COLORADO
Colorado Politics via The Colorado Springs Gazette

June 13, 2020

By Michael Karlik

History repeated itself on Friday when the legislature killed a bill to give childhood victims of sexual abuse more time to sue their perpetrators and the insitutions that harbored them — the first such measure that came close to passage since 2006.

At that time, and still, victims generally had only six years after they turned 18 to file a civil suit against their abusers. The window was an even narrower two years for a lawsuit against an organization.

At that time, and still, Colorado was fresh from hearing about incidents within the Catholic Church. The Denver Post in the summer of 2005 reported on a series of clergy abuse survivors that would result in lawsuits from more than two dozen victims. In October 2019, the attorney general’s office reported that 43 priests had likely abused at least 166 children in the state since 1950.

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE (NY)
New York Post

June 13, 2020

By Kathianne Boniello

One of the nation’s largest Catholic dioceses is threatening bankruptcy if a Long Island judge doesn’t pause the nearly 100 child sex-abuse lawsuits it faces.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre, which serves more than 1.4 million Catholics in Nassau and Suffolk counties, claims it’s in an “ever-more serious financial situation,” straining under the legal costs of defending itself in court while its income has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, according to court papers.

For two weeks during New York’s months-long virus shutdown, which canceled mass and church gatherings, the diocese received no money from parishioners — donations that usually account for 40 percent of the diocese’s income, it said.

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UNITED STATES
Open Tabernacle (blog)

June 13, 2020

By Betty Clermont

After Trump held up a Bible while standing in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, non-Catholic religious leaders expressed anger and disgust.

The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington tweeted, “I am outraged.” “Everything Trump has said and done is to inflame violence. We need moral leadership, and he’s done everything to divide us,” Budde said.

Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance, stated: “Seeing President Trump holding a Bible in response to calls for racial justice … is one of the most flagrant misuses of religion I have ever seen.”

Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, said he was “brokenhearted and alarmed” by everything from the death of George Floyd to Trump’s response.

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VALAIS (SWITZERLAND)
Church Militant

June 13, 2020

By Christine Niles

Three weeks after Church Militant broke the news that a pedophile priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) was roaming free in Switzerland, authorities have arrested Fr. Frédéric Abbet.

According to Swiss media outlet Le Nouvelliste, Abbet was arrested by local authorities in Valais Friday.

As Church Militant reported in our May 21 Spotlight: ‘He’s a Good Liar,’ a Belgian court found Abbet guilty of child sex crimes in 2017, sentencing him to five years in prison. After requesting that he be allowed to serve out his sentence in his native Switzerland, however, Abbet ended up walking free, living in the town of Fully and even seen taking his nephews to a local swimming pool.

Church Militant contacted local authorities in Fully in May to ask why Abbet had never served his prison time, as required by Belgian law, and why a convicted pedophile was allowed to roam freely in their town. Officials did not comment.

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ROSARIO (ARGENTINA)
Crux

June 13, 2020

By Inés San Martín

As the Vatican resumed its activities after the two-month COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown, Crux has confirmed an Argentinian bishop suspended over allegations of sexual misconduct with seminarians quietly went back to work.

Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta was appointed by Francis to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), which functions as the Vatican’s central bank, in 2017, where he works as an “assessor,” a position created for the Argentine.

Zanchetta served as Bishop of Oran from 2013 until July 2017, when he resigned alleging health reasons. Soon after, he was transferred by Francis to Rome.

The bishop had worked closely with the pope when then Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio headed the Argentine bishops conference, and Zanchetta was one of Francis’s first episcopal appointments after being elected to the papacy.

The bishop was suspended from his Vatican post Jan. 4, 2019 after reports he had sexually abused seminarians and had homosexual pornography on his phone. The allegations against Zanchetta do not involve minors.

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UNITED STATES
Catholic News Agency via Catholic World Report

June 12, 2020

A federal judge on Wednesday denied attempts by the Catholic dioceses of Buffalo and Rochester to obtain emergency small business loans.

In April, the dioceses had sued the Small Business Administration (SBA) after they were blocked from emergency small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) because of their bankruptcy debtor status.

Congress had initially allocated $349 billion in short-term relief for small businesses and eligible non-profits in March, to help them keep employees on payroll during the pandemic.

As part of the conditions for loan applications, entities could not be undergoing the bankruptcy process. The Diocese of Rochester filed for bankruptcy in September of 2019 and the Buffalo diocese followed suit in February. Each diocese had been named in hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits following the openning of a window in the statute of limitations in the state in cases of sexual abuse.

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CHEYENNE (WY)
Catholic News Agency

June 12, 2020

While Wyoming prosecutors have declined to press criminal sexual abuse charges against Bishop emeritus Joseph Hart, Bishop Steven Biegler of Cheyenne has repeated that the diocese considers allegations against Hart to be credible. He commended alleged victims who have come forward, emphasizing the need for justice.

“This decision not to pursue a criminal case does not mean that the victims are not credible. Once again, I commend the victims who have spoken courageously about their abuse,” Bishop Biegler said in a June 11 statement. “I also stand behind the determination made by the Diocese of Cheyenne that allegations of sexual abuse against former Bishop Hart are credible.”

The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office has told an alleged victim that there was “insufficient evidence” to support a charge against Hart. The allegation concerned sexual abuse in the 1970s, the Casper Star-Tribune reported June 9.

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WASHINGTON D.C.
WTOP

June 12, 2020

By Ken Duffy

Church investigations into the rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C. found no credible evidence of sexual and financial impropriety.

Monsignor Walter Rossi has served as rector since 2005 and was accused of sexually assaulting male students at the Catholic University of America.

Those allegations reportedly came from Archbishop Carlo Viganò who relayed the accusations during an interview last year with The Washington Post, claiming the Vatican embassy in D.C. received documentation on the matter.

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CHEYENNE (WY)
Catholic News Service via National Catholic Reporter

June 12, 2020

A district attorney’s decision not to pursue criminal charges against retired Bishop Joseph H. Hart of Cheyenne over sexual abuse claims does not mean “the victims are not credible,” said Bishop Steven R. Biegler, who has headed the statewide diocese since 2017.

“Once again, I commend the victims who have spoken courageously about their abuse,” he said in a June 11 statement. “I also stand behind the determination made by the Diocese of Cheyenne that allegations of sexual abuse against former Bishop Hart are credible.”

He added, “The Diocese of Cheyenne has fully cooperated with law enforcement during the past two years that they have been investigating this case.”

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STATEN ISLAND (NY)
Staten Island Advance

June 13, 2020

By Frank Donnelly

A former resident who was placed in the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto more than 60 years ago said he only stayed for a few months.

The reason: A priest and a religious brother at the mission sexually abused him multiple times, a lawsuit alleges. So, he ran away back home.

Recently filed against the Archdiocese of New York and Catholic Charities of Staten Island, the suit is the latest claim of sexual abuse brought by a former resident of the Pleasant Plains shelter, which for decades was a haven for homeless and destitute children.

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UNITED STATES
Catholic News Service via The Tablet (UK)

June 13, 2020

By Junno Arocho Esteves, CNS

President Donald Trump said he was “honoured” by an open letter from a former Vatican official who claimed that restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 were part of a Masonic plot to establish a new world order.

In the letter released by LifesiteNews, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who served as nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016, also claimed that “civil disturbances” in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody were provoked by “deep state” operatives because “the virus is inevitably fading” and “the social alarm of the pandemic is waning”.

So-called “deep state” is a conspiracy theory alleging the existence of a hidden cabal in countries and within government offices that are attempting to undermine or usurp the authority of the legitimately elected government.

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PITTSBURGH (PA)
TribLive

June 12, 2020

By Megan Guza

Nine people have filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh alleging sexual abuse by seven priests and years of cover-up by diocesan officials.

The seven priests named in the lawsuit had already appeared and had allegations leveled against them in the August 2018 grand jury report blasting the Pittsburgh Diocese and others for decades of abuse and cover-ups.

The accusers are identified only by their initials, and it includes the estate of one person suing on their behalf. The living plaintiffs all are adults, according to the lawsuit.

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SPRINGFIELD (MA)
New England Public Radio

June 10, 2020

By Adam Frenier

Springfield Roman Catholic Bishop Mitchell Rozanski is leaving western Massachusetts to become the Archbishop of St. Louis. The announcement was made by the Vatican on Wednesday.

Rozanski came to Springfield from his native Baltimore in 2014. During a Wednesday morning press conference in St. Louis, Rozanski said he was grateful to the people of western Massachusetts “for their welcome to me when I first arrived, for their collaboration with me over these six years.”

“I want them to know,” he continued, “they are in my prayers as they now experience this time of transition.”

During Rozanski’s tenure, the Springfield Diocese faced criticism from the Hampden District Attorney for not turning over all claims of clergy sexual abuse for investigation.

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VATICAN
National Catholic Register

June 11, 2020

By Father Raymond J. de Souza

COMMENTARY: In the last few weeks, Pope Francis’ financial reforms have moved into high gear again.

The last few months have shut down much ecclesial life, but at the Vatican the financial reforms are going from strength to strength, with major new developments coming every few weeks.

The financial reforms of Pope Francis, which began with a bang in 2014, were largely dead by 2017. Now they live again. What happened? The ups-and-downs reveal something of how popes govern; the Roman Curia really is the last “royal” court for a “monarch” how holds virtually unlimited authority. Every pope governs that way to a certain extent; power is determined not by office alone but by those to whom he grants access. Pope Francis, in choosing to bypass much of the usual structures of the Roman Curia, has accentuated this.

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AUSTRALIA
Catholic Herald

June 9, 2020

A series of emails falsely claiming to be sent from Catholic institutions have been denounced by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) as “offensive, unChristian and, in some cases, defamatory”.

The contents of the defamatory emails typically concern Cardinal George Pell’s convictions, the role of the complainant in his criminal trial, the spread of coronavirus pandemic and, in recent cases, the upcoming July 4 Eden-Monaro by-election.

Fr Stephen Hackett, ACBC general secretary, said: “It is deeply regrettable that a number of people are being maligned in these emails, which seem designed to attack Cardinal Pell, Witness J, the Catholic Church and now even politicians.”

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INDIA
Pgurus.com

June 12, 2020

By Sahil Mishra

Savio Rodrigues separates the faith from the organisation that the Church has become and highlights the corruption that has permeated into it. The faith is under pressure because of the allegations of sexual abuse and the harsh treatment meted out to those who highlight them. A must watch!

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CLEARWATER (FL)
Tampa Bay Times

June 11, 2020

By Tracey McManus

Originally filed last year in Miami-Dade circuit court, the case was transferred to Pinellas County in May and dropped June 5

A woman has dropped the lawsuit she filed last year against the Church of Scientology that alleged she was repeatedly sexually abused as a child in Scientology’s care, including as a kindergartner at the church’s Clearwater Academy.

The woman, named as Jane Doe in court records, filed her complaint in Miami-Dade circuit court in September, becoming the third lawsuit lodged against Scientology and its leader David Miscavige in 2019.

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UNITED STATES
SNAP

June 11, 2020

Four people have been added to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Review Board. Rather than bring on outsiders, every single person named has close ties with their local diocese, something we do not think bodes well for the efficacy of this review board now and into the future.

Especially concerning is the fact that several of the new members come from dioceses that have lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to transparency and accountability. For example, one of the new members, Steven Jubera, works on the review board for the Diocese of Jackson, MS, a diocese that has come under national scrutiny for its unequal treatment of black survivors and which did not release any information on accused clerics until March of 2019.

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NEW ZEALAND
Stuff.co.nz

June 13, 2020

By Mandy Te

Mike Ledingham, who was abused as a child by a Catholic priest, has renewed faith in the Royal Commission in charge of investigating abuse cases in state and faith-based care.

Ledingham and his brothers, Chris and Gerry first spoke out in 2002 about the sexual abuse they experiencedand, while he’s still dealing with his demons, the 70 year old is encouraging other survivors to come forward.

“When you have been abused and cover it up and you see what the Church does, you get a bit jaded and your soul is jaded.

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INDIA
UCA News

June 11, 2020

By Saji Thomas

Former judge sends a legal notice to church authorities seeking removal of a Karnataka bishop

A retired Catholic high court judge has sent a legal notice to church authorities seeking the removal of a bishop, accusing him of crimes such as murder, corruption and moral turpitude, among others.

Former Justice Michael F. Saldanha alleged that Bishop Kannikadass Antony William of Mysore in Karnataka state was responsible for the deaths of four priests, two of them suspected to be murdered.

The legal notice, a copy of which has been released to media, was sent to Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) president Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore. Mysore is a suffragan diocese of Bangalore.

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PITTSBURGH (PA)
SNAP

June 11, 2020

A new lawsuit has been filed on behalf of nine brave survivors (eight living, one deceased) who allege abuse at the hands of seven different priests from the Diocese of Pittsburgh. We applaud these brave survivors for coming forward and hope that they are finding support and comfort on their healing journey.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of these nine victims accuse seven different priests – all of whom were named in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report – of abuse. Each of these survivors deserves praise for coming forward and sharing their painful stories in an effort to secure justice and help prevent future cases of abuse. We are grateful to them.

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JAMAICA (NY)
Queens Eagle

June 11, 2020

By David Brand

A former scoutmaster and teacher at a Greek Orthodox school in Jamaica has now been sued twice for sexually abusing kids in the 1970s and 80s.

The latest complaint, filed Tuesday in Queens Supreme Court, accuses former St. Demetrios Jamaica Day School teacher Lawrence Svrcek of “sexually assaulting, abusing and molesting” a student throughout 1978 and 1979. The plaintiff was in seventh grade when the abuse occurred, according to his attorney, Eric Siegle.

Svrcek has been sued at least one other time under the Child Victims Act, a 2019 law that enables survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil complaints against their abusers and the institutions that enabled them regardless of when the abuse occurred.

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NEW YORK (NY)
Crux

June 12, 2020

By Christopher White

Following a decision by Wyoming prosecutors not to charge retired Bishop Joseph Hart for sexual abuse against minors, his alleged victims are looking to the Church’s canonical process as a last chance for the 88-year-old prelate to be brought to justice.

As first reported by the Kansas City Star on Tuesday, and confirmed by Crux on Wednesday, a Wyoming witness coordinator informed one of Hart’s accusers that the prosecutor would not advance the case, citing insufficient evidence. This comes nearly two years after the Diocese of Cheyenne deemed the allegations from the same individual to be credible in 2018.

In a statement on Thursday, Bishop Steven Biegler, the current bishop of Cheyenne, said he stands by the diocese’s determination and noted that Hart’s case is still under review in Rome.

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SPRINGFIELD (IL)
WICS/WRSP

June 11, 2020

Catholic Charities of Springfield has sent an amicus brief for a Supreme Court case.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, the case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, focuses on whether a religious organization can demand government contracts to provide child welfare services while they do not comply with LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination requirements.

The amicus brief discusses how the state of Illinois terminated Catholic Charities’ foster care services after the organization declined to assess and qualify same-sex couples as foster parents, although they agreed to refer the same-sex couples to DCFS offices who can provide these services or refer them to other private agencies that could.

According to the amicus brief, Catholic Charities of Springfield acted as a foster care agency from 1965 to 2011. In 2011, while the organization was serving about 325 foster children, the state terminated its services following the enactment of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act.

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TRENTON (NJ)
The Trentonian

June 12, 2020

By Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

The Diocese of Trenton is facing numerous lawsuits alleging it failed time and again to prevent the sexual abuse of children.

These civil-action complaints in Mercer County Superior Court are a microcosm of the widespread sex abuse scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.

“It’s an epidemic in the Catholic Church, and it has been going on for centuries,” attorney John W. Baldante told The Trentonian in an interview. “The Catholic Church has largely ignored this behavior.”

Baldante represents at least 10 plaintiffs in lawsuits accusing the Diocese of Trenton of negligence, saying the institution failed to provide a safe environment and protective culture to children and other parishioners within the churches, sacristies, schools, rectories and other facilities overseen by the diocese.

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NEW DELHI (INDIA)
Catholic News Service via Crux

June 12, 2020

A retired Catholic high court judge has sent a legal notice to church authorities seeking the removal of a bishop, accusing him of crimes such as murder, corruption and moral turpitude, among others.

Ucanews.com reported that former Justice Michael F. Saldanha alleged that Bishop Kannikadass William Antony of Mysore, India, was responsible for the deaths of four priests, two of whom were suspected to have been murdered.

The legal notice, a copy of which was released to media, was sent to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, and Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore. Mysore is a suffragan diocese of Bangalore.

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[Próvolo: hearings will resume for the second trial]

MENDOZA (ARGENTINA)
Unidiversidad.com

June 12, 2020

GOOGLE TRANSLATION, FOLLOWED BY ORIGINAL IN SPANISH:

It will be on Tuesday the 16th, as confirmed by the plaintiff Oscar Barrera. 9 people are charged, including two religious.

Justice will resume on Tuesday the 16th the preliminary hearings of the second trial for the abuses in the Próvolo Institute, in which nine people are accused, among them the nuns Kumiko Kosaka and Asunción Martínez. The resumption of the process was confirmed to Unidiversidad both from the press office of the Judiciary and by one of the complainants, Oscar Barrera.

After three months of restricted activity in Courts as a result of the mandatory quarantine, the parties were notified of the resumption with a new preliminary hearing of the process, which will take place on June 16 at 8:30 on a semi-face-to-face basis.

Será el martes 16, según confirmó el querellante Oscar Barrera. Están imputadas 9 personas, entre ellas dos religiosas.

La Justicia reanudará el martes 16 las audiencias preliminares del segundo juicio por los abusos en el Instituto Próvolo, en el que están imputadas nueve personas, entre ellas las religiosas Kumiko Kosaka y Asunción Martínez. La reanudación del proceso fue confirmado a Unidiversidad tanto desde la oficina de prensa del Poder Judicial como por uno de los querellantes, Oscar Barrera.

Luego de tres meses de restringida actividad en Tribunales a raíz de la cuarentena obligatoria, las partes fueron notificadas de la reanudación con una nueva audiencia preliminar del proceso, que se concretará el 16 de junio a las 8.30 de forma semipresencial.

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CHEYENNE (WY)
Kansas City Star

June 11, 2020

By Judy L. Thomas

[VIDEO: ‘I couldn’t imagine that a man that I loved this much could do something so evil.’ Susie McClernon is still dealing with the trauma of the sexual abuse her youngest brother, Kevin Hunter, suffered years ago. Hunter died in 1989.]

A Wyoming prosecutor’s decision not to file child sexual abuse charges against a former Kansas City priest who later became Bishop of Cheyenne doesn’t mean the alleged victims were not credible, the leader of that state’s Catholics said Thursday.

“I commend the victims who have spoken courageously about their abuse,” said Bishop Steven Biegler, head of the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, in a strongly worded statement. “I also stand behind the determination made by the Diocese of Cheyenne that allegations of sexual abuse against former Bishop Hart are credible.”

Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen in Casper, Wyoming, could not immediately be reached for comment. Cheyenne is in Laramie County, but Itzen was appointed as special prosecutor in the case because of a conflict of interest within the Laramie County District Attorney’s office.

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NEW YORK
Law360

June 11, 2020

By Rick Archer

A New York federal judge has rejected a pair of Roman Catholic dioceses’ challenge to a U.S. Small Business Administration rule barring coronavirus relief loans to bankrupt businesses, saying the agency was within its rights to deny them $2.8 million in loans.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford rejected the arguments by the bankrupt Catholic dioceses of Buffalo and Rochester, New York, that the SBA had no legal grounds for its rule denying Paycheck Protection Program loans to organizations in Chapter 11, saying the agency is under a legal requirement to make sure its loans are likely to be repaid.

The PPP, created under March’s coronavirus relief package, is an SBA-administered program that offers loans of up to $10 million from third-party lenders to firms with 500 or fewer employees to cover their costs while they are shuttered by local COVID-19 shutdown orders.

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UNITED STATES
America

June 11, 2020

By Michael J. O’Loughlin

President Trump posted a tweet on June 10 saying he was “so honored” by a letter written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States who, in a series of missives in recent years, has blamed the church’s sexual abuse crisis on gay priests, accused Pope Francis of championing schism and called for the pope to resign because of his alleged mishandling of abuse allegations against former Cardinal Thedore McCarrick.

What did Archbishop Viganò say in his letter to President Trump?

On June 6, LifeSiteNews, a Catholic website that covers “culture, life, and family,” posted a public letter that Archbishop Viganò wrote to President Trump. In the three-page letter, dated June 7, the archbishop expresses his belief in a number of conspiracy theories, including the existence of a “deep state” opposing Mr. Trump from within the U.S. federal government and a “deep church” comprised of “children of darkness”; a belief that the Covid-19 pandemic response represents “a colossal operation of social engineering”; and the notion that recent anti-racism protests in the United States evoke “the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.”

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PITTSBURGH (PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

June 11, 2020

By Peter Smith

Nine plaintiffs filed suit Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, alleging past sexual abuse by seven of its priests.

The lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas by eight individuals and the estate of a ninth, all identified by initials. They are represented by Harrisburg attorney Benjamin Andreozzi, who has previously represented plaintiffs in numerous sexual-abuse lawsuits against Catholic dioceses.

The lawsuit accuses the diocese of fraud, conspiracy, fraudulent concealment, breach of fiduciary duty. Also named as defendants are churches of the diocese where the accused priests worked.

All seven priests accused of abuse in the lawsuit were named in the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report into sexual abuse in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and five other Catholic dioceses.

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UNITED STATES
The Daily Beast

June 10, 2020

By Pilar Melendez

As an 11-year-old chosen to train under legendary swim coach Andrew King, Debra Grodensky believed she was destined to become an Olympic star. However, by 15, she had quit the sport out of fear following years of disturbing alleged sexual assault by King that culminated in her coach, then 37, asking her to marry him.

“My sexual abuse was 100 percent preventable,” Grodensky, 51, said on Wednesday as she filed a lawsuit against USA Swimming. “I believe my life trajectory would have been drastically different if USA Swimming did not have a culture that enabled coaching sexual abuse. It was that culture that allowed Andy King to abuse me for years without consequence.”

Grodensky was one of six women to file a series of lawsuits against USA Swimming on Wednesday, alleging the governing body ignored signs of sexual abuse by former U.S. Olympic coach Mitch Ivey and several other staff members in a decision that cultivated a culture of abuse for decades.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
KSDK

June 10, 2020

By Kayla Wheeler

The protest was held outside Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a protest Wednesday morning in response to the new St. Louis archbishop-elect.

On Wednesday it was announced that Pope Francis had named Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski as the 11th bishop and 10th archbishop of St. Louis.

SNAP has criticized Rozanski for refusing to name three priests who had been suspended after allegations of sexual abuse in Massachusetts.

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SAINT LOUIS (MO)
SNAP

June 3, 2020

A critical vote to advance reforms aimed at curbing cases of clergy sexual abuse was delayed when the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention was canceled. While we recognize that the spread of COVID-19 has caused plans nationwide to change, we also recognize that “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and believe that the SBC should use alternative means in order to have this needed vote and continue the work of preventing cases of sexual violence within the SBC.

As Ashley Easter said during this year’s virtual “For Such a Time as This” rally, no substantive change has occurred in the SBC since a massive exposé into cases of sexual violence and cover-up within the church was published. This scheduled vote would not have brought the needed change that survivors and advocates have been asking for, but it at least would have been a step in the right direction. By abandoning the vote without a plan to move forward, it seems that the SBC is content to just ignore the issue, as they ignored the problem of racism for so many years.

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NEW ZEALAND
RNZ

June 11, 2020

Marist College students are accusing their school of racism after they say staff took down Black Lives Matter posters they had put up.

At least one student took her allegations to the board. It met last night, and in a statement said there would be a formal investigation into the concerns raised, and the Catholic diocese would also mediate between the school and students.

The principal has not specifically responded to Checkpoint’s requests for an interview. The Auckland Catholic Diocese has also been approached for comment.

Its Vicar of Education, Catherine Ryan, said they wished to support the students and staff in resolving the current issues.

She said until they have had the opportunity to listen to the concerns raised it was not appropriate for her to comment.

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

LONDON (ENGLAND)
Independent Catholic News

June 11, 2020

By Diana Fawcett

Victim Support has been awarded the contract to manage Safe Spaces, a joint Anglican and Catholic project to provide a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse. This leading national charity, well known for its specialist services and work with people affected by crime, abuse and traumatic events, was awarded the contract following a competitive process.

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RICHMOND (VA)
SNAP

June 9, 2020

The Diocese of Richmond has announced investigations into four former priests following allegations of child sexual abuse. We call on Catholic officials in Richmond to do outreach at every parish where these men worked so that other victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers will be encouraged to come forward.

According to a release from diocesan leaders in Richmond, the four former priests are:

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AUSTRALIA
Canberra Times

June 12, 2020

By Terry Fewtrell

Australia’s Catholic bishops seem to have learned little from the sexual abuse scandal and its associated cover-ups. Pushed by a royal commission report to implement reforms, they recently reverted to standard operating procedures of delay and secrecy in suppressing a major report on governance reform. While hoping to delay and control discussion, the bishops were outmanoeuvred by the leaking of the highly significant report. It will now be available to and discussed by all Catholics – as it should be.

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BROOKLYN (NY)
SNAP

June 4, 2020

A second man has come forward to accuse a prominent Brooklyn bishop of child sexual abuse. We applaud this survivor for coming forward and call on Cardinal Dolan to immediately remove the bishop from his position while the allegations are investigated.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio was first accused of abuse in a lawsuit filed in November 2019, where it was alleged that he had abused a boy while he was a priest in Jersey City. This latest allegation is also related to DiMarzio’s time in New Jersey and alleges that Samier Tadros was abused at age 6 at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City. We are grateful to Mr. Tadros for coming forward and potentially helping to protect others from abuse.

This latest lawsuit comes as Bishop DiMarzio is already under investigation by the Vatican, but we believe that the best information will come from an investigation by external, secular law enforcement officials. Currently, New York A.G. Letitia James is investigating cases of clergy abuse and we hope this latest news will bring more survivors forward to her office and draw investigator’s attention to the situation in Brooklyn.

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UNITED STATES
Insurance Journal

June 11, 2020

By Randall Chase

The judge presiding over the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy has approved an agreement among attorneys to extend an injunction halting child sex abuse lawsuits against the organization’s 261 local councils until Nov. 16.

Under the agreement approved this Monday, local councils wanting continued protection from litigation must sign agreements by July 6 requiring them to provide information to the Boy Scouts about their finances, including real estate holdings, for sharing with creditor committees.

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WASHINGTON (DC)
The Tablet

June 11, 2020

By James Roberts

They are dismissed as further evidence of the fondness of Americans for cults and conspiracies. But the followers of the enigmatic Q are said to include close advisers to President Trump – and some on the conservative fringes of the Catholic Church

In August 2018, during Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican nuncio in Washington D.C., published an 11-page “testimony” claiming that Francis and several American cardinals and archbishops had teamed up over the years to cover up sexual abuse by clerics, and in particular had failed to address the crimes and misdemeanours of Theodore McCarrick, who had been appointed as Archbishop of Washington D.C. in 2001 in spite of several warnings about his behaviour.

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SPRINGFIELD (MA)
SNAP

June 4, 2020

Three priests from the Catholic Diocese of Springfield have been temporarily removed from their positions following allegations of abuse. We call on the Diocese to release the names of those clerics to the public and for church officials to do outreach to any victims who may still be suffering in silence

The Diocese also announced that, since July of last year, fourteen people have come forward to allege abuse at the hands of a priest, including the three recently removed from ministry. While this information is helpful and will hopefully encourage more survivors to come forward, what is not helpful is how cagey Catholic officials are being about the details.

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BALTIMORE (MD)
The Baltimore Sun

June 11, 2020

By Nancy Fenton

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the guilty verdict of John Merzbacher, a former schoolteacher convicted of the rape of Elizabeth Murphy in the 1970s, when she was a student at the Catholic Community Middle School in South Baltimore.

A Baltimore City jury found the teacher guilty in 1994, after Ms. Murphy was an adult, of eight charges of rape and abuse. Following the guilty verdict, prosecutors dropped an additional 100 charges involving 13 other former students, who were prepared to go to trial against Merzbacher. Eventually, he was sentenced to four life sentences plus 10 years. He is now serving time in a Maryland prison.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Telegraph

June 11, 2020

By Camilla Tominey

The Vice Chancellor has been asked to intervene after Christ Church insisted that The McDonald Centre remove all references from its website

An ongoing row between the Dean of Christ Church and Oxford University dons has escalated following the college’s attempts to distance itself from a theological foundation headed up by one of the Dean’s staunchest allies.

The university’s Vice Chancellor has been asked to intervene after Christ Church insisted that The McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics & Public Life remove all references to Christ Church from its website, including the centre’s logo, which has the appearance of the college’s famous Tom Tower.

The centre is headed up by Professor Nigel Biggar, a vocal supporter of the Very Rev Martyn Percy, who presides over the prestigious college and the cathedral.

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SAN ANTONIO (TX)
St. Mary’s University

June 11, 2020

Thomas M. Mengler, J.D., President of St. Mary’s University joined as one of four new members appointed to serve on the National Review Board (NRB) by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The NRB advises the bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and was established as part of the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive set of procedures established and adopted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.

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SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Daily Hampshire Gazette

June 10, 2020

By Scott Merzbach

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, who in his six years leading the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has spearheaded reforms aimed at confronting the fallout from clergy abuse and overseen continued reorganization and consolidation of churches, will depart to become the archbishop of St. Louis this summer.

On Wednesday, Pope Francis announced that Rozanski, 61, would succeed Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who is retiring after turning 75.

In an introductory event at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Rozanski referenced the “good people of Springfield” and how grateful he was for their welcome and collaboration with them since 2014.

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GUAM
SNAP

June 5, 2020

Once again, Catholic officials are suing the government over the payroll protection plan (PPP) loan program. We suggest that, rather than sue the government, these church leaders should offer some creative incentives that would help protect the vulnerable in exchange for being considered for funding.

The Archdiocese of Agana in Guam is suing the Small Business Administration after being denied a loan. We suggest that, in order to increase their viability to receive such a loan, that they should take several immediate steps.

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ROCHESTER (NY)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

June 11, 2020

By Gary Craig

A federal judge has ruled that the federal Small Business Administration was in its rights to refuse pandemic-related loans to the Catholic Dioceses of Rochester and Buffalo.

The two dioceses wanted $2.8 million in emergency Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans. The Rochester diocese planned to request $1.1 million and Buffalo $1.7 million.

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NEW JERSEY
Newark Star-Ledger

By Mark Crawford

As citizens from every corner of this nation rightfully raise their voices crying out against grave injustices is it not clear that abuse of power, lack of transparency and the failure to hold accountable those who abuse their trust inflicts immeasurable harm on the fabric of our society? One need not look far to see some parallels between recent national protests and the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandal; sacred institutions betrayed the trust of the people they are here to protect and serve.

For the better part of two decades, victims of sexual abuse pleaded with state lawmakers to fix New Jersey’s outdated statute of limitation laws. Several bills came and went as our New Jersey Catholic bishops hired high powered lobbyists and their own arsenal of attorneys from the Catholic Conference to oppose such measures at every opportunity.

Finally, in 2019, the state greatly expanded rights for both child and adult victims of sexual assault and provides a two-year window for victims of past abuse to have recourse. The passage of that bill provided one of the best laws in the country ensuring victims once locked out of our courts would now have access to our justice system. It also enabled victims to hold accountable all the institutions that had hid or harbored known predators or failed to protect new victims from those who would prey upon the young.

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UNITED STATES
An Essay for the Faithful (blog)

June 5, 2020

As we navigate this period of intense pain, heartache, anger, and frustration across our nation, I wanted to offer a positive message to my Catholic brothers and sisters whose faith is being challenged in these moments.

I don’t have any good answers when it comes to ending systemic racial atrocities and socio-economic injustices. I am not qualified to offer advice on keeping your families, your loved ones, or your livelihood safe during a global pandemic. I am no intellectual and I am not a moral authority on any subject. I am a sinner – just like everyone else.

The one thing I can offer at this moment is that I can speak to the legitimate concerns expressed by many of the Faithful with regard to the pace, integrity, and rigor of the Vatican’s investigation of Theodore McCarrick. Many of us have waited a long time to receive all of the details, while at the same time knowing those details would be painful to hear.

I am aware of the public statements made by multiple members of the College of Cardinals several months back that suggested that the Vatican’s report on McCarrick’s career would be imminently forthcoming. Naturally, these statements served to raise expectations and it is clear now that the report has taken longer than anyone expected. I don’t believe any of those Cardinals were trying to mislead anyone. I just think they believed that what they were saying was true.

I say that because early this year, persons tasked by the Holy See with investigating McCarrick’s career reached out to me directly, as well as to several of the other Nathans, and asked us if we would be willing to provide facts and information to help ensure the accuracy of the report and to contribute to its findings.

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UNITED STATES
Catholic News Agency

June 10, 2020

An anonymous alleged sexual abuse victim of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick says he and other alleged victims have been working with the Vatican to fact-check the comprehensive dossier on McCarrick’s misdeeds.

The alleged victim, writing under the name Nathan Doe, says he was one of several minors that McCarrick abused, and that he had previously collaborated with Church authorities to provide evidence during the canonical penal administrative process which resulted in McCarrick’s 2019 laicization.

He says early in 2020, “persons tasked by the Holy See with investigating McCarrick’s career” reached out to him and several other alleged victims to ask if they would be willing to provide facts and information to ensure the report’s accuracy.

“Time will tell, but nothing in my experience thus far indicates any type of cover-up or attempt to minimize anything by anyone involved in the Holy See’s investigation,” Doe writes in a June 5 blog post.

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WASHINGTON D.C.
Catholic News Service via National Catholic Reporter

June 10, 2020

The National Review Board, the all-lay group that monitors dioceses’ performance in dealing with sexually abusive clergy and creating a safe environment for children throughout the church, has four new members.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced the appointments June 10.

The new members are:

— Vivian M. Akel, a retired clinical social worker; she volunteers as safe environment coordinator for the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, New York.

— James Bogner, retired senior executive special agent for the FBI; he also serves on the Archdiocesan Advisory Review Board and Ministerial Conducts Board for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska.

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BALTIMORE (MD)
Baltimore Sun

June 11, 2020

By Nancy Fenton

[PHOTO: Former sexually abused students of John Joseph Merzbacher and some of their family members stand in support two years ago to keep Merzbacher in prison after the sexual abuse that took place 40 years ago at the Catholic Community Middle School in Locust Point.]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the guilty verdict of John Merzbacher, a former schoolteacher convicted of the rape of Elizabeth Murphy in the 1970s, when she was a student at the Catholic Community Middle School in South Baltimore.

A Baltimore City jury found the teacher guilty in 1994, after Ms. Murphy was an adult, of eight charges of rape and abuse. Following the guilty verdict, prosecutors dropped an additional 100 charges involving 13 other former students, who were prepared to go to trial against Merzbacher. Eventually, he was sentenced to four life sentences plus 10 years. He is now serving time in a Maryland prison.

I clearly remember the breaking news of the guilty verdict. The small TV on my kitchen countertop was turned on. I was tinkering in the kitchen, while my young daughter played at the table. A jury member commented on Liz’s overwhelming testimony and the consideration of the facts presented to the jury. I was stunned by the news, knowing deep in my heart that there was still so much to tell about the terror inflicted by just that one person.

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WASHINGTON (DC)
National Catholic Reporter

June 9, 2020

By Carol Zimmermann

The Texas Supreme Court agreed June 5 to review an appeal by the Diocese of Lubbock over a former deacon’s defamation lawsuit against it.

The suit, which lower courts said could proceed, sought more than $1 million in damages from the diocese claiming it had falsely included the former deacon in its published list last year of clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

Jesus Guerrero filed a defamation lawsuit last March, two months after all 15 dioceses in the state published lists of clergy members and deacons with credible abuse allegations.

In a response filed with the Lubbock District Court last April, the diocese said it was seeking dismissal of the suit calling it an ecclesiastical matter that civil courts couldn’t interfere with.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
KSDK

June 10, 2020

By Ashley Cole, Kelsi Anderson

Archbishop-elect Rozanski currently serves as Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts

Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson.

He has named Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski as the 11th bishop and 10th Archbishop of St. Louis.

“I am honored to have served as leader of the Archdiocese of St. Louis for more than a decade,” said Archbishop Carlson in a press release. “This large and generous community of faithful Catholics will continue to encourage me in my faith journey, and I know that Bishop Rozanski will cherish his new ministry. I am confident in the future of God’s strong Church in St. Louis with Archbishop-elect Rozanski as its shepherd.”

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FRANCE
ChurchMilitant

June 9, 2020

By Christine Niles

Bishop Fellay broke civil and canon law

A priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) sentenced to 19 years in prison for the sadistic rape of three women — one he tortured with knitting needles and scissors — was protected by Bp. Bernard Fellay, in violation of French law.

The case of Fr. Christophe Roisnel shocked the conscience of the French nation in 2017, when news broke of his criminal trial for rape of three teachers — one of them a mother — at the Notre-Dame de la Sablonnière academy in Goussonville, near Paris, where he had been director of the school since 2006. While reports of his crimes exploded in French media at the time, his story has had almost no coverage in English-language media.

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HAWAII
Hawaii Catholic Herald

June 10, 2020

By Patrick Downes

In the United States, accusations of sexual abuse by clergy are to be reported to the local bishop. But what if it’s the bishop himself who is the problem?

The answer is the national Catholic Bishop Reporting Service.

Begun March 16, the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting (CBAR) is a third-party service that collects and reports to appropriate church authorities bishops who have committed sexual abuse or who have interfered with a civil or church investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by another cleric or religious.

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CASPER (WY)
Casper Star Tribune

June 9, 2020

By Seth Klamann

Retired Catholic bishop Joseph Hart will not face criminal prosecution over an allegation that he sexually abused at least one boy in the 1970s, the alleged victim in the case told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

It’s the second time the former cleric, who has been accused by more than a dozen men of sexual abuse over a period of decades, has been investigated and not charged by Wyoming prosecutors.

The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office told the alleged victim on Monday there was “insufficient evidence” to support charging Hart, who was the auxiliary and later full bishop of the Catholic flock in Wyoming from 1976 to 2001, the accuser said. The conclusion comes 26 months after the Cheyenne Police Department began a criminal investigation into Hart that resulted in the agency recommending the retired bishop be charged.

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LUBBOCK (TX)
KXAN

June 10, 2020

By Avery Travis

The Texas Supreme Court is set to decide whether a clergy member, credibly accused of sexual abuse, can sue his church for defamation.

Following calls for more transparency from Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in 2019, all Roman Catholic dioceses in Texas published lists of names of clergy members who were credibly accused of sexual abuse.

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MICHIGAN
WSJM

June 10, 2020

A motion has been filed for the Michigan Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a negligence lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. The high court had decided not to hear the case. The suit accuses the diocese of negligence in the sexual abuse of then 15-year-old Brendan Boman by a tutor at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids. Boman’s attorney, Ven Johnson, spoke with Michigan News Network.

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CASPER (WY)
Casper Star-Tribune Via Wyoming News Exchange

June 10, 2020

By Seth Klamann

Retired Catholic bishop Joseph Hart will not face criminal prosecution over an allegation that he sexually abused at least one boy in the 1970s, the alleged victim in the case told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

It’s the second time the former cleric, who has been accused by more than a dozen men of sexual abuse over a period of decades, has been investigated and not charged by Wyoming prosecutors.

The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office told the alleged victim on Monday there was “insufficient evidence” to support charging Hart, who was the auxiliary and later full bishop of the Catholic flock in Wyoming from 1976 to 2001, the accuser said. The conclusion comes 26 months after the Cheyenne Police Department began a criminal investigation into Hart that resulted in the agency recommending the retired bishop be charged.

“On one hand there was disbelief, but on the other hand was just like, ‘Well, yeah,’” the alleged victim told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday, describing the conversation with the prosecutor’s office. The victim’s allegations were substantiated and deemed credible by the Diocese of Cheyenne in July 2018. “In the back of my mind, that was always an outcome. I never thought it was a slam dunk. But there’s a certain bitter resignation that comes with saying, ‘OK, there it goes, that’s just how it is.’ I can’t believe it.”

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ENGLAND
The Guardian

June 10, 2020

By Harriet Sherwood and Roz Scott

BAME vicar and trainee priest claim discrimination has blocked their church careers

Church of England bishops have been accused of “utter hypocrisy” for publicly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement while failing to address racism in their dioceses.

Two men from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, a vicar and a trainee priest, claim discrimination has blocked their efforts to advance within the C of E hierarchy.

The Rev Alwyn Pereira was rejected for seven posts as a vicar in the diocese of Bristol before he discovered a letter on his personal file saying there were “cultural differences in the way people like Alwyn communicate, and actually handle issues of truth and clarity”.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
Associated Press

June 10, 2020

Pope names St Louis archbishop to replace retiring Carlson

The newly-appointed head of the Archdiocese of St. Louis vowed Wednesday to be an agent of healing, as the region and the nation continue to react to the death of George Floyd and the threat of the coronavirus.
The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Francis had appointed Springfield, Massachusetts Bishop Mitchell Rozanski to lead the St. Louis diocese, replacing Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who is retiring.

“This is a troubled time for our nation,” Rozanski said during a news conference in St. Louis. “We”re still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 virus, the death of Mr. George Floyd and the sad spectacle of racism that tears at the very fabric of our country. … It is my hope that called to lead this church of St. Louis, God”s grace will be in abundance in helping me to be part of that healing process and resolution to all the daunting issues that we face.”

The appointment drew immediate criticism from advocates for victims of priest sexual abuse. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests chastised Rozanski for not releasing the names of three accused predator priests in the Springfield, Massachusetts, who were suspended last week.

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MUMBAI (INDIA)
Mid-Day.com

June 7, 2020

By Gaurav Sarka

Legal notice sent to Bishop of Mysore for sexual misconduct, priest deaths and illegal transfers; Archbishop of Bengaluru also named for covering up his crimes

Former Justice of the Bombay High Court Michael F Saldhana has accused the Bishop of Mysore KA William of “letting loose a virtual reign of terror” in the Diocese of Mysore, and accused his immediate superior, the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado, of “colluding with him and covering up even for murders”.

Justice Saldhana made these accusations in a formal legal notice that was sent to both the clerics, on May 29. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) President Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is also the Archbishop of Bombay, was copied on it. “Following the deaths of four priests (two murders, one hanging and one so-called accident) the Bishop of Mysore has let loose a virtual reign of terror in the Diocese,” read the notice. “He has used the underworld mafia and protection from the local police… it has already resulted in as much as 23% of the Catholic Laity leaving the church. For the last one year, this man has been asked to leave, but he defiantly carries on terrorising,” the notice further stated.

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BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

June 9, 2020

By Jay Tokasz

A federal bankruptcy judge will soon decide whether hundreds of lawsuits against Catholic parishes and former parishes, schools and other entities in the Buffalo Diocese should be blocked from moving forward in state courts.

The diocese’s Chapter 11 filing in February immediately stopped lawsuits against the diocese from advancing as it goes through a reorganization.

In May, the diocese asked Chief Judge Carl L. Bucki of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of New York to extend that same protection to more than 400 Catholic parishes, schools and other entities that also have been named as defendants in Child Victims Act cases.

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KANSAS CITY (MO)
Kansas City Star

June 9, 2020

By Judy L. Thomas

After an investigation spanning two years, authorities in Wyoming are not filing criminal sex abuse charges against a former Kansas City priest who later became Bishop of Cheyenne, one of the alleged victims said Tuesday.

The man, who grew up in Cheyenne and now lives on the East Coast, said the witness coordinator in the Natrona County District Attorney’s office told him that Bishop Joseph Hart would not be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence.

“I think I am a little bit numb,” said the man, whose allegations were deemed credible by the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne in 2018. “Six people have come forward in Wyoming. What is the remedy for child sex abuse, then, if you don’t believe the victims and you’re not willing to take it to trial?

“The thing that I’m now hoping is that the Vatican will strip him of his priesthood while he’s alive.”

Hart, who served as Bishop of Cheyenne for 23 years, could not be reached for comment. Over the years, he has categorically denied all allegations against him. In 2018, he told a Star reporter who knocked on his door that “I’ve been told not to talk, but you could call my lawyer.” He was on oxygen at the time but said, “I feel fine. Doing great.” Then he closed the door, which bore a plaque that said, “Peace to all who enter here.”

If charged, Hart, 88, would have become the highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric in the country to face criminal prosecution for sexual abuse of a minor.

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ENGLAND
BBC News

June 10, 2020

Richard Swinnerton has resigned from his job at St Clare’s Catholic Primary School

A deputy headteacher at a primary school has been charged with possessing child abuse images.

Richard Swinnerton, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, faces three counts, relating to category A, the most severe, and categories B and C.

The 30-year-old, who has resigned from his job at St Clare’s Catholic Primary School in Middlesbrough, will appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 10 July.

The charges do not relate to his work at the school, its headteacher said.

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SPRINGFIELD (MA)
MassLive.com

June 10, 2020

By Patrick Johnson

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, head of the Springfield Diocese since 2014, has been named archbishop for the St. Louis Diocese, the diocese announced Wednesday morning.

Rozanski has been tapped by Pope Francis to succeed Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson who is retiring. His installation is planned for March 25.

Rozanski is scheduled to be introduced to St. Louis at 11 a.m. Wednesday in a news conference that will be carried live over the Archdiocese of St. Louis page on Facebook.

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SPRINGFIELD (MA)
MASS Live/Special to The Republican

June 9, 2020

By Anne-Gerard Flynn

The Most Rev. Mitchell Rozanski, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, will hold a prayer service for racial healing Friday, June 12, at 5 p.m. at St. Michael’s Cathedral, 254 State. St.

The May 25 police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis, has sparked global protests and violence over the murder that involved four officers and has brought calls for reforms from a variety of sectors to address decades of systemic racism.

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BALTIMORE (MD)
WMAR

June 8, 2020

The parents of five children have filed a lawsuit against the Glen Mar United Methodist Church’s Early Learning Center and the school’s former director, alleging there children were allowed to be sexually abused by a former employee in 2019.

Filed in Howard County Circuit Court, the lawsuit claims the Howard County Police Department and State’s Attorney’s Office closed the case without thoroughly investigating.

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RICHMOND (VA)
Daily Press

June 9, 2020

By Dave Ress

Allegations of sexual abuse of Hampton Roads children by four retired or inactive priests are now under review by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

None of the four are currently serving in active ministry, the diocese said Monday. None have served in the diocese in recent years.

The diocese has not reached any conclusions about the allegations, though it has informed civil authorities about them.

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CANADA
CBC News

June 8, 2020

By Thomas Rohner

Details from more than 30 cases described in 2 letters to RCMP complaints commission

WARNING: Details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

Inuit in Nunavut, especially women, suffer systemic police abuse, including excessive violence and persistent racism, according to the territory’s legal aid agency.

The Legal Services Board of Nunavut says it has “significant concerns” about the quality of policing and conduct of officers as reported by its Inuit clients in Nunavut’s 25 communities.

The board is calling for a systemic review of policing in Nunavut.

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RICHMOND (VA)
The Associated Press

June 9, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced it has begun reviewing child sexual abuse allegations made against four former priests in Virginia.

“While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and for their loved ones,” Bishop Barry C. Knestout said in the statement released Monday.

An allegation has been made against Fr. William Dinga while he served at Norfolk’s Christ the King Catholic Church in 1986, the statement said. Dinga, who was ordained as a priest a

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RICHMOND (VA)
WDBJ7/Catholic Diocese of Richmond Release

June 9, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has begun a review into allegations of child sexual abuse involving four retired or inactive priests.

The diocense said none of the accused priests is currently, or has recently served, in active ministry, and won’t as long as the investigations are underway.

The four priests named in the allegations are:

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TEXAS
Fox34

June 8, 2020

The Texas Supreme Court will hear a defamation lawsuit out of Lubbock. It’s Jesus Guerrero’s case against the Catholic Diocese.

In January 2019 the church sent media outlets a list of clergy credibly accused of sexually assaulting children.

Guerrero’s name was on it, the church claims, because he was credibly accused of assaulting a woman with a mental disability. Under Cannon Law, she is considered a minor.

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TEXAS
Catholic News Service

June 9, 2020
.
By Kevin J. Jones

The Texas Supreme Court will hear the Diocese of Lubbock’s appeal of a legal decision allowing a former deacon to sue the diocese for defamation for including his name on a list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse.

“We are committed to transparency for the trust and safety of the members of our parishes,” Bishop Robert Coerver of Lubbock said June 8. “At a time when many religious messages are being shared digitally, courts must protect churches’ ability to communicate effectively with their members.”

“Churches should not be punished for doing the right thing,” Montse Alvarado, vice president and executive director at the legal group Becket, said June 8. “Clergy hold a unique position of trust within their communities, and churches should be free to notify members and other affected individuals when clergy violate that trust. That is true even when the warning goes beyond the four walls of the church building.”

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DEWITT (MICHIGAN)
Lansing State Journal

June 8, 2020

By Megan Banta

Two religious orders deny any knowledge of sexual abuse by a former Franciscan brother living in DeWitt who is now named in two lawsuits.

Martin Rusnak filed a lawsuit in New Jersey earlier this year naming Kurt Munn as an abuser and saying religious leaders enabled Munn for decades.

In the legal complaint filed in Mercer County, Rusnak says Munn started abusing him in the 1970s.

That abuse has left Rusnak “unable to live a normal life,” the lawsuit says.

Rusnak is the second man to name Munn as his abuser in a lawsuit. About two months before Rusnak filed his complaint, Todd Kostrub — who Rusnak identifies as a former neighbor — named Munn as his abuser in a lawsuit also filed in Mercer County.

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AUCKLAND (NEW ZEALAND)
WAATEA News

June 9, 2020

An Auckland man who was abused as a child by his parish priest is urging anyone with similar stories to tell them to the Royal Commission on Abuse in State Care and Religious Institutions.

Mike Ledingham says the late Father Frank Green set up gymnastics and other activities in his Onehunga parish in the late 1950s to get close to children he then abused.

The former soldier says he kept quiet about his experience because of the social conditions at the time, but it affected his schooling and subsequent approach to life and he later discovered two of his brothers were also abused by Green, along with at least 30 other children.

Mr Ledingham says it’s important to find if New Zealand had the same level of paedophilia in the Catholic church as was uncovered by the Australian Royal Commission.

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RICHMOND (VA)
Catholic Diocese of Richmond

June 8, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced today (June 8), it has begun a review into allegations of child sexual abuse involving four retired or inactive priests.

None of the accused priests are currently serving in active ministry, nor have they recently served in ministry for the diocese. The diocese has not reached any conclusions regarding these allegations, rather this statement serves to announce the beginning of its inquiry into the allegations. Until this inquiry concludes, the accused are not deemed to have committed the acts alleged.

At the same time, Bishop Knestout acknowledges it takes great courage to come forward to report allegations of this nature. “While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and for their loved ones,” said Bishop Barry C. Knestout. “We continue to pray for their healing and for their loved ones who support them.”

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RICHMOND (VA)
CBS19 News

June 8, 2020

The Richmond Catholic Diocese says it is reviewing allegations against four retired or inactive priests.

According to a release, the allegations involve child sexual abuse, but none of the accused priests are currently serving in active ministry and they have not recently served in ministry for the diocese.

“While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and their loved ones,” said Bishop Barry Knestout. “We continue to pray for their healing for their loved ones who support them.”

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SOUTH CAROLINA
Episcopal News Service

June 8, 2020

[Diocese of Upper South Carolina] The Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo on June 6 announced plans to retire at the end of 2021 and called for the election of the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. The Standing Committee of the diocese gave their consent to both announcements.

Waldo has led the diocese since 2010. He was elected by diocesan lay leaders and clergy in December 2009, and was consecrated and installed the following May.

“In the coming months, we will have ample opportunity to reflect on the important work have we have done together in God’s gracious hands,” Waldo said in a pastoral letter to the diocese. “We have learned much about how to be in deeper dialogue on difficult issues, like same-sex blessings/marriage and racial reconciliation. We have built relationships to support public education through parish-school partnerships and advocacy. We have worked to create and live into norms of transparency and mature discipleship across the Diocese. We have changed the face of the college of clergy within the Diocese, now having one of the highest percentages of women in charge of congregations in the Episcopal Church.”

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DALLAS (TX)
CBSDFW

June 1, 2020

A former Arlington pastor was sentenced to 24 years and five months in federal prison on Monday for sexual exploitation of a child.

Brett Jarad Monroe, 39, former associate pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Arlington pleaded guilty in January to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

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BROCKWAY (PA)
wcednews

June 3, 2020

The Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of Erie, has announced that Msgr. Charles Kaza, pastor of St. Tobias Parish, Brockway, has been reinstated to active ministry.

Members of the parish were notified during Mass on Sunday that Msgr. Kaza will return to his assignment as their pastor effective today, June 1.

Consistent with diocesan policy, Msgr. Kaza had been removed from active ministry and placed on administrative leave on May 13, 2019, as the result of an allegation of abuse made against him.

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AUSTRALIA
Catholic Voice

June 5, 2020

By Denis O’Brien

The recent release of the unredacted reports of the Royal Commission concerning the archdiocese of Melbourne and church authorities in Ballarat enables an assessment to be made of the behaviour of Cardinal Pell who as a younger man served in the church hierarchy in both places. Does the Commission’s narrative provide a basis for levelling against him the kind of criticism that has rightly been made of other church leaders who failed to deal appropriately with child sexual abusers? I suggest it does not.

The Ballarat report is mainly concerned with the response of church authorities to abuse perpetrated at Christian Brother schools in the diocese and to abuse perpetrated by certain priests of the diocese. The report discusses Pell’s involvement with Christian Brother offenders, Fitzgerald and Dowlan. Complaints were made about Fitzgerald when Pell was an assistant priest at Ballarat East in 1973. The main complaints concerned Fitzgerald taking grade 3 boys to an annual camp where they swam naked and his practice of kissing boys as they left school for the day. Pell heard about this behaviour. However, the Royal Commission accepted his evidence that he had no jurisdiction over the Christian Brothers. It also concluded that “it was not unreasonable for Father Pell, as a diocesan priest, to believe it was not for him to raise the conduct of Brother Fitzgerald with the provincial”.

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WYOMING
SNAP Network

June 8, 2020

Despite two separate investigations and the recommendations from local police to file charges, Wyoming prosecutors have yet to take any steps forward. We call on the district attorney of Natrona County to make a public update on the case, explain his office’s delay in filing charges, and immediately take steps that can help prevent future cases of clergy sexual abuse.

In August 2019, Cheyenne police first announced a recommendation of charges against former Bishop Joseph Hart, but the local district attorney, Dan Itzen, asked that police reopen the investigation to interview more potential witnesses. Seven months later, in March 2020, police in Cheyenne, WY wrapped up that second investigation into Bishop Hart. Despite that second investigation finishing in a similar manner to the first, D.A. Itzen has yet to pursue charges.

We believe Mr. Itzen owes it to the public – and to the law enforcement officials who investigated the allegations against Bishop Hart – to explain why he has yet to take any action on those investigations. As of this writing, at least 17 different people have alleged abuse by the Bishop and the investigations into alleged abuse in Wyoming represent not only the best shot at justice for those victims but also a chance to prevent future abuse from occurring.

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CONWAY (NC)
BR

June 5, 2020

By Seth Brown

Jayson Rowe died from apparent suicide as police investigated sex crime allegation

North Carolina pastor Jayson Rowe died by apparent suicide on June 2, according to the Conway Police Department (CPD). Law enforcement officers were investigating an allegation of criminal sexual misconduct against Rowe when they received a call about his death, a spokesperson told the Biblical Recorder.

Officers responded to the call immediately and attempted resuscitation, CPD said. The medical examination and investigation reports are forthcoming.

Rowe, 40, had been the pastor of Conway Baptist Church since 2018.

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NEW YORK (NY)
AP

June 4, 2020

The Roman Catholic bishop of Brooklyn, already under a church investigation for alleged sex abuse, has been accused by a second man of abuse in the 1970s, when the bishop was a parish priest in New Jersey.

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BARTOW (FL)
The Ledger

June 6, 2020

By Suzie Schottelkotte

A Sarasota man is suing former Winter Haven priest Fred Ruse on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated in Polk as a teenager. Ruse has denied the accusations.

A Sarasota man is suing a former Winter Haven priest on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager at Demilly Correctional Institution near Polk City.

In the lawsuit, filed in Polk Circuit Court, the man states that he initially met with the Rev. Fred Ruse, then pastor at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven, at the prison to receive communion in 2001 and 2002. They met privately in the chaplain’s office and in classrooms at the prison, the lawsuit states.

Ruse, now 70, began bringing gifts to the teenager, including Harry Potter books, according to the lawsuit.

“As (the teenager) began to place increasing trust in their relationship, Ruse used these opportunity to fondle (the teenager)…,” the lawsuit states. “The sexual contact then progressed to Father Ruse giving oral sex to (the teenager) and receiving oral sex from (him.)”

At the time, Ruse was not chaplain at the prison, which closed in 2012.

“Although these encounters occurred in a secure detention center, Father Ruse was allowed to meet privately with (the teenager) due to his status as a clergyman,” the lawsuit states.

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DARLINGTON (UK)
The Northern Echo

June 6, 2020

By Andrew White

A PRIEST who was suspended from a North-East church last year has appeared in court charged with raping a woman 34 years ago.

John Anthony Clohosey, 71, is accused of carrying out the attack on or about January 1, 1986, in Gateshead.

Rev Clohosey was suspended from duties of Our Lady Immaculate and St Cuthbert’s RC Church, in Crook, County Durham, late last year.

Parishioners had been told the news in a special service by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, but were not told the reasons.

The Diocese said it was cooperating with Northumbria Police to assist with their investigation.

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GAYLORD (MI)
ChurchMilitant

June 8, 2020

By David Nussman

Moves to parish in another state

A priest who was punished for blowing the whistle on a vicar general is now returning to active ministry.

Father Matthew Cowan, a priest in the diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, complained of sexual harassment by then-vicar general Fr. Dennis Stilwell — filing the complaint in August 2018. Father Cowan went public with the allegations in December 2018, citing the diocese’s failure to act on his claims.

In response to his going public, Gaylord’s Bp. Steven Raica put Fr. Cowan on paid administrative leave in January 2019.

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UNITED STATES
Psychology Today

June 8, 2020

By Rosemary K.M. Sword and Philip Zimbardo Ph.D.

The Bystander Effect has contaminated our nation, including law enforcement

In the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, a man from the ancient city of Samaria sees another man in pain lying in the road. Many people ignored the man and passed him by; but the Samaritan stopped to help him. He followed The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In a perfect world, we would all help one another in times of need. We would perform the altruistic act of assistance, without expecting anything in return, or considering unintended consequences. And ideally others would stop and help us if we were in need of assistance.

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UNITED STATES
Religion News Service via Oakland Press

June 7, 2020

By Adelle M. Banks

Since the beginning of 2019, Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear has been among the most high-profile advocates for preventing sex abuse and protecting victims of abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, a megachurch in Durham, N.C., called for Southern Baptist leaders to investigate and oust churches that cover up abuse.

He set up an advisory group of experts to aid the SBC in dealing with the issue of abuse, helping create a “Caring Well” initiative to prevent abuse and minister to survivors.

Greear also led a litany of lament during the SBC’s 2019 annual meeting

“The failures of the way of man brought us to the place we are as a denomination on this issue of abuse,” Greear said at the meeting. “It is only the movement of God, we know, that can rescue us from it. It’s not just policy. It’s not just statements and changes. It’s the spirit of God working in us.”

Now advocates for abuse survivors are criticizing Greear after his church decided to hire a teaching pastor who has been accused of mishandling an abuse claim in the past and for a Summit Church policy that would allow registered sex abusers to attend worship services.

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UNITED STATES
Tab Media

June 7, 2020

A new database of Baptist sex abusers is now online.

Baptistaccountability.org is based on sexual abuse survivor advocate Christa Brown’s stopbaptistpredators.org, which she managed from 2006 to 2012, and the Houston Chronicle’s “Abuse of Faith” series and database, an exposé published in 2019. The database is managed by Megan and Dominique Benninger, who brought to light their former pastor’s record as a convicted child molester after the leadership of their Pennsylvania church failed to disclose it.

Third party databases only highlight the need for a sanctioned SBC database, Brown said. Most cases of sexual abuse are never criminally prosecuted, meaning many predators are simply able to “church-hop” with no accountability.

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LINCOLN (ENGLAND)
BBC News

June 3, 2020

The Bishop of Lincoln will face disciplinary proceedings in relation to a safeguarding inquiry.

Bishop Christopher Lowson, who was suspended last year, faces allegations he “failed to respond appropriately to safeguarding disclosures”.

The Church of England said there was no allegation the bishop “committed abuse of a child or vulnerable adult”.

Officials also confirmed the bishop’s suspension would continue.

At the time of his suspension, the Church of England commissioned an investigation to consider whether the bishop would “present a significant risk of harm by not adequately safeguarding children and vulnerable people, if the matters were found to be proven”.

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LAKELAND (FL)
The Ledger

June 6, 2020

By Suzie Schottelkotte

A Sarasota man is suing former Winter Haven priest Fred Ruse on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager. Ruse has denied the accusations.

Bartow – A Sarasota man is suing a former Winter Haven priest on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager at Demilly Correctional Institution near Polk City.

In the lawsuit, filed in Polk Circuit Court, the man states that he initially met with the Rev. Fred Ruse, then pastor at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven, at the prison to receive communion in 2001 and 2002. They met privately in the chaplain’s office and in classrooms at the prison, the lawsuit states.

Ruse, now 70, began bringing gifts to the teenager, including Harry Potter books, according to the lawsuit.

“As (the teenager) began to place increasing trust in their relationship, Ruse used these opportunity to fondle (the teenager)…,” the lawsuit states. “The sexual contact then progressed to Father Ruse giving oral sex to (the teenager) and receiving oral sex from (him.)”

At the time, Ruse was not chaplain at the prison, which closed in 2012.

“Although these encounters occurred in a secure detention center, Father Ruse was allowed to meet privately with (the teenager) due to his status as a clergyman,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit, filed by Fort Lauderdale lawyer Adam Horowitz, alleges the abuse took place on multiple occasions.

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RICHMOND HILL (ONTARIO, CANADA)
Richmond Hill Liberal

June 4, 2020

By Sheila Wang

School will be named Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy

Jean Vanier Catholic High School has a new name.

York Catholic District School Board announced June 4 the school will be named Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy, replacing its former name due to sex abuse allegations against its namesake, Jean Vanier.

“The York Catholic District School Board remains steadfast in its belief that sexual assault and sexual exploitation are unacceptable behaviours that will not be tolerated,” board chair Maria Marchese said in a news release.

The Catholic school board decided to rename the Richmond Hill school back in February when revelations about L’Arche founder Vanier surfaced and shocked the local community.

L’Arche International released the report Feb. 21, revealing accusations he engaged in “manipulative sexual relationships” that took place under “coercive conditions” from 1970 to 2005.

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ROCHESTER (NY)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

June 5, 2020

By Steve Orr

A former Rochester schoolteacher, was allowed to remain in the classroom for years after being accused of sexually abusing a student, has been sued by the young man who accused him two decades ago.

The boy’s mother reported the alleged abuse to the administration at her son’s elementary, Henry Hudson School 28, shortly after it took place, according to news reports from that era.

The principal reportedly told her that the teacher, David Heil, would be removed from service. But he was not. School officials also failed to inform child protective services or the police, as the law may have required, according to the news reports.

The boy’s mother happened to visit another city elementary school six years later and discovered Heil was teaching there. She called police, and Heil was subsequently charged, convicted and sent to prison.

The case was one of several in which Rochester school officials have been accused of failing to act on sexual abuse allegations.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Monroe County, is the 14th brought against the Rochester City School District under provisions of the Child Victims Act. The act allows the revival of old child sexual abuse claims that had been blocked by New York’s statute of limitations.

Heil, who no longer teaches in the city, is the fifth Rochester school district employee to be accused in a CVA suit.

Only New York City’s massive school district has had more employees named in CVA suits, and only New York City and a suburban Buffalo school district have been sued more often than Rochester for alleged sexual abuse of its students.

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ANAHEIM (CA)
Orange County Register

June 2, 2020

By Scott M. Reid

NCAA says it will ask a federal judge to dismiss a class action suit filed by three former track athletes who allege they were sexually abused and harassed by their college coach

Olympic high jumper Erin Aldrich was not surprised when she read the NCAA’s latest response to the lawsuit she and two other track and field athletes filed against the organization.

Frustrated, yes, but not surprised.

The NCAA, facing a potential landmark class action lawsuit, said it has no legal obligation to protect student athletes against sexual abuse and harassment, according to a filing in U.S. District Court Northern District of California.

“You don’t expect a coward to come out and take responsibility,” Aldrich said. “They’ve basically responded sadly in the way they’ve responded for years.”

The NCAA in the filing also said it will ask Judge Edward J. Davila in July to dismiss the suit in which Aldrich and former Texas track athletes Jessica Johnson and Londa Bevins allege the NCAA has helped create a national sexual abuse epidemic by choosing not to implement rules or impose sanctions that would require member schools to take steps to prevent and report abuse by coaches and deter perpetrators.

“We aren’t hoping for change here. We are demanding change from the NCAA,” Aldrich said.

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BROOKLYN (NY)
Brooklyn Eagle

May 29, 2020

By Rob Abruzzese

The Child Victims Act, the law that gave sexual abuse survivors a one-year window to sue for abuse they suffered past the statute of limitations, was officially extended on Wednesday by the State Legislature.

Advocates said that the extension was necessary as the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down the courts to all but emergency and essential applications, which limited the ability of victims to sue. The current bill extends the law for another year, but still needs to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take effect.

“The passage of the Child Victims Act remains one of the most historic victories for child abuse survivors in New York State, and the COVID pandemic nearly prevented countless survivors from ensuring accountability — but today’s vote proves that nothing can stand in the way of justice,” said James R. Marsh, a New York attorney who represents more than 700 childhood sexual abuse survivors statewide.

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BINGHAMTON (NY)
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin via Press Connects

June 5, 2020

By Anthony Borrelli

A former Seton Catholic student’s lawsuit under New York’s Child Victims Act accuses a former basketball coach there of sexually abusing him more than two dozen times in the early 1970s.

The lawsuit filed May 28 in the state Supreme Court of Broome County claims coach Vincent Dutkowski, who died in 2012, used his position to gain the victim’s trust and confidence before abusing him.

In 1972, the lawsuit says, the 14-year-old boy enrolled at the former Seton Catholic High School in Endicott. When he was about 14 to 16, he helped out as a ballboy and assistant during basketball practices.

Dutkowski allegedly used those encounters to sexually abuse the teen on approximately 25 occasions and at different locations, including an office and at Dutkowski’s home, according to the lawsuit. The victim now resides in California.

Seton Catholic Central in Binghamton and the former Seton Catholic High School in Endicott are defendants in the lawsuit, along with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. The former Seton Catholic and Catholic Central high schools merged in 1976.

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