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.

May 21, 2018

Archdiocese Suspends Priest After Child Sexual Abuse Allegations

MARYLAND
WBAL

May 21, 2018

Tyler Waldman, WBAL NewsRadio 1090

The Archdiocese of Baltimore on Monday suspended the pastor of a Highlandtown church after someone alleged the pastor abused them multiple times in the 1970s.

Father Luigi Esposito, 77, is pastor at Our Lady of Pompei Church. The alleged abuse took place while Esposito was associate pastor there. The victim told the archdiocese that the abuse began when the victim was 14 and happened multiple times while the alleged victim was at the church.

“The Archdiocese of Baltimore is committed to protecting children and helping to heal victims of abuse,” archdiocesan officials said in a statement. “We urge anyone who has any knowledge of any child sexual abuse to come forward, and to report it immediately to civil authorities.”

In a statement, archdiocese officials said they have been cooperating with authorities and, with permission from investigators, met with Esposito last Thursday, May 17 to discuss the claims. He denied all allegations. Officials also spoke multiple times with the alleged victim, whose allegations remained consistent. Espositio was then suspended from ministry pending the outcome of its own investigation.

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.

Francis names 14 cardinals, surpassing numbers appointed by Benedict and John Paul

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

May 20, 2018

by Joshua J. McElwee

ROME — Pope Francis named fourteen new Catholic cardinals May 20, again diversifying representation in the most elite body of church prelates with selections from places as far-flung as Iraq, Pakistan and Japan and solidifying his influence on the group that will one day elect his successor.

In a surprise announcement at the end of his traditional Regina Coeli prayer with crowds in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said he would install the new cardinals during a consistory at the Vatican June 29.

As the pope began to give the names of those he would make cardinals, the first pronounced was notable: Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphaël I Sako, an Iraqi who often speaks publicly about the suffering his people have encountered after the U.S.-led invasion of their country in 2003.

Others named included Karachi, Pakistan Archbishop Joseph Coutts; Huancayo, Peru Archbishop Pedro Barreto; Toamasina, Madagascar Archbishop Desire Tsarahazana; and Osaka, Japan Archbishop Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda.

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.

Pope’s reported comment to a gay man may indicate a new level of acceptance of homosexuality

VATICAN CITY
Los Angeles Times

By TOM KINGTON

MAY 20, 2018

Pope Francis has reportedly told a gay man that “God made you that way and loves you as you are,” apparently pushing the pontiff’s acceptance of homosexuality to a new level.

Francis made the comments to Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean victim of priestly sexual abuse who recently spent days with the pope at the Vatican to discuss his ordeal as the pontiff moves to tackle decades of coverups and ostracism of victims in the Chilean church, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Cruz was quoted as having discussed his homosexuality with Francis. “He told me: ‘Juan Carlos, I don’t care about you being gay. God made you that way and loves you as you are and I don’t mind. The pope loves you as you are, you have to be happy with who you are.’ ”

A spokesman at the Vatican on Sunday declined to confirm or deny Francis’ comments, stating, “We don’t normally comment on the pope’s private conversations.”

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.

TERRORISED Midlothian Nazareth House abuse victim claims staff ‘tied naked to railings’ during physical and sexual abuse

SCOTLAND
Scottish Sun

By Ben Archibald

21st May 2018

AN abuse victim has told how he suffered years of hell at a scandal-hit kids’ home run by nuns.

Paul Dallas, 45, claims he was beaten by the brutal sisters every day from the age of five.

And he revealed he was tied naked to railings during the physical and sexual abuse at Nazareth House in Lasswade, Midlothian.

Waiving his right to anonymity, Paul, of Govanhill, Glasgow, said: “I’ve never recovered.

“You were in constant fear. You’d hear kids screaming and wonder, ‘Who will get beaten next?’.

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 decades later, pastor charged with sexual assault of boy in Evanston hotel

ILLINOIS
Chicago Sun-Times

May 21, 2018

Nader Issa @NaderDIssa

A former Catholic priest with Chicago ties is facing criminal charges for the first time, nearly two decades after he resigned from his post amid several allegations of child sex abuse.

The case that eventually landed 56-year-old Kenneth Lewis in the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Saturday in Chicago stems from a decade-old allegation of child molestation in an Evanston hotel room, according to a police source in the northern suburb.

In that incident, “Father Ken,” a former pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy on a trip in late July 2001, in a hotel at 1501 Sherman Ave., the Evanston police source told the Chicago Sun-Times. The hotel at that address is now the Holiday Inn Chicago North.

The boy’s parents filed a report with Tulsa police in June 2004, nearly three years after the alleged assault. Authorities in Oklahoma referred the case to Evanston police, and now, 14 years later, Lewis has been criminally charged in the case.

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.

Abuse victim says Pope Francis told him “being gay doesn’t matter”

VATICAN CITY
Crux

Inés San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

May 21, 2018

ROME – As part of the fallout of Pope Francis’ meeting with 34 Chilean bishops that led to the resignation of all of them, accused or at least suspected of covering up cases of clerical sexual abuse and destroying damning evidence, the survivors who met with him in April continue to share bits and pieces of their encounter with the pontiff.

“Juan Carlos, that you are gay doesn’t matter,” Francis reportedly told clerical sexual abuse survivor Juan Carlos Cruz. “God made you like this and loves you like this and it doesn’t matter to me. The pope loves you like this, you have to be happy with who you are.”

Cruz is one of three of the victims of Father Fernando Karadima who were in Rome in late April for a weekend meeting with Pope Francis. His comments came in an interview with Spanish daily El Pais.

Cruz was answering a question about his homosexuality, and was asked if he’d spoken with the pope about it and the suffering he was subjected to as a result of it. He answered affirmatively.

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.

‘That you are gay does not matter’: Pope Francis tells homosexual survivor of church sex abuse ‘

VATICAN CITY
Daily Mail

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE and REUTERS

21 May 2018

Pope Francis allegedly told a gay man: ‘That you are gay does not matter. God made you like that and he loves you like that’

Pope Francis told a gay man that ‘God made you like that’ and that being homosexual ‘does not matter’, it has been reported.

Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of sexual abuse by bishops in Chile, claims the Pope made the remark during a private meeting at the Vatican three weeks ago.

Cruz was invited to the city and to the Pope’s private residence at Sancta Marta along with two other victims so the pontiff could apologise for failing to take their allegations seriously in the past.

During the meeting Cruz told Francis about being abused by Father Fernando Karadima and the fact that his sexuality had been used to discredit him.

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.

May 20, 2018

Pope’s reported comment to a gay man may indicate a new level of acceptance of homosexuality

ROME (ITALY)
Los Angeles Times

May 20, 2018

By Tom Kington

Pope Francis has reportedly told a gay man that “God made you that way and loves you as you are,” apparently pushing the pontiff’s acceptance of homosexuality to a new level.

Francis made the comments to Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean victim of priestly sexual abuse who recently spent days with the pope at the Vatican to discuss his ordeal as the pontiff moves to tackle decades of coverups and ostracism of victims in the Chilean church, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Cruz was quoted as having discussed his homosexuality with Francis. “He told me: ‘Juan Carlos, I don’t care about you being gay. God made you that way and loves you as you are and I don’t mind. The pope loves you as you are, you have to be happy with who you are.”

A spokesman at the Vatican on Sunday declined to confirm or deny Francis’ comments, stating, “We don’t normally comment on the pope’s private conversations.”

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.

20 años de prisión para sacerdote acusado de violación

GUAYAQUIL (ECUADOR)
El Comercio

May 18, 2018

By Elena Paucar

20 years in prison for priest accused of rape

El sacerdote Pedro G. fue sentenciado a 20 años de pena privativa de libertad. El Tribunal lo declaró culpable de violación contra una menor, según informó la Fiscalía del Guayas este viernes, 18 de mayo del 2018.

El sentenciado fue párroco en una iglesia del centro-sur de Guayaquil, a la que llegó en el 2011. Un año después comenzó el acoso y el abuso sexual contra varias menores que acudían a la iglesia. Parte de sus víctimas eran integrantes de un coro que él ordenó crear.

El 11 de mayo se realizó la última audiencia en el caso denunciado por la madre de una menor, que actualmente tiene 16 años. La niña solo tenía solo 11 cuando fue violada por el expárroco, que tras la denuncia huyó. En el 2017 fue detenido en Quito.

[Google Translation: The priest Pedro G. was sentenced to 20 years of custodial sentence . The Court found him guilty of rape against a minor, according to the Attorney General’s Office of Guayas on Friday, May 18, 2018.

The sentenced person was a parish priest in a church in the center-south of Guayaquil , which he arrived in 2011. A year later, sexual harassment and abuse began against several minors who went to church. Part of his victims were members of a choir he ordered to create.

On May 11, the last hearing was held in the case reported by the mother of a minor , who is currently 16 years old. The girl was only 11 when she was raped by the pastor, who fled after the complaint. In 2017 he was arrested in Quito.]

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.

All Of Chile’s Bishops Offer To Resign After Sex Abuse Cover-Up

ROME
NPR (The Two-Way)

By Sasha Ingber

May 18, 2018

All 31 active bishops in Chile offered to resign Friday, following a meeting that Pope Francis called to examine the Chilean clergy’s failure to protect children from pedophiles.

The bishops started the conference by thanking the pope for his “brotherly correction” and the victims of sexual abuse for their bravery and perseverance in coming forward. Their statement was read aloud to the press in Spanish and Italian.

“We want to ask forgiveness for the pain we caused victims, the pope, the people of God and our country for the grave errors and omissions that we committed,” they 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.

Pope to Gay Man: ‘God Made You Like This’

UNITED STATES
Advocate

May 20, 2018

By Daniel Reynolds

The leader of the Catholic Church gave an affirmative message to a survivor of child abuse.

A gay victim of sexual abuse said he received a moving message of support from Pope Francis.

Juan Carlos Cruz met with the leader of the Catholic Church last week, in order to discuss the abuse he suffered at the hands of Father Fernando Karadima. The Chilean Catholic priest was found guilty of sexually abusing minors by the Vatican in 2011, and Cruz is one of the survivors.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Cruz recounted how the subject of his sexual orientation came up during the meeting, because it was used against him by some Latin American media outlets, which sought to smear him as a pervert and a liar about his abuse.

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.

Información a la comunidad: Vivir la integridad sacerdotal

RANCAGUA [CHILE]
Diocese of Rancagua

May 14, 2018

[Google Translation: Information to the community: Live the priestly integrity]

[Note from BishopAccountability.org: This is an announcement from the Rancagua diocese about a public admission of “improper conduct” by Rancagua priest Luis Rubio Contreras. In this notice, the bishop admits that he had been notified previously about this priest but had ‘investigated the facts without results.’ Within a few days, the story had grown, revealing the victim’s very different account of Bishop Goic’s response as well as a reported sex abuse network involving 17 priests in the diocese.]

[Google Translation: The Bishopric of Rancagua informs the community, that we have become aware on Saturday, May 12 through the diocesan priest Luis Rubio Contreras, that he has incurred in improper conduct to his priestly status. We want to point out:

1.- The Bishopric of Rancagua received in reserve antecedents of these improper conducts, investigating the facts without results. Then the presbyter Luis Rubio recognized this Saturday the Vicar General of the diocese his improper behavior, noting that he had been contacted by a media outlet before which he accepted these facts. Faced with this situation, today, Monday, May 14, the measure to temporarily suspend the exercise of his ministry to the presbyter, as a precautionary measure, while inquiring and delivering to the Holy See the background of the case has been adopted.

2.- We have learned that this same means of communication has also interviewed other diocesan priests about these behaviors.]

El Obispado de Rancagua informa a la comunidad, que hemos tomado conocimiento el sábado 12 de mayo a través del presbítero diocesano Luis Rubio Contreras, de que ha incurrido en conductas impropias a su estado sacerdotal. Queremos señalar:

1.- El Obispado de Rancagua recibió en reserva antecedentes de estas conductas impropias, indagándose los hechos sin resultados. Luego el presbítero Luis Rubio reconoció este sábado al Vicario General de la diócesis su comportamiento impropio, señalando que había sido contactado por un medio de comunicación ante el cual aceptó estos hechos. Frente esta situación se ha adoptado hoy lunes 14 de mayo la medida de suspender temporalmente del ejercicio de su ministerio al presbítero, como medida cautelar, mientras se indaguen y entreguen a la Santa Sede los antecedentes de la causa.

2.- Hemos tomado conocimiento de que este mismo medio de comunicación también ha entrevistado a otros sacerdotes diocesanos sobre estas conductas.

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.

Chile’s Bishops Offer To Resign After Sex Abuse Cover Up

ROME
NPR

May 20, 2018

[AUDIO]

NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Ines San Martin, a Vatican reporter with the news site Crux, about all 34 Catholic bishops offering to resign following a massive sex abuse scandal in Chile.

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.

Priest steps aside due to historic abuse investigation

NORTHERN IRELAND
RTÉ

May 20, 2018

By Joe Little

A Catholic priest has voluntarily stepped aside from his duties in the Northern diocese of Dromore while police investigate a historical allegation of abuse against him.

A statement from the diocese says that both it and the priest are co-operating fully with the ongoing PSNI investigation and that they will continue to do so.

In February, the Bishop of Dromore, John MacAreavey resigned because of criticism by victims of the paedophile Fr Malachy Finegan of the bishop’s handling of allegations against him.

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.

“El Papa me pidió perdón, está espantado con los abusos, esto es un tsunami”

UNITED STATES
El País

May 19, 2018

By Carlos E. Cué

[“The Pope asked me for forgiveness, he is scared with the abuses, this is a tsunami”]

[Google Translation: Juan Carlos Cruz still does not recover from his stupor. Three months ago, this victim of the abuses of the Chilean priest Fernando Karadima carried out a dialectical clash with the Pope, who in full trip to the southern country accused him of launching “infamies” against Bishop Juan Barros, a disciple of Karadima, who according to Cruz was present when he abused him. Afterwards, the Pope took a 180 degree turn, invited him for a week to Santa Marta, his residence, asked for forgiveness and believed him. And now he has seen how the 34 Chilean bishops resigned forced by Francisco . An unprecedented success that marks a milestone in the struggle of victims around the world. Cruz answers by phone to EL PAÍS, very excited and confident that the turn of the Pope is final.

Question. How do you feel about the news of the resignation of the 34 bishops?

Answer. I’m over the top After spending a week at the Pope’s house talking to him for hours, as if I had known him all his life, and he was so affectionate, now to see that he in the letter to the Chilean bishops told them many things that we talked about, that he took it very seriously, as when he talks about the corruption of bishops, and accuses them of hiding documents, or of minimizing things. I was thrilled that he took what we talked so seriously. I felt that our visit was not a matter of protocol, of public relations.]

Juan Carlos Cruz aún no se recupera de su estupor. Hace tres meses, esta víctima de los abusos del sacerdote chileno Fernando Karadima protagonizaba un choque dialéctico con el Papa, que en pleno viaje al país austral le acusaba de lanzar “infamias” contra el obispo Juan Barros, discípulo de Karadima, que según Cruz estaba presente cuando abusaba de él. Después, el Papa dio un giro de 180 grados, lo invitó una semana a Santa Marta, su residencia, le pidió perdón y le creyó. Y ahora ha visto cómo los 34 obispos chilenos dimitían forzados por Francisco. Un éxito sin precedentes que marca un hito en la lucha de las víctimas de todo el mundo. Cruz contesta por teléfono a EL PAÍS, muy emocionado y confiado en que el giro del Papa es definitivo.

Pregunta. ¿Cómo vive la noticia de la dimisión de los 34 obispos?

Respuesta. Estoy sobrepasado. Después de pasar una semana en casa del Papa hablando con él horas, como si lo conociera de toda la vida, y él tan cariñoso, ahora ver que él en la carta a los obispos chilenos les decía muchas cosas de las que hablamos, que las tomó muy en serio, como cuando habla de la corrupción de los obispos, y los acusa de esconder documentos, o de minimizar las cosas. Me emocionó que él se tomase tan en serio lo que conversamos. Sentí que nuestra visita no fue una cosa de protocolo, de relaciones públicas.

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.

Mass resignation of Chile’s bishops follows crisis talks with Pope Francis

CHILE
France 24

May 18, 2018, updated May 20, 2018

By Nicole Trian

The Catholic Church is facing a widening crisis over claims of child sex abuse and cover-ups that triggered the unprecedented resignation of all 34 of Chile’s bishops on Friday after the pope accused them of “grave negligence.”

The decision to resign followed four days of emergency talks with Pope Francis in which the pontiff accused bishops of failing to investigate abuse allegations amid claims that evidence of sex crimes had been destroyed.It is the first time all of the most senior clerics of a country have volunteered to stand down over sex abuse claims. They asked forgiveness from the victims, the pope and all Catholics for their “grave errors and omissions” while vowing to repair the damage.

One of the resigning bishops, Alejandro Goic, apologised again Saturday for failing to respond to reports of cases of sexual abuse in his diocese, including one involving a priest who sent naked pictures of himself to a false Facebook profile in a sting operation.

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.

Obispo Goic denuncia a fiscalía posibles abusos en Rancagua y pide perdón

RANCAGUA [CHILE]
La Tercera

May 19, 2018

Bishop Goic notifies prosecution of possible abuses in Rancagua and asks for forgiveness

By Paola Moreno and Oscar Pérez

[Google Translation: After a story, the prelate suspended about 15 priests, of the 68 that are in the diocese, and acknowledged that he acted “without adequate agility.”]

[One by one. From his desk. By phone. This is how the bishop of Rancagua, Alejandro Goic, was today in the afternoon, calling each of the priests allegedly involved in “improper behavior” to inform them that they were suspended from their pastoral exercise while the situation was being investigated. There are 15 priests, out of a total of 68 in the diocese.

[The measures of the bishopric, however, were taken not from the allegations of the alleged victims, but after the broadcast of a report from Channel 13 about a group of priests who called himself “the family” and who, between other practices, they contacted young people online, holding conversations with sexual connotation. According to the complaint, one of the members of the group is the priest Luis Rubio, from the municipality of Paredones.]

Tras un reportaje, el prelado suspendió a cerca de 15 sacerdotes, de los 68 que hay en la diócesis, y reconoció que actuó “sin la agilidad adecuada”.

Uno por uno. Desde su escritorio. Por teléfono. Así estaba hoy por la tarde el obispo de Rancagua, Alejandro Goic, llamando a cada uno de los sacerdotes supuestamente involucrados en “conductas impropias”, para comunicarles que estaban suspendidos de su ejercicio pastoral mientras se investiga la situación. Se trata de 15 presbíteros, de un total de 68 que hay en la diócesis.

Las medidas del obispado, sin embargo, se tomaron no a partir de las denuncias de las supuestas víctimas, sino después de la emisión de un reportaje de Canal 13 respecto de un grupo de sacerdotes que se hacía llamar “la familia” y que, entre otras prácticas, se contactaban con jóvenes por Internet, manteniendo conversaciones con connotación sexual. Según la denuncia, uno de los miembros del grupo es el sacerdote Luis Rubio, de la comuna de Paredones.

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.

[VIDEO] Declaración íntegra del obispo Goic por reportaje de T13 “El fin del silencio”

RANCAGUA [CHILE]
T13 Television

May 19, 2018

[VIDEO] Full statement of Bishop Goic for report of T13 “The end of silence”

El obispo de Rancagua reconoce no haber tenido “la agilidad adecuada” en el proceso indagatorio de las denuncias por conductas sexuales inapropiadas de sacerdotes de su diócesis, reveladas por una investigación periodística de T13.

[Google Translation: The bishop of Rancagua admits he did not have “adequate agility” in the process of investigating the reports of inappropriate sexual behavior of priests of his diocese, revealed by a journalistic investigation of T13.]

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.

[VIDEO] El fin del silencio: denuncian a sacerdotes por supuestos abusos

RANCAGUA [CHILE]
T13 Television

May 18, 2018

[VIDEO] The end of silence: they denounce priests for alleged abuses

En medio de las duras críticas que realizó el Papa Francisco contra la jerarquía de la Iglesia, una nueva denuncia afecta a sacerdotes chilenos. Una investigación de T13 revela las conductas inapropiadas de presbíteros de la Diócesis de Rancagua y da cuenta de la versión de feligreses que aseguran que pusieron hace más de un año -sin resultados- los antecedentes en manos de Alejandro Goic, obispo de la zona y presidente del Consejo de Prevención de Abusos del Episcopado. “Yo no soy detective”, se defiende Goic.

[Google Translation: Amidst the harsh criticisms made by Pope Francis against the hierarchy of the Church, a new denunciation affects Chilean priests. An investigation of T13 reveals the inappropriate behavior of priests of the Diocese of Rancagua and accounts for the version of parishioners who say that they put more than a year ago – without results – the records in the hands of Alejandro Goic, bishop of the area and president of the Council for the Prevention of Abuses of the Episcopate. “I’m not a detective,” defends Goic.]

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.

Chile bishop apologizes for not investigating abuse promptly

SANTIAGO (CHILE)
Associated Press

May 20, 2018

A Chilean bishop apologized Saturday for not promptly investigating a reported case of sexual abuse in his diocese, a day after every bishop in the South American country offered to resign over what Pope Francis said was their negligence in protecting children.

“I want to apologize for my actions in this case,” said Bishop Alejandro Goic, referring to abuse allegations made in a report by Chile’s T13 television against priest Luis Rubio.

In the report, Rubio acknowledges having sent pictures of himself naked to a false profile of a minor set up on Facebook to catch him.

Elisa Fernandez, who worked in the youth ministry in the community of Paredones, told T13 that she repeatedly informed Goic about the abuses, but the bishop always demanded proof.

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.

Juan Carlos Cruz Por Renuncia De Obispos: “Que Preparen Las Maletas Los Que Se Tienen Que Ir”

CHILE
Rio Bueno Noticias (RBN)

May 19, 2018

[Juan Carlos Cruz on the Resignation Of Bishops: “Let Them Pack Their Suitcases”]

Juan Carlos Cruz, denunciante de los abusos sexuales al interior de la iglesia Católica, conversó con 24 Tarde para entregar sus impresiones respecto a la decisión de los obispos que este viernes pusieron su cargo a disposición del Papa Francisco.

Esto, luego que ayer finalizaran las tres jornadas de reflexión desarrolladas en Roma, donde los obispos fueron invitados a reflexionar y rezar los por hechos denunciados por las víctimas de los abusos.

Cruz señaló sentir emoción y tener sentimientos encontrados por lo ocurrido, señalando que sí sostuvo conversaciones con el Papa “y sabía más o menos lo que quería hacer, pero he estado en contacto con él y he estado dándole las gracias porque ha hecho lo que ha hecho, esto es inédito”, sostuvo.

En ese sentido, aseguró que el manejo de lo ocurrido no fue una sorpresa para él, agregando que “los obispos son una manga de corruptos que escondieron evidencia, que destrozaron documentos, que cometieron actos verdaderamente criminales”.

[Google Translation: Juan Carlos Cruz, a whistleblower of sexual abuse inside the Catholic church, spoke with 24 Tarde to give his impressions regarding the decision of the bishops who made their office available to Pope Francis this Friday.

This, after yesterday ended the three days of reflection developed in Rome, where the bishops were invited to reflect and pray for facts denounced by the victims of abuse.

Cruz said he felt emotional and had mixed feelings about what happened, saying that he did have conversations with the Pope “and I knew more or less what he wanted to do, but I have been in contact with him and I have been thanking him because he has done what he has done. fact, this is unprecedented, “he said.

In that sense, he said that the handling of what happened was not a surprise for him, adding that “the bishops are a bunch of corrupt people who hid evidence, who destroyed documents, who committed truly criminal acts.” ]

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.

Northern Ireland priest steps aside as police probe allegation

NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

May 19, 2018

By Jonathan Bell

A priest has stepped aside from his position to allow for a police investigation into a historic “safeguarding allegation”.

Police said they are investigating a complaint made in April.

The Diocese of Dromore confirmed the priest would be stepping aside in a statement on Saturday evening.

It said both the diocese and the priest were cooperating fully with the police.

“While this allegation is being investigated, and as part of the diocesan Safeguarding Procedures, the priest has voluntarily stepped aside from all public ministry pending the outcome of the investigation,” it 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.

Pope Francis tells gay man: ‘God made you like this’

ROME
The Guardian

May 20, 2018

By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome

Juan Carlos Cruz, who was sexually abused, says pontiff told him God did not mind that he was gay

A survivor of clerical sexual abuse has said Pope Francis told him that God had made him gay and loved him, in arguably the most strikingly accepting comments about homosexuality to be uttered by the leader of the Roman Catholic church.

Juan Carlos Cruz, who spoke privately with the pope last week about the abuse he suffered at the hands of one of Chile’s most notorious paedophiles, said the issue of his sexuality had arisen because some of the Latin American country’s bishops had sought to depict him as a pervert as they accused him of lying about the abuse.

“He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like this and loves you like this and I don’t care. The pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are,’” Cruz told Spanish newspaper El País.

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.

May 19, 2018

Storni murió impune y la iglesia no paga

SANTA FE (ARGENTINA)
Página/12 [Buenos Aires, Argentina]

May 19, 2018

By Juan Carlos Tizziani

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El ex arzobispo había sido condenado a ocho años de prisión por “abuso sexual agravado”, pero le revocaron la condena y murió impune. Ahora también dictaminan que no hay resarcimiento

Desde Santa Fe

La justicia ordinaria revocó ayer la segunda condena histórica a la Iglesia santafesina por abusos de poder. En 2009, una mujer, la jueza Amalia Mascheroni condenó al ex arzobispo Edgardo Gabriel Storni a ocho años de prisión por “abuso sexual agravado” al ex seminarista Rubén Descalzo, pero dos años después, en 2011, una Cámara Penal integrada por tres jueces varones revocó el fallo por una cuestión técnica y liberó a Storni, que murió impune en 2012. En 2016, otra jueza del fuero civil, Beatriz Piedrabuena, condenó al Arzobispado de Santa Fe a resarcir el “daño moral” a Descalzo y así como en 2009 era la primera vez que se condenaba en la Argentina a un obispo por delitos sexuales, la sentencia de 2016 era la primera condena civil a la Iglesia en el país, por la misma trama. Sin embargo, ayer, la Cámara Civil y Comercial (sala 3) integrada por tres magistrados ‑Roberto Dellamónica, Sergio Barberio y Carlos Depetris‑ revocó el resarcimiento a Descalzo que ‑según Piedrabuena no era “caprichoso” sino equivalente al “daño sufrido”, que estimó en 756 mil pesos‑ y lo bajó a cero por otra “cuestión técnica”, que la causa está “prescripta”. “Un artilugio” que no cambia las cosas, dijo Descalzo. “Estoy satisfecho porque la justicia me dio la razón”. “Lo importante es la verdad”, los veredictos de las juezas Mascheroni y Piedrabuena demostraron que “yo no mentía”, agregó el querellante.

Descalzo se anotició ayer que la Cámara había revocado la condena civil a la Iglesia por los abusos de Storni. Aún no decidió si apelará. La sentencia que obligaba resarcirlo por casi un millón de pesos es la que esperaba el renunciante arzobispo de Santa Fe monseñor José María Arancedo, antes de dejar su cargo. Y calzó justo. El 9 de junio,  asumirá su sucesor, monseñor Sergio Fenoy, ex obispo auxiliar de Rosario y luego de San Miguel.

Arancedo era buen amigo de Storni. En abril de 2010, cuatro meses después de la primera condena a ocho años de prisión, lo defendió por radio. “Lo de Storni no es un caso de pedofilia, no confundamos”, agitó por LT10. “Storni renunció, pero no siente culpable”. “Él niega que haya habido (abuso). Según el texto que yo leí, es un beso que le dio en el cuello (al seminarista, que estaba a su cargo). La Justicia lo ha tomado. La Iglesia y él lo niegan, por supuesto. Y tiene todo el derecho de defenderse, porque entiende que no es un acto de abuso, que no lo hizo con esa intención”, dijo.

En 2011, la Cámara Penal de Santa Fe -integrada por tres varones‑ anuló la sentencia y ordenó que se dictara un nuevo fallo. Pero eso nunca ocurrió porque Storni falleció impune, en 2012, en una casa que la Iglesia le había comprado en La Falda, en Córdoba, donde cobraba una pensión de privilegio.

“En lo personal no modifica las cosas, pero no es muy agradable, ¿no?”, dijo la víctima que aún no sabe si apelará.

Ya en paralelo, tramitaba la demanda civil. Y en octubre de 2016 se conoció el segundo veredicto: la jueza Piedrabuena rechazó la “prescripción” y condenó  al Arzobispado de Santa Fe a resarcir el daño moral a Descalzo, por un monto que estimó en 756 mil pesos. “La suma no resulta caprichosa, es equivalente a 100 salarios mínimos” y “equitativa compensación a las aflicciones padecidas” por el demandante: “lo que se trata de reparar no es el daño psíquico, físico, ni el lucro cesante, sino el daño moral” y con un “monto” que signifique “una satisfacción adecuada al daño sufrido”, explicó la magistrada.  Arancedo ordenó apelar.

Ayer, Descalzo se notificó que la Cámara Civil y Comercial (sala 3) integrada por tres jueces había desestimado su demanda por “prescripción”. “Este nuevo fallo no niegan los hechos sucedidos”, sino que a través de un “artilugio”, la Cámara dice que “la demanda se interpone después de que la causa hubiera prescripto. Una cuestión técnica”, dijo por la emisora Aire de Santa Fe. “En lo personal no modifica las cosas, pero no es muy agradable, ¿no?”. “Es que los jueces buscaron un artilugio para tener una razón que no hay”, insistió Descalzo. “De todas maneras, la primera sentencia” de la jueza Piedrabuena “ya me había dejado conforme”. “Estoy satisfecho con que la Justicia me haya dado la razón. Mi objetivo nunca fue el dinero, por lo tanto esto no modifica las cosas. Lo importante es que la Justicia corroboró que yo no mentía, que dije la verdad”.

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Los “Karadima” de las otras diócesis de Chile

CHILE
Radio UChile

The “Karadima” of the other dioceses of Chile. During this week, Pope Francis met in the Vatican with the Chilean bishops who finally submitted their resignation. The situation of Juan Barros drew attention after being identified as a cover-up for the sexual abuse of Fernando Karadima. However, the crisis of the Chilean Catholic Church is observed several years ago. After many condemned the analysis focuses on the decisions and signals that have been given from the clerical leadership.

In Chilean criminal justice:
José Andrés Aguirre Ovarre, diocese of Santiago.
Víctor Carrera Triviño, diocese from Punta Arenas.
Jorge Galaz Espinoza, of the Work Don Orione.
Juan Henríquez Zapata, diocesen of Valparaíso.
Jaime Low Cabeza, diocese from Punta Arenas.
Marcelo Morales Márquez, of the Salesian Congregation (condemned for the production and storage of pornography).
Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros, diocese of Melipilla.
José Miguel Narváez Valenzuela, deacon of Ancud.
Eduardo Olivares Martínez, diocese of Valparaíso.
Juan Carlos Orellana Acuña, diocese of San Felipe.

* With canonical sentence:
Gerardo Araujo Sarabia, Peruvian Franciscan.
Jorge Baeza Ramírez, diocesen of Chillán.
Nibaldo Escalante Trigo, diocese of La Serena.
Fernando Karadima Fariña, diocesen of Santiago.
Juan Miguel Leturia Mermod, of the Society of Jesus.
René Benavides Rives, diocese of San Felipe.
José Román Zúñiga, diocese of the Illapel prelature.
Francisco Valenzuela Sanhueza, diocese of San Felipe.

19 de mayo 2018

Durante esta semana, el Papa Francisco se reunió en el Vaticano con los obispos chilenos quienes finalmente presentaron su renuncia. La situación de Juan Barros marcó la atención luego de ser señalado como encubridor de los abusos sexuales de Fernando Karadima. Sin embargo, la crisis de la Iglesia Católica chilena se observa hace varios años. Luego de numerosos condenados el análisis se enfoca en las decisiones y señales que se han dado desde la cúpula clerical.

“Spotlight” ganó el Óscar 2016 a Mejor Película. La cinta recordó la investigación de un grupo de periodistas de “The Boston Globe” que evidenció una serie de casos de abusos sexuales. Esto, remeció a la Iglesia Católica de Estados Unidos. En la ceremonia de premiación, uno de los productores, Michael Sugar, mandó un mensaje al Papa Francisco: “ha llegado la hora de proteger a los niños y restaurar la fe”.

Al cierre de la cinta se presenta una lista de lugares en todo el mundo donde también se revelaron estos casos. Nuestro país aparece citado 5 veces: Cottolengo, Maipú, Melipilla, Quilicura y Santiago.

Luego del escándalo por el Caso Karadima, la Conferencia Episcopal anunció en 2011 la creación del “Consejo nacional para la prevención de abusos contra menores de edad y acompañamiento a las víctimas”. Meses después entregó una lista oficial de sacerdotes condenados por abusos a menores.

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Anne Barrett-Doyle: “El objetivo del Papa es acallar el clamor público”

CHILE
ADN Radio

[The founder of the organization BishopAccountability.org , Anne Barrett-Doyle, underestimated the meetings between the Chilean bishops and Pope Francis in the Vatican to deal with cases of sexual abuse of minors.

In conversation with La Tercera , the researcher explained that “the meeting will be relevant for the entire Catholic Church, but in a limited extent .”

“I hope that the Pope will finally remove several guilty bishops, and I also hope that he will issue a harsh rebuke to the entire Chilean Episcopate, although very late, those sanctions by the Pope can have a dissuasive effect , at least in the short term,” he said.]

16/05/2018

La fundadora de la organización BishopAccountability.org, Anne Barrett-Doyle, le restó expectativas a las reuniones entre los obispos chilenos y el Papa Francisco en el Vaticano para enfrentar casos de abuso sexual a menores.

En conversación con La Tercera, la investigadora explicó que “el encuentro será relevante para toda la Iglesia Católica, pero en una magnitud limitada”.

“Espero que el Papa finalmente remueva a varios obispos culpables. Y espero también que emita una dura reprimenda a todo el Episcopado chileno. Aunque muy atrasadas, esas sanciones del Papa pueden tener un efecto disuasivo, al menos en el corto plazo”, detalló.

Sin embargo, para Barrett-Doyle “en el largo plazo, pienso que la relevancia del encuentro se va a limitar mayormente a Chile, más que establecer un nuevo patrón para la Iglesia global sobre estos casos”.

“El objetivo del Papa es acallar el clamor público generado por sus errores de relaciones públicas en Chile. Se va a esforzar por impresionarnos. Creo que hará mucho para crear la impresión de que está arrepentido y cambió”, puntualizó.

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Fundadora de BishopAccountability.org: “El Papa buscará crear la impresión de que está arrepentido y cambió”

CHILE
La Tercera

16 MAY 2018

[Founder of BishopAccountability.org: “The Pope will seek to create the impression that he is repentant and changed”. Since its founding in 2003 in Boston, following the scandals that led to the departure of the then archbishop of that city, Bernard Law, and marked a milestone in the history of cases of abuse in the Catholic Church, the organization BishopAccountability.org maintains a detailed record of the situation of the issue in the Catholic Church throughout the world. In relation to Chile, the group points to about 80 cases, mostly known from the year 2000 to date.]

Juan Paulo Iglesias / Roma

Anne Barrett Doyle, directora de esta entidad “observatorio” de abusos, se confiesa “escéptica” respecto del compromiso de Francisco para enfrentar el tema de los abusos de modo sistémico y desde dentro de la “cultura vaticana”. Dice que “tomó este paso después de que la primera estrategia, atacar la credibilidad de las víctimas, fracasó”.

Desde su fundación en 2003, en Boston, tras los escándalos que llevaron a la salida del entonces arzobispo de esa ciudad, Bernard Law, y marcaron un hito en la historia de los casos de abusos en la Iglesia Católica, la organización BishopAccountability.org mantiene un detallado registro de la situación del tema en la Iglesia Católica en todo el mundo. En relación a Chile, el grupo apunta a cerca de 80 casos, en su mayoría conocidos desde el año 2000 a la fecha.

Anne Barrett Doyle, una de sus fundadoras y actual miembro del directorio -donde también participan víctimas de abusos que fueron clave para destapar la situación en Boston, como Phil Saviano-, conversó con La Tercera sobre sus expectativas en torno a la reunión del Papa con los obispos chilenos.

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Met Opera Accuses James Levine of Decades of Sexual Misconduct

NEW YORK
New York Times

By Michael Cooper

May 18, 2018

Two months ago, the conductor James Levine, having been fired by the Metropolitan Opera for sexual misconduct, sued the company for breach of contract and defamation. Now the Met is suing him back, arguing in court papers filed on Friday that Mr. Levine harmed the company, and detailing previously unreported accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against him.

The filing paints the clearest picture yet of the investigation that led the Met to dismiss Mr. Levine, its longtime music director and its artistic backbone for more than four decades. The company says it found credible evidence that Mr. Levine had “used his reputation and position of power to prey upon and abuse artists,” citing examples of sexual misconduct that it says occurred from the 1970s through 1999, but does not name the victims.

When a 16-year-old artist auditioned for Mr. Levine in 1979, the suit says, Mr. Levine questioned him about his sex life. Two years later, it says, Mr. Levine entered the young man’s dressing room in a bathrobe to discuss an upcoming performance. Mr. Levine made sexual remarks or inappropriately touched the man at least seven times over a period of 12 years, the suit says.

After Mr. Levine offered to drive another singer home from an audition at the Met in 1985, the lawsuit says, he locked the car doors and groped and kissed the man against his will. After the encounter, it says, Mr. Levine placed him in “in a prestigious program” at the Met.

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Michigan State Will Pay $500 Million to Abuse Victims. What Comes Next?

UNITED STATES
New York Times

By Nancy Hogshead-Makar

Ms. Hogshead-Makar is the chief executive of Champion Women.

May 18, 2018

On Wednesday, Michigan State University announced it had settled with 332 victims of sexual abuse by Lawrence G. Nassar, a physician who worked with the school’s gymnastics program. The settlement will pay $425 million to 332 victims, or about $1.28 million each; it will set aside an additional $75 million in a trust for any future claims of sexual abuse against Mr. Nassar.

Half a billion dollars is a landmark settlement, one that couldn’t have been achieved without the courage and vulnerability of Mr. Nassar’s hundreds of victims. And it didn’t help that the university chose a strategy of maligning the victims, accusing one of them, Rachael Denhollander, of being in it “for the money.”

Until recently, though, this sort of strategy often worked. The difference this time is both the sheer number of victims and the intersection of the Nasser case and the #MeToo movement. Understanding the Michigan State settlement within that context is critical, because it points to where things need to go next: The #MeToo/#TimesUp movement is not limited to getting victims much-needed compensation and ousting powerful and abusive men from their professional careers; it means changing the systems and cultures that breed sexual harassment and abuse in the first place.

I know the culture of collegiate and Olympic sports particularly well. I am an eight-year veteran of the United States national swimming team, a two-time Olympian and a three-time gold medalist. My 1984 Olympic coach, Mitch Ivey, was barred from the sport for sexually abusing my teammate. He never hid his sexual contacts with multiple underage swimmers; he was open about their “relationship” — common parlance in the swimming community that normalized child molestation. Despite his well-known abuse, it took 30 years before USA Swimming barred him.

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Popes Have Long Opposed Human Rights and Supported Tyrants: A (Relatively) Brief History

UNITED STATES
The Open Tabernacle: Here Comes Everybody

May 19, 2018

by Betty Clermont

Most are familiar with the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition. Fewer know about Pius XII’s embrace of fascism, his cooperation with the CIA, John Paul II’s alliance with Reagan in support of dictators, the political consequences of his appointment of right-wing bishops in the U.S. and Latin America – including Pope Francis – and the current pontiff’s unknown history.

It is true that, from the beginning, Christians were recognized for their monumental works of charity and Western Civilization owes much to Catholic education, medicine, art, music, architecture etc. It is also true that popes have obstructed freedom and self-rule while choosing to collaborate with dictators and butchers.

While I was writing about Pope Francis’ obsequiousness towards Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin and his vociferous opposition to women’s and LGBTQ persons’ human rights, I thought that if readers were more familiar with papal history, this would be less surprising.

When asked for his opinion on abortion and same-sex marriage, Pope Francis said his position was identical to that of the Church. “I am a son of the Church,” he explained.

This is part of the tradition from which he emerges – remarkable considering Jesus’ “Great Commission” was only to preach the Gospel.

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The Global Fight for Secrecy Continues

UNITED STATES
Jeff Anderson and Associates

5/18/2018

Mike Finnegan

All around the world, from Pennsylvania, to Chile, to Australia, the Catholic Church continues to fight truth and transparency. By now, one would hope that the institution has learned from its past mistakes when it covered up the sexual abuse of children by the Church’s priests, bishops and other clerics. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

In Pennsylvania, the Attorney General is wrapping up investigations involving six Catholic dioceses, including Allentown, Scranton, Erie, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Greensburg. Three of the dioceses have publicly stated they will not challenge the release of the grand jury reports, while three bishops have remained silent, refusing to acknowledge whether they will challenge the release of the grand jury reports. Truth and transparency appear to be at the bottom of the bishops’ lists.

Meanwhile in Australia, Cardinal Pell, the highest ranking Vatican official to be charged with child sexual abuse, is facing two separate criminal trials. Recently, Australian prosecutors announced the filing of a “super injunction” to bar news coverage of Pell’s trial. One possible explanation of this rare and extreme request was to preempt Pell’s lawyers who will likely argue that the publicity of Pell’s case will prevent him from receiving a fair trial. Prosecutors have since narrowed their application for the media ban, but the story remains the same: Keep the dirty secrets and public scrutiny of the trial far away from the public eye.

In South America, sexual abuse survivors in Chile have been speaking out for years against several bishops who were complicit in covering up the child sex abuse scandal, including Bishop Juan Barros. After publicly defending Barros, Pope Francis changed course and finally took some semblance of action and sent Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Spanish Father Jordi Bertomeu, two officials at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to Chile to investigate the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse by Barros. After receiving a 2,300 page report containing interviews of 64 witnesses, Pope Francis did his best to keep the report under lock and key. Again, transparency and truth were at the bottom of the Vatican’s list.

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Cautious hope from victims and advocates following resignation of Chile’s bishops

CHILE
America

Michael J. O’Loughlin

May 18, 2018

Victims of sexual abuse by clergy in Chile are reacting with praise and hope after every Chilean bishop offered to resign over a sex abuse and cover-up scandal.

José Andrés Murillo, a sexual abuse survivor who earlier this month spent hours discussing the scandal with Pope Francis at the Vatican, called the bishops delincuentes (“delinquents”) who deserve to go.

“For dignity, justice and truth, the bishops should leave,” he tweeted. “They didn’t know how to protect the weakest, they exposed them to abuse and then impeded justice. For this, they only deserve to go.”

In another tweet, Juan Carlos Cruz, the main whistleblower in the scandal, said the mass resignation was “unprecedented and good” and that this “will change things forever.”

“This is the pope that I met during my conversations in the Vatican,” Mr. Cruz told Chilean news site Emol on May 17. “I hope all [the bishops] resign and that the church in Chile begins to rebuild with true shepherds and not with these corrupt bishops who commit and cover up crimes, as the document states.”

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More abusive priests to be named as bishops take on contrasting outlooks on abuse investigation

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

May 18, 2018

By Ivey DeJesus idejesus@pennlive.com

As early as next week, Catholics in Pennsylvania could learn the names of additional priests or lay people credibly accused of child sexual abuse.

At least one diocese – that of Erie – is expected to release additional names of priests or staff who face credible accusations of child sexual abuse or molestation.

That is according to an attorney who has been working closely with the diocese and its head, Bishop Lawrence Persico.

Mark Rush, of the Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates law firm, on Friday said the information will be posted to the website, in conjunction to the online announcement made in April by Persico publicizing a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people.

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Erie diocese updates list of accused clergy, laypeople

PENNSYLVANIA
Go Erie

Ed Palattella
@ETNPalattella

May 18, 2018

Bishop Persico adds six names to initial list he released April 6. Number of those credibly accused is now at 57.

When he released a 51-name list of accused priests and laypeople on April 6, Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico described the list as a “living document” that the Diocese of Erie would update based on new information.

The first update occurred on Friday.

Persico added six names to a list after “new information came to light,” the diocese said.

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‘A lot of people can’t sleep at night’: Parishioners react to alleged sexual abuse by retired priest

WISCONSIN
Channel 3000

Diocese releases info on Nolan’s background

By: Rose Schmidt

: May 18, 2018

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. – Parishioners in Fort Atkinson used the words “disbelief” and “shock” on Friday to describe their reactions to allegations that a former priest from their area sexually abused a teenage boy.

“Our kids are kind of heartbroken because it’s somebody — it’s almost like a teacher — someone that you trust and you’ve been taught that you could go to,” said Brenda Ciske, who attends St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

William Nolan, 64, is facing felony counts after he allegedly sexually assaulted a boy in Fort Atkinson for years, according to documents filed in court Thursday.

According to the criminal complaint, more than 100 assaults took place between February 2006 and the summer of 2010, when the boy was 13 to 17 years old.

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Rundown of sex abuse within the Catholic church

GLOBAL
Manila Bulletin (Phillipines)

May 19, 2018

By Agence France-Presse

All of Chile’s bishops offered to resign Friday over child sex cover-up claims dating back decades, the latest in a series of abuse scandals facing the Catholic Church globally.

Here is a rundown of other notable cases:

Australia

The third-highest member of the Vatican hierarchy, Australian George Pell was ordered in May to stand trial on “multiple” historical sex charges, which he denies.

His case coincided with an Australian public enquiry that found that seven percent of priests were accused of paedophilic acts between 1950 and 2010.

Austria

Two scandals forced the Vatican to revoke two high-ranking ultra-conservative clerics, Viennese Archbishop Hans Hermann Groer in 1995 and the bishop of Sankt-Poelten, Kurt Krenn, in 2004.

Belgium

In 2010 the bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned after acknowledging sex abuse of two nephews. Since 2012 the Catholic Church in Belgium has received hundreds of complaints and paid almost 4.13 million euros ($4.8 million) in compensation.

Canada

In the late 1980s, a huge scandal broke out regarding the mistreatment of children at an orphanage in Newfoundland in the 1950s-1960s.

Chile

Some 80 members of the Chilean clergy have been implicated in a series of sex abuse affairs over the past few years.

Pope Francis caused outrage during a visit in January by appearing to support a bishop accused of covering up for paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s. This is the case over which the 34 Chilean bishops presented their resignations Friday.

France

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin and six others will face trial in January 2019 for allegedly covering up for a priest, Bernard Preynat, accused of abusing around 70 scouts in the 1980s. Germany

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May 18, 2018

Dioceses brace for release of report

PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Democrat

May 18, 2918

By Dave Sutor
dsutor@tribdem.com

A report from a grand jury investigation into alleged child sexual abuse in six of Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic dioceses might soon be released.

Bishops from Erie, Allentown and Scranton said they will not attempt to prevent the information from becoming public. Erie even named 51 priests and other laypersons – both living and deceased – who were accused of abuse or failing to protect children.

Harrisburg and Greensburg issued separate statements saying they support releasing the report, but want to ensure due process. However, both dioceses are making a court challenge to the oath of secrecy placed on lawyers representing grand jury witnesses, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Bishop David Zubik, from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, told the Post-Gazette he does not oppose making the information known, but he wants to “read, review and respond” to the document first.

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SNAP responds: Pope Francis words to Chilean Bishops

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release, May 18, 2018

Statement by: Judy Jones, SNAP “Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests”, 636-433-2511,SNAPjudy@gmail.com

Pope Francis has responded to the brave clergy abuse victims of Chile. His harsh words to the Chilean Bishops are resonating loudly with other clergy abuse victims throughout the world.

[CBC News]

This behavior by bishops is not only a happening in Chile. The Catholic church hierarchy in all the dioceses throughout the world follow the same ego centered and callous behavior of enabling and covering up sex crimes against children. We are not aware of one single bishop who has lost his title, lost his job or been publicly denounced for protecting and shielding predators. Even Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City who was criminally convicted of child endangerment did not lose his job.

The historic abuse and coverups by over twenty bishops is well documented by Bishop Accountability: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/bishops/accused/

While we are encouraged by the resignation of the bishops in Chile we urge vigilance. We hope that the Pope will not only accept the resignations, but he will also remove their titles and assign them to jobs without prestige. Cardinal Law left his position of power after the clergy abuse scandal exploded in Boston but was given an even more powerful and prestigious job at the Vatican.

We hope that Pope Francis accepts the resignations of the Chilean Bishops, in keeping with his word to no longer be a “part of the problem” of child sex abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church. The bishops can always find other employment. The victims of Chile’s abuse can never get their innocence back.

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Bishop Zubik wants to see, respond to report before its release

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PETER SMITH
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
petersmith@post-gazette.com

MAY 18, 2018

Roman Catholic Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh said he’s not opposed to the imminent release of a grand jury report into sexual abuse in the diocese but wants an opportunity to “read, review and respond” to it before its public release.

“We are not opposed to the release of the report,” Bishop Zubik said Friday in an interview. “We have cooperated fully” with the investigation. “We just want to be able to have an opportunity to read, review and respond to it.”

The 40th statewide grand jury has for nearly two years been investigating sexual abuse in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses as far back as the 1940s.

Three Catholic bishops this week — from Erie, Allentown and Scranton — said they would not contest the release of the report, while two others, in Greensburg and Harrisburg, made similar statements but emphasized the need for due process.

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After biggest gaffe, pope demands accountability for abuse

VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

May 18, 2018

By NICOLE WINFIELD

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Four months ago, Pope Francis dug himself into the biggest hole of his papacy by strongly defending a Chilean bishop accused by sex abuse victims of witnessing and ignoring their abuse.

On Friday, he emerged from that debacle after strong-arming the entire Chilean bishops conference to resign for what he said were their “grave defects” in handling abuse cases. He accused them of destroying evidence of sex crimes, interfering with investigations and negligently placing children at risk of being raped by pedophiles.

By repenting for his original sin with what amounts to an ecclesial nuclear option, Francis has quite possibly ushered in the game-changer in the Catholic Church’s long-running sex abuse crisis.

The mass resignations marked the first time the Vatican has initiated decisive action to hold bishops accountable for covering up sex abuse by priests. And it forced complicit bishops to atone for their misdeeds in the most publicly humiliating way possible.

“This might be Chile right now, but this sets a precedent for every country in the world and every bishop in the world,” said an emotional Juan Carlos Cruz, whose yearslong campaign to expose wrongdoing in Chile’s Catholic hierarchy was responsible for the remarkable developments in Rome this week.

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Survivors, advocates see lessons for wider church in Chile resignations

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

May 18, 2018

by NCR Staff

Survivors of clergy abuse and their advocates praised Pope Francis for his confrontation with Chile’s bishops over their handling of abuse cases, which led to a mass resignation today, and the survivors and advocates urged the pope not to allow the momentum for reform to slow.

“We didn’t expect it and it is a powerful gesture,” said Juan Carlos Claret, spokesperson for Lay Catholic group in Osorno, Chile, who opposed the 2015 appointment of Bishop Juan Barros to Osorno because of his alleged complicity in covering up the sexual abuse of minors.

Claret told CNN Chile that the church is a mother for the community and “today’s big message is that they aren’t going to protect impunity in the church and this is important as Catholics because we can’t accommodate an injustice.”

“The en masse resignation of the Chilean episcopacy is as stunning as it is justified,” said Anne Barrett Doyle of the U.S.-based abuse watchdog group BishopAccountability.org. “Let’s hope Pope Francis accepts all of the resignations and begins to re-build this profoundly corrupt church.”

“The renunciation of the entire Chilean hierarchy might serve at least in the near term as a powerful deterrent to complicit bishops and religious superiors around the world,” Barret Doyle said in a statement May 18.

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Chilean bishops offer mass resignation over sex abuse scandal

VATICAN CITY
Reuters

Crispian Balmer

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – In an unprecedented move, all Chile’s bishops offered to resign en masse on Friday after attending a crisis meeting this week with Pope Francis about the cover-up of sexual abuse in the south American nation.

It is the first time that all the senior Roman Catholic prelates of a country have taken such a step, a Vatican official said, underscoring the damage being wreaked on the church by seemingly never-ending clerical abuse scandals.

It was not immediately clear if the pope would accept all or any of the resignations of the 34 bishops, and a Vatican official declined to speculate on when he might make a decision.

“We have put our positions in the hands of the Holy Father and will leave it to him to decide freely for each of us,” the bishops said in a joint statement read out by a spokesman for them, Bishop Fernando Ramos.

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Harrisburg bishop signals potential concern with grand jury investigation

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus idejesus@pennlive.com

The head of the Diocese of Harrisburg on Friday signaled that he might have concerns with aspects of the grand jury investigation into six dioceses in Pennsylvania, including his.

Bishop Ronald Gainer stressed that the diocese was cooperating with the investigation, however, the diocese is “also concerned about due process rights,” he said in a statement released to PennLive.

That marks the first time since the 18-month-long state investigation was launched into potential clergy sex abuse of children that any diocese has suggested that it may have concerns about the process.

Gainer’s statement comes one day after three dioceses issued statements indicating they would not launch any legal challenges to the investigation by the state Office of Attorney General.

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Backgrounder: What happened before Chile’s bishops resigned

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

May 18, 2018

by Joshua J. McElwee

Jan. 15-18

Jan. 20
Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, a member of the Council of Cardinals and the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, releases a statement acknowledging that Francis’ defense of Barros was “a source of great pain” for abuse survivors.

The cardinal says expressions of doubt about survivors’ testimony “abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity.”

Jan. 22
In a press conference on the way home to Rome from Chile, the pope again calls the charges against Barros “calumny.” He repeatedly insists there is no evidence tying Barros to Karadima, despite public testimony of at least three abuse survivors.

Jan. 30
The Vatican announces that Francis has asked Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, considered one of the church’s foremost experts on the abuse crisis, to go to Chile and take survivors’ testimony.

Feb. 17
Before heading to Chile, Scicluna meets Chilean abuse survivor Juan Carlos Cruz in New York. Cruz praises Scicluna’s demeanor and says he acted with “openness and transparency.”

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All Chilean bishops offer their resignation over sexual abuse cover-up

VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Harriet Sherwood and agencies @harrietsherwood

May 2018

Chile’s bishops have offered to resign en masse over a sexual abuse and cover-up scandal that has embroiled Pope Francis and has been highly damaging to the Catholic church.

Thirty-one serving bishops and three retired bishops signed a letter of resignation on Friday. “We have put our positions in the hands of the Holy Father and will leave it to him to decide freely for each of us,” they said. “We want to ask forgiveness for the pain caused to the victims, to the pope, to God’s people and to our country for the serious errors and omissions we have committed.”

There was no immediate indication of whether the pope would accept their resignations.

The bishops’ move came after Francis said the Chilean church hierarchy was collectively responsible for “grave defects” in handling sexual abuse cases and the resulting loss of credibility suffered by the church.

He accused them of destroying evidence of sexual crimes, putting pressure on investigators to downplay abuse accusations and showing “grave negligence” in protecting children from paedophile priests.

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A Summer Camp Memoir

MARYLAND
Times of Israel

MAY 17, 2018

Dana Janine Diamond

This is one that is hard to begin. About a week ago, Hannah Dreyfus reported in The Jewish Week (also published in Times of Israel) on suspicions of corruption surrounding Reform Jewish summer camp programs on child sex abuse. For example, it seems that prevention is not actually on the agenda. That’s a head-scratcher. Additionally, they are using educators and leaders who are currently adversely embroiled in a current child sex abuse scandal, stemming from alleged assaults at a Baltimore camp.

Having lived in Baltimore, I know some of the individuals involved in this tragedy. And I understand all too well the power structure and financial influence that ill serves those most vulnerable in the summer camp industry — the children. For more insight, I strongly suggest reading excellent reporting by Hannah Dreyfus linked above, as well as another article she wrote, published several months ago in The Jewish Week.

As a writer, I was asked to sit in on numerous meetings on child sex abuse in Baltimore as far back as eight years ago. I was also following the many emerging stories in the international Chabad community. Suffice to say they related to people (victims) I knew. The preponderance of child sex abuse crimes in the Orthodox Jewish community was but one of the reasons I ultimately left.

I found my home again in Reform Judaism. And yet, in the wake of #metoo, we are seeing that child sex abuse is still not taken seriously enough, nor is rabbinic sexual misconduct — no matter the community. This is upsetting. Because it is all so ubiquitous.

And the cover ups are such a betrayal. It’s like a game of musical chairs, the powers that be keep sending abusers to the next camp, the next school, the next job… to continue abusing in some other city or country.

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La transcripción completa del documento reservado que el Papa entregó a los obispos chilenos

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
T13

May 18, 2018

[The complete transcript of the reserved document that the Pope delivered to the Chilean bishops.]

T13 tuvo acceso exclusivo a las duras críticas que emitió Francisco al actuar de la Iglesia chilena frente a los casos de abusos cometidos por algunos sacerdotes.

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The Latest: Victims in Chile abuse scandal hail resignations

VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

May 18, 2018

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on a sex abuse and cover-up scandal involving the Catholic Church in Chile (all times local):

2 p.m.

Victims of Chile’s most notorious predator priest are reacting with praise and hope after every Chilean bishop offered to resign over a sex abuse and cover-up scandal.

Jose Andres Murillo, who earlier this month spent hours discussing the scandal with Pope Francis at the Vatican earlier this month, called the bishops “delinquents” who deserve to go.

“For dignity, justice and truth, the bishops should leave” he tweeted. “They didn’t know how to protect the weakest, the exposed them to abuse and then impeded justice. For this, they only deserve to go.”

And in a tweet, Juan Carlos Cruz, the main whistleblower in the scandal, said the mass resignation was “unprecedented and good” and that this “will change things forever.”

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Juan Carlos Cruz y documento reservado del Papa: “Espero que renuncien todos”

CHILE
T13

May 18, 2918

[Consulted by T13.cl, one of the victims of Karadima, expressed his happiness for the work done by the Vatican in the cases of abuse within the Church. “This is the Pope that I met in my conversations in the Vatican,” he said.]

Consultado por T13.cl, una de las víctimas de Karadima, manifestó su alegría por el trabajo realizado por el Vaticano ante los casos de abusos al interior de la Iglesia. “Este es el Papa que conocí en mis conversaciones en el Vaticano”, expresó.

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Exclusivo: Documento reservado del Papa a obispos revela fallas que descubrió en la Iglesia chilena

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
T13

May 18, 2018

[Exclusive: The Pope’s reserved document to bishops reveals faults that he discovered in the Chilean Church.The ten-page text, which he handed to them in Rome on Tuesday, contains strong criticism of the actions of the Chilean Church in response to accusations of abuse. The pontiff speaks of “criminal acts”, “scandal” and “going beyond” the removal of people to solve the crisis.]

El texto, de diez carillas y que les entregó en Roma el martes, contiene fuertes críticas al actuar de la Iglesia chilena frente a las denuncias de abusos. El pontífice habla de “hechos delictivos”, “escándalo” e “ir más allá” de la remoción de personas para solucionar la crisis.

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34 Chilean bishops offer resignation to Pope over sex abuse coverup

VATICAN CITY
CBC News

AP

May 18, 2018

Every Chilean bishop offered to resign Friday over a sex abuse and coverup scandal, in the biggest shakeup ever in the Catholic Church’s long-running abuse saga.

The bishops announced at the end of an emergency summit with Pope Francis that all 31 active bishops and three retired ones in Rome had signed a document offering to resign and putting their fate in the hands of the Pope. Francis can accept the resignations one by one, reject them or delay a decision.

It marked the first known time in history that an entire national bishops conference offered to resign en masse over scandal, and laid bare the devastation that the abuse crisis has caused the Catholic Church in Chile and beyond.

Calls had mounted for the resignations after details emerged of the contents of a 2,300-page Vatican report into the Chilean scandal leaked early Friday. Francis had accused the bishops of destroying evidence of sex crimes, pressuring investigators to minimize abuse accusations and showing “grave negligence” in protecting children from pedophile priests.

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All Chile’s 34 bishops offer resignation to Pope over sex abuse scandals

VATICAN CITY
BBC News

May 18, 2018

All of Chile’s 34 Roman Catholic bishops have offered Pope Francis their resignations in the wake of a child sex scandal and cover-up.

They asked forgiveness from victims and the Church for their “grave errors and omissions”.

It was not immediately clear whether the Pope had accepted the resignations.

He had been criticised in Chile for his decision to ordain a bishop who is accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a priest.

He said in January that he felt “pain and shame” over the scandal, which has rocked the Catholic Church in Chile.

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All Chilean bishops offer resignation to the pope over abuse scandal

VATICAN CITY
The Local

AFP

18 May 2018

Thirty-four Chilean bishops announced their resignation Friday over a child sex abuse scandal within the Church in Chile after three days of intense meetings with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
“We, all the bishops present in Rome, have tendered our resignation to the Holy Father so that he may decide freely for each of us,” the bishops said in a statement read out by a spokesman at the Vatican.

“We want to ask forgiveness for the pain caused to the victims, to the Pope, to God’s people and to our country for the serious errors and omissions we have committed,” the statement continued.

The striking announcement comes after Francis summoned the bishops to the Vatican over the scandal that has come to haunt his papacy.

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Chilean bishops offer mass resignation to pope over abuse scandal

VATICAN CITY
Reuters

May 18, 2918

Crispian Balmer

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – In an unprecedented move, 34 Chilean bishops said on Friday they had offered to resign en masse after attending a crisis meeting this week with Pope Francis about the cover-up of sexual abuse in their country.

It was not immediately clear if the pope would accept all or any of the resignations from the prelates, who hold all the top jobs in Chile’s Roman Catholic Church.

“We have put our positions in the hands of the Holy Father and will leave it to him to decide freely for each of us,” the bishops said in a joint statement read out by a spokesman for the churchmen, Bishop Fernando Ramos.

He said the bishops would stay in their roles until the pope had made his decision.

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Pastor shocked by child sexual abuse allegations against retired priest-in-residence

WISCONSIN
WKOW

By David Johnson

May 18, 2018

MADISON (WKOW) — It was four years ago when Msgr. Ken Fiedler asked Father William Nolan to help out at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Madison.

“I invited him to come and stay in one of the houses here. Not knowing any allegations were out there. I certainly would not have if I knew anything,” Fiedler said. “Father Bill has been in residence, he’s retired, for the last four years. We have three rectories and he’s one of them. I have another retired priest.”

Nolan’s duties were mostly sacramental.

“Which means mass every day when they can, confessions, baptisms, occasional funerals. But that’s basically it. And I gave him a place to stay,” Fiedler said.

But the arrest of 64-year-old Nolan, accused of multiple counts of child sexual abuse, sent shockwaves through the close-knit church family.

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Some, not all dioceses join pledge not to oppose grand jury report release

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PETER SMITH
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
petersmith@post-gazette.com

MAY 17, 2018

After Roman Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie said Wednesday he would “forgo any legal challenges to the grand jury process and its work,” two more Pennsylvania dioceses quickly pledged the same on Thursday.

But two others, the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, would not explicitly rule out a legal challenge. They said they are cooperating with 40th statewide grand jury, which has been investigating sexual abuse by priests and others associated with the church over the past seven decades.

But they are not expressly disavowing some sort of challenge.

“Each diocese is separate and faces a different situation,” said a statement from the Diocese of Harrisburg. “We continue to consider all of our options in law as we move forward.”

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EXCLUSIVE: Shomrim patrol chief accused of raping teen linked to Brooklyn pol

NEW YORK
New York Daily News

REUVEN BLAU
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

MAY 15, 2018

The president of the Shomrim neighborhood patrol accused of raping a teenager also serves as the campaign treasurer for state Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s handpicked successor, the Daily News has learned.

Jacob Daskal, 59, is the main money man for Simcha Eichenstein’s bid to take over the Borough Park, Brooklyn district, according to state campaign finance records.

Last month, Hikind announced he was stepping down after more than three decades in office. He immediately endorsed Eichenstein, 34, the former director of political and governmental services for the de Blasio administration.

He’s considered the front-runner for the coveted position, according to political insiders. The Democratic primary is in September and no challenger has surfaced yet.

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Former priest charged with six counts of sexual assault of a child

WISCONSIN
WISN

May 17; 2019

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wis. —
A former Fort Atkinson priest has been charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child.

The Rev. William Nolan, 64, was arrested Tuesday.

The alleged victim, a former altar boy, told investigators the assaults by Nolan took place over a five-year span from the ages of 12 to 17, beginning in February of 2006.

The incidents occurred in Nolan’s office, Nolan’s home and the altar boy room at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson.

The victim reported the sexual assault in last month.

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Sex and the Liberal Politician: A New York Story

NEW YORK
New York Times

The state has sold itself as a standard-bearer of progressive virtue. So why do its
elected officials keep getting in trouble for sexual misconduct and corruption?

By GINIA BELLAFANTE

MAY 18, 2018

In New York, the week of May 7 began with the sudden resignation of the state’s attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, over allegations that he had physically abused four women he had been seeing, and ended with the conviction of Sheldon Silver, the state’s once powerful Democratic Assembly speaker, on federal corruption charges. Although not necessarily an ordinary week, it was certainly a symbolic one.

Abuses of power, sexual and ethical, have supplied the arc of the state’s political narrative for so long that it is hard to know how New York has managed to market itself as a standard-bearer of an imperious kind of liberal virtue — how it has convincingly sold itself as the center of the resistance. For many who oppose the president, of course, there would be very little to resist right now if New York City hadn’t incubated and rewarded the ambitions of Donald Trump for so many years. In the service of policy and his own public persona, Mr. Schneiderman was a Trump antagonist generally, and a feminist specifically; in his private dealings with women he was, according to those he is said to have victimized, a sadist.

Earlier this week, the actress Annabella Sciorra, one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers, remarked on Twitter that a while back when she had disclosed that the producer’s spies were still contacting her, Mr. Schneiderman emailed to make sure that she was O.K. This sort of duality, however extreme in Mr. Schneiderman’s instance, is not unfamiliar in American politics.

We have been getting schooled in the mechanics of compartmentalization at least since the sex scandals of the Clinton presidency, and we have been given epic refreshers at the hands of New York Democrats. Eliot Spitzer, the father of daughters, frequently called himself a feminist and championed women’s causes and resigned as governor when it was discovered that he was sleeping with prostitutes. Anthony Weiner styled himself similarly, then left Congress over a nasty texting scandal, and moved on to prison when it was found that his habit included sending pornographic messages to teenage girls.

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SEATTLE U CALLS FOR RENAMING OF CONNOLLY COMPLEX

WASHINGTON
Spectator

Sarah Haghi

May 17th, 2018

“Aware of Geoghan’s record, archdiocese still shuttled him from parish to parish.”

This is the subheading from the Boston Globe’s famous 2002 article exposing the years of cover-up practiced by the Archbishop for the benefit of a pedophilic priest. Seattle University is entangled in an similar situation as our own former Seattle Archbishop, Thomas Connolly, was revealed to have covered up the sexual misconduct of a priest named Michael Cody in the 1960s.

In 2016, the Seattle Times reported on letters from the 1960s, revealing that Archbishop Connolly knew Cody was molesting children. Instead of removing him—as Dr. Albert Hurley suggested in a letter from 1962—he transferred him to different parishes and kept it under wraps.

Seattle U’s fitness and recreation center has been named after Connolly since 1969. Now, two years after the Seattle Times’ report, the Seattle U Board of Trustees voted on May 4 to rename the Connolly Complex the Redhawk Center.

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On Chilean abuses crisis, Francis says removing bishops is ‘needed’ but not enough

Ines San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

May 18, 2018

ROME— Heads will roll in the Chilean Church after the summit between Pope Francis and the 34 local bishops who met in Rome this week.

Though this was hinted at in a letter the Vatican made public on Thursday, a leaked document goes further, with the pontiff saying that removing people, though necessary, is not enough.

The problems facing the Chilean church today are not solved by “addressing the concrete cases and reducing them to the removal of people; this – and I say this clearly – must be done, but it’s not enough, we must go further.”

According to Francis, it would be “a serious omission” not to look into the roots and structures that allowed for the abuse – not only sexual, but also of power and conscience – to happen and to continue over time.

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Diocese of Scranton won’t block release of grand jury report

PENNSYLVANIA
Times-Tribune

STAFF AND WIRE REPORT

MAY 18, 2018

The Diocese of Scranton, along with two other Roman Catholic dioceses in the state, won’t stand in the way of a grand jury report expected to detail decades of sex abuse by members of the clergy.

“The Diocese of Scranton continues to cooperate fully with the grand jury and has informed the Attorney General’s office that it will not challenge the release of the report,” Diocese of Scranton spokesman Bill Genello said in an emailed statement Thursday. Genello would not comment further. Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera could not be reached for comment.

The dioceses of Erie and Allentown issued similar statements.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his office are finishing the report, according to a story in The Morning Call of Allentown. The report is expected to outline a grand jury investigation, started in 2016, into six of eight Catholic dioceses that serve communities in nearly every part of the state.

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Chile: Four Bishops Resign Over Sex Abuse as Papal Probe Ends

VATICAN CITY
telesur

17 May 2018

The bishops have so far maintained a stoic silence, but the Catholic church in Chile has confirmed they will comply with the pope’s final decision.

Four of Chile’s bishops have resigned in connection with the child sex abuse scandal engulfing the country’s Catholic church as the emergency Vatican session overseen by Pope Francis comes to a close.

Bishops Juan Barros, Tomislov Koljatic, Horacio Valenzuela and Monsignor Andres Arteaga renounced their episcopal duties under pressure over their roles in covering up Father Fernando Karadima’s paedophilia, Clarin reports.

The bishops have so far maintained a stoic silence, but the Catholic church in Chile has confirmed they will comply with the pope’s final decision.

In a letter to the Chilean monsignors, Pope Francis said he had some “changes and resolutions” planned for the Catholic church as a result of the emergency sessions, which began May 15.

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Pope accuses Chile bishops of destroying sex abuse evidence

VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

May 18, 2018

By NICOLE WINFIELD

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has accused Chile’s bishops of destroying evidence of sex crimes, pressuring church lawyers to minimize accusations and of “grave negligence” in protecting children from pedophile priests.

In a devastating 10-page document delivered to Chilean bishops during a summit this week, Francis said the entire Chilean church hierarchy was collectively responsible for “grave defects” in handling abuse cases and the resulting loss of credibility that the Catholic Church has suffered.

The document, reported by Chile’s T13 television and confirmed as authentic Friday by the Vatican, puts mounting pressure on the bishops as a whole to resign given Francis told them that “no one can exempt himself and place the problem on the shoulders of the others.”

The bishops are due to hold a news conference in Rome later Friday.

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Pennsylvania dioceses say they won’t block report on clerical sexual abuse

PENNSYLVANIA
Crux

May 18, 2018

Several dioceses in Pennsylvania have said they will not try and block a report from a grand jury investigation into clerical sexual abuse in the state.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is overseeing the grand jury investigation into six of the eight Catholic dioceses in the state: Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Erie, Greensburg and Pittsburgh.

“The Diocese of Allentown continues to cooperate fully with the Office of the Attorney General,” spokesman Matt Kerr said in a statement Thursday. “We will not challenge the release of the grand jury report.”

“The Diocese of Scranton continues to cooperate fully with the grand jury and has informed the Attorney General’s office that it will not challenge the release of the report,” Diocese of Scranton spokesman Bill Genello said on Thursday.

Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico on Wednesday said he wouldn’t try and block the report after meeting with Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

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Pope vows ‘change’ in Chile church after pedophile scandal

VATICAN CITY
Rappler

May 18, 2018

AFP

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Thursday, May 17, promised “changes” to the Chilean church to “restore justice” following a child abuse scandal that has come to haunt his papacy.

However in a short letter addressed to 34 Chilean bishops, whom the Argentinian pontiff met in groups from Tuesday, May 15, to Thursday, he gave no indication of eventual consequences for those suspected of keeping silent about the abuse.

“I thank you for the full availability that everyone has shown to adhere to and collaborate in all the changes and resolutions that we will have to implement in the short, medium and long term, necessary to restore justice and ecclesiastical communion,” the pope said in a statement in Spanish circulated by the Vatican.

He said the meetings had been a “frank” exchange about “the grave events that have damaged ecclesiastical communion and weakened the work of the Church of Chile in recent years”.

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Pope Francis sends letter to the Chilean Bishops

VATICAN CITY
Vatican News

May 17, 2018

At the conclusion of three days of “fraternal” meetings, Pope Francis hands the following letter to the 34 Chilean bishops with whom he had closely examined the clerical sex abuse scandal that has tarnished the image of the Latin American Church in recent decades:
To the bishops of Chile:

Dear brothers in the episcopate,

I wish to thank you for having accepted my invitation so that, together, we may make a frank discernment regarding the serious events which have damaged the ecclesial communion and undermined the work of the Church in Chile in recent years.

In light of these painful incidents which concern abuse – of minors, power, and conscience – we exchanged views on their seriousness as well as on their tragic consequences, particularly for the victims. For each of them I have wholeheartedly asked for forgiveness, an action to which all of you have united in one will and with the firm intention of repairing the damage done.

I thank you for the total willingness each one of you has shown to join and collaborate in all the changes and resolutions that we will need to implement in the short-, medium-, and long-term in order to restore justice and ecclesial communion.

Following these days of prayer and reflection, I give you a mandate to continue building a prophetic Church capable of giving pride-of-place to what is most important: Service to the Lord in the hungry, the prisoner, the migrant, and the abused.

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May 17, 2018

Priest extradited from Philippines pleads guilty to 2 counts

NORTH DAKOTA
Cache Valley Daily

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting two boys in North Dakota in the 1990s has pleaded guilty to two counts of felony gross sexual imposition.

Court documents show that Fernando Sayasaya entered the pleas Thursday during a scheduling conference. He’s accused of abusing two underage siblings from 1995 to 1998, while he was assigned to the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Fargo area.

Sayasaya was returned to the United States in December from the Philippines, where he had been since 1998.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 30. Sayasaya faces up to 20 years in prison

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Reunión con Scicluna y omisiones: La carta completa de monseñor Errázuriz a los obispos

CHILE
La Tercera

[Meeting with Scicluna and omissions: The complete letter of Monsignor Errázuriz to the bishops.
A detailed account of the way he carried out the canonical investigation and process against Fernando Karadima is the one made by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz in the letter he sent to the Chilean bishops on May 10, a few days before the expected meeting in Rome. with Pope Francisco. This includes the moment in which the accusations against El Bosque’s expárroco were credible and their actions before Monsignor Charles Scicluna in 2009, who gave him -as he says- indications for the investigation.]

M. Eugenia Fernández G.

17 MAY 2018

Un pormenorizado relato de la forma en que llevó adelante la investigación y proceso canónico contra Fernando Karadima es la que hizo el cardenal Francisco Javier Errázuriz en la carta que el 10 de mayo envió a los obispos chilenos, pocos días antes de la esperada reunión en Roma con el Papa Francisco. Este incluye el momento en que las acusaciones contra el expárroco de El Bosque fueron verosímiles y sus gestiones ante monseñor Charles Scicluna en 2009, quien le dio -según dice- indicaciones para la investigación.

En el documento titulado “Declaración testimonial” -a cuyo contenido completo accedió La Tercera PM, luego de que Associated Press publicara algunos fragmentos- el ex arzobispo de Santiago intenta defenderse de las “difamaciones” que ha recibido “en las últimas semanas”, en las cuales se le ha tildado de “encubridor, delincuente, criminal y persona despreciable”

Errázuriz afirma que “me han pedido con insistencia que no guarde más silencio y escriba una aclaración” y que “quienes me conocen personalmente, quienes han colaborado conmigo, y quienes han seguido de cerca o de lejos mi labor como sacerdote, obispo y cardenal, nunca me han calificado de esa manera, porque saben que he querido ser justo y caritativo”.

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Pope calls on Chilean bishops to restore justice, care for abused

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

May 17, 2018

by Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — After several days of private meetings with Chilean bishops, Pope Francis called on them to build a “prophetic church” that places care for the suffering, especially survivors of sexual abuse, at its center.

In a letter given to the bishops and released by the Vatican May 17, the pope thanked the bishops for accepting his invitation to discuss “the serious acts that have damaged ecclesial communion and weakened the work of the church in Chile in recent years.”

“In light of these painful events regarding abuses — of minors, of power and conscience — we have delved into the seriousness (of the abuses) as well as the tragic consequences they have had, particularly for the victims,” the pope said.

The bishops met at the Vatican May 15-17 to discuss with Pope Francis their handling of clerical sex abuse allegations.

Pope Francis invited three sex abuse survivors — Juan Carlos Cruz, Jose Andres Murillo and James Hamilton — to stay at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican residence where he lives, and to meet with him individually April 27-29. They met him again as a group April 30.

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Diocese of Madison statement regarding retired priest’s arrest and court appearance; accusations of sexual abuse of a minor

WISCONSIN
Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison – Catholic Herald

Thursday, May. 17, 2018

MADISON — The Diocese of Madison offers the following brief statement, regarding the recent arrest and initial appearance in court of a retired priest of the diocese, Fr. William Nolan:

The diocese recently learned that Fr. William Nolan (64) was arrested by the Fort Atkinson police, with charges pending. Today, we were informed that he has been charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a minor (under the age of 16), as documented in the formal criminal complaint, filed today in Jefferson County Circuit Court.

Upon learning of his arrest and pending charges a diocesan representative contacted the Fort Atkinson police assuring them of our full cooperation.

Simultaneously, and although Father Nolan has been retired since 2007 and does not hold any ecclesiastical office or function, Bishop Robert C. Morlino placed him on what is commonly called “administrative leave,” as required by the Essential Norms in force in the dioceses of the USA. This includes a total exclusion from any exercise of priestly ministry while the matter is pending. The diocese also began its own canonical process of investigating these allegations, and the diocesan Sexual Abuse Review Board was engaged.

Father Nolan retired from full-time ministry in the diocese in 2007, at his request. His last assignment was as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Fort Atkinson, from 2002-2007. This is when and where the allegations being investigated are claimed to have taken place. They were brought directly to the civil authorities in Fort Atkinson and were only shared with Church officials as Father Nolan’s arrest was set in motion. This is the very first the diocese has heard of these accusations.

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Retired Madison priest faces sexual assault charges in Jefferson County

WISCONSIN
Madison State Journal

May 17, 2018

SHELLEY K. MESCH smesch@madison.com

A retired Madison priest has been charged with several criminal counts relating to sexual abuse allegations during his tenure at a Fort Atkinson church.

Bill Nolan, 64, faces counts of second degree sexual assault of a child, according to court records, and made his initial court appearance through a video conference from Jefferson County Jail.

Nolan is a retired priest-in-residence at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, parish officials told parishioners in an email Thursday.

Judge Jennifer Weston set bail at $50,000 with the stipulation that Nolan not leave the state, have no contact with any children under the age of 18, no presence at St. Joseph’s and no contact with the accuser, court documents show.

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Complaint: Madison priest-in-residence assaulted Fort Atkinson altar boy more than 100 times

WISCONSIN
Channel 3000

May 17, 2018

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. – A retired priest in residence at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Madison is facing felony counts after he allegedly sexually assaulted a boy in Fort Atkinson for years, according to documents filed in court Thursday.

William A. Nolan, 64, of Madison, was charged in Jefferson County court Thursday with six felony counts of second-sexual assault of a child under 16 years old.

Nolan appeared in court via teleconference. The judge ordered a $50,000 signature bond. As conditions of bond, Nolan was ordered not to leave Wisconsin, can’t have contact with any children under 18, cannot be at St. Joseph Church or school in Fort Atkinson and can’t have contact with the victim.

According to the criminal complaint, more than 100 assaults took place between February 2006 and the summer of 2010, when the boy was 13 to 17 years old.

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Pope Tells Chilean Bishops: Serve Christ in Victims of Abuse

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Register

May 17. 2018

Elise Harris/CNA/EWTN News

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis thanked Chile’s bishops for their “frank” dialogue during a 3-day Vatican meeting on the Chilean abuse scandals, and asked them to focus on serving abuse victims as they return to their dioceses and prepare to implement short and long term resolutions.

“After these days of prayer and reflection I invite you to continue building a prophetic Church, which knows how to put what is important at the center: service to the Lord in the hungry, the prisoner, the migrant and the abused,” the Pope said in a letter to Chilean bishops.

Published May 17, the letter was given to each of the bishops by Pope Francis during their final meeting earlier that evening.

He thanked the bishops for their presence and for the “frank discernment” they carried out in terms of how to face the “serious acts that have damaged ecclesial communion and weakened the work of the Church in Chile in recent years.”

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As Vatican meeting on Chilean abuse ends, fate of bishops uncertain

VATICAN CITY
Reuters

Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A crisis meeting between Pope Francis and Chilean bishops about the cover-up of sexual abuse in the country ended on Thursday amid growing speculation among clergy and media that some of them would resign.
In a letter the Vatican said the pope handed to each of the 34 bishops at the end of four days of meetings, Francis said the discussions were “frank” and they had discussed “painful events regarding abuses – of minors, of power and of conscience”.

He said the bishops had agreed to short, medium and long-term changes in order to restore justice and Church unity, but did not elaborate. The meeting ended with “the firm intention to repair the damage done,” the pope said.

One of the bishops is holding a news conference on Friday and there has been growing speculation that he, or the Vatican, could announce the resignation of one or more of the bishops most tainted by the scandal that has shaken the country.

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Following Your Faith — A Conversation about the Catholic Church

NEW YORK
WKBW

[with video]

Catlin Bogard

May 17, 2018

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) – The news about the Catholic Church hasn’t been especially positive recently, with some calling for the bishop to resign over revelations of sexual abuse among priests dating back decades in the Buffalo diocese.

But what does this news mean to local Catholics? Has it shaken their faith? Do they feel that things are changing in a positive way, despite the negative headlines?

We sat down with local Catholics to have an open and honest discussion.

“It upset me very much,” Kelly, a parishioner at Our Lady of Charity in South Buffalo, told us. “I believe my church should always act with decency and candor and having a cover-up let me feel…I felt betrayed by the church. I didn’t feel it was handled in the proper way.”

“It was disturbing to hear,” Lucy, a parishioner at the Blessed Sacrament in the Town of Tonawanda, said. “And it was sad to hear. But my faith never changed and it didn’t waiver because the message the Catholic Church teaches and the message of Christ has never changed.”

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Diocese of Erie Bishop meets with Shapiro over grand jury report

PENNSYLVANIA
WJAC

May 17, 2018

by Matthew Stevens

ERIE, Pa. – Diocese of Erie Bishop Most Rev. Lawrence Persico said he met with state Attorney General Josh Shapiro Wednesday to discuss the grand jury report into child sex abuse accusations within the diocese.

Persico said that he has decided not to seek any legal challenges to the grand jury process and its work.

“I realize that the grand jury report will contain information that will be difficult for all of us to hear, but in order for us to focus on the future, we have to have a solid knowledge of the past,” said Persico.

“The grand jury investigation and its report will provide a voice for the victims. We must listen to that voice and learn from it as we move forward.”

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Pope says change coming for Chile, but so far no specifics

VATICAN CITY
Crux

Inés San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

May 17, 2018

ROME – After a three-day summit between Pope Francis and 34 Chilean bishops to discuss sexual abuse and abuses of power, the pontiff thanked the Chileans for being open to changes in the “short, medium and long term … to restore justice and ecclesial communion,” but did not describe the content of those changes.

In a letter the pope gave the bishops which the Vatican released Thursday afternoon, the pope called the Chilean bishops to continue working for a “prophetic Church, capable of putting at the center what’s important: the service to her Lord in the hungry, the imprisoned, the migrant, the abused.”

In the text, Francis also thanked the bishops for “welcoming the invitation” to undertake a “frank discernment about the grave events that have damaged ecclesial communion and weakened the work of the Church of Chile in recent years.”

The pope had summoned the bishops to Rome after dispatching Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Spanish Father Jordi Bertomeu to Chile to look into the case of Bishop Juan Barros, accused by survivors of clerical sexual abuse of covering up for his mentor Father Fernando Karadima.

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Pope’s Chile abuse summit ends amid signs heads will roll

VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

May 17, 2018

By NICOLE WINFIELD

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Thursday ended his emergency summit with Chile’s bishops by thanking them for their “full willingness” to do whatever it takes to recover from a sex abuse and cover-up scandal that has discredited the church.

Francis bid farewell to each of the 34 bishops from Chile amid indications that heads will roll after four days of meetings and prayer. Vatican television showed the Chilean bishops thanking Francis as they took their leave. The only one Francis is shown kissing on each cheek and patting on the arm was Bishop Juan Barros, who is at the center of the scandal.

In a farewell letter given to each bishop, Francis said he had already apologized to the sex abuse victims he had discredited. He reminded the churchmen that they had joined in that apology “with the firm aim of repairing the wounds.”

“I thank you for the full willingness each one of you has shown to cooperate in all the short, medium and long-term changes and resolutions that we must implement to re-establish justice and the ecclesial communion,” Francis wrote.

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Erie bishop says he won’t challenge grand jury findings

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PETER SMITH
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

MAY 16, 2018

Roman Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie says he will “forgo any legal challenges “ to a statewide grand jury investigating sexual abuse in his and five other dioceses across Pennsylvania.

Bishop Persico met Wednesday with Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office is investigating the dioceses in conjunction with a statewide grand jury.

It is unclear from statements from Bishop Persico and from Mr. Shapiro what sort of legal challenge a diocese could mount to a grand jury proceeding if it chose to do so.

The 40th statewide grand jury, convening in Pittsburgh, is believed to have wrapped up its proceedings last month and to be preparing a wide-ranging report on abuse in most of the state’s dioceses over the past seven decades.

“I realize that the grand jury report will contain information that will be difficult for all of us to hear, but in order for us to focus on the future, we have to have a solid knowledge of the past,” Bishop Persico said Wednesday in his statement. “The grand jury investigation and its report will provide a voice for the victims. We must listen to that voice and learn from it as we move forward.”

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Alums accuse Catholic school in San Jose for failing to handle past sex abuse claims

CALIFORNIA
KTVU

By: Azenith Smith

MAY 17 2018

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Dozens of people gathered Wednesday night in San Jose over growing concerns an all-girls Catholic high school failed to handle past sexual abuse claims. Former students organized the meeting.

One of the organizers said a teacher touched her inappropriately but the school failed to act. Now, she and other alums are demanding the principal and the president of the school’s board of directors to resign.

The meeting started with a compilation video of former students who said they reported sexual misconduct to Presentation High School administrators and they did nothing.

“After talking to some of the parents and students, it’s clear that now everyone knows what’s going on,” said Former Student Kathryn Leehane.

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Allentown Diocese: Grand jury report on clergy sex abuse is coming

PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

May 17, 2018

Steve Esack
Call Harrisburg Bureau

The Allentown Diocese has become Pennsylvania’s second regional Catholic administration to announce it will not attempt to stall publication of a statewide grand jury report expected to detail decades of clergy sex abuse.

The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office is finishing the report. It would follow a grand jury investigation, started in 2016, into six of eight Catholic dioceses that serve communities in nearly every part of the state.

“The Diocese of Allentown continues to cooperate fully with the Office of the Attorney General,” spokesman Matt Kerr said in a statement today. “We will not challenge the release of the grand jury report.”

It’s not clear what, if any, legal challenge a diocese or other institution or individual could use to stop a prosecutor’s office from publishing a grand jury investigation.

“Any investigating grand jury, by an affirmative majority vote of the full investigating grand jury, may, at any time during its term submit to the supervising judge an investigating grand jury report,” according to the state law outlining jury rules.

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NYS Group Pushing for Vote on Bill to Allow Child Sex Assault Victims to Sue Years After the Crimes

NEW YORK
WAER

By CHRIS BOLT

Public Meeting on Child Victims Act May 21 @ 6:00 pm, CrestHill Suites, East Syracuse.

A bill that would give victims of child sexual assault a window to bring old cases against their abusers is stalled in Albany. A group advocating for the Child Victims Act is raising awareness about the measure in hopes of countering opponents of the bill … and perhaps making New York safer for kids.

Bridie Farrell was a 15-year-old competitive speed skater in Saratoga Springs, when then 33-year-old Olympian Andy Gabel came to town to train. Farrell says the iconic athlete abused here multiple times…and her complaints to Olympic Team officials fell on deaf ears.

He has since admitted an inappropriate relationship and been stripped of membership in the national skating body. But the statute of limitations on such crimes prevents Farrell from bring a criminal or civil suit against Gabel.

Now Farrell is trying to get the Child Victims Act passed to open up cases in which statutes of limitations prevent any action.

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Cura cuencano es acusado por nueva víctima

ECUADOR
El Telegrafo

[A new complaint is added to the two previous ones against the Cuenca priest César C. The affected one assures that he was a victim of rape by the priest when he was 7 years old.]

16 de mayo de 2018

Una nueva denuncia se suma a las dos anteriores en contra del sacerdote cuencano César C. El afectado asegura que fue víctima de violación por el cura cuando tenía 7 años.

El hombre, de 64 años, que no se identificó, dijo que fue a la escuela Miguel Ortiz, que funcionaba cerca de su hogar.

A los pocos meses, el sacerdote fue a su casa y habló con su madre para que le permitiera asistir a la catequesis.

“Cuando llegué el guardián me llevó hasta un cuarto oscuro y allí estaba el cura que me pidió que escogiera el juguete que deseaba”, agregando que luego le dijo que se sentara en sus piernas y allí fue que, supuestamente, lo violó, pero no fue la única vez que sucedió.

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Ex-Fort priest arrested for molestation

WISCONSIN
Daily Jefferson County Union

May 17, 2018

By Ryan Whisner rwhisner@dailyunion.com

Posted on May 17, 2018

A retired former Fort Atkinson Catholic priest is expected to face allegations of sexual assault that occurred during his tenure at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in the community.

The Rev. William A. Nolan, 64, was arrested Tuesday by the Fort Atkinson Police Department at 12:35 p.m. on multiple allegations of sexual assault of a child under 12 and repeated sexual assault of a child.

If those are the charges, he would face a maximum sentence of 60 years on each count, if convicted. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office determines what the actual charge(s) would be.

Nolan is expected to make an initial appearance in court this afternoon before Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Weston. He currently is in custody at the Jefferson County Jail.

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Nassar victim says MSU donor criticized ‘these girls,’ a remark he says was misheard

MICHIGAN
Lansing State Journal

Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal

May 11, 2018

For the second time this year, a major MSU donor is under scrutiny for comments he’s made about Larry Nassar’s victims.

While waiting with a crowd to enter a gubernatorial debate held in Grand Rapids earlier this week, Sterling Riethman, one of the 204 women and girls who gave statements earlier this year during Nassar’s sentencing hearings on sexual assault charges, says she heard Peter Secchia say, “These girls are going to ruin the state of Michigan. We have to stop them.”

Secchia, who has donated millions to Michigan State University over the years and has his name on several university buildings, denied the allegation when the Lansing State Journal contacted him. He said Riethman misheard him and that he said the package of bills would ruin the state. The bills were inspired by Nassar, the disgraced former MSU physician accused of sexually abusing hundreds of patients.

Riethman had testified at a state House committee about why she supports legislation intended to extend the statute of limitations for criminal and civil cases involving sexual assault cases, among other changes. Hours later Riethman was waiting to take her seat to watch the debate between Republican candidates.

A group of men were having a conversation within feet of her and she heard one ask Secchia if he had heard that some of Nassar’s victims had been “paraded” in front of the state House Law and Justice Committee to testify in support of the Nassar-inspired bills, Riethman told the State Journal on Tuesday.

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Milwaukee priest jailed for sexual contact served at St. Mark’s Parish in Phoenix in 1970s

ARIZONA
azcentral

Anne Ryman, The Republic | azcentral.com

May 17, 2018

A Wisconsin priest with a long history of complaints involving children, and who was sentenced to jail last year on sex charges, was assigned to the Phoenix Diocese in the early 1970s.

The Diocese of Phoenix told The Arizona Republic on Wednesday evening that it recently became aware that Robert Raymond Marsicek, a priest of the Milwaukee-based Salvatorian religious order, is listed as having served at St. Mark’s Parish in south Phoenix in 1974.

“According to our records, there have been no reported incidents or allegations against Father Marsicek in the Diocese of Phoenix,” the Diocese said in a statement.

“Anyone who has been a victim of abuse or who may have information concerning this situation is encouraged to call a local law enforcement agency.”

Marsicek, 76, was sentenced to one year in jail in December after pleading guilty to three counts of misdemeanor sexual contact with a girl. The incidents occurred at a Catholic school in Wauwatosa between 2007 and 2011, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which covered the case extensively.

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Class Action Lawsuit Filed On Behalf Of Minor Students Who Were Sexually Assaulted By A Former Saint Frances Academy Teacher

MARYLAND
PRNewswire

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Murphy, Falcon & Murphy

BALTIMORE, May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a class action lawsuit against Saint Frances Academy, a private Roman Catholic high school located in Baltimore City, on behalf of Jill Doe1, a current Saint Frances Academy student, and all current and former students at Saint Frances Academy who were harassed, sexually assaulted, abused, exploited, and/or inappropriately touched by Ryan Penalver, a former teacher and administrator at Saint Frances Academy. The lawsuit names as defendants Penalver, as well as Saint Frances Academy, Inc. and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore (“Archdiocese”), both of which own, operate and/or manage Saint Frances Academy and employed and supervised Penalver.

In early May of 2018, abusing his position as a member of the Saint Frances Academy faculty, Penalver engaged in sexual relations with a minor student. Worse yet, Penalver had begun grooming this student using his school email account since April. After the student sought his support for emotional and mental distress, instead of helping her, he used his position of trust and authority to sexually abuse, assault, and exploit her, coercing her into exchanging sexually explicit photographs and videos, and forcing her to engage in sexual acts while on school property– acts to which she could not legally consent.

The lawsuit further alleges that, upon information and belief, Penalver harassed, engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with, and/or sexually abused, assaulted, and/or exploited other students at Saint Frances Academy. Upon information and belief, agents, employees, and/or administrators at Saint Frances Academy knew or should have known about Penalver’s propensity to harass and exploit others, yet Saint Frances Academy, Inc., and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore failed to protect Jill Doe and other students and failed to prevent Penalver’s unconscionable actions.

Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Saint Frances Academy administrators knew or should have known that, on or about November 12, 2017, Penalver had been formally charged with criminal harassment in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. The lawsuit further alleges that, upon information and belief, prior to Penalver’s assault of Jill Doe, members of the Saint Frances school community had knowledge that Penalver had previously engaged in inappropriate communications with other students. Saint Frances Academy, Inc.’s and the Archdiocese’s failure to adequately and properly supervise Penalver, failure to adequately investigate complaints and concerns regarding Penalver’s conduct and propensities, and failure to terminate Penalver on or before November 2017 exposed Jill Doe and others to a teacher with a propensity to harass, abuse, harm, and assault others. As such, the lawsuit claims that Saint Frances Academy, Inc. and the Archdiocese are liable for Penalver’s actions.

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Vatican investigator says pope, Chile bishops making history

ROME
Crux

Inés San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

May 17, 2018

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with comments from Cardinal Javier Errázuriz.

ROME – Spanish Father Jordi Bertomeu, perhaps the Vatican figure other than Pope Francis who knows the Chilean church best right now, told reporters Thursday that “history is being made” in Rome this week in an extraordinary summit between the pope and 34 Chilean bishops.

“We are at a very particular moment for the universal Church, not only for Chile,” Bertomeu told reporters. “What has happened is not normal, to call [in] an entire bishops conference. If I were you [a journalist], I would deduce that it’s necessary to expect some measures [to be taken[. I believe we’re making history.”

Bertomeu is the lesser-known of the two men Pope Francis tasked with carrying out a deep dive into the situation of the Catholic Church in Chile, originally to investigate the case of Bishop Juan Barros, accursed of covering up for his mentor, who’s been found guilty by the Vatican of sexually abusing minors.

Due to circumstance, Bertomeu, an official of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, ended taking lead after Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna was hospitalized in Chile for emergency gall bladder surgery.

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Former Gonzaga priest and professor sentenced for child porn possession

WASHINGTON
KXLY

Rachel DeYoung

May 16, 2018

SPOKANE, Wash. – A former Gonzaga University priest and professor was sentenced Wednesday to six months in jail for downloading and viewing child pornography.

Gary Uhlenkott, 67, pleaded guilty in February to viewing depictions of minors engaged in sexual explicit conduct in the 2nd degree back in April 2013.

Uhlenkott had been a Jesuit priest for 25 years at the time and was a professor of music at Gonzaga.

According to court documents, in October 2010, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Toronto Police Service started investigating a movie production company in Toronto, ‘Toronto Company’, that was the subject of more than 20 complaints of child pornography.

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Shielding predators: Church leaders oppose measures to benefit sexual abuse victims

NEW YORK
Watertown Daily Times

MAY 17, 2018

In opposing various measures that would benefit victims of child sexual abuse, leaders of the Roman Catholic Church are once again circling the wagons.

And Republican members of the state Senate have helped them. They have for years blocked legislation that would eliminate “the statutes of limitation for prosecuting child sexual abuse crimes and filing civil lawsuits for damages against individuals, public institutions, and private institutions related to child sexual abuse. This act also creates a one-year revival period for previously time-barred civil actions which alleged conduct representing the commission of certain sexual offenses committed against a child less than 18 years of age,” according to language in S809, also known as the Child Victims Act.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, who oversees the archdiocese in much of New York City, described the one-year lookback as “toxic” for the Catholic Church, according to an article published March 20 by the New York Daily News. He urged legislative leaders to reject the bill.

And he got his wish. Before the state budget was approved earlier this year, the Child Victims Act was removed from the overall spending plan. While members of the Assembly and Senate could still act on the bill as an individual piece of legislation, it’s obvious that far too many officials lack the will to push it through.

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Jury finds Christian missionary from Oregon guilty of abusing Cambodian orphans

OREGON
USA Today

Gillian Flaccus, The Associated Press

May 16, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. — A U.S. jury found a Christian missionary from Oregon guilty Wednesday of multiple sex abuse charges for molesting children living at an unlicensed Cambodian orphanage that he operated in Phnom Penh over a period of years.

Daniel Stephen Johnson, 40, was convicted of six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count each of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and aggravated sexual assault with children. He faces a minimum of 30 years in prison when sentenced in August in Eugene, Oregon.

Federal public defender Craig Weinerman did not return calls or e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment after business hours Wednesday. His co-counsel, Lisa Maxfield, declined comment.

U.S. authorities said nine Cambodian children ranging in age from 7 to 18 have disclosed Johnson’s abuse or past abuse in lengthy interviews with trained child-forensic interviewers. The FBI launched an extensive investigation of Johnson and his potential victims after learning of the case in 2013, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland said.

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Oxfam chief steps down after charity’s sexual abuse scandal

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Kevin Rawlinson

16 May 2018

Oxfam’s chief executive is to stand down from his position with the charity at the end of the year.

Mark Goldring, who took up the post in 2013, was at the head of the organisation when news broke of the by then members of the charity’s staff.

Announcing his decision to depart, he said: “Following the very public exposure of Oxfam’s past failings, we have redoubled our efforts to ensure that Oxfam is a safe and respectful place for all who have contact with us. We are now laying strong foundations for recovery. I am personally totally committed to seeing this phase through.

“However, what is important in 2019 and beyond is that Oxfam rebuilds and renews in a way that is most relevant for the future and so continues to help as many people as possible around the world build better lives. I think that this journey will best be led by someone bringing fresh vision and energy and making a long-term commitment to see it through.”

Oxfam said Goldring had presided over “the biggest annual humanitarian response in its history, encompassing the refugee crisis as well as conflicts including Yemen, Syria and South Sudan”. His time at the head of the charity, it said, was characterised by an increasing focus on tackling global poverty and its causes.

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Malka Leifer ordered to undergo another psychiatric evaluation

ISRAEL
Sydney Morning Herald

By Gabrielle Weiniger

17 May 2018

Accused child abuser Malka Leifer will undergo another psychiatric evaluation from behind bars after a Jerusalem District Court judge requested her mental state be reassessed once again.

The court is trying to determine whether Leifer is fit to undergo extradition proceedings.

Leifer did not attend Wednesday’s hearing despite being present at the Jerusalem court, after her lawyer Yehuda Fried claimed she was feeling unwell.

She will return to court on May 31 to hear the outcome of the new assessment from a district psychiatrist, as well as a review of the evidence presented against her.

The 54-year-old is accused of 74 counts of sexual abuse during her time as principal of the ultra-
Orthodox Adass Jewish girls’ school in Melbourne over a decade ago.

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Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring to stand down at end of 2018 after Haiti sex scandal

UNITED KINGDOM
Independent

May 16, 2018

Lizzie Dearden Home Affairs Correspondent @lizziedearden

The embattled head of Oxfam GB has resigned in the wake of a scandal over sexual misconduct by its staff in Haiti and other disaster zones.

Mark Goldring, who resisted pressure to step down amid outcry in February, said he was “proud” of the charity’s work over the past five years.

“But I think the time is coming for a new leader,” he added. “Following the very public exposure of Oxfam’s past failings, we have redoubled our efforts to ensure that Oxfam is a safe and respectful place for all who have contact with us.

“We are now laying strong foundations for recovery. I am personally totally committed to seeing this phase through.”

Following anger over revelations that Oxfam staff had used prostitutes in Haiti in 2011, Mr Goldring provoked fresh ire by claiming the reaction was “out of proportion”, adding: “The intensity and the ferocity of the attack makes you wonder, what did we do? We murdered babies in their cots?”

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Criminal sex case of priest put off: His lawyer to challenge evidence

MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

Stephanie Dickrell, sdickrell@stcloudtimes.com

May 16, 2018

ST. CLOUD — A lawyer representing the Rev. Anthony Oelrich is arguing evidence gathered ahead of a criminal sexual conduct charge is inadmissible at trial.

Oelrich, 51, was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree in February.

Oelrich was scheduled to have a hearing reviewing the evidence to be used at trial this week. Paul Engh, his lawyer, filed several motions challenging various evidence in the trial and the way it was gathered.

The hearing was moved to May 30 to allow counsel and witnesses time to prepare, said Joshua Kannegieter.

Kannegieter is prosecuting the case for the Stearns County Attorney’s Office. He said in general, the motions challenge a search warrant, Oelrich’s arrest and discussions about evidence that must be available to both sides. Kannegieter refused to elaborate, nor would he comment on possible outcomes of the hearing.

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Chilean Abuse Victims Demand Justice from Emergency Summit

VATICAN CITY
telesur

May 17, 2018

Abuse victims demanded that the Holy See leave off with the prayers and penance and deliver serious justice to perpetrators.

Pope Francis must acknowledge the crimes, coverups, and the need for compensation, Chilean sexual abuse victims demanded in a statement to the emergency Vatican summit on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Pope, at least six assault victims demanded that the Holy See leave behind the prayers and penance, delivering serious justice to perpetrators for the years of suffering brought on by cover-ups and incredulity.

“We insist on the need for the Vatican to modify its discourse and- in addition to speaking about pain, forgiveness and sins- it is imperative that they recognize crimes, wrongs, and reparations and trust all the information it has to the hands of federal justice,” the delegation said, some of whom identified themselves as victims of the Marist Brothers religious order.

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Modesto police confer with Arizona counterparts in clergy sex scandal

CALIFORNIA/ARIZONA
Modesto Bee

BY GARTH STAPLEY
gstapley@modbee.com

May 16, 2018

Police in Modesto and Scottsdale are in touch for an investigation of clergy sexual abuse, authorities in Arizona said at a town hall meeting Tuesday.

Heather Graves, spokeswoman for Modesto police, on Wednesday confirmed contact between the two agencies, although the Modesto department has taken no reports of abuse at the hands of former pastor Les Hughey.

Hughey, 65, resigned last month from the megachurch he founded in Scottsdale. He stepped down four days after The Modesto Bee published a report about sexual encounters with young women in his charge four decades earlier when he was a youth pastor at a prominent Modesto evangelical church.

Shortly after The Bee’s report, four women came forward with stories that Hughey fondled them when he was their youth pastor in the 1980s at Scottsdale Bible Church. That church launched an independent investigation, and hosted Tuesday’s meeting featuring authorities with Scottsdale police and Maricopa County prosecutors, attended by about 60 people.

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Catholic bishop meets with AG amid looming grand jury report on clergy sex abuse

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

May 16, 2018

By Christine Vendel cvendel@pennlive.com

The Erie Catholic Bishop met with the state’s attorney general Wednesday as the diocese braces for the pending release of a grand jury report on clergy sex abuse that is likely to be unflattering.

Bishop Lawrence Perisco said he and Josh Shapiro met in Erie and “discussed in detail” the diocese’ efforts to implement a revised policy to protect children, Perisco’s testimony before the grand jury and the looming report.

The grand jury that had been studying how six dioceses, including Erie, handled reports of sexual abuse reportedly finished its term April 30, according to goerie.com. That indicates that the report could be released any day.

Perisco said in a news release Wednesday night that he has “chosen to forgo any legal challenges to the grand jury process and its work. I realize that the grand jury report will contain information that will be difficult for all of us to hear, but in order for us to focus on the future, we have to have a solid knowledge of the past.”

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