ABUSE TRACKER

PERU
La Republica

[The Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cusco, Monsignor Fredy Aparicio Quispe, said that Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the Sodality of Christian Life, should be condemned by justice. Figari was convicted for sexual abuse committed against its members.]

José Víctor Salcedo

Cusco

El Vicario General de la Arquidiócesis del Cusco, monseñor Fredy Aparicio Quispe, consideró que Luis Fernando Figari, fundador del Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, debe ser condenado por la justicia. Figari fue hallado culpable por abusos sexuales cometidos en contra de sus miembros.

“Se tiene que revisar y buscar a los culpables. Y la ley y la justicia están para eso, para poder poner un límite y condenar a estas personas que han incurrido en faltas que están demostradas”, anotó.

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PERU
CCTV America

[with video]

Dan Collyns

April 13, 2016
Last week, an elite Peruvian Catholic group admitted that its founder and former leader is guilty of the accusations of sexual and physical abuse made against him last year.

CCTV America’s Dan Collyns reports from Lima

For victims of Luis Fernando Figari, founder and leader of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, the statement from the church’s current leader has been a long time coming. Last October, Peru’s attorney general launched an investigation into allegations Figari sexually and physically abused children and former members of the sect.

The investigation was prompted following the publication of the book, “Half Monks-Half Soldiers,” by investigative authors, Paola Ugaz and Pedro Salinas. They interviewed 30 former members of the Catholic society known as Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, who describe being physically abused and brainwashed.

Three anonymous former members accused Figari of rape and molestation when they were boys.

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UNITED STATES
The Gazette

By: G. Jeffrey MacDonald, RNS April 13, 2016

(RNS) The firing of two senior Episcopal Church administrators for unspecified reasons after a four-month misconduct investigation has prompted warnings that the church’s “cover-up” could endanger future victims.

Some legal experts and advocates are calling for more disclosure about the managerial misconduct that led to the firings of Chief Deputy Operating Officer Sam McDonald and Director of Public Engagement Alex Baumgarten.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in a brief April 4 statement that the two “violated established workplace policies” and “failed to live up to the Church’s standards of personal conduct in their relationships with employees.” Through a spokesperson, he said the church would have no further comment on the matter.

By saying nothing about what types of violations occurred, the church heightens the risk that wrongful behavior will be repeated elsewhere as McDonald and Baumgarten move on, according to Colby Bruno, senior legal counsel for the Victim Rights Law Center, a national nonprofit that provides free legal services from its offices in Boston and Portland, Ore. The silence also discourages other victims from coming forward and saying “this happened to me, too,” she said.

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OHIO
WLWT

HAMILTON, Ohio —The Franklin man accused of sexually abusing two young boys he met while volunteering as a church bus driver paid bills for their parents and showered them with gifts, a police report states.

According to investigators with the FBI and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, 46-year-old Jory Leedy met the boys in 2012 while he was a volunteer bus driver for Target Ministries of Dayton.

“Leedy would go to poorer neighborhoods in the Dayton area and give rides to those who needed assistance from the ministry,” court documents state.

Among those he picked up in 2012 were two young boys, who investigators say would become his victims.

Over a two-year period, detectives said Leedy showered the boys with gifts and trips.

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OHIO
WDTN

[with video]

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) — A convicted sex offender in Warren County has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing boys he met while driving a church bus, officials said.

According to investigators, Jory Leedy of Franklin met two boys in 2012 while volunteering as a driver for Target Ministries in Dayton.

The boys were 7 and 8-years-old at the time. Leedy started buying the boys clothes, games, and took them on trips. Eventually, he spent nearly every weekend with them, according to court documents.

Leedy told the boys’ mother his first name was “Jordan” to avoid his sex offender status showing up in any searches, according to court documents. Investigators said by 2013, he was taking the boys to out-of-state hotels and would sexually abuse them.

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HAWAII
Honolulu Civil Beat

APRIL 13, 2016 · By Chad Blair

The fact that more lawsuits were filed Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii alleging sexual abuse may not elicit much shock.

Such legal action against the church in Hawaii and everywhere else has been widespread in recent years.

So Kailua attorney Mark Gallagher, who filed the three latest lawsuits in 1st Circuit Court in Honolulu, shared information with reporters at a brief press conference to illustrate just how terrible child sex abuse can be for the young victim.

Here’s that information, claimed in a lawsuit and an August 2015 report written for Gallagher by Thomas Patrick Doyle, a Catholic priest now living in Virginia:

The sexual abuse of a victim identified as John Roe 2 began in 1973, when the boy’s family joined St. Anthony Parish in Kailua. That’s where Roe met two men who would become his alleged abusers, Fathers Joseph Henry and Joseph Ferrario.

Henry exposed himself to the 9-year-old victim, pushed him face down on the carpet and raped him, according to Doyle and the lawsuit.

A year later, Ferrario was named pastor of St. Anthony’s. The victim asked to speak with the priest about Father Henry and the sexual assault. As the victim spoke, Ferrario became sexually excited and forced the boy to perform oral sex, according to Doyle and the suit.

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MINNESOTA
Catholic Spirit

Maria Wiering | April 12, 2016

A number of parishes implicated in child sex abuse claims should prepare for lawsuits related to those allegations to be filed before mid-May, according to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

In a March 30 letter to members of parishes implicated in sexual abuse claims filed against the archdiocese, Archbishop-designate Bernard Hebda called the anticipated lawsuits “a normal part of the litigation process” and urged Catholics to heed Scripture and “do not be afraid.”

Archdiocesan officials have anticipated the suits since it filed for Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in January 2015 in response to mounting claims of child sexual abuse by clergy. The archdiocese is aiming to resolve claims against individual parishes as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, but encourages parishes that are sued to consult their own attorneys.

“All parties involved — including dozens of insurance carriers that issued policies over the past six decades — are participating in mediation with the hope of settling the more than 400 sexual abuse claims that have been brought against the archdiocese and that presumably will soon be filed against parishes arising from the same facts,” Archbishop Hebda wrote.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
Christianity Today

Kate Shellnutt
POSTED 4/13/2016

Darrin Patrick, vice president of the Acts 29 church planting network and founding pastor of The Journey megachurch in St. Louis, has been fired for violating his duties as a pastor.

The Journey cited a range of ongoing sinful behaviors over the past few years including manipulation, domineering, lack of biblical community, and “a history of building his identity through ministry and media platforms.”

In a letter announcing its lead pastor’s removal after 14 years of leadership, the church clarified that adultery was not a factor, though elders looked into inappropriate interactions with two women.

“In short, I am a completely devastated man, utterly broken by my sin and in need of deep healing,” said Patrick in an apology to his 3,000-person congregation. “The way that the Journey elders have demonstrated their desire to see me restored to Jesus, as well as their love for me, Amie, and our family is nothing short of miraculous and beyond gracious.”

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
Warren Throckmorton

April 12, 2016 by Warren Throckmorton

Another megachurch pastor has fallen on hard times.

According to the church website, Darrin Patrick pastor at The Journey in St. Louis has been relieved of duty.

In recent weeks, allegations of pastoral misconduct regarding Pastor Darrin Patrick were made and confirmed. These actions, combined with a historical pattern of sin, led to the heartbreaking decision to remove Pastor Darrin from his role at The Journey and require him to step down from all internal and external leadership positions.

The accusations were not of adultery, but his behavior violates the high standard for a pastor/elder. In the last few years the elders have experienced and confronted issues regularly and intentionally with Darrin. This reveals that he has not been pursuing a personal walk with Jesus in a manner that reflects his pastoral calling and position as an elder in the church (I Peter 5:1-5, I Tim. 3:1-7). Though we all stumble in many ways, those called to teaching and preaching carry the weighty responsibility of setting an example of a Christ honoring lifestyle with the consequence of stricter judgment (James 3:1).

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Alexandra Beech

There has been a spike in Canberra churchgoers seeking child protection training following royal commission revelations of past Australian child sex abuse.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has uncovered horrific cases of abuse and failures to report attackers across the country.

Assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Matt Brain said it had led to a surge in interest in child protection training in the ACT.

“People will often come either with scenarios that they’ve heard in the media or scenarios from personal experience of when things have gone wrong,” Dr Brain said.

“We’ll often have times just of question and answer on how to deal with particular circumstances that have arisen.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
Lancaster Online

Editorial

THE ISSUE

The state House voted 180-15 on Tuesday in favor of House Bill 1947, which would abolish the statute of limitations for future criminal cases of child sexual abuse, and extend the time by 20 years for victims to bring civil suits against their assailants and an agency whose negligence enabled the abuse. The bill would give victims until they turned 50 to bring civil cases, and it would be retroactive, so victims now between the ages of 30 and 50 could bring civil suits. It was opposed by the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania. It now may be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The days aren’t always good for victims of childhood sexual abuse. Some days, some hours or moments, are clouded by trauma; some are occupied with the ongoing struggle to overcome shame and sorrow.

But Tuesday was a good day for many victims of child sexual abuse — a good and hopeful day.

Statute of limitations reform had been held up for years in the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Dauphin County Republican Rep. Ron Marsico.

Then, on March 1, state Attorney General Kathleen Kane unveiled an investigative grand jury report that said hundreds of children in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown had been sexually abused by at least 50 priests or religious leaders over at least 40 years, and two bishops had covered up the abuse.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Bill White

Pennsylvania House offers pleasant surprises

Polls have shown our state lawmakers are rated dismally by most Pennsylvanians, with good reason.

They have been on a terrible run of dysfunction and ineptitude for years, capped by last year’s disgraceful budget impasse.

So when House lawmakers accomplished TWO really good things in recent weeks, back to back, it was a very pleasant surprise. On March 13, they passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. They followed up this week by passing a bill that loosens the statutes of limitations in child sex abuse cases, eliminating them for criminal cases and raising the limit to 50 for civil suits, even for people who previously were blocked by the law. …

As for the statute of limitations changes, yes, the House voted overwhelmingly for an amendment proposed by Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, to let all child sex abuse victims have access to the civil courts until age 50, a giant step forward. It passed the entire bill the next day, sending it on to the Senate.

But for some reason, the House left intact a tacked-on provision that partially lifts sovereign immunity protection shielding public entities such as public schools. That’s clearly a poison pill designed to kill the bill instead of allowing a clean vote.

I have no problem with exploring the sovereign immunity question, a focus of Catholic leaders who have vigorously opposed the statute changes. But it should be considered separately, not as part of this debate. At the very least, it’s likely to delay and complicate the discussion, attracting a new collection of lobbying opponents, which I suspect was the whole point.

Past statute of limitations bills have been buried in the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery. So with the newly passed H.B. 1947 assigned once again to Greenleaf’s committee, all eyes are on him.

Rozzi, whose own story of rape by a priest has been powerfully persuasive, told me he’s spoken to Greenleaf. Rozzi said, “My message to him is: You’re on deck. You need to do the right thing.”

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INDIANA
South Bend Tribune

By Margaret Fosmoe
South Bend Tribune

A victims’ group is asking University of Notre Dame officials to discipline the Rev. Daniel Groody, a theology professor, for comments he made last week during a memorial service on campus for the Rev. Virgilio Elizondo, a priest who committed suicide in Texas after being accused of child sexual abuse.

During the service, Groody said Elizondo was accused of abuse “not because he was a serial abuser, but because he was a highly visible, accomplished, respected cleric. …,” according to a news report in the Observer, the student newspaper.

SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) is asking the Rev. John I. Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, to take disciplinary action against Groody for his comments.

“Survivors who read Father Groody’s words can only feel horribly discouraged: many abusers tell their victims that no one will believe them over a respected man of the cloth. As a result, they will be less likely to seek help, and they will continue to suffer alone and in silence, and their abuser will go on to hurt more children,” SNAP officials David Clohessy and Barbara Dorris wrote in a letter to Jenkins.

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WISCONSIN
Green Bay Press-Gazette

Todd McMahon, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Bishop David Ricken led healing services this week for victims of sexual abuse and other pain caused by the church.

DE PERE – At the bottom of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay marquee on Riverside Drive in Allouez are the words “Compassionately Serves Those in Need.”

Gene Van Asten is thankful the diocese has been practicing what it preaches.

After decades of having nowhere to turn, Van Asten has been getting the help he needs from the diocese the last few years.

Molested as a teenager by a Catholic priest in central Wisconsin, the 66-year-old Van Asten credits the comforting support of Bishop David Ricken and others from the Green Bay diocese for easing the enduring pain.

Ricken for the third straight year led a Prayer Service for Healing at two diocesan churches this week. More than 125 people attended those services, including about 50 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in De Pere on Wednesday night.

The solemn services of more than an hour focus on individuals in need of healing from the Roman Catholic Church, including those who have been sexually abused by clergy.

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GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

Deacon Steve Martinez was the former sexual abuse response coordinator for the Archdiocese of Agana.

Guam – In light of the recent controversy regarding Father Luis Camacho who’s now in Qatar, we sat down with Deacon Steve Martinez, the former sex abuse response coordinator for the Archdiocese of Agana, to get his thoughts on the situation.

It was just about a year ago when Father Luis Camacho was arrested by police and charged with custodial interference. He was accused of picking up a 17-year-old student without her parents’ or the school’s permission and then taking her to a secluded beach.

Although police never charged Father Luis with sexual misconduct because the minor was of the age of consent, allegations surfaced that Father Luis and the student did engage in sexual contact. Deacon Steve Martinez was the former sex abuse response coordinator for the Archdiocese of Agana.

“If they’ve been conducting their investigation based on solely custodial interference, it’s a dog chasing its tail going in the wrong direction,” says Deacon Steve.

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UNITED STATES
Psychiatric Times

April 13, 2016
By Ariana Nesbit, MD and Renee Sorrentino, MD

COMMENTARY

“If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.” This line from the film Spotlight emphasizes the sad fact that when something horrible happens at home, most people don’t want to know about it. And—as psychiatrists—we know too well that those closest to the victim can “turn a blind eye.”

The 2016 Oscar winner for Best Picture does an excellent job of portraying the brave and thorough work of the Boston Globe’s investigative journalism team known as “Spotlight.” The Globe would later go on to win the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for the exposé that was the result of the investigation dramatized in this film.

Sometimes silence is loud. The film sheds light on the important issue of sexual abuse and illustrates the most damaging part of abuse—the failure of those who were supposed to protect the victim. Our experience living and training in Boston made the movie particularly disturbing to watch. We have savored the hot dogs at Fenway Park. We recognized the South End Buttery. We know the steeples rising amidst the rundown triple-deckers. How could its inhabitants have been blind to such a devastating problem for so long?

As a psychiatrist who specializes in paraphilic disorders in the Boston area and as a student of Ed Messner, MD—a psychiatrist whose patient was the notorious Father Geogun, who sexually abused children while assigned to various parishes in the Boston Archdiocese—I (Dr Sorrento) was encouraged to see the attention Spotlight brought to the subject of child sexual abuse.

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UNITED STATES
Reveal: The Center for Investigative Reporting

By Amy Julia Harris / April 13, 2016

Corporal punishment is banned in most day cares across America. But four states have carved out exceptions for religious day cares. In North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri and Indiana, church day cares may physically punish children in accordance with their religious beliefs. But when workers don’t spare the rod, children can be hurt in ways that child welfare regulators consider abuse and neglect, licensing and other records show. Here are some of the ways we found children were punished.

At the Twin Rivers Worship Center’s day care in St. Louis, workers disciplined children with a “banana pinch” – a twist between the crease of the upper thigh and butt cheek designed to leave no trace.

At Twin Rivers Worship Center’s day care in St. Louis, workers disciplined children with a “banana pinch” – a twist between the crease of the upper thigh and butt cheek designed to leave no trace. The church day care had told parents that children wouldn’t be physically disciplined.

Staff would hit children with belts, paddles, rulers, large paint sticks and fly swatters.

Children in many states were whipped with belts and hit with paddles. The beatings often left bruises. Toddlers in Missouri regularly were struck with a paddle emblazoned with Bible verses from Proverbs: “Withhold not correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod he shall not die.”

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AUSTRALIA
Truth, Justice and Healing Council

13 April 2016

This week I met up with Baroness Sheila Hollins from the UK. She is a member of the House of Lords and has been appointed to Pope Francis’ Commission for the Protection of Minors. She is a very accomplished and eminent person, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and part of the Vatican team sent to Ireland to inquire into the Diocese of Armagh.

Baroness Hollins speaks gently and frankly about the enormous task facing the global Catholic Church to address child abuse and to prevent it happening again. She acknowledges that some, like Pope Francis “get it “, and others don’t.

Ever the realist she knows that real change takes shifts in culture as well as practice. For the Church, that means understanding the impacts of clericalism and the abuse of power. It means having a deep appreciation of how entrenched, defensive institutional attitudes pervade across the life of the Church. It means being explicit about how victims and survivors are placed first in every consideration.

Practical steps are required to bring compliance with safe guarding up to best practice. This is at the heart of the Royal Commission’s agenda. It is also deeply sought after by victims who repeatedly ask that every measure is taken to prevent the abuse ever happening again.

Our Council has recommended a new oversight regime be instigated in the Church to such an end. Ideally governments would set up structures for all institutions that provide services for children. But governments are slow to move. Just look at how long they are taking to get their collective act together on national redress!

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AUSTRALIA
Archbishop’s Office for Evangelization

The Melbourne Archdiocese continues to host a number of speakers from the Universal Church who will share their experience and insights on a variety of themes.

Baroness Sheila Hollins (April 2016)
Distinguished Catholic lay woman, Psychiatrist, Member of the House of Lords and Senior Papal Advisor visits Australia this April to talk on mercy and compassion in today’s society.

SYDNEY
Monday 11 April, from 5.15pm for a 6pm start to 7pm
“Living Mercy Today in Society and Church”
A conversation with Baroness Sheila Hollins, led by Frank Brennan sj
Domain Theatre, Art Gallery of New South Wales (1 Art Gallery Rd, Sydney)
RSVP >

MELBOURNE
Wednesday 13 April, 5.45pm – 7pm
“The Medicine of Mercy” *
Public Lecture & Conferral of Honorary Doctorate
Australian Catholic University – Philippa Brazill rsm Lecture Theatre (115 Victoria Pde, Fitzroy)
RSVP >

Saturday 16 April, 9.30am – 12.30pm
“Taste & See: Parable of the Good Samaritan”
Year of Mercy Reflection Morning – interview by Eileen Glass (L’Arche Internationale)
Treacy Centre (126 The Avenue, Parkville)
RSVP >

About Baroness Sheila Hollins
Baroness Sheila Hollins is emeritus professor of the psychiatry of learning disability at St George’s, London, and was created a crossbench life peer in the House of Lords in 2010. She has served as president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and president of the British Medical Association. In 2014 she was appointed to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, to propose policy initiatives that promote local responsibility for the protection of all minors and vulnerable adults. She has also been a leader in the area of palliative care and assisting people with issues of grief and bereavement. Baroness Hollins would be of special interest to many educators because of her extraordinary leadership over a lifetime in assisting people to understand and care for young people with educational disabilities.

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UNITED STATES
Reveal: The Center for Investigative Reporting

By Amy Julia Harris / April 13, 2016

Across the country, children suffered extreme punishments in the name of God.

In Alabama, children were whipped with belts and locked in closets for so long that they peed their pants.

A boy in North Carolina was beaten so badly that bruises mottled his backside. Toddlers in Missouri regularly were struck with a paddle emblazoned with Bible verses from Proverbs: “Withhold not correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod he shall not die.”

At another church day care in Missouri, children received a painful “banana pinch,” designed to leave no trace.

At the Twin Rivers Worship Center’s day care in St. Louis, workers disciplined children with a “banana pinch” – a twist between the crease of the upper thigh and butt cheek designed to leave no trace.
At the Twin Rivers Worship Center’s day care in St. Louis, workers disciplined children with a “banana pinch” – a twist between the crease of the upper thigh and butt cheek designed to leave no trace.
Credit: Allison McCartney for Reveal

Physically punishing children is outlawed in almost all day cares in America. But at least four states offer an exception for religious providers: In North Carolina, Indiana, Alabama and Missouri, those day care workers may slap and spank children as long as they warn parents.

But an investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting found that hundreds of religious day cares exploited corporal punishment rules. In case after case, they downplayed to parents how harshly children would be disciplined, disregarded parents’ edicts against physical punishment or lied about policies and practices. Regulators often were powerless to address the problems.

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KENTUCKY
Baptist News

BOB ALLEN | APRIL 13, 2016

Organizers of a major preaching conference this week in Louisville, Ky., ignored calls to disinvite a founder of the conference accused of participating in a cover-up of child sexual abuse.

C.J. Mahaney, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, took the stage April 12 at the Together for the Gospel conference at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, while leaders with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests staged a protest outside.

SNAP, an advocacy and support group formed in response to the pedophile priest scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, previously called on the other three conference founders to disinvite Mahaney. Allegations were made against Mahaney, former pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md., and other leaders of Sovereign Grace Ministries in a 2012 lawsuit dismissed on a legal technicality.

One of the protestors, Pam Palmer of Hagerstown, Md., told local media that after her 3-year-old daughter was abused by a teenage boy who was eventually convicted, a pastor serving under Mahaney told her family not to call the police.

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VATICAN CITY
ANSA

(ANSA) – Vatican City, April 13 – Vatileaks 2 defendant Gianluigi Nuzzi, author of the financial exposé book The Way of the Cross, on Wednesday testified that he had never threatened or pressured a co-defendant accused of passing him confidential documents, Msgr Lucio Vallejo Balda.

In the trial, investigative reporters Emiliano Fittipaldi and Nuzzi are accused of using leaked documents from three Vatican officials to write two expose’-style books, respectively Avarice and The Way of the Cross, which respectively examine the Vatican’s financial empire and Pope Francis’s efforts to bring about reform.

The other defendants are Italian PR expert Francesca Chaouqi and Spanish prelate Balda, both former members of the now-defunct COSEA commission set up to advise Pope Francis on the reform of the Holy See’s economic and administrative structure, and Balda’s former assistant Nicola Maio.

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VATICAN CITY
Rome Reports

[with video]

Today, Gianluigi Nuzzi has appeared in the Vatican court, he is one of the two journalists accused in the case Vatileaks 2.

During the interrogation, the prosecutor has reconstructed the exchange of messages between Gianluigi Nuzzi and the priest Lucio Ángel Vallejo Balda, but has not shown that the journalist pressed the priest for documents.

“He was a person who informed me about the abnormalities that prevented the change (in the Vatican),” Nuzzi said. “He helped me edit the text” from the book, in order to supplement and explain its contents.

Nuzzi has confirmed that he was introduced to the accused by Francesca Chaouqui, but he says that he did not speak to her about the book because he had his reservations about the project.

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VATICAN CITY
San Diego Union-Tribune

VATICAN CITY (AP) — An Italian journalist has testified that he never pressured a Vatican monsignor to give him confidential documents and says it was his obligation as a journalist to publish them because they were in the public interest.

Gianluigi Nuzzi was the fifth and final defendant to testify in the Vatican’s trial over leaked documents that exposed greed, waste and mismanagement in the Holy See administration.

Nuzzi and another journalist, Emiliano Fittipaldi, wrote blockbuster books based on confidential Vatican information. They are on trial along with a former high-ranking Vatican official accused of leaking the documents and two other people. All five face up to eight years in prison if convicted.

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CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet
Published on April 13, 2016

A man told the Mount Cashel civil trial at Newfoundland Supreme Court that he was taken in the 1950s by a Christian Brother to the boiler room at the orphanage and fondled, beginning the two worst years of his life ever in which he said he was sexually “stalked” by that Brother and abused numerous times.

The man also talked about another Brother that beat him, leaving his eye swollen for two weeks.

The man said he told priests about the incidents in and out of confession and his once serious interest in pursuing a career in the priesthood or as a Christian Brother ended with a loss of faith because his situation was not helped.

Outside of those conversations, he said he first personally spoke of the incidents in the 1990s. None of the allegations were ever dealt with in a criminal court, he testified. (There were criminal cases in the era following the 1989 Hughes Inquiry.)

The man is not represented by lawyers Budden and Associates as part of the case before Justice Alphonsus Faour, but said he contacted the firm after he read newspaper coverage of the civil trial. He has been a claimant with another St. John’s law firm.

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VATICAN CITY
Catholic Register

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

April 13, 2016

An Italian journalist said he was given private documents by a Vatican official detailing problems with financial reforms and that he had a duty to publish them.

Testifying at his Vatican trial April 13, Gianluigi Nuzzi, author of Merchants in the Temple, denied pressuring Spanish Msgr. Lucio Vallejo Balda, secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, for access to the documents.

Nuzzi and Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi, author of Avarice, are accused by the Vatican of soliciting the documents and exercising pressure on the defendants, especially Vallejo Balda.

The monsignor, along with his former executive secretary and assistant, Nicola Maio, and Francesca Chaouqui, a member of the former Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See, are accused of “divulging news and documents concerning fundamental interests” of the Vatican.

Nuzzi said he was first informed of the challenges facing the commission’s financial reform by Chaouqui, whom he had known for some time. She then organized a meeting between the journalist and Vallejo Balda at Rome’s Ambassador Hotel.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Road to Recovery

Three criminally indicted Third Order Regular Franciscan priests, Rev. Giles A Schinelli, TOR, Rev. Robert D’Aversa, TOR, and Rev. Anthony M. Criscitelli, TOR, all of whom were major superiors and supervisors of their religious order based at St. Bernardine Monastery, Hollidaysburg, PA, will face a Pennsylvania judge at the first hearing on their cases of child endangerment on Thursday, April 14, 2016, at 9:30am, in Blair County Courthouse, Hollidaysburg, PA

After dozens of children were sexually abused by Br. Stephen Baker, TOR, over the course of several decades, after years of cover-up and mismanagement of allegations of sexual abuse against Br. Stephen Baker and possibly other Third Order Regular Franciscan Friars by major superiors and supervisors of the Third Order Regular Franciscans, and after two suicides in the Monastery of St. Bernardine, it is time for the Third Order Regular Franciscan Friars of St. Bernardine Monastery, Hollidaysburg, PA, to admit their guilt, apologize to their victims and families, work with criminal authorities, and agree to be monitored by a truly independent agency

What
A press conference alerting Catholics of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, residents of the Altoona-Johnstown area, the media, and general public that it is time for the Third Order Regular Franciscans of St. Bernardine Monastery, Hollidaysburg, PA to “come clean” in every way regarding the sexual abuse of children by members of their monastery and those who enabled it.

When
Thursday, April 14, 2016 after the court hearing

Where
On the public sidewalk outside the Blair County Courthouse, 423 Allegheny Street, Hollidaysburg, PA

Who
Dr. Robert M. Hoatson, Co-founder and President of Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity based in New Jersey that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families; and, Barbara Aponte from Poland, Ohio, and mother of Br. Stephen Baker suicide victim Luke Bradesku from John F. Kennedy High School, Warren, Ohio

Why
Br. Stephen Baker, TOR, a deceased member of the Third Order Regular Franciscans of Hollidaysburg, PA, was allowed for decades to sexually abuse minor children while his superiors and supervisors looked the other way and enabled his sexually abusive behavior to continue in Virginia, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, at least. Dozens of young lives and their families’ lives were forever altered by Br. Baker’s sexual abuse, and at least one of Br. Baker’s victims, Luke Bradesku, took his own life as a result of the sexual abuse he experienced. Frs. Schinelli, D’Aversa, and Criscitelli were Br. Baker’s major superiors and supervisors for decades and continued to assign him to Catholic schools and parishes despite knowing about his sexual abuse of children. Demonstrators will call on the Third Order Regular Franciscans to: admit their guilt, apologize to their victims and families, work with criminal authorities, and agree to be monitored by a truly independent agency.

Contact
Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 –roberthoatson@gmail.com
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA – 617-523-6250

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UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversry

April 13, 2016 Joelle Casteix

California

Victims of sex crimes have won another battle in the effort to extend the criminal statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault.

SB 813, sponsored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino), which seeks to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for rape and related crimes, passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee yesterday. Witnesses in support of the legislation included attorneys for alleged victims of comedian Bill Cosby and the district attorney of San Bernardino County.

The current statute is ten years, unless there is DNA evidence.

If made into law, SB 813 will be a huge win for rape victims who simply want the right to be able to use the court system to get justice and put rapists behind bars.

Pennsylvania

On the heels of another devastating grand jury report, which outlined how the Catholic Diocese of Altoona covered up for priests who sexually abused hundreds of children, legislators there won a huge victory for victims of child sexual abuse.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Muhlenberg Township Democrat, introduced a key amendment to House Bill 1947 extending the civil rights of child victims. The amendment, which passed the State House yesterday, extends the age that victims of child sex abuse can come forward and use the civil justice system from age 30 to age 50.

What’s more important to note is that the the extension is retroactive, meaning that if you are a victim from Pennsylvania who is between the ages of 30 and 50, you can take advantage of civil justice.

The bill, which was passed by the full House yesterday, is now on to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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ALABAMA
AL.com

By Crystal Bonvillian | cbonvillian@al.com

A former Huntsville-area youth pastor has been indicted on charges that he sent obscene materials to a child.

Cristopher Bernal Alfaro, 30, is charged with two counts of transmitting obscene material to a child. He was indicted by a Madison County grand jury last week.

Alfaro served as the director of the youth ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, though he had been removed from the position prior to his arrest in December. A church member allegedly reported Alfaro’s crime to police.

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SCOTLAND
BBC News

Five men have gone on trial accused of sexually and physically abusing pupils in their care at a school in Fife between 1967 and 1983.

They are charged with abusing boys who were aged between 11 and 16 at the former St Ninian’s School in Falkland.

At the High Court in Glasgow John Farrell, 73, Paul Kelly, 63, Edward Egan, 78, Michael Murphy, 76, and William Don, 61, denied the charges.

The court indictment lists 121 charges involving sexual and physical abuse.

The majority of the allegations are against Farrell and Kelly.

The Crown claim that a total of 35 boys were allegedly abused at the school.

Many of them allege they were assaulted with a variety of implements, including shoes, belt and a ruler.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service – Bollettino

Vatican City, 13 April 2016 – Today at 10.30 a.m. a new hearing began in the ongoing trial for the dissemination of reserved information and documents in Vatican City State Tribunal, according to information provided by the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. It was attended by the members of the Tribunal (Professors Giuseppe Dalla Torre, Piero Antonio Bonnet, Paolo Papanti-Pelletier and Venerando Marano), the Promoter of Justice (Professors Gian Pietro Milano and Roberto Zannotti), and the defendants Ángel Lucio Vallejo Balda, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, Nicola Maio, Gianluigi Nuzzi, and Emiliano Fittipaldi, with their respective legal representatives Emanuela Bellardini, Laura Sgrò, Rita Claudia Baffioni, Roberto Palombi and Lucia Teresa Musso.

The hearing was dedicated entirely to the interrogation of the defendant Gianluigi Nuzzi by the President, the Promoter of Justice, and the counsels for the defence of the other defendants.

Some lawyers then requested that the Court admit certain witnesses other than those already previously requested and admitted. The Court retired to the Counsel Chamber and subsequently refused the requests for new witnesses.

The hearing ended at around 2.15 p.m. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on 26 April at 3.30 p.m. Since the interrogation of the defendants has now been concluded, the examination of witnesses will take place.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service – Bollettino

Vatican City, 13 April 2016 – The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father from Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 April. All members were present apart from Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India, who was unable to attend for health reasons. The Pope participated in all the meetings aside from this morning’s session, due to the usual Wednesday general audience.

The conversations focused mostly on the various dicasteries of the Curia which have been the subject of reflection in previous meetings, with a view to the new apostolic constitution. These included the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and others.

The tests regarding the Holy Father’s proposal for the two new dicasteries referred to on other occasions – “Laity, Family, Life” and “Justice, Peace, Migrations” (also including Charity and Health Pastoral Care) were reread and submitted to the Holy Father for his decisions.

Other issues were considered: in particular, the criteria for gathering information for the appointment of new bishops, in the light of their identity and pastoral mission. The cardinals also reflected on the meaning and role of the nuncio.

Updates were also presented in the form of reports from the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy on issues within its sphere of competence, and from Cardinal O’Malley on the activity of the Commission for the Protection of Minors.

On the final day the Council worked to gather, order and integrate the various contributions that have emerged from the meetings so far, so as to begin to structure an overall proposal to offer to the Pope from the Council in view of the new Constitution.

The next meetings of the Council this year are scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 June, 12 to 14 September, and 12 to 14 December.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Apr. 13, 2016

VATICAN CITY
The nine cardinals advising Pope Francis on reforming the Catholic church’s central bureaucracy have begun to organize a general overview for the full restructuring of what is commonly called the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s main spokesman said Wednesday.

Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said the cardinals are now putting together their thoughts after doing an office-by-office review of the Vatican bureaucracy in hopes of creating a new general constitution outlining a reimagined curial organizational structure.

The cardinals are working “to construct the advice the council will give to the pope in view of the new constitution,” said Lombardi.

The Council has been meeting with the pope in Rome Monday through Wednesday for the 14th of its in-person meetings. The only American serving on the Council is Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley.

Lombardi said the group had finalized pending plans for the creation of two new Vatican offices, and had also discussed the way in which Catholic bishops are chosen for positions leading dioceses around the world.

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AUSTRALIA
Daily Telegraph

April 13, 2016

Shannon Deery
Herald Sun

THE child abuse royal commission will turn its focus back to Cardinal George Pell with four new witnesses to give evidence refuting claims he was kept in the dark about abuse.

During his most recent ­appearance before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Cardinal Pell said he had been deceived by ­Catholic Education Office (CEO) staff.

He said that while he was Melbourne’s auxiliary bishop, CEO staff had failed to tell him about abuse being perpetrated by Doveton parish priest Peter Searson.

Four former CEO employees have now made statements to the commission over his claims and will be called to give evidence at a hearing on April 27.

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FRANCE
Christian Today

Ruth Gledhill CHRISTIAN TODAY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 13 April 2016

The French Catholic Church is to set up a new commission to advise bishops and help them handle cases of child sex abuse by priests.

Bishop Georges Pontier, head of the French bishops’ coference, disclosed the new commission’s growing concerns about child sex abuse and the Catholic Church in France.

The new body will be independent, secular and chaired by a lay person. Members will include former magistrates, doctors, psychologists, teachers and parents, according to AP.

It will be set up soon, said Bishop Pontier, who met Pope Francis a few days ago.

It will include a new website and other measures.

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UNITED STATES
Reveal: The Center for Investigative Reporting

By Amy Julia Harris / April 12, 2016

The God Loophole: Thousands of religious day cares across America legally are allowed to run their facilities with little government oversight. But freedom from regulation can come at a high price for children. And when things go wrong, parents have little recourse.

Like many parents, when Juan Cardenas began looking for a day care for his 1-year-old son, Carlos, he relied on word-of-mouth. A friend recommended Praise Fellowship Assembly of God in Indianapolis.

Cardenas never had planned to put his baby in day care, so he didn’t know the questions to ask. He just knew Praise Fellowship was a church. He is devoutly Catholic, so he trusted that.

“I thought they were going to do a good job because they served God,” he said.

Almost immediately, Cardenas noticed things were amiss. One day, he arrived to pick up Carlos and found the children waiting in the dark. When he asked why, someone at the day care threw the question back at him: “Do you want to pay for the lights?”

That’s when Cardenas decided Praise Fellowship wasn’t going to work out after all. He found another day care in the area, and Carlos was set to start the next week.

He never made it.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Reading Eagle

By Liam Migdail-Smith

The state House broke into applause Tuesday as lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a proposal to give victims of child sex abuse more time to come forward.

The House approved a bill that revamps the statutes of limitation for child sex abuse victims. The 180-15 vote marks a victory for victims and their advocates who have long pushed for the legislation.

“Today we’ve given them a little bit of hope,” said state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Muhlenberg Township Democrat who has spearheaded the reform effort. “Justice has been denied for a long time. But my message to victims is justice is right around the corner.”

The plan would eliminate the age limit for victims to pursue criminal charges and give victims until age 50 to bring civil cases against their alleged abusers and the organizations that shield them. The limit now is age 30 for civil cases and age 50 for criminal cases.

The change for civil cases would be retroactive, allowing victims now older than 30 to file suits until they reach age 50.

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UNITED STATES
The Guardian (UK)

Amanda Holpuch in New York
@holpuch
Wednesday 13 April 2016

The courthouse doors will soon close on victims of clergy sex abuse in Minnesota and Hawaii when a brief window to bring charges against the Catholic church expires.

Statute of limitations laws have made it nearly impossible for adults who were abused as children to put their claims before a court, even after revelations in 2002 about decades of widespread child sex abuse by Catholic priests.

But in May 2013, Minnesota created a three-year window for past victims of abuse to file child sex abuse lawsuits against the church and other institutions, even after the statute of limitations has closed. This was a life-changing opportunity for people like James Hlavka, who told the Guardian he has “lived hell on earth” since being abused by a priest from age 10 to 15 in the 1960s.

Hlavka, who lives in one of four states that have created such windows, said a chance to appear in court gave him the courage to speak about the five years of abuse that sent him spiralling into a lifestyle of binge eating, starvation, promiscuity, drug abuse and alcohol addiction. This interview was the first time Hlavka spoke publicly about the abuse he suffered, having initially filed his case against the church as “John Doe 117”.

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CANADA
National Post

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press | April 13, 2016

KENTVILLE, N.S. — Prominent Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes pleaded not guilty Monday to decades-old sex-crime allegations in Nova Scotia, where supporters gathered outside a Kentville courtroom to denounce the charges as outdated and unfair.

Hawkes, 65, is accused of indecent assault on a male and gross indecency related to allegations of a sexual assault against a minor in 1974 and 1975.

The alleged victim was 15 and 16 years old at the time, Nova Scotia’s Public Prosecution Service said. Few other details have been released about the case.

The accused did not appear in provincial court Monday. Halifax lawyer Joel Pink appeared on behalf of Hawkes’ Toronto lawyer, Clayton Ruby. Pink declined to comment after the proceedings, as did Ruby.

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

[Victorian Legal Services Commissioner v Lewenberg (Legal Practice) [2016] VCAT 439 (23 March 2016)]

[Victorian Legal Services Commissioner v Lewenberg No 2 (Legal Practice) [2016] VCAT 556 (12 April 2016)]

April 13, 2016

Tom Cowie
Reporter

Criminal solicitor Alex Lewenberg has been banned from practising law for 15 months after telling a Jewish sexual abuse victim not to help police prosecute Yeshivah College paedophile David Cyprys.

​The lawyer, who has represented a string of notorious clients including Billy “The Texan” Longley and Boris “The Black Diamond” Beljajev, must also take an ethics course before being reinstated.

The 74-year-old was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last month after the Legal Services Commissioner took action over two comments he admitted making in 2011.

On two occasions, once while in court for a bail hearing for Cyprys and later in a secretly recorded telephone conversation, Mr Lewenberg said that Jews shouldn’t help prosecute fellow Jews.
At the time Mr Lewenberg, a Russian-born Jew, was representing Cyprys, who was later jailed for the rape and sexual assault of young boys at Yeshivah College.

VCAT vice-president Judge Pamela Jenkins ordered on Tuesday that Mr Lewenberg be reprimanded for his behaviour and should have his practising certificate suspended for 15 months from June 1.

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CALIFORNIA
KCRA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —The California Legislature is advancing a bill driven in part by prosecutors’ difficulty in pursuing sexual assault charges against Bill Cosby.

SB813 would eliminate the state’s 10-year statute of limitations on rape and child molestation charges.

“When only two in 100 rapists are actually convicted and go to jail, maybe we’re doing something wrong,” the bill’s author Connie Leyva, D-Chino, said. “No one is ever raped by accident. It is intentional and it harms these victims.”

Previous versions failed years ago in the Senate Public Safety Committee. But the new bill by Leyva passed the committee 4-0 on Tuesday after testimony by witnesses including lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents 30 of Cosby’s accusers.

Several of his accusers told senators they are unable to bring charges now because they didn’t come forward years ago.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

By Rebecca Black
PUBLISHED
13/04/2016

The inquiry into historical sex abuse at the former Kincora boys’ home in east Belfast has been dealt a second blow in as many days after another key witness yesterday vowed he would not testify at the probe.

Former Army captain Colin Wallace spoke out after another witness, Roy Garland, said he would not speak at the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry (HIA) in Banbridge.

Both men feel it does not have enough power to get answers and were disappointed by a High Court ruling that barred a judicial review of Secretary of State Theresa Villiers’ decision not to refer Kincora to the more powerful London-based Goddard Inquiry.

Mr Wallace previously told this newspaper that with witnesses ageing every day, time was quickly running out to get to the truth of what really happened at Kincora.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

Editor’s Viewpoint

The reality of child sex abuse continues to disfigure our society, and inquiries into this dark subject need every shred of evidence.

It is unfortunate therefore that Colin Wallace, the Ulster-born former Army officer who first raised concerns about the sexual abuse of boys at Kincora in the early Seventies, has decided not to give evidence to the long-running Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry (HIA).

He says that the decision of the High Court not to allow a judicial review challenge of Secretary of State Theresa Villiers’ decision not to refer the evidence to the more powerful Goddard Inquiry in London is a bitter blow to the victims of abuse here.

Mr Wallace asks the pertinent question: “Is the sexual abuse of children in London really more significant than the sexual abuse of children in Northern Ireland?”

He also states bluntly that in the current circumstances, he feels that there would be no useful purpose in participating in the HIA in Banbridge and expresses the hope that others with knowledge of child abuse in Northern Ireland will decide for themselves about taking part, or not, in the inquiry.

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AUSTRALIA
SBS

By Debi Marshall
13 APR 2016

There is light at the end of a very dark tunnel for female sexual and physical assault victims of Australia”s worst paedophile priest, Fr Gerald Ridsdale and other Catholic clergy, including nuns stationed in Ballarat. Following the SBS Online feature, ‘The girls, the paedophile and Cardinal Pell’ in February and the recent Royal Commission revelations that the Ballarat diocese was a hotbed of cover-ups and paedophilia, CASA (the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault) is now, for the first time seeking expressions of interest for a support group to offer assistance to female survivors. Manager of the Ballarat CASA, Shireen Gunn, says while there has long been a support group for males, they have now identified that a number of female survivors also need ongoing support. “We believe that group work is an important part of assisting recovery to break down isolation,” she says.

No one welcomes the news more than Gabbi Short, now 60, who was regarded as a “lifer” at the Nazareth House Girls Home. She describes her time at the orphanage as a “living hell”; a daily battle for survival. Prey to unceasing violence from sadistic nuns – one in particular – Ms Short was just three years old between 1993 and 1994 when a young Fr Ridsdale, then chaplain of the school, ruled the orphanage with an iron fist. “Ridsdale chose girls on a daily basis to sexually abuse. The nuns knew what was going on and either turned a blind eye or helped clean the girls up after he had finished with them.” The depraved sexual abuse and violence inflicted on numerous girls has had lifelong repercussions for many. “It has shattered so many lives,” Ms Short says. “Who knows how many of those orphans have committed suicide or died from illnesses brought on by post-traumatic stress. This is an opportunity to save lives.”

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PUERTO RICO
The Gleaner (Jamaica)

SAN JUAN (AP):

After 36 years teaching English at a Roman Catholic school near Puerto Rico’s capital, Norma Cardoza planned to retire with a modest pension she trusted she would get from the Archdiocese of San Juan.

Her faith was misplaced.

Archdiocese officials in recent weeks informed Cardoza and several hundred other current and retired teachers that their pensions will be eliminated because payouts exceeded contributions. Enrollment at Catholic schools in Puerto Rico has plunged with so many families leaving the island for the US mainland amid the island’s economic crunch.

It has been a devastating blow to Catholic school teachers who had counted on those pensions to supplement the Social Security checks they’ll be getting.

The church noted in the letter that its contract with employees allows it to terminate the pension plan at any moment and said the remaining money would be distributed among retired teachers. Officials signed off with, “May God bless you all.”

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GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

Father Luis Camacho was arrested last year March for allegedly picking up a minor from school without her parents’ permission.

Guam – The Archdiocese of Agana has issued a statement regarding Father Luis Camacho who was recently discovered to be in active ministry in Qatar a year after he was accused of having sexual contact with a minor.

Father Adrian Cristobal, spokesperson for the Archdiocese says Father Luis is still considered a priest of the Archdiocese of Agana. He says a canonical investigation was conducted last year after Father Camacho was arrested. However, Father Adrian notes that although Father Luis was arrested, he was not charged with sexual misconduct, Father Luis was charged with custodial interference.

Father Luis was arrested last year in March by police, who accused him of picking up a 17-year-old student from school without permission, then taking the minor to a secluded beach. Father Luis was booked and released. The Attorney General’s Office has not yet pursued charges against him in court.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

His voice, though quivering, filled the cavernous chamber.

Rep. Mark Rozzi didn’t have to dig too deeply. The emotion had been welling in him – not for weeks – but years.

Rozzi, who was abused by a priest at the age of 13, was determined not to fail.

The legislation that could hold out some justice and recompense for hundreds if not thousands of victims like him was on the line.

In the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon, the hum of conversations among representatives and staffers came to a halt, the kind that amplifies a pin drop.

House Bill 1947 faced a motion for suspension. The bill would eliminate criminal statutes of limitation on child sex crimes here on out; it would extend the window for victims of child sexual abuse to take civil actions to age 50. Even past victims, under the law, would have until age 50 to file civil action.

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MEXICO
Open Democracy

ARIADNA ESTÉVEZ 13 April 2016

The Pope’s first official visit to Mexico was all talk and no action, but it was exactly what many Mexicans expected. A contribution to the openGlobalRights debate on religion and human rights. Español

Filled with contradictions, Pope Francis’ first official visit to Mexico was disheartening in relation to the human rights situation that is taking place. But at the same time, anything else would have been totally out of character. Upon arriving to Mexico two weeks ago the Pope found a country immersed in a serious human rights crisis characterized by forced disappearances, femicide, racism and socioeconomic inequality. On top of all that, he faced multiple reports of pedophilia among Catholic priests in Oaxaca and Michoacán, among other places. As a Jesuit priest but also the ultimate hierarch of the Catholic Church, the Mexican people expected a lot, and many were disappointed.

Many Mexicans hoped that the Pope would take a clear stance politically about the human rights violations for three simple reasons: 1) the Compañía de Jesús (Society of Jesus) in Mexico and its social ministry organizations has headed the defense of human rights for decades; 2) the groups of victims and their families, many of them Catholic, requested that he intervene on their behalf in order to advance justice and to talk about the national mood; and 3) avoiding the crisis is essentially to avoid the country with the second largest number of Catholics in Latin America.

Indeed, shortly before arriving, and later on with the mediation of Mexican Jesuit priests, the family members of the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa explicitly requested an audience. To their disappointment, Pope Francis refused the visit. At first his spokespeople said it was because there were divisions and interests between the different groups of victims, and then later they said that due to their large numbers he couldn’t receive them all. For his last Mass in Juarez City, he did offer a few seats for the families, but they turned down the invitation—not out of pride, but because they were seeking more than a mere visit—they wanted his solidarity. What they hoped for—and did not get—was an agreement to bring their demand for justice before the Mexican president and other indolent politicians.

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AUSTRALIA
Manny Waks

Having moved away from Australia, I have the luxury of no longer getting caught up with Yeshivah Centre matters. I feel as though I have moved on (not just physically) from the emotional toll of dealing with matters concerning the child sexual abuse at Yeshivah, including the pain and suffering they caused (and in some cases continue to cause) to myself and other victims. I am of the view that I have said and done everything I can to effect positive change within Yeshivah and, if the leadership there still refuses to be accountable for their actions, it will ultimately be up to the appropriate authorities to deal with them. At the very least, it’s now up to their community to finally speak up and if their leadership won’t listen to them, to make their views known to external authorities who will listen.

That said, a number of people associated with the Yeshivah Centre have contacted me to draw my attention to its recent Safeguarding Children Organisation accreditation from the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF). Clearly, they want to highlight the positive developments at Yeshivah and expect me to congratulate them publicly on this achievement. Regrettably, I find myself quite conflicted and unable to heap praise on Yeshivah, as some might like me to do – indeed, as I’d like to do.

That is not to say that I do not recognise and acknowledge the enormous effort which has obviously gone in to achieving this accreditation and important milestone. Andrew Blode, a founding director of the accreditation program, is a friend and a great supporter of my work. He continues to do fantastic work in the area of child safety and it gives me confidence to see him presenting the accreditation to Yeshivah. Moreover, it is particularly impressive that Yeshivah is the first school in Australia to have achieved this milestone.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Frankfurter Rundschau

HALLE/MAGDEBURG –
Die Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt gegen einen katholischen Pfarrer aus Sachsen-Anhalt wegen Kinderpornos. Der 66-Jährige aus Braunsbedra (Saalekreis) soll sich umfangreich kinderpornografische Dateien beschafft haben, wie die in Halle erscheinende «Mitteldeutsche Zeitung» (Mittwochsausgabe) berichtete. Im Pfarrhaus seien Computertechnik und Mobiltelefone sichergestellt worden, sagte ein Sprecher der Staatsanwaltschaft der Zeitung. Die Auswertung werde wegen des Datenumfangs «einige Zeit in Anspruch nehmen».

Das Bistum Magdeburg hat den Pfarrer Sprecher Thomas Lazar zufolge bereits beurlaubt und von seinen seelsorgerlichen Pflichten entbunden. Der Geistliche soll Braunsbedra verlassen haben. Der seit 2008 in dem Ort tätige Pfarrer galt der Zeitung zufolge als beliebt und hat sich unter anderem für die Integration vom Flüchtlingen eingesetzt. Der entscheidende Tipp an die deutschen Ermittlungsbehörden kam laut Bericht von der US-Bundespolizei FBI. (epd)

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DEUTSCHLAND
MZ

[A German priest was suspended on suspicion of having child pornography after German police received a tip from the FBI of the United States.]

Von Dirk Skrzypczak und Diana Dünschel

Halle (Saale) –
Am Dienstagmittag sind sowohl die Kirche als auch das nebenstehende Pfarrhaus im Braunsbedraer Ortsteil Neumark verwaist. Alle Türen und Fenster sind geschlossen. Auf das Klingeln an der Tür reagiert niemand, ebenso auf Anrufe. Der Pfarrer ist untergetaucht. Wo, weiß keiner.

Kinderporno-Verdacht gegen Pfarrer

Die Staatsanwaltschaft Halle führt gegen den 66-Jährigen ein Ermittlungsverfahren. Der Geistliche steht laut Staatsanwalt Dennis Cernota im Verdacht, sich kinderpornografische Dateien besorgt und sie auch besessen zu haben. Den Tipp bekamen die deutschen Ermittlungsbehörden von der amerikanischen Bundespolizei FBI.

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UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: Bernard “Fr. Barney” Bissonnette was ordained in 1958 for the Diocese of Norwich CT. It wasn’t long before he was first transferred out of a parish due to allegations of child sexual abuse, in 1959. He cycled through four parishes in the Norwich diocese, removed each time due to allegations, then was sent in 1963 to to the Servants of the Paraclete’s Via Coeli in Jemez Springs NM for treatment. His Norwich bishop would not allow him to return to the diocese due to his “notoriety,” but continued to support him financially. Bissonnette went to the Duluth MN diocese for a short time 1965-66, spending time at parish and in treatment at another Servants of the Paraclete facility. He returned to NM, where he worked in parishes until 1992; he also was chaplain of a correctional facility for boys until his removal in 1978, due to allegations he sexually abused “inmates.” Bissonnette has been the subject of a number of lawsuits. One accuser said Bissonnette’s abuse in the early 1960s included his forcing the boy to perform sex acts on other children.

In 1993 three CT brothers of a Bissonnette victim, who took his own life in 1991, traveled to NM to confront the priest. Their father had reported the brother’s abuse to the Norwich diocese in 1963, after which Bissonnette was sent to NM. Bissonnette admitted the abuse to the victim’s brothers when confronted, while minimizing the extent. The brothers found that Bissonnette was living at the time with a Belen NM family which included small children. The family ignored their warnings about the priest; the brothers reported the situation to the diocese and state police. Bissonnette was laicized in 2005. He died in NM in 2008.

Born: October 1931
Ordained: May 15, 1958
Laicized: May 20, 2005
Died: December 24, 2008

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OHIO
Fox 19

[with video]

By Michael Baldwin, Reporter

FRANKLIN, OH (FOX19) –
A Franklin church volunteer bus driver is accused of sexual abuse against two boys under the age of 10.

A joint investigation done by the FBI Task Force Officer and Hamilton County Sheriff’s office allege Jory Leedy committed an act of “aggravated sexual abuse” against two elementary school kids. The ages of the victims are nine and 10-years-old.

Documents obtained by FOX19 NOW show he met the children in 2012, while he was a volunteer bus driver for Target Ministries of Dayton. There, he would drive the kids to church.

Eventually, the documents read he convinced the parents to allow him to take them to Crossroads Church in Cincinnati. He is reportedly a member there.

Court records also show he also convinced the parents to allow the boys to stay at hotels with him on Saturdays in the Cincinnati area for about two years. He allegedly told the parents it would be easier to get them to the church.

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NEW YORK
New York Daily News

BY EDGAR SANDOVAL, LARRY MCSHANE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The nightmares still surface in the darkness, leaving Mark Taylor awake and alone with his horrific memories of high school.

The Bronx man remembers his predatory principal sexually abusing him for three soul-crushing years, starting when he was a 14-year-old sophomore.

And though Irwin Goldberg confessed on videotape to sodomizing Taylor, New York State’s statute of limitations allowed the principal to dodge criminal charges and a $10 million lawsuit. Victims abused as children have until their 23rd birthday to seek criminal or civil penalties.

“It’s very unfair,” said Taylor, 50. “It’s very important that they change the law. I still have anxiety attacks and PTSD. And I can’t get nothing — disability, Social Security, not even a sleeping pill.”

State Senate Democrats plan to introduce a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitation for criminal or civil cases. The bill, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), would also remove the 90-day window required to file a notice of claim — the first step in a lawsuit — against a public or government entity. The Catholic Church has long argued that the 90-day requirement for public entities was unfair to private institutions.

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CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet
Published on April 12, 2016

It was uncertain Tuesday whether the Mount Cashel civil trial will include evidence entered from videotapes of some witnesses who testified at the Hughes Inquiry nearly 30 years ago.

Lawyer Mark Frederick, who represents the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s, on Tuesday argued against an application made by lawyer Geoff Budden, who represents former orphanage residents.

Newfoundland Supreme Court Justice Alphonsus Faour did not rule on the matter as of the end of the court day Tuesday.

Faour is presiding over a civil trial to determine whether the church is liable for the physical and sexual abuse of boys by certain Christian Brothers at the orphanage during the late 1940s to early 1960s.

The church contends it did not run the orphanage, and therefore is not legally responsible.

Budden wants the court to see some tapes from the Hughes Inquiry — regarding some testimony of a former resident, the inquiry investigator, an RCMP officer and an archdiocese official. All are deceased.

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MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By RICHARD CHIN | rchin@pioneerpress.com
April 12, 2016

Two lawsuits against St. John’s Abbey — accusing a former prior of child sexual abuse decades ago — have been filed in Stearns County, a St. Paul law firm announced Tuesday.

The lawsuits allege that St. John’s Abbey former prior and No. 2 leader, the Rev. Tom Andert, abused Todd Belrose, then a 14-year-old student at St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, in 1979 or 1980.

The lawsuits also accuse Allen Tarlton, a monk at St. John’s Abbey, of abusing Belrose in about 1979 or 1980. Tarlton died in January.

Another plaintiff, identified as Doe 324, accused Andert of sexual abuse in 1970 to 1971 when Doe 324 was a 14-year-old student at St. John’s Prep. Doe 324’s lawsuit also says he was molested at the same time by Bruce Wollmering, a St. John’s Abbey priest and monk who is now dead.

Belrose’s lawyer, Jeff Anderson, said Belrose originally wrote a letter to St. John’s Abbey accusing Andert of abuse in July 2015.

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MASSACHUSETTS
WWLP

Andy Metzger
Published: April 12, 2016

BOSTON (STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE) – A man who said he was sexually abused by a now-deceased priest, and a former priest, who said he was fired for speaking out about sex abuse in the church asked lawmakers Tuesday to eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child abuse allegations against the dead so that victims can seek damages from their estates.

Bassam Haddad, who said he is 43 and married with two boys, told members of the Judiciary Committee he was abused as a teenager by a priest at St. Joseph’s in Lawrence who was then transferred to Lebanon, where he died in recent years.

“We can’t do anything now,” Haddad told the committee. He said, “We’re trying to get this law moved so we can go after their estate.”

Robert Hoatson, a former priest and co-founder of Road to Recovery for survivors of sexual abuse, joined Haddad, and said the church had fired him after he testified about sexual abuse to New York lawmakers. Hoatson, who said he worked at Catholic Memorial High School and raised alarms about Monsignor Fred Ryan around 1982, said he was at the hearing to support Haddad.

Hoatson said he was fired from a position directing schools in Newark, N.J. in 2003 after testifying before lawmakers in New York.

Mitchell Garabedian, the high-profile attorney who helped bring to light the practice of shielding predator priests within the Catholic Church, said a judgement against an alleged pedophile “provides validation” and “a degree of dignity” for their victims.

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

April 13, 2016

Bianca Hall
Legal Affairs Reporter for The Age

Lawyers for Cardinal George Pell have sought to discredit a witness at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse on Wednesday, persuading Justice Peter McClellan to publicly release a document they say calls into question the testimony of a man whose brother was allegedly abused by disgraced Ballarat Christian Brother Edward Dowlan.

Cardinal Pell’s lawyer Sam Duggan also claimed the man, known only as BWF, was an unreliable witness.

But Justice McClellan said he was only releasing the document – a judge’s courtroom remarks sentencing BWF for an unrelated crime years later – in the interests of openness and transparency.

BWF clashed with Mr Duggan at an earlier hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in December, when he told the commission he had told church authorities in 1973 his younger brother BWG was brutally bashed and molested by disgraced brother Edward Dowlan.

BWF said he had discovered that his brother had been sent to a doctor because an attack from Dowlan had left his legs and buttocks severely bruised. He assumed at the time that he had also been sexually assaulted because Dowlan’s abusive behaviour was then common knowledge among students.

Dowlan is currently serving a minimum of three years in jail for abusing 20 young boys.

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NEW JERSEY
Observer-Tribune

By CHRISTINE LEE Staff Writer

HARDING TWP. – The at-times thorny relationship between the Catholic Church in the U.S. and state authorities was the topic of a program Sunday led by a Seton Hall University professor at a Harding church.

Speaking in front of a group of around 20 people, Madison resident and former Councilwoman JoRenee Formicola, a professor of political science, spoke about issues of clerical sexual abuse in a program at the First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, Lee’s Hill Road.

Formicola’s 2014 book “Clerical Sexual Abuse: How the Crisis Changed U.S. Catholic Church-State Relations,” analyzes the struggle between church leaders and civil authorities in dealing with the treatment of clergy members accused of sexual abuse.

Published by Palgrave-Macmillan, the book is written based on grand jury hearings, criminal investigations, civil lawsuits, as well as news and media reports. The book explains the personal, political, legal and institutional dimensions of the crisis.

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POLAND
Inside Poland

A former archbishop who resigned amid allegations that he forced homosexual attentions on trainee priests is to play a key role in a holy mass in Poznań marking the 1050th anniversary of the baptism of Poland.

Father Juliusz Paetz stepped down after the newspaper Rzeczpospolita published allegations of sexual abuse in 2002. The newspaper reported that the then archbishop’s ‘proclivities’ had been known by the authorities at his seminary for some time, and that former pope John Paul II was ‘shocked’ to hear the revelations.

Father Paetz denied all allegations of sexual abuse, yet resigned from his post as Archbishop of Poznań. He was banned from administering holy communion, preaching and acts of consecration.

Now, it has emerged that Father Paetz will play a key role in the mass celebrating the baptism of Poland. His participation has been defended by senator Jan Maria Jackowski, of the League of Polish Families party (Liga Polskich Rodzin), closely affiliated with the Law and Justice government and the Church in Poland.

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FRANKRIJK
kerknet

De Franse katholieke Kerk kondigt nultolerantie en een onafhankelijk onderzoek aan. Nieuwe regels moeten alle wantrouwen en verdachtmakingen wegnemen.

De Franse bisschoppen hebben vandaag dinsdag op een persconferentie een nieuwe reeks maatregelen aangekondigd in de strijd tegen het seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen door katholieke geestelijken. De aankondiging komt er na een aantal gevallen van misbruik en onthullingen de afgelopen maanden, waarbij vooral de leiding van het aartsbisdom Lyon ernstig in opspraak kwam.

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TEXAS
South Bend Tribune

South Bend Tribune Report

SAN ANTONIO — A former University of Notre Dame theology professor accused of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s characterized his suicide as “a farewell gift” he hoped would “bring healing to anyone that (he) might have hurt.”

That is according to a suicide letter an attorney for the Rev. Virgilio Elizondo’s accuser released to the San Antonio Express-News, the paper reported Tuesday.

Elizondo shot himself in the head and died March 14, according to San Antonio police. Elizondo was found with a suicide letter nearby and his finger still on the trigger, the Express-News reported.

In life, the 80-year-old Elizondo had vehemently denied the allegations put forth by a San Antonio man in a lawsuit. The man, who has not been identified, lived in a San Antonio orphanage as a child. The accuser says he was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of another priest, the Rev. Jesus Armando Dominguez, from 1980 to 1983. The accuser says he sought counsel in 1983 from Elizondo, who was then a priest at the San Fernando Cathedral, about what Dominguez had done to him, but Elizondo kissed and fondled him. The man’s lawsuit named both priests and the Archdiocese of San Antonio as defendants. …

Full text of Father Elizondo’s letter

FAREWELL

For the past several weeks I have had the blessing of having plenty of time reflecting deeply upon the mystery of my entire life. It has been joyful and sad, inspiring and disastrous. Many thoughts have come into my mind: beautiful and ugly, life-giving and death-bearing, silly and profound, virtuous and sinful, insight and blindness, I am grateful for all my life (80), especially for my 52 years of priesthood. God has been so good!

In spite of my sinfulness, I have lived a life totally dedicated to serving others – especially the elderly, the immigrant, the minorities and the poor. My trust in the absolute goodness, mercy and love of God remains steady, I am most grateful!!!!

Now, I am very tired, fatigued and empty. My body is falling apart, my knees are giving in, my kidneys are beginning to fail, and my eyes are fading and other complications.

How best can I be of service? At this time it is by offering my life as a final gift. I freely choose my moment and way of giving my life to others. This is not a suicide but a farewell gift. I pray that the gift of my life may bring healing to anyone that I might have hurt.

“Greater love no one has, then to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

To anyone whom I have ever offended, I beg your forgiveness and mercy. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. My greatest pain is that I have hurt others, especially those I love the most. I am a sinner in need of forgiveness and mercy.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Fox 43

APRIL 12, 2016, BY HOWARD SHEPPARD

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The State House has passed a bill that would reform the statute of limitations regarding child sexual abuse cases. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin County, and Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong/Juniata counties.

“This is an important bill for Pennsylvania children,” said Rep. Joseph Petrarca, Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “Not only does it help to protect our children, it also allows child sex abuse survivors to seek justice.”

The bill would abolish the criminal statute of limitations for future criminal prosecutions for serious child sexual abuse crimes relating to human trafficking, sexual servitude, rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent sexual assault and incest. The bill also would waive sovereign immunity for state and local public institutions in cases of gross negligence, which would allow civil cases to be filed against them.

It also would increase the length of time, from age 30 to age 50, for when child sexual abuse victims could file civil claims. As amended by the House Monday, this provision would be retroactive, so that civil suits could be filed no matter when the crime occurred, as long as the survivor meets the age criteria.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

Following a poignant debate on the House floor, Pennsylvania lawmakers by an overwhelming majority voted Tuesday to advance a measure that would allow a generation of victims of child sexual abuse to seek justice.

After years of failed efforts by advocates to reform laws applying to child sex crimes, House lawmakers voted 180-15 to approve a bill that will — if approved by the Senate — eliminate criminal statute of limitations on future child sex abuse crimes and amend civil statutes.

Under the bill, the criminal statutes applied child sex abuse crimes would fall under the same parameters applied to murder: The statutes would never expire.

Civil statutes would extend from the present age 30 to 50. The bill would also retroactively extend civil statutes that expired at a victim’s age 30 to 50.

For victims’ advocates, Tuesday’s vote stands as a watershed moment in the protracted effort to reform Pennsylvania’s law.

“The victims have waited long enough…it’s time to vote,” said Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks), concluding an emotional final appeal to House colleagues to pass the measure. Rozzi twice during the debate session shared graphic accounts of his abuse and that of his friends at the hands of a predator priest.

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PENNSYLVANIA
York Daily Record

Mary Wilson, mary_wilson@witf.org April 12, 2016

A major change to the state’s statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases is headed to the state Senate, after receiving final approval from House lawmakers.

By a vote of 180-15, the House passed a plan to erase the time limit on criminal child sex abuse cases going forward and let victims bring civil suits until their 50th birthday, an extension of 20 years. The measure would also allow victims to sue institutions that harbored their abusers.

At one point during debate, members suggested delaying their vote to review constitutional concerns. The motion was vehemently rejected by the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks), who has made his own story of being sexually abused by a childhood priest central to his support of statute of limitations changes.

“These victims have been through enough. They have been abused, they have been lied to, their stories have been covered up!” said Rozzi, shouting into the microphone on the House floor. “And there has been institution and public corruption that has denied them justice!”

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Steve EsackContact Reporter
Call Harrisburg Bureau

PA House votes to extend statute of limitations in criminal and civil cases of child sex abuse

HARRISBURG — Last-minute attempts to postpone and stop a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for child sex-abuse cases failed Tuesday in the House.

And they failed by wide margins as a majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers united behind a belief they had the power and duty to atone for the past and make a better future for victims of child sex abuse.

The bill would eliminate a legal time limit on when child abusers can be prosecuted for future crimes, and would give victims of past abuse more time to file civil lawsuits against their abusers and any employers who might have enabled the abuse.

The measure now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to face intense opposition from Catholic-based and insurance-related lobbying groups.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com

by Angela Couloumbis, HARRISBURG BUREAU

HARRISBURG – In a stunning ideological shift, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation to abolish the statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes and increase the legal window for victims to file civil claims against their abusers.

The bill, versions of which have languished for years in the legislature, now heads to the Senate. If it is approved in that chamber, it could potentially open the door for hundreds of victims who say the old statute of limitations shut them out from seeking justice against their abusers.

“You have given the children of this Commonwealth hope,” said Rep. Mark Rozzi (D., Berks), a former abuse victim himself who championed the legislation.

Under current law, child sexual abuse victims can file lawsuits against their abusers until the age of 30. They can seek criminal charges against offenders until they reach 50 years of age.

The bill passed in a 180-15 vote by the House would eliminate the statute of limitations in future criminal cases. But it would effectively be retroactive on the civil side, extending from age 30 to age 50 the amount of time for child sexual abuse victims to file civil claims.

The latter, in particular, has been a major sticking point for more than a decade, with some legislators in the House blocking any action on measures that opened windows for victims who have aged out to bring civil actions.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Houston Chronicle

Mark Scolforo, Associated Press Tuesday, April 12, 2016

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers voted Tuesday to give victims of child sexual abuse more time to sue and more time for prosecutors to bring charges against perpetrators.

The state House voted 180-15 to approve a bill that changes the age limit from 30 to 50 for people who were abused as children to bring civil lawsuits.

It applies retroactively so that past abuse victims can sue. It would also prevent organizations from claiming immunity from lawsuits when they have acted with gross negligence.

The proposal also would eliminate the statute of limitations in future criminal cases for a list of more severe crimes that involve child victims. That provision is not retroactive.

The vote followed an emotional floor speech by Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who described in detail his own abuse as a child through his Catholic church.

“All I want is justice,” Rozzi said. “I want justice for all my friends who have been sexually abused. They knew what they did — they covered it up. And now they need to be held accountable. That’s the bottom line.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
We Are Central PA

[with video]

By Lauren Handley | lhandley@wtajtv.com
Published 04/12 2016

Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pa.

A bill to change the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex crimes is now headed to the Senate, but it didn’t pass without some challenges.

Some lawmakers said they thought it would be an easy vote. Instead, a motion to postpone the vote was brought before the House. That’s where tensions began to rise.

Representative after representative stood to support or oppose the motion.

“The reason I rise in support of this motion is that I’m getting some messages back home as to the constitutionality question on this amendment,” said representative Cris Dush, (R), of Indiana and Jefferson counties.

“I think it’s clear,” said representative Bryan Barbin, (D), of Cambria and Somerset counties. “I ask for a ‘no’ vote on the motion to postpone.”

Representative Mark Rozzi, (D), of Berks county – a victim himself of child sexual abuse – has been pushing for this bill to pass the House. When the motion to postpone was brought, Rozzi made a plea to fellow lawmakers.

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MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

David Unze, dunze@stcloudtimes.com April 12, 2016

Two lawsuits filed Tuesday name St. John’s Abbey’s former prior the Rev. Tom Andert as an abuser of two former students in the 1970s and early ’80s.

The lawsuits come after St. John’s Abbey and its review board previously cleared Andert by claiming the allegations against him were unsubstantiated. But the lawyer representing the men suing Andert said that abbey investigators never interviewed the victim in one of the lawsuits before declaring the allegations unsubstantiated.

Todd Belrose, who lives in Florida, identified himself as a victim of Andert’s and is suing the former prior, St. John’s Abbey, the Order of St. Benedict and St. John’s Prep School. A second lawsuit, filed by a victim identified as John Doe 324, names the same defendants.

One lawsuit accuses Andert of abuse in 1970 or 1971, while the other accuses him of abuse in 1979 or 1980. Both victims were 14 at the time and were students at the Prep School.

At a press conference Tuesday in St. Paul, Jeffrey Anderson mentioned a third victim of Andert’s, a student whom Anderson said was abused by Andert in the mid-1990s when Andert was the headmaster at the Prep School. Ben Spanier struggled with depression and unsuccessfully attempted suicide before killing himself last year, Anderson said.

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Two lawsuits accuse the former prior of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., of abusing two former prep school students in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The lawsuits come after the abbey and its review board earlier this year cleared the Rev. Tom Andert, saying the allegations were unsubstantiated. Andert’s name has never been on the abbey’s list of those with credible allegations against them of the abuse of minors.

But Jeff Anderson, the lawyer representing the men suing Andert, said that abbey investigators never interviewed the victim in one of the lawsuits before declaring the allegations unsubstantiated.

The abbey issued a statement denying the allegations and saying it intends to defend both cases.

Todd Belrose, now of Florida, spoke at the news conference. He reported the abuse last year to the abbey, which put Andert on leave pending an investigation. In February 2016, the abbey issued a statement saying after a six-month investigation it determined the claim to be unsubstantiated. It then reinstated Andert. Belrose said he was not interviewed by abbey officials.

Andert also was cleared of allegations that he abused another young man in 1994.

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MINNESOTA
WJON

ST. CLOUD (AP) — Two lawsuits accuse the former prior of St. John’s Abbey of abusing two former prep school students in the 1970s and early 80s.

The lawsuits come after the abbey and its review board earlier this year cleared the Rev. Tom Andert, saying the allegations against him were unsubstantiated. Andert’s name has never been on the abbey’s list of those with credible allegations against them of the abuse of minors.

But Jeff Anderson, the lawyer representing the men suing Andert, said that abbey investigators never interviewed the victim in one of the lawsuits before declaring the allegations unsubstantiated.

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MINNESOTA
CBS Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — Fighting through tears on Tuesday, Todd Belrose recounted 35 years of pain resulting from alleged clergy sex abuse by Father Thomas Andert.

“Sadly, I just found out lately there are many more survivors, and as much as it breaks my heart, it also helps me,” Belsore said.

At a news conference announcing two newly-filed civil suits alleging priest sex abuse, Belrose and a former plaintiff said St. John’s Preparatory School priests should have helped young boys, not hurt them.

“Oh, they helped all right,” said abuse survivor Troy Bromlage. “They helped us drink more, use more and try to kill ourselves because we don’t feel whole.”

Andert was never put on the list of 18 credibly accused abbey monks that the abbey released back in 2003. That was despite the fact he was first accused of past abuse of a 14-year-old prep school student years earlier.

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TEXAS
New York Daily News

BY TOBIAS SALINGER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A celebrated Texas priest confessed to sins in his suicide note but didn’t admit anything about the allegation he molested a boy who asked for his help 33 years ago.

Lawyers for an anonymous man suing Father Virgilio Elizondo, another priest and officials with their archdiocese released the typewritten one-page note Monday, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The San Antonio Police Department confirmed it provided the lawyers with the note found on the scene after Elizondo, 80, shot himself in the head March 14.

“How can I best be of service? At this time it is by offering my life as a final gift,” the note said. “I freely choose my moment and way of giving life to others. This is not a suicide but a farewell gift. I pray that the gift of my life may bring healing to anyone that I might have hurt.”

The note continued, “To anyone whom I have ever offended, I beg your forgiveness and mercy. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. My greatest pain is that I have hurt others, especially those I love the most. I am a sinner in need of forgiveness and mercy.”

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VATICAN CITY
The Week

Michael Brendan Dougherty

To a universal fanfare from the mainstream and Catholic media, Pope Francis has issued a long-awaited document, Amoris Laetitia, “the Joy of Love,” as his conclusion to the Catholic Church’s two-year Synod on the Family. But to this Catholic, the pope’s supposedly reformist document is a botch job.

For two years, bishops presented their respective cases for two contradicting views of marriage, re-marriage, and the Church’s own sacraments. Pope Francis didn’t choose between these two options. He chose them both. The pope did not effect some grand synthesis. He merely gave his imprimatur to the Church’s own confused practice on these matters and, more frighteningly, to its self-doubt.

As a result, the Joy of Love reads as an admission that God, as Catholics understand him, really isn’t merciful or gracious to poor sinners. So priests should try to do better from now on.

All of this requires some explanation. While the document spends hundreds of pages, some of them quite good, and others quite banal, on the meaning of Christian marriage and family life, the headlines and anxiety all revolve around one topic. The “Great Matter” of the two-year Synod on the Family came down to one question: Can the divorced and re-married receive holy communion without obtaining an annulment or otherwise amending their life?

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FLORIDA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home,davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

A predator priest from the Altoona Pennsylvania area identified last month in a grand jury report now lives in Orlando. We urge Orlando Bishop John Noonan to aggressively seek out anyone in Florida who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes.

He is Fr. Martin D. McCamley. A grand jury convened by Pennsylvania’s attorney general found that:

–Fr. McCamley was a sexual partner of another Pennsylvania priest, Father James Bunn,

–The two of them sexually abused the same child, which was “coordinated on the part of McCamley and Bunn.”

–The priest’s “proclivity to engage in impermissible sexual conduct was an open joke among diocesan officials,”

–Fr. McCamley “was infuriated” when one victim “rebuffed” him and the priest “began to retaliate against the boy by criticizing him in choir,” and

–Fr. McCamley was once taken to a hospital with a bleeding rectum.

[BishopAccountability.org]

In 1981, when Fr. McCamley was vice principal of a Catholic High School, he was reported to the bishop for allegedly molesting a boy but the bishop “dismissed the complaint outright.” Catholic officials kept Fr. McCamley on the job, which “endangered children for another 25 years,” the grand jury found.

Since the Vatican hasn’t defrocked Fr. McCamley, as best we can tell, he’s still a priest.

In the face of all this, it’s immoral for Noonan to passively sit in his office and do nothing.

This isn’t rocket science. Noonan knows what a caring shepherd would do here. Noonan should personally go to each parish where Fr. McCamley worked, look his flock in the eye, and beg them – clearly and emphatically – to call police if they have any knowledge or suspicions about Fr. McCamley’s crimes.”

The bishop should also turn any records he may have about Fr. McCamley to law enforcement agencies. And Noonan should use his website, diocesan newspaper and parish bulletins to reach out to

The bishop has a public relations staff. It would be quick, simple and easy for him to stand up before cameras and say ‘I worry that Fr. McCamley may still be hurting kids. I implore you to call police and prosecutors now if you saw, suspected or suffered his crimes.’ How hard is this?”

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KENTUCKY
WDRB

[with video]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Sexual abuse survivors and their families grabbed the attention of people walking by the KFC Yum! Center on Tuesday.

That’s where a large Protestant pastors conference is being held.

The protesters claim churches hide sexual predators and want to raise awareness that it’s a serious problem.

They’re upset that one of the guest speakers, C.J. Mahaney, is accused of covering up sex abuse at his church.

One family drove all the way from Maryland to protest him being part of the conference.

Their daughter was sexually abused.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse

Rep. Mark Rozzi making final remarks before the vote is called on HB 1947.

I hope some of you were able to watch the debate yesterday and today on line. There are days when we we can feel that we are not alone, days that legislators can be won over with the argument calling them to do the right thing for victims of past sexual abuse and to help protect children today and in the future, days that politics can be used for good.

Today was one of those days.

While the battle is not over, we celebrate today because here in PA, #SOLReform legislation has taken a big step further.

And we would be remiss if we didn’t say a BIG thank you to all of you who helped make this happen. Each call, each email you write does, in fact, make a difference.

Marie Whitehead
Communication Coordinator FACSA

“““““““““““
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2016

Contact: John Salveson at 215-870-0680 salveson@abolishsexabuse.org

Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse (FACSA) Statement Regarding the Passage of PA HB 1947 today.

BRYN MAWR, PA – John Salveson, President of FACSA (Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse) released the following statement regarding passage of HB 1947.

“Today we have witnessed a major step forward in our battle to find justice for the victims of child sex abuse in Pennsylvania. HB 1947 is not perfect – but it provides an opportunity for justice for child sex abuse victims, who would have the ability, under the law, to bring civil suits against the people who abused them and the institutions which sheltered those abusers.

This bill would not exist without the courageous, relentless support of Rep. Mark Rozzi. He has played a leadership role for the several years in advocating for the reform of outdated statute of limitations related to child sex abuse. We salute his bravery and determination. He is a champion for the rights of children in our Commonwealth. We also commend Rep. Thomas Murt for his advocacy and commitment to this cause.

The bill will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration. We are confident that Chairman Stewart Greenleaf will lend his support to quickly moving the bill to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Senator Greenleaf has worked to protect children from abuse for decades, and was among the first in the Commonwealth to advocate for progressive laws related to child sex abuse.

FACSA will continue to press for the passage of this and other laws to protect children. The time is long overdue for Pennsylvania to support those who have been abused rather than their abusers.”

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OREGON
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

We applaud the brave Oregon man who is suing the First Assembly of God officials for committing and concealing child sex crimes. Civil lawsuits often seem to be the only way to expose “enablers,” the employees who ignored or hid knowledge of or suspicions about horrific abuse of kids. And these suits perform a valuable public service by deterring other supervisors and colleagues who may be tempted to turn a blind eye to abuse or worse, help keep it under wraps.

The case is W.J. v. First Assembly of God of Albany, et al., filed today in Multnomah County (Circuit Ct. Case No. 16CV11965). It’s being handled by Portland attorneys Gilion Dumas (503-952-6789, gilion@dumaslawgroup.com) and Ashley Vaughn (931-206-0090, ashley@dumaslawgroup.com).

Sadly, abuse and cover up are far more common than any of us realize or would like to admit, especially in churches and especially in the more insular and conservative denominations like the Assemblies of God. It takes real courage for any victim of sexual violence to speak up. And it takes real compassion for victims to take legal action so that other vulnerable kids are protected and other wounded adults can heal. So again, we are deeply grateful that this man has found the strength to step forward and the wisdom to expose wrongdoers in court.

No matter what happens in court, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Assemblies churches or institutions – especially byGantt and Todd Clark – to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling journalists, get justice by calling attorneys, and get comfort by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

APRIL 13, 2016

Dan Box
Crime reporter
Sydney

Cardinal George Pell’s claims to have been deceived by Catholic officials over pedophile abuse in the church have been rebutted in new evidence to the sex abuse royal commission.

The inquiry today will hold a public hearing to decide how to deal with new material in witness statements from four former Catholic Education Office staff.

The commission sought the statements after Cardinal Pell, now a senior Vatican official, testified last month, ­accusing the office of keeping from him reports of violent and sexual misconduct by the late Peter Searson. Searson sexually abused children, threatened parishioners with a gun and is alleged to have stabbed a bird to death with a screwdriver, the inquiry heard.

Cardinal Pell told the commission he had been “deceived” by the CEO, which did not ­“adequately brief” him about Searson and “told me there was insufficient evidence to remove him” during the late 1980s and early 90s. Dr Pell then was an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne, overseeing Searson’s Doveton parish in the city’s east.

The Australian understands the former head of the office, Thomas Doyle, has given evidence denying his staff intended to deceive Cardinal Pell, ­although he may not have been given all relevant information.

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FRANCE
ABC News (US)

By PHILIPPE SOTTO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — Apr 12, 2016

The French Catholic Church has decided to set up a new independent commission made up of secular experts in charge of advising bishops and helping them handle the sensitive cases of child sex abuses by priests.

Monsignor Georges Pontier, the chief of France’s bishops, announced Tuesday a series of measures to fight pedophilia inside the French church, amid growing concerns over newly-revealed child sex abuse cases, especially in the Lyon diocese run by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

Pontier said the national secular expert commission, chaired by a “qualified lay personality” yet to be chosen, will consist of former magistrates, doctors, psychologists, educators or parents.

“The commission will be in place before the summer of 2016,” said Pontier, who met with pope Francis in Rome last week.

The measures detailed by Pontier include a new website dedicated to victims of priest abuse and plans to set up local, specialized units in charge of greeting, listening and assisting victims in every French diocese and the 14 church districts in France.

Bertrand Virieux, 44, co-founder of a victim association and himself a victim of a priest when he was a child, suggested the measures were not enough. “We need strong decisions. And this doesn’t necessarily mean units specialized in listening to victims, but rather an immediate reporting to the prosecutor,” he said in an interview with iTele channel.

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euronews

Produced by Beatriz Beiras

The Vatican is under scrutiny. It happens with the Roman Catholic Church and its hierarchy each time a paedophile scandal is brought into the open. It has happened over the past fourteen years and of such magnitude that the United Nations has questioned the Church.

In 2014 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child released a damning report on the Holy See.

“The Holy See has adopted policies and practices which have led to the continuation of the abuse by and the impunity of the perpetrators. Another matter was the code of silence that was imposed by the Church on children and the fact that reporting to national law enforcement authorities has never been made compulsory,” said Kirsten Sandberg, Chairwoman of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

That is exactly what was revealed in 2002 when such a scandal broke in Boston. The Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law, under public pressure was forced to resign. He had turned his back on many cases of sexual abuse committed by priests with impunity in his diocese.

In Dublin in 2009 a similar story broke, revealed after an inquiry which lasted nine years. Thousands of children had been sexually abused for decades in institutions run by the Catholic church. Rape and molestation were “endemic” in the centres for boys according to the report including at the Artane Industrial School where sexual abuse it said was a “chronic problem”.

“This document, this inquiry vindicates what victims had said. It mentions where children were raped and brutally abused and victims feel vindicated by that. That will give them some comfort,” said John Kelly, an alleged victim of abuse.

In 2010 it was the German Catholic church which was caught up in cases of sexual abuse in several education institutions dating back to the 1970s.

Once again the hierarchy’s position was brought into sharp focus and its refusal to solve the problems according to this man.

“You saw the reactions of the individual people. No one is guilty: ‘I don’t assume any responsibility’, Bishop Ackermann says. He is a man installed by the church. That means those who are responsible for the crimes again are sitting down at a table to discuss how to move on,” said Norbert Denef, spokesman for the Network of victims for sexual abuse.

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AUSTRALIA
7 News

Annette Blackwell – AAP on April 13, 2016

The royal commission into child sex abuse will hold a directions hearing on Wednesday to decide what action to take following the death of former Ballarat Catholic bishop Ronald Mulkearns.

Bishop Mulkearns, who was terminally ill with cancer, died at age 85 last week and was buried on Monday.

The royal commission had wanted to hear further evidence from him about his 26 years – from 1971 to 1997 – in charge of the Victorian diocese of Ballarat, during which time some of the worst cases of child sexual abuse by clergy occurred.

The bishop last gave evidence in February and it was planned to call him again.

The Wednesday hearing will set a timetable for written submissions relating to the Ballarat inquiry.

A further hearing date to receive evidence of four former officers of the Catholic Education Office in relation to the inquiry into the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is also expected to be set on Wednesday.

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UNITED STATES
Religion & Politics

By Tiffany Stanley | April 12, 2016

Last month, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York, gave a public lecture at Washington University in St. Louis. It was a homecoming for the cardinal, who is a St. Louis native. The Danforth Center on Religion and Politics sponsored the event.

Over his 40 years in ministry, Dolan has served in Missouri, Wisconsin, Washington, D.C., and Rome. He has been the chairman of Catholic Relief Services and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2012, Pope Benedict elevated him to the College of Cardinals.

During his visit, Cardinal Dolan sat down with Tiffany Stanley, managing editor of Religion & Politics. He discussed a range of topics—from Pope Francis and the presidential campaign to the late Antonin Scalia and the movie Spotlight. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. …

R&P: On the other side, clearly the Catholic Church has weathered severe crises in the last few decades. The movie Spotlight just won two Oscars. What would be your word of encouragement today, in this time, for abuse survivors, and for the people that have fallen away in light of that?

TD: I spent time with them a lot. In one way it is very excruciating to talk about that, but in another way it is somewhat natural because I spend a lot of time doing it as any pastor worth his salt would. In general, I find them, on the one hand, extraordinarily blunt about the depth of their wounds. I find them, with some exceptions, eager for healing, and wise to know that the perverse nauseating action of a given priest, whose presence was due to the negligence of a particular bishop, should not ever extinguish one’s faith, or make one detest the church because of it. They are very wise in telling me they have been tempted to do that, but they realize that’s not the thing to do. So many of them move me to tears when the say, “We still love the church. We still gratefully remember the overwhelming majority of priests who are good to us.”

They simply want an assurance that they have been heard, and rightly so, and then most of all, they want the assurance that the Church has learned, and that things are in order. That’s why I think a lot of bishops often ask survivors to be part of our ongoing efforts, and many of them are happy to do so.

Secondly, you don’t want to start bragging about all the good stuff that the Church has done. But it is time, I think, to turn the spotlight on that, to use the word “spotlight.” I didn’t see the movie, but from what I understand it was very fairly and objectively reported in the movie. Apparently it was a very fair movie. We are talking about a historical event that is terribly sad, and now there has been a prolonged mea culpa on the behalf of the bishops to say, “Look, we’re not denying that, we did not handle that well.” We would like to propose that just as in the past we were an example of how not to handle it, that perhaps we could now serve as a model of how to respond to this. And people, with objectivity, have said we are doing a very good job. –

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CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet
Published on April 12, 2016

Says they are not relevant in context of civil case

The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t want videotapes of four witnesses at the 1989-90 Hughes Inquiry shown at the Mount Cashel civil trial taking place now.

Lawyer Mark Frederick, who represents the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s, is arguing against an application made by former residents’ lawyer Geoff Budden.

Newfoundland Supreme Court Justice Alphonsus Faour is presiding over a civil trial to determine whether the church is liable for the physical and sexual abuse of boys by certain Christian Brothers at the orphanage during the late 1940s to early 1960s.

The church contends it did not run the orphanage.

Budden wants the court to see some tapes from the Hughes Inquiry that took place nearly 30 years ago — evidence of a former resident, the inquiry investigator, an RCMP officer and a archdiocese official. All are deceased.

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UNITED STATES
The Open Tabernacle: Here Comes Everybody

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Betty Clermont

An Italian news agency specializing in Vatican affairs reported yesterday that “the senator, after the controversy, may terminate the visit and return at a better time.” The “controversy” refers to “interference (by the Vatican) in the US presidential campaign, especially a few days of the primary important in New York State.”

“For some analysts, Sander’s visit to the Vatican, without being received by the Holy Father, may damage his image.” Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, had made it clear “that His Holiness doesn’t plan to give the senator an audience.” In fact, other than Pres. Obama, Pope Francis has never met in private with any US Democrat.

If Bernie Sanders does cancel his visit, this should be wonderful news for progressives.

Jews

Pope Francis met with the leader of an anti-Semitic group on April 1. “Hard-core, anti-Semitic” is how the Southern Poverty Law Center described the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The Simon Wiesenthal Center named SSPX as influential within the French far-right, anti-Semitic party. The SSPX is a priestly society which currently has no canonical status in the Church ever since its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, ordained bishops without the consent of Pope John Paul II. Yet Pope Francis initiated a process of “full reconciliation” with the SSPX in 2013.

In his first act as pontiff, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras as head of his new “Council of Cardinals.” In addition to supporting the 2009 military coup against the constitutionally-elected and progressive against Pres. Manuel Zelaya, Rodriguez Maradiaga was referred to as a “notorious anti-Semite” by Alan M. Dershowitz.

Women

“Abortion is to throw someone out in order to save another. That’s what the Mafia does,” Pope Francis said during his Feb. 16 in-flight interview. In his much-touted encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, Pope Francis asked, “How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?”

On the topic of birth control in Laudato Si: “Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate,” the pope wrote. He also denounced international organizations for making economic assistance to developing countries “contingent on certain policies of ‘reproductive health.’”

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UNITED STATES
CNN

By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor

(CNN) It was one of the worst kept secrets in Washington or Rome: Pope Francis would waste little time in replacing his ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Vigano.

On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that the day had come. Vigano, the diminutive diplomat who aroused ire by setting up a secret meeting in Washington between the Pope and Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who has become a conservative Christian heroine for refusing to sign same-sex marriage certificates, is out.

He wasn’t fired, exactly. Bishops are required to submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75, and Vigano reached that milestone in January. But many bishops are allowed to serve past that point at the pope’s discretion. That’s true of Vatican ambassadors, called apostolic nuncios, as well.

Officially, then, the Pope accepted Vigano’s resignation, and replaced him with Archbishop Christophe Pierre, a seasoned diplomat who was previously the papal nuncio in Mexico, where Francis just finished a successful trip in February.

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FRANCE
News 24

Paris – The Catholic Church in France on Tuesday pledged to shed light on all cases of paedophilia, including “historic cases”, following a scandal over an archbishop accused of covering up a priest’s crimes.

Bishops decided that special groups would be set up to listen to complaints from victims of sexual abuse and an “independent national commission” would be set up to investigate, led by a lay person.

“Individual cases remain in our dioceses, even historic cases, and we need to shed light on them,” said Archbishop Georges Pontier, president of the French bishops conference.

“We pledge to do this work just as we treat cases brought to our attention, particularly by victims,” he said.

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FRANCE
New Zealand Herald

Wednesday Apr 13, 2016

PARIS (AP) ” The French Catholic Church has decided to set up a new independent commission made up of secular experts in charge of advising bishops and helping them handle the sensitive cases of child sex abuses by priests.

Monsignor Georges Pontier, chief of French bishops, announced Tuesday a series of measures to fight pedophilia inside the French church, amid growing concerns over newly-revealed child sex abuse cases, especially in the Lyon diocese run by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

Barbarin said that “the commission will be in place before the summer of 2016.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By PennLive Op-Ed
on April 12, 2016

By Amy B. Hill

The Catholic Church has learned hard lessons regarding child sexual abuse and has taken responsibility for the abuse that has occurred within its ranks.

The dioceses across Pennsylvania have implemented changes that offer assistance to abuse survivors and affirm that they are not at fault for the crime committed against them.

The Church has also taken great strides to protect children and provide financial assistance for survivors and their families, no matter how long ago the crime was committed, and for as long as necessary.

Children and adults are trained to recognize and report signs of abuse to ensure that the children in our care are safe and secure.

Despite that, state lawmakers are considering a proposal that could lead to the closure of parishes, schools, and ministries of today’s Catholics, who are in no way responsible for abuse that occurred decades ago.

This is not speculative. In other states, parishes and ministries were devastated.

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UNITED STATES
Change.org

C.J. Mahaney is facing serious charges of allegedly covering up child sex abuse, yet he is still a speaker at the Together for the Gospel Conference (T4G) going on this week.

“Every time a complicit church official is honored, it discourages victims, witnesses and whistleblowers from exposing predators, warning parents and protecting kids. Giving corrupt men like Mahaney praise and visibility contributes to the already strong sense of powerlessness that many who saw, suspected and suffered sexual abuse within churches feel. It decreases the chances they’ll find the courage and hope needed to speak up about horrific wrongs. Essentially, it sanctions the concealing of sexual assaults against children.” -SNAP letter to T4G

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FRANCE
ABC News (Australia)

The Catholic Church in France has pledged to shed light on all cases of paedophilia — including “historic cases” — following a scandal over an archbishop accused of covering up a priest’s crimes.

Bishops decided that special groups would be set up to listen to complaints from victims of sexual abuse and an “independent national commission” would be set up to investigate, led by a lay person.

“Individual cases remain in our dioceses, even historic cases, and we need to shed light on them,” Archbishop Georges Pontier, president of the French bishops conference, said.

“We pledge to do this work just as we treat cases brought to our attention, particularly by victims.”

So-called “listening cells” will be set up in every diocese to hear complaints from victims, Archbishop Pontier added.

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FRANCE
Le Parisien

L’annonce était attendue. L’Église catholique s’est engagée ce mardi à faire «toute la lumière» sur tous les cas de pédophilie, «même anciens». Le président de la Conférence des évêques de France (CEF), Mgr Georges Pontier, a annoncé une série de mesures pour mieux lutter contre la pédophilie dans l’Église.

Des «cellules d’accueil et d’écoute» seront mises en place au niveau des diocèses ou des provinces ecclésiastiques (regroupements de diocèses). «Un site internet dédié, notamment à l’accueil des victimes, permettra à celles-ci de rentrer en contact avec cette cellule locale. Dès aujourd’hui et dans l’attente de la mise en place du site internet, l’adresse mail paroledevictimes@cef.fr est ouverte aux victimes», a-t-il expliqué.

Une «commission nationale d’expertise indépendante» est créée : «Présidée par une personnalité laïque qualifiée, et composée d’experts (anciens magistrats, médecins, psychologues, parents…)», elle aura «pour mission de conseiller les évêques dans l’évaluation des situations de prêtres ayant commis des actes répréhensibles», selon le discours de Mgr Pontier.

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FRANCE
Le Monde

Par Cécile Chambraud

Agir pour ne plus laisser le champ libre à la critique et au soupçon. Après des semaines de tourmente déclenchée par une affaire de prêtre pédophile dans le diocèse de Lyon, les représentants de l’épiscopat français ont décidé de prendre l’initiative. Le conseil permanent de la Conférence des évêques de France (CEF), réuni depuis lundi 11 avril, devait annoncer, mardi, un ensemble de mesures destinées à prévenir les dérives pédophiles dans l’Eglise, à améliorer la prise en compte des victimes par l’Eglise catholique et à clarifier la conduite à tenir dans les cas de faits anciens dénoncés des années après avoir été commis.

Après la mise au jour des agressions sexuelles perpétrées par le Père Bernard P. sur de jeunes scouts dont il avait la charge entre 1971 et 1991, à Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, après les questions soulevées par la façon dont le diocèse de Lyon a géré son cas depuis lors, l’épiscopat a mis longtemps à comprendre qu’il ne pouvait se contenter de mettre en avant sa prise de conscience du problème de la pédophilie depuis quinze ans. Celle-ci avait fait suite à la condamnation de l’évêque de Bayeux, Pierre Pican, en 2001, à trois mois d’emprisonnement avec sursis pour non-dénonciation de faits de pédophilie commis par un prêtre de son diocèse, René Bissey, lui-même condamné à dix-huit ans de réclusion en 2000.

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POLEN
Katholisch

[A discussion on sexual abuse allegations made against Archbishop Julius Paetz.]

Bei der Feier des 1050. Jahrestags der Christianisierung Polens steht nach Medienberichten möglicherweise auch ein wegen Missbrauchsvorwürfen mit einem Predigtverbot belegter Bischof mit am Altar. Der ehemalige Posener Erzbischof Juliusz Paetz war 2002 beschuldigt worden, Seminaristen sexuell missbraucht zu haben. Er wies die Vorwürfe zurück, verzichtete aber auf sein Amt. Der Vatikan erteilte ihm zusätzlich ein Predigtverbot.

Die polnische Kirche selbst äußerte sich nicht präzise zu der Frage, ob Paetz an der Festmesse am Freitag in Posen (Poznan) beteiligt sein wird. “Jeder Priester, der nicht suspendiert ist, kann die Messe abhalten”, sagte Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, der Sprecher der katholischen Bischofskonferenz, am Dienstag im Nachrichtensender TVN24. Ein Sprecher des Bistums Posen sagte, auch “Seniorbischöfe” seien an dem Festgottesdienst zur “Taufe Polens” beteiligt.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Katholisch

[Vandals caused damage at a Catholic church in Wurtzburg. The contents of a large area of graffiti on a wall of the tomb featured bold references to the diocese’s handling of sexual abuse allegations. Police estimated the damage at 10,000 euros.]

Die Kiliansgruft in Würzburg ist Ziel einer Vandalismus-Attacke geworden. Am vergangenen Sonntag wurden in der Grabstätte Wände und eine Statue mit beleidigenden Graffiti beschmiert, teilte das Bistum am Dienstag mit. Der oder die Täter sind bislang unbekannt, die Kriminalpolizei hat die Ermittlungen aufgenommen.

Am Nachmittag oder Abend des Sonntags hätten die unbekannten Täter eine Statue des NS-Märtyrers Georg Häfner in der Gruft der Neumünsterkirche in der Würzburger Innenstadt mit Sprühfarbe beschmiert, heißt es in der Mitteilung weiter. In der Kirche befindet sich auch die Grablege der als Frankenapostel bezeichneten Diözesanheiligen Kilian, Kolonat und Totnan. Die Inhalte eines großflächigen Graffito an einer Wand der Gruft stellten laut Bistum Bezüge zum “Umgang der katholischen Kirche mit Vorwürfen sexuellen Missbrauchs her und beschimpfen auf unsägliche Weise den 2014 verstorbenen Generalvikar der Diözese Würzburg”. Die Polizei schätzt den entstandenen Sachschaden auf 10.000 Euro.

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FRANCE
RFI

The Catholic Church in France on Tuesday pledged to shed light on all cases of paedophilia, including “historic cases”, following a scandal over an archbishop accused of covering up a priest’s crimes. Bishops decided that special groups would be set up to listen to complaints from victims of sexual abuse and an “independent national commission” would be set up to investigate, led by a lay person.

“Individual cases remain in our dioceses, even historic cases, and we need to shed light on them,” said Archbishop Georges Pontier, president of the French bishops conference.

New ‘listening cells’

“We pledge to do this work just as we treat cases brought to our attention, particularly by victims,” he said.

So-called “listening cells” will be set up in every diocese to hear complaints from victims, Pontier added.

The measures were announced after the case of Archbishop of Lyon Philippe Barbarin re-opened the debate about paedophilia in the Church in France.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Liverpool Echo

A former priest accused of historic sex offences against two schoolboys at a catholic college run by the Archdiocese of Liverpool is set to stand trial.

Michael Higginbottom, 73, is alleged to have sexually abused children at St Joseph’s College in Up Holland, near Skelmersdale, in the late 1970s.

The school, which shut in 1992, was a Roman Catholic seminary and provided a secondary education to boys aged 11–18 who wished to go into the priesthood.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place in the late 1970s when the complainants were in their early teens.

Higginbottom appeared at Liverpool Crown Court this morning where he pleaded not guilty to four counts of indecent assault and two counts of buggery.

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MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson and Associates

4-3-2015 Letter from Sipe to Klassen-1
5-1-2015 Letter from Sipe to Klassen-2
5-3-2015 Email from Sipe to Klassen-3
8-21-2015 Letter from Spaniers to Klassen
Andert Photos
Belrose Summons and Complaint 4-11-2016
Belrose Summons and Complaint
St. John’s Statement on Andert Feb
Thomas Andert Timeline Overview
Todd Belrose Photo
Statement of Doe 324

4/11/2016

Sexual abuse survivor will speak publicly for the first time
using his name at press conference tomorrow

What: At a news conference on Tuesday in St. Paul, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant will:

• Announce the filing of two civil lawsuits naming St. John’s Abbey and Father Tom Andert as defendants. One of the survivors, sexually abused by Fr. Andert when he was 14 years old, will speak publicly using his name at tomorrow’s press conference. The second survivor, Doe 324, was sexually abused by Fr. Andert in approximately 1970-1971.
• Discuss St. John’s 2015 internal investigation of Fr. Andert and how he was returned to ministry in February 2016. Andert was also in charge of the monks on restriction at the Abbey who were accused of child sexual abuse. Survivor Troy Bramlage (Doe 2) will also be present to comment on the release of files from St. John’s and how Andert’s file was not included.
• Encourage other survivors of sexual abuse by Fr. Tom Andert, and others, to come forward safely and confidentially before the Child Victims Act window legislation expires on May 25, 2016.

WHEN: Tuesday April 12, 2016, at 1:00PM CT

WHERE: Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street, Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

Notes:

• A copy of the complaints will be available at the press conference and on our website tomorrow and the event will be live-streamed online with links available on our homepage at www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Jeff Anderson: Office: 651.237.5143 Cell: 612.817.8665
Contact Mike Bryant: Office: 320.259.5414 Cell: 800.359.0061
Contact Josh Peck: Office: 651.237.5143 Cell: 651.253.4972

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MINNESOTA
KSTP

Scott Theisen

A survivor who says he was sexually abused by a St. John’s Abbey priest when he was 14 years old will speak publicly for the first time Tuesday.

The man’s lawyers, Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant, say they will also file two civil lawsuits against St. Johns Abbey and the Rev. Tom Andert.

The alleged victim says Andert abused him in the early 1970s.

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