbítero en Córdoba el 13 de febrero de 1966.

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Polish group seeks Vatican action against sex abuse, coverup

ROME
The Associated Press

June 29, 2020

The Vatican says Pope Francis has been informed about an appeal launched by Catholics in Poland urging Vatican intervention into cases where bishops have continued to cover up for priests who sexually molested children. The group “EnoughHarm” took out a full-page advertisement on Monday in Rome daily La Repubblica addressed to the pope urging him to “repair our church” and heal the wounds of abuse victims. Largely Roman Catholic Poland has become the latest country to face a reckoning of sexual abuse by priests and cover-up by their superiors. The scandal has hit particularly hard in Poland given the church’s enormous influence in all aspects of life and the pride of Poles in their native son, St. John Paul II.

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New archbishop of York sorry for response to domestic abuse allegations

ENGLAND
The Guardian

June 29, 2020

By Harriet Sherwood

Stephen Cottrell failed to ensure disclosure was properly documented and action taken

The incoming archbishop of York has apologised for failing to take proper action relating to allegations of domestic abuse by a priest which were disclosed to him 10 years ago.

Stephen Cottrell, who will be confirmed as the Church of England’s second most senior cleric next week, failed to ensure that the disclosure had been properly documented and that further action had been taken.

“I am deeply distressed and extremely sorry,” he said in a statement on Monday. He added: “In my new position as archbishop of York it is absolutely essential that I am open and transparent about the need for the whole of our church to be scrupulously honest with each other about any failings in safeguarding.”

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My Turn: Message from diocese’s Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance

GREENFIELD (MA)
Greenfield Recorder

June 28, 2020

By Jeffrey J. Trant

On Wednesday, June 24, the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Springfield, announced that he accepted the finding of credibility by retired Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis’ independent investigation concerning allegations of sexual abuse against the late Christopher J. Weldon, former bishop of Springfield.

On behalf of the Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance for the Diocese of Springfield, I would like to publicly recognize the strength and resilience of the survivor who continued to pursue justice and truth since first reporting his abuse to diocesan officials in 2014.

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Prosecutor to reconsider pressing charges against accused Wyoming bishop

KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter

June 22, 2020

By Christopher White

A Wyoming prosecutor has agreed to another review of the recommended charges against retired Cheyenne Bishop Joseph Hart, less than two weeks after informing the alleged victim at the center of the case that he would not pursue the matter.

The reversal came June 19 following a conference call between Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen and Cheyenne Police Department officials who said they felt “very strongly” about their recommendations that charges be brought against Hart following a two-year review of the case.

Police officials told the Casper Star-Tribune that the prosecutor misunderstood the police files and will meet again to discuss the case this week.

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Clergy sex abuse allegations triple, U.S. Catholic bishops report

NEW YORK (NY)
The Associated Press

June 26, 20201

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops said Thursday that the church tallied 4,434 sex abuse allegations against clergy in the 2018-19 audit year, triple the number seen the previous year, with much of the increase stemming from a wave of lawsuits and claims by survivors of decades-old molestation.

In the latest annual report on clerical sex abuse, dioceses and other Catholic entities reported paying out $281.6 million during the year for costs related to allegations, including payments for cases reported in previous years.

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JUDGE RULES NEW YORK CHURCHES CAN REOPEN IN LINE WITH BUSINESSES

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Agency

June 28, 2020

By Matt Hadro

A federal judge on Friday ruled that New York must allow indoor and outdoor religious services in the same way it would allow mass outdoor protests, or indoor shopping malls.

Judge Gary Sharpe of the Northern District of New York said that the state cannot limit outdoor religious services during the pandemic, provided that attendees follow social distancing requirements. For indoor services, he said, the state has to make the same allowances for churches as it does for other businesses.

The judgement follows a lawsuit filed on behalf of several different religious groups by the Thomas More Society. No Catholic diocese or parish was party to the suit.

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1494/2020 |DETIENE FISCALÍA GENERAL A PRESUNTO RESPONSABLE DE VIOLACIÓN, OCURRIDA EN EL ESTADO DE GUANAJUATO

MORELIA (MEXICO)
Fiscalía General del Estado de Michoacán [Michoacán, Mexico]

June 29, 2020

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  • De las investigaciones se desprende que dicho delito se venía consumando desde el año 2011, en agravio de una menor de edad 

Morelia, Michoacán, a 29 de junio de 2020.- Resultado de investigaciones, la Fiscalía General del Estado de Michoacán (FGE), en apoyo a autoridades del estado de Guanajuato, logró la detención de una persona del sexo masculino, por su posible relación en el delito de violación agravada, cometida contra una menor de edad.

Se trata de Rubén H., detenido la tarde de este lunes por agentes de la Dirección de Mandamientos Judiciales, al contar con una orden de aprehensión en su contra por el delito de violación, ilícito perpetrado desde el año 2011, en Irapuato, Guanajuato.

Con relación a la denuncia presentada el año pasado, en abril de 2019, el investigado aprovechó que se encontraba a solas con la víctima, para abusar sexualmente de ella, situación que fue denunciada ante la Fiscalía General del Estado de Guanajuato, que, al emprender los actos de investigación respectivos, conoció que dicho delito se venía consumando desde el año 2011.

Por lo anterior y una vez que se logró establecer que Rubén H., presuntamente evadía la acción de la justicia en la capital michoacana, autoridades de Guanajuato solicitaron mediante oficio de colación, el apoyo de la FGE, que derivado de tareas de inteligencia e investigación de campo, logró la detención del imputado en la zona Centro de Morelia.

Por lo anterior, el investigado fue entregado a la autoridad que lo reclama, a efecto de que sea resuelta su situación jurídica.

La FGE ratifica su compromiso de mantener acciones coordinadas con otros Estados, para que ningún acto que atente contra la integridad de la niñez, quede impune.  

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Morrison threatens charity status of organisations refusing to join abuse redress scheme

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

June 29, 2020

By Fergus Hunter

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has threatened the charity status and government funding of organisations that refuse to sign up to the child sexual abuse redress scheme by the Tuesday deadline.

In a letter to 25 organisations named in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse but yet to join the scheme, Mr Morrison and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said the institutions’ resistance was “reprehensible” and warned of heavy consequences.

The religious, community and sporting organisations – which include the Jehovah’s Witnesses and a number of Catholic groups – have been told they have until June 30 to provide a clear statement of intent to join the scheme by the end of the year.

Mr Morrison and Senator Ruston said those that refused to commit would be “publicly identified and the government is considering other actions including the appropriateness of future funding and tax status”.

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Depok case shines light on sexual abuse in Indonesian Catholic Church

JAKARTA (INDONESIA)
The Jakarta Post

June 29, 2020

By Tri Indah Oktavianti, Ivany Atina Arbi and Alya Nurbaiti

A recently uncovered case of child sexual abuse at a Catholic church in Depok, West Java, has put a spotlight on sexual abuse in the wider Indonesian Catholic Church, causing adherents throughout the country to call for justice and reform.

On Sunday, the Catholic Women Human Rights Activists, a group made up of 194 Indonesian Catholic women, condemned the sexual assaults allegedly carried out by 42-year-old church caretaker Syahril Parlindungan Marbun, who has been accused of molesting at least 20 altar boys between the ages of 11 and 15 since 2012.

The group said one of the victim’s parents had reported the alleged assault to St. Herkulanus Church in 2014.

“However, at that time, the issue was solved through mediation by the church and the suspect was not removed from his position as the altar boys’ mentor but was instead promoted to head of the mentorship subsection,” the group said in a statement on Sunday.

The group called on the Diocese of Bogor and St. Herkulanus Church to establish a “safe place” maintained by a team of independent experts to manage and document the rehabilitation of victims and their families.

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“No Credible Evidence” Found Against Monsignor Walter Rossi

WASHINGTON D.C.
The Tower (student newspaper of Catholic University)

June 28, 2020

By Renee Rasmussen

A statement released on June 12 by the Diocese of Scranton announced that the investigation into Monsignor Walter Rossi, Rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, found “no credible evidence” regarding allegations of personal misconduct. An additional statement released by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory found “no unreasonable or inappropriate expenditures or significant issues in the financial administration” regarding a financial investigation against Rossi.

The investigations began nine months ago in response to accusations of financial and sexual misconduct, according to the Washington Post. Rossi was cleared by the Archdiocese of Washington in 2018 of similar accusations and stepped down from Catholic University’s Board of Trustees in September amid the most recent allegations. He remained active in his role as the Rector of the Basilica throughout the investigation.

The investigations opened in August 2019 following a question directed at Gregory during a question-and-answer session at a Theology on Tap, held at the Public Bar Live in the Dupont area of Washington on August 13.

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Editorial: Partial disclosure of church abuse raises as many questions as it answers.

ST. LOUIS (MO)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

June 28, 2020

By the Editorial Board

There’s a familiar pattern in a new revelation by a St. Louis-based Catholic order of former members who worked at area schools and allegedly abused kids: The revealed cases are old ones — so much so that many of the accused are already dead — and details about what the church knew and when it knew it remain murky. As the church should know by now, there’s a difference between really offering full disclosure and trying to appear to offer full disclosure.

The Marianist Province of the United States, which staffs Catholic high schools across the nation, on Wednesday released the list of members of the order credibly accused of child abuse, including 18 members who worked in St. Louis-area schools. It was based on a review of more than 2,500 personnel files starting as long ago as 1950. They include former teachers, counselors and coaches at Catholic institutions like St. Louis University High School, Chaminade College Preparatory Academy in Creve Coeur, Assumption High School in East St. Louis and others.

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ABUSE CHARGE Catholic priest charged with alleged child sex offences and removed from Glasgow parish

GLASGOW (SCOTLAND)
The Scottish Sun

June 28, 2020

By Rebecca Gray

A CATHOLIC priest has been charged over alleged child sex offences, we can reveal.

Father Neil McGarrity, 56, was removed from his parish in Riddrie, Glasgow, after he was arrested by cops over the allegations.

The clergyman, who leads services at St Thomas the Apostle Church, is accused of alleged offences over a number of years.

A source said: “The allegations have left the congregation stunned.

“Father McGarrity is the senior priest at St Thomas and has been there for a long time.

“Everyone is in complete shock.”

All the alleged incidents are said to have taken place between December 2017 and March of this year.

Cops said a man aged 56 was arrested as part of a probe into alleged “sexual offences involving children”

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Trial lawyer Ray Boucher on his career helping injured plaintiffs

UNITED STATES
Lawdragon (blog)

June 28, 2020

By Katrina Dewey

It’s in the moments of solitude at the base of a Colorado mountain that you might begin to understand Ray Boucher.

He’s completed The Fourteeners, and many more in tribute to his father upon his death, which became his pact with himself. He lawyers in the most difficult way, as well, with his heart firmly entrenched in every case, every cause.

Guaranteed to cause wreckage. And, if you survive, lead to truth and beauty.

Boucher made his name as a California trial lawyer long before he took on the Mt. Everest of litigation: speaking up for hundreds of individuals who had been molested by priests and stayed silent – often for a lifetime – because of their faith. It was early days in what would become a tidal wave of reform when Boucher started to talk to fellow Catholics about horrific harm the church had allowed, covered up, and then denied. The battles he was required to lead against his own church cut deep, but not as much as did the stories of his clients.

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June 28, 2020

Vatican hands down its word in case of Father Mark White

MARTINSVILLE (VA)
Martinsville Bulletin

June 27, 2020

By Bill Wyatt

[Includes a video of a parish prayer and tribute to Fr. Mark White.]

At issue is long-running dispute with the Bishop of Richmond, and a missing word may have allowed the appeal to run out of time.

The word has come down from the Vatican in an appeal by the suspended Catholic Priest Father Mark White of a decision by the Bishop of Richmond to strip him of his pastoral duties, and that word also means White’s appeal likely has run out of time.

Those may sound like cliches, but, according to a letter dated June 2 from Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy Beniamino Stella, they appear literally true and mean White’s appeal never was considered and now probably won’t be.

“Unfortunately, the petition as presented is unable to be accepted, inasmuch as you have received from this cleric a mandate to act only as an Advocate and canonical consultant,” Stella wrote to White’s canon lawyer, Michael Podhajsky.

The letter explains the appeal only will be accepted if it comes from White or someone he designates as a “procurator.”

White updated the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi in Rocky Mount and St. Joseph in Martinsville with the news.

“The cardinal [Stella] noted that my lawyer’s first submission in the case omitted one word, a word I myself had never heard before: ‘procurator,’” White wrote in his blog. “According to the Cardinal, that omission of one word has nullified our entire case.

“I think it’s safe to say someone invented the term ‘technicality’ for situations just like this.”

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Germany: Catholic Church sees record drop in membership

BONN (GERMANY)
Deutsche Welle

June 26, 2020

More than half a million people officially left the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany in 2019, new figures show. Just over half the population now belongs to one of the two main denominations.

Germany’s top Catholic body said Friday that a record 272,771 people left the country’s Catholic Church in 2019, and that the number of baptisms and weddings taking place in churches also dropped sharply.

The number compares with some 216,000 people canceling their membership in 2018, and beats the previous record of around 218,000 in 2014 by a large margin.

The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, said the statistics could not be made to look good in any way and that the drop in baptism and wedding ceremonies showed the “erosion of a personal attachment to the church” particularly clearly.

The German Protestant Church (EKD) also had cause to be concerned about its membership numbers, with 270,000 people leaving in 2019, an increase of 22% on the year before. The figure equals that of 2014.

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Judge orders transcript of Bishop Emeritus Clark deposition to be released

ROCHESTER (NY)
WHAM 13 ABC

June 25, 2020

A federal judge has ordered attorneys involved in bankruptcy hearings for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester to release the bankruptcy hearing deposition transcript of Bishop Emeritus Matthew Clark within ten days.

The order by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul Warren was filed on June 24. The Diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2019, less than one month after roughly 50 civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at the hands of clergy were filed against them over New York’s Child Victims Act.

Warren acknowledged that deposition transcripts are generally not filed on the docket, but said an exception will be made in this case “for the sake of transparency and for the sake of disclosure.”

When bankruptcy hearings initially began, the court ruled the transcript was to be made available to the public 90 days after it had been delivered to the committee of creditors and the bishop. The deposition was held on March 3, meaning the transcript should have been released no later than June 1.

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