[Irish State, Sisters of Mercy, Tuam Archdiocese] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Court "convicted" 2-y-o. Exiled to England. Abused. Baby girl through until adult.
RTE News,
www.rte.ie/ news/2006/0201/ faulknerd.html , 20:26, February 01, 2006
IRELAND -- A woman who was in institutional care from the age of two until she was 21 is suing the State, the Order of Mercy and Archbishop Neary of Tuam.
Dolores Faulkner, who was convicted of begging at the age of two in Dublin city and ordered to be detained at an industrial school until the age of 16, was in fact unlawfully detained there until she was 21, the High Court was told.
Edward Walshe SC said she was then sent to a nursing school in England by the Mercy nuns and remained under their dominion and had her life to all intents and purposes destroyed by abuse.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:05 PM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
for February 01, 2006.)
[2005-06 Nashville Diocese] -- RCC. Denying abuse occurs. Refused victim access to yearbooks.
Nashville Scene,
www.nashville scene.com/Stories/ Columns/Garrigan/ 2006/02/02/ Memo_to_ Bishop_Choby_ Ditch_the_/ index.shtml ;
by Liz Garrigan, for February 02, 2006
NASHVILLE (TN) -- Congratulations, Father David Choby, on your recent installment as bishop of the Diocese of Nashville. You are now in a unique position to sway the hearts and minds of Middle Tennessee Catholics, not to mention the considerable number of non-Catholics closely watching to see what you'll do--and we should hasten to add that you'd be a fool in a robe not to make this your first task.
As far as we know, and as far as your goodwill-pillaging mouthpiece reports, there are no contemporaneous cases--or even credible allegations--of priest sex abuse reported to the Nashville Diocese. But as you are well aware, amid the global Catholic embarrassment of sex crimes against children and the subsequent and systematic cover-ups by priests, bishops and other trusted clergy, Nashville wasn't spared. Some of your clerical predecessors, if not your most recent one, were contemptible figures in this regard. In the meantime, you personally know some of these local victims, as do we, and even where their rapes, or attempted rapes, happened. Father Ryan High School. Camp Marymount. The Cathedral Rectory.
The Diocese has yet to get right the treatment of these folks. It has employed mafia-like defense mechanisms, high-powered legal maneuvering and Clintonian language splicing to belittle, deflect and minimize the pain of these victims--all the while claiming to offer them help. In the meantime, Catholics across the city, this editor included, have watched in utter disbelief, shaking our heads not only at the arrogance of the Diocese's actions and responses but also at the chronic and stupefying mishandling of your public relations efforts.
Most recently, if not most importantly, the Diocese refused victim Mike Coode access to Father Ryan High School yearbooks he'd sought so that he could obtain a picture of himself from the time of his abuse and possibly help identify and locate others who may be suffering in silence ("Father Ryan's Yearbook Access," Jan. 12). Your PR goon told the Scene Coode had been rude, when in fact Father Ryan staff say quite the opposite. You say the "privacy policy"--which, by the way, the Scene quickly learned is selective--is in place to protect students. It's a few decades too late for Coode on that count. Letting him look at an old annual really should be the least of your concerns.
[1980, Robinson] - RCC. Nun killed.
Toledo Free Press,
By Michael Brooks, February 01, 2006
TOLEDO (OH) -- The sight of the mutilated body of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl is the darkest memory in the mind of retired Toledo Police officer Dave Davison.
"It's one of those things that you can't get out of your head," said Davison, who retired after a debilitating car accident in 1990. "Seeing that poor old woman sprawled out in the chapel motivated me to keep up the pressure to see that justice was done."
Father Gerald Robinson was charged in 2004 with aggravated murder in the death of Pahl. His twice-delayed trial is scheduled for April 17 before Common Pleas Judge Thomas J. Osowik.
Davison said the delays are part of a strategy to "fix" the case.
[PAST NEWSITEM: Pennsylvania News (comprising
Burlington County Times, Bucks County Courier Times, and The Intelligencer), www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-04242004-288661.html , "Police Suspected Priest in Nun's Death,"
By JOHN SEEWER, The Associated Press, Apr 24, 2004.
If the link is no longer active, find it in: Ethics Blog 78.
ENDS.]
• Priest fails to stop sex offences trial
[1980s priest] - RCC. Young woman.
One in Four,
www.onein four.org/news/ news2006/ tostop , ~ February 01, 2006
IRELAND -- A priest has lost a High Court bid to stop his trial on four charges of indecently assaulting a woman when she was in her early 20s.
The assaults allegedly occurred in the early 1980s and include alleged assaults at a church where the young woman's mother was a sacristan. A formal complaint of assault was first made in May 2002.
[~ 1950s + Irish State, RCC Mercy Nuns, Tuam Archdiocese, etc.] - Female. Sex and physical assault, false imprisonment.
Irish Independent,
by Brian McDonald, ~ February 01, 2006
IRELAND -- DETAILS of horrific abuse at an industrial school run by nuns in Connemara are expected to be unveiled to the High Court this week.
A woman in her 60s is set to outline a nightmare life of beatings, sexual assault, false imprisonment and deprivation of even the most basic care from the time she was just an infant.
The woman is suing the Mercy Order, the archdiocese of Tuam, the State and the Ministers for Justice, Education and Health in the personal injuries case which has been in the pipeline for the past seven years.
A full defence has been lodged by the defendants, who are denying the woman's claims.
The plaintiff alleges that more than 30 years after she left St Joseph's Industrial School in Clifden, she becomes rigid with fear when she recalls her childhood.
[~ 1960s Bennett - NEW*] - RCC. Accused in 2003. 2 girls.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY CATHLEEN FALSANI, RELIGION REPORTER, February 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Cardinal Francis George has removed a 65-year-old Roman Catholic priest from ministry at a South Holland parish pending the completion of a review by the Chicago archdiocese into allegations the priest sexually abused two children in the 1960s, a spokesman for the archdiocese confirmed today.
The Rev. Joseph R. Bennett, pastor of Holy Ghost parish in South Holland since 1997, faces allegations that he sexually abused two girls while he was a priest at Chicago's St. John de La Salle parish, 120th and Martin Luther King Drive, between 1967 and 1973, said archdiocesan spokesman Jim Dwyer.
The two alleged victims, now women in their 40s, brought their allegations to the attention of the Chicago archdiocese in late 2003 and last year, according to Dwyer and Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the women.
One woman, who asked to be referred to only as "Therese," said Bennett molested her for three years beginning when she was 8 years old.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:29 PM]
• Iowa Bishops to Meet with Concerned Groups
[Bishop Soens] - RCC. Sexual abuse allegations. Boys.
KTIV,
www.ktiv.com/ News/NewsDetail 64.cfm?Id= 26,10121 , ~ February 01, 2006
DES MOINES (IA) -- An unprecedented meeting will take place tomorrow in Des Moines with Iowa's Catholic bishops and members of three groups concerned about sexual abuse by clergy. Representatives of the group "SNAP" [ www.survivors network.org ], Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and two other groups will meet with bishops.
"SNAP" has staged protests calling for the defrocking of former Sioux City bishop Lawrence Soens who has been accused of sexual abuse.
All four of Iowa's current bishops agreed to attend the meeting. However, newly-ordained Sioux City bishop R. Walker Nickless will not be there.
[2006 Three bishops] - RCC. Denying justice opportunities
Catholic Online,
CNA, Feb/1/2006
DENVER, Colo. (CNA) – Colorado's three Catholic bishops blasted proposed state legislation which would lift the statutes of limitation on sexual-abuse cases, noting that this would unequally punish the Catholic Church while exempting public-school teachers and coaches accused of abuse.
A joint statement was released Jan. 31 here by Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan, and Pueblo Bishop Arthur Tafoya.
Recently, a number of Colorado state representatives, including Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald, offered related bills to the Colorado General Assembly which seek to eliminate or modify statutes of limitation allowing sexual-abuse victims up to 40 years before filing suits against Catholic and other private institutions in the state.
In their statement, the bishops explained that they agree "that the sexual abuse of a minor is a serious crime and a grave sin" and conceded that "the proposed pieces of legislation, whatever their final form, and whether they're pulled from consideration or move forward, have sparked an important discussion."
[1999 Sewar] - RCC. Other trial Apr 3. Boy.
Democrat & Chronicle,
by Michael Zeigler, February 1, 2006
ROCHESTER (NY) -- A judge today dropped a sex charge against a Roman Catholic priest.
Rochester City Court Judge John E. Elliott said the prosecution failed to show sufficient evidence that the Rev. Dennis Sewar, 54, committed the misdemeanor of forcible touching of a boy in October 1999 while Sewar was a pastor of Church of the Annunciation in northeast Rochester.
The judge also said that the charge wasn't valid because the law under which Sewar was charged didn't take effect until Feb. 1, 2001 — more than a year after the incident allegedly occurred.
"Somehow, the issue that the law was enacted on Feb. 1, 2001, apparently had been under the radar for everyone," he said after granting a motion by defense lawyer John F. Speranza to dismiss the charge.
Sewar, however, still is charged with a lesser misdemeanor of third-degree sexual abuse, which alleges that he touched the boy's genitals through clothing. Elliott scheduled his trial for April 3.
[~ 1980s priest*, < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - RCC. 55 investigated. Paedophilia.
The Post Chronicle,
UPI Wire, Feb 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL), (UPI) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has removed a priest from the ministry pending an investigation into pedophilia allegations.
The move Tuesday came the same day a class-action lawsuit was filed against the archdiocese, claiming the church in Chicago has refused to release secret files and a list of priests accused of sexual abuse.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports Cardinal Francis George removed the priest because of a 20-year-old allegation. The priest's name was not released.
The cardinal's spokeswoman, Colleen Dolan, said a board has been set up to review accusations made against Chicago priests, including the one removed.
In 2004 the archdiocese said 55 priests were being investigated for abuse of minors but a complete list of the priests in question was kept quiet. The lawsuit filed Tuesday wants the list made public.
[1999 Sewar] - RCC. 1999 allegation, lack of evidence. Another case April.
WHEC,
Feb/1/06
NEW YORK -- A sex charge has been dropped against a local Catholic priest. Father Dennis Sewar was charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old boy in October of 1999.
According to Sewar's Attorney, judge John Elliott has thrown out the forcible touching charge because of a lack of evidence but Sewar still faces the misdemeanor sexual abuse charge. His trial is set for April 3.
[~< 1976 priest*] - RCC. Minor.
Chicago Tribune,
The Associated Press, Published 11:47 AM CST, February 1, 2006,
CHICAGO (IL) -- The Chicago archdiocese has removed another priest from the public ministry as officials investigate allegations of sexual abuse, officials said Wednesday.
The alleged incidents took place more than 35 years ago and involved a minor, according to a statement from the nation's third-largest Roman Catholic archdiocese.
The statement did not name the priest, but said churches in which he worked will be notified on Sunday.
A phone message left with the archdiocese on Wednesday was not immediately returned.
[Spokane Diocese clergy] - RCC. $US 45.7m. 75 victims.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER, ~ February 01, 2006
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection because of sex abuse claims, has offered a $45.7 million settlement to 75 victims of priests, a lawyer said Wednesday.
James Stang of Los Angeles, a lawyer representing a committee of victims, said the committee voted Tuesday night to recommend that the offer by the diocese be accepted.
"This is an important step toward getting the diocese out of bankruptcy," Stang said.
The offer must be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and by the victims within 120 days, Stang said.
Telephone calls to the diocese office were not immediately returned and an attorney for the diocese declined to confirm the settlement offer. Bishop William Skylstad, who is also head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, scheduled a news conference for noon. The topic was not announced.
[1970s-1995 Wempe] - RCC. 1990-95 Boy. 1970s-80s admitted 13 boys.
Los Angeles Times,
By Jean Guccione, February 01, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The tears of the key witness in the trial of admitted child molester Father Michael Wempe turned to open defiance Tuesday as the retired priest's lawyer cross-examined him about details of his alleged abuse.
The witness, who was identified in court only as Jayson B., had cried through three days of testimony about his alleged fondling and oral copulation by the priest, whom Cardinal Roger M. Mahony had assigned to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after sending him for treatment for pedophilia.
But when attorney Leonard Levine questioned his memory of being abused in a purple-blue Thunderbird three times from 1991 to 1995, Jayson B. refused to change his story. Levine said the car wasn't bought until 1995.
"You are asking me about a car I was in five times 15 years ago," Jayson B., now 26, said. "I'm not going to change what I remember."
The witness repeatedly told Levine these were details he had spent a lifetime trying to forget.
Wempe originally was charged with abusing five boys, including Jayson B.'s brothers, but was released from jail when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California could not retroactively prosecute decades-old abuse cases.
[1970s-90s Wempe] - RCC. 14 boys.
Monterey County Herald ,
By LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press, ~ February 01, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) - A man who cried for more than two days on the witness stand while describing his alleged molestation by a priest turned angry and confrontational Tuesday when he was cross-examined by a lawyer for Michael Wempe.
The 26-year-old man, identified only as Jayson B., alleges the retired priest molested him in the 1990s during encounters at Wempe's office at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and in parking garages inside the priest's cars.
His temper flared during cross-examination when defense lawyer Leonard Levine challenged his recollection of the cars.
"I know what happened to me," Jayson insisted.
During earlier questioning by Deputy District Attorney Todd Hicks, the witness slumped in the witness chair, covered his eyes with his hand and sobbed as he told jurors graphic details of his alleged molestation.
- RCC people withhold contributions. Cuenin replacement quits.
The Boston Globe,
~ February 01, 2006
NEWTON (MA) -- The former spokesman for Cardinal Bernard F. Law said last night that he is quitting as pastor of a Newton parish after four months during which numerous parishioners, angry over the ouster of their previous pastor, withheld contributions or stopped attending Mass.
"There's a lot of good people at Our Lady's, and I will miss them very much," the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne said in an interview at Our Lady Help of Christians last night, after he had informed members of the parish council of his decision. "Unfortunately, there was a small minority that made it difficult for me to continue here, so I asked the archbishop for a transfer, and he accepted."
Coyne declined to elaborate, saying the development was too raw for him to discuss details. ...
Cuenin, a leader of a group of priests who had called for Law's resignation in 2002, was extraordinarily popular in the parish but was viewed warily by some at the chancery because of his criticism of archdiocesan leadership and his liberal views on issues such as gay rights.
• Voice of the Faithful supports innocent priests
- RCC.
Naples Daily News,
www.naplesnews. com/news/2006/ feb/01/voice_ faithful_supports_ innocent_ priests/? local_news
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
NAPLES (FL) -- Those in power should open their ears to those in the pews.
That was the message at an annual Mass organized by the local chapter of Voice of the Faithful, a national group formed by lay people to respond to priest sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Rev. Thomas Glackin of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church celebrated Tuesday's 3 p.m. Mass at his North Naples church.
"We pray that the bishops will open their ears, minds and hearts to hear different voices," Glackin said, standing with five priests from Naples, Marco Island and Fort Myers before churchgoers. ...
"Most people look at someone in a Roman collar and they wonder, 'What's he been up to?' They suffer the shame of that," she said. "The vast majority of priests are attempting to minister as Christ wanted them to minister."
The Rev. Lorenzo Gonzalez, who celebrates Masses in Spanish for three area churches, said he supports all movements connected with the Catholic Church, including the Voice of the Faithful. Parishioners should be reminded not every priest is implicated in scandals splashed in headlines, he said.
"What we had a couple of years ago was like a revelation for the world about something we didn't know, but is a reality," he said. "But these cases do not represent the main attitudes, actions and convictions for the Christian priests."
[1950s-2000s Covington Diocese] - RCC. 50-year cover-up. Sued its self-insurance plan. $US 85m, not $120m. 373 victims
Cincinnati Post,
By Paul A. Long, February 01, 2006
COVINGTON (KY) -- A judge has approved the $85 million settlement reached between the Diocese of Covington and hundreds of people who say they were abused by priests or other diocesan employees over the past 50 years.
Senior Judge John Potter on Tuesday filed a 15-page opinion finding all parts of the settlement "fair, reasonable and adequate."
He said the attorneys and others involved laid out an agreement that covered all aspects of the case and treated the victims and the diocese fairly. While some details could have been tinkered with, Potter said, nothing would have produced "a markedly better result."
Both sides had asked Potter to approve the settlement, and both issued statements praising him for doing so. Stan Chesley, the lead attorney for those suing the diocese, called it "a landmark case and a landmark decision."
[? < 2004 Hill] - Baptist. Admits lesser charges. Minors.
The Press of Atlantic City,
By MADELAINE VITALE, (609) 272-7218, Wednesday, February 1, 2006
NEW JERSEY -- A pastor of a Salem County Baptist church who was charged nearly two years ago with aggravated sexual assault pleaded guilty Monday to offensive touching and simple assault.
Llewellyn E. Hill III, of the Richland section of Buena Vista Township, is expected to be sentenced to probation. He also will not have to register as a Megan's Law offender if the judge does not reject the plea at sentencing in the spring.
Hill was arrested in February 2004 on charges of aggravated sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, child abuse and aggravated criminal sexual contact involving three victims.
Authorities said all the victims were minors at the time and members of the congregation when the alleged incidents took place from 1999 to 2003. If convicted at trial, Hill could have faced 55 years in prison.
- RCC.
[Hanley] - 15 boys.
[2006 RCC Office of Child and Youth Protection] - Avoiding responsibility.
NorthJersey.com ,
By JOHN CHADWICK, Wednesday, February 1, 2006
NEW JERSEY -- An official with the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference said Tuesday the church has no obligation to monitor defrocked priests, such as James Hanley of Paterson, who has admitted molesting 15 boys.
"I don't know what that obligation would be," said Teresa Kettelkamp, the executive director of the bishops' Office of Child and Youth Protection. "The ties have been severed, and they are private citizens."
Nevertheless, at least one New Jersey diocese said it keeps a close watch on ousted priests and will withhold their support payment checks if they fail to attend counseling.
"There is leverage," said Andy Walton, a spokesman for the Diocese of Camden. "If the penalty calls for laicization, that doesn't have to mean there is no further contact. The diocese still has to look out for the well-being of the community and the priest."
[RECAPITULATION: "There is leverage," said Andy Walton, a spokesman for the Diocese of Camden. "If the penalty calls for laicization, that doesn't have to mean there is no further contact. The diocese still has to look out for the well-being of the community and the priest."
RECAP. ENDS.]
[COMMENT: Well, well! At least one RC person sees the fuller picture, which includes that the wellbeing of the priest, too, is best served by a firm code that withholds money. Now we could ask, regarding the decades-old policy of "repent and send 'em on to another place," whatever happened to the post-Trent doctrine of "dangerous occasions of sin"?
COMMENT ENDS.]
• SNAP Reacts To Covington Diocese Settlement
[1950s-2000s Covington Diocese] - RCC. 50-year cover-up. Sued its self-insurance plan. $US 85m, not $120m. 373 victims.
WCPO,
www.wcpo.com/ news/2006/local/ 01/31/covington_ folo.html ,
Reported by: Lynn Giroud / AP , First Posted 11:07:55 PM, Jan/31/2006
KENTUCKY -- It is a landmark case. A class-action lawsuit against the Diocese of Covington results in an $85 million settlement.
That settlement was approved Tuesday by the courts, clearing the way for hundreds of victims to be compensated for the abuse they suffered at the hands of priests.
More than 350 people are taking part in this class action settlement, all claiming they were sexually abused by priests in the Covington Diocese.
This was a day they have waited for a long, long time.
[-2006 Chicago Archdiocese] - RCC. Withholding truth.
NBC 5,
~ February 01, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Victims of priest sexual abuse are filing an unusual class action lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
Molestation victims and their attorneys are seeking a court injunction to force archdiocese officials to disclose the names of 55 local priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.
They also seek to prevent the destruction of archdiocese documents relating to molestation charges.
The suit demands that archdiocese records about child molestation be turned over for court supervision.
- RCC.
[~ 1970s-80s priest*] - Minor.
[-2006 Chicago Archdiocese] - Withholding truth.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY CATHLEEN FALSANI Religion Reporter, February 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Cardinal Francis George has removed another priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago from ministry after 20-year-old allegations of his alleged sexual abuse of a minor were revealed earlier this week, the cardinal's spokeswoman Colleen Dolan told the Chicago Sun-Times late Tuesday.
"This unresolved case has been brought forward by an adult involving an incident that they assert happened over 20 years ago," Dolan said. "The cardinal has removed this priest from active ministry pending the completion of a review" by a board appointed by the archdiocese to vet allegations of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
The priest's current and former parishes will be notified at parish masses on Sunday, following regular archdiocesan procedures, Dolan said, declining to reveal the name of the priest or the parishes involved.
Class-action suit filed
The revelation of this latest removal of a Chicago archdiocesan priest accused of sexual misconduct with a minor comes on the same day that a prominent attorney for victims of clergy sexual abuse filed a class-action lawsuit against the Chicago archdiocese, in the hopes of forcing church officials to open secret files and release a complete list of priests accused of sexually abusing children over the last half-century.
[1950s-2000s Covington Diocese] - RCC. 50-year cover-up. Sued its self-insurance plan. $US 85m, not $120m. 373 victims
[Boston Archdiocese]
[Orange Diocese] - $US 100m. 90 claims.
Journal Gazette,
By Brett Barrouquere, Associated Press, ~ February 01, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A judge approved a settlement of up to $85 million Tuesday between sexual abuse victims and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, one of the largest deals the church has reached with U.S. parishioners who were molested by clergy.
The settlement covers 361 victims who claim they were abused over a period of 50 years by priests in a diocese that once included 57 counties across a large swath of Kentucky. Special Judge John Potter said a desire by the Covington Diocese to make reparations to the victims contributed to the settlement.
"Contrary to what might be the case in other dioceses, the court believes that this professed desire is genuine and played a significant role in the diocese's decision," Potter wrote in his 15-page ruling.
The Covington settlement may equal a 2003 Boston Archdiocese payout to 552 people, but it is less than a Diocese of Orange, Calif., agreement in 2004 to pay $100 million to resolve about 90 abuse claims.
- RCC. Rev. Guichard suing.
The Ledger,
February 01, 2006
FLORIDA -- A Catholic priest suspended by the Archdiocese of Miami because of sexual-abuse allegations says he was defamed by one of his accusers' lawyers.
The Rev. Alvaro Guichard, 65, is suing Jeffrey Herman for statements made during a Sept. 22, 2004, news conference at Herman's office in Aventura.
At the conference, Herman was announcing settlements involving the archdiocese and several sex-abuse lawsuits. Guichard showed up unexpectedly, which started a verbal argument.
[Oakland Diocese clergy = Breen, Broderson, Clark, Freitas, Kiesle, Crespin ] - RCC. $US 56.4m. 56 survivors.
The Argus,
By Angela Hill, ~ February 01, 2006
OAKLAND (CA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland has laid off 17 administrative employees in its chancery offices to help cover a $1.2 million budget deficit.
Church officials say the deficit was caused in part by costs related to a $23 million loan the diocese took out last year to pay settlements in priest sexual abuse cases.
After some three years of litigation and months of negotiation, the diocese agreed in August 2005 to a $56.4 million settlement with 56 childhood sexual abuse survivors. Insurance covered roughly half that amount, said the Rev. Mark Wiesner, who serves as diocesan spokesman. The church took out a loan for about $23 million, he added.
Locally, lawsuits or settlements regarding the clergy sex abuse scandal involved the late Vincent Breen during an assignment at Holy Spirit Parish; Donald Broderson from assignments at St. Leonard and Santa Paula parishes; the late James Clark from an assignment at Corpus Christi Parish; Robert Freitas from assignments at Santa Paula Parish and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Union City; Stephen Kiesle from assignments at Santa Paula and Our Lady of the Rosary parishes; and George Crespin from an assignment at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish.
- RCC.
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Lawyer Anderson acting. Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks.
[? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000. RCC permitted police suspect to teach, preach. Hiding truth.
[Monsignor Diederich - NEW*] - Minor.
Chicago Tribune,
By Manya A. Brachear, Tribune staff reporter (Tribune staff reporter Jeff Coen contributed to this report), Published February 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Seeking information instead of a financial settlement, plaintiffs in the first civil suit filed by an alleged victim of Rev. Daniel McCormack want the Chicago archdiocese to publish the names of all priests accused of sexual misconduct with children--a move church officials have repeatedly declined to make.
The suit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court seeks an injunction that would force the archdiocese to give up the names of all accused priests--dead or alive--as well as documentation of the allegations made against them.
"I finally decided to take action to get the court to order disclosure of the names of offenders who are known and offenders who they suspect, but which are kept secret such as McCormack," said Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul lawyer who represents clergy sex abuse victims and has pressed the archdiocese to broadcast the names for years.
Anderson filed the suit on the same day the archdiocese confirmed for the Tribune that it had reasonable cause to suspect Monsignor Dominic Diederich, the former pastor of St. Maurice Catholic Church, 3615 S. Hoyne Ave., engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor. Diederich died in 1977.
- RCC.
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Lawyer Anderson acting. Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks.
[? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000. RCC permitted police suspect to teach, preach. Hiding truth.
Daily Southtown,
By Cathleen Falsani, Wednesday, February 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Hoping to force Catholic officials in Chicago to open secret files and release a complete list of priests accused of sexually abusing children since 1950, a lawyer for clergy abuse victims filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesday against the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Attorney Jeff Anderson brought the lawsuit on behalf of two clients: "Mother Doe 100," the parent of an 11-year-old Chicago boy who Monday told police and prosecutors that he had been molested by the Rev. Daniel McCormack; and Ken Kaczmarz, a 35-year-old suburban man who says he was molested by Augustinian-order priest John D. Murphy at Chicago's St. Rita of Cascia parish 30 years ago.
An archdiocesan spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
In 2004, archdiocesan officials said there were 55 priests with credible allegations of abuse of minors against them, but they have refused to publish a complete list of the alleged abusers' names.
McCormack, 37, was charged Jan. 21 with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly fondling two boys at St. Agatha church, the Chicago parish he had pastored since 2000.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:43 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Wed February 01, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont121.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1999-2001 Sewar] - RCC. Boy.
Catholic Courier,
www.catholic courier.com/ tmp1.cfm?nid= 78&articleid= 85993 ,
Rob Cullivan, ~ February 02, 2006
ROCHESTER (NY) -- A Rochester City Court judge slated jury selection in the trial of Father Dennis R. Sewar to begin April 3.
The diocesan priest has pleaded not guilty to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class B misdemeanor, according to his attorney, John F. Speranza. If convicted, Father Sewar could face up to 90 days in jail, or possibly a conditional discharge, probation and/or a fine, Speranza added.
According to court documents, the priest was charged in connection with alleged incidents of abuse that took place between the end of October 1999 and August 2001, during which time Father Sewar was pastor of Rochester's Church of the Annunciation.
Court documents state that the alleged victim was a teenage boy who claimed the priest repeatedly touched him in an inappropriate manner and that the alleged abuse stopped when the boy turned 16.
However, in response to defense motions as the case progressed, the prosecution narrowed the allegation of abuse to one incident in October 1999, Speranza said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:42 PM]
[1996-2002 Ferns and other dioceses; Irish State] - RCC. Children.
Evening Echo,
17:45:41, Feb/02/2006
IRELAND -- A shocking survey today revealed that more than 90% of social workers could not be contacted with concerns over child abuse.
The study was disclosed by the One in Four sexual violence support group at a Joint Committee on Health and Children.
The charity is also calling for an amendment in The Children's Act, which currently is entirely ineffective in cases of extra-familial abuse in Ireland.
Colm O'Gorman, of the One in Four group, was discussing the The Ferns Report, which investigated more than 100 allegations of child abuse against Roman Catholic priests in the Diocese of Ferns over the period 1966 to 2002.
"The Ferns Report details compelling evidence of the failure of this state to adequately protect its children," he said.
"It details how appalling sexual abuse of Irish children occurred despite numerous complaints and allegations to both church and civil authorities.
- RCC. Abuse survivor, reformer, Bishop Gumbleton leaves.
The Beacon Journal,
Associated Press, ~ February 02, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of a Detroit bishop, a liberal voice in the U.S. church who recently said he was inappropriately touched by a priest and would fight for an Ohio bill to allow victims of abuse to sue the church.
The Vatican's brief announcement Thursday about auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton said the pope accepted the resignation for reasons of age. Gumbleton turned 76 last week, a year past the normal retirement age for bishops.
Gumbleton said last month that he was abused in 1945 when he was a ninth grader at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He is believed to be the first U.S. bishop to disclose that he was a victim of sexual abuse by clergy.
Gumbleton requested that his resignation be approved 10 days after a Columbus news conference where he spoke about his abuse, the bishop said in a letter delivered to parishioners Sunday.
[1969 Msgr. Prince] - RCC. Boy.
The Ottawa Citizen,
by Andrew Seymour, Thursday, February 02, 2006
CANADA -- A prominent Pembroke area priest who finished his career in a senior post at the Vatican is now wanted by police following allegations he had sex with a 12-year-old boy more than 35 years ago.
An arrest warrant was issued for retired Monsignor Bernard Prince, 71, of the Pembroke diocese in mid-October after a 49-year-old man came forward to Killaloe OPP claiming he was sexually assaulted in 1969 while visiting a small cabin built by Msgr. Prince in Wilno, about 130 kilometres west of Ottawa.
Police charged Msgr. Prince with b*ggery and indecent assault male.
Both charges were laid under the 1969 Criminal Code. The b*ggery charge carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Msgr. Prince, who is no longer at the Vatican, but still lives in Italy, has not been arrested and police have yet to launch any extradition proceedings.
The Citizen has also learned police are investigating the possibility there may be more victims and have begun conducting interviews with many of his former parishioners and others who may have had contact with him over his lengthy career in Eastern Ontario.
• Ontario Priest Charged
[1969 Msgr. Prince] - RCC. Boy.
580 CFRA,
www.cfra.com/ headlines/index. asp?cat=1& nid=36220 ,
by Norman Jack, 7:22 AM, Thursday, February 02, 2006
CANADA -- The Ontario Provincial Police in eastern Ontario have an arrest warrant out for a 71-year-old priest accused of molesting a young boy back in the 1960's.
Father Bernard Prince is accused of b*ggery and indecent assault for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old boy while he was visiting the priest at his home in Wilno.
Father Bernard worked at the Vatican from 1991 until his retirement two years ago, and still lives in Italy. So far, no extradition request has been filed.
[1969 Msgr. Prince] - RCC. Boy.
Globe and Mail,
By GREG MCARTHUR, Posted at 5:11 AM EST, Thursday, February 2, 2006
CANADA -- Ontario Provincial Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a retired Vatican official, a Canadian, who was close with Pope John Paul II and is now wanted on sex abuse charges.
Monsignor Bernard Prince, 71, who once travelled the world promoting Catholicism as the secretary general for the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and is now retired in Rome, has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy.
The alleged victim, who is now in his 50s, came forward months ago, claiming he was molested when he was an altar boy at the church where Father Prince served in the Upper Ottawa Valley during the late 1960s.
Detectives are also interviewing several other men who as boys attended the church or spent time at Father Prince's cottage in the small town of Wilno, Ont.
• Lawyer for US priest says to appeal extradition
[1980s Henn (Salvatorian)] - RCC. Boys.
Reuters,
http://today. reuters.com/ news/news Article.aspx? type=domestic News&storyID= 2006-02-02T1 11326Z_ 01_L02 782262_RTRU KOC_0_US- ITALY-PRIEST. xml ;
February 2, 2006
ROME (Reuters) - A Rome court on Thursday ruled that a fugitive American priest wanted in the United States on charges of sexually molesting boys can be extradited home but his lawyer said he would appeal the decision.
Father Joseph Henn, wanted by authorities in Arizona since 2003, has been living under house arrest at the headquarters of his religious order in Rome.
U.S. authorities want him extradited to face charges of molesting three boys when he worked in a parish in Phoenix diocese in the 1980s.
His lawyer, Michele Gentiloni Silverij, told reporters he would appeal the extradition ruling to a higher court. The Justice Ministry will have to make the final decision on the extradition, however.
The lawyer raised eyebrows last November when he urged the court not to approve the extradition saying his client risked being killed in prison if he were sent home.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:08 AM]
[COMMENT: If he were killed in a US prison, and if he were innocent, wouldn't his reward be great in Heaven?
COMMENT ENDS.]
- RCC. Abuse survivor, reformer, Bishop Gumbleton leaves.
WTOL,
~ February 02, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican says Pope Benedict the 16th has accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit.
Gumbleton recently revealed he was abused by a priest 60 years ago.
The Vatican's brief announcement says the pope accepted the resignation for reasons of age. Gumbleton turned 76 last week. That's a year past the normal retirement age for bishops.
Gumbleton said in an interview published last month that he was abused in 1945 when he was a ninth grader at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit.
[Joliet Diocese] - RCC. Allowed 3 clergy to continue. Secrecy, hiding facts.
ABC 7l,
February 2, 2006
JOLIET (IL) -- A DuPage County judge released a deposition of the bishop of the Joliet diocese Thursday. Bishop Joseph Imesch was being questioned regarding his handling of sexual abuse allegations involving priests.
This deposition was done as part of a lawsuit brought by a man claiming he was victimized by a priest years ago. Bishop Imesch gave this deposition in August of last year but it was sealed by the court until attorneys for an alleged victim and the press argued successfully for its release.
"With secrecy comes harm to children, with openness comes protection of children," said Marc Pearlman, Alleged Victim's Attorney.
The questioning of the bishop covered more than seven-and-a-half hours, including breaks.
During the deposition, an attorney for an alleged victims [? group] asks, "Tell us the occasions in which you have allowed priests to continue in ministry in or out of the Diocese after allegations of sexual misconduct have been made and deemed to have been credible."
Bishop Imesch responds, "I'm not certain that I can tell you all of them. I could probably tell you some of them. (He names three names) I'm not sure there were any others."
On Thursday, the man who is suing the diocese, alleging abuse spoke about the release of this document. He asked to have his identity disguised.
"The church has operated so long in secrecy. This begins the process of getting information out in public so parishioners, Catholic people can realize what's going on in the church," said the victim.
[Spokane Diocese] - RCC. $US 45.7m. 75 + 15 victims.
KGW,
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS / Associated Press / Feb/02/2006
SPOKANE (WA) -- A proposal by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane to pay $45.7 million to 75 victims of sexual abuse by priests raises a major question: Where will the small, poor diocese get that kind of money?
Church leaders acknowledge they aren't really sure. Spokane Bishop William Skylstad has refused to rule out the sale of parish churches, parochial schools, cemeteries or other diocese property.
"I call on the entire Catholic community to support the resolution I've proposed," he said at a Wednesday news conference.
Skylstad made the settlement offer in a letter, and a committee of five plaintiffs recommended approval Tuesday night. The 75 victims have 120 days to accept the offer, which must also win approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
• Group meets with Catholic bishops
[Bishop Soens] -- RCC. 9 allegations.
WQAD,
www.wqad.com/ Global/story.asp? S=4450067 &nav=1sW7 ,
~ February 2, 2006
DAVENPORT (IA) -- They stood outside the Iowa State Capitol with a message for the Catholic Church. Some were carrying pictures of boys who say they were abused by priests. Some were carrying signs saying more abusive priests could be other [? over] there.
What the outside gathering didn't show was something organizers say is truly historic: after standing outside the Capitol steps, they met with the leaders of Iowa's four Catholic dioceses including Davenport Bishop William Franklin.
"We think that that should be a given: that they would want to talk with survivors, they would want to talk with lay people and find out how we all believe the church is handling the situation," said DeWitt resident Ann Green. Green, who is married to a man who said he was abused by a Catholic priest, is also an organizing member of "Catholics for Spiritual Healing".
The group fears some of the church's past mistakes may be repeated [repeating] themselves still today.
In particular, the case against retired Bishop Larence Soens. Once part of both the Davenport and Sioux City diocese, Soens faces at least nine allegations of sexual abuse. The Davenport diocese paid 20-thousand dollars to settle one claim.
The Catholic activists who met with the bishops Thursday say more should be done to inform church-goers about Soens. They promise to keep the issue in the spotlight.
"The abusers will be aware that they are being, for a lack of a better word, 'policed' and it may draw attention to them," said "Catholics for Spiritual Healing" member Arlene Burke.
The Catholics groups did win one thing: they met with the bishops. A 30-minute planned meeting ran an hour and a half with the bishops saying they will meet with them again. That could be the first chapter in an on-going dialogue.
"The truth will be in their actions," warned Green.
"That's what we're going to have to wait for."
One thing the group says it wants is a stronger stand by the bishops about cases that are still pending. Catholic bishops have always been hesitant to do this saying they must wait for cases to be settled before they case [? cast] judgment on those accused of such an awful sin. #
• Chicago cardinal regrets keeping priest
- RCC. [? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks. [? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
www.dfw.com/ mld/dfw/news/ breaking_ news/1377 8492.htm ,
By F.N. D'ALESSIO, Associated Press, ~ February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- The leader of Chicago's Roman Catholic archdiocese said Thursday he should have removed a priest charged with abusing three boys much sooner and vowed to help fix a system "that wasn't adequate."
Cardinal Francis George made the comments at a news conference hours after the Rev. Daniel McCormack was released on $500,000 bond, paid by family members.
McCormack, 37, was charged last month with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and was charged on Wednesday with a third count.
The case has drawn criticism for the archdiocese because McCormack, 37, was not removed from public ministry until months after allegations against him surfaced.
"I should have found some way to take him out (sooner)," George said. "I wasn't vigilant enough in that case. I was too used to following the process."
Before his release, McCormack stood silently before a Cook County judge as his attorney proclaimed his innocence.
• Cardinal: I Should Have Investigated Priest Sooner
- RCC. [? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks. [? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000.
CBS 2,
http://cbs2 chicago.com/ seenon/local_ story_03314 3719.html ,
Jay Levine Reporting, ~ February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL), (CBS) -- Francis Cardinal George is saying he should have acted differently in regard to a priest who is now accused of molesting three boys.
And as CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the cardinal says the Rev. Daniel McCormack should have been out of ministry when the first charges against him were brought down.
"I can't imagine what's in the hearts of many people again. We thought this was done, at least contained, and it doesn't seem to have been," George said.
McCormack, 37, was charged last month with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and was charged on Wednesday with a third count.
Criminal Court Judge Douglas Simpson added $300,000 to the $200,000 bond set in the earlier case, and McCormack's bond on the abuse charges combined now totals $500,000.
[GUIDELINES:
"... if one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit." (Bible, Matthew's gospel 15:14, New Jerusalem Bible)
"... false prophets will arise and produce signs and portents to deceive the elect, if that were possible. ..." (Mark 13:22)
" ... the Spirit of truth ... will lead you to the complete truth, ... and he will reveal to you the things to come." (John 16:13).
GUIDELINES END.]
[COMMENT: Supposedly a bishop-successor to the Apostles and led by the Holy Spirit, with miracles occurring in his Church, yet he acts as if he couldn't pick a paedophile, and when a nun reported the priest in the year 2000, as if he couldn't act on 1 Corinthians 5:7 and 15:33, and several other New Testament texts. Even the dumb birds don't allow dirt in their nests! And Los Angeles is committing itself "to providing a safe environment for children". RCs who haven't closed their minds to the sex-abuse crisis can't work out yet why their Church wasn't always a "safe environment." Hint: "By their fruits you shall know them."
ENDS.]
- RCC.
The Tidings,
~ February 2, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is committed to providing a safe environment for children, which includes ongoing education on the prevention of child abuse.
Cardinal Roger Mahony has been in the forefront of ensuring the safety of parishes and parish schools through the establishment of the Office of Safeguard the Children and the adoption of rigorous archdiocesan policies.
Prevention of child sexual abuse is not just a church problem. It is a societal problem, and the need for broad child-abuse prevention measures throughout society is enormous. Sadly, according to national statistics, one in five girls and one in 10 boys are sexually abused prior to the age of 18.
The formation of Safeguard the Children Parish Committees was mandated by Cardinal Mahony in 2002. These parish committees are foundational in ensuring the safe environment of our parishes and schools throughout the Archdiocese.
More than 95 percent of the parishes have formed a permanent committee to coordinate initiatives such as education opportunities, site evaluations, and local presentations by speakers including police, nurses and therapists. The committees are also responsible for implementing archdiocesan safe environment policies and procedures.
[COMMENT: And the band played Annie Lawrie!
COMMENT ENDS.]
[1970s-90s Wempe] - RCC. 14 boys.
Monterey County Herald,
By LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press, ~ February 2, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- One of Michael Wempe's sex abuse victims testified Thursday that the former priest stopped molesting him after they were involved in a 1986 car crash and Wempe "was sent away to pedophile camp."
The 36-year-old witness also said he believes the accident happened when Wempe lost control of the car while assaulting him.
He acknowledged under cross-examination by Wempe's lawyer that he previously said that while he "could not rule out the possibility" Wempe was molesting him when he crashed the car, he wasn't certain.
"I am now entirely sure," said the man, identified only as Lee B. He is an older brother of the man Wempe is on trial for allegedly molesting.
Lee testified that the Catholic church paid for the accident and noted that he didn't see Wempe for a long time afterward.
• Bond set in new charges against priest
- RCC.
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Lawyer Anderson acting. Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks.
[? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000. RCC permitted police suspect to teach, preach. Hiding truth.
Chicago Sun-Times,
www.suntimes. com/output/news/ mccormack 02.html ,
BY F.N. D'ALESSIO, ASSOCIATED PRESS, February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- A Roman Catholic priest who is accused of molesting three boys had his bond set at $300,000 Thursday on the latest charge.
The case has drawn criticism for the Chicago archdiocese because the Rev. Daniel McCormack was not removed from public ministry until months after allegations against him first surfaced.
McCormack, 37, was charged last month with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and was charged on Wednesday with a third count. After Thursday's hearing, his bond in the case now totals $500,000.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 04:37 PM]
- RCC. [Hanley] - 21 children.
Observer-Tribune,
By MARIA VOGEL-SHORT, Feb/02/2006
MENDHAM (NJ) -- Maple Avenue resident Lou Serrano, a retired New York City police officer, said Monday that his latest confrontation with disgraced former priest and admitted child molester James T. Hanley, was one of many between the two during the past 20 years.
Serrano and his son, Mark, were with 20 victims and their families who went to Hanley's McBride Avenue, Paterson, neighborhood on Sunday to circulate flyers warning residents that Hanley had moved to the neighborhood.
Serrano said he has been tracking Hanley for years after his son acknowledged in 1985 that he was a victim of sex abuse.
Hanley was a pastor from 1972-82 at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church on Route 24, in Mendham, where many of Hanley's 21 admitted victims lived. Hanley certified in a sworn statement in October 2003 that he abused 21 children while serving as a priest in several Morris County communities.
"Our purpose is to safeguard children," said Serrano.
• Suits citing clergy abuse withdrawn
[No names in newsitem] - RCC. 9 lawsuits.
Journal Star,
www.pjstar.com/ stories/020206/ TRI_B8SCND LH.047.shtml ,
By Michael Miller 686-3106 mmiller@pjstar.com and Andy Kravetz 686-3283, akravetz@pjstar.com ,
~ February 02, 2006
PEORIA (IL) -- Four lawsuits alleging clergy sexual abuse against several Roman Catholic priests and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria have been withdrawn but could be refiled within a year.
The lawsuits were filed Nov. 30 in Peoria County Circuit Court against the priests, their churches at the time of the alleged abuse, religious orders and the diocese.
Fred Nessler of Springfield, attorney for the plaintiffs, said voluntary dismissal of the suits was taken last week in light of a recent 3rd District Appellate Court ruling. He is seeking to get five other lawsuits alleging clergy sexual abuse dismissed as well with a one-year window to refile, but a judge hadn't signed off on those cases as of Wednesday.
Nessler said another effort at negotiating a settlement with the diocese would be made. If that doesn't work, the suits "will be refiled."
[Spokane Diocese clergy] - RCC. $US 45.7m. 75 + 15 victims.
KGW,
Associated Press, Feb/02/2006
SPOKANE (WA) -- WHAT HAPPENED: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane offered a $45.7 million settlement to 75 victims of sexual abuse by priests in a deal that also includes reforms designed to reduce the chances that molestations will occur again.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN: Accepting the settlement would end litigation by the 75 people, but at least 15 other people have indicated they were abused by priests in the Spokane Diocese and may seek money.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Spokane Diocese has 30 days to submit a motion to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams, who must approve the deal. The 75 plaintiffs have 120 days to decide if they will accept the settlement. Rejection would put the parties back into negotiations or on the path to trial.
• Rare Kind of Scandal Accord in Spokane Diocese
[Spokane Diocese clergy] - RCC. $US 45.7m. Victims free to criticise. 75 + 15 victims.
The New York Times,
www.nytimes. com/2006/02/02/ national/ 02priests. html?_r=1 &oref=slogin ,
By SARAH KERSHAW, Published February 2, 2006
SEATTLE, Feb. 1 -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Wash., one of three in the country to have filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the sexual abuse scandals, agreed Wednesday to pay nearly $46 million to settle claims by 75 people who allege abuse by priests, lawyers involved in drawing up the settlement said.
If approved by a bankruptcy court and the plaintiffs, the agreement will provide one of the largest payouts per victim of any of the settlements reached across the nation since the church encountered crisis in 2002 with disclosure of abuse in the Boston Archdiocese.
But victims' advocacy groups and lawyers familiar with the agreement's details said it was also significant because it included rare nonfinancial concessions by Bishop William S. Skylstad.
Among those concessions is an agreement by the diocese to stop referring to "alleged victims" of priests' abuse rather than simply "victims," said Tim Kosnoff, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers.
The victims, Mr. Kosnoff said, are to be allowed to return to the parishes where they came into contact with their molesters and possibly face them, a provision that victims' groups said appeared to be a first.
They will also be permitted to write about their experiences in the diocesan newspaper, with a full page devoted to that purpose each month for the next three years.
[1970-75 Rapp (Oblate of St. Francis de Sales)] - RCC. Admission by Salt Lake City Diocese. 2 boys.
Deseret Morning News,
By Geoffrey Fattah, February 2, 2006
UTAH -- Attorneys representing the Catholic Church and Judge Memorial High School called the sexual abuse reported by two brothers at the hands of a former teacher and priest egregious, but they told the Utah Supreme Court that the time to sue over the abuse had run out years ago.
"There have been violations of trust and principles at a tremendous number of levels," said Matthew McNulty, attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City during oral arguments Wednesday. But three attorneys for the church said under Utah law, the statute of limitations is four years from the time the two brothers turned 18, meaning they had until they were 22 to complain to someone within the church or hire an attorney, neither of which was done.
Ralph Louis Colosimo, now 52, and Charles Matthew Colosimo, now 44, charged they were repeatedly sexually abused by former priest James Rapp between 1970 and '75. But the brothers didn't take action until 2003, when they filed an $80 million lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, the school's board of trustees, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the order Rapp belonged to.
Larry Keller, attorney for the Colosimos, said the brothers were taught to revere and respect priests and school officials. Add the fact that Rapp was also a friend of their family and the shame associated with the abuse, it is understandable that the men stayed silent for so long, Keller said. It wasn't until the two read an article in the Washington Post in 2002, detailing Rapp's history of inappropriate behavior involving young males, that they realized the scope of the problem.
- RCC.
The Republican,
By BILL ZAJAC, wzajac@repub.com , Thursday, February 02, 2006
SPRINGFIELD (MA) -- Two years after the head of the Springfield Diocese resigned amid allegations of sexual abuse, the current bishop is reaching out to laity and clergy for names of possible candidates for appointments as bishops.
The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, recently sent letters to all priests, deacons and some women religious.
Also, at least some pastors were asked to invite several lay people from each parish to participate in the process. McDonnell invited them to suggest priests who might warrant consideration to become bishops serving somewhere in the U.S. Catholic Church.
The process is not necessarily geared toward identifying possible successors for McDonnell.
The head of the East Longmeadow affiliate of Voice of the Faithful, a organization dedicated to greater lay participation in church governance, praised the process as a forward step.
"This is very encouraging. In the past, it was the good old boys club choosing who would best represent their interests. This seems to be a more open process," said John M. Bowen of Longmeadow, head of Voice of the Faithful's chapter in East Longmeadow.
[1970s-90s Wempe] - RCC. 14 boys.
The Press-Enterprise,
By LINDA DEUTSCH, The Associated Press, ~ February 02, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- A man whose account is crucial to the prosecution of a retired priest ended four days of testimony, saying Michael Wempe should be punished and the Roman Catholic Church held accountable for the former minister's sexual abuse.
The 26-year-old witness, identified as Jayson B., left the witness stand Wednesday after an intensive inquiry by Wempe's lawyer, Leonard Levine. The attorney accused him of fabricating his story and highlighted discrepancies between Jayson's claims two years ago and his current account.
Jayson said he remembered things differently and more clearly now than he did when he first went to police and testified at a preliminary hearing.
"For the past two and a half years I have been forced to think about this every day," he said, adding that helped clear his memory.
He claimed a flawed memory on some issues, however, including which parking lot Wempe used when the priest allegedly molested him several times in his car. Jayson blamed the passage of time for that.
"And the reason you can't remember is because they never happened?" asked Levine.
"No," the witness said calmly. "The reason is it happened 15 years ago."
[1970-75 Rapp (Oblate of St. Francis de Sales)] - RCC. Admission by Salt Lake City Diocese. 2 boys.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Jessica Ravitz, ~ February 02, 2006
SALT LAKE CITY (UT) -- An attorney told the Utah Supreme Court Wednesday that boys raised to "revere" priests shouldn't be punished for failing to investigate them.
High court justices heard arguments in the case of two Salt Lake City brothers who allege they were sexually abused by a former priest and teacher.
Ralph and Charles Colosimo, now 52 and 44, respectively, sued the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and Judge Memorial Catholic High School in 2003. They claimed they were molested in the 1970s by Rev. James F. Rapp, then a teacher at the school, and that both institutions - and possibly others, including the Archdiocese of San Francisco - knew of Rapp's abusive behavior but did nothing to stop him.
Twice, both in the 3rd District Court and the state Court of Appeals, the Colosimos' $80 million lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that they had waited too long to pursue legal action.
Under Utah law, the brothers had until age 22 - four years after they became adults - to file their case. Their lawyer, however, maintains that "the distinct nature of child sex abuse," as well as information learned in recent years, should excuse the case from the traditional statute of limitations.
[Spokane Diocese clergy] - RCC. Victims free to criticise. $US 45.7m. 75 + 15 victims.
New Mexican,
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS | Associated Press | February 2, 2006
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Victims of sexual abuse by priests say the key portion of the settlement offered by the Catholic Diocese of Spokane is not the money, but changes intended to prevent molestations from occurring again.
A settlement offer of $45.7 million to 75 victims was announced Wednesday. The deal, if approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court and victims, would also require Spokane Bishop William Skylstad to make greater efforts to prevent abuse.
Skylstad is head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Spokane case was being closely watched by other dioceses facing lawsuits over sex abuse.
"The deepest feeling I have is a sense of accomplishment that our children and grandchildren are safer and much more protected," said Mike Shea, an abuse victim and member of the committee that negotiated the deal.
- RCC.
[1987+ Stefanich] - Boy, girl.
[2005-06 Joliet Diocese] - Hiding truth.
The Herald News,
By Ted Slowik, ~ February 02, 2006
WHEATON (IL) -- Prominent attorneys are scheduled to pack a DuPage County courtroom today in a bid to convince a judge to modify a protective order that shields documents and testimony about a former Joliet Diocese priest accused of sexually abusing a young boy.
Advocates for the alleged victim hope to persuade Judge Stephen Culliton to amend his order so that the Aug. 11 deposition of Joliet Bishop Joseph Imesch would be made public. Imesch testified under oath about Ed Stefanich, who was removed from the priesthood after he was convicted of sexually abusing a 14-year-old Woodridge girl in 1987.
A Glen Ellyn man in his 40s sued the diocese in 2003, saying he recently recalled repressed memories of alleged abuse by Stefanich while at Christ the King parish in Lombard about 35 years ago.
Two other parties, the Chicago Tribune and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, have joined the lawsuit on the alleged victim's behalf.
The judge is allowing lawyers for the other parties to plead at today's hearing.
[~ 1970s priest ? Bennett*] - RCC. ? 2 girls.
The Times,
BY ANDREW HARMON, Medill News Service, ~ February 02, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, February 2, 2006 12:13 AM CST
The Archdiocese of Chicago on Wednesday announced that it has removed another priest from the ministry pending an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct that took place over 35 years ago.
Church officials said they would reveal the priest's identity Sunday to those churches where the priest served as pastor.
But attorney Jeff Anderson said he represents two women who claim the Rev. Joseph Bennett, who has been at Holy Ghost Church in South Holland, abused them more than 35 years ago. As of Wednesday, a lawsuit had not been filed by those women.
According to a list of Bennett's assignments as a priest, Bennett was ordained as a priest in 1966 and has served at Holy Ghost Church since 1998.
Neither Bennett or church officials could be reached for comment late Wednesday.
[3yrs ~1960s Bennett*] - RCC. "Religious" Education. Girl.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY CATHLEEN FALSANI AND ART GOLAB, February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Therese says she was 7 years old when she met "Father Ben."
It was the late 1960s, and the Rev. Joseph Bennett was a young, good-looking, "cool" priest fresh out of seminary and assigned to St. John de la Salle Roman Catholic Church at 102nd and King Drive, where he helped teach catechism to public school kids such as Therese once a week, she says.
Bennett heard Therese's first confession, gave her first communion, confirmed her, presided at her older sister's wedding and visited for family dinners, she says.
And when Therese was 8, she claims Bennett began having sexual intercourse with her in the lower level of the parish school, after religious education classes, before her mother picked her up to go home, a routine she says continued for three years until her family moved away when she was 11.
- RCC.
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Lawyer Anderson acting. Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks. Alleged while being "monitored."
[? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000. RCC permitted police suspect to teach, preach. Hiding truth.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY CATHLEEN FALSANI AND FRANK MAIN, February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- The Rev. Daniel McCormack was hit with a new criminal charge Wednesday, accused of molesting an 11-year-old Chicago boy last month inside the rectory of St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church in the North Lawndale neighborhood, according to a law enforcement source.
The alleged abuse took place while McCormack was being "monitored" by another priest assigned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago to keep tabs on McCormack and make sure he was never alone with children. Church officials imposed the monitor last August after first learning of allegations he had abused an 8-year-old Willowbrook boy.
On Jan. 21, McCormack, 37, was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly fondling two other boys at St. Agatha -- the 8-year-old from Willowbrook (now 11) who claims the priest molested him twice in 2003, and a 9-year-old (now 13) who has accused the priest of sexually molesting him two to three times a month between September 2001 and January 2005.
The latest charge, one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, involves an 11-year-old Chicago boy who contacted police and prosecutors Monday with his allegations against McCormack, a popular priest who had been St. Agatha's pastor since 2000.
- RCC.
Des Moines Register,
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR, February 2, 2006
DES MOINES (IA) -- Iowa's four Catholic bishops agreed to meet today with the state's most vocal groups advocating for victims of clergy abuse.
It is believed to be the first time since the U.S. Catholic child sexual abuse scandal exploded in 2002 that a state's entire Catholic hierarchy committed to such a meeting.
Archbishop Jerome Hanus of Dubuque, Bishop Joseph Charron of Des Moines, Davenport Bishop William Franklin and Sioux City Bishop R. Walker Nickless agreed Monday to meet with representatives of Iowa Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Catholics for Spiritual Healing of Grand Mound, and Concerned Catholics of the Davenport Diocese.
However, Nickless' mother, E. Margaret Nickless, 77, died Wednesday, causing him to return to Denver, Colo., for her funeral. He will be represented at the meeting by Monsignor Roger J. Augustine, who served as diocesan administrator for two years until the Vatican appointed Nickless.
[1970s Miller] - RCC. Boy.
Detroit Free Press,
February 2, 2006
ALLEN PARK (MI) -- An Allen Park retiree, who sued the Archdiocese of Detroit over the alleged abuse of his son in the 1970s by the Rev. Alfred Miller, had his lawsuit rejected by the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday.
Attorney David Steinberg of Bingham Farms said Ed Szkarlat and his son are very disappointed. The suit was an innovative legal attempt to get around Michigan's statutes of limitation on sexual abuse.
The son, Gregory Szkarlat, is now a teacher in another state. In 2002, he told church officials in Detroit that Miller had abused him repeatedly in the 1970s. The archdiocese removed Miller from ministry and announced that the abuse claim against the priest seemed credible.
- RCC.
[? 1970s priest* at Holy Ghost church] - 2 girls.
[2004-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Failed 1yr to appoint monitor.
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks. Alleged while being "monitored."
[? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - Nun 'blew whistle' in 2000. RCC permitted police suspect to teach, preach. Hiding truth.
Chicago Tribune,
By Manya A. Brachear, Tribune staff reporter (Tribune staff reporters Jeff Coen and Tom Rybarczyk contributed to this report), Published February 2, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- Losing confidence in a monitoring program they have relied on to safeguard children, Chicago Catholic Archdiocese officials have removed from ministry a priest they were keeping under supervision while they try to determine if he abused two young girls decades ago.
Officials also acknowledged that the south suburban priest was not assigned a monitor until a year after the archdiocese first received an abuse allegation against him in March 2004. A spokesman said he could not explain the lengthy delay.
Cardinal Francis George ordered the removal of the pastor of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in South Holland after an emotional meeting this week with St. Agatha parishioners, who voiced outrage that for months they had not known about allegations against their own pastor, Rev. Daniel McCormack.
McCormack also had been placed under monitoring because of an abuse allegation, though his flock did not know that until he was arrested last month. On Wednesday, prosecutors added a third count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse to the charges against McCormack, and law enforcement sources would not say whether the abuse occurred while he was being monitored.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Thu February 02, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont121.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Bishops meet group to talk about sex abuse scandals
[Bishop Soens] - RCC. 11 allegations.
Radio Iowa,
www.radioiowa. com/gestalt/ go.cfm?object id=7BA26929- 05C9-4C44-AA62D 81050C1655D ,
by O.Kay Henderson, ~ February 03, 2006
IOWA -- A small group of Catholics and ex-Catholics met with three of Iowa's four Catholic bishops Thursday to talk about priest sex abuse scandals.
"Catholics for Spiritual Healing" spokeswoman Ann Green of DeWitt says they were "encouraged" that the bishops were willing to meet face-to-face.
"This was really an unprecedented meeting. We're not aware of anywhere else in the country where all the bishops within a state have sat down with a lay group and survivors," Green says.
"We'd like to be say that we're celebrating about that, but it really is a given that they should have been doing this earlier but we certainly do appreciate that they've taken the time."
Green says she and the others had some demands.
At the top of their list: asking that former Sioux City Diocese Bishop Lawrence Soens be forbidden from having contact with minors or allowed to conduct mass.
"Although he retired in 1998, he is still operating in an official capacity by celebrating masses throughout the state of Iowa and really being held up in esteem by the Catholic Church," Green says.
Green says at least 10 accusations of sex abuse have been made against Soens, and in 2004 another bishop paid 20-thousand dollars to settle a lawsuit involving Soens.
In April of 2005, Soens was invited to the Vatican to participate in Pope John Paul's funeral mass.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:34 PM]
[1969 Msgr. Prince] - RCC. Boy.
Newsday,
By BETH DUFF-BROWN, Associated Press Writer, 5:21 PM EST, February 3, 2006,
TORONTO, Canada -- An arrest warrant has been issued for a retired Vatican official accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old altar boy when he was a parish priest back in his native Canada, police said Friday.
Monsignor Bernard Prince, 71, once the secretary general for the Vatican's Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and close to the late Pope John Paul II, is now retired in Rome.
The alleged victim, now in his 50s, claimed he was molested when he was an altar boy at the church where Prince served in the Upper Ottawa Valley in the late 1960s before moving to Rome to serve the Vatican.
Sgt. Kristine Rae-Chollette of the Ontario Provincial Police said the initial arrest warrant for two charges of sexual assault was issued in October, but not made public until this week because other possible victims were still coming forward.
[Bolding added.]
[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. Keeping secrets on 2 priests.
Los Angeles Times,
By Eric Berkowitz, (A freelance journalist and lawyer living in Los Angeles), February 03, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- THURSDAY, THE Archdiocese of Los Angeles asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule a series of lower court decisions and allow it to keep secret 14 documents from the confidential files of two former priests accused of child molestation.
The church doesn't have a particularly good chance of winning. It has been fighting to keep the documents out of the hands of a grand jury for three years, and there is little reason to believe the Supreme Court will back what a Times editorial has called Cardinal Roger M. Mahony's "unseemly struggle" to conceal the truth about the priests' transgressions.
The church's argument that the 1st Amendment's freedom-of-religion clauses and various state privileges entitle it to withhold the documents from the grand jury has drawn near-universal derision. Most everyone seems to believe that Mahony's real aim is to reduce the archdiocese's potential liability in the scandal and to hide the church's complicity in keeping dangerous priests on the job.
Perhaps so. But when the grand jury finally gets the documents (assuming the court orders that), justice will be taking a step backward.
[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. Keeping secrets on 2 priests.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ~ February 03, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let the church keep two priests' personnel records out of the hands of investigators in a sex abuse probe.
Attorneys for Cardinal Roger M. Mahony filed the petition Thursday, arguing that giving prosecutors private records on two priests would violate the constitutional separation of church and state.
The archdiocese is appealing a decision by the California Supreme Court last year ordering it to produce the files, which were subpoenaed three years ago.
Archdiocese attorney Michael Hennigan argued that the cardinal needed "protection of his continued ability to have confidential, and what we call sacred, communication with his priests."
[? < 2000-05 McCormack*] - RCC. Boys, 5th complaint in 2 weeks.
Chicago Sun-Times,
By FRANK MAIN AND STEFANO ESPOSITO, February 3, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- An 11-year-old boy who lives a stone's throw from St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church earned pocket money by shoveling snow, raking leaves and making grocery runs for the Rev. Daniel McCormack.
The priest paid him cash -- normally $5 -- for his services. And when they were alone in the West Side church's rectory, McCormack reached into the child's pants and fondled him, the boy's mother said in an interview.
"My son would say, 'Why did you do that?' And Father Dan said, 'To see how big your private part is.' "
'They're not bad kids' McCormack was in Bond Court on Thursday on a charge of aggravated sexual abuse involving the 11-year-old. He already faces charges of abusing two other children, one as recently as January 2005.
• Bishop Casey to fly home for good tomorrow.
[1975 Casey] - RCC. Fathered a child.
Irish Independent,
www.unison.ie/ irish_independent/ stories.php3? ca=9&si=15534 98&issue_id= 13623 ,
by Bernard Purcell, in London, February 03, 2006
IRELAND -- FORMER Bishop Eamonn Casey is to return to Ireland for good tomorrow, the Irish Independent has learned.
The 78-year-old former Bishop of Galway is to fly into Shannon and plans to make immediate contact with gardai investigating a sexual assault complaint by a woman dating back more than twenty years.
It is understood that he has "grown weary" of waiting for gardai in Limerick to travel to the UK to interview him about the woman's allegation.
The complainant alleges she was sexually assaulted as a child, but Dr Casey has vigorously denied the allegation and is confident he will be vindicated.
[Bolding added.]
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:59 PM]
[~ 1980s priest, ? < 2000-06 Chicago Archdiocese] - RCC. Children.
The New York Times,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Filed at 11:36 a.m. ET, Published: February 3, 2006
CHICAGO (IL), (AP) -- The leader of Chicago's Roman Catholic archdiocese vowed to revise a molestation investigation process that "wasn't adequate," saying he should have removed a priest charged with abusing three boys much sooner.
Cardinal Francis George indicated Thursday the archdiocese will announce changes as early as next week to remove priests immediately after allegations are made. Under the current policy, allegations are investigated before priests can be removed.
George said he wants to consult with the state Department of Children and Family Services on how to make sure communities are notified of suspended priests.
"I thought that we had the process ... to take care of these things," he said. "Now it turns out it wasn't adequate, that I wasn't adequate."
[Roman Catholic Church] - Children mainly.
Belfast Telegraph,
By Sarah Brett, February 03, 2006
NORTHERN IRELAND -- Top-level talks will take place next week between Catholic church leaders and police chiefs as part of a probe into the scale of clerical sex abuse in Northern Ireland.
The meeting comes as the Government today confirmed it has not ruled out an independent public inquiry into paedophile priest allegations.
In the latest of a series of private meetings, health chiefs and the PSNI are due to meet senior figures from the Catholic church on Monday to assess the situation before reporting to the Secretary of State Peter Hain.
On January 17, legal representatives of the Church met separately with the PSNI. The Church has agreed to supply relevant information on allegations of clerical child sex abuse to the police.
DUP Assemblyman, David Simpson, has lobbied for a probe since last year and said today: "I believe we'll get it."
• Retired Vatican official accused of molesting altar boys in Ontario
[1960s Monsignor Prince] - RCC. Altarboy.
CBC News,
www.cbc.ca/ story/canada/ national/ 2006/02/02/ vatican- warrant. html ,
February 02, 2006
CANADA -- Provincial police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a retired Vatican official who is accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy in eastern Ontario decades ago.
Monsignor Bernard Prince, 71, was close to Pope John Paul II. A Canadian, he travelled the world to promote Catholicism as secretary general of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Prince is now retired and living in Rome.
A man in his 50s is accusing Prince of sexually assaulting him in the late 1960s, when he was an altar boy at a church in the Upper Ottawa Valley.
The man came forward with his accusations months ago. Ontario Provincial Police detectives are speaking with other men who attended the same church as boys or spent time at a cottage owned by Prince.
[1960s Monsignor Prince] - RCC. Altarboy.
CTV,
CTV.ca News Staff, February 03, 2006
CANADA -- A retired Canadian priest who once held a senior post at the Vatican and was a close friend of Pope John Paul II is wanted by police on sex abuse charges.
The Ontario Provincial Police have charged Msgr. Bernard Prince, 71, for allegedly assaulting an altar boy in the 1960s, but the priest has not responded to an arrest warrant.
Prince is charged with b*ggery and indecent assault on a boy who was 12 when the alleged assaults occurred. Prince was a parish priest at the time.
[1960s Monsignor Prince] - RCC. Altarboy.
Canada.com ,
by Cassandra Szklarski, Canadian Press, Thursday, February 02, 2006
TORONTO, Canada (CP) - The investigation of a retired Vatican official accused of molesting an eastern Ontario altar boy decades ago involves accusers in several other communities where the priest lived, police said Thursday.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Msgr. Bernard Prince, 71, a retired Vatican official accused of assaulting a 12-year-old altar boy in the town of Wilno, Ont., in the late 1960s before he eventually moved to Rome to work for the Vatican.
Sgt. Kristine Rae-Chollette said the matter could move to extradition proceedings if Prince continues to ignore an arrest warrant issued after charges were laid last October.
In the meantime, she said investigators were looking into other claims in other parts of Ontario and even in the United States. "We have (allegations) from different communities," said Rae-Chollette.
[Bolding added. ]
[1969 Monsignor Prince] - RCC. Altarboy.
The Ottawa Citizen,
by Andrew Seymour, Friday, February 03, 2006
CANADA -- Several more people have contacted police with allegations since retired Pembroke-area priest Bernard Prince was accused of having sex with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s, OPP said yesterday.
While police have only laid charges against Msgr. Prince in connection with the accusations from one victim, OPP Sgt. Kristine Cholette said additional complainants have come forward since police launched their investigation in May.
Retired from a senior Vatican post in 2004, Msgr. Prince -- described as having been a "personal friend" of Pope John Paul II -- was charged with b*ggery and indecent assault against a male. The complainant, now an adult, alleges he was assaulted at Msgr. Prince's cottage near Wilno in 1969.
An arrest warrant was issued for Msgr. Prince, who still lives in Rome, in mid-October.
[1975 Casey] - RCC. Fathered a child.
Irish Examiner,
~ February 03, 2006
IRELAND -- Former Bishop Eamonn Casey is reportedly set to return to Ireland tomorrow to live out his retirement in his former Co Galway diocese.
The 78-year-old fled Ireland in 1992 after the revelation that he had fathered a son with an American woman whom he had been involved with for some time.
Dr Casey had already indicated his intention to return to Galway once a sexual assault allegation against him was dealt with.
However, reports this morning said he had grown weary of waiting for Gardaí to contact him in Britain and was planning to return home himself and make contact with detectives investigating the case.
[Emphasis added.]
[1960s+ Hanley] - RCC. $US 5m. 23 boys.
NorthJersey.com ,
By JEFFREY PAGE, RECORD COLUMNIST, Friday, February 3, 2006
NEW JERSEY -- So here's this ex-priest who had his way with kids over the course of years. The story of priestly sex abuse of children never ends.
He was defrocked three years ago. He says he had his fun with 15 young boys during a 14-year stretch when he was the trusted Father in the turned collar. Or maybe it was 12 boys.
As it is, 23 men have accused him of molesting them when they were children.
Does the Diocese of Paterson have a responsibility to keep track of this man? It's thinking about it.
The Not Very Rev. James Hanley is an expensive millstone around the diocese's neck.
His adventures with boys cost the diocese nearly $5 million, paid out in settlements to most of his victims. One never got a dime; he killed himself three years ago.
[2002, 2004 Erickson, Superior Diocese] - RCC. Boy molested. Unheeded complaint. 2 shot. Suicided.
Janesville Gazette,
Associated Press, 08:59:19 AM CST, Friday, February 3, 2006
HUDSON, Wis. - A late priest who a judge ruled likely killed two funeral home workers nearly four years ago wrote in his will that he led a "wretched life," was lustful, did things in the heat of passion and was disappointed in "all of the evils I have all too often performed," police documents show.
But the Rev. Ryan Erickson used the will to deny again that he killed Dan O'Connell or James Ellison, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported after reviewing the documents released Thursday.
The 99 pages of documents released by the Hudson Police Department indicate that Erickson's computer, seized from a church in Hurley, contained images of child pornography and jokes about sex and the church, the newspaper reported.
Erickson, 31, hanged himself about a year ago at a church rectory in Hurley in far northern Wisconsin, just days after police questioned him in the slayings.
[1960s Bishop Soens] - RCC. 11 allegations.
KWQC,
~ February 3, 2006
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Church abuse victims and sympathizers finally got their chance to speak with diocese bishops today.
While they're grateful, they're not satisfied.
Several victims groups made some demands of the bishops, who say they will have to consider each before responding.
Among the groups' demands was disciplinary action against Lawrence Soens, the former Sioux City bishop who has been accused in at least ten lawsuits of molesting young boys in the 1960s.
Soens retired as bishop in 1998, but victims advocates say they are frustrated over reports that Soens has helped lead church functions.
[Bishop Soens] - RCC. 11 allegations.
Des Moines Register,
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR, February 3, 2006
DES MOINES (IA) -- Advocates for survivors of sex abuse by priests came away from an unprecedented meeting with Iowa Roman Catholic bishops Thursday filled with hope and pleased that the prelates agreed to a second meeting.
The groups - Iowa Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Catholics for Spiritual Healing of Grand Mound, and Concerned Catholics of the Davenport Diocese - asked for 15 minutes to meet with the bishops when they were in Des Moines for the Iowa Catholic Conference legislative breakfast. The meeting lasted almost an hour and a half.
"We are very encouraged," said Ann Green of De Witt, the wife of abuse survivor Don Green. "We're not aware of any other place where bishops have sat down with survivors' groups as the Iowa bishops did."
The group met with Dubuque Archbishop Jerome Hanus, Des Moines Bishop Joseph Charron and Davenport Bishop Willia
