• 'Appalled' judge gives priest 7 years for child porn
[? 2005 Schulte -NEW* (Vincentian)] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Child rape film.
Chicago Sun-Times,
www.suntimes. com/news/ metro/118971, CST-NWS-priest 01.article ,
BY STEVE WARMBIR, November 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- When he was a child, the Rev. Daniel Schulte experienced horrific abuse.
As an adult, he kept images of horrific child abuse on his computer, including a 34-minute video of a man raping a young girl who was tied up.
For that, Schulte was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison, the maximum under advisory federal sentencing guidelines for possessing child pornography.
There is no evidence that Schulte, 54, a Vincentian priest who worked at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates in 2005 as hospital chaplain, abused any children.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 09:28 AM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
for Wed., November 01, 2006.)
[2005 Carathers -NEW*] - RCC.
Adults.
Amarillo Globe-News,
By Phillip Yates, phillip.yates@amarillo.com , November 1, 2006
AMARILLO (TX) -- The Amarillo Diocese has removed a priest from a Borger Catholic Church after investigating allegations of inappropriate conduct with adults, diocese officials said Tuesday.
The Rev. Michael Colwell, vicar general of the Amarillo Diocese, said the diocese started an investigation Oct. 2 after learning of the allegations surrounding Rev. Patrick Carathers, who pastored at St. John's Catholic Church in Borger.
Colwell stressed the allegations do not involve minor children.
Colwell said the reported inappropriate conduct occurred about a year ago. He declined to describe the reported inappropriate conduct, but added that it was not violent.
[~ 1966 Mercieca*] - RCC. Altarboy.
The Hilltop,
http://media. www.thehill toponline.com/ media/storage/ paper590/news/ 2006/11/01/ NationWorld/ Psychiatrist. There.Is.A. Link-2414727. shtml?sourcedomain= www.thehill toponline. com&MIIHost= media.college publisher.com ;
by Miranda Teel, Nation & World, Nov/1/06
UNITED STATES -- While an altar boy at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Lake Wood, Fl., 13-year-old Congressman Mark Foley engaged in a two-year inappropriate sexual relationship with Anthony Mercieca, a Catholic priest. Foley faults this prior molestation for his misconduct with the page boys.
Foley's case, along with Pope Bendict XVI's recent comments about sexual abuse in the church have resurfaced the issue beleaguering the Catholic church.
A Link? California psychiatrist Dr. Mohan Nair, specializing in sexual disorders and adolescent adult psychiatry, believes there is a link between celibacy in priesthood and the numerous cases of sexual abuses of altar boys.
"The bottom line is, individuals that can't handle their sexual urges are drawn into priesthood as an attempt to mask these feelings, and then in turn act out inappropriate sexual feelings on these boys," Nair said.
In recent times, the subject of celibacy for Catholic priests has again stepped into the forefront of the media.
[RECAPITULATION: "The bottom line is, individuals that can't handle their sexual urges are drawn into priesthood as an attempt to mask these feelings, and then in turn act out inappropriate sexual feelings on these boys," RECAP. ENDS.]
- Episcopalian.
[3yrs 1970s Rev. Bennison] - Girl.
[Bishop Bennison] - Did not report.
The Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, ~ November 1, 2006
PENNSYLVANIA -- Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., in an e-mail to diocesan clergy and lay leaders, said yesterday he was "profoundly sorry" for failing to report or properly investigate his brother's sexual abuse of a minor three decades ago.
"I sincerely apologize if any lack of action on my part 30 years ago has caused hurt or distress," he wrote in the electronic message.
"... Had I known in the mid-70s what I know about clergy sexual misconduct... I would have immediately sought to find out the truth of the situation from the victim herself, would have reported the facts of the case to the proper civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and would not have allowed family and job considerations to impair my judgment," he wrote.
His apology came in response to a report in Sunday's Inquirer that, while a young rector at a California parish, Bennison had failed to contact either law enforcement or church officials after he discovered that his brother, John, had sexually abused a 14-year-old parish girl. His brother was serving as parish youth minister. The abuse continued for at least three years.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:30 AM]
• Abuse accused fired
[1974-76 Sharwood] - Anglican. Boy.
The Courier Mail,
www.news.com. au/couriermail/ story/0,23739, 20684177- 3102,00.html ,
by Mark Oberhardt, 11:00pm, November 01, 2006
BRISBANE (Qld), Australia -- AN ANGLICAN priest was fired from his job at a leading Brisbane private school after allegations were made he had a sexual relationship with a teenage boy from his parish nearly 30 years earlier.
The former headmaster of Brisbane's Anglican Grammar School, David Scott, told a District Court trial he "terminated" Robert Francis Sharwood's employment as a teacher and assistant chaplain in February 2002.
Mr Scott, now the headmaster of Newington College in Sydney, said that after allegations about the 1970s offences were made to a school board member he raised them with Sharwood, who had moved to the school in the mid-1980s.
He said he recalled Sharwood made no comment other than to say the matters were dealt with "long ago".
[1980 Robinson] - RCC. Nun murdered.
The Columbus Dispatch,
by Bill Eichenberger, Wednesday, November 01, 2006
OHIO -- In April 2004, religion editor David Yonke was tipped off by a Toledo Blade colleague to a story that every newspaperman dreams of - and hopes never to experience.
A Roman Catholic priest was about to be arrested in the 1980 slaying of an elderly nun.
A cold case was about to become very warm.
The ensuing trial and conviction of the Rev. Gerald Robinson for the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl propel the new Yonke book, Sin, Shame, & Secrets: The Murder of a Nun, the Arrest of a Priest, and Cover-up in the Catholic Church.
"The truth really is stranger than fiction in this case," Yonke wrote recently in an e-mail exchange with The Dispatch.
[~ 1970s Gray*] - Baptist. 20 girls, 1 boy.
First Coast News,
By Jeannie Blaylock, ~ November 1, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Some people were shocked. Others weren't surprised for a second when former Trinity pastor Bob Gray was charged with molesting children years ago.
Those who weren't surprised say it's because they told current pastor Tom Messer and other key leaders in the 1990s and they hushed it all up.
Trinity Baptist, a prominent church on the First Coast, is known for solid academics, exciting football, and thousands of loyal worshippers.
But now Trinity Baptist Church is facing allegations of a cover-up. Is it true?
For months First Coast News has been investigating. It's taken months because some people struggled with coming forward.
Now, our investigation has uncovered new information never made public before.
[BACKGROUND: His arrest was reported on May 20, 2006. ENDS.]
- RCC. Graphic sex texts for kids.
WorldNetDaily,
By Mary Jo Anderson, Posted 1:00 a.m. Eastern, November 1, 2006
BOSTON (MA) -- Popular prevention programs adopted by U.S. Catholic bishops in the wake of the sex-abuse scandal that embroiled the Catholic Church in the United States should be abandoned as ineffective and possibly injurious, conclude medical experts.
At the 75th annual meeting of the Catholic Medical Association's Education Conference, held in Boston October 27-28, professionals recommended the U.S. bishops "rescind the safe-environment mandate as it applies to children and adolescents and discontinue all child-empowerment programs for preventing child sexual abuse."
In response to the abuse scandal, the American bishops adopted the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in June of 2002. The charter was revised and reaffirmed in 2005.
Each diocese was to implement a "child protection" or "safety education" program. The program was intended reassure parents the bishops' were taking measures to insure the safety of their children.
However, many parents objected that the "safety" programs were little more than graphic sex education texts that they found to be disturbing and inappropriate for the ages most at risk.
[COMMENT: The RC leadership is out of its depth, regarding sex, because none of them have loving sexual relations in the bible-appointed state of matrimony. Whoever wrote the epistles to Timothy and Titus knew that the clergy prospect must be married before the leader (not the prospect himself) issues an invitation.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[? 2005 Schulte* (Vincentian)] - RCC. Child porn.
The New York Times,
AP, Filed at 6:56 p.m. ET, ~ November 1, 2006
CHICAGO (IL), (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest charged with possessing violent child pornography was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison by a federal judge who said she could not "help but be appalled."
The Rev. Daniel Schulte, 54, must register as a sex offender when he is released from his 87-month sentence, give up computers and never have unsupervised access to minors, District Judge Blanche M. Manning said.
"He has victimized young children, possibly scarring them for life," Manning said, giving Schulte the maximum under federal guidelines. "The court cannot help but be appalled."
In a quiet voice, Schulte said he was sorry about "the children whose innocence I've stolen by downloading child pornography" and apologized for "the embarrassment and scandal I've caused for others."
- RCC.
The Peninsula,
REUTERS, Web posted at 7:36:18, Nov/1/2006
VATICAN CITY | Pope Benedict yesterday named Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, a champion of human rights and social justice, to head the powerful Vatican department that oversees Catholic priests around the world.
Hummes, until now archbishop of Sao Paolo, had himself been considered a leading candidate for the papacy in the conclave that elected Benedict in April, 2005, as successor to the late Pope John Paul.
His appointment as head of the Congregation for the Clergy, which oversees matters regarding the world's 400,000 Catholic priests as well as some aspects of religious education, underscores the importance of the world's largest Catholic country for the Vatican.
He will now become the leading Brazilian in the Vatican and among his duties will be handling some aspects of the priestly sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church around the world.
[Davenport Diocese] - RCC. $US 9m. 25 claimants.
WHO,
~ November 1, 2006
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport will cut its budget by nearly eight percent and is seeking donations to help pay for the installation ceremony of its new bishop.
The diocese, which filed for bankruptcy this month to deal with priest sex abuse cases, is looking for ways to cut 276-thousand dollars from its three-point-six million dollar budget.
Spokesman David Montgomery says some options include cutting down on travel expenses and conferences, while some employees have offered to cut their salaries.
He also says parishes will seek donations to help pay for the installation ceremony of the new bishop.
• Pope Vows 'Whatever Steps Are Necessary' in Combating Abuse
- RCC.
Beliefnet,
www.beliefnet. com/story/202/ story_20278_ 1.html ,
By Kristine Crane, Religion News Service, ~ November 01, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI said the Catholic Church must "take whatever steps are necessary" to address the clergy sex abuse scandal, but victims' groups immediately accused the pope of not going far enough.
"It is important to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected and, above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes," the pope said Saturday (Oct. 28) in a speech to Irish bishops making their regular "ad limina" visit to the Vatican.
The pope, making his most direct extensive remarks about sexual abuse in his young papacy, acknowledged the "heart-rending" sex abuse cases that have occurred in Ireland, which many have likened to the scandal that erupted in the U.S. church in 2002.
"The wounds caused by such acts run deep, and it is an urgent task to rebuild confidence and trust where these have been damaged," the pope said.
The Chicago-based Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests (SNAP), however, issued a statement urging "actions not words" and said "the pope is merely acknowledging what millions of Catholics have known for years."
"He should call on all bishops in the world, asking them to reveal the names of the predators in all the dioceses throughout the world, most of whose names have never been made public, so children remain at risk of being abused by them," SNAP president Barbara Blaine said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 02:34 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Wed November 01, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont130.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[3yrs ~ 2000s Haggard -NEW*] - Evangelical. Male.
Gay.com ,
www.gay.com/ news/article. html?navpath=/ channels/ families&date= 2006/11/02/5 ,
published Thursday, November 2, 2006
COLORADO -- The president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals resigned his post and took leave from his church Thursday, one day after a gay male escort claimed having a three-year sexual relationship with him, the Associated Press reported.
Ted Haggard, one of America's leading Christian-right figures, is the founder and senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:44 PM]
[2004 Traylor*] - RCC.
Courier & Press,
By SUSAN ORR, 461-0783 or orrs@courierpress.com , Thursday, November 2, 2006
EVANSVILLE (IN) -- The priest who served St. Theresa and St. Joseph parishes resigned abruptly last week, and representatives from the Diocese of Evansville say he offered no explanation for his leaving.
The Rev. William Traylor, 56, had served both parishes since 2001.
In 2004, Catholic Church officials forced Traylor to take a four-month leave of absence to seek counseling in St. Louis. Traylor had been caught looking at pornographic material on a parish computer during a summer social at St. Joseph. A child was in the same room at the time, on the other side of a 6-foot-high partition.
[~ 1989 Sylvestre] - RCC. Girl.
Canada.com ,
by Trevor Wilhelm, CanWest News Service; Windsor Star,
Published Thursday, November 02, 2006
WINDSOR, Ont., CANADA -- A former bishop in southwestern Ontario allowed a pedophile priest to continue ministering despite a complaint of sexual abuse in 1989, says the current bishop of the London diocese.
Charles Sylvestre should've been pulled out of public ministry after then-bishop John Sherlock learned of the allegation involving a young girl, Ronald Fabbro said.
Instead, Sylvestre was sent briefly for alcohol abuse counselling and put back to work ministering to Roman Catholics in the diocese, which covers the counties Middlesex, Elgin, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Huron, Lambton, Kent, and Essex.
It wasn't until 1993, when another of Sylvestre's victims complained to the diocese, that Sherlock forced the priest to retire, Fabbro revealed for the first time during an interview with the Windsor Star.
• UPDATED: Bush's Top Evangelical w/ Gay Prostitute?
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
AlterNet,
www.alternet. org/blogs/ peek/43817 , ~ November 02, 2006
Video has been removed at request of the station... you can still watch it HERE. COLORADO -- A male prostitute says that he sold sex to the president of the National Association of Evangelicals for 3 years:
A gay man and admitted male escort claims he has had an ongoing sexual relationship with a well-known Evangelical pastor from Colorado Springs.
Mike Jones told '9 Wants to Know' Investigative Reporter Paula Woodward he has had a "sexual business" relationship with Pastor Ted Haggard for the past three years.
Haggard is the founder and senior leader of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. The church has 14,000 members.
[AMERICAblog]
Haggard was named one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals by Time Magazine. He directs the 30-million member National Association of Evangelicals, the largest evangelical association in America.
Haggard denies the allegations and speculates that these revelations have something to do with his support of an anti-gay marriage ballot iniative in Colorado.
As Haggard said in the documentary Jesus Camp, "If the evangelicals vote, they determine the election."
[1974-76 Sharwood] - Anglican. Boy.
The Courier Mail,
by Mark Oberhardt, 11:00pm, November 02, 2006
BRISBANE, Qld, AUSTRALIA -- AN Anglican priest accused of molesting a teenage boy 30 years ago asked his replacement in the parish to ignore rumours about his behaviour, a court heard.
The evidence came from bishop of the western region, Robert Nolan, one of two high-ranking Anglican priests who gave evidence yesterday in the trial of Robert Francis Sharwood, the former curate of St Matthews church at Sherwood, in Brisbane's west.
Sharwood, now 62, is on trial for child-sex offences allegedly committed between 1974 and 1976.
He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault, carnal knowledge against the order of nature, permitting carnal knowledge against the order of nature, and gross indecency.
Before evidence was called Judge Fleur Kingham told the jury that Sharwood had pleaded guilty previously to seven counts of indecent assault involving the same complainant.
The Crown alleges that from 1974 to 1976 Sharwood had a sexual relationship with the boy that developed through their mutual love of music.
- RCC. [1971-77 Bro. Moloney (St John of God brothers)] - 12 boys. [1971-80 Fr Garchow (ditto)] - 4 charges.
Sydney Morning Herald,
10:29AM, November 2, 2006
NEW ZEALAND -- Two Catholic clergy extradited from Australia to face child sex charges have been bailed to appear in court early next year in New Zealand.
In Christchurch District Court, Judge David Saunders granted the bail without plea and allowed a change of address next week as part of their bail terms.
Their address on bail remains suppressed, though it is known they will remain in New Zealand.
[~ 1966 Mercieca*] - RCC. Altarboy.
Bradenton Herald,
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press, ~ November 02, 2006
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is remaining in treatment for alcoholism beyond his initial 30-day stay, his attorney said Wednesday.
Foley checked into a 30-day treatment program at the Sierra Tucson center in Catalina, Ariz., near Tucson, on Oct. 1. It was not immediately clear how long Foley would remain there.
"I can't say any information other than he's still there," Foley's civil attorney, Gerald Richman, told The Associated Press.
The Florida Republican resigned from Congress in September after he was confronted with sexually explicit computer messages he had sent to male teenage congressional pages. His attorneys have since said that Foley is gay, suffers from alcohol addiction and was molested by a Catholic priest as a teenage altar boy.
The Rev. Anthony Mercieca, who has retired to the island nation of Malta, has admitted having inappropriate encounters with Foley, including massaging him in the nude and skinny-dipping together. He denies ever having sex with Foley. Church officials are investigating whether Mercieca also had inappropriate contact with others.
- RCC.
WFAA,
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News, ~ November 02, 2006
DALLAS (TX) -- A suspended Catholic priest whose years of assistance to poor immigrants was tainted by allegations of financial and sexual misconduct has died.
The Rev. Justin Lucio, 63, died late Tuesday at Methodist Dallas Medical Center hours after he suffered a heart attack at his Dallas home.
"His body just failed," said Michael Warrior, an immigration lawyer and longtime friend. He said Father Lucio never regained consciousness.
Father Lucio had been in good spirits recently and returned about two weeks ago from a vacation in Acapulco, Mexico.
[1950s-70s Baltimore Archdiocese] - RCC. Permitted abuse.
The Examiner,
by Ron Cassie, 5:00 AM, Nov 2, 2006
BALTIMORE (MD) -- A half-dozen middle-aged men from the Greater Baltimore Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and supporters from the Greater Baltimore Voice of the Faithful held a small rally Wednesday calling "upon Cardinal [William] Keeler to admit that the Archdiocese of Baltimore covered up for predator priests at the expense of its children."
Keeler - who took over the Archdiocese in 1989, long after the most recent charges of abuse - has apologized publicly for the past abusive priests' behavior. However, the victims repeated several times, he has not offered an apology for the Archdiocese's earlier role in the 1950s, '60s and '70s in failing to address the issue openly and honestly.
Francis Bacon, a retired businessman who graduated from Calvert Hall in 1952, said he didn't even tell his wife what had happened until after they had been married for 28 years. An active member of his St. Francis of Assisi parish in north Baltimore, he's forgiven the priest whom he said locked him in a classroom and gym equipment room - in the very same building where the Archdiocese now has its headquarters at 320 Cathedral St.
- RCC.
Sandiego.com ,
by Welton Jones, Nov/01/2006
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A robed priest, lighted softly in front of stained-glass windows, delivers a homily as the opening scene of John Patrick Shanley's drama "Doubt," now at the Civic Theatre, and nearly the first words are:
"Last year, when President Kennedy was assassinated, we all..."
Now that's efficient play-writing. The period is established exactly with one phrase. Each part of Shanley's work is like that. Consider the movie "Moonstruck": One of the most lyrical screenplays ever written creates every character with a mere flick of the brush, yet they tend to dwell forever in memory.
Here, Shanley has turned his formidable efficiency on the anguish of a world ruled by a patriarchal priesthood pledged to celibacy yet humanly vulnerable to misbehavior.
[~ 1966 Mercieca*] - RCC. Altarboy.
The Malta Independent,
by Daphne Caruana Galizia, ~ November 02, 2006
MALTA -- The priest who is branding Gozo for the American market appears to have instructed a lawyer.
This may help stop him from digging himself in deeper with remarks to the US media about the beauty of a relationship between a man in his 30s and a pubescent boy, but still it looks ugly.
This is not how we wish to see our priests, tangled up in a scandal involving a boy, and then engaging lawyers to untangle them.
It's even worse when the lawyer begins the campaign to save Fr Anthony Mercieca from the red teeth and claws of America with some eyebrow-raising remarks of his own.
"In the wake of the onslaught of accusations levelled against him, Fr Anthony Mercieca believes that nothing that had happened between him and Mark Foley, some 40 years ago, could provide solid grounds for legal action against him. He therefore considers the aggressive and unfavourable exposure as being unfair and unjustified," Dr Alfred Grech told a newspaper.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Rocky Mountain News,
November 2, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS (CO) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard stepped aside as senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church and resigned today as president of the National Association of Evangelicals amid allegations by a former gay male escort that the two had a three-year sexual relationship.
The church issued a statement saying Haggard "could not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning."
Haggard has said that the escort is lying.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
U.S. Newswire,
Nov. 2, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS. (CO) -- Focus on the Family founder and Chairman James C. Dobson, Ph.D., issued the following statement today addressing an allegation by a male prostitute in Denver that Ted Haggard was one of his clients:
"It is unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation. Ted Haggard is a friend of mine and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election -- especially the vote on Colorado's marriage-protection amendment -- which Ted strongly supports.
[COMMENT: A kneejerk reaction! Read later newsitems.
COMMENT ENDS.]
- Episcopalian.
[3yrs 1970s Rev. Bennison] - Girl.
[Bishop Bennison] - Did not report.
International Herald Tribune,
The Associated Press, November 1, 2006
PHILADELPHIA (PA): The leader of the Episcopal Church's Diocese of Pennsylvania sent an e-mail to clergy and lay leaders apologizing for failing to properly investigate or report allegations of sexual abuse by his brother who was a parish youth minister during the 1970s.
"I sincerely apologize if any lack of action on my part 30 years ago has caused hurt or distress," Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. wrote.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that while he was a young rector in a California parish, Bennison failed to contact law enforcement or church officials when he discovered that his brother, a parish youth minister, had sexually abused a 14-year-old girl.
Bennison said in an e-mail Tuesday that "to the best of my memory," he learned of the abuse in 1974 when the girl's mother informed him. He said he confronted his brother and "told him to leave the parish's employ." He said he did not report the abuse to civil or church authorities because the girl's parents had not chosen to do so.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
The Gazette,
By PAUL ASAY and DEEDEE CORRELL, November 02, 2006
COLORADO -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, senior pastor at New Life Church, resigned today as president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals, following allegations he paid a Denver man for sex over the last three years.
He also placed himself on administrative leave from New Life Church, pending an investigation of his accuser's claims, a move church officials said is standard after allegations of impropriety.
He said in a statement this afternoon that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning."
Several religious leaders quickly rallied behind Haggard.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Editor & Publisher,
By Anna Crane, 3:00 PM ET, updated 7:45 PM ET, November 02, 2006
NEW YORK and COLORADO -- Yesterday, Denver area residents tuned to radio or TV started hearing about allegations by self-proclaimed male escort Mike Jones, suggesting that he had a sexual business relationship with nationally known Colorado Springs evangelical leader Rev. Ted Haggard for three years. Today, area newspapers debated how to cover the story.
Late today, Haggard ended the caution when he stepped down.
The story broke Wednesday morning when Jones went on air at a Denver radio station to expose his alleged relationship with the married and anti-gay rights Haggard. That evening, Denver NBC affiliate KUSA-TV 9News ran an interview with Haggard.
Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church, has denied the accusations but said in a statement released by the church today that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning." He has placed himself on administrative leave.
At first, no factual evidence of any relationship between the two men surfaced -- although Jones claimed to have phone messages and other evidence. That made the story difficult to cover, said Jeff Thomas, editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
KKTV,
Updated: 3:59 PM Nov 2, 2006
COLORADO -- Rev. Ted Haggard, Senior Pastor of New Life Church, said Thursday that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning."
A gay man and admitted male escort claims he has had an ongoing sexual relationship with Haggard. Mike Jones came forward on Denver talk radio saying he has had a "sexual business" relationship with Pastor Ted Haggard for the past three years.
Haggard has placed himself on administrative leave, pending investigation, spiritual counsel, and a decision by the church's board of overseers. He has also resigned as the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization that represents millions of people.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Beliefnet,
By Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service, ~ November 02, 2006
COLORADO -- Colleagues of Ted Haggard, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, are dismissing claims that he has been involved in a sexual relationship with a gay Denver man.
Male escort Mike Jones told Denver's KUSA-TV on Wednesday (Nov. 1) that Haggard had paid him for sex for the last three years.
"People may look at me and what I've done as immoral but I think I had to do the moral thing in my mind and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing but doing the opposite behind everybody's back," Jones told the TV station in an interview.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
365Gay.com ,
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff, 3:00 pm ET, November 2, 2006
DENVER, COLORADO -- A Denver male hustler claims to have had a pay-for-play relationship for several years with evangelist Ted Haggard - one of the leaders of the move to ban same-sex marriage in Colorado.
Mike Jones first made the revelation to television station KUSA and then repeated them on a Denver radio talk show.
Haggard, whose TV program is watched by millions across the country is the senior pastor at the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and is president of the multimillion- member National Association of Evangelicals. Haggard denies Jones' allegations but a leader of the mega-church said Thursday the charges are being investigated.
According to Jones he had a three-year sexual business relationship with Haggard.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
365Gay.com ,
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff, 7:00 pm ET, November 2, 2006
DENVER, COLORADO -- Evangelist Ted Haggard, one of the leaders of a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Colorado, stepped down from the ministry of his 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs after a male escort alleged he had a three year pay-for-sex affair with Haggard.
Haggard denies the affair, but in an afternoon news conference said that he was stepping down to allow church elders to conduct an investigation. Haggard also said he was voluntarily resigning as president of the multimillion- member National Association of Evangelicals.
But while Haggard denies having a gay affair, the man who alleges the pastor paid him for sex is sticking by his statements.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
TheDenverChannel.com ,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, From New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado,
~ November 02, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS (CO) -- Rev. Ted Haggard, Senior Pastor of New Life Church, stated today that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning." He, therefore, placed himself on administrative leave, pending investigation, spiritual counsel, and a decision by the church's board of overseers. Pastor Haggard said, "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
Under the governing structure of New Life Church, there is a board of overseers consisting of four senior pastors of other congregations. Those overseers have authority to conduct an inquiry, to discipline the senior pastor, to remove him from his position, or to restore him to ministry. The overseers of New Life Church are: Rev. Larry Stockstill, Senior Pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center, in Baker, Louisiana; Rev. Mark Cowart, Senior Pastor of Church For All Nations in Colorado Springs; Rev. Tim Ralph, Senior Pastor of New Covenant Fellowship in Larkspur, Colorado; and Rev. Michael Ware, Senior Pastor of Victory Church in Westminister, Colorado.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Denver Post,
By Eric Gorski, Felisa Cardona and Manny Gonzales,
Article Last Updated 05:15:40 PM MST, Nov/02/2006
COLORADO -- Ted Haggard, one of the most prominent evangelical pastors in the nation, resigned today as president of the National Association of Evangelicals amid allegations that he carried on a three-year sexual relationship with a male prostitute.
Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church, has denied the accusations but said in a statement released by the church today that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning."
He has placed himself on administrative leave pending investigation, spiritual counsel and a decision by the church's board of overseers, the church's legal counsel said. Haggard founded the church in 1985.
"I am voluntarialy stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date," Haggard's statement said.
The former prostitute, Mike Jones, 49, of Denver, went public with the accusations on Tuesday, saying he felt compelled to do so because he believes Haggard, a strong opponent of same-sex unions, has been hypocritical. Haggard is married with five children.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
First Coast News,
By KUSA-TV, ~ November 02, 2006
DENVER, CO -- A gay man and admitted male escort claims he has had an ongoing sexual relationship with a well-known Evangelical pastor from Colorado Springs.
Mike Jones told 9 Wants to Know Investigative Reporter Paula Woodward he has had a "sexual business" relationship with Pastor Ted Haggard for the past three years.
Haggard is the founder and senior leader of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. The church has 14,000 members. He is also president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization that represents millions of people.
Haggard is married with five children and an outspoken critic of gay marriage. Jones broke his silence Wednesday morning on talk radio.
In an exclusive interview Wednesday night, Haggard denied the claims and told 9NEWS he is prepared for his own church to investigate them.
"I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver," said Haggard. "I am steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Christianity Today,
by Collin Hansen | posted 06:04PM, Nov/02/2006
COLORADO -- Ted Haggard resigned Thursday afternoon as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, amid allegations that surfaced Wednesday about involvement with a male prostitute. Haggard also placed himself on administrative leave as senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, pending a church investigation.
Denver TV station KUSA aired a segment Wednesday night where Mike Jones said Haggard maintained a "sexual business" relationship with him over three years. Jones discussed the relationship on radio station KHOW Wednesday morning, but identified him only as a national religious leader rather than by name.
Reached outside his home, Haggard told KUSA, "I've never had an affair with anybody. I am steady with my wife. I am faithful with my wife."
On Wednesday afternoon, when Haggard announced he had resigned as NAE president, he said he would seek spiritual counsel and entrust New Life Church's board of overseers to conduct an investigation.
Before hearing word Haggard had resigned from NAE, evangelical leaders criticized Colorado media for publishing unverified reports based only on the prostitute.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Ledger-Enquirer,
By CATHERINE TSAI, Associated Press, ~ November 02, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The leader of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of the drive for same-sex marriage, resigned Thursday after being accused of paying for sex with a man in monthly trysts over the past three years.
The Rev. Ted Haggard also stepped aside as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church while a church panel investigates, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
The investigation came after a 49-year-old man told a Denver radio station that Haggard paid him to have sex.
Haggard, a married father of five, denied the allegations in an interview with KUSA-TV late Wednesday: "Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife."
In a written statement, Haggard said: "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Alaska Report,
November 2nd, 2006
DENVER, Colorado -- Republican Pastor Ted Haggard has resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a male escort claimed he has been having a sexual relationship with the pastor for the past three years.
A statement from the New Life Church says Pastor Ted Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals Thursday and put himself on leave from his church.
Haggard is the founder and senior leader of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. The church has 14,000 members.
The statement says Haggard could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
Mike Jones, a gay man and admitted male escort, said on talk radio Wednesday he and Haggard had been in a "sexual business" relationship for the past three years.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
MSNBC,
~ November 02, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Rev. Ted Haggard stepped down as president of the influential National Association of Evangelicals on Thursday after being accused of carrying on an affair with a gay man.
Haggard also stepped down as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation by a church panel, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
The investigation came after a 49-year-old man told a Denver radio station that Haggard paid him to have sex.
- RCC. Film.
Reuters,
By Gregg Kilday, Hollywood Reporter, ~ November 02, 2006
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- "Deliver Us From Evil," which examines the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church, and "Iraq in Fragments," in which Iraqis recount life during wartime, are among the films nominated for the 22nd annual Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards.
The other three nominated feature documentaries, announced Wednesday by the International Documentary Assn., were: the political-campaign saga "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?," the Broadway expose "Showbusiness: A Season to Remember" and the displaced-musician story "Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars."
- RCC.
WJZ,
Derek Valcourt Reporting, ~ November 02, 2006
BALTIMORE (MD) (WJZ) -- A sidewalk news conference took the form of a protest Wednesday, as demonstrators joined to call for Cardinal William Keeler to address issues of molestation in the Catholic church.
Wednesday's news conference was held outside the Archdiocese of Baltimore headquarters at 320 Cathedral Street.
WJZ's Derek Valcourt spoke with organizers of the demonstration who say they want Baltimore's Catholic leader to follow Pope Benedict's actions by addressing abuse in the clergy.
"The fact is that I have forgiven [my abuser], but I can't forgive my church heirarchy because they let this thing happen," said abuse victim Francis Bacon.
Survivors of sexually abusive clergy, members of the Greater Baltimore Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and the Greater Baltimore Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) were all represented at the conference.
[Davenport Diocese] - RCC. $US 9m. 25 claimants.
Quad-Cities Online,
By Darla M. Wiese, dmwiese@qconline.com , ~ November 02, 2006
DAVENPORT (IA) -- After filing for bankruptcy last month, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is working to cut its budget and is seeking donations to help the diocese survive.
"All the money we use to operate our bishop staff comes from donations," diocese spokesman David Montgomery said. "In the past, those donations were not enough to cover all expenses and so we relied on other things like investments. Now those investments are gone, and we are relying totally on donations."
To keep the diocese alive, Mr. Montgomery said every budget that can be cut is being cut. He said some employees even have volunteered to have their pay reduced. Other budget cuts include travel expenses and even magazine subscriptions, he said.
[? 2005 Schulte* (Vincentian)] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Child rape film.
ABC 7,
October 31, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) -- A Vincentian priest was sentenced Tuesday to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine for possessing images of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Blanche Manning imposed the high end of the advisory penalty guideline range of 70 to 87 months on Daniel Schulte, 54, of St. Louis, Mo., according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Scott Drury. In addition to the prison term, Schulte was ordered to serve three years supervised release and pay a $1,500 fine.
Schulte pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possessing a computer hard drive that contained images of child porn produced using materials that had been mailed and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
He admitted in his plea agreement that on Feb. 28, 2005, he possessed and maintained a Maxtor hard drive, manufactured in Singapore, that contained still and video images of child pornography.
- RCC. Ex-nun wins seat.
Toronto Star,
By TARA BRAUTIGAM, CANADIAN PRESS, 08:08 PM, Nov. 1, 2006
ST. JOHN'S, N.L., Canada - Newfoundland NDP Leader Lorraine Michael has won a fiercely fought provincial byelection, fending off worries about the party's future into next year's election.
Michael captured 1,968 votes to defeat Conservative candidate Jerome Kennedy, who received 1,595. ...
Michael, a former Roman Catholic nun who left the church in 1993 after its handling of sexual abuse allegations, became leader in May after Jack Harris decided to step down.
- RCC.
Yahoo!
Nov. 1, 2006
ST. PAUL, Minn., /PRNewswire/ -- 178 Catholic Bishops have been named as defendants in an unprecedented civil child sex abuse lawsuit brought by the family of a murdered Wisconsin man. The following Bishops have recently been served with the lawsuit, bringing the total number served to 158.
Oscar Lipscomb, Archdiocese of Mobile (AL);
Tod Brown, Diocese of Orange (CA);
Daniel Walsh, Diocese of Santa Rosa (CA)
[...] [Check if more in newsitem]
[Denver Archdiocese] - RCC. ~ 30 victims.
Denver Post,
By Eric Gorski, Last Updated 02:10:24 AM MST, Nov/02/2006
DENVER (CO) -- As many as one-third of the roughly 30 plaintiffs who have sued the Denver Roman Catholic Archdiocese for alleged clergy sexual abuse have either agreed to out-of-court settlements or are on the verge of doing so, according to officials involved in the negotiations.
In May, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput announced the archdiocese had hired a former state district judge as a mediator and committed an undisclosed "very large" sum of money in an attempt to negotiate lawsuit settlements by the end of October.
But in late August, Jeffrey Herman of Miami, one of the attorneys representing the largest group of plaintiffs, announced an impasse over money.
Jeanette DeMelo, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday that some settlement papers were signed, while other deals were close to being finalized or still under discussion.
[~ 1966 Mercieca*] - RCC. Altarboy.
Philadelphia City Paper,
by Lewis Whittington, Nov 1, 2006
UNITED STATES -- When ex-Florida Congressman Mark Foley named Father Anthony Mercieca, his childhood priest, as his sexual abuser, it was another stick of dynamite in an already explosive scandal. More startling were the priest's comments from his home in Malta to "let bygones be bygones." Mercieca admitted to "fondling" Foley, but was adamant about there not being any "penetration."
Foley's rehab confessions echoed the common observation that the abused becomes the abuser, even though he stated that his experiences with Mercieca were not causative. Sexual forensics aside, the priest, and perhaps Foley, both have value systems that accommodate sexual advances toward people who are not consenting adults.
One of the dirtiest open secrets woven into the fabric of American life is a knowledge and tolerance of the sexual collusion of minors. Many families have quietly dealt with it for generations, sweeping incidents under the rug or denying that they occur.
I was sexually "fondled" and put in sexually compromising positions at the hands of an adult male relative in the 1960s, starting when I was about 8. I was coaxed into oral sex and I have one distinct recollection of being anally penetrated. Only years later would I understand that these activities would be considered molestation and rape.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 04:26 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu November 02, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont130.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
CNN,
www.cnn.com/ 2006/US/11/ 03/church. reaction ,
By Josh Levs, November 03, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- As evangelical Christians absorbed the news of the Rev. Ted Haggard's admission he bought methamphetamine -- but did not take the drug -- his church reeled with shock and heartache.
Haggard has led the 14,000-member New Life Church for 21 years.
"The response in our church is sadness and surprise," said the Rev. Rob Brendle, an associate pastor at New Life.
But, Brendle added, "We believe in him and we stand with him."
In a telephone interview shortly after Haggard acknowledged having contacted Mike Jones for a massage and purchased meth, Brendle said no one at the church sensed Haggard may have been up to surreptitious activities.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:52 PM]
[2006 Forish -NEW*] - RCC. Seeking sex.
Tribune-Review,
By Bob Stiles, Friday, November 3, 2006
PENNSYLVANIA -- A Roman Catholic priest accused of asking a man for sexual favors on a Greensburg street waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.
The Rev. Stephen Thomas Forish, 61, of McAdoo, Schuylkill County, a priest of the Diocese of Allentown and a psychologist who practiced in Armstrong County, had been scheduled to appear yesterday before District Judge James Albert, of Greensburg, on charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.
State police Cpl. Gregory Sullenberger, of the Greensburg barracks, confirmed yesterday that Forish had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, but he declined to reveal the terms. Sullenberger also wouldn't say what Forish allegedly said, but confirmed the alleged victim is a man.
- RCC.
Voice of the Faithful,
Nov/1/06
UNITED STATES -- America magazine is the publication of the Jesuits in the United States. It has a circulation of about 45,000 in what is considered an educated readership of clerics, theologians, and active laity. Many Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) members like myself may be subscribers, whether in quite that elevated company or not.
It is therefore disheartening to learn that America just rejected an advertisement for VOTF's Accountability petition to bishops that seeks full funding of the sexual abuse "causes and context" study, the naming of all credibly accused priests, and the establishment of effective finance councils with public release of financial reports in every parish. This rejection raises some interesting questions, especially in light of editorial decisions by America in its recent coverage of statutes of limitations reform.
Many may remember that Jesuit editor Fr. Thomas Reese was essentially removed in 2005 under pressure from American bishops upset over the magazine's openness to nuanced coverage of subjects like communion for political figures and homosexuality. Whatever the intricacies of resignation/removal strategies, he was out. So, the new management walks a fine line in the culture wars among liberals and conservatives, or orthodox and heterodox, if you prefer, and all shades in between. It is not an enviable position to be in. Some balancing may have been in order, but what is their direction, since more head-rolling, whether voluntary or forced, is certainly unpalatable.
• A Look at Some Fallen Religious Leaders
[Bakker, Swaggart, Lyons, Marino, Hornbuckle, Haggard*] - U.S. Christians.
The Guardian (Britain),
www.guardian. co.uk/uslatest/ story/0,,- 6190341,00.html ,
The Associated Press, 10:01 PM, Friday November 3, 2006
UNITED STATES -- A look at a few of the major U.S. religious figures who lost their positions following allegations of sexual misconduct.
James Bakker - Bakker left his PTL Ministries empire in 1987 after admitting an extramarital affair with Jessica Hahn, a former church secretary. He served five years in federal prison on fraud and conspiracy charges for illegally soliciting millions of dollars from followers.
Jimmy Swaggart - Resigned from the Assemblies of God in 1988 after a fellow preacher released photos of Swaggart with a prostitute. In 1991, he was stopped for a traffic violation while driving in a red-light district in California with a woman who said she was a prostitute.
The Rev. Henry J. Lyons - Lyons was forced out as leader of the National Baptist Convention USA after his then-wife set fire to a waterfront mansion he secretly owned with his mistress. He was convicted in 1999 of swindling millions of dollars from companies that wanted to do business with members of the denomination and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Archbishop Eugene Marino - The Roman Catholic prelate from Atlanta resigned in 1990 after a two-year affair with a woman half his age. The woman claimed Marino performed a marriage ceremony for them in which the two exchanged rings.
The Rev. Terry Hornbuckle - The founder of the Agape Christian Fellowship in Arlington, Texas, was sentenced in August to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting two women churchgoers and a third woman. Two of the victims said the minister had drugged them.
The Rev. Ted Haggard - The founder of New Life Church in Colorado resigned as pastor and as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a gay prostitute claimed the two had drug-fueled sex regularly over three years. Haggard admitted he bought methamphetamine from the man and received a massage from him but denied that he used the drug and that the two had sex. #
[Funke, Gummersbach, Kuchar, Seidel] - RCC.
Post-Dispatch,
By Tim Townsend, Nov/03/2006
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke announced today that Pope Benedict XVI had approved the laicization, or defrocking of four St. Louis archiocesan priests.
James A. Funke, James L. Gummersbach, Bryan M. Kuchar and Michael L. Seidel were "permanently dismissed from the clerical state" by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, according to an archdiocesan statement.
• An Accuser's Story
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Newsweeks,
http://msnbc. msn.com/id/ 15548841/ site/newsweek ,
WEB EXCLUSIVE, By Andrew Murr, Nov. 3, 2006
COLORADO -- Denver fitness consultant and former gay escort Mike Jones came forward this week charging that he had a three-year sexual relationship for pay with megachurch pastor Ted Haggard.
Haggard, a married father of five, is the leader of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the president of the politically connected National Association of Evangelicals, which has 30 million members nationwide. On Thursday, Haggard resigned as pastor and as NAE president pending an investigation.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
9NEWS.COM,
~ November 3, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS (CO) - Pastor Ted Haggard came out of his house Friday morning and admitted to 9NEWS he bought meth from a gay escort in Denver.
VIDEO: HAGGARD ADDRESSES ALLEGATIONS [Go to Link above to access this.]
[Funke, Gummersbach, Kuchar, Seidel] - RCC.
St. Louis Review,
~ November 3, 2006
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Four suspended priests of the archdiocese have been dismissed from the priesthood, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has announced.
The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has laicized, or permanently dismissed from the clerical state, James A. Funke, James L. Gummersbach, Bryan M. Kuchar and Michael L. Seidel. All four men had what was determined to be credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against them.
Their priestly faculties had been suspended by the archdiocese and they were forbidden to function or represent themselves as priests.
A statement from the archdiocese noted that Archbishop Burke, after a careful examination of the allegations against the men, asked that the proceedings be undertaken to return the men to the lay state.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Christian News Wire,
Nov. 3, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, (CO) -- Focus on the Family founder and Chairman James C. Dobson, Ph.D., issued the following statement today after learning the Rev. Ted Haggard had acknowledged some "indiscretions" involving accusations made against him by a gay prostitute in Denver:
"All of us at Focus on the Family are heartsick over the allegation, not yet confirmed, that Ted has had a private life with a homosexual for several years. We will await the outcome of this story, but the possibility that an illicit relationship has occurred is alarming to us and to millions of others.
"Ted has been my close friend and colleague for many years. He has been used mightily to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Colorado Springs and around the world. He will continue to be my friend, even if the worst allegations prove accurate. Nevertheless, sexual sin, whether homosexual or heterosexual, has serious consequences and we are extremely concerned for Ted, his family and his church.
[Charleston Diocese] - RCC. 11 priests. 10-15 victims.
WCBD,
04:23 PM, Thursday, Nov 02, 2006
CHARLESTON (SC) -- Charleston...it's known as the Holy City. Yet, Ann Brentwood says it holds many sins. Sins Catholic priests commit against young children. Brentwood said, "We have 10-15 victims here now and we believe there's enough of a core group to begin a support group." Brentwood cordinates SNAP or the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
SNAP aims to help help victims and stop priest molestation. Brentwood said, "There are many perpetrators listed from this diocese and pleasantly surprised to see some were in fact convicted." A bishop accountability website lists accused priests across the nation. The Charleston, South Carolina Diocese names 11 publicly accused priests. Five convicted, two charged and four accused. Yet, the website only includes priests whose victims came forward. Brentwood believes there are many priests not included on the site.
Brentwood said, "We're talking about lots of oral sex, sodomy, rape. We need to start calling it that." She said priests start by getting children alone, then gain the child's trust. Brentwood knows. She says her priest sexually assaulted her from the age of six to ten.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
ABC News,
By CATHERINE TSAI, AP, Nov 3, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Evangelist Ted Haggard admitted Friday that he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a gay prostitute who claims he was paid for drug-fueled trysts by the outspoken gay marriage opponent.
Haggard resigned Thursday as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and stepped down as leader of his Colorado megachurch while the two groups investigate the allegations.
Talking to reporters outside his house Friday, Haggard denied the sex allegations but said that he did buy meth from the man because he was curious.
"I bought it for myself but never used it," he said. "I was tempted, but I never used it."
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Los Angeles Times,
By Stephanie Simon, 10:40 AM PST, November 3, 2006
DENVER, COLORADO -- The president of the National Assn. of Evangelicals, who resigned Thursday amid an investigation into allegations that he had repeatedly paid for sex with a male prostitute, has acknowledged some of the accusations are true, according to an official of his church.
The Rev. Ted Haggard, who regularly consulted with the White House on policy matters, is on administrative leave from his Colorado Springs, Colo., New Life Church, which is investigating the allegations.
New Life's acting pastor said Haggard had acknowledged some of the accusations were true, according to the Associated Press. In an e-mail to congregants, Ross Parsley wrote that the church's four-member board of overseers had met with Haggard.
"It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true. He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation," the e-mail stated.
A copy was obtained by KMGH-TV in Denver.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Time,
By RITA HEALY/DENVER, Friday, Nov. 03, 2006
COLORADO -- "I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver," Ted Haggard said with a calm specificity during an interview with a Denver TV reporter on Wednesday night as controversy broke around him. "I am steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."
Nevertheless, the pastor of one of the most prominent mega-churches in the country - and one of President George W. Bush's advisors on evangelical issues - has taken a leave of absence from his own 14,000-member New Life Church and temporarily resigned as president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals, which represents more than 45,000 evangelical churches across the U.S., after Mike Jones, a gay massage therapist - and self described professional male escort in Denver - told local radio and TV stations that he sold Haggard gay sex for three years.
Jones also said that Haggard used drugs with him. Haggard was one of Time's 25 Most Important Evangelicals in 2005. Last night, New Life Church's acting senior pastor Ross Parsley told Denver's KTTV News that Haggard had confessed to some of the alleged indiscretions. In a statement released Thursday, Haggard said, "I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
In an interview with Time, Jones described the alleged relationship as "strictly sex" and "no emotions." He says the encounters occurred "about once a month."
Jones says that Haggard "never brought up anything about what he did for a living. He always went by the name Art. The only thing he brought up about his personal life was that he was married. He never talked about the church, nothing. He said he was from Kansas City." Jones says he did not discover who "Art" was for "about two and a half years."
Then, he says, "one time I was watching the History Channel and they were doing a show on the antichrist, and lo and behold his face popped up as an expert. I went, omigod it's Art, that's the guy I'm seeing." Jones says he decided to expose Haggard because of the alleged hypocrisy. "Here's a guy who put himself on a really high pedestal for millions and millions of followers, and he let them down. And his family."
He adds, "I could have blackmailed him. God, I could use the money. I could have blackmailed him; that would have been really easy to do. But I didn't. So no, there's no backing behind me at all. I came out on my own."
The Rocky Mountain News says that Jones appeared in bankruptcy court last year and told the judge he's an unemployed fitness consultant. Haggard claims not to know who Jones is. "What did you say his name is again?" he asked a reporter at one point.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Rocky Mountain News,
November 3, 2006
COLORADO -- Embattled minister Ted Haggard this morning admitted receiving a massage from the Denver man who claims to have exchanged sex for money with the Colorado Springs church leader for three years.
Haggard was driving out of his home with his wife Gayle and three of his five children when he gave a brief interview to a gathering of reporters.
Haggard stepped down Thursday as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church of Colorado Springs after Michael Jones, 49, said he had been having paid sex with Haggard once a month for three years and helped provided him with methamphetamine.
This morning, Haggard said he had never had sex with Jones but said he did buy methamphetamine out of curiosity.
Haggard said he never consumed it but threw it away.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
The New York Times,
By NEELA BANERJEE, November 3, 2006
COLORADO -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of the nation's most influential Christian leaders, has conceded that some of the accusations that led him to resign are true, a church official said today.
Ted Haggard, the former president of the U.S. National Association of Evangelicals, resigned on Thursday after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a male escort.
In an e-mail message sent to parishioners and obtained by local news media, Ross Parsley, the acting pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., said, "It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true."
Mr. Haggard, 50, resigned from the national association and stepped aside as head pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church on Thursday, one day after a former male prostitute in Denver said in television and radio interviews that he had had a three-year sexual relationship with Mr. Haggard.
[2006 Forish*] - RCC. Seeking sex.
The Express-Times,
Friday, November 03, 206
ALLENTOWN (PA) -- A Diocese of Allentown priest accused of asking a man for sexual favors on a western Pennsylvania street waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.
Monsignor Stephen Thomas Forish, 61, of McAdoo, Schuylkill County, a diocesan priest and a psychologist who practiced in Armstrong County, appeared before District Judge James Albert of Greensburg, Pa., on charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.
State police Cpl. Gregory Sullenberger, of the Greensburg barracks, confirmed Thursday that Forish had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, but he declined to reveal the terms. Sullenberger wouldn't say what Forish allegedly said to merit the charges.
Forish in 1996 was acquitted of charges he offered a man money in exchange for sex on a Bethlehem street corner.
[2006 ?+ Forish*] - RCC. Woman patient.
WPXI,
~ November 03, 2006
KITTANNING, Pa. -- A Catholic priest with a tainted past went on to become a psychologist.
Now he is accused of sexual misconduct.
In court Thursday afternoon, psychologist Stephen Forish waived his right to a preliminary hearing and the case will now go to trial.
A patient who trusted him broke her silence only to Target 11.
The former patient agreed to talk Target 11 as long as her identity was concealed.
The woman said she's angry and upset, because she feels betrayed by the man she trusted to help her with her fears and anxieties.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Denver Post,
By Felisa Cardona, Article Last Updated 11:46:04 PM MST, Nov/02/2006
COLORADO -- By the time Michael Forest Jones was 13 years old, he knew he could use his looks and his body to his advantage.
The 49-year-old gay man started working as an escort - he prefers that term to prostitute - when he was 25. He made more than $200 from clients who answered his ad for a massage.
"People thought I was good-looking, with a nice body," Jones said. "It just slowly transpired, and I decided to try it."
The muscular, blue-eyed Jones posted ads offering a massage on Rentboy.com and in gay publications. He claims that the Rev. Ted Haggard - known to him, Jones says, as "Art" until recently - contacted him three years ago after reading one of his ads.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Denver Post,
By Karen E. Crummy and Kevin Simpson, Article Last Updated 11:30:28 PM MST, Nov/02/2006
COLORADO -- Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard is only alleged to have had a three-year sexual relationship with a male prostitute, but in politics, even a hint of something like that can be enough to sink a campaign.
The potential scandal may be enough to affect Tuesday's vote on the state constitutional ban on gay marriage or the domestic-partnerships initiative, some political watchers say. But who might benefit is anybody's guess.
Especially since gay marriage and benefits are usually bedrock issues and not prone to wavering opinions.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Denver Post,
By Erin Emery, Article Last Updated 11:34:08 PM MST, Nov/02/2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - Frank Whitworth has fought for gay rights in Colorado Springs since the early 1990s, and he hopes Colorado Springs takes a lesson from a male prostitute's allegation that he had a long-standing sexual relationship with New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard.
"I hope that instead of vilifying Ted, that the community will take a lesson that we should lighten up and not condemn people for who they are," said Whitworth, who founded Ground Zero when voters in the state passed Amendment 2, which prohibited municipalities from passing laws that protected gays. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the law was unconstitutional.
Across Colorado Springs on Thursday, people were stunned by allegations made against Haggard, one of the community's most prominent leaders.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Los Angeles Times,
By Stephanie Simon, November 3, 2006
DENVER, COLORADO -- The president of the National Assn. of Evangelicals resigned Thursday after his Colorado Springs, Colo., mega-church opened an investigation into allegations that he had repeatedly paid for sex with a male prostitute.
The Rev. Ted Haggard, who regularly consults with the White House on policy matters, told a Denver television station that he "never had a gay relationship with anybody" and had been faithful to his wife of 28 years. ...
A lengthy profile in Harper's magazine - which is quoted approvingly on Haggard's website - recounts how he built New Life Church in part by hanging out at gay bars and inviting the patrons to come to his sermons and be saved.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
Colorado Springs Gazette,
By PAUL ASAY and DEEDEE CORRELL, ~ November 03, 2006
COLORADO -- The Rev. Ted Haggard resigned Thursday as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a male escort said Haggard paid him for sex over a three-year period.
Haggard, senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, also put himself on administrative leave from New Life while a panel of outside church leaders investigates the accusations.
Haggard denied the allegations made by Denver resident Mike Jones, and so far no conclusive evidence has verififed the claims. But KKTV reported late Thursday that acting senior pastor Ross Parsley said Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions. He did not say what Haggard admitted to, the station said.
"There has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed. But there is an admission of some guilt," Parsley told the Colorado Springs station.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
The Raw Story,
by Mike Sheehan, Friday November 3, 2006
COLORADO -- The leader of an influential Christian 'megachurch' who has ties to the White House has resigned his authority amid allegations that he had used drugs and had a homosexual affair with a male prostitute.
The Rev. Ted Haggard, who until Thursday was President of the National Association of Evangelicals, has apparently admitted to some of the claims made by Mike Jones, a bodybuilder and personal trainer based in Denver, Colorado.
Jones claimed Wednesday on a Colorado radio talk show that he'd had a sexual affair with a prominent pastor, but did not give names at the time. Jones and Haggard were later identified by a Denver TV news station.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:47 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Fri November 03, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont130.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2004 Fisher, a.k.a. Gorak -NEW*] - RCC. Woman.
The Ledger,
www.theledger. com/apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20061104 /NEWS/61104 0453/1004 ,
By Jason Geary, November 04, 2006
BARTOW (FL) -- A Catholic priest accused of stalking and attacking a Lakeland woman has been proving to be an "ornery" and uncooperative defendant in court.
Walter Fisher, also known as Wladyslaw Gorak, has served as a parochial vicar, or assistant pastor, at the Church of the Resurrection in South Lakeland.
After being found mentally unfit to stand trial, Fisher, 50, must pay for a Polish interpreter so that another mental health evaluation can be done to determine whether he is competent to proceed in his criminal case.
Because he has been determined to not be indigent, Fisher is responsible for paying for such things. He continues to receive a salary and business allowance of $1,891 monthly from the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., court records state. ...
On Oct. 12, 2004, the woman said Fisher forced his way into her home by breaking the chain lock on her door and pulled the telephone from the jack, an arrest report states.
He started removing his clothes, held her tightly, ripped her skirt and blouse off, and forced her to the floor, the report said.
She fought back by "kicking, punching, and biting" him, the report states.
After managing to free herself, she grabbed her skirt, ran outside and hid until Fisher left, the report states.
• Green Bay Judge Suddenly Schedules Unusual Hearing in Child Molestation Case
[? 1980s-90s Buzanowski] - RCC. 14 boys.
Yahoo!
http://biz. yahoo.com/ prnews/061104/ nysa016.ht ml?.v=38 ,
4:53 pm ET, Saturday, November 4, 2006
GREEN BAY, Wis. / PRNewswire / -- A Green Bay Judge has set an unusual court hearing for this Monday in a civil child molestation case involving an abusive Catholic priest who is behind bars.
Brown County Circuit Court Judge Mark Warpinski has been asked to recuse himself from the case by the victim's attorney for alleged bias. Monday's hearing will focus strictly on this issue.
Attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul, who has handled hundreds of clergy sex abuse cases, has filed a motion asking Warpinski, a Catholic, to step aside in a molestation case filed against Fr. Donald Buzanowski and the Green Bay Catholic diocese. The plaintiff is David Schauer of Marshfield.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 04:40 PM]
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
CBS 13,
~ November 04, 2006
(AP) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Rev. Ted Haggard agreed to resign Saturday from his New Life Church after its independent investigative board recommended removal, saying he was guilty "of sexually immoral conduct."
"We, the Overseer Board of New Life Church, have concluded our deliberations concerning the moral failings of Pastor Ted Haggard," a statement from the church said. "Our investigation and Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct."
The Rev. Ted Haggard said Friday he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a male prostitute. But the influential Christian evangelist insisted he threw the drugs away and never had sex with the man.
[~ 1970s Gray*] - Baptist. 20 girls, 1 boy.
First Coast News,
By First Coast News Staff, ~ November 04, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Trinity Baptist is responding to our First Coast News investigation of Pastor Bob Gray and claims of a cover-up.
First Coast News brought you stories of people from Trinity and alleged victims who say Trinity leadership knew Gray was a pedophile but covered it up.
Pastor Tom Messer has now issued this statement:
"I am not ignoring the situation but am committed to doing what is most important and that is to have church."
[1993 Banko] - RCC. Altar boy.
The Express-Times,
By TOM QUIGLEY, Saturday, November 04, 2006
FLEMINGTON (NJ) | A convicted child molester still holding the title of a Roman Catholic priest pleaded not guilty Friday to sexually assaulting another child.
The Rev. John Banko is serving a 15-year sentence in the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, N.J., after a 2002 conviction.
The former pastor of St. Edward the Confessor Roman Catholic Church in Milford was found guilty of molesting an 11-year-old St. Edward's altar boy in 1993.
A Hunterdon County grand jury in September indicted Banko in a separate case that involved the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
The priest stood before Superior Court Judge Roger F. Mahon in shackles and prison garb with his head slightly bowed.
[? 1990s Sai] - Sri Sathya Sai Organisation. Boys.
The Guardian,
by Paul Lewis, Saturday November 4, 2006
UNITED KINGDOM -- A spiritual group whose "living god" founder has been accused of sexually abusing young boys has become an accredited partner of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, The Guardian can reveal.
Last night pressure was mounting on the charity to break its links with the group whose followers are devoted to the preachings of 79-year-old holy man, Sai Baba.
About 200 young people will fly to India in two weeks' time on a humanitarian pilgrimage run by Sai Youth UK, a division of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation. The teenagers and young men earn their Duke of Edinburgh awards for humanitarian work, chiefly distributing medical aid. ...
The Indian living god, the paedophilia claims and the Duke of Edinburgh awards For decades male former devotees have alleged that the guru molested them during so-called "interviews". During the last youth pilgrimage, in 2004, young people were granted group interviews with the guru after administering medical aid to villages surrounding Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, although there was no evidence of abuse.
[1997 Hurley] - Christian. Girl (niece).
Carlisle Sentinel,
By Tatiana Zarnowski, November 2, 2006
PENNSYLVANIA -- When the jury forewoman read the first "Guilty," in a loud, clear voice, Lane Hurley breathed "Oh, God," sighed loudly and put his head in his hands.
His victim's family members also invoked the Creator after they tearfully embraced following the announcement Thursday evening that Hurley, 56, was found guilty on all four charges relating to sexual abuse of his then 10-year-old niece in 1997.
"This is a family of faith," the mother of the victim, who is now 19, told The Sentinel afterward.
The jury found Hurley, a former minister, guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors after two and a half hours of deliberation.
[1997-2004 Johnston -NEW*] - Independent Baptist. 17 charges including ritual abuse. Girls.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford / Associate Editor, Friday, November 3, 2006
MISSOURI -- A Newton County judge has recused himself for the second time in the George Otis Johnston case.
Division III Associate Circuit Court Judge Kevin Lee Selby effectively took himself off the case for the second time.
An arraignment has been set for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 13 in Circuit Court Judge Timothy Perigo's Division I courtroom in Neosho.
Johnston, the pastor of Grandview Valley Baptist Church, was to be arraigned Thursday afternoon on nine felony child sexual abuse counts stemming from allegations made by a 20-year-old former member of his church.
[1993 Banko] - RCC. Altar boy.
Courier News,
By PAMELA SROKA, November 04, 2006
NEW JERSEY -- The former Milford priest convicted of sexually assaulting a child pleaded not guilty Friday to a new set of charges of similar offenses.
John M. Banko, who already is serving 15 years at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, had been indicted on one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Hunterdon County Public Defender David Hamilton, who represented Banko on Friday morning, entered a not-guilty plea for the former priest during the arraignment in Superior Court in Hunterdon County .
Banko, dressed in tan prison garb, shackles and handcuffs, answered "yes" when Superior Court Judge Roger F. Mahon, sitting in Flemington, asked if he would be applying for a public defender to represent his case. Banko remained silent the rest of the hearing.
[Liberatore] - RCC.
Times Leader,
By KRIS WERNOWSKY, kwernowsky@leader.net , ~ November 04, 2006
SCRANTON (PA) -- A defrocked priest from the Diocese of Scranton was jailed Friday afternoon on charges that he violated the terms of his probation.
Albert Liberatore Jr., 42, a registered sex offender, was lodged in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on two violations of the state's Megan's Law.
According to court papers:
Under the terms of Pennsylvania's Megan's Law, Liberatore is required to report to state police when he changes his address.
Liberatore had been living with his father at a home at 906 W. Locust St. in Scranton but a detective from the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office learned the former priest was still registered at a home in Stroudsburg.
[Palm Beach Diocese] - RCC. $US 8.6m dispute.
Palm Beach Post,
By Lona O'Connor, Post Religion Writer, Saturday, November 04, 2006
DELRAY BEACH (FL) -- After two priests were accused of mishandling more than $8.6 million from a Delray Beach parish, Bishop Gerald Barbarito promised the faithful that henceforth they could expect transparency and accountability from the diocese. He noted that since he arrived in 2003, he had taken steps to strengthen diocese regulations for protecting the cash that comes from the collection plate.
St. Joseph Catholic Church parishioner Dave Schoonover and others who have sought fiscal accountability from the Diocese of Palm Beach vigorously dispute that it is pursuing transparency.
Parishioners of St. Patrick Church in Palm Beach Gardens brought information about possible financial misdealings by the Rev. Francis Guinan, its pastor at the time. Vicar General Richard Murphy told them he saw nothing suspicious and suggested they drop their complaints.
[2004-06 Haggard*] - Evangelical. Male.
KRDO,
By Scott Harrison, ~ November 04, 2006
COLORADO -- If Mike Jones is telling the truth about his accusations against Colorado Springs pastor Ted Haggard, why did Jones fail a lie detector test Friday?
Jones explains his flunking the polygraph test on being tired. However, a local expert says that's possible, but unlikely. James Earle of the JHE Consultant Group has 43 years of experience as a polygraph examiner. "Part of our job is to determine are they okay to test?" he says.
Earle says illegal drugs, alcohol and mental illness can affect the results of a lie detector test, but most examiners usually do not test people who have those factors. He also says an examiner who is inexperienced and not well-trained can be confused by some test subjects. "Maybe I'm moving around and I don't see you moving. You're doing something very subtle (that) I don't see."
• Denver Archdiocese hit by witch hunt
- RCC.
Spero News,
www.speroforum. com/site/article. asp?idCategory= 34&idsub=127& id=6394&t= Denver+ Archdiocese+ hit+by+ witch+hunt ;
by William Donohue, Friday, November 03, 2006
COLORADO -- Yesterday, five organizations, including Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and Voice of the Faithful, held a news conference in Denver demanding that the Denver Archdiocese release "all church documents relating to clergy sex abuse."
Those making this absurd demand have blown their credibility and should be dismissed as witch hunters. To begin with, it is absurd for any institution to simply dump confidential personnel files on the lap of strangers. To take but one industry - the media - there is not a single newspaper (beginning with the Denver Post), magazine, television network or radio station that would hand its personnel files over to me. Ergo, what's good for the media is good for the Catholic Church.
[COMMENT: So, if groups want to tear off the mask of secrecy, that is a witch hunt! If the Church leaders had conducted a satyr hunt, religion would not be the subject of the hunt for the truth about clergy child sex seduction.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[20yrs O'Grady] - RCC. ~ 25 children.
World Socialist,
By Joanne Laurier, November 4, 2006
CALIFORNIA -- Sexual abuse of children and teenagers by Roman Catholic priests emerged as a major national scandal in 2002, primarily due to the trial of defrocked priest John Geoghan in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since then, new accusations about past and recent abuses have surfaced on a regular and appalling basis.
Filmmaker Amy Berg, as a reporter for CBS and later CNN, spent four years investigating pedophile priests. In the course of her work, she became acquainted with Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, who is alleged to have allowed more than 550 clerics under his jurisdiction to sexually abuse minors.
While a bishop in Stockton, California, Mahony directly supervised Father Oliver O'Grady from 1980 to 1985. Berg's documentary, Deliver Us from Evil, examines O'Grady's 20-year career as a priest in northern California, during which time he molested hundreds of boys and girls of all ages, including a nine-month-old infant. O'Grady would often gain access to his victims by seducing a parent. The response of Mahony and the Catholic officialdom was to move O'Grady from one parish to another as accusations arose.
O'Grady was obviously a deeply disturbed individual, in need of psychiatric treatment and being separated from society. The cold-blooded, calculated activities of his superiors were even more reprehensible. According to Berg's film, the Church knew as of 1973 that the priest was raping and sodomizing children. Further, Church officials were aware prior to his ordination that O'Grady was a pedophile.
- RCC.
International Herald Tribune,
The Associated Press, Published: November 4, 2006
DUBLIN, Ireland: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has proposed a national referendum on children's rights designed to ensure that past decades of abuse, particularly in Catholic Church-run institutions, cannot happen again.
Ahern made his pledge Friday night at the start of the annual conference of his governing Fianna Fail party, which is aiming for a third straight win in national elections next year.
Fianna Fail, which is pronounced "FEEN-uh Fall" and means "Soldiers of Destiny" in Gaelic, is the hearty perennial of Irish politics. It has won the most seats in Dail Eireann, Ireland's key lower house of parliament, in every election since 1932 and appears on course to do so again in 2007.
Ahern said the rights of children had traditionally been overlooked in Irish law - and proposed a national referendum, most likely to be held in March, to insert a
