Clergy Child Molesters (140) — References/Archive/Blog

• Priest with record of sex abuse arrested again

[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now choir boy.

   Windsor Star, www.canada. com/windsor star/news/ story.html?id= 05184410- 0126-4514- 9b0c-7134 edb08525 ; News Services, Saturday, September 01, 2007
   NUREMBERG, Germany – A German priest with a previous conviction for pedophilia has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a choir boy, prosecutors in Nuremberg said on Friday.
   The 39-year-old priest allegedly repeatedly abused the boy between 2003 and 2006, according to justice authorities in the southern city.
   He had been found guilty of abusing two youths eight years ago, but was allowed to resume his duties as a priest by the diocese of Regensburg after he underwent therapy. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 8:18 AM] (This is the first item of Abuse Chronology: http://www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ ethcont140. htm , and of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abusetracker , A Blog by Kathy Shaw, for Sat September 01, 2007.)
   [COMMENT: The new Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) has strong links with Regensberg. COMMENT ENDS.]

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INTENTION: A challenge to RELIGIONS to PROTECT CHILDREN
Series starts: www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethicscontents.htm Visit http://www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker . These are digests of and links to mass media and other coverage of clergy abuse. Get fuller details by trying the links.

• Police: Man Distributed Child Porn

[2007 Mobley -NEW*] - Grace Community Church. Spreading child porn.

   The Ledger, By John Chambliss, ~ September 01, 2007
   WINTER HAVEN (FL) – A music director at a local church has been charged by federal authorities with distributing child pornography.
   Steven Wayne Mobley, a director at Grace Community Church on 652 Ave. L N.W., was arrested early Thursday on six counts of distributing child pornography by a computer.
   At least six times from Jan. 12 to March 27, federal investigators said that Mobley distributed child pornography, according to a federal indictment.

• Apology for 'hurt and pain' at private school

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College -NEW* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, September 1, 2007
   CANADA -- Ontario's Grenville Christian College, which has closed amid allegations of cult practices, was an emotionally, spiritually and sometimes physically abusive place that caused "hurt and pain" to staff and students, a former senior administrator of the elite private school acknowledged yesterday.
   Joan Childs, who worked at the school for more than 30 years, posted a public apology on an Internet message board that former students have been using for more than a year to talk about what they experienced and suffered.
   "What was done to people at GCC was very wrong," Ms. Childs wrote. "I was very wrong. And I am so sorry for all the hurt that was caused to each of you by me and by all of us in positions of leadership."

• Diocese confirms Pelotte is in Florida

[2007 Bishop Pelotte] - RCC. Suspicious injuries.

   Gallup Independent, By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola, August 31, 2007
   GALLUP (NM) – Bishop Donald E. Pelotte is now recuperating in Florida, according to the diocese's Web site.
   A statement posted on the Diocese of Gallup's Web site states Pelotte has been moved to a private residence in Florida and that his twin brother, the Rev. Dana Pelotte of Houston is remaining with him. Parishioners from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup have reported that an announcement of the move was made during the weekend Masses; it was also reportedly announced the brothers share a residence in Florida.
   Since news of the bishop's transfer to Florida was made at the cathedral over the weekend, it is unknown why chancery officials posted a Web site statement on Monday saying Pelotte was still being treated at Memorial Hermann/TIRR in Houston.

• German diocese under fire: priest held on sex charge

[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now choir boy.

   Earthtimes, ~ September 01, 2007
   REGENSBURG, Germany -- Germany's Catholic Church came under fire Saturday for re-employing a convicted paedophile priest who was arrested this week for allegedly sexually abusing an altar-boy again. The priest, 39, received a suspended one-year prison term in 2000 for molesting at least one boy, but was put in charge of a new parish after therapy. He is now accused of molesting another boy repeatedly between 2003 and 2006.
   Johannes Heibel, head of a group that assists children abused by adults, said that if the charges were borne out, the diocese of Regensburg should also be prosecuted.
   "It's irresponsible to put people in the hands of such priests," said Heibel, who heads the Society against Violence and Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People.

• Prete ribelle, non sono padre bimbo

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.

ANSA, ~ September 01, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, a parish priest who wants to marry his girlfriend, said in this Italian-language story that he is not the father of her child.)

• Standing behind 'Father Gates'

[Decades ago - Deschamps*] - RCC. Boy.

   Standard-Freeholder, by Elisabeth Johns / Saturday, September 01, 2007
   CANADA -- A number of Blessed Sacrament parishioners are standing by a priest in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against him.
   Rev. Gaetan Deschamps has retired amidst an allegation he sexually abused a man several decades ago in the diocese of Prince Albert, Sask.
   However, Deschamps has denied the allegation and has not been charged by either the Cornwall police or the Prince Albert police.

• 11yrs for sex fiend ex-monk

[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. <11yrs prison. 6 boys.

   Mirror, By Richard Smith, September 01, 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A former monk was yesterday jailed for nearly 11 years for sexually abusing boys at a boarding school.
   Paul Couch, 61, molested pupils on sailing trips and while they played with a train set.
   One terrified boy hid in his tiny locker after Couch put his hands down his trousers, Exeter crown court heard.

• Cheers, Jeers and Tears: Have a nice holiday.

[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.

   Courier & Press, ~ September 01, 2007
   EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Cheers for this three-day Labor Day weekend, to be enjoyed by union and nonunion Tri-Staters alike. We do offer a special cheers for those in labor who continue to keep alive a tradition dating to 1886, when the first Labor Day celebration in Indiana was held in Princeton. It moves around from year to year, and it being held this year in Princeton and Gibson County. [… ]
   Tears fall for the many alleged victims of the late Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, founding pastor of Holy Family Parish in Jasper, Ind.
   Bishop Gerald Gettelfinder of the Evansville Catholic Diocese said this past week that reports continue to come in of alleged sexual abuse by the priest, who died 19 years ago.

• More than 10 say late S. Indiana priest abused them

[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.
   Indianapolis Star, By Ryan Lenz, Associated Press, ~ September 01, 2007
   EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Roman Catholic church officials said Friday that more than 10 people have come forward with allegations they were sexually abused by a Southern Indiana priest.
   The Diocese of Evansville said the number of allegations against Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, who died in 1988, has continued to grow since Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger announced the abuse during sermons at a Jasper church two weekends ago.
   Diocese spokesman Paul Leingang said the allegations were the most against one priest in the diocese's 64-year history, but he cited church confidentiality in not providing more specific numbers.

• Accused priest dies in Illinois

[1990s Rogge (Carmelite)] - RCC. Pled guilty. 2 teenage males.
   Online Athens, September 01, 2007
   JOLIET (IL) -- A former Carmelite priest who pleaded guilty to child molestation in Athens in 1974 has died in Illinois before he could be sentenced in another molestation case.
   Louis Rogge, 77, of Joliet, Ill., died Aug. 8 after being diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
   According to the Tribune, Rogge in April pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for molesting two young teen brothers in the 1990s.
   The abuse occurred in the bedrooms of the boys, for whom Rogge was acting as "a spiritual adviser," Assistant State's Attorney Neil Adams said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 8:02 AM]

• High Cost for New Calif. Cathedral

- RCC. US$190m.
   Associated Press, By LOUISE CHU, ~ September 01, 2007
   OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – A maze of wooden planks and glass panes is gradually taking shape among the austere office buildings of downtown Oakland, a structure alternately described as a bee hive, an inverted basket or a nuclear reactor.
   Only an inconspicuous sign on a fence offers a clue that it will soon be one of the nation's most ambitious – and expensive – religious sites.
   When it's completed in fall of 2008, the $190 million Cathedral of Christ the Light will be the centerpiece of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, which lost its old cathedral to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. …
   The project originated during a nationwide building boom among Catholic dioceses around 2000, said Duncan Stroik, an architecture professor at Notre Dame University who specializes in cathedral design.
   However, that trend slowed as dioceses became mired in priest sex abuse settlements that have forced some into bankruptcy.
   The Oakland diocese took out a loan to cover half its $56.4 million settlement with 56 sex abuse victims in 2005, but the cathedral is being financed by donations – just over $100 million pledged as of June – specifically for the project, separate from the money used to settle those cases, officials said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 5:56 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 01, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun September 02, 2007 edition:

• Diocese places priest on administrative leave after allegations

[~ 1970s Stouvenel -NEW*] - RCC. 4 claimants.

   The Hawk Eye, www.thehawk eye.com/ Story/ Diocese_ 090207 , September 02, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
   Gerald Stouvenel was placed on administrative leave effective July 27, the diocese said in a statement released on Sunday. Stouvenel will remain on leave until an investigation is complete, according to the dicosese.
   According to the diocese, four people have made claims in the bankruptcy case filed by the diocese claiming that Stouvenel sexually abused them, as minors, over 30 years ago. Stouvenel was ordained on August 12, 1972. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 2, 2007 6:10 PM]

• Priest removed amid sex allegation

[LeBlanc*] - RCC. Impropriety.
   The Times-Picayune, Saturday, September 01, 2007
   LOUISIANA -- A Catholic priest who once served in parishes in New Orleans, Reserve and Westwego has been removed from ministry on an unspecified allegation of sexual impropriety.
   The Rev. Etienne LeBlanc has been relieved of his duties as pastor of Annunziata Parish in Houma by Bishop Sam Jacobs of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
   LeBlanc has denied the allegations, Jacobs said.
   Jacobs told Annunziata parishioners last week that the church was investigating an allegation of sexual impropriety lodged against LeBlanc. [LOOK BACK: ~ August 31, 2007]

!!! From empowering preacher to abuse victim

[2007 "Bishop" Weeks*] - "Global Destiny Church." Wife-beating allegation.
   Asbury Park Press, www.app.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20070902/ NEWS03/ 709020400/ 1007 ; THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, September/2/07
   ATLANTA (GA) – Juanita Bynum is known and admired by thousands as a fiery evangelist whose no-nonsense, lead-by-less-than-perfect-example message of self-improvement was seemingly illustrated by her fairy-tale marriage to a man who also is a widely known minister.
   The romance, which included a million-dollar wedding, became a nightmare last week when Thomas W. Weeks III was charged with choking his wife, pushing her to the ground in a hotel parking lot and stomping on her.
   Her example, of living one's life as an empowered Christian single woman-turned-spouse, now shifts to spouse-turned-survivor.

• Controversial Montreal Internet company to close

- Man-boy WWW host will shut.

Montreal Gazette, ~ September 02, 2007
CANADA -- A controversial Internet company based in Montreal will shut down on Oct. 1. Epifora, which provided hosting services for pedophile or so-called "boy-love" websites made the announcement on the company's website on Saturday. It stated the shutdown was based on a decision by its primary client, Free Spirits, to "seek more cost-effective hosting solutions."

• Il vescovo licenzia il prete innamorato: è come Satana

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.

   Il Corriere della Sera, ~ September 02, 2007
   ITALY -- (Padova Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo has spoken out against the Rev. Sante Sguotti in this Italian-language article. He likened the parish priest to Satan and said he is not showing respect or obedience.
   (Rev. Sguotti held a press conference this week to say he is in love with a woman and wants to marry her, which is forbidden to priests in the Roman Catholic Church. The bishop said he intends to remove Rev. Sguotti from ministry but the priest said he will not resign.)

• Election of George opposed

[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.

   Chicago Sun-Times, September 2, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A Catholic lay group is appealing to American bishops not to elect Chicago's Cardinal Francis George as their next president because of his record on clergy sexual abuse.
   In a letter to the bishops, Voice of the Faithful cited George's handling of convicted predator priest Daniel McCormack, who was sent to prison in July for molesting boys.

• "Estoy cargando una cruz": monseñor Juan Francisco Sarasti

[Potes*] - RCC. Sexual misconduct.

El Pais, ~ September 02, 2007
COLOMBIA -- (Monsignor Juan Francisco Sarasti, who heads the Cali Archdiocese, said in this Spanish-language story that he kept silent about allegations of fiscal and sexual misconduct by priests in order to protect the reputation of the priests but acted against allegations made against the Rev. Fred Potes.)

• 'Sexual Predator' Abused His Trust

[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. 10 9/12 yrs prison. 6 boys.

   This is South Devon, ~ September 02, 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A former teacher who sexually abused six pupils at a Devon school has been jailed for 10 years and nine months.
   Former Royal Navy chaplain Paul Couch was convicted on August 2, but released on bail by the judge 'as an act of mercy' because his father is dying.Couch, 61, of Wyndham Street West, Plymouth, was sentenced at the city crown court for a catalogue of offences on boys, aged eight to 13, between 1972 and 1993 at the school, which is now closed.
   Judge Paul Darlow said Couch had committed a 'gross breach of trust' and that the boys at the school, which cannot be named for legal reasons, needed care and protection from the staff. [… ]
   A Diocesan spokesman: "As soon as the allegations came to light Fr Couch was removed from all public ministry in accordance with national child protection policy.

• Marquette Diocese now requires attendance at child abuse prevention sessions

- RCC.

   Ironwood Daily Globe, September 01, 2007
   MARQUETTE (MI) -- The Catholic Diocese of Marquette is requiring new clergy, as well as diocesan, parish and Catholic school employees and volunteers who have regular contact with children or youth, or are in a position to observe those who do, to attend an awareness session for the prevention of child sexual abuse.
   The free session, called "Protecting God's Children for Adults," is being offered at various sites and on different dates throughout the Upper Peninsula from September 2007 to January 2008. Anyone who plans to work or volunteer with children or youth in the coming year and has not yet taken the training must take it during this time period.

• Lay group: Don't pick Cardinal George for post

[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
   Daily Southtown, By Susan Hogan/Albach, September 2, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A Catholic lay group is appealing to American bishops not to elect Cardinal Francis George as their next president because of his record on clergy sexual abuse.
   In a letter to bishops, Voice of the Faithful cited George's handling of predator priest Daniel McCormack, who was sent to prison in July for molesting boys.
   The cardinal didn't follow a review board's recommendation to remove McCormack from ministry after abuse was reported in 2005, church officials said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 2, 2007 8:11 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun September 02, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 03, 2007 edition:

• Temple priest arrested for attempting rape minor girl

[2007 Govindaswamy -NEW*] - Temple religion. Girl.

   Times of India, http://times ofindia.india times.com/ India/Temple_ priest_ arrested_for_ attempting_ rape_minor_ girl/article show/2333 522.cms ; ~ September 03, 2007
   SALEM (TN), INDIA -- A 65-year-old temple priest has been arrested on charges of attempting to rape and threatening to kill a minor girl, police said on Monday.
   Govindaswamy, the priest of Chengammal temple at Omalur, was handed over to police by villagers who chased and caught him following the rape attempt on Sunday evening, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar, said.
   The girl was playing in front of the temple when the priest took her inside the temple and attempted to molest her, he said.

• Diocese places priest on administrative leave after allegations

[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.

   Sioux City Journal, AP, September 03, 2007
   DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
   However, it is too late to file criminal charges against him, Scott County's top attorney said Sunday.
   The Diocese of Davenport announced Sunday that it put the Rev. Gerald Stouvenel on administrative leave July 27. The statement, released Sunday by the office of the Most Rev. Martin J. Amos, bishop of Davenport, said that Stouvenel will stay on leave until an investigation is complete.

• German diocese under fire: priest held on sex charge

[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now altar boy.

   Expatica, September 03, 2007
   REGENSBURG, Germany (dpa) - Germany's Catholic Church came under fire Saturday for re-employing a convicted paedophile priest who was arrested this week for allegedly sexually abusing an altar-boy again.
   The priest, 39, received a suspended one-year prison term in 2000 for molesting at least one boy, but was put in charge of a new parish after therapy. He is now accused of molesting another boy repeatedly between 2003 and 2006.
   Johannes Heibel, head of a group that assists children abused by adults, said that if the charges were borne out, the diocese of Regensburg should also be prosecuted. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 3, 2007 8:41 AM]

• Head of ex-Legionaries group offers court computer files

[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.

   Catholic Online, Catholic News Service ( www.catholicnews.com ), ~ September 03, 2007
   WASHINGTON (DC), United States of America (CNS) - The head of a network of former members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi has offered to hand over computer files to a Virginia circuit court after being sued by the religious order.
   Paul Lennon, president of the nonprofit organization ReGAIN, appeared before the Circuit Court of Alexandria Aug. 22 during a seizure hearing.
   Glenn Favreau, a former member of the Legionaries and a member of ReGAIN, told Catholic News Service Aug. 28 that the court accepted Lennon's offer. No further steps have been taken in the case against Lennon and ReGAIN, Favreau said.
   The Legionaries are suing Lennon and ReGAIN to recover what the order claims is private property and to deter what it said is improper use of stolen materials.

• Politicians say Masons behind investigation of the Church in Italy

- RCC. Anti-competitive policy of Italian government!

   Catholic News Agency, 11:07 am, Aug 31, 2007
   ROME, Italy, (CNA).-- Italian officials and politicians have accused "radical and Masonic" groups of being behind the threats by the European Commission to investigate supposed "fiscal advantages" of the Catholic Church in Italy.
   The Minister of Infrastructure, Antonio Di Pietro, said people were playing politics in order to keep others from doing good and that the European Union should occupy itself with more important matters.
   The accusations are the result of recent investigations launched by the EU into whether or not the tax-exempt status of the Church's hospitals, schools, and other social service organizations should be withdrawn.
   Clemente Mastella, Minister of Justice, said the suspicions of the European Commission were only a "pretext." The Union of Christian Democrats and the Center said "radical and Masonic" groups were behind the actions in Brussels.
   The political party Forza Italia implicitly accused former government official Romano Prodi of the Radical Party, which is heavily Masonic, of being involved as well. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 3, 2007 9:57 PM]

• Controversial Catholic Group Alleges Critics Stole Inside Info

[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.

   ABC News, Maddy Sauer Reports, ~ September 03, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- A controversial Catholic group is taking its critics to court in the latest escalation of the decades-long battle between the Legion of Christ and former members of the Legion, some of whom have accused its founder of sexual abuse.
   Former members of the order, known as Legionaries, have formed an online community to discuss, among other things, the sexual abuse allegations against the founder, Father Marcial Maciel.
   Last year, the Vatican asked Maciel to give up all of his ministry appearances following accusations that decades ago he molested young priests in training.
   The Legion has filed a complaint against one of the organizations, ReGain Inc., and its president, a former Legionary, John Paul Lennon.

• Catholic bishops back Ncube, attack Mugabe

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   New Zimbabwe, By Lebo Nkatazo, Last updated 14:47:48, August/31/2007
   ZIMBABWE -- ZIMBABWE'S Catholic bishops on Friday united behind a statement offering support to the scandal-hit Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, and accused the government of violating human rights.
   Archbishop Ncube, who is facing an £80 000 adultery lawsuit, has previously urged Zimbabweans to rise up and drive out President Robert Mugabe through street protests.
   In a surprise intervention, the country's nine Catholic bishops took out a full page advert in the state-run Herald newspaper to announce their support for the embattled archbishop.

• Mandiwanzira hits back over Ncube 'sting'

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   New Zimbabwe, By Lebo Nkatazo, Last updated 11:49:26, August/31/2007
   ZIMBABWE -- JOURNALIST Supa Mandiwanzira has rejected claims that he led a "sting operation" by Zimbabwe's intelligence services on Archbishop Pius Ncube, a Catholic priest and critic of President Robert Mugabe accused of adultery.
   Reports said last week that the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was investigating claims by The Zimbabwean newspaper that Mandiwanzira, their Zimbabwean correspondent, used the SABC to secure an interview with the archbishop, and then led journalists from Zimbabwe's state media whom the bishop would usually not have granted an interview.

• Fear contributed to Cleary's early death

[Fr Cleary, Bp Casey] - RCC. 2 children; 1 child. Seduced teenage girl.

   Irish Independent, Monday September 03, 2007
   IRELAND -- Fr Michael Cleary's death was hastened by his fear that the Bishop Eamonn Casey love child scandal could lead to his own similar secret being exposed, said his son Ross Hamilton Cleary.
   The celebrity priest died of cancer in 1993, a year after the sensational revelations that his friend Bishop Eamonn Casey was the father of a son in the US.
   The cancer, which was first detected 17 years earlier, returned with a vengeance, as a result of the priest's terror of being found out, said his son.
   Fr Cleary fathered two children with Phyllis Hamilton, his housekeeper, whom he first seduced when she was a vulnerable 17-year-old girl.

• Diocese awaits bankruptcy fate

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.

   Union-Tribune, By Sandi Dolbee, September 3, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- After being threatened with contempt of court and suffering the slings and arrows of a less-than-flattering financial review, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is on the verge of getting kicked out of bankruptcy court.
   It would be a dramatic move even for this case, which has seen more twists and turns in the past six months than a Shakespearean tragedy.
   "Compared to the other cases we've seen across the country, so far it's really unprecedented," said Charles Zech, an economics professor at Villanova University, a Catholic school near Philadelphia.

• Support Groups Speak Out on Church Abuse

[? 2000s Evansville Diocese] - RCC. Diocese withheld reports about priest.
   WEHT, by Jennifer Cahill, ~ September 03, 2007
   EVANSVILLE (IN) -- A story gathering steam is the recent admission of Evansville Catholic Bishop Gerald Gettlefinger, that he withheld information of reports of sexual abuse by a deceased priest. Two groups supporting victims, and speaking out against abuse, handed out flyers at St. Benedict's Cathedral in Evansville Sunday morning.
   The two groups were 'Silent Lambs' out of Paducah, KY and SNAP, the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, from St. Louis, MO. They say their goal is to encourage victims to come forward and seek help.
   The members of the groups are all victims themselves and they say it's through speaking out about the abuse that they've come to heal. They passed out flyers Sunday in hopes more victims will seek help, and to let them know there are confidential support groups available.

• Priest Abuse Fliers

[? 2000s Evansville Diocese] - RCC. Diocese withheld reports about priest.
   Tri-State Homepage, Reported by LaTonya Stephens, 08:37pm CST, Sunday, Sep 2, 2007
   EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Victims of abuse are asking other victims to step out of the shadows and the Evansville diocese to acknowledge their responsibilities.
   The Silent Lambs organization and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests say recent revelations of molestation by a local priest is another example of the church's failure to protect the innocent.
   They showed up Sunday at Saint Benedict's Cathedral handing out fliers encouraging members to support abuse victims and to push the catholic church to be honest about abusive priests.

• EU May Question Vatican's Generous Tax Concessions

- RCC.

   Weekly Tax Newsletter, ~ September 03, 2007
   ITALY -- The European Union has hinted that it may open a formal investigation into a series of generous tax concessions granted to the Roman Catholic church by the Italian government.
   According to an AFX News report, a spokesman for EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes said that while Brussels has not yet launched an investigation into the tax breaks, it has already requested information from the Italian government.
   "We are talking about certain tax concessions for the Italian Church in Italy. We haven't yet decided whether or not an investigation will be opened. We need to have further information," the spokesman revealed.

• Report on Child Sex Offenders

- General communities. Laws differ.

   Tiscali Europa, ~ September 03, 2007
   A European-wide problem
   Recent events have again drawn attention to the problems of child sexual abuse and child pornography. You may know what is being done to fight child abuse at home but what about in other countries?
   Similar problems, different approaches
   EUROPE -- National and European authorities have intensified cooperation to fight the problem in its various guises: within the family, child prostitution, child pornography and its increased dissemination via the internet, and sex tourism by Europeans abroad.
   Many countries have signed up to international conventions and codes, however, national approaches do differ markedly.
   For instance, the age of consent ranges from twelve in some European countries (Spain, Netherlands) to 17 in Ireland while in Britain it differs for heterosexuals (16) and homosexuals (18).
   For sex tourism only Spain has not yet made its citizens prosecutable for child sex crimes committed abroad. And child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has surfaced noticeably so far in Ireland, Germany and Austria.

• A new school of faith

[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. Builds US$80m campus, facing 150 complainants.

   Union-Tribune, By Chris Moran, September 3, 2007
   CHULA VISTA (CA) - At every turn, there's something in South County's new Catholic high school that wasn't in the old: echoes from a theater's lobby, gleaming whiteboards to catch images from ceiling projectors, the cool caress of air conditioning.
   Mater Dei Catholic High School, which opens tomorrow, also has a bigger and better version of almost everything the old campus had. There's a chapel that seats 200, a bowl-style football stadium and a dozen science labs.
   As recently as five months ago, it was unclear whether Mater Dei would open. The Catholic Diocese of San Diego built the $80 million campus while facing about 150 lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of children by priests.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 03, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue September 04, 2007 edition:

• Church treasurer stole £70,000 to fund gambling and stamp collecting addiction

[1984-2007 Mr Klein -NEW*] - ? Church of England. 16mos prison. £70,000 gone.

   Daily Mail, www.dailymail. co.uk/pages/ live/articles/ news/news. html?in_article_ id=479843& in_page_id=1770 , ~ September 04, 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- An accountant who stole £70,000 from two churches to fund his addiction to gambling and stamp collecting has been jailed for 16 months.
   Derek Klein, 53, took the cash from bank accounts over 23 years while he was a treasurer of two local parochial church councils.
[Picture] Derek Klein admitted stealing £57,000 from St Andrew's Church in Norfolk.
   He admitted stealing £57,000 from 15th century St Andrew's Church at Bacton near North Walsham, Norfolk, between 1984 and last January Klein also pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing £13,000 from St Peter's church at nearby Ridlington over 14 years from 1993.

• Arizona's trial-by-jury questions answered by delving way back

[1984-94 Mons. Fushek*] - RCC. Life Teen founder. 7 young males.

   Tucson Citizen, The Associated Press, ~ September 04, 2007
   PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- It's the 21st century, but Arizona lawyers and judges still can find themselves looking at cases and laws from stagecoach days to figure out whether defendants are entitled to a trial by jury.
   If you're accused of certain misdemeanor crimes in Arizona, whether you're entitled to a jury trial may depend on whether there was a right to one when Arizona became a state in 1912. …
   Dale Fushek, the former pastor of a Catholic church in Mesa, awaiting trial on charges of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, failed to win the right to a jury trial partly because there was an English crime of neglect dating back to 1908.
   The Court of Appeals rejected Fushek's argument, saying in its June 14 ruling that the crime was included in British statutes but not entrenched in common law. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007 9:31 AM]
   [LOOK BACK: The Arizona Republic, "Fushek case heads to Court of Appeals," Apr. 11, 2007. ENDS.]

• 'Roman Collar Amnesia' widespread at church kickback trial

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   The Plain Dealer, by James F. McCarty, Tuesday, September 04, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- Some employees at Cathedral Square, headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, share a whispered acronym for a memory problem that strikes priests who are called to testify in court cases.
   "We call it RCA, or Roman Collar Amnesia," employee Janice Hesselton testified during the federal kickback trial of a former diocesan accountant, Anton Zgoznik.
   Defense attorneys in the case suspect the RCA affliction has spread all the way to the church's hierarchy.
   Bishop Anthony Pilla, now retired, and the Rev. John Wright, one of his former top assistants, could not recall significant details of financial transactions and business decisions when questioned at the trial last week in U.S. District Court.
   "I've gotten the impression that people's memories are malleable over there" at the diocese, defense attorney Robert Rotatori said after the sixth day of testimony.

• Pannella sui privilegi fiscali alla Chiesa: vere truffe, cambiare il trattato del '29…

- RCC.

Radicali, ~ September 04, 2007
ITALY -- (This Italian-language article, written by the Transnational Radical Party, discusses the Vatican's dealings in commerce and tax issues now being investigated by officials of the European Union.)

• Maitland-Newcastle opens new healing facility

- RCC.

   CathNews, ~ September 04, 2007
   AUSTRALIA -- The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle today opens a new facility for healing individuals and communities affected by sexual abuse within the church.
   Zimmerman House will be named after its patron, Josephite Sister Beverly Zimmerman. It will house the Diocesan Child Protection and Professional Conduct Unit.
   The unit's manager Helen Keevers said: "Many would argue that you can never completely heal from abuse."
   But she added that she believes in "the importance of walking with survivors of abuse and offering them whatever support [is possible]".

• Iowa priest temporarily steps down

[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.

   KHQA, By Jim Whitfield, Posted 3:08:26 PM, Monday, September 03, 2007
   IOWA -- The Davenport Diocese says it's placed a priest from Lee County Iowa on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an alleged sexual abuse allegation that took place nearly 30 years ago.
   Bishop Martin Amos, says he removed Father Gerald Stouvenel from serving at S-S Mary and Joseph Church in Ft. Madison as well as St Joseph's Church in Montrose.

• Victims want church to stop hiding sex crimes

[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.
   WFIE, Reporter: Marianne Lyles, New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin, ~ September 04, 2007
   EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Sex abuse victims call on the Evansville Archdiocese to stop hiding church sex crimes.
   Sunday, victims stood outside St. Benedict Cathedral handing out leaflets urging Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger to be more forthcoming about abusive priests.
   This comes just weeks after the diocese announced Monsignor Othmar Schroeder abused several boys during his nearly 30 years at a Jasper church. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007 8:02 AM]

• Clergy abuse support group to hold local meetings

- SNAP helps any religion's victims.
   Coshocton Tribune, By BRIAN GADD, September 04, 2007
   OHIO -- A Chicago-based organization which offers support for victims of clergy sex abuse will be holding three confidential counseling sessions in the area over the next three months.
   The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) plans to host meetings Sept. 17 in New Concord, Oct. 15 in Columbus and Nov. 19 in Cambridge, said Judy Jones, SNAP leader for southeastern Ohio.
   Despite the word "priests" in the group's name, the organization helps anyone hurt by religious figures in any denomination.

• Vatican defends tax advantages

- RCC.

   ANSA, September 4, 2007
   VATICAN CITY (ANSA) -- The Vatican Secretary of State lashed out on Tuesday at politicians who have questioned the tax advantages enjoyed by the Catholic Church in Italy.
   Without naming any group specifically, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said critics were stoking "cheap" polemics and "falsifying" reality by presenting the tax breaks as undeserved and unjustifiable privileges. …
   PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. The Commission is reportedly interested in a law passed by the Silvio Berlusconi government in 2006 which effectively exempted all Church property used for commercial purposes from local real estate tax.
   Officials at the Competition Commission are also believed to be interested in the 50% reduction in corporation taxes applied to church business activities such as schools, hospitals, clinics and hotels.
   It has emerged that a complaint about the Church's tax treatment was lodged in Brussels last year by a group of Italian businessmen supported by the Radical party. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007 9:27 PM]

• Civil Cases Behind Us, Let's Produce Something New, Group Meets Sunday in LA to Brainstorm

   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 04, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The complete story of what happened in the rectories and behind bishops' doors has yet to come out. A group is meeting next Sunday afternoon here in LA, details on the left hand column of this blog. LA is full of creative people. The goal of this survivors' project is to produce … something. My idea is a low budget digital video to post on a blog and then go from there. But I'm hoping people bring other ideas to the group.
   With this blog I've learned the therapy is not just in writing but in having people read what you say. So with the civil cases mostly settled, it's a good time to start a creative project, focusing of pedophile priest rapes, one story at a time, one parish, city, one region at a time. The goal is to get more details of the stories out to more people, using whatever media we know how to use.
   There's video blogs or I also thought we could do a play we'd perform as guerrilla theater in parks and public places. Part of the show would be handing out rotten tomatoes for the audience to throw at scarecrow like figures of bishops and priests. So the meeting Sunday is open to any ideas.

• Roman collar amnesia

[2000s Cleveland Diocese leaders, and others] - RCC. Forget.
   Catholic World News, www.cwnews. com/offthe record/off therecord. cfm?task= singledisplay& recnum=4362 , ~ September 04, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- Off The Record has often had occasion to notice the frequency and expedience of memory lapses by senior ecclesiastics faced with awkward questions -- especially under oath (go here, and here , and here and here … ). Now it seems some persons in greater metropolitan Cleveland are making the same diagnosis in reference to the current diocesan kickback scam trial. From the Plain Dealer :
   Some employees at Cathedral Square, headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, share a whispered acronym for a memory problem that strikes priests who are called to testify in court cases.

• Davenport diocese investigates priest

[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
   Gazette, September 02, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
   The Rev. Gerald Stouvenel was placed on administrative leave effective July 27, the diocese said in a statement released on Sunday. Stouvenel will remain on leave until an investigation is complete, according to the diocese.
   According to the diocese, four people have made claims in the bankruptcy case filed by the diocese claiming that Stouvenel sexually abused them, as minors, over 30 years ago. Stouvenel was ordained on August 12, 1972.

• Catholic Church wants accuser to name prior sex partners

[1995-96 Mr Andrade] - RCC. Girl.
   Orange County Register, August 30th, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- The Catholic Diocese of Orange asked a judge today to order a woman who is pursuing a sex-abuse suit against a former coach at Mater Dei High School to name all of her sexual partners.
   Jane Doe, a 26-year-old woman, is suing the church, school and her alleged perpetrator, former assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade, accusing him of sexual abuse for two years starting in 1995. Andrade, who no longer works at the school, has admitted in a deposition that he had sex with the girl.
   Today, a hearing was held on the lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial in Orange County in mid-September. Superior Court Judge Gail A. Andler decided to make Jane Doe testify for at least another two hours about her sexual history – but let a retired judge Robert Jameson, who is handling the case's mediation, determine whether she needs to name her past sexual partners.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue September 04, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed September 05, 2007 edition:

• Local Pastor Says He's Victim in Sex Abuse Case

[1990s +? - Cook -NEW*] - Church of God. 47 charges.

   WSAZ, www.wsaz.com/ news/head lines/957 6087.html , ~ September 05, 2007
   WEST VIRGINIA -- A high-profile pastor from Kanawha County says he's one of the sexual assault victims of another pastor -- and he's written a letter to the public.
   Pastor Mike Lewis of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove sent a letter to local media outlets Tuesday night. In the letter, he says he was one of the victims of Sandy Martin Cook more than ten years ago when he was a teenager.
   Cook was and still is the pastor at the Shrewsbury Church of God.
   Cook was arrested by West Virginia State Police on Monday. He's charged with 3 counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust, and 44 counts of sexual assault in the 3rd degree.
   During his arraignment in Kanawha County magistrate court, Cook said, "I'm scared to death."

• Pastor Sought In Sex Assault Case

[? 2000s Cortez Rodriguez -NEW*] - Christian. Methamphetamine, arms. 2 children.

   NBC Sandiego, ~ September 05, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A licensed pastor is being sought in connection with two sexual assault cases, San Diego police announced Thursday.
   Pedro Cortez Rodriguez, 58, is the subject of a child molestation investigation involving two separate victims, according to police. Police did not release the circumstances of the alleged crimes, but officials said Rodriguez should be considered armed and dangerous.
   Rodriguez was a pastor who operated a church in Tecate, Mexico. He has since sold his property there and may have fled to San Diego, authorities said. He is a known methamphetamine user and is aware police are searching for him.

• Insurer doesn't have to pay for pastor sex charge defense, judge rules

[2001 Stallworth] - Methodist / Word and Worship Church. Woman.

   WDAM, www.wdam.com/ Global/story. asp?S=7028 773&nav= menu123_ 2_12 , Associated Press, 10:14 AM ET, September 5, 2007
   JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that State Farm Insurance Company does not have to pay to defend the Reverend Jeffery Stallworth from a civil lawsuit filed by a Maryland woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2001 in her home.
   Stallworth also was fined $800 yesterday (Tuesday) by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate for being two hours late for a hearing.
   State Farm had denied Stallworth the coverage under three policies to fight the woman's $10 million lawsuit and asked Wingate for a judgment in its favor. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 5, 2007 8:17 PM]
   And see Clarion Ledger, September 5, 2007 www.clarion ledger.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/200709 05/NEWS/ 709050371/ 1002/NEWS01 .

• Priest Abuse Victims Wary S.D. Diocese May Renege Settlement

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
   KPBS, ~ September 05, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Advocates for sex-abuse victims are urging patience amid speculation of a settlement with San Diego's Catholic diocese. The diocese filed for bankruptcy protection just as the first of 150 lawsuits was headed for trial. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has details.
   The Union-Tribune quoted a friend of Bishop Robert Brom, who says both sides are close to a settlement that would avert trials. The bankruptcy judge delayed a critical hearing till next week. That could mean attorneys need time to finish a deal.
   Barbara Dorris speaks for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. She says it would be unfair to mislead sex-abuse victims about a possible settlement.
   Dorris: We fear that Bishop Brom is in some ways leading them on. 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going to do this.' And then when nothing happens, they're hurt. And we don't want them to get hurt again.
   Dorris says church officials in Boston reneged on a deal several years ago after it was publicly announced.

• Vatican raises the rent

- RCC.

   Marketplace, ~ September 05, 2007
   ITALY -- Looking for an apartment's never easy. But here's a hint if you promise not to tell anybody else: the Vatican's got some good deals. Seriously. Even beyond St. Peters, the Catholic Church owns a lot of pricey real estate in Rome.
   For years, many of its tenants paid quite reasonable amounts, and they came to believe they were protected from rising rents. But Megan Williams reports now from Rome, their faith was misplaced.
   Megan Williams: It may be the last summer 65-year-old Franco Lattughi welcomes a guest into his spacious, sunlit apartment in the historic center of Rome.

• Bishop must be called to testify about sex abuse

[1995-96 Mr Andrade] - RCC. Girl.

   Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 05, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Bishop Tod Brown must testify about his knowledge regarding past childhood sex-abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, a judge ruled today.
   The deposition, ordered as part of ongoing litigation between the Catholic Church regarding a sex-abuse claim at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, would be the first time Brown has ever testified regarding his knowledge of such claims, lawyers on the case said.
   A now-26-year-old woman, who is identified as "C.R. Doe" in court, is suing the diocese, private school and her alleged perpetrator, former assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade, accusing him of sexual abuse for two years, starting in 1995. The trial is scheduled for Sept. 17 in Orange County Superior Court.

• Kelly prosecutor tough, popular

[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
   Chicago Tribune Metromix, By Azam Ahmed, ~ September 05, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- Over the summer, Shauna Boliker, the head of the sex crimes division for the Cook County state's attorney's office, was driving to work when she got a flat tire.
   Eight months' pregnant, she changed the flat in 95-degree heat and then continued on to the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue. …
   Her recent high-profile cases included the prosecution of Rev. Daniel McCormack, a Chicago priest who pleaded guilty in July to molesting five boys and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
   "She's a professional, and I think that's the highest compliment you can pay to a prosecutor," said Robert Loeb, one of McCormack's lawyers.

• Parish backs scandal-hit priest

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.

   ANSA, September 5, 2007
   PADUA, Italy (ANSA) -- A scandal-hit parish in northern Italy has voted to keep its local priest despite his love for a separated mother.
   More than 200 parishioners in Monterosso near Padua said they wanted Sante Sguotti to stay on, in a ballot called by the priest himself to sound out the extent of parish support for his position.
   Only 17 villagers sided with the local bishop, Msgr. Antonio Mattiazzo, who wants Sguotti to quit.
   Before the Tuesday night ballot, a parishioner whom Sguotti has accused of deliberately exposing him was ejected from the church.

• Cardinal avoids testifying in U.S. sex abuse lawsuits

[~ 60yrs - Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 508 victims.

   Anglican Journal, Los Angeles, Sep 4, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The archdiocese of Los Angeles' agreement to a $660 million US clergy abuse settlement will amount to $1.3 million for each plaintiff, and it prevents Roger Cardinal Mahoney, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese, from having to testify on the issue.
   News reports said Cardinal Mahoney would not have to disclose whether diocesan leaders had covered up the incidents of abuse as they occurred.
   However, the settlement, which includes more than 500 plaintiffs, and effectively avoids 15 upcoming pedophilia trials against the Los Angeles archdiocese, also calls for the release of confidential personnel files of priests involved in alleged abuses from the 1940s to the 1990s.

• Canadian school closes after cult allegations

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Record Seachlight, By Michael Valpy and Caroline Alphonso, Toronto Globe and Mail, Tuesday, September 4, 2007
   BROCKVILLE, Ontario, Canada -- A private religious school that charged up to $35,000 a year for tuition has abruptly closed its doors amid allegations of sexual improprieties and cult practices.
   Citing rising costs and a drop in enrollment, officials at Grenville Christian College, which sits on the edge of the St. Lawrence River town of Brockville, Ont., announced at the end of July it would close.
   Students who attended the school over a period dating back to the 1980s paint a picture of a bizarre environment, involving so-called "light sessions" where teenagers were ordered from their beds in the middle of the night, made to sit in a dark room with a bright light shining on their face and accused repeatedly of being sinners by teachers and staff they couldn't see.
   The Right Rev. Peter Mason, the retired bishop of the Anglican diocese of Ontario, which includes Brockville, said he had heard allegations from former staff members of cult behavior at the school but had not been aware it involved students.

• Pastor says he suffered abuse

[1990s +? - Cook*] - Church of God. 47 charges.
   The Charleston Gazette, By Gary Harki, ~ September 05, 2007
   WEST VIRGINIA -- A Cedar Grove pastor said Tuesday he was one of the boys whom another pastor is charged with sexually assaulting over a decade ago, and accused state Church of God leaders of ignoring reports of the abuse.
   Mike Lewis, senior pastor of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove, released a statement Tuesday evening acknowledging he is the same Mike Lewis mentioned in the criminal complaint against Shrewsbury Church of God pastor Sandy Martin Cook.
   "For thirteen years I have hidden this secret in the deepest part of my being, never to let it out," Lewis said in his statement. "Over these past years I have shared this secret with no one. Not my wife, parents, family, or leaders.
   "I assumed that my abuse had been limited to me alone and that no one else was suffering what I suffered. My assumptions were wrong."

• Abusive priest jailed

[≤ 1994 +? Rowe] - Anglican. 3yrs more prison. Indigenous boys.

   Anglican Journal, Staff, Sep 4, 2007
   CANADA -- Former Anglican priest Ralph Rowe on July 6 was convicted of additional charges of sexual abuse against boys and sentenced by a judge in Kenora (Ont.) Superior Court to three years in prison.
   The Kenora Daily Miner & News reported that Justice Erwin Stach found Mr. Rowe, 67, guilty of indecent assault and sexual assault, including rape. The incidents took place in several First Nation communities in northern Ontario where Mr. Rowe served as a priest, Boy Scout leader and pilot.
   Mr. Rowe, who lives in Surrey, B.C., was previously convicted for similar sexual offences in 1994 and served four and a-half years of a six-year sentence. At the time, prosecutors agreed that Mr. Rowe would not have to serve further jail time if more charges were laid for such charges as fondling.
   Last May, he pled guilty to 20 charges that fell under the plea bargain. However, the additional charges involved more serious offences.

• Diocese settlement talks advance

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.

   Union-Tribune, By Sandi Dolbee, 10:40 p.m. September 4, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- After four years of lawsuits, delays and bankruptcy proceedings, an agreement may be drawing near between the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and roughly 150 childhood sexual abuse victims.
   I believe that they are very close," said Bob Baker, a prominent Catholic who recently helped form Parishioners for the Churches and Schools to represent church members in the diocese's bankruptcy case.
   Baker, a longtime friend of San Diego Bishop Robert Brom, said he recently consulted with Brom on structuring some aspects of a settlement. "I know the bishop is trying very hard to settle these cases in the next few days," said Baker, founder of the Bob Baker Auto Group.
   Lawyers for the diocese and victims declined to be interviewed because of instructions barring them from talking about the mediation, which is being overseen by federal Magistrate Judge LeoPapas.

• Southeast Iowa priest suspended amid abuse claims

[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
   Des Moines Register, By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR, September 05, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- A priest in the Davenport Diocese has been suspended while officials investigate four child sexual abuse allegations against him.
   Bishop Martin Amos waited more than a month after he suspended the Rev. Gerald Stouvenel to announce his decision.
   "The bishop was hoping to give more information to the (diocesan sexual abuse) review board," said Deacon Michael Montgomery, spokesman for the diocese.
   "The investigation was taking longer than expected. The review board met and advised the bishop to release the information, to not delay any longer, even though the investigation wasn't done," he said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 5, 2007 7:12 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed September 05, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu September 06, 2007 edition:

!!!: Boca priest accused of soliciting sex in N.C. men's room

[June 2007 Penland -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.

   Sun-Sentinel, www.sun- sentinel. com/sfl-96 bocapriest, 0,2947699. story , By Jerome Burdi | Sun-Sentinel.com , 1:50 PM EDT, September 6, 2007
   BOCA RATON (FL) -- A new priest at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church was issued a citation for allegedly soliciting sex in a North Carolina public park's men's room recently.
   Though the announcement came out this week, police issued a citation for solicitation to the Rev. Michael Penland in June during a Waynesville police sting operation dubbed Operation Summer Heat. Waynesville is located near Asheville, N.C.
   Penland, who has been a youth minister at the Boca Raton church since November, allegedly followed an undercover officer and solicited sex from him, police said. Penland allegedly followed the officer as he left the park and was pulled over.

• Choir Director Faces Sexual Abuse Charge

[1966-2006 Mr Truksa -NEW*] - Community Church. Porn. 4 boys.
   KETV, www.bishop- accountability. org/Abuse TrackerArchive/ 2007/09/# 004989 , ~ September 06, 2007
   LINCOLN, Neb. -- A former employee of Lincoln Public Schools faces charges of sexually assaulting four boys, at least one of them at a church where he had been choir director.
   Benjamin Truksa, 27, was charged Tuesday in Lancaster County Court with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and two counts of sexual assault of a child. He is accused of assaulting four boys who are now ages 16 to 22 between January 1996 and March 2006 at Indian Hills Community Church and elsewhere.
   Authorities said Truksa was fired from his position at the church in November 2005 for looking at pornography on his church computer. He had previously worked at Irving Middle School as a piano accompanist.

• Ruling has changed the stakes

[1982 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Repressed memory. Boy.
   St. Louis Post-Dispatch, By Tim Townsend, September/06/2007
   ST. LOUIS (MO) -- An 11-year-old boy was molested in 1982 by a priest from Little Flower Parish. The victim, now a St. Louis attorney, said he repressed the memory and didn't connect the abuse to his psychological problems until 2004.
   The attorney knew the state's statute of limitations had expired in his case. The St. Louis Archdiocese knew the same, offering him only $20,000 in mediation.
   After the man rejected the offer, a St. Louis judge refused to dismiss his lawsuit, allowing the case to go to a jury trial.
   The judge cited a June 2006 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that added new wording on how the statute of limitations can be applied, essentially allowing a court to consider when a victim not only recalled the abuse, but recognized the harm it inflicted.

• Pastor chose boys whose families weren't around, police say

[1990s +? - Cook*] - Church of God. 47 charges.
   Charleston Daily Mail, September 06, 2007
   WEST VIRGINIA -- A pastor accused of sexual assault chose boys whose families were not active at the church, police believe.
   "Some of the victims believed that they were chosen because when it came down to it, who are you going to believe, the pastor or the boy," said State Trooper M.J. Napier, who is investigating the case. "One of the victims didn't have a father, that's why he feels he was chosen."
   Sandy Martin Cook, 48, of Belle, is charged with three counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust and 44 counts of third-degree sexual assault. The alleged assaults occurred at his home or in his vehicle along U.S. 60.

• Father Kelly's Curse

[1967-68 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
   Santa Barbara Independent, By Nick Welsh, Thursday, September 6, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- At first, Andrew Ruiz was relieved. But his relief quickly gave way to frustration, followed by anger.
   Ruiz was initially happy not to take the witness stand, not to answer difficult questions about a painful past. And content not to endure the agonies of a protracted trial with no certain outcome.
   A rawboned man with sad, piercing eyes, elaborately tattooed arms, and a direct, deliberate manner, Ruiz is one of 508 men and women who recently settled claims of sexual abuse with the Los Angles Archdiocese, which presides over Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles county Catholic churches.
   All together, they will be paid $660 million. That settlement was announced July 15, just two days before the first of many sex abuse trials were scheduled to begin on July 17.
   Ruiz–who has yet to receive his settlement check–said there are some things that can never be undone. Money, he said, can't erase the past; certain memories will never go away.
   Tapping the back of his head with the finger tips of his right hand, Ruiz said, "It's all still in here."
   Ruiz, now 52, sued the archdiocese in November 2003, claiming that Father Matthew Kelly, the once iconic pastor of Santa Barbara's Our Lady of Guadalupe, had molested him 30 times back when he was 12 and 13.
   Ruiz was the first of seven men from Santa Barbara to bear witness against Kelly, who until then had enjoyed a near legendary status throughout Santa Barbara's Eastside, which he served for nearly 30 years.
   Since filing his lawsuit four years ago, Ruiz, an electrician, has actively prepared for his day in court. He and his attorneys–R. Thomas Griffith and Tim Hale, from Santa Barbara–have been consumed by depositions, interrogatories, and a blizzard of dueling legal motions over what evidence could and should be made available.
   "But when it finally came time for the showdown," Ruiz said, "{the archdiocese} said, 'Here's some money. Take it. Just go away.'" [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 6, 2007 10:22 AM]

• Canadian probe put Cape church under scrutiny

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Cape Cod Times, By Susan Milton and Robin Lord, September 06, 2007
   ORLEANS (MA) – It started this time with a question posted to an online message board about the Community of Jesus in Orleans and Grenville Christian College in Brockton, Ontario, Canada.
   "Has anyone heard of these, been involved with or had experience in either of these two groups which were originally started by Cay Andersen and Judy Sorensen?"
   Fourteen months later, the college, a K-12 boarding school, is closing amid allegations of physical and emotional abuse, according to a series this week in the Globe and Mail daily newspaper in Toronto.
   And, for the fifth time in 28 years, the Community of Jesus is fielding allegations about cult-like behavior, mind control and excessive discipline among the families and monastic orders at its site at Rock Harbor.

• Crucial hearing postponed in diocese bankruptcy case

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.

   North County Times, By: TERI FIGUEROA, September 06, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A crucial hearing over the fate of a bankruptcy case filed by the Roman Catholic bishop of San Diego is on hold for a week, amid reports that settlement talks are heating up with dozens who want the diocese to pay for alleged sex abuse by priests.
   U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler was supposed to hear arguments today about why she should not dismiss the diocese's bankruptcy filing, but instead she rescheduled the hearing until Sept. 11.
   The diocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on Feb. 27, on the eve of jury selection for five civil trials to address claims brought by alleged sex abuse victims. The bankruptcy filing froze the civil court proceedings until late last month, when Adler gave the green light for 42 of the sex abuse trials to move forward.

• Court sides with rabbi in sex suit

[2000-05 Tendler] - Judaism (Orthodox). Woman.
   New York Daily News, BY OWEN MORITZ, 4:00 AM, Thursday, September 6th 2007
   NEW YORK -- A controversial rabbi has fended off a lawsuit that charged he seduced a woman in his congregation by telling her she needed "sex therapy" to help find her a husband.
   A divided appellate court ruled 3-2 that Adina Marmelstein's "thinly veiled claims of seduction" against Rabbi Mordecai Tendler are prohibited by civil rights law, and therefore she has no grounds to sue him.
   But attorneys for the woman vowed to appeal based on arguments from the court's two dissenting members - one of whom, Judge John Sweeny, wrote that Tendler "clearly exploited the vulnerability" of Marmelstein "to attain his own ends."
   The contentious case has rocked the Orthodox Jewish community because of Tendler's so-called "sexual therapy sessions," and led to the rabbi's dismissal from the Rabbinical Council of America.

• Predator Stole My Childhood

[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. 10 9/12 yrs prison. 6 boys.

   Plymouth Evening Herald, By DIANA PRINCE, 11:50 - 06 September 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A former Roman Catholic school pupil who helped to convict the teacher who repeatedly sexually assaulted him has told his harrowing story and urged other victims to speak out. John, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, said the abuse he suffered at the Devon boarding school between the ages of eight and 14 has ruined his life.
   Now an adult, he gave vital evidence in the trial of Paul Couch, who was last week jailed for 10 years and nine months for a catalogue of offences on boys aged under 13 between 1972 and 1993.
   Couch, aged 61, of Wyndham Street West, Plymouth, was sentenced at the city crown court after being convicted of two counts of serious sexual assault and 11 counts of indecent assault while at the school, which has since closed and cannot be named for legal reasons.

• Bankruptcy judge pushes diocese toward endgame in abuse talks

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.

   San Jose Mercury News, By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer, Article Launched 07:37:46 PM PDT, Sep/05/2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) – When the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy six months ago, it hoped to find shelter from potentially embarrassing and costly lawsuits from people claiming they were sexually abused by priests.
   Instead, the church opened itself up to an unprecedented public examination of its financial affairs and to withering criticism from a judge who has used her authority to interrogate church staff, order audits and, in the most recent blow, return individual cases to state court control for immediate trials.
   Now, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler is considering throwing out the whole case–a move that would leave the diocese where it was in February, with little choice but to risk trial or settle. Mediation proceedings are continuing Thursday before a federal magistrate judge, and Adler delayed a hearing until Tuesday on the dismissal to allow for more negotiations.
   "It's like sitting holding a candle on a pile of dynamite," said Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine monk who has written extensively on church abuse. "The question is how to blow the candle out."

• Three Important Developments Involving Law and Religion During The Summer Of 2007

- Religion and law.
   Find Law, By MARCI HAMILTON, Thursday, Sep. 06, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- I took a short break from my column-writing duties this summer in order to finish my forthcoming book. Looking back over the summer, I saw three major developments in the area of law and religion.
   The Supreme Court Narrows Taxpayer Standing in Establishment Clause Cases
   From the moment that Justice Samuel Alito joined the Supreme Court in the seat left by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement, there has been reason to be concerned that the Establishment Clause would become more watered down than it already is.
   The open question was would he be an "incrementalist" who chipped away at the separation of church and state bit by bit, or would he take the most extreme positions taken by Justices Scalia and Thomas. In June, we learned that the answer is the former. …
   Los Angeles Archdiocese Clergy Abuse Settlement and the Slow Release of Church Documents
   One of the bigger headlines of the summer concerned the Los Angeles Archdiocese's $660 million settlement with over 500 victims of clergy abuse. The survivors, on average, received $1.3 million each for their injuries. Almost half of the amount is to be paid by insurance and the rest by the Archdiocese out of funds and properties not dedicated to religious purposes.
   These settlements are never about money alone, though that is often the only fact the public absorbs. We saw the number $660 million in every headline, and to a lesser extent the number of victims, but only as an aside were readers told that important internal documents also would be released.
   In Los Angeles, an absolutely crucial element in the deal was that the Archdiocese was required to release documents to the public involving its knowledge of the predatory habits of its employees and clergy. A judge is monitoring the release of the documents.
   Stay tuned on this issue (as hard as it is to follow), because these settlements benefit far more than the immediate survivors. When the public learns how those in power have hidden abuse and abusers, and the identity of individual abusers, it will reap precious knowledge.

• Catholic Order Files Suit Over Documents

[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
   Washington Post, By Daniela Deane, Page B05, Thursday, September 6, 2007
   ALEXANDRIA (VA) -- Former priest John Paul Lennon says the Legion of Christ is a dangerous and ultra-secretive cult that still idolizes its founder even though the spiritual leader was sanctioned by the Vatican after years of sexual abuse allegations.
   The Legion accuses the Alexandria man of distributing stolen property and "malicious disinformation" about a fast-growing Roman Catholic Church order with tens of thousands of followers worldwide.
   The argument is unfolding in Alexandria Circuit Court in a lawsuit the Legion filed last month that seeks to block Lennon, a Legion member for 23 years, from disseminating on a Web site letters and documents it says are the order's private property and intended only for internal use.
   Some internal documents chronicle the conservative group's strict rules of conduct, including directives on how a legionary, as the order's members are known, must butter his bread, part his hair or sit in a chair. The documents also include the group's "private vows," which say that members must never criticize the order and must report anyone who does.

• Forthcoming documentary defends Illinois priest

- Film attacks critics of RCC, defends Mons. Jarmoluk
   Renew America, by Matt C. Abbott, September 6, 2007
   GENEVA (IL) -- A New York-based production company has asked me to participate as a commentator in a forthcoming documentary titled Forsaken.
   The still-in-progress documentary, which already has a trailer and Web site, focuses on relatively recent events involving St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, Ill., whose pastor is Monsignor Joseph Jarmoluk.
   First, some background on the "story behind the story" (from a 2004 Daily Herald article, found on BishopAccountability.org):
   'The 'destructive culture of silence' that enabled widespread sexual abuse in the church continues today at the Rockford Diocese, as evidenced by its failure to respond when a priest publicly scolded a parishioner who criticized a Geneva church and the diocese, a victim's advocacy group said. …
   Forsaken (also discussed in this 2006 article) clearly is a defense of Msgr. Jarmoluk – and an unflattering portrayal of SNAP and Voice of the Faithful.
   Yet it's not clear who exactly is financing the project. A representative of the production company, David Graham, spoke to me at length over the phone a few weeks ago, but would say only that the company is "very closely held."

• Anglican bishop rejects ex-student's plea to investigate abuse claims

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, September 6, 2007
   CANADA -- A former student's plea to Anglican authorities to "intervene" in the alleged conduct of a priest who ran a private religious school accused of cult practices has been rejected by the priest's bishop as not properly constituting a formal complaint against him.
   The ex-student of Grenville Christian College near Brockville, Ont., sent Bishop George Bruce an e-mail with a link to a website where onetime staff and students have been pouring out stories alleging physical, psychological and sexual abuse over a 20-year period.
   Jennifer Reid, of Peterborough, Ont., began her e-mail to Bishop Bruce: "Please intervene."

• Police report details claims against priest

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

   Fort Worth Star-Telegram, By KEVIN G. HALL, McClatchy Newspapers, ~ September 06, 2007
   MEXICO and WASHINGTON-- A police report obtained through an unusual deposition of Mexico's most influential Roman Catholic clergyman casts doubt on his claim that he didn't know that a priest he had transferred to Los Angeles was suspected of pedophilia. The priest later fled Southern California after he was charged with sexually abusing eight boys.
   Cardinal Norberto Rivera, who heads the Mexico City archdiocese, has testified that he didn't know the Rev. Nicolas Aguilar was suspected of sexually abusing children when he wrote a January 1987 letter of introduction for him to Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, who was then archbishop.
   But a 1986 police report found in a file at the offices of the diocese of Tehuacan, Mexico, where Rivera was bishop at the time, detailed allegations from parents that Aguilar had boys sleeping with him in the parish. The report was part of an investigation into Aguilar's brutal beating, possibly at the hands of a mob, a few days earlier. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 6, 2007 7:32 AM]

• Key hearing postponed in San Diego diocesan bankruptcy

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.

   Catholic World News, September 06, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (CWNews.com) -- The federal judge handling the bankruptcy case of the San Diego, California diocese has postponed a key ruling until next week, giving diocesan officials more time to reach a settlement with the victims of priestly sexual abuse.
   Judge Louise DeCarl Adler has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, September 6, during which she said she would weigh the argument for dismissing the bankruptcy case filed by the San Diego diocese in February. But the judge has announced postponement of that hearing until Tuesday, September 11.
   Lawyers for the diocese are meeting behind closed doors with their counterparts representing abuse victims, for mediated talks aimed at reaching an overall settlement of the victims' claims. Although those talks are shrouded in secrecy, there are rumors that the two sides may be moving closer to an agreement. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 6, 2007 10:33 PM]

• Boca youth minister charged with sex crime

[June 2007 Penland*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.
   Palm Beach Post, By Kevin Deutsch, Thursday, September 06, 2007
   BOCA RATON (FL) – A priest at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church was arrested on a charge of soliciting sex during an undercover sting in Waynesville, N.C.
   Michael Royce Penland, 46, was busted in August during "Operation Summer Heat," a sting that focused on city park restrooms.
   Police officially charged him with "solicitation for crimes against nature" after he met with an undercover detective and agreed to follow him to an apartment to engage in a sexual act, Waynesville police said.
   The sting stemmed from complaints about the behavior of people in and around a Waynesville park's restrooms and picnic area.

• Legion of Christ goes to war

[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
   Spero News, By Martin Barillas, September 06, 2007
   ALEXANDRIA (VA) -- A former Roman Catholic priest, John Paul Lennon of Virginia, is accused by a powerful Catholic group of distributing stolen property and propagating "malicious disinformation" about the Legion of Christ, an order of priests founded the controversial Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado of Mexico. Under an order from the Alexandria Virginia Circuit court, Lennon has been ordered to return any property claimed by the Legion of Christ, including documents, computer discs and CDs, by September 14. Some of the documents include letters written by Rev. Maciel Degollado himself.
   The complaint was filed August 2 and identifies the Legion of Christ of having been founded in 1941 as "a missionary congregation of Catholic priests committed to love Christ… " that relies on "proprietary materials, including letters and other documents compiled by Legion members intended only for internal dissemination." Allegedly stolen, certain documents and materials, the summons charges, are in the possession of Lennon. The Legion of Christ is also suing the ReGAIN website, of which Lennon is president. Lennon and ReGain now have counsel and are soliciting donations for their legal defense. The suit also demands that Lennon reveal the identities of certain of his collaborators.

• Federal charges for Fr. Rodis.

[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. US$515,231 gone. Has wife and children too.

   DotCommonweal, Posted by Grant Gallicho, 2:02 pm, September 6, 2007
   RICHMOND (VA) -- As predicted, Virginia authorities have dropped their embezzlement charges against Fr. Rodney Rodis to make way for the feds, who arraigned Rodis today new charges of stealing half a million dollars from his two parishes, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. According to prosecutors, Fr. Rodis used his position as a priest to shuttle parishioner donations to the Philippines--and of course to his home, where he lived with a "wife" and children. …
   We editorialized on the matter and its implications in February. While it seems that Rodis now stands accused of stealing less than was previously reported, the new federal charges again highlight the continuing need for bishops to institute stricter diocesan financial controls and oversight. The Diocese of Richmond's current draft document on parish finance councils can be found here (PDF). As far as I know, the document does not reverse the policy that made Rodis's alleged misdeeds possible: as is the case in many dioceses, a priest can open checking accounts in a parish's name using only his own signature.

• Priest pleads not guilty to 13 fraud, money laundering counts

[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. US$515,231 gone. Wife and children too.
   Daily Press, By LARRY O'DELL | Associated Press Writer, September 6, 2007
   RICHMOND, Va. - A Roman Catholic priest accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two Louisa County churches pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges Thursday.
   The Rev. Rodney L. Rodis waived his right to a jury trial. U.S. District Judge Richard Williams will hear the case beginning Oct. 25. The trial is expected to last three days.

• Church denies that closed, controversial school was Anglican

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Anglican Journal, by Marites N. Sison. Sep 6, 2007
   CANADA -- Grenville Christian College, a recently-closed private school in Brockville, Ont., which is facing allegations of psychological and physical abuse of its students, "has never been" an institution of the Anglican Church of Canada, according to an Anglican bishop and the chair of the school's board of directors.
   "There is no direct relationship at all between the Anglican Church of Canada and Grenville Christian College," said Canon Geoff Jackson, board chair of the school, based in eastern Ontario. "The references to it being an Anglican school are not [correct] ."
   Although he and the school's most recent headmaster, Rev. Gordon Mintz, are both Anglican, Mr. Jackson said they were in those positions in a private capacity, and not as entities of the church. Mr. Jackson said he served the Grenville board as a volunteer, while Mr. Mintz was on a leave of absence as a priest in the Kingston-based diocese of Ontario.

• Episcopal priest suspended in wake of bathroom sex charges

[June 2007 Penland*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.

   Citizen-Times, ~ September 06, 2007
   WAYNESVILLE (NC) -- An Episcopal priest with ties to Asheville has been suspended from his church job in Florida after officials there learned he was arrested this summer for seeking sex at a Waynesville park restroom.
   Father Michael Penland, 46, is charged with solicitation for crimes against nature. He is scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday.
   He was arrested in June after offering sex to an undercover police officer. Six other men where charged during the three-month operation.
   Officials at St. Gregory's Church in Boca Raton, where he was director of youth ministry, told parishioners with a note on the church's Web site that Penland is suspended.

• Judge says convicted priest can remain free despite new claim

[1967-68, 1999-2003 McGuire* (Jesuit)] - RCC. 6 countries. 3 boys.
   WBAY, Associated Press, 5:25 PM ET, September 6, 2007
   ELKHORN, Wis. (AP) - A judge says a prominent Jesuit priest convicted of molesting high school students in the 1960s can remain free on bond despite a new allegation of abuse.
   Father Donald McGuire is free on bond while he appeals his February 2006 conviction on charges that he sexually abused two students during retreats in Wisconsin in 1967 and 1968.
   Prosecutors last month sought to force McGuire to begin serving his 7-year prison sentence after a man filed a civil lawsuit claiming he was abused by him between 1999 and 2003.

• Priests Prey, Sisters Pay

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   Santa Barbara Independent, By Barney Brantingham, Thursday, September 6, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Nuns to Be Evicted: It's "wrong," Sister Angela believes, for the small Eastside convent where she's lived since 1964 to be sold to help pay for the sins of priests accused of molesting children. Sisters of Bethany have been serving the low-income neighborhood since the 1950s, but now must leave due to church scandals within the L.A. Archdiocese. "What hurts so much is what they want to use [the sale proceeds] for," Sister Superior Angela, 69, told me. "In conscience, I can't say that's right."
   Parishioners just learning about the eviction and planned sale are indignant and bitter. "Why are they having to pay the price as victims for the sins of pedophiles?" asked Sally Sanchez, a community worker. There is "a lot of anger" among people on the Eastside, people who have "been helped in one way or the other" by the nuns, said Lucy Gonzalez, whom I met on the street outside the convent on Nopal Street next to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
   "The church seems to be going after 'the little people' that have served it faithfully," charged Sister Angela's real-life sister Rosemary Escalera Gutierrez of Hacienda Heights. "Auxiliary Bishop [Thomas] Curry of Santa Barbara is residing by himself in a former convent in San Roque, an upper-crust area," she continued. "The convent there is triple the size of the Bethany Convent and is triple the value. Why not sell the more lucrative real estate that houses one individual?"

• Italian priest finds way to combine celibacy vows with love for woman

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Interfax, September 6, 2007
   ITALY, Interfax -- Italian priest Sante Sguotti, despite his vow of celibacy, has fallen in love and intends to announce publicly his being engaged.
   Remarkably, the pastor in love has been supported by over 200 members of his parish at Monterosso near Padua. At a referendum he himself arranged, they spoke in favour of his remaining to be a priest, and only 17 people plus the local bishop wanted him to leave the office, the BBC Russian Service has reported.
   His case has once again roused a debate on the obligatory vow of celibacy given by Catholic priests.
   Father Sante has related that his chosen one is called Laura and that she has a one-year-old son. The priest is not going to adopt the child, but intends to announce his engagement in the end of this year. He also stressed that their relations would remain platonic.

• Italian priest, celibacy critic, claims parishioners' support

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.
   Catholic World News, Sep. 6, 2007
   ROME, Italy (CWNews.com) - The Italian news agency ANSA is reporting that on September 4, a parish priest who had declared his love for a local woman and is alleged to have fathered her child held a vote to determine whether his parishioners support his intention to remain at the parish in Monterosso, Italy.
   While 17 parishioners agreed with the local bishop's statement that Father Sante Squotti should resign, more than 200 others voted in favor of the embattled clergyman.
   Before the vote, Father Squotti announced that he had expelled a parishioner from the church for having exposed his romantic interest. The priest admits to being in love with a woman in a "chaste way," but denies fathering her child. He and the woman, whom he has known for 8 years, are to be engaged in a ceremony this December. According to the priest, "Canon law does not forbid a priest to fall in love or become engaged in a celibate manner. I want to remain in the Church and so I will obey the celibacy rule."

• UE-Chiesa. Turco: la strategia di Monsignor Bertone: delegittimare, ricattare, distruggere

- RCC.
Radicali, ~ September 06, 2007
ITALY -- (Maurizio Turco, a leader of the Radical Party in Italy, in this Italian-language article gives his point of view on whether the European Union should investigate tax advantages given to the Vatican.) [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 6, 2007 11:12 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu September 06, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri September 07, 2007 edition:

• Former Dothan Church Leader Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault

[? 2000s Holland -NEW*] - Baptist. Guilty. Girls.

   WSFA, www.wsfa.com/ Global/ story.asp? S=7039151& nav=menu 33_3 , ~ September 7, 2007
   DOTHAN (AL) -- A Dothan church leader charged with sexually molesting young girls, pleaded guilty on Thursday.
   54 year old Earl Holland made the plea just days before he was scheduled to go on trial. Holland will serve 14 years in prison.
   All of his victims were under the age of ten, most knew him through a small church he helped lead.
   One of the victim's fathers says, "We thought we knew him very well, but during that time he was systematically preying on our children and assaulting them for his own pleasure."
   [And see "Preacher Arrested for Sexual Abuse - Dothan, Alabama," Reporter: Rayne McKenzie, March 27, 2007, WTVY-News4, http://stop baptist predators. org/article 07/earl_ holland.html

• Anglicans weigh sanctions against priest

[1970s-1997 Farnsworth -NEW*] - Anglican. Cult practices. Children.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, 3:45 AM EDT, September 7, 2007
   CANADA -- Anglican authorities have begun investigating the activities of a retired Anglican priest who was headmaster for two decades of a now-closed private Christian school where alleged abusive cult practices were carried out.
   The decision now rests with Bishop George Bruce, in whose Eastern Ontario diocese Grenville Christian College, near Brockville, is located.
   He will decide whether to inhibit - or suspend from all priestly activities - Rev. Charles Farnsworth, 71, while the investigation is carried out.
   Anglican canon law specifically allows for inhibition in disciplinary inquiries "if it appears to the bishop that great scandal is likely to arise if a priest continues to perform the duties of his or her office while a charge is under investigation … "

• Ex-teacher at South Side Catholic school is charged in 2001 sex abuse

[2001 Lofton -NEW*] - RCC. Girl.

   Chicago Tribune, By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons | 2:12 PM CDT, September 7, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A former English teacher at a Catholic school on Chicago's South Side was held in lieu of $300,000 bail this afternoon in the sexual assault case of a teenage student almost six years ago.
   Roderick Lofton, 41, was charged this week with felony criminal sexual assault against one of his students while he was a teacher at St. Dorothy School in the 7400 block of South Eberhart Avenue, police said.
   Prosecutors said during his bond hearing that Lofton befriended his 14-year-old student in 2001 and bought her a cell phone so they could talk about personal things. Lofton then allegedly began sexually assaulting the student, who came forward in 2004.

• Ex-missionary admits abuse

[2006 Hector Osorio -NEW*] - Anglican. Boy.

   The Record, www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1189149349692&call_pageid=1024322085509&col=1024322199564 ; By DIANNE WOOD, ~ September 7, 2007
   KITCHENER, Canada -- A former missionary has been jailed for 45 days for sexually touching a 12-year-old boy he met at a church.
   Hector Osorio, 56, of Kitchener, admitted to touching the boy's genitals while he was sleeping with him in the same bed at a friend's home in July, 2006.
   Kitchener's Ontario Court heard he met the boy at a church in Niagara Falls and befriended him six years ago. The boy's mother let her son live with Osorio twice for several months at a time.

• San Diego Diocese Settles Lawsuit for $200 Million

[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New < US$200m, old $US 60m. 195 victims so far.
   The New York Times, By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD, September 8, 2007
   LOS ANGELES, (CA) Sept. 7 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego agreed Friday to a settlement that would pay nearly $200 million to 144 people who have said they were sexually abused by clergy members under lax supervision from the church.
   If approved by a judge, the settlement would stand as the second-largest payout by a Roman Catholic diocese since claims of sexual abuse by clergy members nationwide came to light in 2002. In July, a judge approved a $660 million settlement, the largest so far, between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and 508 people.
   The amount each victim in San Diego would receive is expected to vary widely and will be determined by a judge. The cases involve acts from 1938 to 1993, with most in the 1960s and '70s. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 7, 2007 11:29 PM]

• Diocese to announce settlement in sexual abuse cases

[Decades - 8 priests of San Bernardino Diocese] - RCC. US$14.1m. 5 not settled. 11 minors.
   The Press-Enterprise, By Rich Brooks, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN BERNARDINO (CA) -- Officials of the Diocese of San Bernardino are gathering to announce what their prepared statement calls settlement of 11 court cases alleging sexual abuse of a minor by a priest.
   "The settlement was reached as part of the same agreement that calls for the Diocese of San Diego to settle its 144 cases for $198,125,000. San Bernardino will pay victims $15,134,552."
   The settlement covers all but five cases against the Diocese of San Bernardino, according to the announcement.
   The San Bernardino cases involve eight priests and 22 plaintiffs, said the Rev. Howard Lincoln, a spokesman for the diocese.

• Nuns Pay for Priest Sexual Abuse

[2007 L.A. Archdiocese] - RCC. Evicting nuns.
   John McKiggan's Abuse Claims Blog , for September 08, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- In a move that is sure to generate sympathy for the Church, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has stated it's intention to sell one of it's convents to help raise money to meet it's obligations under the $660 million abuse claims settlement.
   It is unfortunate and unfair that the nuns who live in the convent will have to find another place to live because of the actions of pervert priests. But, it is important to remember who is responsible for this sad state of affairs. Not the victims of sexual abuse who had their lives destroyed. It is the predator priests who sexually abused children in their parishes and those in authority in the Church that knew about the abuse, covered it up, and allowed it to continue.

• Boca Raton minister busted in bathroom sex sting

[June 2007 Penland*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.
   WPTV, Reported By: Paige Kornblue, Photographed By: Glenn Weston, ~ September 7, 2007
   BOCA RATON (FL) -- A Boca Raton priest is facing prostitution and indecent exposure charges. Police say Rev. Michael Penland of Saint Gregory's Episcopal Church was issued a citation following an undercover bathroom sex sting.
   The citation was issued in North Carolina earlier this summer Police say Penland was one of seven men cited for soliciting sex from an undercover cop in the men's restroom. It was all part of "Operation Summer heat."
   Father Andrew Sherman, Rector at Saint Gregory's Episcopal Church, couldn't believe the news Wednesday. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 7, 2007 8:17 AM]

• Grenville Christian College chair apologizes for abuse

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   CBC News, September 07, 2007
   CANADA -- The chair of a recently closed Christian boarding school in Ontario has apologized after a rash of complaints from former students about abuse at the school.
   Geoff Jackson, chairman of the board of directors of Grenville Christian College in Brockville, Ont., confirmed in an interview with the CBC late Thursday that he had issued a personal apology to the students.
   He also confirmed that the board is meeting to consider a more formal apology and possible financial compensation for the victims.

• Convicted priest avoids return to jail

[1967-68, 1999-2003 McGuire* (Jesuit)] - RCC. 6 countries. 3 boys.

   Chicago Sun-Times, BY SUSAN HOGAN/ALBACH, shogan@suntimes.com , Religion Reporter, September 7, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A Jesuit priest from Chicago criminally convicted of molesting two students remains free after a Wisconsin judge on Thursday denied a petition to revoke his bond.
   The Rev. Donald McGuire, 77, was convicted in Wisconsin last year of molesting two students in the 1960s. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and 20 years' probation, and has been jailed twice for violating probation.
   A Walworth County district attorney moved to revoke the priest's bond after learning of a new abuse allegation involving a minor. The complainant, now 21, recently filed suit in Cook County against the priest and his religious order, formally known as the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus.

• San Diego Catholic Church Reaches $198 Million Sexual Abuse Settlement

- RCC. New US$198.1m. [1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - Old US$60m. 195 victims so far. [Decades - San Bernardino Diocese] - 11 victims.
   AHN, by Jessica Pupovac - AHN Writer, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (AHN) -- The Roman Catholic Dioceses of San Diego and San Bernardino announced a settlement Friday with 144 sexual abuse victims for a total of $198.1 million. It is the second-largest legal settlement made by a diocese surrounding sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy since such scandals began erupting in the Catholic Church in 2002.
   The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed last July to a settlement on 508 cases of sexual abuse for a total of $660 million.
   The cases in the San Diego settlement go as far back as 1938 to 1993, with the majority occurring in the 1960s and 70s.

• Vatican defrocks Davenport priest convicted of child porn

[≤ 2003 Poster] - RCC. Receiving child pornography.
   Quad-Cities Online, ~ September 07, 2007
   DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges has been defrocked by the Vatican, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport said.
   Richard J. Poster pleaded guilty in August 2003 to receiving pictures of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He was sentenced in 2005 to one year in federal prison and was released later that same year.
   Poster, the former director of liturgy and publisher of the diocese's newspaper, was arrested after church computer technicians discovered images of movies of children engaged in sex acts on his church-issued laptop computer.

• Catholic church in 198 mln dlr payout to US sex abuse victims

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $US 60m. 195 victims so far.
   AFP, ~ September 07, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA), (AFP) – The Roman Catholic Church in San Diego will pay nearly 200 million dollars in damages to more than 100 people who were sexually abused by members of the clergy, officials and lawyers said Friday.
   Lawyers for dioceses of San Diego and San Bernardino and 144 victims of priest abuse thrashed out the 198.1-million-dollar settlement after protracted negotiations at the city's Federal Courthouse.
   Each victim of abuse will receive an average of 1.3 million dollars, lawyers said after the announcement, making it one of the largest settlements by the Catholic Church since the sex-abuse scandal erupted in 2002.
   "This settlement recognizes the enormous courage of the survivors and all parties hope that this settlement will bring some relief for the pain that the survivors have endured for so long," said Irwin Zalkin, an attorney representing a number of abuse victims.

• Tears, Anger Follow Church Abuse Settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $US 60m. 195 victims so far.
   NBC Sandiego, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- There was strong reaction Friday from victims of clergy sexual abuse following the announcement of a $198 million settlement by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
   The church has agreed to pay an average of $1.4 million per claimaint to 144 people who said they were abused by priests, making the payment the second-largest by any diocese. Victims expressed relief that a settlement was reached, but many said they are angry it took so long.
   "They knew all along that I'd been molested, so to put me through this is unconscionable," said Michael Bang of Atlanta.
   "What happened to us should never have happened. They knew that this priest was molesting us, and they moved him around, and let him molest other children. This should never have happened," said another woman.

• Statement from the San Diego Diocese

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $US 60m. 195 victims so far.
Union-Tribune, September 07, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA): Bishop Robert H. Brom issued a pastoral statement today on the settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits.

• Abuse Victims React to Multi-Million Dollar Church Settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   KPBS, by Alison St John, Sep 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- The San Diego Catholic Diocese today reached a settlement of nearly $200 million with victims of childhood sexual abuse by priests. The agreement would give victims an average of $1.4 million. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
   San Diego's Bishop Brom said he prayed the settlement will bring closure and healing to victims who experienced years of suffering.
   Speaking outside the federal courthouse, plaintiff Michael Bang said he was abused for seven years .
   Bang: I want to make sure that this information gets out, that the public understands that this was going on for decades -- not just a couple of years but decades -- and they moved these priests around, and they knew it was going on, and they have to take responsibility for this now.

• Diocese Settles Abuse Claims for $198M

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   The Associated Press, By ALLISON HOFFMAN, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (AP) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego agreed Friday to pay nearly $200 million to 144 people who were sexually abused by clergy members, the second-largest payment since the U.S. abuse scandal erupted five years ago.
   The $198.1 million agreement capped more than four years of negotiations in state and federal courts and came six months after the diocese filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before the first of 42 lawsuits was scheduled for trial.
   Victims expressed relief that a settlement was reached – but also anger that it took so long.
   "They knew all along that I'd been molested, so to put me through this is unconscionable," said Michael Bang of Atlanta.

• Indian residential schools agreement to go into effect Sept. 19

[Decades - Anglican, Presbyterian, United, Roman Catholic Churches] - 80,000 indigenous children.

   Anglican Journal, by Solange De Santis, ~ September 07, 2007
   CANADA -- The federal government will begin implementing the Indian residential schools settlement agreement on Sept. 19, following the end of a five-month period that allowed members of a class action to withdraw.
   As of the deadline, Aug. 20, "201 people chose to opt-out," said Valerie Haché, media representative with the federal government's Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada office. Under the terms of the settlement, it could have been stalled if more than 5,000 people had chosen to opt out of the agreement.
   It is the culmination of a process that will see compensation offered to approximately 80,000 surviving former residential school students; it also limits the liability of the Anglican, Presbyterian, United and Roman Catholic churches that ran the schools.

• US Church agrees sex abuse payout

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.

   BBC News, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- The Roman Catholic Church in San Diego, in the US state of California, has agreed to pay $198m (£97m) to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy.
   The deal reportedly followed two days of talks between the diocese, lawyers and alleged victims.
   It concludes more than four years of negotiations in the courts.

• San Diego Church agrees $198 million sex abuse deal

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Reuters, September 07, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA), (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego has settled lawsuits with 144 victims of sexual abuse by priests for $198 million, the diocese and lawyers for the victims said on Friday.
   The settlement was twice as much as the diocese offered five months ago to resolve allegations that priests and church workers molested scores of young men and women 20 or more years ago.
   But the San Diego settlement is far lower than the record $660 million that the Los Angeles archdiocese -- the largest in the United States -- agreed to pay in July to 508 plaintiffs.

• Calif. diocese to pay $198M to settle abuse cases

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   USA Today, September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (AP) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday it has agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy, the second-largest payment by a diocese.
   The agreement caps more than four years of negotiations in state and federal courts.
   Earlier this year, the diocese abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before trial was scheduled to begin on 42 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. Bankruptcy could shield the diocese's assets, but a judge recently threatened to throw out the bankruptcy case if church officials didn't reach an agreement with the plaintiffs.
   The San Diego diocese initially offered about $95 million to settle the claims. The victims were seeking about $200 million.

• Diocese to pay $198 million to settle abuse claims

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Union-Tribune, ~ September 07, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego has reached a $198.125 million settlement with 144 people who were sexually abused by Catholic priests and church workers. Story coming momentarily.
   The announcement capped marathon discussions (See story from this morning's U-T) between lawyers for the diocese and the victims, who are to receive $1.37 million each.

• San Diego diocese to pay $198 million to settle abuse claims

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   International Herald Tribune, The Associated Press, Published September 7, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA): The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday that it agreed to pay $198.1 million (€144.64 million) to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy.
   The agreement follows two days of intense talks before a federal magistrate judge between the diocese, attorneys and some of the alleged victims.
   It caps more than four years of negotiations in state and federal courts and comes six months after the diocese abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before the first of 42 lawsuits alleging sex abuse was scheduled for trial.

• Convicted Sex Offender Set Free

[1967-68, 1999-2003 McGuire* (Jesuit)] - RCC. 6 countries. 3 boys.
   TMJ4, by Erin Drew Kent, ~ September 07, 2007
   ELKHORN (WI) -- He was convicted of molesting boys and yet Father Donald McGuire is a free man.
   A jury convicted McGuire more than a year ago of molesting two young boys in Fontana. The victims alleged it happened nearly 40 years ago.
   But Judge James Carlson ruled Thursday, the renowned priest was not a threat and could continue to live in Chicago while he appeals his conviction.
   "I'm disappointed. The streets are still not safe," said one of his alleged victims. He wanted to hide his identity.

• Settlement near in San Diego sex-abuse cases?

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Catholic World News, Sep. 7, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (CWNews.com) - Lawyers for the Diocese of San Diego, California, met with attorneys for sex-abuse victims in a marathon negotiating session on September 6, amid rumors that a settlement could soon be reached to end months of legal wrangling.
   Although the negotiations being conducted before a federal magistrate have been shrouded in secrecy, the length of the Thursday-night session, coupled with the decision by a federal bankruptcy judge to postpone a hearing scheduled for earlier that day, signaled that the two sides were moving closer to an agreement.

• Diocese, abuse victims may be close to settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Monterey Herald, The Associated Press, Article Last Updated 08:38:35 AM PDT, Sep/07/2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA)–Negotiators are gathering for what may be the last hours of talks between San Diego's Roman Catholic diocese and lawyers representing people who say they were sexually abused by priests.
   The two sides met yesterday for a marathon 11-hour session before a federal magistrate judge.
   The diocese has been under increased pressure to settle after a bankruptcy judge threatened to dismiss its case if an agreement isn't struck by next Tuesday. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:25 PM]

• Muted Expectations as Benedict Heads to Austria

- RCC.

   The New York Times, By IAN FISHER, Published September 7, 2007
   ROME, Sept. 6 – For all the reverent round-the-clock coverage, a papal trip is not really aimed at the general public. Popes travel to talk to believers – and that will be the case too when Benedict XVI arrives in Austria on Friday.
   But the three-day visit to Austria, an overwhelmingly Catholic country with a strained relationship with its faith, highlights a central – and difficult – question of Benedict's papacy: Which believers, exactly, does this pope talk to?
   "We are good Catholics, of course," said Martha Heizer, vice president of We Are Church, a group that neatly symbolizes the troubles that Roman Catholicism faces in Europe. "We are in the church and stayed in the church."
   Planning for We Are Church began in Austria in 1995 and the organization has since grown into one of the largest and most vocal Catholic groups.
   The group asked, but Benedict will not meet with its leaders on this trip to discuss problems facing Austria in particular, but many other once solidly Catholic countries as well: declining Mass attendance, lingering anger over pedophilia scandals, an unmet desire for renewal of church life. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 7, 2007 10:07 AM]

• LA archdiocese to sell convent to pay for sex abuse settlement

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.

   San Jose Mercury News, www.mercury news.com/ news/ci_ 6825488 , The Associated Press, Article Launched 02:30:19 AM PDT, September/07/2007
   SANTA BARBARA, Calif.–Sister Angela Escalera has lived and worked out of the Sisters of Bethany convent for more than four decades, helping the area's poor and undocumented residents.
   At 69, she expected to live out the rest of retirement at the convent. Instead, she and the other two nuns who live there will need to find a new place to call home.
   According to a letter from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara property is being sold to help pay the bill for the church's recent multimillion-dollar priest sex abuse settlement. The nuns have until Dec. 31 to move out, though an earlier departure "would be acceptable as well."
   The letter, which is signed by Msgr. Royale M. Vadakin, the archdiocese's vicar general, thanks the nuns for their understanding and cooperation during a difficult time. Vadakin offers the nuns no recourse.

• Voice Of The Faithful

- Focuses on all faiths.
Garden City News, September 7, 2007
EAST WILLISTON (NY) -- VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL will meet on September 25th at East Williston Community Church at 7:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Peggy O'Neill, Co-Chair, Long Island Voice of the Faithful Call 742-0704 for information.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri September 07, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 08, 2007 edition:

• Padova: Prete Papa' Sul Web, Apre Il Sito Della Chiesa Cattolica Dei Peccatori

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website. 2006-07 Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

IGN, www.adnkronos. com/IGN/ Cronaca/ ?id=1.0.1284 372427 , ~ September 08, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, the parish priest who has fallen in love with a woman, has opened a Web site.) [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 8, 2007 3:09 PM]

• Local bishop to meet with former students

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Brockville Recorder and Times, ~ September 08, 2007
   CANADA -- The bishop of this region's Anglican Church diocese will meet this weekend with some former Grenville Christian College students who have alleged they were physically and mentally abused there.
   The meetings comes as the church confirmed it has opened a formal inquiry into complaints against two unnamed clergy connected with the now closed private Christian school.
   "I can confirm that there will be meetings with people who have made complaints," said Wayne Varley, diocesan executive officer with the Diocese of Ontario.
   In a statement released late Friday afternoon, Bishop George Bruce said he has received "a number of written complaints alleging misconduct against two clergy of the Diocese of Ontario, one retired and one on leave from the diocese to become headmaster of Grenville Christian College."

• Potential-witness list released for Jeffs' trial

[Decades - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.

   Deseret Morning News, By Nancy Perkins and Ben Winslow, 12:22 a.m. MDT, Sept. 8, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) – Attorneys for jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs released a long list of potential witnesses on Friday that includes family members and friends of the woman known in court filings as "Jane Doe IV."
   Jeffs is charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for his 2001 role in joining Doe, then 14, and her 19-year-old cousin together in a spiritual marriage. The bride testified during a preliminary hearing that she didn't want to marry her cousin and objected to having a "husband and wife" relationship with him.
   Fifth District Judge James L. Shumate instructed about 230 people who arrived at the Dixie Center in St. George about the jury selection process before asking them to be sworn in and fill out a questionnaire.

• Parroco 'ribelle' don Sante Sguotti sara' rimosso

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website. 2006-07 Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

ANSA, ~ September 08, 2007
ITALY -- (Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua has begun the church procedure to remove the Rev. Sante Sguotti from the parish in Monterosso. Rev. Sguotti has declared that he has fallen in love with a woman and wants to marry her.)

• San Diego diocese to settle 144 clergy sex abuse claims for $198.1M

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.

   Jurist, by Mike Rosen-Molina, 8:19 PM ET, ~ September 08, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- [JURIST] The Catholic Diocese of San Diego Friday announced an agreement to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by its clergy.
   In February, 42 clergy sex abuse cases were suspended - the night before they were scheduled to begin - after the diocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection [JURIST report].
   US Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered [JURIST report] the cases to go to trial last month, accepting arguments by plaintiffs lawyers that the move could put pressure on the diocese to settle the claims.
   The $198.1 million settlement is the second largest ever paid by a diocese.

• Farnsworth reaching out to ex-students

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Brockville Recorder and Times, By MICHAEL JIGGINS, ~ September 08, 2007
   CANADA -- The priest who ran Grenville Christian College at the time some former students have claimed they were subject to physical and psychological abuse is reaching out to those who are "hurt."
   At the same time, Reverend Charles Farnsworth insisted the portrait of the now-closed private Christian boarding school that's being painted in newspaper articles and on an Internet message board isn't accurate.
   "I'm available … there's nothing I'd rather do than give comfort to those people who are hurt," Farnsworth, a Brockville resident, said in an interview this week.
   "We've shed tears over it," he said of the abuse allegations.
   "Some of the things that have been (posted) … it's pathetic. If it happened just like they said it did, we were awful people. But I'm convinced, and I'm honest before God, the way things are put there are not the way I saw them. And other students have said, 'I never saw that'."

• Episcopal diocese releases timeline chronicling claims of sexual abuse

[40yrs Tucker*] - Episcopalian. 9 boys.

   American-Statesman, By Eileen E. Flynn, Saturday, September 08, 2007
   TEXAS -- Over the course of four decades, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and St. Stephen's Episcopal School officials were told repeatedly that the Rev. James L. Tucker had molested minors in the past but they took no action against the former St. Stephen's chaplain, according to a timeline released last week by the diocese.
   According to the timeline, an investigation this year found at least nine people – including one from Houston not publicly acknowledged until now – who claim to be victims.
   Also, for the first time since the diocese announced the allegations in May, the former head of St. Stephen's, Allen Becker, who had received allegations from students in the 1960s, has issued a public apology, saying he "should have responded differently."
   Tucker, who retired in 1994, will face charges in a church trial unless he admits guilt and agrees to resign from the ministry, diocesan official said.

• Grenville probe widens to include ex-teachers

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, 1:17 AM EDT, Saturday September 8, 2007
   CANADA -- The investigation into Grenville Christian College has widened with allegations of abuse involving former teachers - allegations that will be heard firsthand Saturday at an inquiry established by an Anglican bishop of Eastern Ontario.
   Bishop George Bruce, in whose diocese the now-closed school is located, will hear from former student Richard Van Dusen how one teacher held him down while a second teacher beat him with a heavy wooden object until his underpants were soaked with blood.
   Mr. Van Dusen, managing director of Toronto's contemporary dance company, Dancelands, said he sent the bishop a letter on Thursday recounting his experiences and received an e-mail back saying Bishop Bruce was treating it as a "formal complaint" - which in church language means a cause for a disciplinary inquiry where a bishop decides he has jurisdiction.

• Was there special treatment?

[1995-97 Mr Andrade] - RCC. Girl.

   California Catholic Daily, ~ September 08, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Bishop Tod Brown must testify about what he knew about past cases of sexual abuse in the Orange diocese, ruled a judge on Sept. 5.
   In Jan. 2005, the Orange diocese settled claims with 90 sex-abuse victims for $100 million. But retired Superior Court Judge Robert Jameson has ordered Brown to give a deposition in the first post-settlement sex abuse case, filed in July 2005, involving the diocese. A woman, "C.R. Doe," has accused former Mater Dei High School assistant coach, Jeff Andrade, of abusing her from 1995 to 1997, when she was a student.
   Mater Dei knew about the abuse in 1997, said Jan. 24 Orange County Register. But when after a five-month police investigation, Orange County prosecutors decided not to press charges against Andrade, the Santa Ana high school let Andrade resign quietly, in accord with school policy, without informing students or parents. The school's president, in a deposition, said he had no evidence of the abuse.

• Anglican school's former students tell of brainwashing, abuse

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Ottawa Citizen, by Neco Cockburn, Saturday, September 08, 2007
   CANADA -- An Anglican bishop has begun meeting with people as part of an inquiry into allegations of abusive practices at a Brockville-area private religious school that shut its doors earlier this summer.
   Grenville Christian College has faced numerous allegations since it closed at the end of July after citing changing demographics, declining enrolment and increasing operating costs.
   Former students have flooded websites and told media of allegations including physical and psychological abuse.

• Diocese Settles Abuse Claims for $198M

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.

   The Associated Press, By ALLISON HOFFMAN, ~ September 08, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA), (AP) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday it has agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy, the second-largest payment by a diocese. The agreement caps more than four years of negotiations in state and federal courts.
   Earlier this year, the diocese abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before trial was scheduled to begin on 42 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. Bankruptcy could shield the diocese's assets, but a judge recently threatened to throw out the bankruptcy case if church officials didn't reach an agreement with the plaintiffs.
   The San Diego diocese initially offered about $95 million to settle the claims. The victims were seeking about $200 million.

• San Diego Diocese Settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
Catholic Diocese of San Diego, ~ September 08, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- (English and Spanish-language statements regarding yesterday's settlement of lawsuits by the diocese can be found at this link.)

• San Bernardino Diocese settles 11 sexual-abuse cases

[8 priests of S. B. Diocese] - RCC. US$15.1m. 11 victims.
   The Press-Enterprise, By RICHARD BROOKS and CHRIS RICHARD, ~ September 08, 2007
   SAN BERNARDINO (CA) -- The Catholic Church will pay $15.1 million to 11 people who say priests abused them, according to a tentative settlement announced Friday by the Diocese of San Bernardino.
   "To the victims, I pray that the God of mercy and light will walk with you on your journey toward healing," Bishop Gerald Barnes said during a news conference. "I am so sorry."
   Barnes did not accept questions.
   The Rev. Howard Lincoln, spokesman for the diocese, called the pact an "agreement in principle," a prelude to a signed settlement. Among the details to be worked out: When and how the payments will be made.

• SB diocese to pay 11 people

[8 priests of S. B. Diocese] - RCC. US$15.1m. 11 victims.
   Daily Bulletin, By Mike Cruz, ~ September 08, 2007
   SAN BERNARDINO (CA) -- The Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino has agreed to pay more than $15 million to settle 11 cases of alleged sexual abuse of a minor by a priest, it announced Friday.
   The "agreement in principle" is its share of a massive $198 million settlement by the Diocese of San Diego to resolve the 144 cases it faces.
   Under the agreement, the diocese does not admit guilt in any of the 11 cases, which involve eight priests.

• Retaining defense lawyer in sex-abuse case made sense

[1960s-70s two priests] - Christian. 24 boys.
   Statesman Journal, By HARDY MYERS, September 8, 2007
   OREGON -- The Statesman Journal's editorial criticism of the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) for "outsourcing" defense of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by priests at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility ("Outsourcing Oregon case is bad legal advice," Aug. 8) was totally unfounded.
   Ten cases, the first filed June 9, 2003, and the others soon thereafter, alleged that two priests, while employed by the state as MacLaren chaplains, had abused 24 boys 30 to 40 years ago. One of the priests was deceased when the cases were filed. Responsibility for defending all the cases was assigned to then-Assistant Attorney General (AAG) William Tharp, a veteran member of DOJ's Trial Division.
   Defending claims of sexual abuse alleged to have occurred more than 30 years ago -- claims vehemently denied by the still-living priest -- was difficult. Tharp spent more than two years interviewing potential witnesses and reviewing thousands of pages of documents in an effort to establish the facts. Tharp also mastered the applicable law, including the statute of limitations defense that arguably barred the claims.

• Settled: $198 million

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Union-Tribune, By Sandi Dolbee and Mark Sauer, September 8, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Childhood sexual abuse victims yesterday traded decades of suffering for a $198.1 million settlement from the Catholic Church, along with repeated apologies from the San Diego bishop and assurances that the offenders' histories will be made public.
   It was an emotional, tumultuous day. There was strong reaction from parishioners and a striking debate by attorneys over whether the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego could have settled for tens of millions of dollars less had it not filed for bankruptcy six months ago.
   San Diego Bishop Robert Brom was remorseful during an afternoon news conference. "I apologize to the victims of abuse by ministers of the church in the Diocese of San Diego. I apologize, as well, to their families and friends who have been affected by these crimes and this abuse of power."

• Timeline: Catholic Church abuse scandal

[Decades amd decades - RCC in USA] - RCC. Thousands of victims.
   Union-Tribune, September 8, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- January 2002: The Boston Globe launches investigative series into allegations of Roman Catholic priests sexually abusing minors and archdiocese cover-ups in cases that go back decades.
   June 2002: As the scandal widens, U.S. bishops adopt a zero-tolerance policy.
   Then-president Bishop Wilton Gregory apologizes: "We are the ones, whether through ignorance or lack of vigilance, or, God forbid, with knowledge, who allowed priest abusers to remain in ministry and reassigned them to communities where they continued to abuse."
   January 2003: A special California law lifts the statute of limitations on civil cases for one year, allowing alleged victims to sue, regardless of how long ago the incidents occurred.

• Parishioners voice opinions on settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   Union-Tribune, By Alex Roth, September 8, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- San Diego-area Catholics had a wide variety of opinions - virtually all of them strong ones - about yesterday's news that the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego had agreed to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse for $198.1 million.
   Some were angry at the plaintiff's attorneys, others at the church hierarchy. Some worried that the settlement might ruin the church financially. Some expressed sympathy for the victims. Several were glad the sordid spectacle was finally over.
   "I think it's a just decision," said Ed Mansfield, 81, a retired Serra Mesa engineer. "I think it's really sad we had to go to this extent to get the church to stand up to its responsibility. If I were a survivor (of sexual abuse), I would want a billion dollars." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 8, 2007 8:29 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 08, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun September 09, 2007 edition:

• Jerome preacher charged with battery

[2007, Aug. 14 - Matheney -NEW*] - Presbyterian. Beat wife, removed telephone.

   Times-News, www.magic valley.com/ articles/2007/ 09/08/news/ local_state/ 120126.txt , By Cass Friedman, September 08, 2007
   JEROME (ID) -- The Rev. Ron Matheney, pastor of the historic First Presbyterian Church, preaches to large audiences on almost any subject. Last year he even gave the keynote speech at the College of Southern Idaho's Martin Luther King Jr. Day memorial.
   But Friday afternoon, in the pastor's study he restrains himself to a conspicuous silence when asked about the one subject that seems to concern him most - felony charges that he beat his now-estranged wife, Darlene.
   "It sounds bad," Matheney said. "I believe that if the truth is told it will be dropped - that is, if politics don't become involved."
   For two years, Matheney has led the 100-member First Presbyterian, a century-old brick church in downtown Jerome. On Aug. 28 the county prosecutor filed one charge of felony domestic battery alleging that Matheney caused "traumatic injury," one of felony attempted strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of removing the phone to prevent Darlene from calling police in the early morning hours of Aug. 14.

• Diocese spends almost $100,000 looking for abuse victims

[Decades - Davenport Diocese] - RCC. US$99,142 seeking complaints.
   Quad-City Times, By Ann McGlynn | Sunday, September 09, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Diocese of Davenport spent $99,142 for a mass mailing and advertising in dozens of publications and on radio to find potential sex abuse victims and anyone else with a financial claim for the diocese's bankruptcy case, according to documents filed in its bankruptcy.
   The ads were placed in national and regional papers, including the Chicago Tribune, Kansas City Star and Quad-City Times, as well as 23 small papers, such as the Newton Daily News and Tipton Conservative.
   A national news release was distributed. Notice was published in the Diocese of Davenport newspaper, as well as the publications of other Midwestern dioceses.
   Every issue of every parish bulletin also published the notice for several weeks, and announcements were made on Catholic radio stations in the area. Pastors also were required to read a letter from the bishop announcing the deadline for claims. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 9, 2007 3:06 PM]

• Facing their convent's closure

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   Los Angeles Times, By Rebecca Trounson, September 7, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- For 43 years, Sister Angela Escalera has lived and often worked out of her order's small convent on this city's east side, helping the area's many poor and undocumented residents with translation, counseling and other needs.
   Now retired and partly disabled at 69, the nun thought she would live out her days here, in the community where she is still an active volunteer and in the dwelling that was built for the order in 1952.
   But she and the other two nuns at the Sisters of Bethany house recently received word that their convent, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will be sold to help pay the bill for the church's recent, multimillion-dollar priest sex abuse settlement.
   The nuns have four months to move out, according to a letter from the archdiocese. The notice, which was dated June 28 but not received until the end of August, asked the women to vacate the property no later than Dec. 31 -- and noted that an earlier departure "would be acceptable as well." Signed by Msgr. Royale M. Vadakin, the archdiocese's vicar general, the letter offers the nuns no recourse but thanks them for their understanding and cooperation during a difficult time.

• It's hard all around

- RCC. Translating for illegals. Evicted through illegality.
   California Catholic Daily, ~ September 09, 2007
   Cardinal Mahony to sell Sisters of Bethany convent in Santa Barbara to help cover what he owes in the clergy sex-abuse settlement
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- "The pain is being spread around," said Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Los Angeles archdiocese. He referred, in an interview with the Sept. 7 Los Angeles Times, to the sale of a convent in Santa Barbara as part of the archdiocese's effort to pay its share of the $660-million settlement it reached with victims of clergy molestation.
   The convent has been the home of the Sisters of Bethany and was built for the congregation in 1952. Unlike most houses belonging to religious congregations, the convent is owned by the archdiocese, which it has been renting out to the sisters for free. The sisters themselves pay for the utilities and the upkeep.
   Three sisters live at the convent, a stucco building that includes a "warren" of rooms, said the Times, and a chapel and sits adjacent to Our Lady of Guadalupe church. In their full, blue habits and white veils and wimples, the three sisters who live at the house - Sisters Angela Escalera, 69, Consuelo Cardenas, 55, and Margarita Antonia Gonzalez, 49 - have worked with the poor and undocumented immigrants on Santa Barbara's east side with their various needs, including counseling and translation.

• Showboating cleric was there when it mattered

- RCC. [Cleary] - Father of 2. Live-in lover. [Walsh] - Minors.
   Irish Independent, ~ September 09, 2007
   IRELAND -- Father Michael Cleary was unpopular with his colleagues but was an example to them all, writes Gareth O'Callaghan
   In 1985, I was invited to go backstage during the interval of a sell-out gig so that I could meet the star of the show. He wasn't due to take front stage until well into the second half of the show and I presumed he had some time to kill.
   Tickets had sold out weeks in advance for the show in Bedfordshire, England. Fans had travelled from as far away as Coventry, Birmingham and Northampton. I'd met him before, many times, and had got to know him, professionally and personally, quite well.
   According to his fans, he was a power house of charisma and wit, with an entertainment rating of 10. He was regarded by many of the females there that night as "sexy". I was there to cover the show for the local BBC radio station where I worked at a time when to be Irish in England was about as fortuitous as being a black shoplifter in south Charleston. …
   Unfortunately, there was another side to The All Priests Show. One of its then famous cast -- convicted paedophile Tony Walsh -- became infamous for what he got up to with young children in both his presbytery and his dressing room, and he has served time for perpetrating some of the most horrific sexual abuse on minors that the courts have ever heard. Others became alcoholics and gamblers; but mostly all of them became disillusioned with trying to be a superstar and a humble priest at the same time.

• Church agrees to $15 million

[Decades - San Bernadino Diocese - 8 priests] - RCC. > US 150,000,000 dimes going. 11 victims.
   San Bernardino Sun, by Mike Cruz, Article Launched 11:11:41 PM PDT, Sep/07/2007
   SAN BERNARDINO (CA) - The Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino has agreed to pay more than $15 million to settle 11 cases of alleged sexual abuse of a minor by a priest, it announced Friday.
   The "agreement in principle" is San Bernardino's share of a massive $198 million settlement by the Diocese of San Diego to resolve the 144 cases it faces.
   Under the agreement, the diocese does not admit guilt in any of the 11 cases, which involve eight priests.
   "In one way, we may think that there is some conclusion to this sad and horrible part of the history and the life of the church of the United States and in the Diocese of San Bernardino," Bishop Gerald Barnes read from a prepared statement. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 9, 2007 8:27 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun September 09, 2007
• 'Pervert' coach's work ban lifted. [≤ 1963-81 Unnamed man] - No religion link reported. Girly.

‘Pervert’ coach’s work ban lifted

   The West Australian, www.thewest. com.au , by SEAN COWAN, p 15, Monday, September 10, 2007
   PERTH: An athletics coach who has convictions for indecently dealing with a young girl, masturbating in public, stealing women's underwear and "peeping" will be allowed to continue working with children after a Department for Community Development order to stop him was overturned.
   The man, aged in his mid-60s, was refused a "working with children assessment" earlier this year in a move that would have banned him from coaching young athletes. But he challenged the department's decision in the State Administrative Tribunal and last week won the right to continue his coaching career after it was ruled he had reformed since his last conviction in 1981.
   Judge John Chaney's judgment revealed the man was first convicted of offensive behaviour in Newcastle in 1963.
   He was convicted of the same offence in 1964 and 1966 and information provided to the tribunal suggested he was "peeping" while drunk.
   In 1977, he was given 12 months probation when he pleaded guilty to wilful exposure and stealing after being spotted masturbating in a laneway in Highgate. When questioned by police, he gave them two pairs of women's underwear he had taken off a clothesline.
   Four years later, he was found guilty of the aggravated assault of a seven-year-old girl as she slept. Police documents show he put his hands in the girl's pants while drunk. He was released on a 12-month good behaviour bond. But at the State Administrative Tribunal hearing last month, the man claimed he had not been masturbating in the lane in 1977 but had instead been urinating. He said his friends had put the underwear in his pocket.
   He also claimed he thought he had been acquitted of the 1981 charge relating to the seven-year-old girl.
   Judge Chaney said he could not take into account the man's claims of innocence because he was convicted of the offences. But he could take into account the fact the convictions were more than 20 years ago and that the man now rarely drinks alcohol.
   "These are very old convictions," Judge Chaney said. "That is a factor which works in favour of the issue of an assessment notice rather than a negative notice.
   "In this case, (the man) has effectively 'proved himself' by doing the very thing he seeks to continue to do, apparently in an exemplary manner.
   "I do not consider that the applicant … having worked with children for over 25 years without incident, now poses any appreciable risk to the best interests of children."
   A Department for Community Development spokeswoman said it had four weeks to make an appeal against the decision to the Supreme Court. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#pervert_coachs [Sep 10, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 10, 2007 edition:

• Don Sante: «La famiglia mi ha detto: fermati»

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website. 2006-07 Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

Il Gazzettino, www.gazzettino. it/Visualizza Articolo.php3? Luogo=Padova& Codice=3501745& Data=2007-09-10& Pagina=1&Hilights= Don+Sante+ Sguotti ; September 10, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, parish priest who fell in love with a woman and wants to marry, said in his Sunday sermon that his family has asked him to stop his pursuit of what he sees as church reform but he has decided to stay on the course he has chosen.) [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 10, 2007 10:57 PM]

• Cape Breton Priest Changes Story on Sexual Assault

[1987 Richard] - RCC. 4 males.

   John McKiggan's Abuse Claims Blog, for September 11, 2007
   CANADA -- Catholic priest and convicted pedophile Claude Richard has changed his story about how many times he sexually abused his victim. Richard pleaded guilty in June to assaulting the boy 20 to 30 times over a four-month period in 1987 but during his sentencing hearing Richard claimed to have had a "one night stand" with his 14 year old victim.
   Claude Richard has pleaded guilty or been convicted of dozens of charges of sexually abusing children, many of whom were altar boys in various parishes throughout Cape Breton.
   15 years ago I sued Claude Richard and his pedophile twin brother, Clair Richard on behalf of a dozen of their sexual abuse victims. During his examination for discovery Claude Richard denied, under oath, having sexually abused my clients… after he had already pleaded guilty to criminal charges of sexual assault against the same victims!
   [LOOK BACK: ~ June 11, 2007.]

• Priest in court over 40-year-old sex charge

[1970 Gregory Ferguson (Marist)] - RCC. Boy.

   ABC News, for September 11, 2007
   LAUNCESTON (Tas), Australia -- The Launceston Supreme Court has heard detailed evidence from a man who alleges he was sexually abused by a priest nearly 40 years ago.
   Gregory Lawrence Ferguson has pleaded not guilty to one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 17.
   Fergsuon was a Catholic priest and school teacher at Burnie's Marist College when the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 1970.
   The alleged victim took the stand yesterday and told the court he was sexually abused by Ferguson a number of times after being caught smoking.

• Former priest sentenced to 60 days in jail

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.

   The Post-Standard, Posted by Michele Reaves, 3:10PM, September 10, 2007
   SYRACUSE (NY) -- Former Catholic Priest Francis DeLuca will serve 60 days in jail for molesting a teenage boy in Syracuse, where he settled after retiring in Delaware.
   DeLuca, 77, at first faced only probation, but City Judge Kate Rosenthal backed out of that deal. She said it appeared DeLuca had failed to understand the consequences of his conduct.
   The judge sentenced DeLuca today to do six years' probation in addition to the jail time and declared him a Level 1 sex offender under the state's registry act.
   DeLuca offered an apology in court to his family and friends. Then he was taken into custody and sent to the Onondaga County Correctional Facility to begin his jail time.
   [LOOK BACK: June 28, 2007. ENDS.]

• Former Catholic priest sentenced for molesting boy

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   WCAX, Associated Press, 5:15 PM ET, September 10, 2007
   SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - A 77-year-old former Catholic priest was sentenced today in Syracuse to 60 days in jail for repeatedly molesting a teenage boy.
   City Judge Kate Rosenthal also ordered Francis DeLuca to serve six years of probation in addition to the jail time and declared him a Level 1 sex offender under New York's registry act. DeLuca at first faced only probation, but Rosenthal backed out of that deal, saying DeLuca didn't appear to understand the consequences of his conduct.
   DeLuca offered an apology in court to his family and friends before he was taken into custody and sent to Onondaga County Correctional Facility to begin his jail time. DeLuca, who pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, could have faced up to two years in prison.

• SF Catholic Diocese Sued Again

[< & > 1965 MacArthur] - RCC. 2 more girls.
   Keloland, www.keloland. com/News/ NewsDetail 6371.cfm? Id=0,60822 , ~ September 10, 2007
   SIOUX FALLS (SD) -- The Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese is the subject of another lawsuit because of alleged molestation by former Priest Bruce MacArthur.
   Two women are now suing the Sioux Falls and Milwaukee Diocese for covering up the fact MacArthur is a pedophile.
   Letters show the diocese transferred MacArthur from Sioux Falls to Milwaukee in 1965 after reports of abuse in Sioux Falls. The two women say MacArthur then molested them.

• Retired Priest Sentenced for Molestation

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   The Associated Press, ~ September 10, 2007
   SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) – A retired Catholic priest was sentenced to 60 days in jail Monday for repeatedly molesting a teenage boy years after he was dismissed from public ministry over earlier allegations of sexual abuse in Delaware.
   Francis DeLuca, 77, at first faced only probation, but City Judge Kate Rosenthal backed out of that deal, saying DeLuca did not appear to understand the consequences of his conduct. He began his sentence immediately.
   DeLuca pleaded guilty in June to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for molesting the boy from 2002, when the victim was 13, and [? "to"] 2005, when he was 16.

• The secret life of Michael Cleary (entertainer, radio show host, father of two… and priest)

[Cleary] - RCC. Father of 2, live-in lover.

   The Independent, By David McKittrick, for September 11, 2007
   IRELAND -- Father Michael Cleary was one of the greatest communicators the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has known, a man who could reach out to young people in a unique manner, the epitome of a young person's priest.
   He went round Ireland singing and playing guitar. He chain-smoked and told slightly racy jokes about nuns. He put across the message that religion need not be staid and stuffy and pious.
   "You can kiss a nun once, you can kiss a nun twice, but you mustn't get into the habit," he would quip during a clerical cabaret act, put on by himself and other priests for rapt, giggling audiences. …
   After years in the media limelight, Fr Cleary died in 1993. But all Ireland is once again talking about him following a fascinating RTE television documentary which pictured him at home with his live-in lover and one of their two children.

• San Diego Settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.

CBS 2, ~ September 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- CBS 2 interviewed a clergy abuse survivor in San Diego.

• Diocesan officials testify in trial over alleged kickbacks

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   Catholic Online, By Nancy Erikson, Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com), Sep/10/2007
   CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNS) - Even though a former assistant treasurer for the Cleveland Diocese is the one on trial in U.S. District Court for an alleged kickback scheme involving church money, observers are getting a look at the financial operations of the diocese.
   Anton Zgoznik, 40, a certified public accountant, has been on trial since Aug. 20 for allegedly paying money to former diocesan chief financial officer Joseph Smith in return for business from the diocese for consulting work.
   Zgoznik is charged with 15 felony counts including conspiracy, mail fraud and obstructing tax laws. Smith also is facing 23 similar charges and his trial is expected to begin after Zgoznik's concludes.
   Federal officials allege that the diocese paid $17.5 million to Zgoznik's firms for computer, accounting and financial work between 1996 and 2003. The government charges that Zgoznik's companies then paid $784,000 in kickbacks to Smith's companies.

• Parishioners React To Church Sex Abuse Deal

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.
   NBC Sandiego, ~ September 10, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- On the first Sunday since the Diocese of San Diego settled a huge sex abuse lawsuit, the reaction outside Catholic churches was mixed.
   The diocese announced Friday that it will pay nearly $200 million to victims sexually abused by priests. The settlement will pay an average of $1.75 million per person to 144 victims are named in the lawsuit in San Diego and San Bernardino..
   On Friday, San Diego's Bishop Robert Brom offered a public apology and at mass today a letter from the bishop was given to many parishioners.
   Outside Catholic churches in San Diego reaction was mixed.

• Lawyer defends sex attack priest

[1972-86 Pidoto*] - RCC. 4 boys + 3 others.

   Herald Sun, www.news.com. au/heraldsun/ story/0,21985, 22396480- 2862,00.html , by Kate Uebergang, September 11, 2007
   MELBOURNE (Vic), Australia -- A CATHOLIC priest found guilty of sexually assaulting boys over a 14-year period had done "so much good" as well as causing harm, his lawyer told a court yesterday.
   Terrence Melville Pidoto, 62, had performed his duties as a priest and been a close friend to many, the court heard.
   "He is a man who has obviously lost a lot of his reputation and self-esteem," lawyer Ian Polak told a pre-sentence hearing.
   The County Court heard the former priest, who maintains his innocence, had made reference to "his feelings of guilt and the need to make up for the harm that has occurred" to a psychiatrist. [… ]
   Pidoto was ordained into the priesthood in 1971 and worked in Heidelberg, Box Hill North and Kilmore during the 1970s and early 1980s.
   In July Pidoto was found guilty by a jury of 11 charges, including one count of rape, one count of b*ggery and seven counts of indecent assault.
   His four victims were aged between 14-16 at the time of the offences, which took place between 1972-86. [… ]
   [LOOK BACK: See July 18, 2007 newsitems. ENDS.]

• VOTF National Survivor Support Working Group Statement on San Diego Settlement

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.

   Voice from the Desert, ~ September 10, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- With the news of the San Diego settlement, we take a twin breath of both active concern and sadness.
   First, in solidarity and with concern for them, we salute the courage of the survivors of the San Diego settlement and their steadfast dignity when they were used as ploys and pawns in a game of bankruptcy brinkmanship.
   We express unremitting sorrow that our Church had to be pushed by the civil authorities into the arena of justice.
   We eagerly hope the push extends into a wide arc of openness of financial accountability as a sign of respect for those who paid the diocese's bills for generations and those who continue their financial contributions to the Church.

• Surviving The High Holidays: Jewish Survivors of Incest and Childhood Sexual Abuse

- Judaism.
   The Awareness Center, ~ September 10, 2007
   For many the high holidays are a time of year filled with wonderful memories of families getting together. Unfortunately, for survivors of childhood abuse (emotional, physical and sexual abuse), this can be a time for painful memories to reemerge. When this happens a survivor may find it safer to retreat, then to participate in holiday functions. It is important for each individual survivors to find what works best for them to stay emotionally healthy. It is vitally important each person to be kind to themselves with what ever decisions you make regarding holiday services. We all need to respect their decisions, especially if they decide not to participate.
   If you know someone who is a survivor of childhood abuse, it might be a good idea to check up on them a few times over the holidays. Make sure survivors have invitations to meals. If they say no, it is important to let them know they can always change their mind and come at the last minute.

• Spokane diocese bankruptcy lawyers seek closed proceedings on fees

- RCC. [Decades - Spokane Diocese] - US$37m due. Many children. [~ 2006-07 Lawyers] - Seeking > US$10m.
KPAX, Associated Press, 8:35 AM ET, September 10, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Bankruptcy lawyers who have billed the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane are asking that proceedings on their fees be closed to the public. At issue is more than ten million million dollars the lawyers are seeking for their work. The case stems from a $48 million settlement to resolve claims of sexual abuse by priests decades ago.

• Chicago archbishop installs pastor to replace convicted McCormack

[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. Admitted. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
   ABC 7, September 9, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- Francis Cardinal George installed a new pastor Sunday to replace Fr. Daniel McCormack, who is now a convicted child molester.
   Cardinal George, the archbishop of Chicago, attended St. Agatha Church on the West Side for mass. Fr. Larry Dowling succeeds McCormack.
   In July, McCormack pleaded guilty to abusing five boys and was sentenced to five years in prison.

• Many in Austria cold to papal visit

- RCC. > 500,000 have left since 1995 exposures.

   One News Now, Associated Press Staff Reports, September 9, 2007
   VIENNA, Austria - A larger-than-life image of Pope Benedict beams down at passers-by from billboards around Vienna. But few Austrians are smiling back.
   Even in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, apathy and hostility -- the fallout of clergy sex scandals and a highly unpopular church tax -- greeted the pope when he arrived Friday for a three-day visit.
   The Archdiocese of Vienna promises a "fresh wind" from Benedict's pilgrimage. But Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the nation's top Catholic cleric, concedes that many Austrians' ardor has cooled. But he says "now, more than ever, our society needs the gospel."
   More than a half-million people have formally renounced their affiliation since 1995, when the Austrian church was rocked by allegations that a late cardinal molested youths at a monastery in the 1970s.

• Boca priest resigns, congregation forgives

[June 2007 Penland*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.

   WPTV, Reported by: Danielle Dubetz, Photographer: Bruno Giglio, ~ September 10, 2007
   BOCA RATON (FL) -- A priest charged with soliciting a man for sex in a public restroom became the focus of today's sermon at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Boca Raton.
   Father Michael Penland was the Director of Youth Ministries at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church.
   Those who heard Sunday's message said they're concerned about the charges but they're focusing on what they believe, is their most central value as Christians.
   People lifted their voices but some left with heavy hearts after hearing news Father Michael Penland was charged with soliciting a man for sex in a North Carolina public rest room.

• Priest abused boys over 10 years: court

[1972-86 Pidoto*] - RCC. 4 boys + 3 others.
   Sydney Morning Herald, 4:34PM, September 10, 2007
   MELBOURNE (Vic), Australia -- A Catholic priest, who sexually abused four boys over a period of more than 10 years, took one of his victims to Melbourne's Corpus Christi seminary to perform sex acts, a court has heard.
   Terence Melville Pidoto, 62, was initially charged with sex crimes in 1999 and spent 15 months in custody before charges were dropped when a victim could not face giving further evidence.
   But, on July 18, Pidoto was found guilty in the Victorian County Court of one count of rape, four counts of indecent assault on a male under 16, one count of b*ggery, one count of assault occasioning in actual bodily harm, one count of gross indecency and three counts of indecent assault.
   He will be sentenced on September 17.

• No longer performing child-bride marriages?

- Polygamist sects.
   Deseret Morning News, By Ben Winslow, Published 12:18 a.m. MDT, Sept. 9, 2007
   UTAH -- Perhaps as a result of the prosecution of Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs, other polygamist sects in Utah are no longer performing child-bride marriages.
   If, as some church members contend, they ever performed them at all.
   "We've had polygamous sects say, 'We will not do child-bride marriages,"' Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told the Deseret Morning News.
   The attorney general said he recently had members of one polygamist group sit in his office and say they will not allow anyone under 18 to marry in their church.
   "Much of this prosecution involves children," Shurtleff said. "That's what prosecutors are scrutinizing. Not the practice of polygamy, but involving children."

• Frustration, then relief as two sides struck deal

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.
   Union-Tribune, By Sandi Dolbee, September 9, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- It was all over except the shouting.
   The $198.1 million settlement of childhood sexual abuse lawsuits against the San Diego Catholic diocese was just a nod or two away when some of the dozens of attorneys for the victims began to argue among themselves over what their clients should receive.
   Guy Lowry, who said he was repeatedly sodomized decades ago at a Catholic orphanage in Mission Valley, felt himself growing more and more distressed as he watched tensions mount Thursday night inside a federal courtroom.
   "I told every single one of those people off," Lowry said. "I got up and walked out."
   It had been nearly eight hours since the marathon mediation session monitored by Magistrate Judge Leo Papas began at noon.

• View from pews is mixed

- RCC pewfillers still paying and praying.
   Union-Tribune, By Maureen Magee, September 10, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- They knelt in prayer, took Holy Communion and put cash in the offering baskets. Just as they always do.
   But two days after the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego settled sexual abuse claims for $198.1 million, parishioners who attended Mass yesterday expressed a mix of reactions - confusion, anger and perhaps most predominantly, relief.
   "I'm thankful it's over," said attorney Chris Hulburt, a La Jolla resident and longtime member of St. Brigid Parish in Pacific Beach.
   While many priests did not address the settlement during services yesterday, the Rev. John P. Dolan, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Chula Vista, devoted his 15-minute homily to it at the 5 p.m. Mass.
   "This is an opportunity for the church to turn the page and see a light, however faint, and things can only become better through this," Dolan said. "We might not understand why, but this is a cross we are all called to carry."

• Church's path to penance is chided

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.
   Union-Tribune, By Greg Moran and Mark Sauer, September 10, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- It was February, just a handful of days before the start of Lent, the most sacred time of the year for Roman Catholics around the world. But in San Diego, leaders of the Catholic diocese were preoccupied with a looming crisis in the secular world of the courts:
   Settle 144 cases of child sexual abuse by clergy for perhaps $1 million or more each. Or go to trial, where details of abuse and efforts over several decades to cover it up - as alleged in court documents - would come to light.
   San Diego Catholic Bishop Robert Brom and his advisers chose a third way: Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection.
   It was the best method, Brom would tell his nearly 1 million parishioners, to provide "fair and equitable compensation for all of the victims of abuse without disrupting the core mission of the church."
   Now, more than six bruising months later, the decision is widely seen as nearly disastrous for the diocese.

• Sex-abuse scandal draws protesters to Centerville parish

[1994-2001 Miceli] - RCC. Driver heckles reformers. Transferred offenders.
   Cape Cod Times, By ROBERT GOLD, September 10, 2007 CENTERVILLE (MA) – The driver slowed her car and shouted at the small crowd outside Our Lady of Victory Parish.
   "Get a life," the woman yelled at Paul Kendrick and six other demonstrators shortly before the 11:30 Mass at the Roman Catholic church.
   Kendrick and many of the demonstrators often travel to churches around Massachusetts, targeting priests they say played some role in the Catholic sex-abuse scandal.
   Yesterday, they handed out leaflets rallying against the Rev. Paul Miceli, a Mass assistant at the Centerville church.

• Roses & raspberries

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m, old $60m. 195 victims so far.
   North County Times, September 10, 2007
   The 'Sermon on the Amount' award
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A raspberry to Bishop Robert Brom of the Roman Catholic Church in San Diego County for drawing out the painful and embarrassing priest sex scandal for years longer than he needed to and tying up the courts with a bogus bankruptcy case.
   On Friday, the Diocese of San Diego agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 separate childhood sexual abuse claims. That figure is twice as much as the diocese originally offered. The diocese also agreed to withdraw its bankruptcy case and release church documents about priest abuse. There aren't any real winners in this. The best that can be said is that the legal battle is over. The victims' pain, however, will endure.

• Cardinal faces abusive priest's congregation

[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. Admitted. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
   Chicago Sun-Times, BY STEFANO ESPOSITO / sesposito@suntimes.com , September 10, 2007
   CHCIAGO (IL) -- Cardinal Francis George faced the mostly African-American congregation at St. Agatha Catholic Church on Sunday morning and thanked them for their patience during "that terrible tragedy of sexual abuse."
   It was the first time George had addressed the congregation since St. Agatha's former pastor, Daniel McCormack, was sentenced July 2 to five years in prison for molesting boys.
   "I'm grateful to you and proud to be your bishop," George said, prompting applause from the audience. "I thank you also for your patience as we have tried to figure out where were the betrayals, what went wrong."

• Former Delaware priest to be sentenced today in N.Y.

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   The News Journal, Posted 7:36 am, Monday, September 10, 2007
   SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A retired Delaware priest is to be sentenced today for molesting a Syracuse teen over a period of about four years.
   The Rev. Francis G. DeLuca faces a maximum of two years for abusing the teen, who told his parents what was happening last October.
   DeLuca was arrested, confessed to police, then pleaded guilty to all five charges - one count of second-degree sexual abuse, and two counts each of third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child - in June. All of the charges are misdemeanors.

• Protesters demand Cape Cod priest's apology

[1994-2001 Miceli] - RCC. Transferred offenders.
   The Boston Globe, By Peter Schworm | September 10, 2007
   CENTERVILLE (MA) -- A small group of lay activists and victims of clergy abuse held a morning protest outside a Cape Cod church yesterday and called for a high-ranking church leader to apologize for his role in allegedly reassigning accused priests during the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.
   The protesters, who included members of Voice of the Faithful and other grassroots and victims' groups, held signs with photographs of sexual abuse victims from when they were children in front of Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville, where the Rev. Paul E. Miceli is a part-time priest.
   Miceli was the former secretary of ministerial personnel for the Archdiocese of Boston under former archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law, and a member of his Cabinet from 1994 to 2001. Protesters accused Miceli of helping to cover up the clergy scandal by transferring accused priests to other parishes, and demanded he tell the truth about his participation in the crisis. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 10, 2007 8:10 AM]

• Vatican Spokesman: Austria Is Closer to the Pope

- RCC.

   Zenit, SEPT. 10, 2007
   VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org).- After Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Austria, there is a new closeness between the Church there and the Bishop of Rome, says a Vatican spokesman.
   Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, spoke of the Pope's trip to Austria that ended Sunday.
   The spokesman recalled difficulties suffered by the Church in Austria, including accusations of sexual abuse, the closing of a seminary, and the work of anti-Church groups. He said the objective of the Pope's trip was to restore faith to Austrian Catholics.
   "I think the Church in Austria, which loves the Holy Father, was decidedly pleased," Father Lombardi said. "It showed faithful and decided participation above all in Mariazell, but also yesterday in St. Stephen's Square."
   [COMMENT: The fact that more than 500,000 Austrians have left that Church in the past 12 or so years (newsitem dated September 9, 2007) gives us a better idea than the words of a Vatican spokesperson. ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 10, 2007
• Music teacher pleads guilty to groping girl. [≤ 2003 Uren] - No religion link reported. 3 girls.

Music teacher pleads guilty to groping girl

   The West Australian, www.thewest. com.au , by ROY GIBSON, p 15, Tuesday, September 11, 2007
   PERTH: Just minutes before he was to stand trial, a 41-year-old music teacher pleaded guilty yesterday to indecently dealing with a teenage pupil on a school group trip to Britain.
   When the group was flying back from London, Bevan Malcolm Uren indecently dealt with the girl.
   Uren, a well-known musician and conductor, was remanded in custody yesterday and warned by District Court judge Roger Macknay that he was likely to be jailed after he pleaded guilty to four charges of indecently dealing with the girl in July 2003.
   Uren worked as a music teacher in various schools but was dismissed in August 2005. In previous court appearances, Uren denied the charges and attempted to have his name suppressed. On occasions, friends have helped smuggle him out of court buildings.
   Prosecutor Barren Renton said a group of adults and female students made the tour to Britain.
   On the flight back from London to Kuala Lumpur, Uren kissed and indecently touched the girl.
   Mr Renton said it was more than a year before the girl reported the matter to the school. When Uren was interviewed by the police, he denied committing any indecent acts. Later, Uren begged the girl to take back what she had said in her statement.
   Defence lawyer Max Crispe said that Uren had a lifelong interest in music and was an excellent teacher. The offences occurred at an unhappy time of his life as his marriage had broken up some months before the trip.
   The court was also told yesterday that, if the trial had gone ahead, the prosecution planned to call two other girls to testify that Uren had conducted himself in a similar manner on previous trips.
   Judge Macknay remanded Uren in custody for pre-sentence and psychological reports.
   Outside court, the victim said that three years of anguish might have been avoided if Uren had the "moral fibre" to admit his guilt from the start.
   She also accused the school involved of doing more to protect its image than helping the welfare of its students.
   "Today has brought me some closure," she said. "However, the psychological effects that it has had on myself and my family and friends will not be easily or quickly forgotten." #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#music_teacher [Sep 11, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue September 11, 2007 edition:

• Priest pleads guilty to molesting girl

[2002 de Maupeou -NEW*] - RCC. Girl.

   The Gazette, www.canada. com/montreal gazette/ news/story. html?id=b9b dcee3-298e- 46b5-9b94-412 f04619395 ; ~ September 11, 2007
   CANADA -- Philippe de Maupeou, an activist Montreal priest in Montreal's Plateau Mont Royal district, pleaded guilty yesterday to sexual touching of a girl under the age of 10 during a camping trip in the Lanaudière region in 2002.
   De Maupeou, 47, entered his plea at the Joliette courthouse to one count of sexual touching. The crime carries no minimum sentence but a maximum of 10 years in prison, his lawyer, Yves Duceppe, said yesterday.
   The incident occurred when de Maupeou, who was administrator of the Immaculée Conception parish, took children on an outing to a summer camp near St. Alphonse Rodriguez.

• Victims' group: Documents show Mexican cardinal knew of sexual abuse before priest sent to US

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

   International Herald Tribune, The Associated Press, September 11, 2007
   MEXICO CITY: A victims' group said Tuesday that newly released documents support its claim that Mexico's most prominent cardinal knew a Mexican priest was suspected of molesting children but transferred him to the United States anyway.
   The group, Survivor's Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, made public written correspondence between Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony. It also released a 1986 Mexican police report in which witnesses alleged the suspect spent the night with young boys while working as a priest in the central state of Puebla.
   The documents were part of Rivera's defense in a lawsuit filed against him in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleges he and Mahony conspired to protect the suspect, the Rev. Nicolas Aguilar. SNAP represents the victim named in the lawsuit, Joaquin Aguilar Mendez, who is no relation to the accused priest.

• Diocese investigates abuse claims

[Years - ? Farnsworth*, and another clergyman*] - Anglican. Cult practices. Children.

   Anglican Journal, by Marites N. Sison, Sep 11, 2007
   CANADA -- The Anglican diocese of Ontario has launched an investigation into allegations of psychological and physical abuse involving two of its priests, one of whom served as headmaster for 20 years at Grenville Christian College, a recently-closed private school in Brockville, Ont., in eastern Ontario.
   George Bruce, the diocesan bishop, said he has received a number of written complaints from former Grenville students about two clergy, "one retired, and one on leave from the diocese to become headmaster of Grenville Christian College."
   The church denies that Grenville was an Anglican school, but former students dispute this, citing the frequent attendance at school ceremonies by senior Anglican dignitaries, the former headmasters who were Anglican clergy and compulsory Anglican worship in the school's chapel. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 11, 2007 10:02 PM]

• Advocates for sex-abuse victims seeks place at Pope John Paul II memorial

- RCC.

   The Arizona Republic, by Nikki Renner, Sept. 11, 2007
   PHOENIX (AZ) -- An organization that helps victims of sexual abuse by priests delivered a letter to the Phoenix Diocese on Tuesday seeking permission to speak at a memorial for Pope John Paul II.
   The organization, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, wants to have one or two sexual abuse victims speak at the memorial service about how John Paul II took steps to address sexual abuse by priests in the church.
   "We want to be here (at the memorial) because we thought he (Pope John Paul II) was a man who did speak out against the crimes of the church," Ken Babb, Phoenix director of the organization, said as he stood outside the doors of the diocese on Tuesday.
   Babb said that when victims speak out, it encourages other victims to come forward too. He also wants people to know that there is more the Catholic Church can do for the victims of sexual abuse by priests.

• Pastor Sexually Abused by Another Pastor: Proves Lessons of Sexual Abuse

[1990s +? - Cook*] - Church of God. 47 charges.

   John McKiggan's Abuse Claims Blog, for September 12, 2007
   CANADA -- Mike Lewis, Pastor of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove, released a statement confirming he was one of the boys whom Shrewsbury Church of God pastor Sandy Martin Cook is charged with sexually assaulting over a decade ago.
   Cook is charged with three counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust and 44 counts of third-degree sexual assault.
   "For 13 years I have hidden this secret in the deepest part of my being, never to let it out," Lewis said in a public statement. "Over these past years I have shared this secret with no one. Not my wife, parents, family or leaders."

• Loveland pastors face civil suit for failing to disclose abuse

- Baptist. [2006 3 pastors*]- Didn't report molester. [2005 Mr Lavertu*] - Male.

   The Coloradoan, BY SARA REED, SaraReed@coloradoan.com , September 11, 2007
   LOVELAND (CO) -- A civil suit has been filed against three Loveland pastors for failing to disclose alleged sexual abuse by a church member.
   In July, pastors Jim Rice, Thad Gunderson and Eric Mowen of Gateway Baptist Church were charged with misdemeanors for failing to report a series of alleged sexual assaults by Paul Lavertu, a member of the church. Those alleged assaults date back to 2005, according to police.
   Today, Jim Avery filed a civil suit against the three pastors for failing to report the abuse to police when they became aware of it. Avery represents the parents of a 10-year-old boy who was allegedly assaulted by Lavertu in early July, after the pastors became aware of the past alleged incidents.
   "The pastors were still in a position to stop the abuse," Avery said.

• Don Gelmini, 50 le denunce per abusi

[Gelmini*] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

Corriere della Sera, ~ September 11, 2007
ITALY -- (At leat 50 people have now accused the Rev. Pierino Gelmini of sexual abuse. The priest operates a chain of drug addiction rehabilitation centers.)

• «Ho ricevuto segnalazioni di preti pedofili»

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website. 2006-07 Celibate has girlfriend Laura.
   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 11, 2007
   ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, a parish priest in the Padua diocese, said some priests and lay people have spoken to him recently about priests who sexually abused children.
   (Two of the accused are still in ministry although some incidents happened years ago, he said. Rev. Sguotti recently went public with his love for a woman who he wants to marry.)

• Child Sex Charges Dropped Against Lakewood Pastor

[1992-94 pastor] - Christian. Girl and boy.

   CBS 4, ~ September 11, 2007
   LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- Criminal charges have been dropped against a Lakewood pastor accused of sexually assaulting two children in his wife's home day care at least a dozen years ago.
   Jefferson County prosecutors say they didn't have enough evidence to proceed with the case against Stephen Heese, 40.
   An affidavit says a 17-year-old girl and her 20-year-old brother told authorities last year that they had been assaulted between 1992 and 1994. The girl told an official at her school, who in turn told police.

• Priest trial aborted

[1970 Ferguson (Marist)] - RCC. ? boy.

   ABC, September 11, 2007
   AUSTRALIA -- The trial of a Catholic Priest accused of a sex offence against a student has been aborted.
   The Judge dismissed the jury in the Criminal Court in Launceston this afternoon after an emotional outburst from a witness.
   70-year-old Gregory Lawrence Ferguson has pleaded not guilty to one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 17.
   He was a Catholic Priest and school teacher at Burnie's Marist College when the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 1970.

• Lakewood pastor's sex-assault charges tossed

[Heese] - Christian. 4 charges. Children.

   Rocky Mountain News, September 11, 2007
   COLORADO -- Jefferson County prosecutors have dismissed charges of sexual assault on children against a Lakewood minister after they concluded they didn't have enough evidence to proceed with a trial.
   Prosecutors dropped the charges Thursday, Pam Russell, a Jefferson County district attorney spokeswoman, said Monday.
   Stephen Heese, 40, had been facing two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and two other counts of sexual assault on a child while showing a pattern of abuse.

• Zimbabwe archbishop Ncube resigns

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   ANSA, September 11, 2007
   VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken opponent of President Robert Mugabe and the central figure in a recent sex scandal in his country.
   Last July, state-owned media in Zimbabwe published poor quality pictures which it said showed the 61-year-old archbishop of Bulawayo in bed with a married woman.
   Ncube opposed the re-election of Mugabe in 2005 and after the polls he accused the president of rigging the vote in order to extend his 25-year stretch in power.

• Don Giovanni Brusegan

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website. 2006-07 Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

Il Gazzettino, ~ September 11, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Giovanni Brusegan, a senior official in the Padua diocese, has called on the Rev. Sante Sguotti to turn away from his present course of action. Rev. Sguotti has fallen in love with a woman and wants to marry while remaining a priest. The bishop has removed Rev. Sguotti from ministry but Rev. Brusegan noted Rev. Sguotti celebrated Mass this past weekend. Rev. Brusegan blamed Rev. Sguotti's actions on moral relativism.)

• Pope Accepts Zimbabwean Prelate's Resignation

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Zenit, SEPT. 11, 2007
   VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org).-- Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
   Archbishop Ncube of Bulawayo, 60, said in a press statement issued today that the Vatican accepted a request he made in July to leave office, the Catholic Information Service of Africa reported.
   The resignation follows allegations publicized by state-run media that the archbishop had an adulterous affair.

• Breaking: OC Diocese Lawyers Seek to Seal Bishop Brown Deposition

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [2007 Bp Brown] - Keeping evidence secret.

   Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano 3:15 PM, September 11, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Over the weekend, attorneys with the firm of Manly, McGuire & Stewart deposed former Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Norman McFarland and current bishop Tod D. Brown as part of the firm's ongoing lawsuit against the Orange Diocese, Mater Dei High School, and former boy's basketball coach Jeff Andrade (click here for the Weekly's coverage of the lawsuit).
   Now, sources tell the Weekly that lawyers for the Orange diocese successfully convinced a judge to stop Brown's deposition midway through his testimony and obtained a temporary sealing order.
   On Thursday, they'll seek to turn the "temporary" label on the deposition into "permanent."
   All of this begs the obvious question: what did Bishop Brown reveal that would make him break No. 5 of His Excellency's much-ballyhooed Covenant with the Faithful? For those of you who forgot the theses, here it is:
   "We will be open, honest and forthright in our public statements to the media, and consistent and transparent in our communications with the Catholics of our Diocese."

• Where do we go from here? Just keep telling the stories. A good place to start is "Sacrilege" by Leon Podles

- New BOOK.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 11, 2007
   Around mid-July the tone of this blog changed as I began reading a new book "Sacrilege" by former federal investigator Leon Podles. A few chapters in and I began to see obvious patterns in pedophile priest rape crime across the country.
   The more I read the more I realized, in city after city for the last half century kids in Catholic churches were raped, perpetrators were enabled to continue raping, victims and victims' families were shut up. And most astonishing, bishops and other hierarchy lied many times under oath, or conveniently forgot, and documents disappeared.
   The way the pattern of crime is laid out in "Sacrilege" the logical next step from here should be federal indictments and Senate hearings to expose the reasons these crimes were able to continue for more than 50 years in the United States.
   "Sacrilege" came out September 1st (for more information see the left column of this blog). Reading the book you get blatant proof that these crimes are not just about "a little fondling." In case after case priests whispered to children that the sex acts they were doing were a kind of religious rite of passage. In more than one case children's murders go unsolved.

• Mugabe critic resigns over sex case

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Al Jazeera, ~ September 11, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Pius Ncube, a prominent Zimbabwean archbishop and critic of the country's president Robert Mugabe, has resigned two months after being implicated in a sex scandal that he says is an "attack" engineered by the government.
   The move comes after Zimbabwean state-run media published photos in July allegedly showing Ncube in bed with a woman who was married to one of his parishoners.
   However Ncube, the head of the Catholic church in the Bulawayo diocese, insisted he had "not been silenced by the crude machinations of a wicked regime."

• The costs of church scandal

- RCC. "Wolves in shepherds' clothing."

   Los Angeles Times, September 11, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Obviously, the principal victims of abuse by the Catholic clergy are the members of the faithful, many of them children, who were betrayed by wolves in shepherds' clothing. But the civil lawsuits that have provided those victims with a measure of compensation also create collateral damage, even when steps are taken to protect core church activities.
   Insurance policies provide the church with only some of the resources it needs to settle these claims. The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, which on Friday agreed to pay nearly $200 million to victims of sexually abusive priests and church workers, said it will defray much of the rest of the costs through loans and the sale of assets. A diocesan official said there were no plans to close parishes or schools, but Bishop Robert Brom conceded that there will be "some damaging consequences for the mission of the church in this diocese."
   The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which has agreed to pay $764 million to victims of abuse, has engaged in similar damage control, saying it will sell off non-parish property, including its administrative headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard. But an affecting article last week by Times staff writer Rebecca Trounson demonstrated that sales of "assets" can have human consequences.

• Retired priest's jailing stirs man's emotions

[1960s A priest] - RCC. Altar boy.
   The Post-Standard, By Jim O'Hara, Tuesday, September 11, 2007
   SYRACUSE (NY) -- Mike Schulte appeared to be struggling to hold back tears and keep his anger in check as he stood outside a Syracuse City Court room Monday afternoon.
   He had nothing to do with the case that had just been heard inside. But he had made the trip to Syracuse from Virginia hoping for some closure in his own life.
   After all, the man who was being sentenced by Judge Kate Rosenthal was the retired Roman Catholic priest Schulte says molested him when he was just a 13-year-old altar boy in Delaware back in the 1960s.

• Jury selection begins in trial of one of America's 10 Most Wanted

[Decades - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.
   Canada.com , by Daphne Bramham, CanWest News Service, Published: Monday, September 10, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – Jury selection for the trial of Warren Jeffs – one of America's 10 Most Wanted – has entered its second phase.
   Eleven of the 230 potential jurors were interviewed in Judge James Shumate's chambers Monday by lawyers for the state and for Jeffs, the so-called prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
   Jeffs is charged in Utah with two counts as an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl. Jeffs is alleged to have forced the girl to marry her 19-year-old first cousin and then counselled the husband to impregnate her. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge is life in prison.

• Parishioner Reaction

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
Fox 6, ~ September 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Local Catholics are speaking out after the Diocese of San Diego settled with victims of sexual abuse for nearly $200 million. FOX6's Jenny Hamel has the story.

• Pope accepts resignation of Archbishop Ncube

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Vatican Information Service, ~ September 11, 2007
   OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
   VATICAN CITY -- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, presented by Archbishop Pius Alick Ncube, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

• Pope OKs resignation of Zimbabwe archbishop accused of having affair with woman

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   International Herald Tribune, The Associated Press, Published September 11, 2007
   VATICAN CITY: The Zimbabwean archbishop who was an outspoken critic of his government before becoming embroiled in a sex scandal has resigned, saying Tuesday he wanted to shield his church from attack.
   A brief statement from the Vatican on Tuesday said Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the resignation of Archbishop Pius Ncube, 60, under the article of church law that says a bishop should retire if he is ill or if "some other grave reason" had made him unsuitable for office.
   In a separate statement released Tuesday at the Vatican, Ncube said he had offered to resign because of what he called a "state-driven, vicious attack" on himself and the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe. The state media in Zimbabwe has closely covered a civil adultery suit filed there against Ncube by a railroad worker who alleged his wife, a secretary in Ncube's office, had a two-year affair with the archbishop.
   "In order to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks, I decided this was the best course of action," he wrote.

• Mugabe critic quits as archbishop

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   BBC News, ~ September 11, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- A prominent critic of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has resigned as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, after an adultery scandal.
   Zimbabwe's state media in July published photographs of what it said was Pius Ncube in bed with a married woman who worked for his parish.
   His lawyers called the allegations an orchestrated attempt to discredit him.
   Bishop Ncube, 60, has this year called for mass street protests and foreign intervention to remove Mr Mugabe.

• Zimbabwe archbishop resigns over sex allegations

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   Reuters, By Cris Chinaka, September 11, 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Zimbabwean Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken critic of President Robert Mugabe, resigned on Tuesday, two months after being sued for adultery in a case which he called a vicious government-backed attack.
   The 60-year-old cleric, head of the southern Bulawayo archdiocese since 1997, said in a statement he was resigning to protect the Church, but would defend himself against the adultery charges in court.
   "I wrote to the Pope within days of what was obviously a state-driven, vicious attack not just on myself but by proxy on the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe," Ncube said.
   The Vatican said in a one-sentence statement that Pope Benedict had accepted Ncube's resignation under an article of Church law which covers clergy who can no longer perform their duties for health reasons. It has also sometimes been used in cases of clerics who brought their office into disrepute.

• Anti-Mugabe archbishop resigns

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   AFP, ~ September 11, 2007
   HARARE (AFP) – Archbishop Pius Ncube, a leading critic of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has resigned after a state-run newspaper accused him of adultery, the Vatican said Tuesday.
   Pope Benedict XVI "accepted the renunciation of pastoral leadership in the archdiocese of Bulawayo," a statement released in the Vatican announced.
   Ncube, 60, has been archbishop since 1998 and is an outspoken critics of the Zimbabwe president. He has called for the people of Zimbabwe to rise up against Mugabe and declared his readiness to "go in front of blazing guns".
   But he has kept a low profile since pictures in The Herald newspaper and film footage appeared in state media that appeared to show him naked in bed with a married woman.

• 'Adulterous' archbishop resigns

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   Telegraph (Britain), By Sally Peck, Last Updated 1:06pm BST, September11/2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, a fierce opponent of President Robert Mugabe, who has been accused of adultery.
   A railroad worker has filed a civil suit alleging that his wife, a secretary in Mr Ncube's office, had a two-year affair with the archbishop.
   In July, the country's state-run media published images allegedly showing Mr Ncube, the archbishop of Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo, in bed with the woman.
   advertisementBut Ncube's lawyer has called the publication of the images an "orchestrated attempt" by the government to embarrass the archbishop, who has accused Mr Mugabe and his government of human rights abuses and suppressing political dissent. Mr Ncube has called for Zimbabweans to take to the streets to protest against the government.

• Priest Abuse Victim Speaks Out

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.

KUSI, Monday September 10th, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A victim in the sexual abuse case against the San Diego Catholic Diocese is speaking out. Paul Livingston is a member of SNAP, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

• Supporters vow to shelter nuns

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   United Press International, September 11, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA, Calif., 11 (UPI) -- Supporters vowed to shelter three nuns whose convent will be sold to help pay the costs of California's clergy sexual abuse cases.
   "What a terrible thing for our church to do to these poor ladies," said Clara Reese, a retired businesswoman from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who is raising money for the nuns in Santa Barbara, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
   The nuns, ages 69, 55 and 49, occupy the Sisters of Bethany house, with an assessed value of about $98,000 but worth upward of $700,000 in today's real estate market, the Times reported.
   The nuns said they have been overwhelmed by offers of support since news broke that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will sell their convent to help pay the diocese's $660 million sex abuse settlement, the newspaper said. At least $250 million of that is to be paid directly by the archdiocese.

• Save the Eastside's Sisters of Bethany

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   Santa Barbara Independent, By Barney Brantingham, Tuesday, September 11, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- Nuns' S.O.S.: A small group of Santa Barbarans are planning to huddle this week and ponder how to save the Sisters of Bethany from being evicted from their Eastside convent.
   The Los Angeles Archdiocese has the small convent on its list to be sold to help cover costs of settling sexual abuse suits against priests. The three nuns just learned that they've been ordered to vacate the small building next to Our Lady of Guadalupe by December 31.
   Just where they will go remains unclear. But a group that includes businessman Anthony Dal Bello plans to meet Wednesday to discuss an attempt to either buy the property or rent other space.
   I broke the story Thursday in The Independent and the L.A. Times featured the story on the front page of their California section on Friday. Sister Angela, 69, who suffers from diabetes and needs a walker to get around, has also been interviewed on L.A. radio and, when I visited Monday, was being interviewed by Spanish language TV.

• Diocese Victim Payouts to be Divvied Based on Nature of Abuse

[1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.
   KPBS, Amita Sharma, Sep 10, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Now that the sexual abuse claims against the San Diego Diocese are settled, it may seem like the legal part, at least, is over. But there's a crucial step left. A judge still has to decide how much money each molestation victim will receive. KPBS reporter Amita Sharma has more.
   If the $198 million the San Diego Diocese has agreed to pay to the sexual abuse victims were averaged out, each person would receive more than $1.3 million. But that's not how the money will be divided.
   Lawyer Andrea Leavitt says a Los Angeles judge will now evaluate how much each person gets based on the length and nature of the abuse and age of the victim when the molestations occurred.

• Offers of help overwhelm Santa Barbara nuns

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   Los Angeles Times, By Rebecca Trounson, September 11, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- Three nuns who recently learned that their Santa Barbara convent would be sold to help cover the costs of Los Angeles' multimillion-dollar priest sexual abuse settlement say they have been overwhelmed with offers of help -- and media attention.
   "The support has been just unbelievable," said Sister Angela Escalera, the local superior of the Sisters of Bethany house. "It's come from all parts of Santa Barbara and outside too. And from all denominations. It's just astounding."
   She and two other nuns at the small, eastside convent received word in late August that the dwelling, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, would be sold to help pay for the church's $660-million priest sex abuse settlement. At least $250 million of that amount will be paid directly by the archdiocese.
   Escalera, 69, a retired notary public and social worker, has lived at the convent since 1964. She is still an active community volunteer, working mainly with the area's many poor and undocumented residents.

• Retired priest apologizes for abusing teen

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   The News Journal, By BETH MILLER, Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007
   SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- In a barely audible voice, retired Delaware priest Rev. Francis G. DeLuca on Monday apologized for molesting a Syracuse teen over a period of about four years.
   "I am sorry from the bottom of my heart," said DeLuca, 77, a short, slender man who wore khakis and a charcoal gray pullover shirt as he stood before Syracuse City Court Judge Kate Rosenthal.
   Rosenthal sentenced him to 60 days in jail and six years of probation. Just before 2:30 p.m., a court official put handcuffs on DeLuca and led him out of the courtroom to the vehicle that would take him to the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville, N.Y.

• Controversial ex-cop to testify at Truth inquiry

- General community.

   Ottawa Sun, By TERRI SAUNDERS, SUN MEDIA, September 11, 2007
   CORNWALL, Canada – A former city police officer whose independent investigations sparked allegations of organized pedophilia and fabricated testimony has been summoned to testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry.
   Perry Dunlop and his wife Helen are expected to begin their testimony on Sept. 17, lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann said Monday.
   Almost from the moment the inquiry probing the institutional response to allegations of sexual abuse in the area was called by Premier Dalton McGuinty in November 2004, there has been speculation as to whether Dunlop would go before the commission.
   The speculation included whether Dunlop would tell his side of a decade-long story which featured himself, his wife and his brother-in-law, Carson Chisholm, as the main players. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 11, 2007 9:13 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue September 11, 2007
• Mugabe critic quits as archbishop. [2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

Mugabe critic quits as archbishop

   The West Australian, www.thewest. com.au , p 41, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   HARARE -- A Zimbabwean archbishop who was an outspoken critic of his Government before becoming embroiled in an adultery scandal has resigned.
   A brief statement from the Vatican yesterday said Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the resignation of Pius Ncube, 60, under the article of Church law that says a bishop should retire if he is ill or if "some other grave reason" has made him unsuitable for office.
   Archbishop Ncube has been named in a civil adultery suit in Zimbabwe filed by a railway worker who alleged his wife, a secretary in Archbishop Ncube's office, had a two-year affair with him.
   In July, state media showed images allegedly taken with a hidden camera in Archbishop Ncube's bedroom and purportedly showing him with the woman. Archbishop Ncube's lawyer has called the airing of the video an "orchestrated attempt" by the Government to embarrass the prelate, who has long been an outspoken critic of President Robert Mugabe.
   Zimbabwe's Catholic Bishops Conference accused the Government last month of making "crude attempts" to divert attention from the nation's political and economic crisis by publicising the affair allegations. The bishops said the Archbishop of Bulawayo had shown courage, moral authority and fearlessness in speaking out over events in the country.
   Archbishop Ncube has accused Mr Mugabe of human rights violations and has called for him to step down. He has also urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets to demonstrate against the Government.
   The archbishop has been largely silent since the allegations surfaced, declining to answer questions about his private life in a television interview. His retreat from public view comes at a time when Mr Mugabe's political opposition has been weakened by internal rivalries. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#mugabe_critic [Sep 12, 07]
• Brothers seek healing for past; Provincial head finds inspiration for future. [130yrs Christian Brothers] - RCC. Many boys.

Brothers seek healing for past
Provincial head finds inspiration for future

   The Record (R.C. Perth, W. Australia weekly), http://the catholic record.org , By Anthony Barich, p 6, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   PERTH: The head of the Christian Brothers' Western Australian and South Australian Province has publicly apologised for the violence and sexual abuse perpetrated by some of his brethren on children in their care in the past.
   Brother Kevin Ryan, leader of the Holy Spirit Province, made the apology in front of over 2000 people - including WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin, Governor of the State Dr Ken Michael and chairman of the Business Council of Australia Michael Chancy - during a reflection at the celebration of 130 years of the Christian Brothers' presence in Australia at Burswood on August 26.
   He also outlined the direction of the Brothers in the immediate and long-term future, including initiatives in the Philippines.
   Br Ryan later told The Record it was important to foster reconciliation with people afflicted by some Christian Brothers to reconnect them not only with the Brothers but the Catholic Church.
   He told the Burswood audience - consisting of teachers and students of past and present Christian Brothers' institutions - that in the past 40 years the Brothers have formed a deeper commitment to "seeking out and walking alongside those who are most at the edge of our societies".
   Part of this, he said, was a developing "humility in the face of our failure to live up to our ideals".
   "We apologise again today for the hurts we have caused any individual and group," Br Ryan said.
   "We thank you who have been hurt, for it is you who have taught us about forgiveness, healing and reconciliation."
   He later told The Record that there were up to 40 former residents of Castledare, Clontarf, Bindoon and Tardun school communities at the 130th anniversary celebration at Burswood.
   He said that between 1937 and the mid-1960s, the Australian Federal and State governments brought children out to institutions at these four locations as part of the Child Migration Program in a deal between Britain and Australia. The Anglican and Catholic Churches cooperated in the caring of these children, who were relocated from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Malta to WA.
   Some of the boys in these institutions were not child migrants, but from struggling families in Australia, including Aboriginal children who were removed from families in what some have dubbed the "stolen generation".
   Br Ryan conceded that some children have reported they benefited from being relocated to Australia, but "I would think the scheme of moving people out of their cultures is fundamentally flawed, and if they're removed from their families, in some cases, the children ought to have been treated much more justly than what they were".
   "There was some violence and sexual abuses that should not have taken place," Br Ryan told The Record.
   He told the Burswood audience that the greater "international focus" of finances and personnel was part of the evolution of the Brothers.
   They opened a community project last year in Kabankalan on Negros Island in the Philippines, supporting teachers in Catholic schools and working with the local Bishop to "get more equity across all the Catholic schools".
   Here the Brothers are working towards equal distribution of resources in schools, and to provide religious professional development for staff, and working with young Filipinos to explore further education and employment training for teenagers who have dropped out of or can't attend school.
   The Brothers are also set to start a community focusing on language studies in the Diocese of Maasin, the capital of Southern Leyte in the Philippines. Last week the Brothers' planning group was meeting at St Paul's Passionist Monastery in Adelaide to induct the new leadership team for the Oceania Province and the 12 cluster leaders.
[Picture] Inspired: This Edmund Rice icon was designed by Irish artist, writer and iconographer Desmond M Kyne. His work is highly regarded and three of his icons are in the Vatican.
   At the Burswood event, Br Ryan also said the Brothers had become open to handing over the governance of their schools to others "whom we deeply believe can carry on Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition.
   "The young people of Australia more than ever need a story, the story of God's love for us. This will strengthen and inspire them in their life journey. It is you, the young people here today, who are needed to change the face of this world for the better," he said.
   Relinquishing control of their schools to lay people has freed the Brothers up to build the Edmund Rice Network in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, the Cook Islands and the Philippines.
   There will also be new Edmund Rice reflection groups involving "the younger and older, where the stories of our attempts to serve others and to work for justice will be told and reflected on in the light of the Gospel". #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#brothers_seek [COMMENT: Reality check: The order has been so short of new starters that now it would be wasteful to continue running its administration on a state by state basis as it used to, and this is a current step in cutting costs by amalgamations and largely withdrawing even from the management of their former schools. COMMENT ENDS.] [Sep 12, 07]
• San Diego settles. [1938-93 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. New US$198.1m. Old US$60m. 195 victims so far.

In brief

San Diego settles

   The Record (R.C. Perth W.Australia weekly), ZENIT.ORG, In brief section, Vista liftout page 4, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   UNITED STATES: The Diocese of San Diego and the Diocese of San Bernardino, which broke off from its southern neighbour in 1978, agreed on September 7 to pay $239.8 million to settle lawsuits with 144 victims of sexual abuse by priests between 1938 and 1993.
   The dioceses had originally offered $115 million to settle the claims.
   The plaintiffs sought $242 million. Earlier in the year, the San Diego Diocese filed for bankruptcy protection hours before a trial was to begin in one of the first lawsuits alleging that the Church was responsible for sexual abuse by priests.
   The judge in the bankruptcy case had recently threatened to throw out the bankruptcy case if the Church didn't reach an agreement with the plaintiffs.
   The settlement is one of the largest in the country. Under the agreement, the San Bernardino Diocese and its insurer, Catholic Mutual, will pay $18.2 million for 11 cases.
   The San Diego Diocese will pay $93 million and Catholic Mutual will cover another $91.6 million for a total of 111 cases. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#san_diego    [COMMENT: The RC authorities have ended up settling for almost as much as the victims' lawyers had asked for. The RC leaders have, as they have done in nearly every other case, only succeeded in increasing the payments to lawyers, and through the extra news media coverage the delays generate, in convincing the well-informed that they are not people of good will. COMMENT ENDS.]
   [CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away they coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. (Matthew 5:40-42.) DOCTRINE ENDS.]
   [2nd COMMENT: What a pity that the leaders of those dioceses obey so little scripture! ENDS.] [Sep 12, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed September 12, 2007 edition:

• Longtime priest accused of sexual harassment

[? 1980s-90s Canon Morrow -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Male.

   The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com/ news/index. ssf/2007/09/ longtime_ priest_ accused_ of_sex.html , by Jeanette Rundquist, 6:36 PM, Wednesday September 12, 2007
   NEW JERSEY -- The sexton of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Peapack-Gladstone has filed suit against the rector emeritus of the parish, alleging the clergyman sexually harassed him more than a decade ago.
   The Rev. Canon John Morrow, who was rector of the Somerset County church for more than 30 years before retiring in 1996, and who has since led worship at other Episcopal churches and chapels in the state, is named in the suit along with St. Luke's and the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
   Sexton Richard Young, 68, of Chester, who still works at St. Luke's, charged in the lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Morris County that from 1984 to 1996, he was subjected to unlawful touching on his chest and torso, inappropriate questioning about his sex life and abuse of control by Morrow.
   An alleged sexual assault took place at the clergyman's Shore house, while Young was undressing to take a shower, the suit said.
   State court records showed no record of any criminal charges.

• Fr Cleary's silence in face of evil

- RCC. [Cleary] - Father of 2. Live-in lover. [1970s-80s Walsh] - Minors.

   One in Four, The Irish Times, ~ September 12, 2007
   IRELAND -- There is an element of rewriting history in the recent focus on the life and times of Fr Michael Cleary. While people mull over whether he was a lying hypocrite or merely a sad victim of the Catholic Church's hard line on priestly celibacy, there is a crucially important part of his legacy that has been forgotten, writes Mary Raftery
   Michael Cleary was guilty of covering up the most heinous of criminal activity. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Cleary was senior curate in Ballyfermot.
   It was a position of some authority - Ballyfermot was at the time the largest parish in Dublin, with some five or six priests and a veritable army of upwards of 60 altar boys.
   One of the priests there at that stage was Tony Walsh, recently ordained and full of energy.
   Walsh was put in charge of the altar boys and ran the very popular children's Mass. He joined the All Priests' Show and was, like Cleary, a well-known entertainer.
   He was also a serial child rapist, one of the most vicious in the history of the Archdiocese of Dublin. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 12, 2007 9:03 PM]

• Abused woman attacks Church for blocking trial

[Decades - 8 priests of San Bernardino Diocese] - RCC. US$14.1m. 5 not settled. 11 minors.

   One in Four, The Examiner, ~ September 12, 2007
   IRELAND -- AN American woman allegedly molested repeatedly by an Irish priest over a six-month period when she was a teenager has attacked the Catholic Church in the US for not allowing her to have her day in court.
   The Diocese of San Bernardino has announced it will pay $15.1 million in out-of-court settlements to 11 people who say priests abused them.
   In making the announcement, the Bishop of the Diocese, Gerald Barnes, said: "To the victims I pray that God of mercy and light will walk with you on your journey towards healing. I am so sorry."

• The tyrant and the archbishop: How a good man was silenced by scandal

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Independent, ~ September 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Pius Ncube was one of Africa's most respected churchmen. Then he dared to challenge Robert Mugabe's tyranny. Now his life is in ruins.
   Basildon Peta on a nasty tale of Zimbabwean realpolitik
   Published: 13 September 2007 When Pius Ncube lamented what he perceived as the lack of an inspirational Zimbabwean leader in the mould of Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi, a visionary who might lead the people in a revolution against the tyranny of Robert Mugabe, many of his countrymen wondered why he needed to look any further than himself.
   "Why don't you emulate [the priest] Jean Bertrand Aristide's example in Haiti and lead this revolution. We will all follow you," a Zimbabwean journalist in exile at one of the Archbishop's regular press conferences in Johannesburg, suggested.
   As the Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, the second highest Roman Catholic official in a predominantly Catholic country Ncube's word certainly carried immense influence. And with his fierce criticism of Mr Mugabe, the cleric had become, in the place of a weakened and fractured political opposition, the most articulate and outspoken figure of resistance to the regime, frequently condemning the 83-year-old President as a "megalomaniac" and encouraging worshippers to pray for Mr Mugabe's death. World leaders hailed his courage. The former US secretary of state Colin Powell called the Archbishop "one of the bravest men I have ever met".

• Bishops' Conference statement on Archbishop Pius Ncube

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Independent Catholic News, ~ September 12, 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- Bishop Crispian Hollis, Chairman of the Department for International Affairs of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales issued the following statement yesterday.
   I heard the news of Archbishop Pius Ncube's resignation from the diocese of Bulawayo with enormous sadness.
   For many years, he has been outstandingly brave in the way that he has confronted the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.
   No one could have done more to highlight the plight of that country's suffering people and I can only stand in admiration of his courage and in gratitude to him for all that he has achieved.

• Santa Rosa Diocese to pay $5 million to settle sex-abuse lawsuit

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 survivors.

   San Francisco Chronicle, by Henry K. Lee, 12:37 PDT, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   SANTA ROSA (CA) -- The Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle a sexual-abuse lawsuit involving a fugitive priest, and $20,000 will be paid by Bishop Daniel Walsh personally, a diocesan attorney said today.
   The diocese will pay the settlement to 10 people, with the help of its insurance carrier and proceeds from a real-estate sale.
   The money will settle a lawsuit that targeted the Rev. Francisco Ochoa-Perez, said Dan Galvin, an attorney for the diocese.

• Sonoma co.: Diocese settles priest's sexual abuse civil suit for $5 million

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 victims.
   CBS5, 10:50 PDT, Sep/12/07
   SANTA ROSA (CA), (BCN) -- The Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Diocese has agreed to a $5 million settlement of a lawsuit alleging former priest Francisco Xavier Ochoa sexually abused 10 underage parishioners since 1984.
   Dan Galvin, attorney for the Diocese, said the settlement was reached Aug. 27. He said Bishop Daniel Walsh will personally contribute $20,000 in stipends he has earned for his services at weddings and funerals toward the settlement.
   The settlement means the Diocese has paid nearly $25 million to settle civil suits alleging sexual abuse by 17 priests during the past 40 years.
   Galvin said this morning the Diocese "made a good faith effort to settle the suit early on" so as much money as possible would go to the victims.

• California diocese to pay $5 million in priest sex abuse settlement

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 survivors.
   Live-PR, 21:49:10, September.12.2007
   SANTA ROSA (CA), (AP) - The Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa has agreed to pay more than $5 million (¤3.6 million) to settle a sex abuse lawsuit involving a fugitive priest and 10 alleged victims, lawyers and the diocese said Wednesday.
   The diocese will pay the plaintiffs $5 million from insurance funds and proceeds from the sale of property, and Bishop Daniel Walsh will pay another $20,000 (¤14,404) from his own pocket, said Dan Galvin, lawyer for the diocese.
   The agreement must be approved by a judge, who will decide how to distribute the money among the victims, who primarily belong to two families, lawyers said.

• Former Darien pastor pleads guilty to stealing money

[1999-2006 Fr Fay -NEW*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.

   The Darien Times, ~ September 12, 2007
   Editor's note: The following is a copy of a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Full coverage of today's guilty plea by the former Darien priest will be in tomorrow's Darien Times.
   DARIEN (CT) -- Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Michael Jude Fay, age 56, the former pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church in Darien, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud arising from his multi-year scheme to use funds donated to the Parish for personal use.
   According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, Fay was employed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport and served as the pastor at St. John's Church in Darien from 1991 to 2006. Fay's responsibilities included ensuring that monies provided to St. John's by parishioners be maintained for the benefit of the Parish and its parishioners.
   In pleading guilty, Fay admitted that he used parishioners' contributions to the Parish to fund personal expenses, including trips to Europe, the Caribbean, and other parts of the United States. From 1999 to 2006, FAY used two bank accounts, the existence of which he did not disclose to the Parish Finance Council, to deposit hundreds of thousands of dollars of parishioner contributions that he later used for his personal benefit.
   FAY also admitted that, in March 2006, he instructed an employee of the Parish to transfer $34,000 from a Parish bank account in Connecticut to his personal bank account at Wachovia Bank in Florida. The $34,000 represented Parish funds that were needed to pay Parish expenses including salaries of Parish employees.
   Immediately after the $34,000 was transferred to FAY's personal account at Wachovia Bank, Fay admitted that he caused these funds to be transferred in interstate commerce to a company in Pennsylvania. The $34,000 represented part of a $39,558 down payment for the purchase by FAY of a Philadelphia condo. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 12, 2007, 7:26 PM]

• Former Darien pastor admits he stole about $1 million from church

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   The Advocate, By Donna Porstner, ~ September 12, 2007
   NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT – A former pastor today admitted in federal court that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his wealthy Darien parish to buy a Philadelphia condo and other personal items.
   The Rev. Michael Jude Fay pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton.
   As part of a plea agreement, he waived indictment, which prevents a grand jury from reviewing evidence in the case and avoids the possibility of a trial.

• Priest pleads guilty to spending church money

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   Stamford Times, ~ September 12, 2007
   DARIEN (CT) – A former Darien priest accused of spending more than $1 million of church money on luxuries has pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud.
   The Reverend Michael Jude Fay is the former pastor of Saint John Roman Catholic Church.
   Investigators working for the Bridgeport Diocese last year said that Fay set up secret bank accounts to hide church money that he used for limousine rides, stays at top hotels around the world, jewelry, clothing from Italy. He also bought a condominium in Florida with another man. In December, Fay transferred his half to the parish to pay back some of the missing money.

• Orange County bishop seeks to seal testimony in abuse case

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [2007 Bp Brown] - Keeping evidence secret.
   Union-Tribune, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1:35 p.m., September 12, 2007
   SANTA ANA (CA) - A judge has temporarily sealed testimony from Orange County's Roman Catholic bishop in a sexual abuse lawsuit at the request of church attorneys.
   Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler barred public access to the testimony shortly after Bishop Tod Brown gave a deposition Monday, said plaintiff's attorney John Manly. She scheduled a full hearing on the issue for Thursday, he said.
   The court ordered Brown to give the deposition as part of a lawsuit involving a former coach and driving instructor at Mater Dei High School. The lawsuit alleges that teacher Jeff Andrade had sex with a 16-year-old female student multiple times over an 18-month period.
   The student's attorneys want to know what, if anything, Brown knew about other sexual abuse complaints made against the diocese during the decade that Andrade worked at the school.

• Former Priest Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $1M In Church Money

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   NBC 30, ~ September 12, 2007
   NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A former Darien priest, accused of spending more than $1 million of church money, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
   The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, the former pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church, made the plea in New Haven federal court on Wednesday, NBC 30 News reported.

• La "chiesa cattolica dei peccatori" raccoglie fondi

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 12, 2007
   ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, the Monterosso parish priest who has confessed his love for a woman, is now getting contributions to found a Catholic Church of the Sinners. He said that some parish priests have accepted his invitation to confess their sexual relationships with women, and in some case minors.
   (The priest said he believes the scandal related to pedophile priests will get bigger. Rev. Sguotti said he has not yet been removed from his church because the hierarchy has given him until Sept. 20 to leave the church. Presence of a carabinieri (a branch of police) car in front of the church could not be confirmed.)

• Priest Expected To Plead Guilty

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.

   WNBC, ~ September 12, 2007
   NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A former Darien parish priest accused of spending church money to pay for limousine rides, restaurants and real estate is expected to plead guilty Wednesday, a federal official said.
   Rev. Michael Jude Fay, former pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church, is accused of spending $1.4 million dollars of church money for luxuries like hair appointments and rides for his mother.
   The former clergyman is expected to plead guilty to interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud in federal court Wednesday, a court clerk said.

• Anti-Mugabe cleric expected to remain defiant

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Reuters, By Cris Chinaka, ~ September 12, 2007
   HARARE, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's state media on Wednesday cheered the resignation of Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube over a sex scandal, but commentators doubt the fierce critic of President Robert Mugabe will be easily stifled.
   The 60-year-old head of the southern Bulawayo archdiocese resigned on Tuesday, two months after being sued for adultery in a case which he called a vicious government smear campaign.
   Ncube said he was quitting to protect the Church and to face the adultery allegations as an individual.
   Government-run newspapers hit hard. They alleged Ncube, who has tirelessly challenged Mugabe in street protests at home and through lobbying abroad, had been forced by the church to resign in disgrace on moral grounds.

• Did Vatican press Zimbabwe archbishop to resign?

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   Catholic World News Sep. 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE (CWNews.com) - A state-run newspaper in Zimbabwe claims that Archbishop Pius Ncube was asked by the Vatican to resign in light of adultery charges against him. The country's episcopal conference denies that report.
   The Harare Herald, which has given sensational coverage to charges that the archbishop had an affair with his secretary, said that Ncube's resignation, which was announced on September 11, came at the request of the Holy See.
   The Vatican announcement on September 11 had indicated only that Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) had accepted the archbishop's resignation. Archbishop Ncube himself told reporters that he had submitted the resignation shortly after the publication of charges against him; he said that he did so in order "to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks."

• Police say Darien priest spent $1.4 million of church money

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.

   News Times, ASSOCIATED PRESS, ~ September 12, 2007
   NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT -- Federal authorities say a former Darien parish priest accused of spending $1.4 million of church money on luxuries is due in court Wednesday to enter a guilty plea, a court clerk said.
   The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, former pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church, is expected to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in New Haven to interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud, according to the clerk.
   A message seeking comment was left for his attorney.
   Last July, the Bridgeport Diocese released the results of an investigation.

• California diocese to pay $5 million in priest sex abuse settlement

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 survivors.

   International Herald Tribune, The Associated Press, September 12, 2007
   SANTA ROSA, California: A California diocese has agreed to pay more than $5 million (€3.6 million) to settle a sex abuse lawsuit involving a fugitive priest, according to a media report.
   The attorneys said the Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese will pay ten people $5 million (€3.6 million) out of church insurance funds and proceeds from the sale of orchard property adjacent to a local church, The Press Democrat reported.
   Bishop Daniel Walsh will pay another $20,000 (€14,400) from his own pocket, Adrienne Moran, a lawyer for the diocese, told the newspaper.
   "That shows the length that he's willing to go to compensate the victims and resolve their claim," Moran said.

• Firm Merger

   St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ~ September 12, 2007
   ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Two law firms with successful track records in David v. Goliath-type cases are moving and now sharing office space in Clayton.
   One is Thomas E. Kennedy III of Alton, specializing in disability rights and known for taking on Jeff City bureaucrats wanting to cut social services.
   The other is the U. City-based Chackes, Carlson, Spritzer and Ghio, which handles employment discrimination cases and has represented more than 100 clergy sex abuse victims battling the church hierarchies, especially the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

• Settlement in sex abuse suit

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 survivors.

   The Press Democrat, By Martin Espinoza, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   SANTA ROSA (CA) -- The Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese has settled a sex abuse lawsuit involving fugitive priest Xavier Ochoa for $5,020,000 - with $20,000 coming from Bishop Daniel Walsh's own funds.
   The diocese will pay 10 people from insurance funds and proceeds from the sale of orchard property adjacent to St. Eugene's church in Santa Rosa, according to attorneys for both sides of the suit.
   Ochoa, who most recently was a priest at St. Francis Solano Church in Sonoma, remains at large and is thought to have fled to Mexico in May 2006, a week after admitting to Walsh and other church officials sexual improprieties with several children.
   Diocesan attorney Adrienne Moran of Santa Rosa said no parish, school or other ministry funds were used to settle the case. She said the settlement came after mediation between the two sides on Aug. 27.

• Zimbabwe Archbishop Resigns

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   The New York Times, By MICHAEL WINES, JOHANNESBURG, Published September 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE, Sept. 11 – The Zimbabwean cleric and opponent of President Robert G. Mugabe who was accused of adultery after what was apparently a government sex sting said Tuesday that the Vatican had accepted his resignation as archbishop of Bulawayo.
   In a written statement, the bishop, Pius Ncube, said he was stepping down "to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks." The Vatican confirmed the announcement in its own one-sentence statement, citing a church canon that "earnestly" requests the resignation of a bishop "who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause."
   Bishop Ncube said he would remain a Catholic bishop. Some of his supporters predicted that his resignation would leave him freer to raise the humanitarian and human rights issues that had become the preoccupation of his work as archbishop in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city.

• Archbishop, a Critic of Mugabe, Quits After Sex Scandal

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   The New York Sun, by PETA THORNYCROFT and SEBASTIEN BERGER, The Daily Telegraph, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE – The archbishop of Bulawayo – the most outspoken and enduring critic of the Zimbabwean president – stepped down yesterday over a sex scandal. The resignation was seen as a stunning propaganda coup for Robert Mugabe.
   Archbishop Pius Ncube, who has in the past been quoted as saying that a British invasion would be justified to oust Mr. Mugabe, stepped down two months after allegations emerged of an affair with a church employee, Rosemary Sibanda.
   Mrs. Sibanda's estranged husband sued him for about $160,000 in damages for "loss of companionship," and the scandal was given blanket coverage in the state press, with full pages of broadsheet newspapers devoted to grainy photos allegedly showing the cleric naked in bed with the woman.

• Zimbabwe: Pius Forced to Resign

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   AllAfrica, The Herald (Harare), by Isdore Guvamombe, Harare, 12 September 2007, Posted to the web 12 September 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Disgraced Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Diocese, Pius Ncube (60), has been forced to resign by the Vatican, nearly two months after a Bulawayo man filed a $20 billion lawsuit against him for adultery.
   Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Father Martin Schupp to act until the Holy See makes a substantive appointment. Roman Catholic Church priests are sworn to a vow of celibacy, meaning that they must never marry and must never engage in sexual intercourse.
   Ncube is embroiled in a $20 billion lawsuit brought against him by Mr Onesimus Sibanda, who alleges in papers filed at the High Court in Bulawayo in July that the cleric had an adulterous relationship with his wife, Mrs Rosemary Sibanda, who is also a member of his parish.

• Zimbabwe: Two Press Statements, One Office

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   AllAfrica, The Herald (Harare), 12 September 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference Press Statement (August 31 2007) Recent events relating to Archbishop Pius Ncube
   The recent attacks by some politicians and the State media on the person of Archbishop Pius Ncube are outrageous and utterly deplorable. They constitute an assault on the Catholic Church, to which we take strong exception. The Catholic Church has never been and is not an enemy of Zimbabwe.
   We are serving the people of our country pastorally and in many other ways, through over 60 mission hospitals, many orphanages and 174 primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions. Our record during the years of the liberation struggle speaks for itself.

• Zimbabwe: Did Archbishop Ncube Buckle Under Mugabe Onslaught?

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   AllAfrica, Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi), EDITORIAL, 11 September 2007, Posted to the web 12 September 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- In the Zimbabwean context of needy and brutalized citizens, a broken political opposition, silenced independent media and repressed civil society, the Catholic Church's relentless voice against misrule remains Robert Mugabe's worst headache.
   Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo has for years represented that voice and embodied the desire of the Zimbabwean people for a truly democratic and prosperous nation.
   His resignation on Tuesday over unproven allegations will no doubt shock many people who looked up to him for inspiration amidst the tragic reality of Zimbabwe. Catholics, ordinary Zimbabweans and all civic forces that have refused to die under the Mugabe onslaught might feel abandoned.

• 'Love nest' photos fell Mugabe critic

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   Ottawa Citizen, The Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE, from JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A secret camera planted in the bedroom of Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube has felled President Robert Mugabe's most prominent and outspoken critic.
   The Vatican announced yesterday that it had accepted Archbishop Ncube's resignation from his leadership post, which came after the Zimbabwean state media in July splashed photographs and video footage of a naked man resembling the archbishop in what they called his "love nest."
   The stories, and a civil lawsuit filed at the same time, accused him of breaking his vows of celibacy and having sex with a married woman, Rosemary Sibanda. They also claimed that she was not the only woman he had slept with.

• Vatican 'forced' anti-Mugabe archbishop to resign: report

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   IC Publications, ~ September 12, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Former archbishop Pius Ncube, a leading critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who resigned after an adultery scandal, was forced out by the Vatican, a news report here said Wednesday.
   In an article headlined "Pius forced to resign", the state-run Herald newspaper said Ncube, 60, whose resignation as archbishop of Zimbabwe's second largest city Bulawayo was announced on Tuesday, had been pressured to leave by the Vatican.
   "(Ncube) has been forced to resign by the Vatican," reported the paper, which in July published some allegedly compromising pictures, claiming to depict the Bulawayo archbishop having sex with the wife of another man.

• Don Gelmini, collaboratori indagati

[Gelmini* + collaborators] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

Corriere della Sera, ~ September 12, 2007
ITALY -- Close collaborators of the Rev. Pierino Gelmini are being investigated by Terni magistrates. Legal officials are told the collaborators offered money and favors to those who could help stop indictment of Rev. Gelmini on charges of sexual violence. Rev. Gelmini will also have to respond to his attempts for protection from prosecutor Cesare Martellino of Terni. The prosecutor in 2002 had a similar case of sexual violence but deemed there was not sufficient evidence to justify an indictment.

• Girl, 14, fled abuse, 'mind control' of polygamy

[Decades - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.

   CNN, From Amanda Townsend and Agnes Pawlowski, ~ September 12, 2007
   UNITED STATES (CNN) -- Sara Hammon saw some of her sisters pulled out of school to be married to men they didn't know. She dreaded a similar fate. And so, she ran away from home before she was old enough to drive legally.
   She left behind 19 mothers, 74 siblings, and a father she says could never remember her name, even though he repeatedly molested her.
   And, she left behind a culture she says was oppressive for young women.
   Hammon recently gave CNN a deeply disturbing account of her life inside the polygamous sect whose leader, Warren Jeffs, goes on trial this week in Utah.
   Jeffs is accused of being an accomplice to rape. The charge stems from his alleged practice of arranging polygamous marriages between child brides and older male followers.
   Hammon is not directly involved in the charges against Jeffs, which concern an arranged marriage between a girl, 14 and her 19-year-old cousin. She left the sect before she could be placed in an arranged marriage. But she is one of its most outspoken former members.

• Woman files suit against church in sex-abuse cover-up

- Baptist. [2006 3 pastors*]- Didn't report molester. [2005 Mr Lavertu*] - Male.
   CW2, by Ginger Delgado, News2, September 12, 2007
   LOVELAND (CO), (KWGN) – A mother is demanding justice tonight in what she says is a church cover up. She says her 10-year-old son was molested by a youth leader and claims the church knew the alleged predator had done it before. The boy's mother filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against the youth leader, the church and three of its pastors, arguing the ministers knew about the sexual abuse and did nothing about it.
   The boy's mother spoke to News2, but to protect her son, we're not identifying her. The mother says it was July 3, just over two months ago, inside a small barn, on the grounds of the Gateway Baptist Church in Loveland, that she claims her 10 year old son was sexually assaulted by 23-year old Paul Lavertu, a church youth leader and a man her son loved and trusted.
   "I hold my son at night, he cries and he doesn't understand why this happened to him," she said. She claims the church knew about the suspected abuse against her son -- and other kids -- but instead of contacting police, they chose to handle it themselves, by "laying hands" on Lavertu and praying for him.

• O.C. diocese moves to seal bishop's testimony in abuse suit

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [2007 Bp Brown] - Keeping evidence secret.
   Los Angeles Times, By Christine Hanley, September 12, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is seeking to permanently seal testimony that Bishop Tod Brown gave this week as part of a civil lawsuit accusing a former assistant basketball coach at Mater Dei High School of sexually abusing a 16-year-old student.
   Under the orders of an Orange County Superior Court judge, Brown was deposed Monday by the student's attorneys, who want to know what he knew about other sexual abuse complaints made against the diocese during the 10 or so years that Jeff Andrade worked at the Santa Ana school as a coach and driving instructor.
   Brown's attorneys immediately sought and won a temporary order sealing the deposition, according to John Manly, an attorney representing the accuser. A full hearing on the sealing motion is scheduled for Thursday, Manly said.
   Manly declined to comment further, citing a gag order that restricts him from discussing elements of the case that are not already public.

• Archdiocese faces new sex abuse suit

[< & > 1965 MacArthur] - RCC. 2 more girls (patients).
   Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, By MARIE ROHDE, mrohde@journalsentinel.com , Posted: Sept. 11, 2007
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- A civil lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee by two women who contend they were abused as children by Father Bruce MacArthur, a priest with an admitted history of sexual abuse who served a prison sentence for attempting to assault a disabled mute woman in Texas.
   Also named in the lawsuit is the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., where MacArthur was ordained. Both Milwaukee and Sioux Falls settled a lawsuit with a victim of MacArthur's in South Dakota in late 2005.
   The assaults occurred while MacArthur was a chaplain at the old St. Joseph's Hospital in Beaver Dam and the two victims were patients, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Monday.

• Group: Mexican Cardinal Knew of Abuse

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

   The Associated Press, By JESSICA BERNSTEIN-WAX, ~ September 12, 2007
   MEXICO CITY (AP) – A victims' group said Tuesday that newly released documents support its claim that Mexico's most prominent cardinal knew a Mexican priest was suspected of molesting children but transferred him to the United States anyway.
   The group, Survivor's Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, made public written correspondence between Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony. It also released a 1986 Mexican police report in which witnesses alleged the suspect spent the night with young boys while working as a priest in the central state of Puebla.
   The documents were filed as part of Rivera's defense in a lawsuit against him in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleges he and Mahony conspired to protect the suspect, the Rev. Nicolas Aguilar. It wasn't immediately known why the documents were filed by the defense, but it could be because they suggest Rivera warned Mahony.

• Victims seek place at pope's memorial

- RCC.

   The Arizona Republic, by Nikki Renner, Sept. 12, 2007
   ARIZONA -- A group that helps victims of sexual abuse by priests delivered a letter to the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix on Tuesday seeking permission to speak at a weekend event in memory of Pope John Paul II's Phoenix visit.
   Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, wants to have one or two sexual-abuse victims speak at the Saturday service about how the late pope took steps to address sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
   "We want to be here (at the memorial) because we thought he was a man who did speak out against the crimes of the church," Ken Babb, Phoenix director of the organization, said as he stood outside the doors of the diocese on Tuesday. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 12, 2007 8:26 AM]

• Program to offer early alerts on possible abusers, victims

- RCC.
   Catholic Sentinel, By Bishop Robert Vasa, ~ September 12, 2007
   BEND (OR) – It has been several weeks since the completion of the filming phase of the Healthy Families - Safe Children series. The editor continues to do what editors do and others are pursuing the necessary facets of production, marketing, advertising and distribution.
   Work is actively being done on the accompanying workbook with the hope that both final DVD and Workbook can be ready within six to eight weeks. I have no idea how realistic this time estimate is but it is our hope that we can begin an active marketing program this fall.
   The premise of the program is that there are early childhood indicators of propensities to either victim or bullying behaviors.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed September 12, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu September 13, 2007 edition:

• Fresno pastor arrested on felony child molestation charges

[1990s-2000s Bonine -NEW*] - Baptist. Child.

   The Fresno Bee, www.fresno bee.com/263/ story/137456. html , By James Guy / 04:58:59 / Sep/13/07
   FRESNO (CA) -- The pastor of a north Fresno church remained in Fresno County Jail Wednesday night on felony charges of child molestation.
   John Bonine, 43, pastor of Sierra Heights Baptist Church, was arrested Monday, according to jail records.
   Fresno police officials released no information on the arrest, but in a message directed to church members, Mansel Trimble, youth pastor at Sierra Heights, confirmed the charges and called the situation "difficult and painful" for the church community and Bonine's family.

• Visiting priest charged with sexual assault

[2007 Taban -NEW*] - RCC. Teenage girl.

   KVIA, ~ September 13, 2007
   EL PASO, TEXAS - A visiting Catholic Priest was arrested Wednesday afternoon on two counts of Sexual Assault.
   Crimes Against Persons (CAP) detectives have charged 39-year-old Philip Taban, a visiting Catholic Priest from Uganda, with two counts of Sexual Assault. The El Paso Police Department received information suggesting a priest sexually assaulted a local parishioner.
   Through their ongoing investigation, which began Monday morning, September 10, detectives identified the victim and Philip Taban as the suspected priest. Taban had suspended since September 7 and no prior record of incidents involving parishioners. The investigation revealed an 18-year old Hispanic female met with Taban for spiritual counseling. During two of these meetings, Taban sexually assaulted the victim earlier in September.

• Church official refuses to finish deposition

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. Promises to tell truth. [Mons Urell -NEW*] - Years - Permitted transfers.

   Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 13, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- A high-ranking Catholic official accused of covering up child sex-abuse claims broke down crying during recent testimony and refuses to finish the deposition, citing an undisclosed medical condition.
   Monsignor John Urell, the pastor at St. Norbert's Catholic Church in Orange, is also on temporary medical leave from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, diocese attorney Peter Callahan said.
   Urell used to be the gatekeeper of sex-abuse complaints against the diocese. In 2005 he was identified as one of the diocese officials who let priests stay in ministry despite reports of past abuse, according to church records made public during the diocese's $100 million settlement with 90 sex-abuse complainants in 2005.
   Lawyers representing a former Mater Dei Catholic High School student have asked a judge to force Urell to finish his testimony. Today's hearing will deal with the recent deposition of Bishop Tod Brown, which is temporarily under seal at the church's request.
   Lawyers representing the former student and other plaintiffs have publicly demanded Brown's entire deposition - the bishop's first testimony on the issue - be made public. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 13, 2007 12:12 AM]

• Priest's day in court delayed

[June 2007 Penland*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.
   Citizen-Times, by Jon Ostendorff, jostendorff@citizen-times.com , published 12:15 am, September 13, 2007
   WAYNESVILLE (NC) – A judge Wednesday agreed to postpone the court date for an Episcopal priest charged with sex solicitation in a Waynesville park restroom.
   The Rev. Michael Penland will appear Nov. 7 for a hearing on the misdemeanor charge. He resigned from his post as director of youth ministry at a church in Florida on Sunday.
   Penland listed an address in Candler's Biltmore Lake development at the time of his arrest and had worked at a church in Tryon.

• Protesting Bishop Tod Brown

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [2007 Bp Brown] - Keeping evidence secret.
Orange County Register, ~ September 13, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- Video: Activists held a protest today in front of the Orange County courthousee and burned a copy of Bishop Tod Brown's covenant in which he promised openness and justice to survivors of clergy sexual abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:42 PM]

• Checkmate for the archbishop

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Economist, ~ September 13, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- THE Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, has joined the crowded ranks of those felled for speaking out against Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe. In July, the state-run media aired photographs that they said showed the archbishop in a compromising position with a married secretary of his parish.
   His supporters said it was a conspiracy to discredit him; Zimbabwe's Catholic church also stood by him. For many years he has criticised Mr Mugabe's regime in the strongest possible terms. But this week, facing adultery charges in court, he stepped down as archbishop of Zimbabwe's second largest city, denouncing the "crude machinations of a wicked regime".
   The 60-year-old explained his decision as a move to protect his fellow bishops and the Catholic church. The government said his resignation was an admission of guilt. Some people believe he was, indeed, the victim of a cleverly-sprung government honey-trap.

• SABC fires Supa Mandiwanzira

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   ZimDaily, by Spiwe Ncube, 00:05:00, Thu, 13 Sep 2007
   GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa - South Africa's State broadcaster SABC has taken a decision to fire its Zimbabwe correspondent Supa Mandiwanzira for his alleged involvement in a Zanu (PF) and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) sting operation against Roman Catholic prelate Bishop Pius Ncube.
   Speaking at the sidelines of the ongoing Highway Africa, a conference of 500 top African journalists meeting here, senior SABC sources told ZimDaily that Mandiwanzira's fate had been sealed over his "appalling and unprofessional conduct" in his handling of the Catholic Bishop's sex scandal.
   The SABC sources said the communication had been sent to Mandiwanzira, but ZimDaily was unable to immediately establish if he had received his dismissal letter as he was said to be in the US at the time of going to print.

• Charamba fires broadside after Ncube scandal

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   IOL, 01:54AM, for September 14 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe -- President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson on Thursday lashed out at the Roman Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, which has rallied behind a tough-talking archbishop forced to resign over adultery allegations.
   George Charamba said the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference (ZCBC) had no business to defend and protect Pius Ncube, the archbishop of Bulawayo who resigned on Tuesday.
   "The good work being done by the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe in the provision of health and educational institutions could not be attributed to Bishop Ncube but to the church alone," the official Herald quoted Charamba as saying.
   The authorities have been angered by the support shown towards Ncube, who was well known both in and outside Zimbabwe for his fearless criticism of Mugabe over alleged rights abuses.

• Support Priests of Integrity Working Group Update

- VOTF names 3 good RCC priests.

   Voice of the Faithful, September 13, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- The committee for the Goal Two Working Group is pleased to make the following announcement:
   It is our intent to honor all the priests who have been nominated for a Priest of Integrity award (and who have agreed to accept such recognition). But how to do so is a challenge. We had the daunting responsibility of identifying one of the nominees to receive an award at the Providence Convention. It proved impossible to name just one, and so we will honor three priests at the award ceremony. They are:
   Fr. Ken Lasch (St. Joseph's Parish, Mendham, New Jersey): A priest who has spoken at VOTF gatherings, supported survivors unhesitatingly beginning in 1995, and who continues to speak out both for survivors and the reforms of Vatican II. He is also a founder of Project Millstones.

• Catholic priest charged with sexual assault in El Paso

[2007 Taban*] - RCC. Teenage girl.

   El Paso Times, By Tammy Fonce-Olivas, Article Launched 01:49:07 PM MDT, Sep/13/2007
   EL PASO (TX) -- Philip Taban, 39, of the 12000 block of Picasso, was arrested by police on Wednesday on two counts of sexual assault. He is currently in the El Paso County jail on bonds totaling $50,000.
   Taban was serving as a visiting priest at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church, at 12200 Vista Del Sol. The church is also known as Mother Cabrini.
   El Paso Police spokesman Officer Chris Mears said police received information suggesting a priest sexually assaulted a local parishioner.
   "Through their ongoing investigation, detectives identified the victim and Philip Taban as the suspected priest," Mears said. "The investigation revealed an 18-year-old Hispanic female met with Taban for spiritual counseling. During two of these meetings, Taban sexually assaulted the victim."

• Catholic clergy sex abuse lawsuit to proceed

[White, Abercrombie] - RCC. 11 complainants.

   KJCT, Associated Press, 4:14 PM ET, September 13, 2007
   DENVER (CO), (AP) - A consolidated lawsuit accusing two Roman Catholic priests of sexually abusing youngsters will proceed after the Colorado Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from the Denver Archdiocese.
   The court without comment rejected the archdiocese's claim that a district judge erred when he ruled the plaintiffs waited too long to sue. The ruling was issued Monday and made public today.
   The 11 cases allege the archdiocese was negligent in supervising two priests, Harold R. White who died in November and the Reverend Leonard Abercrombie who died in 1994. White was removed from public ministry in 1993 and left the priesthood in 2004.

• Clergy Sex Abuse Lawsuit May Proceed, Court Rules

[White, Abercrombie] - RCC. 11 complainants.
   TheDenverChannel.com , ~ September 13, 2007
   DENVER (CO) -- A series of lawsuits alleging Roman Catholic priests sexually abused youngsters may proceed after the Colorado Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from the Archdiocese of Denver.
   In a ruling issued Monday and made public Thursday, the high court, without comment, rejected the archdiocese's claim a Denver district judge should have dismissed the 11 lawsuits because the plaintiffs waited too long to file suit. The judge earlier ruled the statute of limitations did not apply in the cases.
   The plaintiffs said they now can proceed with getting statements from church officials and establishing a schedule for evidence exchange.
   "We certainly see this as a major victory for victims of Colorado," Miami attorney Jeff Herman who represents some of the plaintiffs.

• Testimony of Orange County Roman Catholic bishop ordered released

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [2007 Bp Brown] - Keeping evidence secret.
   San Jose Mercury News, By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press, Article Launched, 12:31:54 PM PDT, Sep/13/2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA)–A judge ordered the release Thursday of testimony by Orange County's Roman Catholic bishop after church attorneys had tried to keep portions out of the public eye, citing privacy concerns.
   Bishop Tod Brown gave the testimony at a deposition earlier this week as part of a sexual abuse lawsuit against a former coach and driving instructor at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. The lawsuit alleges that in the late 1990s teacher Jeff Andrade had sex with a 16-year-old female student multiple times over an 18-month period.
   The former student's attorneys wanted to know what, if anything, Brown knew about other sexual abuse complaints made against the Diocese of Orange in that era.
   Andrade has admitted in a deposition to having sex with the student, who is now 26. He was fired in 1997, but police didn't file charges.

• O.C. Bishop Allegedly Abused Boy In Bakersfield

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.
   CBS 2, ~ September 13, 2007
   (CBS) SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange was accused of abusing a boy while serving as a priest in Bakersfield, according to a deposition given by the bishop and released Thursday.
   The allegation was revealed in a deposition given Monday by Bishop Tod Brown in the case of a now 26-year-old woman who is suing the diocese claiming she was abused by Mater Dei High School assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade.
   The diocese asked to keep the deposition sealed, but Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler Thursday ordered it to be made public.
   In a statement released by the diocese, spokesman Bryan Lilyengren said the allegation was investigated by the diocese of Fresno and law enforcement, which both determined there was "no credible basis" to the claim.

• Girl, 14, begged polygamy leader not to be wed

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.
   Reuters, By Alexandria Sage, September 13, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah (Reuters) -- The leader of the largest U.S. polygamist sect who arranged a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin, told the girl it was her religious duty to give herself "mind, body and soul" to her husband, a Utah court heard on Thursday.
   In opening statements at the trial of Warren Jeffs, 51, prosecutors said the "prophet" of the breakaway Mormon clan was an accomplice to two counts of rape after orchestrating a 2001 marriage between the girl and her cousin.
   "(The accuser) will testify she got down on her knees and begged -- 'he's my first cousin, I think I'm too young, I don't want to be rebellious but can't we find someone else or postpone it?'" prosecutor Brock Belnat told jurors.
   "What Warren Jeffs told her is: 'Your heart is in the wrong place. This is your mission and duty to do'," Belnat added.

• Visiting priest arrested on sexual assault charges

[2007 Taban*] - RCC. Teenage girl.

   Houston Chronicle, By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press Writer, ~ September 13, 2007
   EL PASO, Texas – A Catholic priest from Uganda has been arrested on charges accusing him of sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman, El Paso police said Thursday.
   The Rev. Philip Taban, a visiting priest from Arua, Uganda, was arrested Wednesday on two counts of sexual assault.
   Officer Christopher Mears, a police spokesman, said Taban was accused of twice sexually assaulting the woman, who had sought spiritual counseling. The assaults allegedly took place at a parochial house where Taban was staying, Mears said.
   Mears said the assaults took place on two different occasions, though jail booking records show he is accused of committing both assaults Sept. 3.

• Weekly Story on Bishop Brown Pedophile Allegation Proven Right

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.

   Orange County Weekly, Posted by R. Scott Moxley, 12:06 PM, September 13, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Five months ago, OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano broke the news that despite his promises of complete public accountability on the Catholic Church sex scandals, Bishop Tod Brown himself continued to hide accusations that he molested a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s.
   According to subsequent court transcripts, Orange diocese attorney Peter Callahan snorted that the Weekly's reporting couldn't be trusted because the paper is distributed at coffeehouses and carries massage ads*. Callahan predicted the "legitimate press" would ignore Arellano's story.
   But today, Rachanee Srisavasdi of The Orange County Register--which also runs massage ads!*--reported:
   Bishop Tod Brown testified under oath that he was accused of molesting a boy while he was a priest at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, but that he didn't report it because he found it embarrassing…
   Srisavasdi got her story after Brown's deposition was unsealed this morning in part of an ongoing sex-abuse lawsuit.

• Bishop 'eager' to settle case

[1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - RCC. 10 survivors.

   The Press Democrat, By MARTIN ESPINOZA AND RANDI ROSSMANN, September 13, 2007
   SANTA ROSA (CA) -- More details were revealed Wednesday in the Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese's $5.02 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by alleged victims of fugitive Sonoma priest Xavier Ochoa, even as local Sonoma Catholic faithful and clergy victim's advocates applauded the payout.
   Diocesan attorney Dan Galvin said the majority of the $5,020,000 settlement will come from the sale of St. Eugene's orchard property, which was sold in 2005 for $5.2 million. The property is located next to the Cathedral of St. Eugene on Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa.
   The rest comes from the church's self-insurance funds, but Galvin said he would not specify what percentage of the payout was covered by orchard property proceeds and what was covered by insurance because the settlement agreement precluded disclosure of such information.
   Unique in the settlement is the $20,000 that's coming from Bishop Daniel Walsh himself.

• Orange Diocese bishop once accused of molestation, lawyer says

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.

   The Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 13, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Bishop Tod Brown testified under oath that he was accused of molesting a boy while he was a priest at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, but that he did not report it because he found it embarrassing, according to a plaintiff's attorney.
   A diocese spokesman could not give immediate comment on Brown's testimony.
   The deposition of the highest-ranking church official was unsealed today as part of an ongoing sex-abuse lawsuit. Attorneys for the Diocese of Orange sought to keep parts of Brown's testimony - his first-ever testimony regarding abuse allegations - under wraps, citing privacy concern regarding Msgr. John Urell.
   Brown testified Monday that he was accused of molestation while he served at the Diocese of Fresno more than 25 years ago. He said the accusation was investigated internally by the church, but never disclosed to police, attorney Vince Finaldi said.

• Judge unseals O.C. bishop's testimony

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.
   Los Angeles Times, By Christine Hanley, 10:07 AM PDT, September 13, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- An Orange County judge today unsealed testimony that Bishop Tod Brown gave this week as part of a civil lawsuit accusing a former assistant basketball coach at Mater Dei High School of sexually abusing a 16-year-old student.
   Under the order of an Orange County Superior Court judge, Brown was deposed Monday by the student's lawyers, who want to know what he knew about other sexual abuse complaints made against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange during the 10 or so years that Jeff Andrade worked at the Santa Ana school as a coach and driving instructor.
   The judge had issued a temporary seal of Brown's testimony at the request of lawyers for the diocese.
   Venus Soltan, a lawyer for the student, said Brown was also asked in the deposition about allegations of sexual abuse made against him in Bakersfield in the 1960s.

• Rabbi Yehuda Kolko accused of molesting boy

[2005 Kolko] - Judaist. Another boy.
   New York Daily News, BY SCOTT SHIFREL, 4:00 AM, Thursday, September 13th 2007
   NEW YORK -- A rabbi in a tallith, black hat and handcuffs was hauled before a Brooklyn judge hours before the Jewish New Year yesterday for allegedly molesting another boy at a Midwood yeshiva.
   Rabbi Yehuda Kolko - already out on $10,000 bail on charges of sexually assaulting two other male students - rocked back and forth on his feet as his lawyer argued with the judge about bail on new charges that he molested a first-grader at the school in 2005.
   "This is the holiest time of the year and to [increase] bail at this time is punitive," lawyer Jeffrey Schneider said, arguing that the charges stemmed from a malcontent who had it in for the 61-year-old Kolko. "{The higher bail is} just bizarre."

• Priest in Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Case Worked in Sun Valley

[2001+ O'Brien (MSC)] - RCC. Woman.
   The San Fernando Valley Sun, Written by MARIANNE LOVE, Thursday, 13 September 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- A pending lawsuit against a priest, accused of molesting a woman who once worked under Cardinal Roger Mahony at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in SunValley, is expected to go before a Texas judge next spring.
   Theresa Gomez of San Antonio, Texas is accusing Father Michael O'Brien, an ordained Catholic priest since 1973 and a member of the Missionaries of the Scared Heart order, of using his position as a priest to seduce her beginning July, 2001, according to the complaint filed with the District Court of Bexar County, Texas.
   Irish Province of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Patrick Flores, Archbishop of San Antonio and the Archdiocese of San Antonio are also named in the lawsuit.

• Zimbabwe's dirty tricks brigade

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   BBC News, by Joseph Winter, ~ September 13, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- Pius Ncube is widely believed in Zimbabwe to be the latest victim of dirty tricks by the feared Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
   Bishop Ncube, who has just resigned as the Archbishop of Bulawayo, has been a vocal critic of the government.
   In July this year, he called for foreign intervention to remove President Robert Mugabe.

• Zimbabwe: Zimbabweans Slam Ncube's Attitude

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
   AllAfrica, The Herald (Harare), September 13, 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde George Charamba said the Catholic Church and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference had no business to defend and protect disgraced former Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube.
   In an interview, Cde Charamba said Bishop Ncube's alleged adulterous affair with a married woman was not an issue for the whole church but the particular individual implicated.
   He said the good work being done by the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe in the provision of health and educational institutions could not be attributed to Bishop Ncube, but the church alone. He said indigenous people, including forefathers, were not mere beneficiaries of the church institutions but also broke their backs in the construction and establishment of the institutions.

• South Africa: SABC Backs Off On 'Sting'

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   AllAfrica, Business Day (Johannesburg), by Sarah Hudleston, Johannesburg, September 13, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- THE SABC has distanced itself from its Harare correspondent, Supa Mandiwanzira, who has been implicated in an alleged campaign to discredit a fierce critic of President Robert Mugabe, Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube.
   Ncube, who resigned on Tuesday, has been embroiled in a sex scandal involving an adulterous affair which was allegedly caught on tape.
   A trust set up to support the embattled cleric, the APN Solidarity Trust, wrote to Snuki Zik alala at the SABC saying that through Mandiwanzira's involvement in the so-called sting operation, the South African state broadcaster was perpetuating injustices in Zimbabwe.

• Zimbabwe's Mugabe accuses media of biased coverage

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   IC Publications, ~ September 13, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- President Robert Mugabe on Thursday fired a broadside at western media for biased coverage of events in Zimbabwe, ignoring an adultery case involving his staunch opponent, former archbishop Pius Ncube.
   "If one of my own ministers does mischief and takes another person's wife, it will be carried on television and they will say this is what Mugabe's ministers are doing," Mugabe said.
   "It will be carried on BBC, CNN, everywhere, but let the man who speaks their language and does their work, even if he is archbishop, commit adultery they will not publish it," he said at the official launch of the country's Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) policy.

• Parishioners hope to put events into the past

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.

   The Advocate, By Stephen P. Clark, September 13 2007
   DARIEN (CT) -- Longtime parishioners of St. John Roman Catholic Church in Darien felt surprise, relief and sadness yesterday when they heard their former pastor, the Rev. Michael Jude Fay, admitted in federal court that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to take exotic vacations, buy a condominium and shop for designer clothes.
   "I'm shocked. I didn't realize it was that serious," said John Franko, 77, a 20-year parishioner who has been a staunch defender of Fay. "I think he's a good guy. He just went astray."
   Fay was pastor of St. John from 1991 until he resigned last year. According to Fay's plea agreement, in 1999 he began to siphon church money into two secret bank accounts.

• Darien pastor admits to stealing

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   Greenwich Times, By Donna Porstner, September 13 2007
   NEW HAVEN (CT) -- A former Catholic pastor admitted in federal court yesterday he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his wealthy Darien church to buy a Philadelphia condominium and lead a life of luxury.
   The Rev. Michael Jude Fay pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton.
   By accepting a plea agreement, Fay prevents a grand jury from reviewing evidence in the case and avoids a trial.

• Father Fay admits it

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Male "partner". Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   The Darien Times, By Terri Miles, Joshua Fisher and Susan Shultz, ~ September 13, 2007
   NEW HAVEN (CT) -- The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, former longtime pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church, admitted yesterday in federal court to taking possibly more than $1 million of parishioners' contributions for his personal use.
   Appearing before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven, Fay, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. He will also be required to pay the money back to St. John Parish.
   In May 2006, it was discovered that Fay had been using church money to support his lavish lifestyle, which included trips to Europe, the Caribbean and other parts of the United States. An private investigation – prompted by another church priest and its bookkeeper – also discovered that Fay was in a romantic relationship with a Philadelphia event planner, Cliff Fantini. Fay resigned shortly after the news broke.

• Ex-Priest Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Male "partner". Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   The Associated Press, By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, ~ September 13, 2007
   NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – A former priest pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church by setting up secret bank accounts to pay for a life of luxury, including traveling around the world and buying a condominium.
   The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, who resigned last year as pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church, pleaded guilty Wednesday to interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and must pay restitution.
   Prosecutors said Fay took between $1 million and $2.5 million over seven years, but the priest has disputed that. He admitted taking between $400,000 and $1 million.

• Orange County bishop seeks to redact testimony in abuse case

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.
   San Francisco Chronicle, AP, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY -- A judge will decide Thursday whether to censor certain portions of testimony given by Orange County's Roman Catholic bishop in a sexual abuse lawsuit because of privacy concerns.
   Diocese attorney Peter Callahan asked Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler to review the deposition testimony by Bishop Tod Brown because of concerns that it touched on a diocese employee's medical records. Andler is expected to decide at Thursday's hearing whether those portions can be made public.
   The court ordered Brown to give the deposition as part of a lawsuit involving a former coach and driving instructor at Mater Dei High School. The lawsuit alleges that teacher Jeff Andrade had sex with a 16-year-old female student multiple times over an 18-month period.

• Documents show Mexican, U.S. church leaders helped accused priest, survivors' group says

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

   Catholic Online, By Jonathan Roeder, Catholic News Service ( www.catholicnews.com ), Sep/13/2007
   MEXICO CITY (CNS) - Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released documents they say prove that top Catholic officials in Mexico and the United States sought to help a Mexican priest accused of sexual abuse evade the law.
   In response, a legal representative of the Mexico City Archdiocese and a spokesman for the Los Angeles Archdiocese denied the allegations and accused SNAP of trying to win its case in the media, rather than in the courts.
   The documents, made public in Mexico City Sept. 11, include letters between Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, along with Mexican police reports involving Father Nicolas Aguilar Rivera, who has been accused of abusing minors in both countries. Also included were transcripts of Cardinal Rivera's declaration before the Superior Court of the State of California in Los Angeles Aug. 8.

• Reform Group Calling On Bishop Brom To Release Documents

[Decades - bishops and priests of San Diego diocese] - RCC. Hid seductions.

   News 8, ~ September 13, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A local Catholic reform group is calling on Bishop Robert Brom to release documents that will help expose the truth about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups.
   Members of VOTF, or Voice of the Faithful, dropped off a letter to Bishop Brom Wednesday. They're asking him and other church authorities to disclose records about pedophile priests.

• Timeline of the troubles at St. John

[1999-2006 Fr Fay*] - RCC. Male "partner". Admits. US$1.4m missing.
   The Advocate, Published September 13 2007
   DARIEN (CT) -- April 28, 2006 - Bishop William Lori meets with St. John Roman Catholic Church bookkeeper Bethany D'Erario and the parochial vicar, the Rev. Michael Madden, who detail their concerns about how the pastor, the Rev. Michael Jude Fay, spent parish money. Over the next four days, Lori freezes parish accounts and removes Fay as signatory but does not remove him as pastor.
   May 9, 2006 - Lori summons Fay to diocesan headquarters in Bridgeport from his vacation home in Florida. Fay returns to Florida the same day.

• Outspoken, liberal bishop to speak in Marion

- Bp Gumbleton to speak.
   Cadillac News, By Mardi Suhs, September 13, 2007
   MARION (MI) – Renee Watkins of Marion calls herself a peace activist and serves as the social justice chairperson at her church, St. Agnes in Marion.
   One of the peace activists she admires most is Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, a controversial, liberal Catholic whose awards include the Pope Paul VI Teacher of Peace and the National Peace Foundation Award - just two accolades in a long list of humanitarian and lifetime achievements. …
   Last year, after serving 23 years as pastor of an inner-city parish in Detroit, he was replaced. Although his removal was said to be due to a requirement for all bishops to submit their resignation to the pope at age 75, Gumbleton addressed his congregation and said, "I did not choose to leave St. Leos. It's something that was forced upon me as a consequence of speaking out on victims of sexual abuse in the church."

• Csm, scontro tra magistrati Rimosso il pm che indaga don Gelmini

[Gelmini* + collaborators] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

La Repubblica, ~ September 13, 2007
ITALY -- (Prosecutor Carlo Maria Scipio, who has been investigating the Rev. Pierino Gelmini for allegations of sexual abuse, has been replaced by Fausto Cardella, former prosecutor of Perugia. The move was made by the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura, the constitutional agency that decides controversies between judges and other issues. Cardella had argued that he was legally entitled to be prosecutor in Terni.)

• La lettera con cui il vescovo caccia don Sante

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.
Il Gazzettino, September 13, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti of Monterosso has received a letter of dismissal from Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua, dated Sept. 5. Main reason cited for his dismissal from priestly duties was his refusal to refrain from celebrating Mass, which the bishop said has caused grave damage and perturbation to the church community. Rev. Sguotti has professed his love for a woman and wants to marry her.)

• OC Bishop Seeks To Censor Testimony In Abuse Case

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.

   CBS2, AP, ~ September 13, 2007
   SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- A judge will decide Thursday whether to censor certain portions of testimony given by Orange County's Roman Catholic bishop in a sexual abuse lawsuit because of privacy concerns.
   Diocese attorney Peter Callahan asked the judge to review the deposition testimony by Bishop Tod Brown because of concerns that it touched on a diocese employee's medical records. The judge is expected to decide Thursday whether those portions can be made public.

• Is diocese hewing to 'Covenant'?

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1960s boy. 2007 Keeping seduction secret.
   Orange County Register, By FRANK MICKADEIT, columnist, fmickadeit@ocregister.com , ~ September 13, 2007
   ORANGE (CA) -- I drove to Holy Family Cathedral on Glassell in Orange yesterday morning to see whether the large white placard bearing Bishop Tod Brown's Covenant with the Faithful was still right where he nailed it with great sincerity and humility (and media coverage) on Jan. 18, 2004.
   Indeed it was, all seven theses. Let's review a few.
   No. 1: "We will continue to do everything possible to help the healing process of the victims of sexual abuse."

• Church Abuse Victims Want Diocese To Release Documents

[Decades - bishops and priests of San Diego diocese] - RCC. Hid seductions.
   NBC Sandiego, ~ September 13, 2007
   SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Victims of clergy sex abuse want the San Diego Catholic diocese to release thousands of documents containing the details of the scandal.
   More than 100 local victims will soon get their share of a $198 million legal settlement with the diocese, but some of them want more than money.
   On Wednesday, a group representing sexual-abuse victims delivered a letter to Bishop Robert Brom, urging him to open church files on the abuse cases. The victims claim that the paperwork will reveal how the church protected the accused priests and moved them to other parishes, where they allegedly molested other victims.
   "We want to see the lay Catholic in the community know exactly just what transpired and just why it's transpired here," said Paul Livingston of the Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu September 13, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri September 14, 2007 edition:

• OPP charge priest, 84, with sex assault

[1954-60 Lussier -NEW*] - Christian. Boy.

   Ottawa Citizen, www.canada. com/ottawa citizen/news/ story.html? id=28b2978e- d0bf-4ab7- a326-2beb61 c2883b&k= 52553 ; Friday, September 14, 2007
   CANADA -- Ontario Provincial Police have charged an 84-year-old priest with sex assault against a young boy in the 1950s.
   According to police, the alleged incidents occurred in Alexandria and area between 1954 and 1960.
   In August 2007, the OPP began an investigation into a complaint that Father Lucien Lussier had sexually assaulted a young teen boy while he was visiting Lussier in Alexandria decades ago.

• Vic West priest resigns amid misconduct allegation

[Antonio Osorio -NEW*] - Anglican. Woman.
   Times Colonist, Friday, September 14, 2007
   CANADA -- Vic West priest Rev. Antonio Osorio has admitted contravening the sexual misconduct policy of the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia and resigned from his position.
   Osorio had been suspended from his duties as rector of the parish of St. Saviour's Victoria West on Sept. 5, pending investigation into an allegation of misconduct.
   The diocese issued a statement today saying there will be no further comment regarding the investigation until it is completed. Osorio was unavailable for comment.
   The Reverend David Opheim has been appointed interim priest-in-charge for the parish of St. Saviour's.

• Diocese of Fresno Lies to OC Weekly, Spins for Brown

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada. [Mr Avila -NEW*] - Didn't know, now he knows.

   Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano, in Ex Cathedra, Main, 12:27 PM, September 14, 2007
   FRESNO (CA) -- Back when I reported about the molestation allegation lodged against Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown that suddenly has everyone in a tizzy, I gave Jesse Avila a call.
   Avila is the communications director for the Diocese of Fresno and also the chancellor, which means he's in charge of all priestly personnel files and investigations.
   I asked Avila about Brown's allegations, which date back to when he served in Bakersfield during the 1960s (Bakersfield is part of the Fresno diocese).
   "This is the first time I heard of this," Avila told me and promised he'd look through the diocesan archives for copies of the letters regarding the allegations. Avila never called back.
   Flash forward to today. Avila tells the Bakersfield Californian that the Fresno diocese "promptly initiated an investigation" when the allegation first surfaced in 1997 (Avila wasn't working with the diocese at that time).
   Reports Louis Medina, "The diocese conducted 'several documented interviews of the complainant [sic] and others,' Avila said, but the investigating board found 'absolutely no factual or credible basis whatsoever' in the accusations. This was communicated to the accuser, Avila said, and all investigative reports were turned over to the Kern County District Attorney's office."

• El Arzobispado aparta a un sacerdote de su parroquia por tener mujer e hijo

[~ 2000s Menendez] - RCC. Celibate (?) "Father" obeys 1 Cor. 7:2 and Gen. 1:28. RCC sacks him.

La Nueva Espana, ~ September 14, 2007
SPAIN -- (The Rev. Juan Antonio Menendez has been removed from priestly duties after admitting that he maintains a stable relationship with a woman and has a son.) [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 14, 2007 9:13 PM]

• Priest removed from his Parish after Archbishop discovers he is a father

[~ 2000s Menendez] - RCC "Father" is father, following Genesis 1:28.
   Typically Spanish, ~ September 14, 2007
   SPAIN -- The Archibishop of Oviedo has removed a priest from a parish in Asturias after discovering that he had been in a stable relationship with a woman and was father to a child.
   The Asturias newspaper, 'La Nueva España' carries the story and says that the Vicar-general of the diocese, Juan Antonio Menéndez, said the fact the priest was a father was not the determining factor in his removal; it was really for the failure to obey the rule of celibacy.
   He continued that the decision had been taken in agreement with the priest, who he described as as a 'good, honourable and coherent' person.

• Sexual abuse settlement leaves Santa Rosa diocese mired in debt

-- RCC. [Ziemann] [1984 onwards Ochoa-Perez] - 10 survivors.

   San Jose Mercury News, The Associated Press, Article Launched 04:37:19 PM PDT, Sep/14/2007
   SANTA ROSA, Calif.–The Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa will be deeply in debt after it pays more than $5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by sexual abuse victims.
   The Santa Rosa diocese owes about $5 million to other dioceses that loaned it money during its near financial collapse under Bishop Patrick Ziemann.
   The diocese had planned to pay off the debt with more than $5 million it received from the sale of property next to the Cathedral of St. Eugene in Santa Rosa.
   But most of the proceeds from that sale will now be used to pay to pay $5,020,000 to 10 people who claim they were abused by Sonoma priest Father Xavier Ochoa, who is believed to have fled the country.

• Rape Horror To Be Made Into Film

- RCC. [2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman murdered. [- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.

   Daily Express, Saturday September 15,2007
   SCOTLAND -- A DOCUMENTARY which will include a horrific reconstruction of the rape and murder of Angelika Kluk by serial sex offender Peter Tobin, has been commissioned by a Canadian filmaker.
   Tobin was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh iin May to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 21 years, for the rape and murder of the Polish student.
   In a six-week trial that shocked Scotland, the court heard that Angelika was raped, gagged and tied up and then stabbed 16 times before her body was dumped in an underground chamber. …
   The church was also left reeling by a string of lurid revelations as court also heard shamed priest Father Gerry Nugent confess to an affair with Angelika.
   After the verdict was delivered, Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, apologised to "all who have been hurt or scandalised by what has been revealed to have taken place".

• Ont. priest charged half a century after alleged sexual assaults on teen

[1954-60 Lussier*] - RCC. Male.

   CBC News Last Updated 11:09 AM ET | Friday, September 14, 2007
   CANADA -- A priest in eastern Ontario has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy more than 50 years after the first of the alleged incidents took place.
   Rev. Lucien Lussier, 84, is to appear in court in Alexandria, Ont., on Nov. 7 to face three charges of indecent assault on a male that were laid Tuesday, said an Ontario Provincial Police news release.
   He has been released with conditions.
   Police began investigating in August after the victim complained.

• Priest, charged with sex crimes, says he's innocent

[1954-60 Lussier*] - RCC. Male.
   Ottawa Sun, SUN MEDIA, 12:30 p.m., Friday, September 14, 2007
   CANADA -- An 84-year-old Eastern Ontario priest says he is innocent of sex-related charges laid earlier this week in connection with alleged incidents from about 50 years ago.
   OPP announced this morning that they have charged Father Lucien Lussier three counts of indecent assault after allegations of incidents over several years in the mid-to-late 1950s in the Alexandria area.
   When contacted by the Sun today, Lussier proclaimed his innocence.
   "The charges are false," Lussier said, adding that he is surprised about the allegations. "The truth is I'm innocent."

• Lawyer: Priest too ill to testify

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada.

   The Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 14, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- A priest has acute anxiety because of his past role handling child sex-abuse complaints and cannot comply with a judge's demand to give pretrial testimony in an ongoing Catholic school sex-abuse lawsuit, his lawyer said today.
   Monsignor John Urell, pastor at St. Norbert's Church in Orange, broke down and left a deposition last month while being asked about earlier sex-abuse claims in the diocese.
   Urell, like other high-ranking church officials, was ordered to give testimony as part of lawsuit brought by a former Mater Dei High School student, who alleges she had a two-year sexual relationship with then-assistant coach Jeffrey Andrade when she was 15, starting in 1995. The jury trial is scheduled for next month.
   Andrade, who is also a defendant in the case, has admitted in depositions to having sex with the girl. He was never criminally charged.
   Last week, Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod Brown sent Urell to Southdown Institute in Canada - a facility that treats clergy for psychological issues. Urell is on medical leave from the diocese.

• Deposition: Bishop let priest accused of rape work

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada.
   The Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 14, 2007
   SANTA ANA (CA) -- Bishop Tod Brown, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Orange County, admitted in a sworn deposition that when he became bishop he allowed a priest accused of raping a 15-year-old girl to work at a parish with an elementary school.
   The bishop's 4½-hour testimony, which also includes his admission that a boy accused him of sexual abuse in 1965, highlights some older sex-abuse allegations at the diocese, what Brown knew of such claims and how he did not immediately disclose a report against him publicly.
   "I think earlier on with regard to molestation cases, that a lot of bishops, including myself, were not fully aware of the seriousness of the problem in terms of putting other people at risk," Brown testified Monday.

• Fresno pastor pleads not guilty to sex abuse charges

[1990s-2000s Bonine*] - Baptist. 2 girls.

   The Fresno Bee, By Louis Galvan and Ron Orozco / 05:34:25, Sep/14/07
   FRESNO (CA) -- The pastor of a northeast Fresno church pleaded not guilty Thursday to 107 felony counts of sexual misconduct involving two girls.
   John Bonine, 43, pastor of Sierra Heights Baptist Church, is charged with lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under the age of 14 over a period of nearly five years. The two girls are now in their early teens.
   Fresno County Superior Court Judge Houry Sanderson set bail at nearly $5.5 million. Bonine is being held in Fresno County Jail.
   "It is a sad situation for us," said Fermin Whittaker, executive director of the California Southern Baptist Convention, of which Sierra Heights is a member.

• Zimbabwe: British Bishops Express Solidarity With Archbishop Ncube

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   AllAfrica, Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi), 14 September 2007
   LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have urged people in Africa and around the world to pray for Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, saying his resignation on Tuesday was a cause of "enormous sadness".
   The bishops praised Archbishop Ncube for his outstanding defence of Zimbabweans in the face of misrule. "No one could have done more to highlight the plight of that country's suffering people and I can only stand in admiration of his courage and in gratitude to him for all that he has achieved," said Bishop Chrispian Hollis, chairman of the Department for International Affairs of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Engalnd and Wales.
   "It is good to know that, far from being silenced, he will continue to campaign vigorously and courageously for justice for the oppressed people of Zimbabwe."

• «Don Gelmini molestò minori stranieri»

[Gelmini* + collaborators] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

   Corriere della Sera, ~ September 14, 2007
   ITALY -- Police from Terni who are investigating the Rev. Pierino Gelmini said that he may have sexually abused minors in Bolivia and Thailand.
   They have attempted to reconstruct the priest's activities as founder the the Incontro drug rehabiliation community. The investigators have identified potential victims.
   They are also looking at other activities that may be illegal and are looking at roles his collaborators may have played, especially in trying to convince alleged victims to withdraw their allegations.
   Journalist Fiorenza Sarzanini said one investigation focuses on Pierluigi Rocca, who is accused of dictating the text of a letter one alleged victim wrote to recant what he previously told the prosecutors.

• Board Reviews Allegation Dating to 1960s

[1960s, 1992 Reinecke] - RCC. 1992 suicide. Female minor, male minors

   Catholic Diocese of Arlington, September 13, 2007
   Board Reviews Allegation Dating to 1960s
   ARLINGTON (VA) -- The Arlington Diocesan Review Board has completed its review of an allegation that the late Rev. Msgr. William T. Reinecke sexually abused a female minor in the late 1960s. Based upon the available evidence, a majority of the Review Board members determined it to be a "credible accusation" under the diocese's Policy on the Protection of Children/Young People and Prevention of Sexual Misconduct and/or Child Abuse.
   Msgr. Reinecke committed suicide in 1992. Following his death, the diocese received allegations that he had engaged in sexually abusive conduct with male minors. The recent allegation against him, brought forward in 2006, is the first to be made that involved a female. Upon learning of the allegation, the diocese met with the individual, provided assistance with counseling, and notified the Diocese of Richmond. At the time of the alleged abuse, Msgr. Reinecke was assigned to St. Mary's parish in Alexandria, which was then a parish of the Richmond Diocese. The Diocese of Arlington was established in 1974.
   Msgr. Reinecke served as pastor, St. James, Falls Church, 1990-92; pastor, St. Ambrose, Annandale, 1980-90; in residence, Our Lady of Lourdes, Arlington, 1979-80 and 1974-75; in residence, Queen of Apostles, Alexandria, 1976-79; associate pastor, St. Charles Borromeo, Arlington, 1969-74; and associate pastor, St. Mary, Alexandria, 1965-69. He also served in various roles in the diocesan chancery.

• ABANO

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, September 14, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti celebrates his 41st birthday tomorrow but he is not planning a party.
   He has been threatened with a lawsuit for defamation, procedure for his removal from his church is going ahead, and Armando Villani, a man to whom he refused to see [? sell] some land, is threatening new revelations about the priest's past conduct.
   Rev. Sguotti, who has fallen in love with a woman he wants to marry, is saying he will reveal further information about priests who have had relationships with women or minors.

• Witness recounts 'complete despair,' betrayal in testimony against polygamist leader Jeffs

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.

   Deseret Morning News, By Nancy Perkins, Published 1:40 p.m. MDT, Sept. 14, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) – The star witness in the state's case against polygamist-sect leader Warren Jeffs testified on Friday she felt "complete despair" the night before her arranged marriage at age 14 to a first cousin.
   "I was completely emotional," the now 21-year-old woman testified. "I felt betrayed by the people I trusted most."
   Among those trusted people was Jeffs, who was then the first counselor to the Fundamentalist LDS Church's prophet, Rulon Jeffs, Warren Jeffs' father.
   "Warren completely overlooked the fact that it was something that I did not want to do or was willing to do," she testified.

• Gracias, Frank Mickadeit…

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crossed to Canada. [Mr Avila*] - Didn't know, now he knows.

   Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano, in Ex Cathedra, Main, 11:34 AM, September 14, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- … for acknowledging in his Orange County Register column today that the Weekly broke the Bishop Tod Brown molestation allegation five months ago. We e-mailed Mickadeit, his colleague Rachanee Srisavasdi, and Los Angeles Times Orange County editor (and former religion reporter) William Lobdell and asked them to acknowledge the Weekly in reporting about the Brown deposition; only Mickadeit complied with the truth.
   But then, Mickadeit went further:
   "And in our own nod to openness, we must report that Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly reported the accusation in April, but the diocese refused to comment, and other media didn't pay much attention. Let's just say the mainstream media in this county, myself included at times, has a history of failing its readers/viewers/listeners by not following some pieces the Weekly breaks. A column for another day."

• Zimbabwe: Pius Saga - Time for Soul-Searching

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   AllAfrica, The Herald (Harare), OPINION, by Stephen T. Maimbodei, Harare, September 14, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- September 11 2007 was a dramatic day for Zimbabwe. While the United States of America observed the sixth anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Centre, Zimbabweans got breaking news from Pope Benedict XVI informing them and the world that Pius Ncube had "resigned" from his position as Archbishop of Bulawayo.
   The goings-on in the Catholic Church worldwide seem to be giving Pope Benedict sleepless nights. Faced with falling congregational figures, there are, on one hand, dissident priests who are clamouring for the reformation of the Church's celibacy rule. In July, a whopping US$600 million was paid out to men and boys all over the USA who were abused by a priest, now an archbishop.
   Soon after that, another Catholic priest in Latin America was jailed for 55 years for allegedly murdering his 16-year-old son. And, this past weekend, another priest got the thumbs-up from his congregation in Rome for the open love relationship he is having with a single mother.
   And now, he has to contend with Pius Ncube in Zimbabwe, who has declared an all-out war on another Catholic who happens to hold a leadership position just like him. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 14, 2007 9:24 AM]
   [COMMENT: Check if it is correct that: "In July, a whopping US$600 million was paid out to men and boys all over the USA who were abused by a priest, now an archbishop." And the "thumbs-up" sentence. COMMENT ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri September 14, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 15, 2007 edition:

• Priest steps down amid sex-abuse allegations

[~ 2000s Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Child.

   Belfast Telegraph, www.belfast telegraph.co. uk/breaking- news/ireland/ article296 6838.ece , Saturday, September 15, 2007
   IRELAND -- A priest in the Diocese of Kilmore has stepped down from his duties following an allegation that he sexually abused a child.
   Gardai have confirmed that an investigation is underway and a file on the case is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosections.
   The Bishop of Kilmore issued a statement earlier today, confirming that gardai are investigating a complaint against a priest in his Diocese.
   It's understood the allegation of sexual abuse was made by a 15-year-old who lives in the Diocese, which includes parts of counties Cavan, Leitrim, Meath and Fermanagh. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 15, 2007 6:26 PM]

• Catholic school principal accused of enticing girl

[? 2007 Mr Stroschein -NEW*] - RCC. Internet. Girl.

   Courier, September 15, 2007
   WATERLOO, Iowa - A Catholic school principal was charged Friday with trying to meet a 16-year-old girl for sex.
   Louis Stroschein, principal for Shelby County Catholic School in Harlan, was booked at the Black Hawk County Jail and charged with enticing away a minor.
   Stroschein is accused of trying to arrange a sexual meeting with the girl he chatted with over the Internet. Sheriff's Lt. Kent Smock said Stroschein knew the girl was 16.

• Former Minister Faces Sex Abuse Charge

[1989-92 Weld -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Boy.
   ABC News 4, ~ September 15, 2007
   CHARLESTON (SC) -- A former minister faces a charge of sexual assault against a minor.
   George Weld, 61 years old, is out on bond tonight.
   According to the police report, the victim says he was assaulted twice once in 1989 and again in 1992. At the time, the victim was between 10 and 12 years old.
   In May 2006, after years in the dark, the victim in this case finally came forward during an interview with the Charleston County Sheriff's Department.
   The victim says George Weld fondled him and took his picture while he showered.

• Bishop may convene rare ecclesiastical court

[1970s-1997 Farnsworth*] - Anglican. Cult abuse of minors.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, September 15, 2007
   CANADA -- The Anglican priest alleged to have abused students through cult practices at an Eastern Ontario elite private school may face a rare ecclesiastical court convened by the bishop who is investigating his behaviour.
   The judicial procedure - almost never used in the Anglican Church of Canada - would be triggered by Rev. Charles Farnsworth's refusal to accept either a finding by the bishop that the allegations are substantive or a sentence of punishment that the bishop might impose.
   It has been used perhaps half a dozen times over the past 170 years.
   Mr. Farnsworth, in a Globe and Mail interview, has denied any knowledge of students being abused sexually, psychologically or physically during the two decades ending in 1997 when he was headmaster of Grenville Christian College near Brockville, Ont. He also has denied the specific allegations against him. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 15, 2007 9:03 AM]

• Retired priest accused of sex crimes in 1950s

[1954-60 Lussier*] - RCC. Male.

   Times Colonist, by Andrew Seymour, CanWest News Service, Saturday, September 15, 2007
   OTTAWA -- A retired Ontario priest is facing criminal charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a young boy more than five decades ago.
   Cornwall-area priest Lucien Lussier, 84, was charged by Ontario Provincial Police Tuesday, with three counts of indecent assault on a male after a man stepped forward to police last month alleging he was sexually assaulted by a priest in the 1950s.
   According to police, the alleged incidents occurred in Alexandria and area between 1954 and 1960.
   OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae said the alleged assaults started when the male was young and continued into his teenage years. She would not elaborate on the nature of the alleged assaults.

• Victim's fury at priest who defended paedophile Cotter

[1970s-80s Cotter] - RCC. 5 1/6yrs prison. Girls.

   North-West Evening Mail, ~ September 15, 2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A PRIEST is under fire for describing his paedophile predecessor as "popular" and "hard working".
   Father Edmund Cotter is in prison for indecently assaulting 11 children near Preston.
   Father William Glasswell, Cotter's replacement at Our Lady of The Rosary Church, in Ulverston Road, Dalton, has leapt to his defence.
   But a victim of Cotter's – the woman who tracked him down to Dalton – is furious her attacker is being supported.
   The woman, now a mum-of-two, said: "It has taken nearly two years to complete the case and has caused myself and my family much distress.

• Head nun planned to sell Calif. convent before abuse settlement

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.

   San Jose Mercury News, The Associated Press, Article Launched 12:30:30 AM PDT, September/15/2007
   SANTA BARBARA, Calif.–The head nun of the Sisters of Bethany said she had considered selling the convent even before the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced that the structure would be sold to help pay for the multimillion-dollar priest sex abuse settlement.
   Sister Angela Escalera said last week that she and two other nuns were stunned when they received a letter from the archdiocese telling them they had until Dec. 31 to move out. The convent would be sold to help pay for the $660 million settlement between the archdiocese and clergy sex abuse victims, the letter said.
   The convent, which sits on a quarter of an acre, is valued at $97,746, though the county assessor's office said it will likely sell for more.
   Escalera, the order's local superior, said she was hurt to learn of the sale in a letter from the archdiocese's vicar general. She said she was also hurt that she had to sacrifice her home to help pay for the sins of pedophile priests. The letter offered no recourse for the nuns.

• In the interest of truth, justice, balance and fair play.

- RCC.
   Father Lasch, Saturday September 15, 2007
   NEW JERSEY -- In his commentary on my involvement in the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church in general and in the Diocese of Paterson in particular over a period of over twenty years, Abbot Koloff attempted to capture the highlights of my experience.
   I agreed to the interview because of the surrounding publicity attached to my having been nominated along with two other priests for the "Priest of Integrity" award by the National Voice of the Faithful. The awards are typically presented at the annual meeting of VOTF that will take place this year on October 19 - 20 in Providence, RI.
   This is the third time the nomination was submitted by the New Jersey Chapter of VOTF and the second time by the National Office. I declined the nomination all five times and declined it again this year. It was only after the insistence and persistence of the nominating committee that I reluctantly agreed with on condition that I might not be able to be present for the actual presentation of the award.

• Priest pays price for speaking about abuse

- RCC. Mons. Lasch speaks out.
   Daily Record, Friday, September 14, 2007
   NEW JERSEY -- Monsignor Kenneth Lasch said he once overheard fellow priests talking about him.
   "Why doesn't Lasch keep his mouth shut?"
   Lasch said he wrote those priests to suggest getting together to explain why he had become an advocate for victims of clergy sexual abuse. No one took him up on the offer, he said, and even priests who remained his friends became quiet when he brought up the issue. He wrote for years to the present bishop, Arthur Serratelli, asking for a meeting.
   Lasch said an attorney wrote back telling him that wasn't going to happen.
   So Lasch became in some ways an outsider in the church he says he loves.

• Prophetess' case highlights domestic violence in faith communities

[2007 "Bishop" Weeks*] - "Global Destiny Church." Wife-beating allegation.
   The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By S.A. REID, September/14/07
   ATLANTA (GA) -- Televangelist Juanita Bynum, now the self-described "new face" of domestic violence, has vowed to use her popular ministry and new celebrity victim status to heighten awareness about the issue.
   The high-profile case involving Bynum and her husband, Bishop Thomas W. Weeks, experts say, underscores that domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, is no respecter of gender, social-economic status or even religious faith.
   "When it happened that day in the parking lot it was happening all over the country with someone," said the Rev. Aubra Love, executive director of the Atlanta-based Black Church and Domestic Violence Institute.

• Young bride felt 'numb, dirty, used'

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.
   Vancouver Sun, by Daphne Bramham, Saturday, September 15, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah - Jurors in Warren Jeffs' trial as an accomplice to rape have the whole weekend to consider the uncontested, dramatic and emotional testimony from the alleged victim, who they heard from Friday.
   The credibility of the witness is essential to the state's case against Jeffs and her testimony was so important that Utah Attorney-General Mark Shurtleff came from Salt Lake City to hear it.
   The woman, known as Jane Doe, described how she was forced at 14 to marry her 19-year-old cousin by Warren Jeffs, the prophet of the largest polygamous group in North America and how her husband later forced her twice to have sex with him.
   A few weeks after the wedding in April 2001, her husband told her it was time for her to be a wife.
   "I wasn't completely sure what he was doing. But I said, 'Please don't do this.' He just ignored me and came over and undressed me and undressed himself… . I was sobbing. My whole entire body was shaking because I was so scared.

• Former Minister Charged

[1989-92 Weld*] - Episcopalian. Boy.
   WCBD, By Andy Pierrotti, September 14, 2007
   JOHNS ISLAND (SC) -- A former Johns Island minister faces sexual allegations with a minor. He bailed out of jail Friday morning, but he's not in the clear.
   Charleston County investigators arrested 60-year-old George Weld yesterday. He's charged with committing a lewd act on a minor.
   Weld presided over the congregation at St. Johns Episcopal Church from 1987 to 1995. The victim claims the molestation happened during his church tenure. The church temporarily suspended him after sexual harassment allegations were brought forward.

• O.C. bishop's accuser identifies himself

   Los Angeles Times, By Christine Hanley, September 15, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- The man who accused Bishop of Orange Tod Brown of sexually abusing him in the 1960s spoke publicly for the first time about his allegations Friday, saying he was molested three times when he was a boy living in Bakersfield.
   Scott Hicks, 54, said he decided to go public with his identity to lend credibility to his allegations.
   Brown has adamantly denied the accusation, and church leaders dismissed Hicks' allegations as baseless.
   "I have never abused any person sexually or any other way," Brown said in a recently released court deposition stemming from an unrelated molestation case in Orange County. Brown added that he was "shocked by the accusation" when church officials first brought it to his attention in July 1997.
   Kern County Dist. Atty. Edward R. Jagels said Thursday that he vaguely remembered his office reviewing the case and determining that it amounted to a "completely uncorroborated allegation."

• For the Record

- Correction.
Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2007
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Bishop's deposition: An article in Friday's California section about the unsealing of Bishop Tod Brown's deposition in a civil sexual abuse lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange identified Norman MacFarland as a former monsignor of the diocese. He is a former bishop.

• Lawsuit Alleges Abuse By Priest

[1977-78 Ivan Ferguson -NEW*] - RCC. Male.

   The Hartford Courant, By EDMUND H. MAHONY | September 15, 2007
   CONNECTICUT -- A former New Milford man claims in a lawsuit filed Friday against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford that he was repeatedly abused by a Simsbury priest 30 years ago.
   Niles Mallory charges that, beginning when he was 16 years old, the Rev. Ivan Ferguson assaulted him in Ferguson's bedroom in the rectory of St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in the Tariffville section of Simsbury.
   The sexual assaults took place in 1977 and 1978, according to the suit.
   Before he died at age 68 in 2002, Ferguson was sued for similar behavior. A $22 million settlement between the Hartford Archdiocese and 43 victims in 2005 was designed in part to compensate an unspecified number of Ferguson's victims.

• Brown served at northeast church

   The Bakersfield Californian, BY LOUIS MEDINA, e-mail: lmedina@bakersfield.com | 9:35 PM | Friday, Sep 14 2007
   PDF: Read the deposition of Orange County Bishop Tod Brown, formerly a Bakersfield [priest]
   BAKERSFIELD (CA) -- Orange County Bishop Tod Brown, who was accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old Bakersfield boy in the 1960s, served for at least four years as an assistant pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
   The current pastor, Monsignor Michael R. Braun, who has been at the church since 1987, said Brown was ordained in 1963.
   "His first assignment as a priest was at Our Lady of Perpetual Help," Braun said. He said Brown performed his first baptism at the parish on May 11, 1963, and his last baptism on Oct. 1, 1967. These dates are closely indicative of his span of service at the church, he said.
   "When you're appointed a pastor, the date of your appointment and your departure are always available readily," Braun said. "But to find out when an associate (or assistant) pastor served we go to our sacrament books."
   The allegations against Brown, which were brought up in 1997, were promptly reviewed and dismissed as not credible by the Diocese of Fresno, according to a formal statement from the diocese.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 15, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun September 16, 2007 edition:

!!!: Judge Issues Arrest Warrant For Nun Accused Of Sexual Assault

[1960s Sister Norma Giannini -NEW*] - RCC. 2 boys.

   WISN, www.wisn.com/ news/14115415/ detail.html? taf=mil , ~ September 16, 2007
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- A Milwaukee County judge has issued an arrest warrant for a nun accused of sexually assaulting two boys at a Milwaukee school in the 1960s.
   Sister Norma Giannini was supposed to appear in court Friday morning for a pre-trial hearing and did not show up, citing health reasons.

• Prete pedofilo, scandalo a Ratisbona

[Father Peter K. -NEW*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Radicali, September 16, 2007
   GERMANY -- Il Messaggero reported on Sept. 14 that police in the Bavarian town of Riekofen on Aug. 31 arrested a priest identified as Peter K., 39, and charged him with sexual abuse of at least one boy. The town is near the Bavarian city of Ratisona [? Ratisbona] where Pope Benedict XVI and his brother Georg were once university professors.
   The 800 inhabitants of the town were appalled by the scandal and actions of the bishop, the newspaper said. Police determined that the abuse had gone on for months or possibly years. The priest is also alleged to have abused another boy in 1999 in the Baviarian town of Viechtach. The priest in 2000 was sentenced to one year in prison, probation and a fine of [? how much ?] for abusing a boy in his religious education class.
   Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller of Ratisbona three years later transferred the priest to the parish of San Giovanni in Rieikofen based on a report from a psychiatrist that the priest had overcome his problem. People in the town said the priest wanted to deal only with boys in the parish and he organized parties and picnics for them. Parishioners said the priest fired the female workers in the parish. They added no one was informed of the priest's past abusive incidents.
   Town residents are accusing the bishop, who just finished writing a book about the theology of the current pope, with covering-up the scandal. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 16, 2007 7:51 PM]

• Bishop facing threat of tribunal

- Anglican. [1995-96 Coote*] - Anglican. 3 women. [Bp Davies*]

   The Australian, by Greg Roberts | September 17, 2007
   AUSTRALIA -- THE head of the Anglican Church in Australia is considering setting up a special tribunal to examine complaints against an Anglican bishop and determine if he should be stripped of his holy orders.
   Anglican Primate Phillip Aspinall and Archbishop of Adelaide Jeffrey Driver have received a submission from parishioners urging them to establish the tribunal to determine the suitability of Ross Davies, Bishop of The Murray in South Australia, to continue in office.
   If the tribunal finds against Bishop Davies, he could become only the second bishop of any denomination in Australia to bedefrocked.
   The submission by a group of Murray diocesan parishioners called the Voice of the Laity said the bishop had a "history of bullying, verbal and emotional abuse". The submission said there was concern at the support Bishop Davies had given the US-based ultra-conservative Traditional Anglican Communion, including his registration of TAC priests to practise in the diocese.
   It said there had been a cover-up of alleged sexual abuse by former diocesan vicar-general Peter Coote. Bishop Davies was forced to stand down Mr Coote in July following revelations by The Australian of allegations against him by three women.

• Today's editorial: Diocese hasn't learned futility of concealment

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1960s boy. Keeping seduction secret. 2007 facilitates move to Canada. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada.

   The Orange County Register, Editorial, ~ September 16, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Public-relations executives often explain that the quickest way to turn a scandal into a publicity nightmare is to engage in deceit and cover-up. It's one of the most basic lessons in government, the corporate world and nonprofit organizations. Yet the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange has ignored those lessons and has caused a much-deserved furor over its latest mishandling of the child-rape and abuse scandal.
   Like other dioceses nationwide, the Orange diocese for years has been dealing with an onslaught of lawsuits accusing various priests and church leaders of rape and sexual abuse. One current lawsuit involves a woman who was sexually abused by a former assistant basketball coach at church-owned Mater Dei High School when she was 16. Bishop Tod Brown was called to testify under oath about what he knew about sex-abuse accusations, and the diocese strenuously fought the public release of his deposition. That was a foolish move, and it gave observers good reason to wonder what the diocese was hiding.
   We learned the answer Thursday when Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler rightly ordered the public release of the deposition. In it, the bishop admitted that he personally was accused in the 1990s of molesting a boy many years earlier - a charge that law enforcement said was not corroborated and that church leaders determined to be without merit.

• Don Sante: «Vivo alla giornata»

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

Il Gazzettino, ~ September 16, 2007
ITALY -- Riccardo Bastianello reports that the Rev. Sante Sguotti, the parish priest who has professed love for a woman he wants to marry, faces an uncertain future. The priest said he lives day by day without ability to plan for a vacation or spiritual retreat. Rev. Sguotti said he intends to make public in coming days the possibility of making peace with his bishop. He would not give details. He said he wants to reach out to the Bishop of Padua, who has removed him from priestly duty and has ordered him out of the parish.

• Terni: Portavoce Don Gelmini, Stanno Uccidendo Un Sant'uomo A Parole

[Gelmini* + collaborators] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

IGN, ~ September 16, 2007
ITALY -- Alessandro Muluzzi, spokesman for the Rev. Pierino Gelmini, said allegations of sexual misconduct being made against the priest are killing him. The bullets are words and paper which penetrates soul and flesh, he said. The audio interview is also available at this site.

• Parishes facing big tax bills for churches closed by Diocese of Buffalo

- RCC.

   The Buffalo News, By Jay Tokasz and Brian Meyer, Updated 7:05 AM, September/16/07
   BUFFALO (NY) -- Catholic church buildings slated for closure could still end up costing parishioners hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes if the properties aren't sold or converted for other tax-exempt uses.
   City officials say church buildings will be added to the tax rolls within a year or so after they close.
   The buildings have been exempt from property taxes for decades because of their religious purpose. But state law dictates that such properties get taxed when they're no longer being used by a church. ,,,
   "Unfortunately, this is what happens when the Catholic Diocese makes decisions in a vacuum," said Joseph Golombek Jr., North Council member, who has been highly critical of the diocese's restructuring, known as "Journey in Faith and Grace." "They've closed four out of six churches in our neighborhood without looking at the long-term impact."
   Sixteen Catholic churches in Buffalo - as well as several of their ancillary buildings – that closed recently or are scheduled to be shut down have an assessed value of $12.4 million, according to city assessment records.
   Based on the city's nonhomestead tax rate of $32.76 per $1,000, those properties would be subject to a combined city tax bill of more than $400,000. That figure doesn't include Erie County taxes.

• Sexual abuse victims should alert diocese - Bishop of Kilmore

[~ 2000s Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Child.

   Belfast Telegraph, Sunday, September 16, 2007
   IRELAND -- The Bishop of Kilmore has encouraged anyone with any concerns in relation to sexual abuse to come forward.
   It comes following yesterday's revelation that a priest in the Diocese has stepped down from his duties, following an allegation that he sexually abused a child.
   It is understood the allegation was made by a 15-year-old who lives in the Diocese of Kilmore - which includes parts of counties Cavan, Leitrim, Meath and Fermanagh.

• Priest stands aside over sex claim

[~ 2000s Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Child.
   The Press Association, ~ September 16, 2007
   IRELAND -- A priest at the centre of a sexual abuse allegation has agreed to stand aside from his duties. The man, who it is understood is in his 40s, is from the Diocese of Kilmore.
   He was questioned by gardai in Co Cavan before being released without charge. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, a garda spokesman said. It is believed the allegation came from a 15-year-old boy.

• Bishop: Sexual abuse victims should alert diocese

[~ 2000s Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Child.
   Evening Echo, 9:52:41 AM, September/16/2007
   IRELAND -- The Bishop of Kilmore, Leo O'Reilly, has encouraged anyone with any concerns in relation to sexual abuse to come forward.
   It comes following yesterday's revelation that a priest in the Diocese has stepped down from his duties, following an allegation that he sexually abused a child.
   It is understood the allegation was made by a 15-year-old who lives in the Diocese of Kilmore - which includes parts of counties Cavan, Leitrim, Meath and Fermanagh. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 16, 2007 7:44 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun September 16, 2007
• The past is a different country for 'orphan'.

Sixty years on, English child migrants gather to remember an experience none can forget, writes Pam Casellas

The past is a different country for ‘orphan’

   The West Australian, by Pam Casellas, p 11, Monday, September l7, 2007
Jean Costello grew up believing she was an orphan. [… ]
   Mrs Costello, now 71, was one of 350 children from British orphanages who came to Australia in a 12-month period in 1947. There will be a 60th anniversary gathering next weekend at Fremantle Museum, the date the [ship] Asturias tied up at Fremantle on the first of two trips. [… ]
   … While some of the children did endure hardships in WA, particularly in Catholic institutions, she's quite sure that most didn't and, like her, have come to terms with their personal regret, and have embraced the life change that was wrought on them.
   She had no idea she was heading to a new life. "We were told we were going on a nice holiday," she said. "They told us Australia was full of black people and kangaroos. … "
[With 4 pictures.]
   … St Joseph's Orphanage in Wembley and her brother went to Clontarf. … educated at Victoria Square and Our Lady's College near St Mary's Cathedral, married … four children …
   … Through the Child Migrant Trust she … found out that her parents, though divorced and re-married, had lived until their 70s.
   … trips to England … One was on the Sentimental Journey odyssey funded by the Nazareth and Mercy orders to help the child migrants find their roots.
   … her parents abandoned her … officials … let her believe for so long she was an orphan. …
   Despite having no say in whether they wanted to come to Australia, many child migrants have had to pay fees to become the Australian citizens they wanted to be. So Mrs Costello dug her heels in and kept her British passport.
   Happily, child migrants now are exempt from fees, and with that news, she is planning to fill in the application form. #

[INSERTED on this webpage on 09 October 2010. ENDS.] http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#the_past_is [Sep l7, 2007]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 17, 2007 edition:

!!!: Uganda: Catholic Priest Held Over Defilement

[? 2007 Safari -NEW*] - RCC. Attempted sex, burnt privates. Girl.

   AllAfrica, http://allafrica. com/stories/ 20070917 0324.html , The Monitor (Kampala), by Robert Muhereza, Kabale, September 17, 2007
   UGANDA -- THE police in Kabale District are holding a priest on allegations of sexual assault and defilement. Rev. Fr. Augustine Safari, the parish priest of Maziba Catholic parish, allegedly attempted to murder a girl who resisted his sexual advances. Relatives recorded a statement at police indicating that the priest attempted to burn the girl's private parts after she rejected his sexual proposals.
   The girl (names withheld) is a student of Maziba Secondary School. The officer in charge of criminal investigations at Kabale police station, Mr Silver Tumwesigye, confirmed the priest's detention on Friday. "Investigations into the matter are in progress," he said.

• Priest on leave after child sex abuse claims

[~ 2000s Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Child.

   Irish Independent, Monday, September 17, 2007
   IRELAND -- A Catholic priest in Co Cavan has stepped aside from parish duties, pending the outcome of a garda inquiry into allegations that he sexually abused a 15-year-old boy.
   The priest, thought to be in his 40s, was arrested on Saturday and interrogated by gardai, who are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
   In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the Bishop of Kilmore, Dr Leo O'Reilly, confirmed that one of his diocesan priests was under suspicion, and he called on anyone with a concern for the safety of children to come forward with any information relevant to the case. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 17, 2007 8:00 AM]

• Pittsburgh diocese creates $1.25M fund to settle abuse cases

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.

   The Sentinel, By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Last updated 3:43 PM EDT, Monday, September 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said Monday it has created a $1.25 million fund to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests.
   The victims' attorney, Alan H. Perer, said the settlement was being announced with mixed feelings because the money does not fairly compensate the victims for the abuse they suffered.
   Pennsylvania's highest courts had dismissed the cases, citing the statute of limitations, which gives victims of sexual abuse who are minors until their 20th birthday to file claims. The cases in Pittsburgh are from the 1950s through the late '80s, and most of the victims are in their 40s. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 17, 2007 10:35 PM]

• Pittsburgh diocese to settle clergy abuse claims for $1.25M

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
Jurist, by Katerina Ossenova, ~ September 17, 2007
PITTSBURGH (PA) -- [JURIST] The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh [diocesan website] Monday announced the creation of a $1.25 million fund to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests. Even though Pennsylvania's statute of limitations barred many victims from filing personal injury claims, the diocese has created the fund and will also offer a program of counseling and healing.

• Diocese will pay in sex-abuse cases

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
   Times, By Bill Vidonic, September/17/2007
   PENNSYLVANIA -- Barbara Ann Katekovich says she still suffers from panic attacks and other emotional distress brought on by sexual abuse at the hands of a priest decades ago.
   The Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese on Monday announced that suits filed by Katekovich, 52, of Conway, and 31 others claiming sexual abuse or injury by priests would be settled with payments totaling $1.2 million.
   Katekovich said she would have welcomed her day in court, to tell how, at the age of 12, she was molested by a priest at an Ambridge church.
   "What he did to me is terrible," Katekovich said. "I couldn't have children all these years. My marriage fell apart because of this. It's just not fair. I'm very angry with this."

• New PR Flack For OC Diocese, Same Idiocy

• Bench warrant issued for arrest of nun

[1960s Sister Norma Giannini*] - ? RCC. 2 boys.
   WKBT, ~ September 17, 2007
   MILWAUKEE (WI), (AP) -- A bench warrant has been issued for a 79-year-old nun charged with inappropriate behavior after she failed to appear at a hearing.
   Norma Giannini is charged with two counts of indecent behavior with a child stemming from incidents involving boys at a school where she had been principal.
   Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Paul Tiffin said Monday the warrant was issued after Giannini failed to appear at a hearing Friday.

• SNAP Meeting in New Concord

   WHIZ, By Kelly Gilmartin ~ September 17, 2007
   NEW CONCORD (OH) -- A national organization for victims of clergy abuse and their families is holding a meeting tonight in New Concord.
   Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, is holding a meeting at the Muskingum County Library New Concord Branch from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight to give victims a chance to come forward and talk about their abuse.
   "What we do is we give them a guidance as to where to go. We also tell them that they're not alone and we also let them be able to talk with us and know that we believe them, you know that they have been abused," said Helen Schoeppner, Steubenville SNAP leader.

• Southern Baptist pastor in California charged with sexually abusing two girls

[1990s-2000s Bonine*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
   Associated Baptist Press, By Hannah Elliott, Published September 17, 2007
   FRESNO, Calif. (ABP) -- Another Southern Baptist pastor has been charged with child molestation.
   Police arrested John Bonine, pastor of Sierra Heights Baptist Church in Fresno, Calif., at his home Aug. 10. The 43-year-old father of eight is accused of sexually abusing two girls under the age of 14, according to The Fresno Bee.
   Mansel Trimble, the church's youth pastor, told the local ABC television affiliate, KFSN, that the church has not fired Bonine and will wait until "knowing all the facts, and where this is going" before taking action. Glen Paden, a former president of the California Baptist Foundation, preached in Sunday services Aug. 16.
   The arrest adds to a growing list of Southern Baptist pastors charged in the last year with sex abuse. Scandals in Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kentucky have led advocate groups to pressure SBC officials to conduct a nationwide investigation into the abuse.

• Why did cases settle when the Catholic Church had no defense at all? Many questions as LA hearings begin again this week. Plus: What Would Mahony Say?

- RCC.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 17, 2007
   (Hearings in LA Clergy Cases begin again tomorrow in Judge Fromholz' Court, with two motions on calendar for Tuesday September 18th. The City of Angels will be there and continue reporting in this blog.)
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- In the LA clergy cases settled July 16th, the Archdiocese used more than 18 law firms to fight claims made by sex crime victims in its own churches, to fight families and family members in its own parishes. The settlement was $660 million and the LA Archdiocese may have spent another $660 million preventing justice from going forward.
   Out of those 18 law firms not one cogent legal argument against a plaintiffs' case ever came forward. Church Attorneys never denied that the rapes and satanic acts on children's bodies took place. They just got cases dismissed for missed deadlines or because of plaintiffs' confusion as to which is the correct defendant church parish or other entity on which to serve a subpoena.
   I'm still trying to understand why plaintiffs settled when the church really had no case at all? At the same time plaintiffs were ready to show a jury shocking evidence and put on testimony that would have blown the roof off cathedrals across the country. One Clinton Hagenbach case alone names 28 priests who were part of an inner circle of pedophiles in Southern California. Many of these inner circle pedophile pederast priests came from Our lady of the Angels Junior Seminary. Testimony would have showed how the church aided and abetted these criminals. With the cases settled how will we get that evidence now?

• Pa. Catholic diocese sets up $1.25 million abuse fund

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
   Reuters, PHILADELPHIA, 12:59pm EDT, Mon Sep 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA), (Reuters) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has voluntarily set up a $1.25 million fund to aid the victims of 32 cases of clergy sexual abuse, an attorney for the victims said on Monday.
   The fund will be distributed by an independent arbitrator based on each victim's age, the type of abuse and how it has affected the person's life, said Alan Perer of the Pittsburgh law firm SPK. Victims also will be given generous counseling, he said.
   Perer said he had "mixed feelings" about the settlement because he would like to have obtained more for his clients. But he said the Pennsylvania courts had barred lawsuits because the alleged abuses, most of which occurred during the 1960s, were too long ago.
   The victims were 23 men and nine women who are mostly now in their 40s and 50s, Perer said. Three other men withdrew their claims. The abuse was committed by about 20 clergy, many of whom are now dead, Perer said.

• B.C. priest resigns after admitting misconduct

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Anglican Journal, Staff, Sep 17, 2007
   BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada -- Rev. Antonio Osorio, a well-known priest in the diocese of British Columbia who championed the cause of same-sex blessings in the church, has resigned from his post after admitting to sexual misconduct.
   The diocese issued a statement Sept. 5 that Mr. Osorio, rector of St. Saviour's church, had been suspended from his duties pending an investigation into allegations he had violated the church's sexual misconduct policy. His resignation was announced Sept. 14.
   The diocese did not elaborate on the nature of the complaint filed against Mr. Osorio, who came to Canada as a refugee fleeing political persecution in Colombia. Mr. Osorio was unavailable for comment. Local newspapers in Victoria said the church's parishioners were "devastated" by the news.

• Zubik comments on Pittsburgh diocese abuse settlement

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.

   WKBT, Associated Press, 3:35 PM ET, September 17, 2007
   GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - The outgoing bishop of the Green Bay Catholic Diocese will have a lot of work to do when he gets to his new post.
   Next week, Bishop David Zubik will be installed as the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
   Today, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced it has created a fund worth more than $1 million to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests.
   Zubik said in a statement he had been informed along the way as the resolution came about. He says he hopes the settlement would help rebuild trust in the church.

• Diocese resolves 32 priest abuse lawsuits

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
   Monsters and Critics, 19:37 GMT, Sep 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH, PA, United States (UPI) -- The Diocese of Pittsburgh says it has resolved 32 lawsuits dealing with allegations of abuse or injury by priests.
   The diocese and attorneys for the plaintiffs announced the suits have been withdrawn and a $1.25 million Outreach Fund has been established by the diocese to be distributed to the plaintiffs based on reviews of each claim, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
   Pennsylvania courts have ruled that the suits were invalidated by the state's statute of limitations. The courts declared that the alleged abuses took place too long before the suits were filed against the diocese.

• Finding God away from Catholicism

- Christianity.
   Daily Southtown, September 17, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- I felt like I was cheating. As I walked into the church with my family, I found myself furtively looking around, wondering if I was going to see anyone I knew.
   I felt guilty but excited. It felt forbidden and a little bit naughty to be entering a church that wasn't Catholic, but I knew we had to try something new.
   For the past several years, it's been harder and harder for me to support the Catholic Church. There have been too many sexual abuse cases nationwide for me to proudly be a parishioner anymore and too many antiquated church laws that make it difficult for me to be a good Catholic.

• OC Diocese Paid Admitted Child Molester $100,000

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1960s boy. Keeping seduction secret. 2007 facilitates move to Canada. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada.
   Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, 10:17 AM, September 17, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Back in 2004, the Catholic Diocese of Orange quietly settled a lawsuit filed against former Mater Dei boys' basketball coach Jeff Andrade. To quote from my 2006 story regarding a current molestation lawsuit against Andrade:
   "In 2003, Mater Dei officials admitted to Orange County Register reporter Jim Hinch that they dismissed Andrade because of his relationship with [a 15-year-old student]. Andrade sued Mater Dei and the Orange diocese… for invasion of privacy, stating in his argument that "the disclosure of any facts pertaining to [Andrade's] employment at Mater Dei is not newsworthy." The diocese shot back in a demurrer that Andrade "had no reasonable expectation of privacy. Andrade had been accused of a sexual relationship with a student. He could not reasonably believe that the mandatory reporting of this conduct would remain private." The suit was resolved but the outcome remains confidential, and the local media never reported on the case."
   The amount that Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown paid out to Andrade has remained a mystery--until last week.
   That's when Brown was deposed by John Manly, the famed Newport Beach attorney that has pursued clerical sex-abuse cases across the world. On page 26 of the deposition, longtime diocesan lawyer Peter Callahan tried to argue before a judge that certain parts of Brown's manuscript should be under seal because of "privileged information in a personnel file about somebody's medical condition.
   "The last time this came up in the framework of this particular case, confidential information was mentioned from a personnel file of Andrade," Callahan told Judge Robert Jameson. "We were challenged why don't we tell people who are accused, et cetera. And then Andrade sued us, and it cost us a hundred thousand dollars."
   $100,000. $100,000 to a man who admitted to molesting the Mater Dei student. $100,000 to a man the Orange diocese continues to protect. $100,000 to a man that shamed the Orange diocese--yet Bishop Brown and Callahan relish the day they can go to trial against Andrade's victim. That $100,000 figure, by the way, was supposed to be under seal--guess it's not anymore!

• «Ecco gli obiettivi della Chiesa dei peccatori»

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 17, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti again celebrated Mass in his parish on Sunday in defiance of his bishop. He said it is not good to be a sinner but it is the only way to be part of Jesus' church.
   He announced on his Web site at < www.chiesa cattolica dei peccatori.it > that the section on objectives has been completed. His first objective was to face the unbearable situation of divorced Catholics or those who are now separated and living with another woman. The second objective is to face the issue of pedophilia in the clergy and the religious world. The third is to deal with the theme related to the priests.
   He believes it is appropriate to look at the ecclesiastical hierachy throughout the world to find out how many are accused of sexual abuse of minors, are HIV positive, frequent prostitutes, support one or more children, are mentally ill, alcoholic, property owners, homosexuals, who have had at lest one affair, who have left the priesthood, along with other issues.

• Diocese Creates Settlement Fund

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.

   New York Sun, Associated Press, posted 12:38 pm EDT, September 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said today it has created a $1.25 million fund to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests.
   In a joint statement with an attorney for the plaintiffs, the diocese said it wanted to settle even though Pennsylvania's statute of limitations barred many victims from filing personal injury claims.
   Plaintiff's attorney Alan H. Perer said he appreciated the gesture but said the sum does not fairly compensate the victims for the abuse they say they suffered.
   The victims feel the courts and laws of Pennsylvania did not offer them protection, Mr. Perer said at a news conference.

• Lawsuits Against Diocese Of Pittsburgh Withdrawn

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
   WPXI, ~ September 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- More information about dozens of abuse lawsuits against the Diocese of Pittsburgh is expected to be released on Monday.
   Resolutions have been reached in 32 cases. Courts in Pennsylvania ruled the suits could not be heard because of the statute of limitations.
   "The Pennsylvania courts' rulings preclude our clients from pursuing their claims," said Alan H. Perer, a senior partner at the Law Firm of SPK who represents all of the plaintiffs. He said the "gesture by the Diocese is very much appreciated."
   The diocese has established an outreach fund worth more than $1 million. Each plaintiff in the lawsuits will also be invited to take part in a program of counseling and healing.

• Pittsburgh Diocese to Settle Abuse Cases

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.
   ABC News, Sep 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA), (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said Monday it has created a $1.25 million fund to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests.
   In a joint statement with an attorney for the plaintiffs, the diocese said it wanted to settle even though Pennsylvania's statute of limitations barred many victims from filing personal injury claims.
   Plaintiff's attorney Alan H. Perer said the gesture "is very much appreciated."
   "Often institutions brush these sorts of things under the rug as soon as possible," Perer said in the statement. "It was important and admirable for the Diocese to step forward and offer these people help and some form of compensation."

• Pastors giving new meaning to "Laying on of Hands"

[2007 "Bishop" Weeks*] - "Global Destiny Church." Wife-beating allegation.
   The Louisiana Weekly, By Dr. Barbara Reynolds, NNPA Religion Columnist, September 17, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- If Jesus Christ would show up in some of our churches, would He shed tears and walk out the door?
   Once upon a time, church sanctuaries were treated as hallowed ground and the ordained clergy representing God and the people of God were viewed as the best examples of godly living.
   Today, a demonic spirit of sexual perversion, prosperity, blindness and power-tripping is creating a sense of shame and cynicism among rank and file Christians that is actually driving some from the pews.
   For example weeks after Atlanta police and witnesses report how Bishop Thomas Weeks savagely choked, kicked in the stomach and stomped his televangelist wife, Juanita Bynum in a hotel parking lot, the bishop is still in his pulpit at Global Destiny church.
   [LOOK BACK: ~ August 27, 2007]

• Trust evaporating – Poll finds clergy trustworthiness slips precipitously

- Lost trust.

   Catholic Online, By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register ( www.catholicregister.org ) , Sep/17/2007
   TORONTO, Canada (The Catholic Register) – It may well be a greater compliment to be trusted than to be loved. If so, is it a greater heartbreak to watch trust evaporate? For an answer, one might ask a parish priest. Canadian trust in clergy has been slipping at an alarming pace over the past five years.
   The 2007 Leger Marketing "Profession Barometre" finds that 61 percent of Canadians say they trust church representatives – not even close to the 97 percent who trust firefighters or 94 percent who trust nurses, Canada's most trusted professions.
   However, Canadians still rank clergy more trustworthy than pollsters at 59 percent, journalists at 48 percent or politicians, who garner the trust of just 15 percent of Canadians.

• Sex priest's victim slams sentence

[1972-86 Pidoto*] - RCC. 4 boys + 3 others.

   Herald Sun, 05:42pm, September 17, 2007
   MELBOURNE (Vic), Australia -- A PRIEST who raped and sexually abused four boys over 12 years has been jailed for more than seven years.
   One of his victims criticised the sentence, saying the Catholic priest should have been locked up for life.
   Terrence Melville Pidoto, 62, was found guilty of 11 charges including rape, indecent assault and b**gery by a Victorian County Court jury in July this year.
   Today, Judge Ross Howie said Pidoto - who had denied all charges - had abused his position of trust and influence, adding that his actions were "a shocking betrayal of your vocation". [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 17, 2007 9:15 AM]

• Former priest sentenced for sex assault

[1972-86 Pidoto*] - RCC. 4 boys + 3 others.
   ABC, By Danny Morgan, September 17, 2007
   MELBOURNE -- A former Melbourne Catholic priest has been sentenced to seven years and three months jail for sexual assaulting several young boys.
   A County Court jury found Terence Pidoto of Bacchus Marsh guilty of a total of 11 charges, including rape and b**gery.

• Victims angry at sex priest jail term

[1972-86 Pidoto*] - RCC. 4 boys + 3 others.
   The Age, 2:11PM, September 17, 2007
   MELBOURNE -- A priest who raped and sexually abused four boys over 12 years has been jailed for more than seven years.
   One of his victims criticised the sentence, saying the Catholic priest should have been locked up for life.
   Terrence Melville Pidoto, 62, was found guilty of 11 charges including rape, indecent assault and b**gery by a Victorian County Court jury in July this year.

• Psychologist's case shows limits of law

[≤ 1992 Larre] - RCC. Teenagers.

   Times Colonist, by Lindsay Kines and Jeff Rud, Monday, September 17, 2007
   CANADA -- He was once the "Saint of Saskatchewan," a Catholic priest whose work with troubled teens earned him the Order of Canada and a citizen-of-the-year award.
   But Father Lucien Larre has been dogged by controversy in recent years.
   In 1992, a Saskatchewan jury convicted him on two counts of physically abusing children in his care at Bosco Homes and acquitted him on nine other charges.
   Larre was sentenced to one day in jail and paid a $2,500 fine for one charge of common assault and one charge that he forced pills down the throat of a teenager to teach her a lesson about drug abuse.

• Uganda: Priest Defrocked Over Sexual Assault in Kabale

[2005 Byaruhanga] - Church of Uganda. Girl.

   AllAfrica, The Monitor (Kampala), by Robert Muhereza, Kabale, September 17, 2007
   UGANDA -- THE Church of Uganda Diocese of Kigezi has defrocked a priest over accusations of defilement. Rev. Kenneth Edison Byaruhanga allegedly defiled and impregnated an under age girl in 2005 when he was the parish priest at Rubaya centre in Ndorwa West, Kabale District.
   The Diocesan Secretary, Rev. George Tumwine, confirmed Rev. Byaruhanga's dismissal on Thursday and said he is expected to hand over all the clerical tools to the diocesan offices without fail.
   "We suspended the man in 2005 after receiving claims that he impregnated a minor at his work station. Investigations have been carried out and the final decision of defrocking him has been agreed upon," he told Daily Monitor.

• Pittsburgh Diocese to Settle Abuse Cases

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.

   The Associated Press, ~ September 17, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA), (AP) – The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said Monday it has created a $1.25 million fund to settle 32 lawsuits alleging abuse or injury by priests.
   In a joint statement with an attorney for the plaintiffs, the diocese said it wanted to settle even though Pennsylvania's statute of limitations barred many victims from filing personal injury claims.
   Plaintiff's attorney Alan H. Perer said the gesture "is very much appreciated."

• "Porta Pia, la breccia della libertà"

- RCC.

Radicali, ~ September 17, 2007
ITALY -- (The Radical Party and other organizations will gather at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in front of Porta Pia. These groups will demonstrate against fundamentalism in all its forms and, as it has done each year, call for the end of the temporal power of the Vatican upon the city of Rome, honor the concept of religious freedom against the official state religion and its privileges.)

• Fresno Church Congregation Turns To God During Difficult Time

[1990s-2000s Bonine*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
   ABC 30, By Maureen Naylor Sep/16/2007
   FRESNO (CA) -- Accusations of child sexual abuse rocked a Fresno church earlier this week. For the first time since the allegations came to light the church congregation met for Sunday services with a message of faith for church members.
   Church leaders say they are praying for his family, trying to heal, and focusing on faith.
   An interim pastor took over the 10:30 Sunday service at the Sierra Heights Baptist Church, usually presided over by Pastor John "Jeb" Bonine.
   Glen Paden encouraged the congregation to turn to God during this difficult time when many are questioning why.
   "The congregation sets a very high standard for pastor, for a spiritual leader, when those are broken, when they fail, when they fall, there is remorse, there is disappointment," says Pastor Paden.

• Ncube's exit good for the Church

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   The East African, ~ September 17, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- POPE BENEDICT XVI has done the best thing to rest the adultery case of Buluwayo Archbishop Pius Ncube by accepting his resignation. His resignation will go down well with President Robert Mugabe, whom he did not see eye-to-eye with.
   Although his fellow bishops had defended him, claiming he did not commit adultery, Bishop Ncube said in a written statement he was stepping down to spare his fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks.
   Accepting his resignation, the Vatican cited a church canon that "earnestly" requests the resignation of a bishop "who has become less able to fulfil his office because of ill health or some other grave cause."

• Ditched by their Pope

- RCC. Missing Maddie's parents.

   Sunday Mirror, by Anna Smith, Sep/16/2007
   UNITED KINGDOM -- IF anything is to shake the McCanns' unswerving Catholic faith, it must be the Pope ditching them from the Vatican website.
   In their dark hours, it was faith that kept them going. They had nowhere else to go. …
   This, from an organisation that for generations swept sexual abuse under the carpet, and gave shelter to paedophile priests who ruined hundreds of lives, from Glasgow to Boston to Donegal.
   Shame on them.

• Lawyer calls priest in sex abuse suit 'sociopathic'

[1977-78 Ivan Ferguson*] - RCC. Male.

   New Haven Register, By Abbe Smith, Sep/17/2007
   NEW HAVEN (CT) -- A New Haven lawyer said the priest implicated in a clergy sex-abuse lawsuit filed in August against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford was "one of the most sociopathic abusers" he has dealt with as an attorney.
   The suit, filed in Superior Court in New Haven, alleges that the Rev. Ivan Ferguson, now deceased, sexually abused a teenage boy from New Milford for about a year in the late 1970s. According to court documents, the alleged victim's mother worked at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in the Tariffville section of Simsbury in 1977 and 1978, when the abuse was supposed to have taken place.
   The lawsuit states that Ferguson befriended the 16-year-old and, while his mother worked, took the boy upstairs to his second-floor bedroom in the rectory and repeatedly sexually abused him.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 17, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue September 18, 2007 edition:

• Sydney priest to plead guilty to indecent assault

[1974 Murren -NEW*] - ? RCC. 8 boys.

   LiveNews, www.livenews. com.au/Artic les/2007/09/18/ Sydney_priest_ to_plead_ guilty_to_ indecent_ assault ; by Emily Smith, 12:20:00 PM, Sep/18/2007
   AUSTRALIA -- The lawyer for a Sydney priest accused of indecently assaulting young boys has indicated the 52-year-old will plead guilty to some of the charges.
   Ross Francis Murren is facing 21 charges of indecent assault on a boy dating back three decades.
   Murren's accused of assaulting eight boys at a primary school in 1974, when he was a 19-year-old teacher. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 18, 2007 10:26 AM]

• Festini e minacce a Firenze L'indagine porta alla Curia

[1973-87 Cantini -NEW*] - RCC. Secrecy. 20 girls and women.

Il Corriere della Sera, September 18, 2007
ITALY -- (Police are investigating Auxiliary Bishop Claudio Magnago of Florence for alleged participation in "red lights parties." They have talked to five people who are alleged to have witnessed these parties, which are sexual orgies. The parties allegedly were organized by his former teacher, Rev. Lelio Cantini, who was found guilty by the Ecclesiastical Tribune last spring. Rev. Cantini's accusers include 20 women who said they had been raped when they were minors. In addition to sexual violence, Rev. Cantini was found guilty of having forced some parishioners to cede their properties. The church court found Bishop Magnago to be innocent.)

• Salesians fight hard and heavy, with onslaught of motions, re summary judgment in Titian Miani cases, hearing Wednesday morning

[Decades - Claretians, Oblates, Bendectines, Salesians, and Piarists Religious Orders] - RCC. Minors.

   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 18, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Hearings continue in the Clergy Cases in Los Angeles as Catholic orders such as the Claretians, Oblates, Bendectines, Salesians, and Piarists try to get their portion of the LA settlements dismissed or otherwise thrown out of court.
   Wednesday September 19th lawyers will argue a motion for summary judgment of the Salesians' share of responsibility for 50 years of sex crimes carried out in the Southern California Catholic Church, at a hearing in Dept 20 of Los Angeles Superior Court, Judge Fromholz still presiding.
   Salesian priest Titian Miani preyed on children in Los Angeles from 1957 until he was arrested in 2003. "The Salesians are the third largest Religious Order in the world and the most aggressive defense we've seen," a plaintiff attorney told me.
   Remember the deposition where church attorneys rep blocked the door to keep plaintiffs from questioning an aging priest? That was regarding Titian Miani. Salesians have worked doubly hard to block depositions and prevent discovery of documents in the Clergy Cases Los Angeles 2007. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 18, 2007 11:53 PM]

• Sheriff: Monastery leader's death might have been suicide

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. Novice monk.
   American-Statesman, By Patrick George, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   BLANCO (TX) -- The death this week of Samuel Greene, the founder of the Christ of the Hills monastery outside Blanco who was facing charges of sexually assaulting children, might have been a suicide, according to the Blanco County sheriff.
   Sheriff Bill Elsbury said Greene was discovered by his caretaker, a fellow monk, in a trailer near the now-defunct Russian Orthodox monastery Monday. The man called police and said Greene committed suicide, Elsbury said. The embattled monastery leader had apparently mentioned suicide to the caretaker in the past, Elsbury said.
   "(The caretaker) said (Greene) was seriously considering taking pills," Elsbury said. "It has all the appearances of a suicide. He was scheduled to be in court Friday, he had all kinds of legal problems. He may have been facing a lengthy sentence."

• Blanco County monk suspected in the sexual assault of several boys may have committed suicide

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. Novice monk.
KLBJ, ~ September 18, 2007
BLANCO (TX) -- Authorities say a monk from the Christ of the Hills monastery in Blanco County -- accused of sexually assaulting boys may have committed suicide. Investigator W.T Smith with the Blanco County Sheriff's office says they recovered several pill bottles near the body of Samuel Greene, and suspect several of the pills were dissolved in water for digestion.

• Abuse Survivor Describes Events Behind Katinas Suspension

[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. ≥ 4 minors.
   Orthodox Reform, ~ September 18, 2007
   DALLAS (TX) -- Interview with 'DZ', whose reports of abuse by Fr. Nicholas Katinas led to Fr. Katinas' eventual suspension.
   DZ: The reason I have decided to give an interview at this time is to attempt to clarify many of the misconceptions and misinformation that have been said or omitted by the GOAA, Metropolitan Isaiah and the media.
   Question: Can you give us a timeline of the events after you reported the abuse?
   DZ: First of all, I cannot refer to Nicholas Katinas as Father because in my eyes he is no longer a priest, regardless of what the GOAA and others may say. In the remainder of this interview, I will refer to him as NK.

• Fox 5 in Las Vegas: Former 'Orthodox' Priest Seeks Teaching Permit

[Beine] - Misusing "Orthodox".
   Orthodox Reform, ~ September 18, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV) -- A special news report on Fox 5 in Las Vegas drew attention to former priest James Beine has in the past been associated with groups that use "Orthodox" in their names.
   Orthodox, and especially Orthodox seekers, in the Las Vegas area should be on the look out. Additional background and pictures are available at pokrov.org .

• St. Basil On Protecting The Abused

- Orthodox.
   Orthodox Reform, ~ September 18, 2007
   Today's reading from the Prologue from Ohrid reminds us that while we are called to forgive those who sin against us, we are also as a church called to champion justice, protect the innocent, and discipline the unlawful. It is a lesson sadly ignored by many of our modern day Bishops. Saint Nikolai Velimirovic describes St. Basil's teaching on this subject:
   Christianity has uprooted many barbaric customs from the society of man. But some of those customs--praiseworthy from the pagan point of view, but shameful from the Christian point of view-are, even to the present day, like hidden corruption oozing from a supposedly healed wound.

• San Francisco Priest Admits his Infidelity

[~ 1992-2007 Pappas*] - Greek Orthodox. On misconduct board. ? female.
   Orthodox Reform, By Theodore Kalmoukos, The National Herald, ~ September 18, 2007
   SAN FRANCISCO (CA) -- Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco is in turmoil after disclosures that its priest, Rev. Michael Pappas, who by all accounts was thought to be one of the most prominent and active clergymen in the Archdiocese of America, is at the center of a sex scandal.
   Father Pappas – in his forties, married and a father of three underage children, two of which are twins – admitted he had extramarital affairs. In a letter dated this past August 21, he informed members of his parish of his "unfaithfulness" to his wife.
   Father Pappas said zeal for his ministry made his marriage suffer and led him astray, telling his parishioners that, "over these last 15 years, in my zeal to excel in ministry, I have neglected the garden of my marriage, and as a result, it has withered on the vine. In those moments of hunger, I have sadly strayed from faithfulness and dishonored the sanctity of the gift of a precious wife and treasured children. Today, I am haunted by the Lord's words, "physician heal thyself.' Had I listened more carefully to the words I preached, perhaps the irreparable damage done to my marriage and the divorce, which will now sever an almost 20-year relationship, might have been avoided. For this painful reality, I take full responsibility."

• Patriarchate Defrocks Rev. Nick Katinas

[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. ≥ 4 minors.
   Orthodox Reform, By Theodore Kalmoukos, The National Herald, ~ September 18, 2007
   BOSTON – The Holy & Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople defrocked Rev. Nicholas Katinas and returned him to the rank of the laity. Rev. Katinas has been accused of sexual misconduct with minors while shepherding the Greek Orthodox parishes of the Dormition in Olympia Fields, Illinois and Holy Trinity in Dallas, Texas.
   The National Herald has learned that the Patriarchate defrocked (now former) Father Katinas on July 11, though nothing had been announced by the Archdiocese, thus far. The Orthodox Observer had not published anything about the decision in its July-August issue.
   Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who presides over the Synod and sets its agenda, had placed the defrocking of Mr. Katinas among the first items of discussion. None of the members of the Synod expressed any objection. They all knew the issue, since the Patriarch had often furnished them with copies of the National Herald's articles about the Katinas case.
   [LOOK BACK: Defrocking recommendation, June 2007. ENDS.]

• … And, What About the Misconduct Advisory Board?

[~ 1992-2007 Pappas*] - Greek Orthodox. On misconduct board. ? female.
   Orthodox Reform, By Paul Cromidas, September 15, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- The recent sad news about Fr. Michael Pappas of San Francisco admitting infidelity and leaving his position as a priest, also contained the ironic information that he had been a member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's (GOA) Advisory Board on Clergy Sexual Misconduct.
   It may be too early to know just how this matter will turn out, although his bishop, Metropolitan Gerasimos, while expressing deep sadness, also said he would be moving toward Spiritual Court and defrocking for Fr. Pappas.
   In the meantime, the question can be raised: what about the Advisory Board? What do we know about it and what has it been doing? The short answer is that we know little about it and, from what we know, it has been doing virtually nothing.

• Court hears former legal adviser urge Jeffs to continue underage polygamy

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.
   Canada.com , by Daphne Bramham, CanWest News Service, Published: Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – The prosecution abruptly wrapped up its case against polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs Tuesday morning after playing a tape of Jeffs's former legal adviser predicting a criminal prosecution like this one.
   Jeffs, who leads the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of being an accomplice to rape in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old first cousin. Jeffs officiated at the marriage.
   On the tape, former Colorado City town marshal Sam Barlow urged FLDS to continue to practise polygamy and the marriages of underaged girls.
   "In a country where Congress can make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, how can it legislate to pre-determine what age a person can make a religious covenant (such as marriage)?" Barlow is heard saying.

• Trial date set for former priests facing 30 years in jail for grand theft

[~ 40yrs - Mons. Skehan*, Guinan*] - RCC. US$8m. Female companions.

   Sun-Sentinel (South Florida), By Missy Diaz | 6:08 PM EDT, September 18, 2007
   DELRAY BEACH (FL) -- A Feb. 7 trial date has been set for two former priests of Delray Beach's St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church who are each facing 30 years behind bars if convicted as charged of grand theft over $100,000.
   But the prosecutor on Tuesday said that due to a five-year statute of limitations, the state has reduced the amount of money allegedly stolen by the Rev. John Skehan -- who headed the large parish for some 40 years -- by more than $1 million.
   "The statute of limitations only allows (the state) to go back five years from the time of the filing (of charges)," Assistant State Attorney Preston Mighdoll said. "We're limited to the statutory time frame we're criminally prosecuting, which is approximately $370,000 for Father Skehan, which is lower than what was appearing to be about $1.5 million we saw earlier."

• Ex-Jeff Co. pastor faces child-sex counts

[1990s-2000s Bonine*] - Baptist. 2 girls.

   St.Louis Post-Dispatch, Sep/18/2007
   MISSOURI -- Authorities in California have charged a Baptist minister who once served in Jefferson County with 107 felony counts of sexually molesting two girls under the age of 14.
   The Fresno (Calif.) Bee identifies the minister as the Rev. John Bonine, 43, known as "Pastor Jeb."
   Before Bonine moved to Fresno in recent years to take over the Sierra Heights Baptist Church, he was the pastor of Sandy Baptist Church in Hillsboro. Before that, he was pastor of McCroskie Creek Baptist Church in Carrollton, in west-central Missouri.

• Pastor Accused Of Abuse

[1990s-2000s Bonine*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
   KCTV, September 18, 2007
   HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Authorities in Fresno charged 42-year-old John Bonine, of Dittmer, Mo., with more than 100 counts of child molestation.
   Bonine, who used to lead the Sandy Baptist Church in Hillsboro, is accused of sexually abusing two girls under the age of 14 for five years.
   Investigators said they believe some of the abuse started in Missouri, then continued when Bonine moved to California in 2003 to lead another church.

• Priest faces criminal investigation, police say

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Times Colonist, by Louise Dickson, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   CANADA -- Victoria police are investigating a criminal complaint against Rev. Antonio Osorio, pastor of St. Saviour's Church in Vic West, Sgt. Grant Hamilton confirmed yesterday.
   "I can't comment on the nature or the details of the allegation," said Hamilton.
   Osorio resigned from his position last week after admitting to sexual misconduct, but a project he was involved in to build a tranisition house will continue.

• Zambia: Korean Bishops Warn Against Ex-Bishop Milingo

- RCC.

   AllAfrica, Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi), September 18, 2007
   SEOUL, KOREA -- The Catholic bishops of South Korea have warned the faithful against activities of the excommunicated former Archbishop of Lusaka, Emmanuel Milingo, whose wife is Korean.
   Milingo, they said, "is a danger to South Korea's Catholics, who must avoid him and above all not become involved in his activity, clearly condemned by the Universal Church". The Korean Bishops Conference issued the warning in its weekly bulletin. …
   The former prelate has repeatedly asked the Vatican to allow priests to marry, and founded the movement 'Married Priest Now', in which he illicitly ordains married priests and bishops.

• Zimbabwe: Basotho Bishops Support Ncube and Catholic Church

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   AllAfrica, Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi), September 18, 2007
   LESOTHO -- The Catholic bishops of the Southern African Kingdom of Lesotho have expressed solidarity with former Zimbabwean Archbishop, Pius Ncube, who resigned last Tuesday.
   The Basotho bishops said they learned of Archbishop Ncube's stepping down "with shock and great sadness".
   In a statement signed by Bishop Evaristus Bitsoane, President of Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference, the church leaders also conveyed their support for the Zimbabwean Catholic Church, which had "gone through disquiet, trials and great distress.

• Archbishop planning presidential race in Zimbabwe?

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Catholic World News, Sep. 18, 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe, (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Pius Ncube, who resigned last week as head of Zimbabwe's Bulawayo archdiocese, may run for the presidency of the African country, according to an online report in the Christian Post. …
   The prospect of a presidential campaign by a Catholic prelate would undoubtedly raise concerns at the Vatican. In February of this year the Vatican announced the suspension of Bishop Fernando Lugo Mendez, the former leader of the San Pedro diocese in Paraguay, after Lugo rejected a Vatican order to end his own presidential race.

• A taste of what's ahead in church trial

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1960s boy. Keeping seduction secret. 2007 facilitates move to Canada. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crossed to Canada.

   The Orange County Register, By FRANK MICKADEIT, Columnist, fmickadeit@ocregister.com , ~ September 18, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Something tells me the Diocese of Orange is going to settle this lawsuit before we get to trial on Oct. 9. Too much bleeding already, and with the judge now indicating it could drag on through Christmas, I don't see Bishop Tod Brown having the stomach for it.
   Also, it's not like there's any question former Mater Dei assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade carried on a two-year affair with the plaintiff, who was 15 when it started. This is just a matter of how much culpability the church has here and what it's willing to pay the woman to go away.
   Fairly key to how quickly the Diocese caves, I'm guessing, is a major pretrial ruling Judge Gail Andler will be asked to make within the next few days. Attorneys for the victim, Jane C. R. Doe, will ask Andler to allow the jury to award punitive damages in addition to actual damages.
   The psychological therapy the now 26-year-old woman will undergo for the rest of her life would amount to substantial actual damages on its own – "in the millions," her attorney, Venus Soltan, told me. But if the jury finds the Diocese responsible and can levy punitive damages – well, the sky's the limit.

• Group Urges Database For Clergy Sex Abuse

- Baptist.

   WSMV, ~ September 18, 2007
   NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Members of a self-help group are urging the Southern Baptist Convention to release information about a study they're conducting to address sex abuse by clergy.
   One part of the process is to study the feasibility of creating a database for clergy who have been accused, convicted or confessed to sexual abuse.
   Some members of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests or other clergy said they want the SBC to hold public and private hearings with victims, experts and other religious leaders who have dealt with this issue for that database.
   The group hand delivered a letter to the committee that's doing the study while they were at the SBC headquarters Monday morning.

• Case of child molestation by a Jesuit elicits tough questions

[1967-68, 1999-2003 McGuire* (Jesuit)] - RCC. 6 countries. 3 boys.
   The Marquette Tribune, By Eric Lombardi, ~ September 18, 2007
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- Dear Jesuits,
   I have some very important questions to ask you, starting with this one: are you freakin' kidding me?
   Are you ever going to do anything to get rid of the criminally convicted child molester the Rev. Donald McGuire?
   McGuire, a member of the Society of Jesus and former spiritual mentor of Mother Teresa, has been convicted of two criminal cases of molesting male minors in Wisconsin and is currently undergoing at least three other civil cases of child molestation.
   Yet, he has not been removed from the priesthood, the Society of Jesus, and is even still being allowed to dress as a priest.

• Former Archbishop Set to Run for Zimbabwean Presidency

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   Christian Today, by Jennifer Gold, Posted 11:16, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- The former Zimbabwean Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, who recently resigned amid allegations of adultery, is reportedly preparing to run for presidency to overthrow current President Robert Mugabe.
   According to reports Ncube is set to head up a sensational new political movement in Zimbabwe, and is likely to be a popular candidate in the elections next spring against controversial Mugabe.
   Sources close to Ncube say his plans are already far advanced. Meetings have been held with the Zimbabwe African People's Union Federal party (ZAPU-FP) and the Patriotic Union of Matabeleland.

• City diocese settles abuse cases

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims.

   Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh), By Ann Rodgers, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has agreed to pay a total of $1.25 million to 32 people who say they were abused by 17 priests between the 1950s and 1994.
   The money will be distributed by an independent arbitrator, former Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Alan S. Penkower, based on a review of each claim.
   The settlement was in the works before July's announcement that Bishop David Zubik would be installed here next week, but Bishop Zubik said yesterday that he gave the settlement "complete support."
   "I think it is paramount that as Church, we do what we can to bring healing to people who have been harmed," he said.

• Former diocesan accountant tries to fire attorney mid-trial

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   The Plain Dealer, Posted by James F. McCarty, September 17, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- The federal court trial of a former accountant for the Diocese of Cleveland was postponed Monday after the defendant, Anton Zgoznik, refused to participate and tried to fire his lawyers.
   Court officials characterized Zgoznik's problem as a panic attack on the morning he was scheduled to mount his defense against charges he paid $784,000 in kickbacks to the diocese's former top lawyer and chief financial officer, Joseph Smith.
   Zgoznik's supporters said he didn't panic, but feared he would be convicted and imprisoned for crimes he maintains he didn't commit.
   Smith, who has attended the four-week trial in U.S. District Court, said Zgoznik had grown increasingly dissatisfied with his defense attorneys, Robert Rotatori and Susan Gragel. The defendant was especially upset with Rotatori's restrained cross-examination of Bishop Anthony Pilla and the Rev. John Wright about two weeks ago.

• Cleveland Catholic Diocese kickback trial postponed

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   The Plain Dealer, by James F. McCarty, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- The federal court trial of a former accountant for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese was postponed Monday after the defendant, Anton Zgoznik, refused to participate and tried to fire his lawyers.
   Court officials characterized Zgoznik's problem as a panic attack on the morning he was scheduled to mount his defense against charges he paid $784,000 in kickbacks to the diocese's former top lawyer and chief financial officer, Joseph Smith.
   Zgoznik's supporters said he didn't panic.

• Monk accused of molesting boys dies

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. Novice monk.
   American-Statesman, By Patrick George, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   BLANCO (TX) -- The leader of a Blanco County monastery racked with sexual abuse scandals died Sunday night on the same property where monks were accused of molesting young boys.
   The body of Samuel Greene was found Monday morning by a fellow monk who was his caretaker, said Greene's friend and former attorney Michael White. Greene was 63. He was found in his bed in a double-wide trailer near the closed Christ of the Hills monastery, White said.
   The Blanco County sheriff's office, which is investigating Greene's death, could not be reached for comment.
   "He was massively overweight, about 400 or 500 pounds," White said. "He had digestive problems. He was limited in walking around."
   Greene also had heart problems.

• Blanco monks' leader is dead

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. Novice monk.
   San Antonion Express-News, by Zeke MacCormack, September 18, 2007
   BLANCO (TX) -- Samuel A. Greene Jr., whose charisma carried him from being a land pitchman to leader of a monastery outside Blanco, was found dead Monday, just days before facing up to 180 years in prison for allegedly violating his probation.
   Autopsy results are pending on Greene, 63, who was found dead in his bed at his home on the grounds of Christ of the Hills Monastery, which shut after a July raid by officers investigating claims of sex abuse and mail fraud.
   Blanco County Sheriff Bill Elsbury said Greene's death bears "all the appearances of suicide," but he stressed that officials must see autopsy results from the Travis County medical examiner before making a ruling.

• Woman says she didn't tell family she was being raped

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.
   Las Cruces Sun-News, The Associated Press, Article Launched 06:46:49 AM MDT, Sep/18/2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – A defense attorney picked over the testimony of a key witness in the trial of a polygamous-sect leader Monday, looking for discrepancies in her story about being under overwhelming pressure to marry an older cousin when she was 14.
   During cross-examination, the woman, now 21, was put through a series of yes-or-no questions about many issues, from her civil lawsuit against Warren Jeffs to whether she told her mother about unwanted sex.
   "I never told anyone," the woman replied when asked if she talked about her belief that she was being raped by the 19-year-old cousin.
   Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.

• Founder of scandal-plagued Central Texas monastery dies

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. "Weeping" Virgin. Novice monk + for 30yrs.
   KVUE, Associated Press, 08:20 AM CDT, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   BLANCO, Texas - Samuel A. Greene Jr., the founder of a monastery that closed amid scandal over the alleged sexual abuse of novice monks and a fraudulent weeping Virgin Mary painting, has died. He was 63.
   Greene's death was being investigated as a suicide, but officials were waiting for autopsy results before ruling on the cause of death. Greene's body was found Monday morning in his home on the grounds of Christ of the Hills Monastery.
   The monastery was allied with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia from 1991 to 1999, but the church broke ties with the monastery when allegations surfaced of indecency by Greene with a juvenile novice monk.
   Greene, who founded the monastery in 1981, pleaded guilty in 2000 to indecency and was sentenced to 10 years probation. In 2006, Greene told his probation officer in a secretly taped interview that he had sexual contact with boys over a 30-year period starting in the 1970s.

• Monk Accused Of Abuse Dies

[1997 Greene] - "Orthodox" group. "Weeping" Virgin. Novice monk + for 30yrs.
   The Post Chronicle ~ September 18, 2007
   BLANCO (TX) -- A monk facing new charges of abuse has died on the property in Texas where he and four other monks were accused of molesting boys.
   Samuel Greene's body was found Monday at the closed Christ of the Hills monastery in Blanco County, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesmen reported Tuesday. Greene was "massively overweight" and had heart problems, said Greene's former lawyer Michael White.

• Sisters Banned From City

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   The Santa Barbara Independent, By Barney Brantingham, Monday, September 17, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- Sisters Banned From City: The Sisters of Bethany must not only leave their Eastside Convent, but they can't relocate anywhere within the city limits either, sources tell me.
   That's the word I get from community members close to the controversy about three Sisters being evicted from the modest convent the order has occupied since the 1950s.
   The L.A. Archdiocese sent word recently that the building next to Our Lady of Guadalupe must be sold to help pay for the multi-million-dollar settlements of sexual abuse claims being made against priests. After decades of work with Santa Barbara's poor, the order must leave the convent – and the city – by December 31.
   Criticism continues to mount in Santa Barbara that while the Archdiocese insists on selling the convent, which resides in a mixed industrial neighborhood and is worth perhaps $750,000, Bishop Thomas Curry lives alone in a magnificent mansion in a prime San Roque neighborhood. The place is speculated to be worth $3 million or more.

• Church leaders head back to school on Internet safety

- RCC.
   Catholic Explorer, By Kathrynne Skonicki, Published Sep 18, 2007
   ROMEOVILLE (IL) – Close to 100 catechetical leaders, principals and other ministers convened in a classroom of sorts as students were arriving Sept. 11 at their respective schools in the Diocese of Joliet. The lesson was about Internet safety and Robert Farley, a consultant in crimes against children, was the teacher at Lewis University in Romeoville.
   Members of the Joliet diocesan Safe Environment Committee coordinated the event that resulted in three presentations by Farley, a retired commanding officer of the Cook County Sheriff's Department Child Exploitation Unit. Those in attendance at the morning session moved to St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville for catechetical breakout sessions and other meetings in the afternoon. Farley told the Catholic Explorer, "What I want to do is bring everybody up in knowledge of what kids are doing and how to protect them from online sexual predators."
   More than 60 priests attended an afternoon presentation and over 240 deacons and diaconate candidates attended an evening discussion that covered boundaries for clergy and protecting kids online. Moments before his first presentation, Farley said he intended to share with clergymen how to be aware of child sexual abuse, identify child sexual abuse, report it and protect against false allegations. He said, "I am going to talk about putting yourself in a position where nobody can finger point at you or say you did anything wrong because we're all going to be on the same page."

• Report: Pope To Visit Boston Next Year

- RCC. Abuse enabler due.
   TheBostonChannel.com , ~ September 18, 2007
   BOSTON (MA) -- Pope Benedict XVI may be making a stop in Boston during an apostolic journey to the United States next year, according to a published report.
   The trip is tentatively scheduled for April 15 to 20, and it includes visits to Boston, New York, Washington, and possibly Baltimore, the Catholic News Agency reported. The trip will be centered around a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
   "Nothing official has been said, but those responsible for doing the planning have definitely mentioned it as a possible candidate for a visit," said David Uebbing, of the Catholic News Agency.

• Report: Pope Benedict to Visit Boston

- RCC. Abuse enabler due.
Boston Magazine, September 17, 2007
BOSTON (MA) -- According to a report by the Catholic News Agency, via WCVB, Pope Benedict XVI will be making a trip to Boston in April, 2008 as part of an East Coast swing that will also include stops in New York, Washington, D.C. and maybe Baltimore. The report goes on to say that Benedict will perform a Mass on Boston Common and address the sexual abuse scandal. The Archdiocese has not commented other than to say that any comment is premature.

• Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse

[2001+ O'Brien (MSC)] - RCC. Woman.
   WOAI, Reported by Leila Walsh, Email: LeilaWalsh@woai.com , Last Update 11:50 pm, Sep/17/2007
   SAN ANTONIO (TX) -- The woman says a priest bought her jewelry and gifts. But she says the courtship ended with abuse. A woman says she was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest in San Antonio. Now, her lawsuit is going to court.
   Court papers show the woman was going through tough times and was looking for someone to talk to. She decided to confide in a priest, a man who had been to her house to perform the sacrament of the sick, when her husband was dying.
   "He appeared to be a good and trustworthy priest," said the woman who filed suit, Theresa Gomez.
   Theresa saw Father Michael O'Brien again, eight years after her husband's death. O'Brien was performing a wedding ceremony. At the time, she thought he might be able to help her through some difficult times.

• Lawyer told to pay $24,310

- Mr Aretakis fined.
   Albany Times Union, By ROBERT GAVIN, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   ALBANY (NY) -- A local attorney must pay more than $24,000 for filing a baseless lawsuit against the Catholic Church and U.S. government on behalf of a refugee from Hurricane Katrina.
   The lawyer, John Aretakis, had "no legitimate, factual or legal basis" for the suit, filed earlier this year on behalf of Tina Zlotnick, U.S. Judge Gary L. Sharpe told the attorney on Sept. 6.
   "It's clear to me," Sharpe said, "that this lawsuit was filed because you have your own personal agenda and you were able to find a client that would foster your own personal agenda."
   About three-quarters of the lawsuit focused on sexual abuse in the church -- and had nothing to do with Zlotnick, the judge said in U.S. District Court.

• Pope visit to U.S. in spring may help heal wounds

- RCC enabler due.

   Reuters, By Philip Pullella, September 18, 2007
   VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict will make his first trip to the United States next spring in a visit that will likely try to heal some of the wounds caused by recent sexual abuse scandals.
   The Pope will visit New York and several other cities in the East, Vatican sources said on Tuesday, adding that the itinerary was still being worked out.
   The main purpose of the trip, expected for the second half of April or the start of May, will be to address the United Nations at the invitation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

• Ex-officer's refusal to testify shocks Cornwall sex abuse hearing

- Dunlop fears to testify.

   Ottawa Citizen, by Graham Hughes, Published Monday, September 17, 2007
   CORNWALL, CANADA – When Perry Dunlop and his wife, Helen, walked into an inquiry room Monday, they received a standing ovation from members of the public gallery.
   Two hours later, Mr. Dunlop was dismissed and told to think overnight about his refusal to testify at the probe into the official response to allegations of sexual abuse of children in the city.
   When he took the stand, the former Cornwall police constable asked inquiry Commissioner Normand Glaude whether he could read a statement.
   He said he'd "been lied to and forced to be here today."
   He said he'd had to leave his children, home and business in British Columbia and that he feared for his own life and those of his family members.

• Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh settles sex abuse cases for $1.25M

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.

   Tribune-Review, By Craig Smith, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- A $1.25 million resolution of civil lawsuits filed by those who claimed they were sexually abused by priests of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh was the best deal they could get, attorneys said.
   "It is with mixed feelings that we are settling these cases. The courts and Legislature have disfavored these cases," said attorney Alan Perer, representing 26 men and nine women who sued the diocese in 2004, alleging they were abused by priests.
   Despite the odds against them, three plaintiffs opted out of the settlement in order to keep their cases active, he said.

• Won't help sex-abuse inquiry, ex-officer says

- Dunlop won't testify.

   Globe and Mail, By TERRI SAUNDERS, Canadian Press, September 18, 2007
   CORNWALL, ONT., CANADA -- A former city policeman whose investigations sparked a widespread probe of alleged sexual abuse in the region wouldn't answer questions at the Cornwall Public Inquiry yesterday and said he's willing to go to jail rather than participate in a process in which he says he has no faith.
   Perry Dunlop repeatedly refused to answer questions put to him by Peter Engelmann, lead commission counsel, at the start of hearings on the institutional response to allegations of sexual abuse in the area. He was later told that he could face contempt-of-court charges under the Public Inquiries Act.
   "I would," Mr. Dunlop said, when asked if he was willing to go to jail.
   Mr. Dunlop and his wife, Helen, both spent time in the witness box yesterday, although neither of them directly answered questions related to what is believed to be the central role they played in uncovering decades of child sexual abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 18, 2007 8:50 AM]

• Abuse prevention strengthened

- RCC.

   Catholic Sentinel, By Ed Langlois, ~ September 18, 2007
   WILSONVILLE (OR) – Catholic ministers in western Oregon are getting a new look at how to recognize and prevent sexual abuse of children. Clergy, religious and a large corps of lay workers in parishes and schools will bring the knowledge to volunteers, parents and youngsters in the coming months.
   "Other denominations and faiths are looking to Catholics as a model," sex abuse expert Christy Schiller told 170 church workers gathered for a workshop here Monday.
   Renewed, mandated training of ministers and volunteers marks a definitive next step in the Archdiocese of Portland's effort to block sex abuse, which harmed scores of Catholic children in past decades.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue September 18, 2007
• Ncube resigns in storm of controversy. [2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

Ncube resigns in storm of controversy

Archbishop’s decision was ‘no admission of guilt’ over adultery charges    The Record (R.C. Perth W. Australia weekly), By Carol Glatz, CNS, p 10, Wednesday, September 19, 2007
   Archbishop Ncube, the outspoken critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, resigns amidst a storm of controversy.
   VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, the most outspoken critic of the country's leadership who is also facing allegations of adultery.
   In an undated letter written by the archbishop and released by the Vatican press office on September 11, the Archbishop wrote that he offered his resignation to Vatican officials in July to spare sullying the image of the Church.
   The Vatican announced that the Pope accepted the Archbishop's resignation under Canon 401.2, which covers resignations for illness or some other grave reason.
   Archbishop Ncube, 60, is being sued for adultery and his case is before the High Court of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The adultery lawsuit was made public in July and state-run newspapers published photos they said were of Archbishop Ncube and a woman, taken with a concealed camera placed in the Archbishop's bedroom.
   Archbishop Ncube's resignation "is not to be seen as an admission of guilt" to the adultery charges and it "shouldn't have any bearing on the court case," Father Frederick Chiromba, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, said in a September 11 telephone interview from the capital, Harare,
   Father Chiromba said Archbishop Ncube's resignation was "not expected," but that he would "now have more time to attend to the charges" against him.
   Noting that Archbishop Ncube "tendered his resignation and was not asked to resign," Father Chiromba said the archbishop may have "wanted to stand aside so that the focus can shift" from himself to the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
   His resignation will have no major impact on the bishops' conference as it "makes decisions and issues statements as a unit," Father Chiromba said.
   In the letter released by the Vatican, Archbishop Ncube wrote that he alerted the Pope by letter "within days" of the news reports, calling it "obviously a state-driven, vicious attack not just on myself, but by proxy on the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe."
   He said he wished to resign as head of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo "to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks."
   In an August 29 statement from Harare, Zimbabwe's bishops had called attacks on Archbishop Ncube "outrageous and utterly deplorable" and an attempt to divert attention from the catastrophe that Zimbabwe has become.
   The Archbishop has long been an outspoken critic of the country's leadership, especially Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. The church leader has urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets in protest against decades of government oppression.
   Archbishop Ncube's lawyer has said the allegations of adultery are part of a "well-orchestrated campaign" to discredit him. Archbishop Ncube said in his letter that although he has stepped down as head of the archdiocese "I remain a Catholic bishop in Zimbabwe and will continue to speak out on the issues that sadly become more acute by the day," such as the country's grinding poverty and severe food shortages.
   "I have not been silenced by the crude machinations of a wicked regime," he wrote, adding that he will decide in the next few weeks where he will continue working - either in the church or with grass-roots groups - to advocate "for greater humanitarian support, in particular, for food and medical supplies," and "to continue with God's work."
   In neighbouring South Africa, Bishop Kevin Bowling of Rustenburg expressed shock upon hearing the news.
   "This will have huge repercussions in Zimbabwe, where he is seen as a prophetic voice," Bishop Dowling said. "He has massive support in Matabeleland, where they see this as an attack on the Matabele people, not just on their leader."
   Matabeleland is a region in western Zimbabwe.
   Bishop Dowling confirmed that the camera placed in the light in Archbishop Ncube's bedroom was put there by Ernest Tekere, a senior intelligence operative for the Zimbabwean government for 20 years. Tekere allegedly was involved in the Gukurahundi campaign, in which government troops were responsible for the murders of about 20,000 people as well as torture and human rights abuses in the western Matabeleland province from 1981 to 1987.
[Picture] Troubled man: After being vigorously defended by his bishops, Archbishop Pius Ncube has resigned to""spare sullying the image of the Church", as he was embroiled in a sex scandal.    PHOTO: CNS
   As a result of the photos, Onesimus Sibanda claimed damages from Archbishop Ncube for an alleged affair with his wife, Rosemary Sibanda.
   Zimbabwe is crippled by the highest rate of inflation in the world, unemployment of more than 80 percent, and shortages of foreign currency and fuel.
   Food shortages are acute, large numbers of people are migrating to the neighbouring countries of South Africa and Botswana, and, with elections scheduled for March, political violence has intensified. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#ncube_resigns [Sep 19, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed September 19, 2007 edition:

• First Coast Priest Sued, Accused of Abusing and Trying to Buy Rights to Teen

[2000s Graff -NEW*] - Greek Orthodox. Male teen.

   First Coast News, www.first coastnews. com/news/ topstories/ news-article. aspx?sto ryid=91663 , By Jackelyn Barnard, ~ September 19, 2007
   JACKSONVILLE, FL -- First Coast News has learned a Jacksonville priest has been sued along with his church and the church's archdiocese.
   The lawsuit centers around the St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church of Jacksonville and its former priest, Nicholas T. Graff.
   A church member tells First Coast News Graff was a priest at the church for the last 17 years and retired in June.
   According to court documents obtained by First Coast News, Graff met a boy, labeled in the lawsuit as "John Doe," twelve years ago. At the time, the boy was ten-years-old. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:13 PM]

• Abusi su minori. Staderini: perché il Comune di Roma non si costituisce parte civile?

[A priest of Rome -? NEW*] - RCC. 2 girls (10).

   Radicali, ~ September 19, 2007
   ITALY -- Officials of the City of Rome have traditionally supported local women who were victims of sexual violence.
   The city, represented by its lawyer, is there for the offended party as is allowed in the Italian Constitution. Mario Staderini, Radical party representative of the group called "La rosa nel pugno" of the First Municipal Zone said the city did not do the same in the case of a parish priest from Rome who was recently accused of sexually abusing two 10-year-old girls during confession.
   He has asked the Rome City Council to give the girls the same protection it gives to women because they are also in the same weak position outlined in the Constitution.
   Staderini has asked that the city lawyer to be present on behalf of the victims at the trial. The council will act once it receives the right number of signatures on the petition and it is forwarded to its offices.

• Former Dubuque principal charged

[? 2007 Mr Stroschein -NEW*] - RCC. Internet soliciting of minor.

   Telegraph Herald, By MADELIN FUERSTE, ~ September 19, 2007
   DUBUQUE (IA) -- A former elementary school principal with ties to Dubuque faces charges of soliciting a minor for sex on the Internet.
   Louis Stroschein, who was principal at St. Anthony Catholic School in Dubuque from 2004 to 2006, was arrested by deputies from the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department Friday in Waterloo, Iowa.
   Stroschein, 31, was in his second year as principal at Shelby County Catholic School in Harlan, Iowa. The school is in the Des Moines Diocese.

• 'Doing the right thing' cost officer his career

[MacDonald and probation officer] - RCC. Altar boy. Dunlop's honesty cost him his career.

   Ottawa Citizen, www.canada. com/ottawa citizen/ news/story. html?id=eca4 092d-dabc- 4f84-a0ad- 1b72d6e35 a57&k=20683 ; by Graham Hughes, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
   CORNWALL, Canada -- After former Cornwall police officer Perry Dunlop refused for a second day yesterday to speak to a judicial inquiry on the sexual abuse of children, his wife agreed to take the stand.
   In three hours of often tearful testimony, Helen Dunlop told Peter Engelmann, the lead commission counsel, how "doing the right thing" had cost her husband his career, damaged his health and hurt the family.
   "Perry loved being a cop," she said, and "everybody liked working with him." He had many friends on the force and was active in the community.
   That changed in the fall of 1993, when her husband came home one afternoon and said he'd just received information that would change their lives.
   He had obtained a copy of a complaint made by a former altar boy that charged a Cornwall priest, Charles MacDonald, had sexually assaulted him. The complainant also implicated a probation officer. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 19, 2007 9:44 AM]

• Pro Bono Assignment on Behalf of Hurricane Katrina Client Leads to Sanctions

- Mr Aretakis to pay US$26,678.

   Law.com , by Joel Stashenko, New York Law Journal, September 19, 2007
   ALBANY (NY) -- A pro bono assignment to defend a woman displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina against being evicted in the Albany, N.Y., area has left attorney John A. Aretakis facing a $10,000 court fine and a bill for as much as $16,678 in attorney fees.
   Northern District of New York Judge Gary L. Sharpe rebuked Aretakis for fighting the eviction of Tina Zlotnick by filing suit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, Bishop Howard Hubbard, the United States and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
   It was the latest in a five-year series of actions brought by Aretakis against the Catholic Church, most involving allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. In this case, Aretakis named the Albany diocese and its bishop as defendants because Zlotnick was being evicted from a church-owned property that the diocese was selling.

• Wife of former Cornwall cop testifies at inquiry after husband refuses

[General community] - Dunlop's honesty cost him his career; no faith in justice system.

   Ottawa Sun, ~ September 19, 2007
   CORNWALL, Ont., CANADA – For the second day in a row, a former city police officer refused to testify at an inquiry probing the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area.
   "Are you prepared to answer my questions?" Peter Engelmann, lead commission counsel, asked Perry Dunlop on Tuesday. "No," said Dunlop. "I'm not."
   At one point, Dunlop was asked if he intended to say anything and he reached towards a pocket inside his suit jacket and began to pull out a small piece of paper from which he'd read Monday while on the stand.
   At that time, Dunlop said he had no faith in the inquiry, its mandate or the Ontario criminal justice system and had nothing further to say.

• New sex abuse claims in ex-TV host's trial

- Alleged first time with TV man, but letter says Rev. Brandenburg first.

   ABC News, By court reporter Andrew Dowdell, September 19, 2007
   AUSTRALIA -- A court has heard that a boy who was allegedly sexually abused by a children's television host in the 1970s also claims to have been abused by a notorious paedophile and an Anglican priest.
   The allegations emerged during the trial of former children's entertainer and theatre identity, Ric Marshall, who is charged with sexually abusing the boy for four years from when he was aged 11.
   The District Court in Adelaide had heard the alleged victim told police the incidents with Marshall were his first sexual encounters.
   But Marshall's lawyer tendered a letter from the alleged victim, in which he claims to have been raped by notorious paedophile Robert Brandenburg eight months before the initial abuse by Marshall.

• Violation of the Covenant?

   California Catholic Daily, ~ September 19, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- In 2004, Bishop Tod Brown of Orange issued his Covenant with the Faithful, which reads, in part: "We will be open, honest and forthright in our public statements to the media, and consistent and transparent in our communications with the Catholics of our Diocese."
   On Sept. 10, legal counsel for plaintiffs in a sex abuse case against Jeff Andrade, a former coaching assistant at Santa Ana's Mater Dei High, deposed Brown about his knowledge of Andrade's alleged abuse of a female student in the 1990s. Except for testimony about an auto accident in the 1960's, Brown had never been questioned under oath before. The most recent questioning, however, forced Brown to revisit charges of sexual abuse against himself.
   At the beginning of the deposition, plaintiff's attorney John Manly had Bishop Brown pledge not to employ "mental reservation" (withholding information for a perceived higher moral good, according to Manly) in his testimony. Manly then questioned Brown extensively about various priests accused of sexual abuse in the dioceses of Boise (Brown's previous diocese) and Orange. Manly asked Brown about his knowledge of the whereabouts of former diocesan chancellor Monsignor John Urell, whose deposition was cut short in July by his admission to a Canadian treatment center.

• Urell's lawyer says absence is legitimate

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight to Canada. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crossed to Canada. [Mr Avila*] - Didn't know, now he knows.
   The Orange County Register, By FRANK MICKADEIT, fmickadeit@ocregister.com , ~ September 19, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Does Monsignor John Urell finally have the loyal and independent counsel he needs to fight baseless allegations that he fled the country to avoid testifying in a molestation case? Or, as his detractors say, has he sucked in another well-meaning soul who refuses to believe that such a charming man could have wrongly withheld the nastiest of Diocesan secrets for decades?
   I got a note from Urell's lawyer, Patrick Hennessey, asking me to examine some documents and allow him to set the record straight. Hennessey and Urell met at the gym more than 25 years ago and became friends. The lawyer is a Catholic but has never been a parishioner of Urell's. They usually talk once or twice a week.
   "I have many acquaintances but very few friends, and this is one of my best ones," Hennessey told me as we sat in the 13th-floor conference room of his Irvine law firm. "What is happening to him now is breaking my heart, because it is not right." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 19, 2007 9:27 AM]

• Government is misdirected, says Catholic bishop

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   The Zimbabwean, ~ September 19, 2007
   HARARE, ZIMBABWE -- A senior Roman Catholic priest of the Harare diocese has slammed the Zimbabwean government for its persecution of retired Archbishop Pius Ncube.
   The Bishop was speaking from Johannesburg where he was giving another view on allegations of a sex scandal involving Archbishop Ncube to South African human rights organisations.
   "Archbishop Ncube's case is reminiscent of that of the MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai who, in 2002, was arrested after similarly inaudible video footage was said [to reveal a plot] to assassinate President Robert Mugabe," said the priest.

• Defense rests in Jeffs case; closing arguments slated for Friday

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.

   The Salt Lake Tribune, ~ September 19, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- After calling just 10 of its 70 listed witnesses, the defense has rested in the trial of Warren S. Jeffs, the polygamous sect leader accused of being an accomplice to rape.
   The prosecution planned to call one, unidentified rebuttal witness. After that, 5th District Judge James Shumate said, jurors will go home, take Thursday off while jury instructions are being drafted, and then return Friday to hear closing arguments and begin deliberations. …
   Steed said his first sexual encounter with Doe, which occurred about three weeks into their marriage, was initiated by her. He offered jurors a starkly different account of what happened.

• Police have no record of investigating bishop

   Union-Tribune, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 10:52 a.m., September 19, 2007
   SANTA ANA (CA) - Police have no records indicating they investigated sexual abuse allegations against a Roman Catholic priest who is now the bishop of the Diocese of Orange.
   Bishop Tod Brown, the highest-ranking church official for Orange County Catholics, said during a deposition last week that he was falsely accused in 1997 of molesting a young boy in the 1960s.
   Brown said an internal investigation by the Diocese of Fresno, where he worked at the time of the alleged molestation, turned up no evidence to support the claims. The Diocese of Orange said last week that the internal report had been handed over to Kern County prosecutors, who declined to press charges.

• Appeals court reduces award in abuse case against Mormon church

[Taylor, Hatch] - Mormons. US$1.2m & ? more. 2 females.

   The Bellingham Herald, ~ September 19, 2007
   SEATTLE (WA) -- Part of a landmark $4.2 million award in a sexual abuse-related lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been overturned on appeal.
   A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Tuesday that the church still owed slightly more than $1.2 million to two sisters who said a Mormon bishop, Bruce Randall Hatch, had kept one of them from reporting sexual abuse by their stepfather, Peter N. Taylor, a Mormon high priest in suburban Federal Way.
   However, the panel also ruled that the church was not financially responsible for Taylor's liability and returned the case to King County Superior Court for a decision on liability beyond the $1.2 million.

• 10 mentiras sobre la demanda contra el Card. Norberto Rivera en Los Ángeles

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

Desde la Fe, ~ September 19, 2007
MEXICO -- Church leaders in Mexico are quoted in the official newspaper of the Mexico City archdiocese that a survivor of clergy sexual abuse brought a lawsuit against Cardinal Cardinal Norberto Rivera for the purpose of monetary gain.

• MEXICO: Church Lashes Out at Sex Abuse Victim

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?
   IPS, By Diego Cevallos, ~ September 19, 2007
   MEXICO CITY, Sep 19 (IPS) - Catholic Church leaders in Mexico accused a victim of sexual abuse, who brought charges in a U.S. court against Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera for protecting an alleged pedophile priest, of seeking economic gain.
   An article published in the Mexico City Archdiocese's weekly publication Desde La Fe on Tuesday says that "a majority of the civil lawsuits brought in the United States are aimed at obtaining large sums of money, and 95 percent of these suits are won by the plaintiffs. It's a sure thing."
   The article, which at no point laments the victim's suffering or offers solidarity, states that "the real reason that Joaquín Aguilar filed the lawsuit was because of the juicy opportunity represented by bringing a civil suit in the United States."
   "We are talking about millions of dollars! Money that he could never hope to obtain in Mexico," says the article.

• Fired exec sues Catholic group Life Teen

[Life Teen Inc.] - RCC.

   East Valley Tribune by Trevor Guyette, ~ September 19, 2007
   ARIZONA -- The former executive of a Catholic youth organization in Mesa filed a civil complaint this month against the group, claiming he was wrongfully terminated for reporting illegal accounting practices.
   James Thorpe, former chief financial officer for Life Teen, Inc., said in his complaint that the nonprofit corporation violated Arizona law and public policy by firing him for reporting illegal activities. Thorpe alleges in the complaint that he raised concerns about Life Teen in August 2006 and was fired less than two weeks later on Sept. 8, 2006.
   Thorpe filed the civil lawsuit on Sept. 7 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
   Life Teen was started at St. Timothy's Catholic Community in Mesa and now has programs in 20 countries, according to the corporation's Web site. Wade Swanson, a Life Teen attorney, declined to comment on what he called a "personnel issue" and said Life Teen had not been informed about the complaint as of Saturday.

• No children involved in sex assault allegations against priest, say police

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Times Colonist, by Louise Dickson, Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
   CANADA -- A Victoria police investigation into sexual misconduct by Rev. Antonio Osorio involves a woman at St. Saviour's Church in Vic West, Sgt. Grant Hamilton said yesterday.
   "It's not anything to do with kids," said Hamilton. "Last week, the church notified the department about the priest's relationship with an adult female. We're just reviewing that information. We're trying to determine if there is something of a criminal nature."
   The complaint concerns only one woman, he said.
   Osorio resigned his position at St. Saviours's on Sept. 12 after admitting to sexual misconduct.

• Trial begins in church finance scandal

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.

   National Catholic Reporter, By BILL FROGAMENI, ~ September 19, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- In the latest chapter of a massive financial scandal plaguing the Cleveland diocese, Anton Zgoznik, a former assistant diocesan treasurer, has gone on trial in federal court, charged with participating in a $17.5 million kickback scheme dating from 1997 to 2004.
   Also implicated in the scheme is Joseph Smith, the former chief financial officer of the diocese, who left in 2004 after his dealings with Zgoznik were reported in the media.
   Zgoznik's trial, which began Aug. 20, was expected to last several weeks. Smith faces trial at a later date.
   While working as an outside accounting contractor for the diocese, Zgoznik (who at one time was employed directly by the diocese) received $17.5 million in diocese money steered to him by Smith. In return, Zgoznik kicked back $784,000 to Smith, according to the federal indictment. In addition, Zgoznik and Smith allegedly failed to report some of their diocesan-derived income to the Internal Revenue Service.

• SNAP Calls for 'Open and Transparent' Study of Sex Abuse by Clergy

- Southern Baptists.
   Ethics Daily, by Bob Allen, Sep-18-07
   NASHVILLE (TN) -- A victims' advocacy and support group on Monday asked Southern Baptist Convention leaders to seek input from outside experts and victims in developing a denomination-wide response to sexual abuse by clergy.
   In June SBC messengers referred a motion to the SBC Executive Committee requesting "a feasibility study concerning the development of a database of Southern Baptist clergy and staff who have been credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse and that such a database be accessible to Southern Baptist churches."
   "Baptist believers have spoken, and it is time for their leaders to listen," Christa Brown, Baptist outreach leader for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said in a sidewalk press conference outside SBC headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.

• E-mails from readers

- RCC bishop doesn't worship the God I worship: Woman.
   Renew America, ~ September 19, 2007
   PENNSYLVANIA -- Rosemary Jorden, of Altoona, Pa., wrote: I just finished reading the article concerning Father Rosensteel. I am sitting here with a pit in my stomach.
   I was born and raised as a Catholic in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese. Throughout the last decade, our diocese has been hit very hard with allegations of abuse by priests. At last count, I believe there are at least 25 who have been accused. One was my principal at Bishop Guilfoyle High School, Father Skupien. Another was the pastor at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, where my mother taught kindergarten for more than 20 years. A man that I attended BGHS with was abused and represents one of the most publicized cases of abuse in our diocese.
   I think of the lives that have been ruined and it is heartbreaking. I find it completely appalling that the abuse in our diocese was simply ignored for so long and the abusers were just shuffled from one parish to another, allowed to continue to destroy lives. Bishop Hogan was an abomination of a man. He chose a life of being committed to God. I am not quite sure what god he worshiped, but it certainly isn't the God I worship. These men are to represent Christ. They are to set an example for others to follow. These abusers along with those who turned a blind eye are the most unchristian human beings on earth.

• Pastor's suspension puts church outreach programs in jeopardy

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Victoria News, By Keith Vass, Sep 19 2007
   CANADA -- As the congregation at Saint Saviour's Anglican church struggles to deal with the loss of its leader, Rev. Antonio Osorio, two outreach programs run from the Vic West church hang in limbo.
   The Anglican diocese of B.C. suspended Osorio pending investigation into allegations of a breach of diocese's sexual conduct policy. Osorio admitted to the allegation and resigned last Wednesday.
   While the church has not specified the nature of the complaint, a letter read to parishioners Sunday said the diocese's sexual conduct policy prohibits "any form of sexual contact with an adult by a professional person, cleric or anyone in a position of authority… whether or not there is consent from the individual."

• New claims of child sex abuse

[1973 - 2 Church figures incl. Brandenburg] - Anglicans. Boy.

   Adelaide Now, By GAVIN LOWER, COURT REPORTER, 02:15am, September 20, 2007
   AUSTRALIA -- A MAN who alleges he was sexually abused by children's TV presenter Ric Marshall 30 years ago says he was also abused by two Anglican Church figures, a court heard yesterday.
   The District Court was told a priest admitted to church authorities he had abused the man as a child after the man wrote a letter to him.
   The court heard that the man claimed he had no sexual experience before Marshall allegedly had sex with him at Marshall's Gilberton home in September, 1973.
   But it was later revealed that the man had alleged to police that in January that year he had been sexually abused by former priest and pedophile Robert Brandenburg, who died in 1999.

• Polygamous leader's flock testifies FLDS sect embraces kindness, not forced sex

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.

   The Salt Lake Tribune, By Brooke Adams, Article Last Updated 06:43:04 AM MDT, Sep/19/2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- Faithful followers of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs gave jurors another view of their religion Tuesday, saying it is based on love and kindness, makes women partners in marriage and gives them ultimate say in sexual matters.
   Women are taught to be obedient to a husband only as long as he lives righteously, the nine witnesses said.
   "We were taught there is no force in the Celestial Kingdom," said Margaret Thomas, 31. "If we want to be there, we have to be there by our own choice."
   The sect members testified about their courtships, marriages, intimate relations and counsel they received from Jeffs when difficulties arose.

• Don Gelmini, parla Salvia: «Impossibile archiviare Spero che altri ragazzi escano allo scoperto»

[Gelmini*] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

   Il Messaggero, ~ September 19, 2007
   ITALY -- Marco Salvia, writer and journalist, tells of what he learned from boys living in drug rehabilitation communities. These communities include Incontro, the drug rehabiliation center founded by the Rev. Pierino Gelmini. Rev. Gelmini is under investigation by prosecutors in Terni after a number of men have said they were sexually abused by the priest when they were residents at Incontro. Salvia has written a book about the experiences of boys in rehabilitation communities.
   After two hours of questioning by Terni investigators, Salvia said there is no doubt that Rev. Gelmini will be arraigned on charges of sexual abuse, he said in answering questions from the Ansa news agency.
   Some parents of boys living at Incontro had defended the priest until their sons told them what happened, he said. Sexual violence against community residents will continue unless there is reform because these groups are secretive and inaccessible even to police, he said.

• Don Sante presenta ricorso

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, new Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.
   Il Mattino di Padova, ~ September 19, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti, the parish priest who has professed his love for a woman, on Sept. 17 visited Marco Cardinale, a lawyer who is approved by the Vatican to represent clients at the Sacra Rota in Rome. The Sacra Rota is the Vatican tribunal which decides, among other things, annulment of Catholic marriages.
   The priest said a decision by Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo to expell him from his parish at Montrerosso was not valid under canon law and he wanted to continue being priest in that parish. Rev. Sguotti said it is not lawful under rules of the church to stop celebrating Mass and giving Communion to the faithful.
   Cardinale has offered his help to the priest and does not want payment for his services to the priest. Cardinale said he believes the priest is innocent. The difficulty will be to prove among other things that Rev. Sguotti can be a parish priest while being officially engaged to the woman.

• Pope likely to visit District

- RCC.

   Washington Times, By John Phillips, ~ September 19, 2007
   VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI is expected to visit Washington early next year during an apostolic journey to the United States that will feature a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Vatican sources say.
   The Vatican formally has offered no details of the trip other than confirming that Benedict plans to speak at the United Nations in April. …
   Some reports – such as one in Whispers in the Loggia, a popular Catholic blog – said Benedict will visit Boston on April 20, the day before the Boston Marathon, partly to heal the wounds of the priestly sexual-abuse scandal there.
   The scandal forced the resignation of Archbishop Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who subsequently was effectively exiled to a largely ceremonial post at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:48 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed September 19, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu September 20, 2007 edition:

• Estorsione, indagato arcivescovo di Siena

[Bp Maniago -NEW*, Bp Buonristiani -NEW*] - RCC. Land, money, sex.

   Il Corriere della Sera, www.corriere. it/Primo_Piano/ Cronache/ 2007/09_ Settembre/19/ sarzanini_ arcivescovo_ siena.shtml ; ~ September 20, 2007
   ITALY -- Fiorenza Sarzanini reports that in addition to investigation of Florence Auxiliary Bishop Claudio Maniago, another investigation involves Bishop Antonio Buoncristiani of Siena and there could be connection between alleged crimes committed by both bishops. These allegations involve administration of real estate and money belonging to the church in addition to organzing sexual encounters with other priests.
   The Siena bishop is also accused of arson in order to destroy compromising documents to cover up gains made in administration of church property. He is also being investigated for extortion and for attempts to force witnesses to give false information to police.

• Arlington Priest Removed After Sex Harassment Investigation

[~ 2006-07 Do / Tran*] - RCC. Jewellery for 2 women.

   My Fox, www.myfoxdfw. com/myfox/ pages/News/ Detail?cont entId=4416 883&version= 1&locale=EN- US&layout Code=TSTY& pageId=3.2.1 ; Statement by Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Bishop Kevin Vann, Thursday, September 20, 2007
   ARLINGTON (TX) -- The pastor of the Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church in Arlington has been removed from office Thursday by Bishop Kevin Vann after an investigation of allegations of past sexual harassment of two women while the priest served a parish in another state.
   Bishop Vann informed the superiors of the Congregation of Mother Coredemptrix that he was as of today removing Father Bartholomew Tran from his office as pastor of Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church in Arlington as well as removing his priestly faculties.
   Father Tran is a member of the Congregation of Mother Coredemptrix, which ministers at the request of the Bishop of Fort Worth to the Arlington Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church.

• Lawsuit Filed; Fr. Nicholas Graff Accused of Abusing & Trying to Buy Rights to Teen

[2000s Graff*] - Greek Orthodox. Male teen.
   Orthodox Reform, ~ September 20, 2007
   JACKSONVILLE (FL) -- Editor's note: This article and the related television news report on the Graff lawsuit is very troubling. According to a church member, parishioners were told Fr. Graff "retired" in June. To our knowledge, the GOA has not followed its stated sexual misconduct policy in the Fr. Graff case which states "… the disciplining of a Clergyman for Sexual Misconduct should be disclosed to the parish of the Clergyman and to the Church community in general" (source). This appears to follow the pattern of the Nicholas Katinas scandal, where the Hierarchy stated the priest was "retired" and only after legal action was taken did the GOA follow it's policy and admit the priest was disciplined due to substantiated reports of sexual misconduct.
   Is there a coverup? The GOA needs to explain themselves. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 20, 2007 11:59 PM]

• Early identification is crucial

- RCC.
   The Tidings (RC Los Angeles Archdiocese publication), By Michael J. Bland, Psy.D., D. Min., for September 21, 2007
   "Thus has the Lord of Hosts said "dispense justice and practice kindness and compassion to one another." - Zechariah 7:9
   Child sexual abuse is a reality in our society and within our Church. While we may not be able to eliminate this reality from our society, or from our Church, as caring adults we have the ability to recognize questionable behaviors and to identify possible symptoms or behaviors displayed by children who may have been sexually abused.
   Awareness and education can be major steps in identifying potential abuse and being able to identify the short-term affects of sexual abuse. Such awareness and education can help in minimizing the long-term affects of sexual abuse, if not the reality of sexual abuse itself.
   Sexual abuse may be considered as any sexually related behavior between two or more people where there is an imbalance of power. This can include adult-child, older child-younger child, or any situation where the other person is forced to participate.
   Sexual abuse is the offenders' misuse or abuse of power and control. It may be accomplished through grooming processes such as force, deception, bribery, blackmail, or any other means that gives the offender an upper hand. The abuse behaviors may range from peeping, exposing genitals, fondling, oral/anal/vaginal sex, showing or taking pornographic pictures of a child, or any other sexual behavior.

• Parishioners Reach Out To Sex Abuse Survivors

- RCC.
   Oregon Public Broadcasting, By Colin Fogarty, 4 p.m., September 20, 2007
   PORTLAND (OR) -- This weekend in Portland, a group of Catholic lay people have organized a symposium on clergy sex abuse.
   The event is not put on by the Archdiocese of Portland or the traditional clergy abuse survivor groups. Instead, several parishioners are trying to form a group that they say will fill an important need. Colin Fogarty reports.
   Virginia Jones of Portland is a convert to Catholicism. Her devotion to the faith is so fierce that it could not be broken by the clergy sex abuse scandal. It survived the bankruptcy of the Archdiocese of Portland.
   Jones's devotion even remained after the priest who baptized her was accused of sex abuse. But Jones felt a deep connection to the victims of clergy sex abuse because she was abused too, although not by a priest.

• Teen Settles With Archdiocese Over Priest Abuse

[2001-05 McCormack] - RCC. US$1.65m to one boy. 5 boys.
   WBBM, ~ September 20, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL), (CBS) -- The family of a teenage boy who says the Rev. Daniel McCormack molested him, has reached a settlement with the Chicago Archdiocese.
   The 15-year-old says McCormack sexually abused him on several occasions between 2001 and 2005 at St. Agatha Parish on the city's West Side, where the boy attended school.
   A settlement of $1.65 million, the boy's attorney said.
   McCormack pleaded guilty on July 2 to sexually abusing five boys -- the youngest only 8, the oldest 11. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

• Father George Chaanine pleads guilty to battery

[2007, Jan 26 - Chaanine*] - RCC. Woman hit, attempted murder, kidnapping, attempted sex, etc.
   KVBC, ~ September 20, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV) -- A priest accused of attacking a choir member has pleaded guilty to battery. Father George Chaanine had been charged with kidnapping, attempted sexual assault and attempted murder.
   In exchange for a guilty plea to the battery charge, those other charges will be dismissed.
   Police say Chaanine hit Michealina Bellamy with a wine bottle. He was on the run for about a week following the attack.

• Accused Las Vegas Priest Agrees to Plea Deal

[2007, Jan 26 - Chaanine*] - RCC. Woman hit, sexually assaulted, etc.
   KLAS, ~ September 20, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV) -- A Las Vegas priest accused of beating a church employee has agreed to a plea deal. Father George Chaanine vanished back in February after a church employee accused him of attacking her with a wine bottle and sexually assaulting her.
   He was eventually captured after more than a week on the run outside of Phoenix.
   Under the terms of the deal, Chaanine did not plead guilty to the sexual assault charges, but did plead guilty to second degree battery with a deadly weapon.
   He could get probation or jail time. Sentencing will be in early November. He'll also have to pay a fine.

• Lawsuit Claims Priest Sexually Assaulted Teen

[2000s Graff*] - Greek Orthodox. Male teen.
   News4Jax, ~ September 20, 2007
   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A former parishioner has sued a priest and a Greek Orthodox church on allegations of sexual assault when he was a teen, although the priest's attorney said the lawsuit is frivolous.
   The suit against the Very Rev. Nicholas T. Graff, the St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America was filed Monday in Duval County Circuit Court.
   It does not identify the 22-year-old parishioner or his family members by name.
   The suit claims that when the parishioner became a teenager, Graff "began exhibiting undue, obsessive and inappropriate interest" in him, including taking the parishioner to and from school every day and buying him an automobile and clothing.

• Victim of pedophile priest sues church officials

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   Newsday, By RANDALL CHASE | Associated Press Writer, 1:19 PM EDT, September 20, 2007
   WILMINGTON, Del. - Attorneys for a young man sexually abused by a former Catholic priest who was also his great-uncle sued church officials Thursday, alleging that they knew for decades that the priest was abusing children but did nothing to warn the public, or even his own family.
   Francis DeLuca, 77, was sentenced by a Syracuse, N.Y., judge earlier this month to 60 days in jail for repeatedly molesting his grandnephew, Michael Dingle, 18.
   DeLuca, who pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, returned to his hometown of Syracuse in the early 1990s after being dismissed from public ministry in Delaware, where he was accused of sexually abusing a minor 30 years earlier. He was arrested in October after Dingle told his parents he had been sexually abused by DeLuca from the time he was 12 or 13 until the age of 17.

• Archdiocese settles priest abuse case for $1.65 million

[2001-05 McCormack] - RCC. US$1.65m to one boy. 5 boys.
   ABC7, By Sarah Schulte, September 20, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- The Archdiocese of Chicago has settled the first of several lawsuits involving a priest accused of molesting boys. The settlement is in a case against Father Daniel McCormack, who pleaded guilty to child molestation earlier this summer. The archdiocese has settled the lawsuit for $1.65 million.
   The suit claimed Father McCormack abused the boy over a four-year period when the boy attended Saint Agatha Parish on Chicago's West Side.
   Father McCormack's guilty plea in criminal court last July paved the way to begin settling at least three civil suits filed against the Archdiocese of Chicago. Thursday's financial settlement goes to a boy that was molested between the years of 2001-2005. The unnamed victim and his family settled because they were anxious to get the case behind them.

• Boy Settles For $1.65M In McCormack Abuse Scandal

[2001-05 McCormack] - RCC. US$1.65m to one boy. 5 boys.
   KMAQ, ~ September 20, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- The first of several child molestation lawsuits against a Chicago priest has been settled following months of negotiations.
   Now 15 years old, a West Side boy and his family will receive $1.65 million for the repeated sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of archdiocesan priest Fr. Daniel McCormack between 2001 and 2005 at St. Agatha Parish, where the boy attended parochial school.
   Last July, McCormack pled guilty to child molestation after prosecutors alleged he assaulted one 11-year-old boy on a near-daily basis from September 2005 to January 2006. According to a news release, Cardinal Frances George kept the now embattled priest in the ministry despite several written and verbal warnings about McCormack's behavior from a nun seven years ago.

• Victim of Clergy Sex Abuse Settles Lawsuit

[2001-05 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. US$1.65m for one boy. Fondled 5 boys.
   Chicago Public Radio, Produced by City Room on Thursday, September 20, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- The Archdiocese of Chicago has reached a $1.65 million settlement with a victim of clergy sex abuse. Daniel McCormick [McCormack] pleaded guilty this summer to charges of molesting the 15-year-old victim during basketball practice. The victim attended St. Agatha Parish where McCormick repeatedly abused him from 2001 to 2005. Steven Dicker, the boy's attorney, says the victim wants to put all of the incidents behind him and the money will help him do that.
   DICKER: The impetus was to get a fair financial compensation for the boy in order to protect him for future needs such as therapy medication anything that he would need financially we can assist him by getting this sum of money.

• Lawyers agree to cut fees in Spokane Diocese bankruptcy case

[~ 2006-07 Lawyers] - Spokane RCC. Had sought > US$10m.
   The Bellingham Herald, ~ September 20, 2007
   SPOKANE, Wash. -- Lawyers involved in the bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane have agreed to cut their legal bills by about 5 percent, producing an extra $400,000 for victims of sexual abuse by priests.
   If approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams, the agreement would end a dispute among several law firms and the U.S. Trustee's Office over how much the lawyers should be paid.
   The legal fees fight is one of the last remaining issues in the bankruptcy filed in December 2004.
   Spokane Bishop William Skylstad brought the diocese into bankruptcy protection to shield its assets and parishes from dozens of claims alleging sex abuse by priests decades ago.

• Stuck Inside of Memphis With the Catholic Blues Again

   Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, 11:34 AM, September 20, 2007
   Writing from Staxville, on the eve of delivering a lecture about ¡Ask a Mexican! at the University of Memphis…
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Yesterday, the law firm of Manly, McGuire & Stewart filed a contempt of court order against Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown, the latest salvo in the Jeff Andrade case. Manly and amigos are arguing that the Orange diocese purposefully whisked Monsignor John Urell to Canada to avoid finishing a deposition that he couldn't continue back in July after breaking down in tears.
   The diocese denies the charges, and Urell's personal lawyer, Patrick Hennessey, issued a statement that Urell suffers from an "extremely serious anxiety disorder" and can't give a deposition for "a minimum of least three months… Attorneys for the Diocese of Orange were never consulted about where he should receive hospitalization and treatment."
   Both Hennessey and Orange diocesan spokesperson Ryan Lilygren are furiously spinning for Urell. Hennessey got an entire column with Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit yesterday where he said that he noticed Urell "was in distress" in late August and tried to get an appointment with a psychiatrist over Labor Day weekend.
   On Sept. 4, the psychiatrist concluded after "20 minutes" that Urell needed immediate hospitalization; Urell left for Canada's Southdown Institute on Sept. 6. Lilygren chirped in with his already infamous Sept. 14 "Spin/Facts" memo on the diocesan website:
   "The recommendation to place Msgr. Urell in a residential treatment facility was made by Msgr. Urell himself, his doctors, his family and close friends and the diocesan Vicar for Priests, Father Christopher Smith. At no time was the diocesan legal team involved in making this decision."

• Movie plot stirs opposition in Naugatuck

- Film "Doubt", fiction.

   Waterbury Republican-American, September 20, 2007
   NAUGATUCK (CT) -- Hollywood may receive stiff resistance from Naugatuck educators over a controversial movie that could be filmed at Salem School. The principal and at least two Board of Education members do not want Miramax Films to shoot scenes at the school for a movie called "Doubt," starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
   The film is based on a 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning play set at a Catholic school in the Bronx, N.Y. It is about a nun who becomes suspicious when a priest takes too much interest in the life of the school's first black student. In the play, the nun suspects that the priest gave the boy alcohol and may have sexually molested him, though the script never definitively says whether the claims are [… ]

• Teen sexually abused by priest sues diocese, officials

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   The News Journal, By MIKE CHALMERS, Posted 11:34 am, Thursday, September 20, 2007
   DELAWARE -- An 18-year-old New York man who was sexually abused by a former Delaware priest sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and its leaders today for letting the priest quietly retire despite knowing about similar abuse allegations here.
   In the suit, Michael Dingle, of Liverpool, N.Y., claims diocesan leaders should have notified their counterparts in upstate New York of abuse allegations against the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca when he retired there in 1993.
   Instead, DeLuca retained the stature of priesthood and used it to sexually abuse Dingle more than 300 times from age 12 or 13 until age 17, said his attorney, Stephen Neuberger. DeLuca knew Dingle and his family because he is Dingle's great-uncle, Neuberger said.

• Nun Accused Of Sexual Abuse Turns Self In

[1960s Sister Norma Giannini*] - RCC. 2 boys.
   More TV 32, ~ September 20, 2007
   MILWAUKEE (IL) -- A Roman Catholic nun turned herself in Wednesday to face charges of indecent behavior with children in a case dating back 40 years, WISN-TV in Milwaukee.
   A Milwaukee County warrant was issued last week for the arrest of Sister Norma Giannini.
   Her lawyer claimed that two court appearances scheduled for this month were missed because of the 79-year-old nun's ill health.
   But faced with a bench warrant and the threat of arrest, she appeared in court unannounced Wednesday and was ordered to be there again when her trial starts in November, the television station reported.
   "There had been so many instances of her not showing, it was a good thing for us," Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge M. Joseph Donald said.

• Supporters Rally for Evicted Nuns

[Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 1940s-90s 508 victims. 2007 evicting nuns.
   The Santa Barbara Independent, By Nick Welsh, Thursday, September 20, 2007
   SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- Ernie Salomon, Santa Barbara's curmudgeonly crusader and outspoken public-access talk show host, has jumped into the fray to save the three Sisters of Bethany nuns from being evicted from their digs at 250 North Nopal Street, next to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
   Salomon – along with the owner of Anthony's Christmas Trees and 15 other community members – has formed Save Our Sisters (SOS) to fight the nuns' planned December eviction at the hands of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, headed by Cardinal Roger Mahony.
   According to initial reports, Sister Angela Escalera and the other two nuns were told to move so that the property could be sold to help defray the costs associated with the recent $660-million settlement the archdiocese entered into with 508 individuals claiming to be victims of priestly sexual abuse. (Of those 508, seven men complained they'd been molested by Farther Matthew Kelly of Our Lady of Guadalupe.)
   Of that sum, the archdiocese is responsible for paying $250 million, the rest to be covered by insurance carriers.

• Per don Sante Sguotti ancora una settimana. E se Milingo lo fa vescovo?

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, might join Milingo's Church. Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 20, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti has been ordered to leave the parish of Monterosso, a small town near Abano in the Padua province. The diocese in a week will sent him the official decree ordering him out of the parish. A new scenario may loom.
   Rev. Sguotti could be made a bishop by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, founder of a movement for married priests. Rev. Sguotti has declared his love for a woman and wants to remain as a priest in his parish. Archbishop Milingo, who married a woman, has been excommunicated by the Catholic Church.

• Monk's final pill-popping is detailed

[Greene] - "Orthodox" group. 1997 novice monk. 2007 pills.

   Express-News, by Zeke MacCormack, ~ September 20, 2007
   BLANCO (TX) -- Before mixing a cocktail of painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs late Sunday, admitted child molester Samuel Greene Jr. had been drinking heavily and was very depressed by the prospect of being ordered to prison at a hearing Friday.
   The account of "Father Benedict's" final hours came from his caretaker, Anthony Allen, who found Greene's body Monday morning at Christ of the Hills Monastery and reported the suspected suicide, Blanco County sheriff's investigator W.T. Smith said.
   Allen, aka Father Moses, said Greene rebuffed his questions about the large number of pills he'd poured into a cup about 11 p.m. Sunday.
   "He asked, 'Isn't that too many?' and Sam Greene gave him a look like he knew what he was doing," Smith, quoting Allen, said Wednesday.
   He said Allen told authorities Greene became angry, then directed him to throw away six empty pill bottles, which Allen did.

• Jacksonville priest target of suit

[2000s Graff*] - Greek Orthodox. Male teen.
   The Times-Union, By Jim Schoettler, ~ September 20, 2007
   JACKSONVILLE (FL) -- A Jacksonville priest and his church have been sued by a former parishioner and his family who allege he was sexually assaulted and also the subject of a bizarre adoption attempt by the priest.
   According to the lawsuit first reported by the Times-Union's news partner First Coast News, the allegations are against the Very Rev. Nicholas T. Graff and the St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church at 3850 Atlantic Blvd. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America was also named as a defendant and accused of knowing about the misconduct.
   The suit, filed Monday in Duval County Circuit Court, does not identify the 22-year-old parishioner or his family members by name. The family is identified as his mother and her parents.
   Phone calls by the Times-Union to Graff's home were unanswered, and a message left on a cell phone was not returned. His attorney, Tom Fallis, declined to discuss the details of the suit.
   "The suit is completely without any merit and ultimately [Father Nikos] will be vindicated of all these spurious allegations in the proper form, not the press," Fallis told the Times-Union. "Unfortunately anybody can file a lawsuit and people in the position of a priest are more vulnerable than most."

• Woman's suit against priest, archdiocese closer to trial

[2001+ O'Brien (MSC)] - RCC. Woman.
   Express-News, by Elizabeth Allen, ~ September 20, 2007
   SAN ANTONIO (TX) -- A judge cleared the way Wednesday for a lawsuit against a local priest, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart religious order and the Archdiocese of San Antonio to head to trial in Bexar County.
   The lawsuit, filed in 2004 by Theresa Gomez, alleges that Father Michael O'Brien used his position as her counselor to manipulate her into a sexual relationship.
   Gomez alleges O'Brien began counseling her in 2000 on various issues, including her ongoing grief over the death of her husband eight years earlier.

• Lawsuit Alleges Priest Sex Abuse

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   WPVI, AP, ~ September 20, 2007
   WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - September 20, 2007 - Another lawsuit is being filed against a former Wilmington priest accusing him of sexually abusing a boy over several years.
   Attorney Tom Neuberger says his client was molested by Francis DeLuca over a four year period. More details are expected at a news conferences this morning.
   Neuberger, who's representing other clients in similar suits against Diocese priests, claims DeLuca has a 40 year history of pedophilia.
   DeLuca, relocated to Syracuse, New York, after retiring from a 35 year career as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. He is now 77, and was sentenced last week to jail time for sexually abusing a Syracuse boy.

• Brown abuse claim a mystery

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 crosses to Canada. [Mr Avila*] - Didn't know, now he knows.

   The Orange County Register, BY RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 20, 2007
   BAKERSFIELD (CA) -- Bakersfield police may never have investigated an old claim that now-Bishop Tod Brown of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange molested a boy 42 years ago.
   Bakersfield Police Sgt. Greg Terry said Tuesday a former lieutenant in charge of the sex-crimes unit in 1997 - around the time when church officials say the accusation was reported to the Kern County District Attorney - did not recall getting the case from prosecutors. Nor did police have paperwork that shows if an investigation was ever done.
   "It's either the investigation was never done or one was done but it was unsubstantiated," Terry said.
   Brown, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Orange County, testified last week that he was told by the Diocese of Fresno in 1997 that they just received a claim alleging Brown abused a boy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Bakersfield in 1965. Brown, who used to be a priest in Bakersfield, denies the claim.

• "Il vescovo e il suo vice devono andarsene"

[Cantini*] - RCC. Sex, violence.

   La Stampa, ~ September 20, 2007
   ITALY -- Guido Ruotolo writes that anonymous parishioners and priests have come forward with information about Florence Auxiliary Bishop Claudio Maniago, who they say refused to take action against the Rev. Lelio Cantini for physical and sexual violence. Rev. Cantini is his former teacher and mentor.
   Rev. Cantini was head of an "integralist Catholic movement" which wanted to form new priests in opposition to so-called modernism. One anonymous witness, an important priest, said the real scandal that is emerging does not relate much to sexual abuse but to a church which was founded upon power, money and conspiracy of silence.

• Controversial Attorney Sanctioned For Katrina Victim Claim

- Mr Aretakis fined.

North Country Gazette, September 19, 2007
NEW YORK–A controversial attorney known for his sex abuse litigation against Roman Catholic leaders has been fined $10,000 by a federal judge for what was deemed a frivolous lawsuit and using the case to advance his own agenda. He could have to reimburse opposing counsel over $15,000 in fees spent to defend the action bringing the total sanction to $25,000.

• Vatican investigates Florence sex scandal

[1973-87 Cantini*] - RCC. Secrecy. Girls and women.

   Sowetan, September 20, 2007
   ROME, Italy -- The Vatican has ordered an investigation into a sex abuse scandal implicating a priest in Florence who is already the subject of a criminal investigation, press reports said today.
   The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent a prelate to the Renaissance city amid suspicions that the full extent of the scandal surrounding Reverend Lelio Cantini has not been revealed, the daily La Repubblica reported.
   The envoy will interview the victims of Cantini, who has admitted coercing girls and women in his parish to have sex between 1973 and 1987.
   Florentine Cardinal Ennio Antonelli admitted in an open letter in April that the Roman Catholic Church had settled the matter in secret after accusations of former parishioners reached the Vatican.

• Motion Filed to Hold Bishop in Contempt

   The Associated Press, By GILLIAN FLACCUS, ~ September 20, 2007
   SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – Attorneys for a woman who alleges sexual abuse by a lay teacher at a Roman Catholic high school asked a judge Wednesday to hold the bishop of the Diocese of Orange in contempt of court.
   The motion, filed in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, alleges that Bishop Tod D. Brown sent a key church official to Canada for unspecified medical treatment one week after a judge ordered him to complete a sworn deposition in the case.
   Plaintiff's attorneys had stopped an earlier deposition by Monsignor John Urell after he became distraught. According to the filing, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler ordered Urell to complete his testimony at a hearing on Aug. 30, but Urell left the country on Sept. 6.

• Pennies from heaven

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.

   Tribune-Review, Thursday, September 20, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- Even though the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh was not legally obligated, we commend it for settling 32 of the 35 cases of people claiming to have been abused by priests.
   But considering seven other payouts from the Catholic Church nationwide -- from Boston to Los Angeles -- for settlement of sexual abuse claims, how much praise is deserved by the local diocese is problematic.
   The $1.25 million settlement -- from the Pittsburgh diocese's insurance-funded Outreach Fund -- is roughly $39,000 per person. However, that does not include attorney fees. And since a retired Allegheny County judge will decide who gets what, some victims could get less.

• Police Investigating Sex Abuse Case At Encino Catholic School

[1997-98 Mr Dornan] - RCC. Carmelite school. Boy/s.
   KNBC, ~ September 20, 2007
   ENCINO, Calif. -- Los Angeles police detectives asked for the public's help on Wednesday, in finding additional alleged victims of a physical education teacher and athletic director at Crespi Carmelite High School.
   The school is under investigation on suspicion of sexually abusing a student.
   Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit on Aug. 8 began interviewing a former student at the Encino all-boys Catholic school, who said he was sexually abused by the teacher, police said.
   The man is now 25-years-old and said the abuse occurred during the 1997-98 school year.
   The Los Angeles Times and Daily News identified the teacher as Richard Dornan, the athletic director and once the school's basketball coach. Dornan, a nephew of former Rep. Robert K. Dornan, is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

• Lawyers seek contempt of court order against O.C. bishop

   Los Angeles Times, By Christine Hanley, September 20, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Lawyers for a former Mater Dei High School student suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in a sex abuse case are seeking to hold Bishop Tod Brown in contempt of court, arguing that he allowed his chief investigator of molestation complaints to be sent to a Canadian treatment center so that he could avoid testifying.
   Msgr. John Urell is under a court order to complete a deposition that abruptly ended in July after about six hours of questioning, when he became overwhelmed with emotion and walked out in tears, telling the judge he was unsure whether he would ever be able to finish.
   Brown later testified during his deposition that he made the decision this month to send Urell to Southdown Institute, a facility that treats clergy for a variety of conditions, knowing at the time that the monsignor was required to resume his deposition.
   Brown "has acted with knowing and willful contravention of a court order for the further deposition of Msgr. Urell, by intentionally removing him from the country and therefore the jurisdiction of this court, for the apparent purpose of depriving plaintiff of the testimony," the student's attorneys argued in court papers filed Wednesday.

• Documenting monsignor's breakdown

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade*] - Girl. [Bp Brown*] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada. [Mr Avila*] - Didn't know, now he knows.
   The Orange County Register, By FRANK MICKADEIT, fmickadeit@ocregister.com , ~ September 20, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- I have only read about 250 pages of Monsignor John Urell's testimony from two depositions in Diocese of Orange sex-abuse cases. But that included the entirety of the one he walked out of in late July and never finished. And it provides insight about his breakdown.
   One of the striking things about the deposition is that while it went on for nearly five hours, Urell was hardly illuminating, answering limited questions on limited topics. Most of the deposition consisted of his lawyers arguing with plaintiff Jane C. R. Doe's lawyers about what he could be compelled to testify about. By my count, Urell's lawyer instructed him not to answer 32 times. One more strike against the Covenant with the Faithful's vow of openness.
   And what's more, this was done in the presence of a court-appointed referee, a retired judge named Robert Jameson. He was brought in by trial Judge Gail Andler specifically so she wouldn't have to get involved every time lawyers argued about whether a question was within the permitted scope of inquiry. Yet, right off the bat, they were talking about whether to phone her on a particular question. It was 47 minutes before Urell was allowed to answer his first question about sexual abuse problems at Mater Dei.

• Sex abuse probe wrecked family's life, former cop's wife says

- General community.

   Ottawa Sun, By Sun Media, September 19, 2007
   CORNWALL, Ont., CANADA – Death threats against her husband and children, emotional health issues, and multiple court cases have been a major part of her life for the past 14 years, the wife of a former city police officer told an inquiry on Wednesday.
   Helen Dunlop said the family's life changed when her husband, Perry, first told her about allegations of child sexual abuse.
   In 1993, he stumbled upon police files detailing allegations of abuse levelled against a city priest.
   The file suggested the alleged victim had received $32,000 from the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese and the investigation had been terminated.

• Award Cut in Mormon Church Abuse Case

[High Priest Taylor] - Mormons. > US$1.2m now owing. 2 sisters.

   The Associated Press, ~ September 20, 2007
   SEATTLE (WA), (AP) – Part of a $4.2 million award in a sexual abuse-related lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been overturned on appeal.
   A three-judge panel of the Washington state Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Tuesday that the church still owed slightly more than $1.2 million to two sisters who said a Mormon bishop had kept one of them from reporting sexual abuse by their stepfather, Mormon high priest Peter N. Taylor.
   However, the panel also ruled that the church was not financially responsible for Taylor's liability and returned the case to a trial court for a decision on liability beyond the $1.2 million.

• No idea when he'll return

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   California Catholic Daily, ~ September 20, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Orange diocese's former chancellor, Msgr, John Urell, who was former Bishop Norman McFarland's point man for dealing with sex-abuse allegations, is in a Canadian treatment center and doesn't appear likely to be returning soon -- a possible setback for for the plaintiff in a sex-abuse lawsuit against the diocese in which Urell's testimony is considered critical.
   During a July deposition in a case against the diocese involving allegations of sexual abuse by a former Mater Dei High School assistant coach, Urell was so upset by questions about his handling of sex-abuse complaints as chancellor that he walked out of his unfinished deposition, crying. It was later learned that Urell had checked into the Southdown Institute near Toronto, Canada.
   Urell, the pastor of St. Norbert's Church in Orange, remains on temporary medical leave from the diocese, and his attorney, Patrick Hennessey, has written the plaintiff's attorneys to tell them that Urell cannot finish his deposition due to an undisclosed medical condition. The judge has ordered Urell to specify his condition; but, so far, he has not complied.
   Sex abuse victims' lawyers have charged that, as chancellor, Urell was among the diocesan officials who kept priests in active ministry even after receiving reports of their past abuse. Last fall, Urell came under more fire when he was considered for re-nomination to the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Complaints from abuse victims forced Urell to withdraw his name from consideration.

• Salesian Cases head for trial in LA November 5th and Church reveals Salesians' concern for underprivileged boys in 2007

[Decades - Salesians] - RCC. Many boys.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 20, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- From Catholic Encyclopedia: "In the first half of the nineteenth century Italy had not recovered from the French Revolution. Education, morality, and religion were then at their lowest ebb. To save the rising generation the Salesian Society was founded. In 1844 Don Bosco began to gather together poor and neglected boys. In 1845 the first night-school was opened at Valdocco… " and the Salesian tradition of bringing young boys up from poverty began.
   A church attorney demonstrated that concern for poor young boys by Salesians in the 21st century this morning in court: "If these 10 year old now 60 year old juvenile delinquents are to be believed, he says he saw Miani abusing a child. Then he says he saw the Archbishop. This goes past the credibility issue to the crux of the problem. Most of those men are long dead."
   JUDGE: I'm curious as to why you rely on Mr. (Plaintiff) for that information?"
   CHURCH ATTORNEY MCPHEELY: "I'm not relying on Mr. P for much."
   That last line delivered with all the contempt you'd expect from an old retired Irish cop in a t-shirt hollering at his TV set. I have to admit I like this church attorney for the Salesians McPheely (McFeely?) as he doesn't even try to act smooth and cool, like Hennigan's minions. No designer labels here, strictly Hollywood Suit Outlet and "I'm going to be as much of an asshole as I want to be" attitude. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 20, 2007 2:12 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu September 20, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri September 21, 2007 edition:

• Accused Morris priest sentenced to probation

[2004 Mieliwocki -NEW*] - RCC. 4 boys.

   The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com/ news/index. ssf/2007/ 09/accused_ priest_ sentenced_ to_pr.html , by Margaret McHugh, 11:46 AM, Friday, September 21, 2007
   NEW JERSEY -- A Roman Catholic priest from Morris County was sentenced this morning to five years probation and 300 hours of community service.
   The Rev. Richard Mieliwocki, 60, of Madison, was accused of molesting four teenage boys at a drug treatment center but pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse. He was forced to surrender his social work license and can never hold public office. Mieliwocki had worked at Daytop New Jersey in Mendham when the alleged incidents occurred in 2004.
   Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez said her office only agreed to the no-jail plea deal because the case had fallen apart with the death of one of the victims and a partial recantation by a second. The one teen died of a drug overdose, defense attorney Thomas C. Pluciennik said.
   Rodriguez said she hated to think that it looks as though Mieliwocki got a slap on the wrist.
   Mieliwocki has contended his actions were part of his therapy work with the boys.

• Il pm: l'arcivescovo di Siena non è indagato

[2004 Acampa -NEW*] - RCC. Arson, slander.

   Il Corriere della Sera, ~ September 21, 2007
   ITALY -- Nicola Marini, substitute prosecutor for Siena, yesterday denied he was formally investigating the Siena archbishop.
   Il Corriere della Sera and another newspaper reported that Archbishop Antonio Buoncristiani was being investigated for an April 2004 arson on diocesan property. The Rev. Giuseppe Acampa, diocesan administrator, was indicted on charges of arson and slander. He will respond to the accusations on Jan. 22.
   Marini said it was false to speak of "red lights parties" and said the current investigation in the Siena diocese had nothing to do with the investigation in the Florence diocese. The magistrate refused to comment further.

• Diocese bans priest accused of harassment

[~ 2006-07 Do / Tran*] - RCC. Jewellery for 2 women.

   Fort Worth Star-Telegram, By DARREN BARBEE, ~ September 21, 2007
   FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON (TX) -- An Arlington priest accused of sexual harassment was banned Thursday from working in the Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese, despite the inconclusive results of an investigation.
   But diocese officials believed that the two women who accused the priest were intimidated into silence after coming forward. And the priest admitted buying them jewelry.
   Bishop Kevin Vann said in a statement that it was in the best interests of the diocese and the priest's divided parish, Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, for him to permanently remove the Rev. Bartholomew Hoa Thai Do. He was removed in August for the duration of the investigation.
   "A pastor is needed who can bring all parishioners together and who has no cloud of past allegations about him, allegations which involve current residents of our diocese," Vann said in the statement.

• Church tries to clear air on priest's dismissal

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Times Colonist, by Cindy E. Harnett, Friday, September 21, 2007
   CANADA -- The woman whose accusation of sexual misconduct brought down a beloved St. Saviour's priest and rocked the foundation of the church in [? town] is a "brave" soul, said the Ven. Bruce Bryant-Scott today.
   An admission of sexual misconduct by Rev. Antonio Osorio, who was suspended Sept. 5 and resigned Sept. 12, is being investigated by Victoria police. It is also being investigated by the diocese- for what could be another few weeks - as a breach of canon law, but not of criminal or civil law.
   Bryant-Scott, spokesman for the Anglican Diocese of B.C., told a press conference here that he and others were initially lied to by Osorio.
   Asked about the "victim," Bryant-Scott said all too often those who come forward are abandoned. "They are brave," he said. "Blame the victim is an old ritual."
   Bryant-Scott said he imagines it was not easy for the adult woman, who has not been identified, to write a complaint about someone she once respected and who so many others "respected and loved." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 21, 2007 7:48 PM]

• What's next for Father George Chaanine?

[2007, Jan 26 - Chaanine*] - RCC. Woman hit with bottle, etc.

   KVBC, ~ September 21, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV) -- In a little more than a month the priest who pleaded guilty to battery will find out how long he'll spend in jail.
   At first, George Chaanine told the Review Journal he was innocent. But as News 3's Robert Santos reports, he later struck a plea bargain with the District Attorney's Office.
   George Chaanine, a Catholic priest, remains jailed at the Clark County Detention Center, after pleading guilty to hitting Michaelina Bellamy in the head with a wine bottle.
   Originally, Chaanine was charged with sexual assault and kidnapping. But in exchange for the state dismissing those charges, Chaanine pleaded guilty to battery with a deadly weapon.

• Friday Roundup: Where is the outrage? Plus, note to those who say childhood sex crime victims should just get over it.

[Decades - Salesians] - RCC. Many boys.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, September 21, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Yes it's those Salesians, the Catholic order whose sole purpose since the 1800s has been to reach out and uplift young boys from poverty and disadvantaged homes.
   It was the Salesians' attorney who called low income boys from Don Bosco high school "10 year old now 60 year old juvenile delinquents" as he tried to get civil lawsuits dismissed in LA Superior Court Wednesday, lawsuits filed by sex crime victims from Salesian run schools that were not part of the July 16th settlement but are on calendar for a jury trial November 5 in LA Superior Court.
   This is from the firm profile of Foley & Lardner LLP, whose partner Stephen A. McFeely represents the Salesians.
   "For more than 160 years, Foley & Lardner LLP has delivered legal services. Foley is dedicated to understanding industry issues, government policies, and client goals." Today they represent a religious order many of whose priests it turns out are pedophiles.

• German bishop apologises over paedophile priest

[1999, 2003+ Kramer] - RCC. Boys. [Is this the Father Peter K. ?]

   Reuters, September 21, 2007
   BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - A German Catholic bishop apologised on Friday for reinstating a convicted child molester priest who was charged with a similar crime last month.
   Peter Kramer, a priest in the Bavarian town of Riekofen, was arrested on August 30 on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor.
   He was convicted of child molestation in 2000, but underwent therapy, received a clean bill of mental health and was reinstated by Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller in 2004.
   "I would like to express my deepest regret and sympathy towards those children who have been mentally scarred and their parents," Mueller, bishop of the Bavarian city of Regensburg told a news conference.

• Monument to Evil

[~ 30yrs Geoghan] - RCC. US$60m for 86 victims. < 150 children.

   Jamaica Plain Gazette, By JOHN RUCH, September 21, 2007
   FOREST HILLS (MA) – The former St. Andrew the Apostle Church complex should be preserved as a monument to the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal, according to a mother of local victims.
   Mitchell Garabedian, a famous attorney who represented many victims in the case, said St. Andrew's is a "reminder to the world" and called for victim input about its fate. He also raised the idea of a monument to victims there or elsewhere.
   Infamous child-molesting priest John Geoghan, whose prosecution blew open the church cover-up of sex crimes, served at St. Andrew's from 1974 to 1980. He reportedly molested many children at the church and in the neighborhood. He was murdered in prison following a 2002 conviction for child molestation outside Boston.
   "I represented 144 Geoghan victims. Many of them came from St. Andrew's Parish," said Garabedian in a Gazette interview.
   [LOOK BACK: Newsitems of Mar 7, 2002, Feb 25, 2004, ~ Feb 28, 2004. ENDS.]

• Las Vegas priest pleads guilty to battery; sex charges dropped

[2007, Jan 26 - Chaanine*] - RCC. Smashed bottle over woman's head.
   KVOA, Associated Press, 10:44 AM ET, September 21, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV), (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest arrested near Phoenix has pleaded guilty to felony battery with a deadly weapon.
   The Reverend George Chaanine admitted in Clark County District Court that he smashed a wine bottle over the 54-year-old woman's head at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church in January.
   Chaanine remained held at the Clark County jail on a $1 million bail pending sentencing November 1st. The battery charge carries a maximum prison term of 6 to 15 years, but Chaanine could be eligible for probation.

• Defrocked priest can take Iowa bar exam

[1980s Nash] - RCC. Boys.

   Des Moines Register, By ABBY SIMONS, September 21, 2007
   IOWA -- The Iowa Supreme Court will allow an Alaska priest defrocked for allegations of sexual abuse to take the Iowa Bar Examination.
   Michael Patrick Nash, a graduate of Creighton University law school in Omaha who was denied admission to the Iowa Bar Association in 2006 because questionable moral character based on the purported sexual abuse.
   Nash formally left the priesthood in 2005 following allegations that he had sexually abused boys in the remote areas of the Juneau archdiocese in the 1980s. He was never prosecuted or found guilty, but admitted to requesting foot and neck massages, administering bare-buttock spankings and making boys do calisthenics in their underwear as punishment for misbehavior.
   In denying Nash to the Iowa bar, the Iowa Board of Law Examiners contended that such actions "raise character concerns adequate to deny him permission to practice in Iowa."
   In a 6-1 decision, the state's High Court disagreed.

• Vegas Priest Pleads Guilty to Battery

[2007, Jan 26 - Chaanine*] - RCC. Smashed bottle over woman's head.

   The Associated Press, ~ September 21, 2007
   LAS VEGAS (NV), (AP) – A Roman Catholic priest who smashed a wine bottle over the head of a woman in church pleaded guilty to felony battery with a deadly weapon.
   The Rev. George Chaanine admitted Thursday in Clark County District Court that he smashed the bottle over the 54-year-old woman's head at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church in January.
   Prosecutors dropped other charges, including attempted murder and sexual assault.
   "Our prosecutors analyzed the case, they spoke with the victim, and she thought it was best to resolve this case short of trial," District Attorney David Roger said.
   Neither the woman nor her lawyer could be reached for comment.

• McCormack victim to get $1.65 million

[2001-05 McCormack] - RCC. US$1.65m gone. Boy.
   Chicago Sun-Times, BY SUSAN HOGAN/ALBACH, Religion Reporter, shogan@suntimes.com , September 21, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A $1.65 million settlement has been reached between the Archdiocese of Chicago and the family of a boy molested by the Rev. Daniel McCormack, the victim's attorney announced Thursday.
   In July, McCormack was sentenced to a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to molesting boys at St. Agatha Parish and Our Lady of the Westside School, now called Saint Agatha Catholic Academy.
   Steven Dicker said his client, now 15, was molested by the priest between 2001 and 2005. At the time, the boy was a student of the school and a member of the basketball team that the priest coached, he said.
   He praised the boy for speaking out.

• Media center director calls for return of investigative journalism

   Kansas State Collegian, ~ September 21, 2007
   KANSAS -- Tough, investigative journalism needs to return to the forefront of the mainstream media, said the director of a renowned investigative journalism center yesterday at the eighth-annual Huck Boyd Lecture on Community Media.
   Bill Buzenberg, executive director for the Center of Public Integrity, said the media are too concerned with superficial news about celebrities like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. …
   He said journalists need to return to the muckraking and watchdog journalism of the past. He said reporters should look at the investigative reports of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Watergate uncovering, and other journalists' work on revealing scandals like child abuse by Catholic priests and the National Security Agency's domestic spying program.

• Ipotesi: don Sante vescovo

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Founded Website, leaving Church? Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, September 20, 2007
   ITALY -- Reporter Leon Bertoletti tells of a possible scenario in which the Rev. Sante Sguotti will be nominated a bishop on Dec. 2 by Archbishop Emanuel Milingo. Archbishop Milingo, who has been excommunicated by the Catholic church, is founder of a movement called Married Priests Now, and in September 2006 nominated four married priests as bishops. Rev. Sguotti would have announced his official engagement to the woman he loves during his nomination but it is unlikely to happen since his bishop's decree for his removal from his parish will be delivered in a week.
   The parish priest from Monterosso will appeal his expulsion from the parish with the help of lawyer Marco Cardinale, who is recognized by the Vatican to take cases to the Sacred Rota, the Vatican tribunal. This action will also impede Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua from appointing another parish priest until the final decision is made. The Rev. Tiziano Vanzetto, chancellor and judicial vicar for the Padua diocese, said the process will be long. "We will proceed in the strictest respect of the Canon Law," he said.
   Rev. Sguotti is refusing any contact with the hierarchy. "I'm not eager to go. I even could make some clamorous demonstrations, like chaining myself in front of the church," he said. It will not be easy to convince the priest to leave Monterosso and the passing of time will probably work in the priest's interest.

• Boy abused by Rev. McCormack settles for $1.6 million

   Chicago Tribune, By Manya A. Brachear, religion reporter, September 21, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A 15-year-old West Side boy and his family will receive $1.65 million from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for sexual abuse the boy suffered at the hands of a pastor, a lawyer for the victim and his family said Thursday.
   The settlement marks the first lawsuit to be resolved since Rev. Daniel McCormack pleaded guilty in July to fondling five boys ages 8 to 12 in housing at St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church.
   At least two other suits against McCormack and the archdiocese are pending.

• Sisters about to bid farewell to their own little Eden

   Providence Journal, September 21, 2007
   NEWPORT (RI) – For more than a half-century, 13.5 acres of pastoral and secluded property in one of the most desirable areas of Newport has been home to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny.
   It was there that members of the Catholic order took their vows, received their training and managed all of their North American missionary efforts. The nuns not only appreciated the tranquility of their sprawling natural surroundings on Brenton Road, but they also cut loose with an occasional skate on the frozen salt marsh or a toboggan ride down their hill. ,,,
   The Diocese of Providence, which acquired the former Arthur Curtiss James estate in 1954, owns the property. It announced on Wednesday that it will sell the Brenton Road property and six others across the state to reduce debt partly related to the $14.2-million settlement of the clergy sexual-abuse case.

• Very embarrassing, and very painful

   California Catholic Daily, ~ September 21, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Kern County district attorney, Bakersfield police, say they don't know if they investigated a claim of sexual abuse against Bishop Tod Brown.
   What has been called an unsubstantiated claim of sexual abuse against Orange's Bishop Tod Brown may never have been investigated by law enforcement, according to recent press reports.
   During his Sept. 10 deposition for a sexual abuse lawsuit against his diocese, Brown admitted that he had had an accusation of sexual abuse brought against him in 1997. The accuser, Scott Hicks of Fresno, claimed that in 1965 then-Father Brown had molested him three times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Bakersfield.
   During his deposition, Brown admitted that he never informed the papal nuncio's office of the allegation (the correct protocol for accused bishops), and that he kept the accusation private because, said Brown, "it was very embarrassing, and very painful." However, he told plaintiff's attorney John Manly that he decided not to go public with the accusation because it "was judged not to be credible." When pressed as to who had reached that conclusion, Brown replied, "The investigation conducted by the Diocese of Fresno."

• Providence Diocese To Sell Tract In Westerly

   The Day, Westerly, ~ September 21, 2007
   WESTERLY (RI) – Forty-two years ago the Diocese of Providence bought a large piece of land just east of Dunns Corner-Bradford Road with the intent of possibly building a Catholic high school there.
   In 1990 it sold some of the land to the local foundation that established the Paul E. Trombino Sports Complex on Moorehouse Road. Now the diocese wants to sell the rest of its property, which totals more than 131 acres. …
   The land is one of seven properties the diocese announced Wednesday it was selling across Rhode Island to raise cash.
   Some of the proceeds will go to create an endowment that will pay for the upkeep of hundreds of diocesan properties, according to diocesan communications director Michael Guilfoyle, with the rest helping pay off the diocese's $6 million debt.
   Some of that debt was incurred when the diocese paid more than $14 million to people who were sexually abused by diocesan priests and filed lawsuits.

• Lawyers to cut fees in church bankruptcy

[~ 2006-07 Lawyers] - Spokane RCC. Had sought > US$10m.
   Seattle Post-Intelligencer, ~ September 21, 2007
   SPOKANE (WA) -- Lawyers involved in the bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane have agreed to cut their legal bills by about 5 percent, producing an extra $400,000 for victims of sexual abuse by priests.
   If approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams, the agreement would end a dispute among several law firms and the U.S. Trustees Office over how much the lawyers should be paid.
   The legal fees fight is one of the last remaining issues in the bankruptcy filed in December 2004.
   Spokane Bishop William Skylstad brought the diocese into bankruptcy protection to shield its assets and parishes from dozens of claims alleging sex abuse by priests decades ago.

• Catholic priest probed for sexual abuse

[1973-87 Cantini] - RCC. Secrecy. Girls and women.

   Sowetan, 21 September 2007
   ROME, Italy - The Vatican has ordered an investigation into a sex-abuse scandal implicating a priest in Florence who is already the subject of a criminal investigation, press reports said yesterday.
   The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent a prelate to the Renaissance city amid suspicions that the full extent of the scandal surrounding Reverend Lelio Cantini has not been revealed, the daily La Repubblica reported. The envoy will interview Cantini's victims. He has admitted to coercing girls and women in his parish to have sex with him between 1973 and 1987.
   Florentine Cardinal Ennio Antonelli admitted in an open letter in April that the Roman Catholic Church had settled the matter in secret after accusations of former parishioners reached the Vatican.

• Archdiocese reaches $1.65 million settlement with abused teen

   Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, September 21, 2007
   CHICAGO (IL) -- The Archdiocese of Chicago has reached a $1.65 million settlement with the family of a 15-year-old who was sexually abused as a young boy by a Roman Catholic priest.
   The Rev. Daniel McCormack pleaded guilty in July to abusing five boys between the ages of 8 and 12 while he served as parish priest at St. Agatha Catholic Church and was sentenced to five years in prison.
   The settlement will pay for therapy and let the boy put the abuse behind him, said Steve Dicker, an attorney for the boy's family.
   "The victim and his family are relieved that as a result of the settlement the child will not have to testify in either the criminal or civil proceedings," Dicker said.

• Syracuse teen sues Catholic diocese

[2002-05 DeLuca*] - RCC. 60 days prison. Teenage boy.
   The News Journal, By MIKE CHALMERS, Posted Friday, September 21, 2007
   DELAWARE -- When a New York teenager accused a retired Delaware priest of years of sexual abuse last summer, church officials here reversed a long-standing policy and publicly named 20 priests they believed had molested children over the past 40 years.
   On Thursday, that teenager, now-18-year-old Michael Dingle, publicly stepped forward himself and sued those church leaders for allegedly conspiring to keep the abusive priest's past a secret.
   Dingle's lawsuit does not target the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca, who was sentenced last week to prison and probation after pleading guilty in New York to sexually abusing Dingle. DeLuca, 77, is Dingle's great uncle.
   Instead, Dingle's Superior Court lawsuit focuses on the actions of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Bishop Michael Saltarelli, Monsignor Thomas Cini and former Bishop Robert Mulvee, who headed the diocese between 1985 and 1995. They failed to remove DeLuca from the ministry or warn church officials in Syracuse, N.Y., about abuse allegations against DeLuca that dated back to the 1960s, Dingle's suit claims.

• Gathering resurrects old memories

   Leader-Post, by Kerry Benjoe, Friday, September 21, 2007
   CANADA -- The first day of the provincial healing gathering was greeted with mixed emotions by those in attendance, many of whom revisited old memories.
   The Cowessess First Nation is hosting the gathering to help residential school survivors who are applying for their Common Experience Payments under the government-approved settlement.
   Carol Lavallee, 56, has a unique perspective of residential schools. She lived through the bad times as a student and as an employee she worked to make it a happy experience for others.
   Everyone can recall their first day of school and the excitement surrounding that big day, but for many residential school survivors their memories are not so cheery.

• Programs in doubt after priest resigns

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Globe and Mail, By SHANNON MONEO, Friday, September 21, 2007
   VICTORIA (BC), CANADA – The hungry, the homeless and abused immigrant women are bearing the effects of the resignation of a charismatic Anglican priest who admitted to sexual contact with an adult female parishioner.
   Rev. Antonio Osorio resigned Sept. 12 from St. Saviour's Anglican Church in Victoria. Two days later, he sat down with his superiors to give a detailed account of "substantial sexual misconduct," Ven. Bruce Bryant-Scott said.
   "He was very upset. He was contrite," said Archdeacon Bryant-Scott, executive officer for the Victoria-based Diocese of B.C.

• 'Coward' loses faith in his bishop

   The Orange County Register, By FRANK MICKADEIT, columnist, fmickadeit@ocregister.com , ~ September 21, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Let's end the week with some reflection about what we've learned about the Diocese of Orange.
   We learned Bishop Tod Brown withheld that he was accused of molestation once. That he sent a key figure in the molestation scandal, Monsignor John Urell, to a hospital in Canada virtually on the eve of trial. That Brown's Covenant With the Faithful apparently had a little-known codicil: "All of the above is null and void if we get in deep legal trouble again." That diocesan officials had evidence assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade was in a relationship with a girl in the mid-90s and didn't report it to police.
   Whew. Makes a Catholic question the moral authority of his religious leaders. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 21, 2007 7:51 AM]
   [COMMENT: Whew! The moral authority evaporated in many people's minds when they read early in 2002 about a priest throwing his housekeeper downstairs, and all the other corruption in the Boston Archdiocese. The predecessor of Cardinal Law was evidently a sexual sinner, and Cardinal Law, who allowed transfers of the child-seducers, is now "employed" in the sinecure of being the head of St Mary Major Basillica, Rome. The blighted sex and faith lives of the victims are in some cases patched up with money -- which comes from the purses and pockets of the gullible! COMMENT ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri September 21, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 22, 2007 edition:

• Pastor of Owensboro's largest church resigns over misconduct

[Templeton -NEW* and another] - Christian Church. Inappropriate conduct.

   Lexington Herald-Leader, www.kentucky. com/471/story/ 183614.html , The Associated Press, ~ September 22, 2007
   OWENSBORO, Ky. --The longtime pastor at Owensboro's largest church has abruptly resigned because of "inappropriate" conduct, church elders said.
   Myke Templeton was pastor at Owensboro Christian Church for nearly 28 years. He was asked to resign immediately "due to conduct that was inappropriate," according to a letter the church's elders issued this week. The letter did not specify the conduct.
   John Hitchell, chairman of the board of elders, refused Friday to comment beyond what was in the letter. Templeton could not be reached for comment.
   The church also asked another staff member to resign, the letter said, but that person wasn't identified.
   "This action was undertaken with the certainty that it was the appropriate step under the circumstances," the letter said.

• Very Rev. Raul Covarrubias, V.U.

[Covarrubias - NEW*] - RCC. Misconduct.
Catholic Idaho, ~ September 22, 2007
MOUNTAIN HOME (ID) -- This site contains information on Rev. Raul Covarrubias, who has been removed from parish duty following an allegation of sexual misconduct. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 22, 2007 8:35 PM]

• Church choir director charged with sex with girl

[2007 Mr St. Pierre -NEW*] - Baptist. Girl (14).
   Kentucky.com , The Associated Press, ~ September 22, 2007
   EVANSVILLE, Ind. --A choir director who allegedly began a sexual relationship with a female church member when the girl was 14 faced two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
   Nathan St. Pierre, 25, was being held Saturday night in the Vanderburgh County Jail in Evansville on a $25,000 cash bond. He was due to be arraigned Monday.
   St. Pierre was choir director at Evansville's Washington Avenue Baptist Church when the relationship with the girl, then 14, began in early May and ended earlier this month, police said.
   The problem came to light when the girl's mother found a diary detailing the relationship and brought it to the church's pastor, the Rev. Mike Bebout, who is St. Pierre's father in law.

• Rwanda: Police Detains Pastor Murenzi

[~ 2000s Murenzi -NEW*] - Shining Light Church. 7 schoolgirls.

   AllAfrica, by Ignatius Ssuuna, Kigali, New Times (Kigali), September 21, 2007, Posted to the web September 22, 2007
   RWANDA -- POLICE is holding a Kigali city senior pastor over alleged defilement and rape of seven school girls.
   Pastor Charles Murenzi of Shining Light Church was arrested yesterday after Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Chief, Costa Habyara, quizzed him on Thursday.
   Habyara confirmed yesterday that Murenzi is being detained and his case would be sent to court.
   "The pastor came here (Kacyiru) this morning and we arrested him. His file will be forwarded to prosecution next week," he said.

• 9/22/07: Pastor Of Owensboro's Largest Church Resigns

[Templeton* and another] - Christian Church.

   WLKY, ~ September 22, 2007
   OWENSBORO, Ky -- The longtime pastor at a large church in western Kentucky has abruptly resigned because of what church elders called inappropriate conduct.
   Myke Templeton was pastor at Owensboro Christian Church for nearly 28 years.
   The church attracts nearly 3,000 people to its weekend services.
   Templeton was asked to resign immediately earlier this week.
   Elders did not specify in a letter what it is the pastor did.

• TRANSCRIPT: July 16th Hearing in Superior Court Settling 508 Civil Cases Against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles

- RCC.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 22, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- "There's been a constant stream of motions presented to this court in areas that are out on the fringes of established law." -- Judge Haley Fromholz
   Call me Scoop. Just now went back and read my July 16th notes and decided to copy and paste them here for others to read. It's pretty much a transcript of what was said at the settlement hearing in LA Superior Court which which ended 508 plaintiffs' cases against the Archdiocese. (Note: I'm not a court reporter, just incredibly fast.)
   JUDGE HALEY FROMHOLZ: This was the date set for the trial re Hagenbach allegations. It was impossible over the weekend not to understand there'd be a settlement in these cases. This morning I need to establish it is a settlement, it covers the cases and it's the desire of the attorneys, so that the trial dates can be vacated.
   Judge asks Boucher to state it is a settlement and Hennigan does as well.
   PLAINTIFF ATTY. RAY BOUCHER: I was ready to give an opening statement this morning. We represent 245 victims and I'd like the court to at least acknowledge the Hagenbach victims who are here today who were ready to start trial -- ask them to stand.
   (Row of men stand up.)

• Cardinal's letter praises jailed priest

- RCC.
   Renew America, by Matt C. Abbott, September 22, 2007
   NEW HAMPSHIRE -- New Hampshire Catholic priest Gordon MacRae was convicted in 1994 of sexual assault. He is serving a 33-and-a-half to 67-year prison sentence.
   In 2005, journalist Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board, authored articles that defended Father MacRae, asserting he was the victim of false accusations and coerced confessions.
   Interestingly, I have been provided with a letter signed by Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., in which the cardinal essentially praises Father MacRae.

• Other Clergy Should Also be Defrocked

- Greek Orthodox. [Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. ≥ 4 minors.
Orthodox Reform, The National Herald, By Theodore Kalmoukos, September 21, 2007
DALLAS (TX) -- The defrocking of Rev. Nicholas Katinas, former longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, which was officially carried out, finally, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople on July 11, as we reported in the last week's edition, should have been done a year and a half ago, when he was first accused of pedophilia, and which was officially admitted by the Archdiocese.

• Catholic priest on leave following misconduct allegations

[Covarrubias*] - RCC.
   KPAX, Associated Press, 8:44 PM ET, September 21, 2007
   BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A Catholic priest in Mountain Home has been placed on leave and church officials are telling parishioners to contact the diocese if they are aware of anyone who was abused by clergy, diocesan employees or volunteers.
   Roman Catholic Diocese officials in Boise say Raul Covarrubias was put on leave September 14th.
   Covarrubias has been pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish since 1992.

• Mountain Home priest placed on leave

[Covarrubias*] - RCC.
   Idaho Statesman, By Bill Roberts - broberts@idahostatesman.com - Edition Date: Sep/22/07
   MOUNTAIN HOME (ID) -- A Catholic priest in Mountain Home has been put on paid leave following allegations of misconduct, Roman Catholic Diocese officials in Boise said Friday.
   Raul Covarrubias, 63, pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish since 1992, was put on leave Sept. 14.
   Diocesan officials would not describe the allegations, but a written statement to parishioners from Bishop Michael P. Driscoll suggests that abuse was involved.
   "I ask you to keep in your prayers Father Raul, the person who made the claim and all victims of abuse and violence," he wrote.
   When the Idaho Statesman asked for a copy of the policy governing misconduct, the diocese furnished a copy of its policy on sexual misconduct.

• Priest Placed on Leave

[Covarrubias*] - RCC.
   Left Side of the Moon, Sep 22, 2007
   IDAHO -- The Idaho Statesman is reporting that, Raul Covarrubias, the parish priest for Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in Mountain Home has been placed on leave; it was effective September 14th.
   Fr. Covarrubias has been assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel since 1992. The reason was given as 'misconduct.' However, "when the Idaho Statesman asked for a copy of the policy governing misconduct, the diocese furnished a copy of its policy on sexual misconduct."
   A letter was written to parishoners from the bishop, Michael Driscoll. Bishop Driscoll has been accused of complicity in allegations of sexual abuse while 'serving the church' in the Diocese of Orange in California.

• Pelotte found relaxing at his Florida beach-front condo

[Pelotte] - RCC.
   Gallup Independent, By Marianne Armshaw, ~ September 22, 2007
   LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – Roman Catholic Bishop Donald E. Pelotte answered the door of his beach-front apartment Thursday wearing a maroon T-shirt, olive walking shorts and scabs on his right knee.
   "I've been packing," he said. "I'm going home tomorrow."
   During a polite, 10-minute interview, Pelotte repeatedly stated he did not want more printed about his story, but spoke frankly about his health, his immediate plans and the injuries that kept him hospitalized for a month. He firmly declined requests for a photographer to take his portrait.

• Southern Baptists open hearings into clergy sexual abuse

- Baptists.
   Tennessean, By JENNIFER BROOKS, ~ September 22, 2007
   NASHVILLE (TN) -- The Southern Baptist Convention has launched the first hearing of what is expected to be a yearlong investigation into the problem of sexual abuse by Baptist clergy.
   On Monday, victims of alleged clergy abuse met in front of Baptist headquarters in downtown Nashville to request a seat at the table during that discussion.
   "Every mom and dad who sits in a Southern Baptist church pew should want the same thing I want – a substantial report about this problem, and public accountability," said Christa Brown of Austin, Texas, who wore a photo around her neck of a pretty 16-year-old girl with a bow in her hair and a smile on her face. It's a picture of her, taken shortly before she says she was molested by a trusted minister.
   "The kids who become victims of these sex crimes, it's the kids who are the most devout. They're the ones vulnerable to a minister who uses faith as a weapon," she said.

• Jeffs jury will continue deliberations Monday

[2001+ - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. "Religious duty". Child bride.
   Daily Herald, By JENNIFER DOBNER - The Associated Press, ~ September 22, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- A jury went home Friday without reaching a verdict in the trial of a polygamous-sect leader accused of sex crimes related to the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl and an older cousin.
   The jury of five men and three women deliberated for roughly two hours and will return Monday to southern Utah's 5th District Court.
   Warren Jeffs, 51, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.
   Prosecutors claim he used his authority to demand the teen bride enter a ceremonial marriage in 2001 and have sex with her cousin, who was 19.

• State, victim clash over monastery

[Greene] - "Orthodox" group. 1997 novice monk. 2007 pills.
   San Antonio Express-News, by Zeke MacCormack, ~ September 22, 2007
   JOHNSON CITY (TX) – James B. Wright Jr. and prosecutors alternate from allies to adversaries when it comes to the Christ of the Hills Monastery, depending on the case at hand.
   Wright's claims of being molested there a decade ago led to indictments being issued in January against the monastery's founder, Samuel A. Greene Jr., and two other monks.
   Greene died this week in an apparent suicide, leading to the dismissal Friday of criminal charges against him.
   Wright's testimony will be critical at the upcoming trials of the others charged in the case, Walter Christley and William Hughes, who have pleaded not guilty.

• False assault charges unlikely, expert says

   Bakersfield Californian, BY LOUIS MEDINA, e-mail: lmedina@bakersfield.com | Friday, Sep 21 2007
   BAKERSFIELD (CA) -- The 54-year-old Fresno man who says he was sexually abused as a child in Bakersfield by Orange County Bishop Tod Brown has stated he once thought he had imagined the alleged abuse.
   In a July 1997 letter addressed simply to "Bishop, Diocese of Fresno," some 32 years after the alleged abuse, Scott C. Hicks, stated that "I have been in psychological counseling for several years related to childhood sexual abuse issues and have only recently come to the realization that the abuse perpetrated on me by Father Brown was not a fantasy, but a detailed memory."
   Brown, in statements made recently in a deposition in Orange County concerning a separate allegation of child sex abuse that does not involve him, acknowledged that he knew of Hicks' accusations and that he taught catechism at Bakersfield's Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, where Hicks said the abuse took place in the 1960s. But Brown has denied Hicks' claims.
   Deanna Cloud, who oversees a sexual abuse treatment program for juveniles within the Kern County Mental Health Department and previously was a supervisor of the department's forensics division which treats adults who have committed sexual offenses, said people do not tend to make sexual abuse allegations lightly.

• Protecting our children and young people

- RCC.

   Catholic Sentinel, By Archbishop John Vlazny, ~ September 22, 2007
   PORTLAND (OR) -- Soon it will be autumn. Here in the Archdiocese of Portland we shall observe our fall Ember Day on Wednesday, September 26. This special day of prayer and fasting once again will focus on the need for healing and reconciliation in the lives of those who have been most aggrieved as a result of the sexual abuse of children by some of our clergy, religious and other church workers. This particular Ember Day happens to fall on the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, two physicians and martyrs from the third century. They are regarded as the patrons of physicians and surgeons and are sometimes represented with medical emblems. As we pray for healing, their intercession seems most appropriate.
   The real work of healing and reconciliation, however, will never be truly successful until we are confident that we as a people have done everything we can to protect our children and youth from such crimes again in the future. Is it possible for us to eradicate these crimes completely? Probably not, given the pervasive and persistent nature of sinful behavior. But this is no excuse for not trying.
   Here in the Archdiocese of Portland, as in many other dioceses across the United States, we have made progress in dealing with clerical sexual abuse of minors. But this work must continue because healing takes a long time. It is important for our parishes and pastoral ministers to continue to reach out to victims, to seek their forgiveness and to collaborate in our efforts to make our children as safe as possible from such harm again. It is that some of the victims do want to deal with this issue on their own. Others, on the other hand, cannot and should not.

• Disgraced priest sentenced in abuse

[2004 Mieliwocki] - RCC.
  The Star-Ledger BY MARGARET McHUGH Saturday, September 22, 2007
   NEW JERSEY -- A Catholic priest who became a social worker after the church removed him from duty was sentenced yesterday to 300 hours of community service and five years probation for his guilty pleas to child abuse.
   The Rev. Richard Mieliwocki, 60, of Madison, last month admitted committing misdeeds in 2004 with two teenage boys at Daytop New Jersey, a drug treatment center in Mendham.
   Mieliwocki had been charged with more serious offenses against four Daytop clients, but the prosecution's case disintegrated after one of the boys died of a drug overdose and the other partially recanted.
   "The case literally fell apart," Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said she hated to think that it appeared Mieliwocki was only getting a slap on the wrist.

• Finding forgiveness instead of vengeance

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- It should have been a deliciously satisfying moment for Lori Haigh, a form of vindication a quarter-century in the making. It's not a stretch to say she had hoped for years for something just like it -- when an official of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange would break emotionally and show at least a flicker of the same kind of suffering she'd felt so many times after being molested by a priest when she was a teenager.
   Then, it seemingly happened. While giving a deposition in July in an unrelated sexual abuse case involving a former Mater Dei High School coach, Msgr. John Urell teared up and became distraught enough that the plaintiff's attorney asked if he needed a break.
   Urell took advantage of the offer and, clearly upset, was excused from further testimony that day. He has not resumed his testimony and, earlier this month, was sent to a Canadian medical treatment center for clergymen.
   Urell was no bit player in Haigh's life. He was one of two priests she sought out in 1982, she says, to reveal that another parish priest had molested her during her high school years. Expecting compassion from Urell, she says, he rebuked her and told her never to return to his church.

• OPP study abuse allegations

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, September 22, 2007
   CANADA -- The inquiry into Grenville Christian College has entered a new phase with the Ontario Provincial Police confirming they are studying allegations from former students who claim they were abused and assaulted at the now-closed private school.
   Officers from the Grenville County crime unit are examining what has been posted on websites and published and broadcast in the news media, as well as talking to people with knowledge of what went on in the school, located outside Brockville.
   OPP spokeswoman Sergeant Kristine Rae said there is no formal criminal investigation because to date, she said, the OPP have not received complaints.

• Court: If exam OK, ex-priest can join Iowa bar

   Des Moines Register, By ABBY SIMONS, September 22, 2007
   IOWA -- The Iowa Supreme Court will allow an Alaska priest laicized for allegations of sexual abuse to join the Iowa Bar Association if it is revealed that he passed the bar exam.
   Michael Patrick Nash, 57, a graduate of Creighton University's law school in Omaha, was denied admission to the Iowa Bar Association in 2006 because of questionable moral character based on the purported sexual abuse.
   Nash took the Iowa bar examination in July 2006, but because of the dispute by the Iowa Board of Law Examiners, the result was not published pending the court's determination of whether he could join the Iowa bar. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 22, 2007 8:41 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 22, 2007
• Parents demand Sofia's Law to expose pedophiles. [Arthurs] - No religion link reported. Schoolgirl molested, murdered.

Parents demand Sofia’s Law to expose pedophiles

   The Sunday Times (Perth, W. Australia), www.news.com. au/perthnow/ story/0,21598, 22463728- 2761,00.html , By Braden Quartermaine, 05:00pm, September 22, 2007 (printed version page 4, September 23, 2007)
   PERTH: THE parents of murdered eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu are calling for tough legislation – dubbed Sofia's law – to police pedophiles.
   Sofia's parents, Gabriel and Josephine, say they want to lend their daughter's name to a controversial law that would allow the names and locations of convicted pedophiles to be made public.
  [Picture] SOFIA'S LAW: The grieving parents of murdered schoolgirl Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia-Shu want new laws to protect childen. Picture: Ian Munro
   In an impassioned plea to the state's Parliament, the devastated parents said the pendulum had swung too far in favour of pedophiles.
   They said it was time to reclaim the rights of all WA children.
   "Laws protecting children do not appear to fulfil that for which they were created," they said in a statement.
   "A public register might inform people of potential dangers in their neighbourhood and enable parents more effectively to take control of their natural role of protecting their children.
   "The focus should move from the rights of convicted pedophiles to our children's natural rights and security."
   Sofia was strangled when she went to the toilet at the Livingston Markets Shopping Centre last year.
   This week, Dante Wyndham Arthurs, 22, pleaded guilty to her murder. He was originally charged with the more serious crime of wilful murder, but prosecutors amended it to murder.
   They also dropped two counts of sexual penetration.
   It was also revealed that an earlier indecent assault charge against Arthurs involving another eight-year-old girl three years earlier was dropped.
   Convicted child sex offenders are placed on the Australian National Child Offenders Register and their movements tracked by police.
   But the information is not made public.
   Action group Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse have demanded a public register for a year.
   The Opposition pledged to introduce Sofia's law if it won power. Similar laws exist in Britain and the US.
   "We will implement a public register of pedophiles where mums and dads can check online whether they have a known pedophile living next to them." Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said.
   But the Government and police oppose the law saying it would drive pedophiles underground and increase vigilante attacks. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#parents_demand [Sep 22/23, 2007]
• Registered pedophiles, sex offenders taking overseas trips [Internet headline]

Perverts flout sex register

[Headline in printed newspaper]    The Sunday Times (Perth, W. Australia), www.news.com. au/perthnow/ story/0,21 598,2246 3447-2761, 00.html , EXCLUSIVE, By Braden Quartermaine, 05:00pm, September 22, 2007 (printed version page 4, September 23, 2007)
   PERTH: WA pedophiles and child killers named on the national child offenders register are going on overseas sex trips and moving into new neighbourhoods in Perth without notifying police.
   Thirty-two West Australians on the register have been busted this year for breaching reporting requirements, up from 26 last year and seven in 2005.
   And The Sunday Times can reveal that just one of the 1300 West Australians on the register has been placed on it for life, with others on it for 15, eight or four years.
   The national register opened in 2005. There were 436 West Australians on it on June 30, 2005, and 726 on June 30 last year.
   Australian National Child Offenders Register state co-ordinator Martyn Clancy-Lowe said a dedicated operational group of detectives had been formed in WA to target pedophiles who tried to dissolve into the community and evade their reporting requirements.
   Police warned those who had forgotten or had made honest mistakes.
   "(Those charged) are what we'd class as serious ones," Mr Clancy-Lowe said. "From our perspective, they're deliberate breaches. They're flaunting their requirements.
   "Some think well they've done their time (in jail), now they come out and start again. They just don't update their personal details."
   Police and Mr Clancy-Lowe said they would like the power to stop some pedophiles from living near schools, parks and playgrounds.
   "In certain circumstances, say for people who are higher risk or where their offending was of that type where they targeted schools or playgrounds, we should have the power to review where they live before they live there," Mr Clancy-Lowe said.
   "You don't really want to place someone next to a park or an access way to a park. And I think that's what the public would like."
   He said some West Australians on the register travelled alone to South-East Asian countries which are renowned for sex tourism. He suspected some "get up to no good" with children.
   Anyone convicted of sexual or other serious offences against children must give police their address, employment details, car registration and details of places they frequent.
   Pedophiles must also hand over information about clubs they belong to and details of their travel plans.
   The information is collated and placed on the Federal Government's CrimTrac database, which can be accessed by special police units around the country.
   Notorious offender Otto Seamus Darcy-Searle is one of the pedophiles free in WA.
   After serving an 11-year jail term for 104 sex offences against boys, he is subject to a 12-month supervision order and has been put on the register. He must notify police of his address, employment, leisure activities, travel plans and social contacts. #
   ■ Editorial: Page 87

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#registered_pedophiles [Sep 22/23, 2007]
• Make sure Sofia did not die in vain. [No religion link reported]

Make sure Sofia did not die in vain.

   The Sunday Times (Perth, W. Australia), Editorial, p 87, September 23, 2007
THERE has been understandable anger this week over suggestions that if Dante Wyndham Arthurs had been jailed for an earlier alleged sex assault then the death of Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu might have been preventable.
   Some people have expressed the belief that if the prosecution had proceeded and he had been jailed or even placed under greater scrutiny, then Sofia would be alive today. Sadly, at best this can be regarded only as supposition.
   Nothing can bring Sofia back. But we can – and must – learn from the mistakes of the past.
   Today, The Sunday Times reveals that 32 West Australians on the national child offenders register have breached some of their reporting requirements.
   As our report says, some WA pedophiles named on the register are going on overseas sex trips and moving into new neighbourhoods in Perth without notifying police. All these details are clearly disturbing.
   The community has an expectation that children should be protected from convicted pedophiles or from those who have the propensity to commit such heinous crimes against them.
   What these statistics show is that this might not entirely be the case. The parents of Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu have called on the State Government to introduce Sofia's Law, aimed at strengthening laws to police convicted pedophiles. Sofia's parents, Gabriel and Josephine, say they want to lend their daughter's name to a controversial new law, which would see the identities and locations of convicted pedophiles made public. It was time to reclaim the rights of all West Australian children, they said.
   Having lost a daughter in such horrible circumstances, the parents' view is understandable. Certainly, those convicted of pedophilia or of murdering children or seriously injuring them have, in the view of many people, surrendered their rights to unfettered freedom. The community has no sympathy for such offenders.
   But whether the register should be made public so that the public can find out the addresses of pedophiles is a difficult question. Such a move is not supported by police, who believe that if the register were made public, pedophiles would be driven underground. As it is at present, police can monitor them to some degree.
   If their addresses were publicised there is always the danger of mistaken identity and wrongly suspected pedophiles being attacked by vigilante groups, as has occurred overseas.
   Police and the Carpenter Government say they do not support the public knowing where child sex offenders live.
   The most important thing is that Sofia's death cannot be for nothing. Sofia's Law should be investigated thoroughly. It may be the case it is not practical.
   But, as a first step, we must ensure that breaches of the law as it stands now, such as the 32 that have occurred in WA, are not tolerated and are dealt with strongly. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#make_sure [COMMENT: Yes, vigilante groups are the danger. COMMENT ENDS.] [Sep 23, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun September 23, 2007 edition:

• Sexual abuse: Pastor arrested

[2006-07 Sebastian -NEW*] - Christian. Widow.

   Newindpress, www.newind press.com/ NewsItems. asp?ID=IER 2007092223 3636&Page= R&Headline= Sexual+abuse% 3A+Pastor+ arrested&Title= Kerala&Topic=0 ; ENS, 09:58 IST, Sunday, September 23, 2007
   THRISSUR, India: Peechi police on Saturday arrested pastor K J Sebastian, 45, following a complaint by a 40- year-old widow hailing from Nadathara, alleging sexual harassment.
   Police said that the pastor had enticed the women by offering his help to secure a loan from a bank at Alathur in Palakkad district.
   When the woman met the pastor at Alathur on December 23, 2006, he took her in his car to a lodge and subjected her to sexual harassment. The woman in her complaint stated that she was subjected to sexual harassment on many occasions later.

• Pa. plaintiff wants stories of abuse told

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.

   Science Daily, Sept. 23, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA), (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania man has rejected a settlement offer from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in the hopes that tales of abuse by priests can be made public.
   Dennis McKeown, who was suing the diocese for abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of a priest, wants the current state statute of limitations for such crimes increased to allow other victims a chance to come forward, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said Sunday.
   "It's not about the money," he said about his decision to reject a proposed $1.25 million settlement. "It's the only way society will have an opportunity to find out who these men are and where they are. It's ultimately going to make one of the largest entities in the world stop this vicious cycle."
   The settlement was offered by the diocese as a way to end 32 lawsuits filed against it and to date three plaintiffs, including McKeown, have rejected the deal. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:25 PM]

• INTERVIEW: Tony DeMarco talks about upcoming jury trial and fighting Goliath for discovery of sex crimes in the LA Catholic Church.

[Decades - Salesians] - RCC. Many boys.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 23, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- "They were going to try every trick in the book and create new books for new tricks. Their strategy was to prevent the sordid history from coming out." -- DeMarco
   (The plaintiff liaison attorney in the LA Clergy Cases had a few minutes to talk last Friday about upcoming jury trials with the Salesians and some reflections on fighting Goliath to bring out sex crimes in the Catholic Church. Here's the interview:)
   IS THERE SOME KIND OF GOLDEN PARAGRAPH THAT DESCRIBES THE ENTIRE SETTLEMENT?
   DEMARCO: Not yet. It's close. The documentation is very, very close.
   IS THERE A STATEMENT IN THE SETTLEMENT THAT STATES RELEASE OF PERSONNEL FILES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT --
   DEMARCO: It will be in the settlement agreement, yes. It's being drafted.

• Naugatuck priest arrested again

[2006 Robert Grant*] - RCC. Boy.
   Waterbury Republican-American, September 22, 2007
   NAUGATUCK (CT) – A borough priest accused last month of sexually assaulting a teenage boy was arrested at St. Mary's Church on Saturday after he attempted to have contact with his alleged victim.
   The Rev. Robert J. Grant, was outside of his car near the North Main Street church when he tried to call the boy, who was also near the church, over to where he was standing, said Lt. Robert Harrison, Naugatuck Police spokesman.
   Grant, a Roman Catholic priest who formerly served St. Mary's and St. Hedwig's churches, was charged with breach of peace and was released on $200,000 bond Saturday night. He is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Oct. 3.
   Harrison said the teen Grant attempted to approach Saturday was the 16-year-old boy who has accused Grant of giving him wine and money in 2006 in exchange for oral sex and back massages.

• In the Matter of Michael Patrick Nash

Iowa Judicial Branch, September 21, 2007
IOWA -- This links to the Iowa Supreme Court decision that determined former Priest Michael Nash could take the bar exam.

• Shining the light on church misbehavior

- RCC. [1995-96 Mr Andrade] - Girl. [Bp Brown] - 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight. [Mons Urell*] - Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crossed to Canada. [Mr Avila*] - Didn't know, now he knows.

   The Orange County Register, STEVEN GREENHUT, Sr. editorial writer and columnist, sgreenhut@ocregister.com , ~ September 23, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- If you can't understand why journalists are so cynical, consider how I've spent some of the past week: reading transcripts and viewing videotapes of testimony by Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange officials explaining why they did so little to protect kids who were sexually abused by church leaders. If that won't make you at least skeptical about people in authority and human nature in general, nothing will.
   On the bright side, that exercise reminded me of one thing about which I am not cynical, something that does more than most other reforms to keep in check humanity's basest instincts: sunshine. I refer to the sunshine of open records and open court proceedings. I've been heartened to see the way public information about the church-abuse scandal has blown away years of secrecy and covering up.
   Over the past week, diocese officials have been reamed by critical news accounts. The impetus was a lawsuit by a woman who was sexually molested over a two-year period, beginning when she was a 15-year-old student, by an assistant coach at Mater Dei High School. The diocese tried to keep the depositions, including one by Bishop Tod Brown, secret. Had it succeeded, the media firestorm would not have ensued, and disturbing truths would not have been revealed. Fortunately, a Superior Court judge rebuked the diocese and allowed the testimony to be unveiled.

• Case of Achi Ben Shalom

- Judaist.
The Awareness Center ~ September 23, 2007
EL CERRITO (CA) -- Arrested for alleged "lewd and lascivious acts" with a female student. Achi Ben Shalom taught Hebrew, T'Filah and Kabalat Shabbat at Tehiyah Day School. Achi Ben Shalom was acquitted Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a girl younger than 14. However, the Israeli-born musician was found guilty of a count each of battery and assault.

• Former El Cerrito teacher sentenced in incident with student

- Judaist.
   San Jose Mercury News By Bruce Gerstman STAFF WRITER Article Launched 05:45:09 PM PDT Sep/21/2007
   EL CERRITO (CA) -- A former El Cerrito private school teacher was sentenced today to 90 days in County Jail for misdemeanor assault and battery against a former student.
   Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Leslie Landau sentenced Achi Ben Shalom, 53, to serve his jail sentence without the possibility of home detention.
   A jury last month acquitted Ben Shalom of a felony charge of child molestation of a female student, but found him guilty of misdemeanor counts of assault and battery when he touched her.

• El Cerrito music teacher gets 90 days for assaulting student

- Judaist.
   San Francisco Chronicle by Henry K. Lee, Saturday, September 22, 2007
   EL CERRITO (CA) -- A former music teacher at a small Jewish school in El Cerrito was sentenced to 90 days in Contra Costa County Jail today for assaulting a female student who had accused him of sexual molestation.
   Achi Ben Shalom, 53, of El Cerrito was also placed on three years' probation by Superior Court Judge Leslie Landau in Martinez. Ben Shalom was acquitted by a jury last month of lewd and lascivious conduct with a girl but convicted of the lesser charges of assault and battery.
   The girl testified that she had been molested last fall when she was 10 and turned 11. The Israeli-born musician testified that he had only massaged her stomach with a technique that he used on his children to ease aches, defense attorney Harold Rosenthal has said.

• KUDOS TO CLOHESSY

   St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ~ September 23, 2007
   ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Our town's David Clohessy, national director of SNAP – Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests – has received the Lifetime Achievement in Advocacy Award from the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma.
   Clohessy, 50, got the award at the organization's 12th international conference in San Diego.
   Married and the father of two sons, Clohessy lives in St. Louis. He grew up in Moberly, Mo., where he and some of his brothers were abused by a priest. He has been working with abuse survivors since the 1980s.

• Zimbabwe bishop 'victim of state'

   BBC News, ~ September 23, 2007
   ZIMBABWE -- The Zimbabwean archbishop who resigned after allegations that he committed adultery has told the BBC that the charges were state orchestrated.
   Pius Ncube says images allegedly showing him in bed with his married female secretary were being used to stop him speaking out on human rights.
   But he did not deny the claims, saying he could not discuss the case as yet.

• SoCal church volunteer faces 141 years to life for child molest

[2005 Wright] - Church of the Nazarene. 114yrs prison. 3 boys.

   San Jose Mercury News The Associated Press Article Launched 10:14:19 AM PDT Sep/22/2007
   RIVERSIDE, Calif.–A former Riverside County church volunteer who molested three boys was sentenced to 141 years to life in prison.
   Jeffrey Randolph Wright, 47, of Hemet, was sentenced Friday in a French Valley courtroom.
   "This is an individual who took advantage of being in a position of trust," Judge Judith Clark said.
   Prosecutors said Wright was working with a youth group at Shepherd's House Church of the Nazarene in San Jacinto in 2005 when he abused the boys, who were 12 and 13 years old.

• Residential settlements begin

   The News By Phil Melnychuk Sep 22 2007
   CANADA -- For the first year of their childhood spent in an institution, away from parents and family, they'll get $10,000. For every year after that, $3,000.
   Katzie band members who were sent to residential schools can now apply for that as part of the recently announced residential schools settlement.
   Band administrator Coleen Pierre-Sam expects between 15 to 20 will qualify.
   "I pretty well have all my elders covered here," she said of the Pitt Meadows reserve.

• Former counselor says he only comforted boys

   The Advocate, By KATHY THOMPSON, September 23, 2007
   NELSONVILLE (OH) -- A former camp counselor will take the stand in his own defense Monday to say he is innocent of two counts of gross sexual imposition.
   Timmy Keil, 43, of Lancaster, was indicted on the charges in July after he was arrested by Perry County Sheriff's Office deputies when another camp counselor at the Scioto Youth Camp alerted law enforcement that Keil had been seen with a young boy in a cabin -- the boy lying on top of Keil while Keil stroked the boy's buttocks and back. If convicted, Keil faces as many as five years in prison on each count and a $10,000 fine for each count.
   Fairfield County Children's Services investigated one of the allegations July 10. The agency's report stated it found "no evidence present" of any abuse.

• Plaintiff: Diocese settlement won't stop 'vicious cycle'

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.

   Tribune-Review, By Craig Smith, Sunday, September 23, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- Dennis McKeown is hoping for a change in state law that would allow more people who claim to have been abused by priests to have their day in court.
   "Nothing can make our lives whole. It's ripped our lives apart," said McKeown, 44, who sued the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in March of 2004. He claimed to have been abused by John Hoehl, a priest who was removed from ministry in 1988 and permanently dismissed in 2004.
   McKeown and two other plaintiffs rejected a portion of a $1.25 million settlement of 32 lawsuits against the diocese to continue pursuing their cases. Instead of taking a cash award of about $40,000, he wants state lawmakers to create a window in the state's statute of limitations so their sexual abuse lawsuits can be heard.

• Change, challenges for Keeler

   Baltimore Sun By Liz F. Kay September 23, 2007
   BALTIMORE (MD) -- Cardinal William H. Keeler celebrates his last public Mass as archbishop of Baltimore today -- but no one should expect him to say goodbye for long.
   Stepping down after 18 years as head of the Baltimore area's more than 500,000 Catholics and 151 parishes, Keeler already foresees an ambitious schedule pursuing his passions and the religious agenda that has marked his career. …
   Tackling controversy head-on, he published the names of hundreds of priests who had been accused of sexual abuse during the clergy scandal in 2002, and he oversaw the closing of urban parishes and parochial schools amid declining church attendance and school enrollments.

• Suit charges sex abuse by priest

[2005 Bp/Mons Tejeda-Rosario] - RCC. Man.

   Herald-Tribune, By TODD RUGER, todd.ruger@heraldtribune.com , September 23, 2007
   SARASOTA COUNTY (FL) -- A 42-year-old Cuban man is accusing a priest who worked in the Diocese of Venice of sexually abusing him under threats to have him deported.
   The man, identified in court records only by the initials "J.G.," filed a lawsuit saying that Monsignor Priamo Tejeda-Rosario rescued him from religious persecution in Cuba, only to abuse him in the Dominican Republic and in Florida in 2005.
   Tejeda left his position as former bishop of Bani in the Dominican Republic and started working in the Venice diocese nine years ago.
   J.G. says Tejeda contacted him in Miami in 2005 and offered assistance in getting him a job with the Venice diocese. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:46 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun September 23, 2007
• Ex-principal of Wesley settles writ over his job. [2002 Dr Bednall] - Uniting Church. Internet.

Ex-principal of Wesley settles writ over his job

   The West Australian, www.thewest. com.au , by BETHANY HIATT, p 7, Monday, September 24, 2007
   PERTH: A former Wesley College principal who left in controversy after it was alleged that he accessed inappropriate websites at work has settled his Supreme Court writ against the school.
   Dr John Bednall stood down in August 2002 and a charge of possessing an offensive article was dropped in 2004. He has said he was monitoring websites to investigate serious internet-based disciplinary issues.
   He sued the private boys' school in the Supreme Court for damages for wrongful dismissal.
   In the writ, he accused the school of breaching an employment contract and its duty of care to him. He claimed physical, mental and economic harm after the school board gave false information on him to the media and parents.
   The writ stated that he was on sick leave when school council members pressured him to resign or face the sack. The school reported his activities to police without his knowledge.
   In a statement that both parties agreed to last month as part of the deed of settlement, the school said it recognised that Dr Bednall believed he was acting in the interests of students when he logged on to internet sites. Each party agreed to bear their own costs under the settlement terms.
   But The West Australian understands that supporters of Dr Bednall – former and current Wesley parents – will challenge the school council over the way it announced the writ settlement to teachers and parents.
   Instead of publishing the statement agreed to in mediation, school council chairman Peter Shack announced that the matter had been settled with no payment to Dr Bednall and "no adverse impact on the college's fee structure".
   The West Australian has learnt that Dr Bednall's supporters believed the school breached its agreement by publishing a different statement which implied that his action had the potential to adversely affect school fees. Mr Shack was contacted by The West Australian but refused to comment further.
   Dr Bednall said in a personal statement last week that he had agreed to settle because of health problems, the financial impact on his family and the fact that too many people were going to be hurt by the evidence he would have been obliged to present in court.
   He said he had been convinced that the welfare of members of the school community was under threat or about to be compromised.
   "The explanation I wished to place before Wesley would have been supported by a number of Australia's foremost internet experts and the senior legal counsel at a major university," he said.
   "It is now clear to me that the death of my daughter in 1997 and the encephalitis I suffered in 2000 affected my professional judgment far more than I had been prepared to accept."
   Dr Bednall has completed a PhD in educational leadership and is running a social and education research consultancy. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#ex_principal_of [COMMENT: For goodness' sake – he was looking at "inappropriate material" on a school computer, got caught, and then led on a merry dance the feckless police and school authorities, who had kept using the school computer for school work. "He claimed physical, mental and economic harm" to him. AND he has supporters! And they are still dissatisfied with the school people who tried to protect the students from corruption! His explanation "would have been supported by a number of Australia's foremost internet experts and the senior legal counsel at a major university." Now he's running a "social and education research consultancy." (Memo to self: Contact it at once for professional guidance.) :-) COMMENT ENDS.]
[LOOK BACK: [Wesley principal quits… ] "Headmaster quits after accusations of 'improper' Net use," http://www.multiline.com.au/johnm/ethics/ethicscontents5.htm#wesley_principal , August 9, 2002. ENDS.] [Sep 24, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 24, 2007 edition:

• Suit charges sex abuse by priest

[2005 Bp/Mons Tejeda-Rosario] - RCC. Man.

   Herald-Tribune, www.herald tribune.com/ article/20070923/ NEWS/709 230332 , By TODD RUGER, todd.ruger@heraldtribune.com , September 23, 2007
   SARASOTA COUNTY (FL) -- A 42-year-old Cuban man is accusing a priest who worked in the Diocese of Venice of sexually abusing him under threats to have him deported.
   The man, identified in court records only by the initials "J.G.," filed a lawsuit saying that Monsignor Priamo Tejeda-Rosario rescued him from religious persecution in Cuba, only to abuse him in the Dominican Republic and in Florida in 2005.
   Tejeda left his position as former bishop of Bani in the Dominican Republic and started working in the Venice diocese nine years ago. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 24, 2007 6:54 PM]

• Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Maine Priest And Bishop

- RCC.

   WCSH, Web Editor Chris Rose, ~ September 24, 2007
   AUGUSTA (ME), (NEWS CENTER) -- The Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of a man who claims he was abused by a priest.
   Steven Boyden claims the abuse happened in the early 1980's when he was a boy.
   The suit names Father Ronald Michaud and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland as defendants.
   It comes as no surprise that Michaud is being accused of sexual abuse. He is one of four priests accused of sexually abusing minors whose names were made public by Bishop Richard Malone earlier this year.

• Paedophile case roils German bishops

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Earthtimes, ~ September 24, 2007
   BERLIN, GERMANY -- German Catholic bishops gathered Monday for a meeting closed to the public where they were expected to discuss a paedophilia scandal in one diocese. A 39-year-old parish priest was arrested last month on child-sex charges in the parish of Riekofen. Critics say the priest should never have been assigned to parish duty after a paedophilia conviction in 2000.
   Germany's church has so far largely avoided the paedophilia scandals which forced the Catholic Church in the United States to pay millions of dollars in damages in the 1990s and disgraced Ireland's Catholic Church last year.
   But several bishops are worried that the crisis which will not go away in Regensburg diocese, one of the 27 divisions of the church in Germany, is developing into a public-relations disaster for the church nationally.

• Sex Abuse Suit Filed Against Bishop, Former Priest

[Michaud]

   WMTW, ~ September 24, 2007
   AUGUSTA, Maine -- A former altar boy from Windham who said he was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest in the mid-1980s has filed suit against the priest and Bishop Richard Malone.
   Steven Boyden, 37, who now lives in Georgia, filed the suit last week in Kennebec County Superior Court against Malone and Ronald Michaud, of Augusta.
   The suit alleged that Michaud -- one of four priests identified by the diocese as having been accused of sexually abusing minors -- molested Boyden while serving as the parish priest at St. Hyacinth's Church in Westbrook. The suit said the abuse began in early 1985, when Boyden was 16 years old.

• 'Broken Trust' offers new approach to sex-abuse scandal, focusing on healing after betrayal

- RCC. Book.
   Catholic Online, www.catholic. org/ae/books/ review.php? id=25455 , By Kaitlynn Riely, Catholic News Service ( www.catholic news.com ), Sep/24/2007
   UNITED STATES (CNS) -- When confronted with a news story about Catholic priests who sexually abused minors as well as adults, the mainstream media adopted a narrative that focused on the innocence of the victim and the betrayal of the priest. In every situation, there was the victim and the victimizer, the weak and the powerful.
   Since this story about Catholic clergy breaking their vows of celibacy - and in many cases breaking laws - first appeared in newspapers and on television, the public has heard many lewd tales about inappropriate encounters between priests and those who trusted them. The public has heard the victims' side, about how they felt betrayed, confused and how they have struggled to recover.
   Broken Trust tells us a few of these stories, including that of one of the authors, who was herself sexually abused by a priest. But Broken Trust reveals a side of the story that most probably have not heard, because it shows us the priest as victim turned victimizer. [… ]
   Riely is a student at the University of Notre Dame and a former CNS intern.
   Broken Trust: Stories of Pain, Hope and Healing from Clerical Abuse Survivors and Abusers, by Patrick Fleming, Sue Lauber-Fleming and Mark T. Matousek. Crossroad (New York, 2007). 228 pp., $19.96 # [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 24, 2007 8:06 AM]

• Southern Baptists Consider Denomination-Wide Response to Clergy Sex Abuse

- Baptists.
   Christian Post By Lillian Kwon 01:49 PM ET, Mon, Sep. 24 2007
   UNITED STATES -- Southern Baptists have begun developing a strategy and a denomination-wide response to clergy sex offenders.
   Amid rising concern over several sex abuse cases and demands by former clergy abuse victims that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) take action to prevent further abuse, the convention's Executive Committee met last week to study the feasibility of developing a database of ministers who have been credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse the denomination.
   It was the first meeting held since SBC messengers - representatives from churches around the country - unanimously passed a resolution during their annual session in June to protect children from sexual abuse in the church body. The matter of concern has been widely publicized by national media and left Southern Baptists in moral outrage and concern.

• Resolution announced in 32 abuse lawsuits

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.
   Pittsburgh Catholic, ~ September 24, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- A conciliatory resolution of 32 civil lawsuits involving claims of abuse or injury by priests has been jointly announced by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the plaintiffs' attorneys. The plaintiffs have withdrawn their lawsuits.
   In a series of decisions, courts in Pennsylvania have held that the statute of limitations prevents the bringing of suits in these cases because the alleged abuses happened long before the cases were filed.
   "The Pennsylvania courts' rulings preclude our clients from pursuing their claims," said Alan Perer, a senior partner at the law firm of SPK, who represents all of the plaintiffs, and the "gesture by the diocese is very much appreciated."

• Pedophilia's Double Standard

- Society in general.
   Council for Secular Humanism, www.secular humanism.org/ library/fi/hitch ens_22_3.html , by Christopher Hitchens, ~ September 24, 2007
   You often hear it said that religion, or religious belief, has the effect of making people behave better even if the metaphysical claims of faith are ill-founded or untrue. Bertrand Russell mounted a spirited attack on this opinion, on what were mainly empirical grounds, in his essay Why I Am Not a Christian. Actually, I rather like to see arguments in defense of faith mounted in a utilitarian manner in their turn, because this represents a huge if unadmitted concession to secular morality. However, the falsity or inconsistency even of such a weakened position needs to be exposed every now and again and–while Russell dealt chiefly with the past–there is no time like the present.
   During the notorious "Moors Murders" case in Britain in the late 1960s, when a series of children were tortured to death and then buried in a remote and hilly territory, the conservative novelist John Braine wrote a furious response to liberal relativism and its then-fashionable saying that in such cases "We are all guilty." He could not, he said, consent to any such proposition. Nor could he blame anything so amorphous as "society." Rather than do what the accused had done, he would prefer to have died.
   I dare say that any reader of this magazine would affirm the same, whether they were parents, grandparents, or not. The prohibition against cruelty or violence to infants is quite ancient and very common to all cultures, so that we remember the exceptions–Sparta, for example–very well. It's probably encoded in us in some way; it hardly needs the very memorable condemnation that it receives from Jesus of Nazareth, who is supposed to have said that, rather than perpetrate such a hideous offense, it would be better for the guilty to have a millstone put around their necks and to try and hide their shame in the depths of the sea.
   Given that, the existence of a vast pedophile ring in the United States in the twenty-first century is something more than an affront to "family values." And the fact that this ring is operated by named and senior churchmen, who continue to hold high office and to officiate at Sunday ceremonies, is something more than an outrage. Alleged "cultists" in Waco, Texas, who were only suspected of maltreating children inside their compound, were immolated by a bombardment of federal fire. The admitted and confessed enablers and protectors of rapists and child abusers are invited, at the most, only to resign their high offices. And even this suggestion is something that they feel strong enough to repudiate-and with indignation at that. [… Well worth reading all of it.]

• (F.G.) Chi si aspettava …

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website, might join Milingo's Church. Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 24, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti, the priest who has publicly confessed to loving a woman he wants to marry, celebrated Sunday Mass yesterday but did not address the controversy that developed with the Padua diocese over his public declaration or his appeal to the Vatican's Sacred Rota. He has been ordered by his bishop to leave the parish of San Bartolomeo in Monterosso.
   Archbishop Antonio Mattiazzo wrote a letter to Monterosso residents that said he was close to the people in this time of trial and shares their pain. He added he feels the weight and responsibility of his duty as bishop and he is respecting all rules set by the church's canon law.

• Naugatuck priest arrested again, accused of again approaching boy

[2006 Robert Grant*] - RCC. Boy.

   The Boston Globe, September 23, 2007
   NAUGATUCK, Conn. --A Naugatuck priest who was accused last month of sexually assaulting a teenage boy has been arrested after he allegedly sought contact with the youngster.
   The Rev. Robert J. Grant was outside his car near St. Mary's Church on Saturday when he tried to call the boy over to where he was standing, said Lt. Robert Harrison, a Naugatuck police spokesman.
   Grant, who formerly served St. Mary's and St. Hedwig's churches, was charged with breach of peace and released on $200,000 bond Saturday night. He is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Oct. 3.
   Grant tried to approach the 16-year-old boy who accused Grant of giving him wine and money in 2006 in exchange for sex, police said.

• The Mask of Reputation

[2007 August - Weeks III] - Christian. Assaulted wife.
   The Dallas Morning News, 07:49 AM CDT on Monday, September 24, 2007
   DALLAS (TX) -- She made her national reputation with "No More Sheets," a thunderous sermon in Dallas that called on women to reject promiscuity and embrace an ethic of self-respect and sexual restraint, just as she had done.
   Essence magazine later said that the celebrated jeremiad "spawned a revolution among black women." Her success made her one of the country's most prominent evangelists and led to a televised dream wedding in 2003 to a fellow preacher.
   And now, Juanita Bynum, the prophetess of love, female empowerment and traditional marriage, is also a battered wife.
   Her husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks III, stands charged with felony aggravated assault after an August altercation outside an Atlanta hotel. He blames the devil.

• Agudath Israel's Jewish Observer On Child Sexual Abuse and Molestation

- Judaists.
   Failed Messiah ~ September 24, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- The Jewish Observer, the PR organ of Agudath Israel of America, has a piece this month from David Mandel of Ohel on child molestation and sexual abuse in the haredi community. Emblematic of Mandel's approach to this is issue is his understanding of what should be done when a rabbi sexually abuses a child:
   In September 2003, Torah U' Mesorah, the National Council of Hebrew Day Schools, under the signature of leading Roshei Hayeshivas issued standards and guidelines on prevention and response to child molestation. On the issue of mesirah, reporting, it states "such action may include, under appropriate circumstances, reporting to the civil authorities when the principal determines that there is reason to believe that inappropriate activity has in fact occurred, insofar as halacha and secular law require such reporting". Professor Aaron Twerksi, Dean of Hofstra Law School, and OHEL were instrumental in working with the Roshei Hayeshivas of Torah U'Mesorah in preparing these guidelines.
   In other words:
   The principal, the rabbi in charge of the school determines if abuse allegations are credible, not police or other trained individuals.

• Abused men to meet

   The Windsor Star, by Chris Thompson, Monday, September 24, 2007
   CANADA --The organizer of the city's first information session for male victims of sexual abuse is hoping victims can shed their shame and attend the event.
   "I hope it brings out men and gives them the courage to step forward," said Daniel Cahill, 69, who has organized the event, which takes place Wednesday night at the main branch of the Windsor Public Library starting at 6:30 p.m.
   Cahill is preparing seating for 150 and believes that is a fraction of the number of male sexual abuse victims in the city.
   I know that there are hundreds and hundreds of men in the city who have been sexually abused by clergy and coaches, boy scout leaders, teachers, anyone in close contact with children," said Cahill, who says he was the victim of a priest in the 1950s.

• Acting bishop earns high marks

[1950s-1994 Pittsburgh Diocese] - RCC. Volunteered US$1.25m. 17 priests. 32 victims. 3 continue.

   Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh), By Ann Rodgers, Monday, September 24, 2007
   PITTSBURGH (PA) -- When he was elected to run the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh while it was between bishops, Auxiliary Bishop Paul Bradley didn't move into the suite that Archbishop Donald Wuerl had vacated.
   After 15 months of service, he is prepared to hand the reins to Bishop David Zubik, who is returning to his home diocese from Green Bay, Wis. Across from Bishop Bradley's office recently, diocesan officials and employees were stuffing thousands of envelopes with color-coded invitations to Bishop Zubik's installation Mass. …
   The diocese has had someone on staff to assist victims of clergy sexual abuse since 1993, but Bishop Bradley created a new Office for the Protection of Children and Young People to deal with broader issues. Most recently, although no court case compelled him to, he made a $1.25 million settlement with 32 people who had accused priests of molesting them.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon September 24, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue September 25, 2007 edition:

• Vicar ignored warnings his paedophile warden was abusing girls, court hears

[? 2005-06 Middleton -NEW*] - Church of England. Girls.

   Daily Mail, www.dailymail. co.uk/pages/ live/articles/ news/news. html?in_ article_id= 483950& in_page_ id=1770 , By CHRIS BROOKE, Last updated at 20:53pm on September 25, 2007
   ENGLAND -- A church warden carried on abusing girls after the vicar dismissed fears about his behaviour with the comment: "Yorkshire people are fairly tactile."
   Michael Matthews, an assistant priest, told the vicar that he had seen William Middleton being 'unnecessarily physical' with children.
   But the only action taken by the Rev Nicholas Clews was to tell Middleton not to be alone with youngsters, Leeds Crown Court heard.
   It was a warning the 64-year-old paedophile ignored and it was to be a year before he was caught when the mother of one of his victims went to the police. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 25, 2007 6:43 PM]

• Saying Howdy to John Urell in Canada

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   Orange County Weekly, http://blogs. ocweekly. com/ navelgazing , Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, 11:48 AM, September 25, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- As lawyers debate whether John Urell--the former point man for the Catholic Diocese of Orange in its sex-abuse fiasco--should return from Canada after failing to finish a deposition, a [an] intrepid Canadian reporter decided to drop in on the monsignor.
   [FULL STORY: http://toronto sun.com/ News/Toronto AndGTA/2007 /09/25/452 3949-sun.html . ENDS]

• Statutory Rapist Andrade And Pals Seek to Block Many Things

Orange County Weekly, Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, 2:03 PM, September 25, 2007
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- A slew of in limine motions filed this past week by former Mater Dei High School boys' basketball coach/admitted statutory rapist Jeff Andrade and his former employers, the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Andrade's lawyers moved that any potential jury not hear "in any manner, either directly or indirectly, any reference to documentation, witness testimony and/or opinions that refer to any allegation that [Andrade] was criminally prosecuted or not criminally prosecuted as a result of his sexual relationship with the [15-year-old] plaintiff."

• POLYGAMIST LEADER CONVICTED IN UTAH

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Guilty. Child brides.

   Houston Chronicle, By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer, ~ September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – The leader of a polygamous Mormon splinter group was convicted Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for performing a marriage between a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.
   Warren Jeffs, 51, could get life in prison after a trial that threw a spotlight on a renegade community along the Arizona-Utah line where as many as 10,000 of Jeffs' followers practice plural marriage and revere him as a mighty prophet.
   Prosecutors said Jeffs forced the girl into marriage and sex against her will.

• US sect leader convicted of rape

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Guilty. Child brides.
   BBC News, ~ September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- The leader of a US polygamist sect has been convicted of being an accomplice to rape for arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her older cousin.
   A court in Utah found Warren Jeffs, a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet, guilty of two counts of encouraging the young girl to have sex against her will.
   The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints faces a possible life prison sentence.

• US polygamist sect leader guilty of rape charges

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Guilty. Child brides.
   Raw Story, Tuesday September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- The leader of a polygamist sect in Utah was on Tuesday found guilty of rape charges stemming from the marriage of a 14-year-old girl against her will to a cousin.
   Warren Jeffs, 51, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which broke from the Mormon Church because of differences over polygamy, was convicted on two charges of acting as an accomplice to rape.
   Jeffs, a self-proclaimed prophet whose followers believe he is descended from Jesus Christ, was arrested in August last year outside of Las Vegas after being included on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list.

• Recapping the testimony

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Guilty. Child brides.
   The Salt Lake Tribune, By Brooke Adams, ~ September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- For more on the trial of Warren Jeffs, including newly filed court documents, photo galleries, multimedia presentations and past articles, visit http://www. sltrib.com/ polygamy
   In the opening days of the trial, Elissa Wall described the shock she felt upon learning from her stepfather, Fred Jessop, that she was to be married at age 14.
   Jessop was a bishop in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and second counselor to then-prophet Rulon T. Jeffs. One state witness said Jessop had "put the marriage together" and that Warren S. Jeffs was the "errand boy" who carried it out.
   The FLDS believe their arranged marriages are divinely inspired by God, speaking through the prophet.

• Now that he's convicted, what's next for Warren Jeffs?

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   The Salt Lake Tribune, By Brooke Adams, ~ September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- Next stop for polygamist leader Warren S. Jeffs: another courtroom.
   In Utah, he faces a federal count of flight to avoid prosecution. In Mohave County, Ariz., he is charged with eight counts related to two teen brides. One of the brides is Elissa Wall, the woman at the heart of his just-completed Utah trial.
   "No final decision has been made yet on where Mr. Jeffs will go next," Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith said Tuesday in a statement. "There is a strong possibility that he will be coming to Mohave County."

• Polygamist Sect Leader Warren Jeffs Convicted Of Rape As Accomplice For Role In Teen's Marriage

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   Court TV, By Emanuella Grinberg, September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – A jury in Utah found polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs guilty Tuesday of forcing a 14-year-old to marry and have sex with her 19-year-old cousin against her will.
   Jeffs, 51, was convicted of two counts of rape as an accomplice for his role in the arranged marriage of Elissa Wall and Allen Steed in 2001. He faces five years to life in prison on each count when he is sentenced at a separate hearing, which will be held within 45 days.
   Jeffs appeared calm and showed no reaction as the verdict was read.
   Jurors deliberated for just three hours before reaching a verdict after a panelist was dismissed and then replaced for undisclosed reasons. The original jury began deliberations Friday.

• Missbrauch: Die mühsame Aufarbeitung in Riekofen

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

Passauer Neue Presse, ~ September 25, 2007
GERMANY -- Görg Klotzek reports that the Regensburg diocese tried to conceal the past of the priest called Peter K. because the biographical information given at the time made no reference to him working in the town of Viechtach where he allegedly sexually abused two boys in 1999.

• Vorbestrafter Pfarrer erneut in U-Haft

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.
Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger, ~ September 25, 2007
GERMANY -- Residents of Riekoften are upset with the local bishop for reassigning a priest to a local parish after he had been convicted for abusing children. Sigrid Grabmeier of the movement called We Are Church accused the bishop of a cover-up.

• Bischof Müller - der Pontius Pilatus von Regensburg

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.
CareChild e.V., ~ September 25, 2007
GERMANY -- Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller of Regensburg allowed a priest work again with children although he was previously convicted of abusing children.

• Neuer Pfarrer, alte Schmerzen

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.
Spiegel, ~ September 25, 2007
GERMANY -- Residents of the Bavarian town of Riekofen have been shaken by revelations that a priest may have sexually abused boys in the town.

• Competency hearing slated for accused priest

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.

   Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), By Gary V. Murray, gmurray@telegram.com , September 25, 2007
   WORCESTER (MA) – A judge will be asked to decide whether a 76-year-old retired priest accused of sexually assaulting two altar boys more than 20 years ago is mentally competent to stand trial.
   A Nov. 19 competency hearing has been scheduled in Central District Court in the case of the Rev. John Szantyr of Waterbury, Conn., who is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.
   The sexual assaults on the two boys allegedly occurred in the 1980s, when Rev. Szantyr was assigned to Our Lady of Czestochowa parish on Ward Street. The charges were lodged against him in 2003.
   Judge Dennis J. Brennan, since retired, found Rev. Szantyr mentally incompetent to stand trial in September 2006.

• Priest accused of abuse to get 2nd competency hearing

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.
   WPRI, Associated Press, 2:34 PM ET, September 25, 2007
   WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- A judge will decide if a retired Catholic priest accused of molesting two altar boys is competent to stand trial.
   A hearing for the Reverend John Szantyr is scheduled for November 19th.
   The 76-year-old Szantyr of Waterbury, Connecticut is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
   The alleged sexual assaults occurred in the 1980s when Szantyr was assigned to Our Lady of Czestochowa parish in Worcester. Charges were brought in 2003.

• Polygamist sect leader's jury starts over

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.
   CNN, From Gary Tuchman, September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs started deliberating all over again Tuesday with a new panelist after signaling earlier that they were close to a verdict.
   Warren Jeffs is accused of two counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a FLDS child bride.
   One juror was removed for reasons that weren't explained. She was replaced by one of the alternates, also a woman, court officials said.
   Deliberations have been brief but tumultuous. On Monday, after just one full day of discussions, jurors told Judge James Shumate they were deadlocked. They returned to the jury room after a few words of encouragement.
   Before leaving for the evening, jurors told the judge they were close to a verdict but wanted to sleep on it. But before deliberations resumed Tuesday morning, court officials replaced the juror, saying only that there had been an "event."

• Juror removal delays Jeffs verdict

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.
   Houston Chronicle, By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer, ~ September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah – Deliberations began from scratch Tuesday in the trial of a polygamous sect leader accused of sex charges, after a juror was replaced on what had been expected to be a day of verdicts.
   Fifth District Judge James Shumate replaced a female juror with an alternate, also a woman, who had watched the trial.
   There was no immediate explanation for the move.

• Defense prepares to take stand in alleged kickback case in Cleveland diocese

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   Catholic Online, By Nancy Erikson, Catholic Universe Bulletin ( catholicuniversebulletin.org ), Sep/25/2007
   CLEVELAND, Ohio (Catholic Universe-Bulletin) - Jurors began hearing testimony from defense witnesses Sept. 20 in the trial of a former diocesan accountant accused of being part of a kickback scheme
   Anton Zgoznik, 40, of Kirtland Hills, has been on trial since Aug. 20 in federal district court for allegedly paying money to former diocesan chief financial officer Joseph Smith in return for business from the diocese. Zgoznik is charged with 15 felony counts including conspiracy, fraud and obstructing. Smith is expected be tried at a later date.
   Federal officials allege that Zgoznik's firms charged the Cleveland diocese more than $17.4 million for computer, accounting and financial work between 1997 and 2003 and then paid nearly $785,000 in kickbacks to businesses operated by Smith in return for continued business from diocesan entities.

• Accountant accused of fraud says he was following church orders

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   Ohio.com , Sep 25, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A former accountant for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese said he was following orders when he made $784,000 in secret payments to the top diocesan financial officer.
   The payments amounted to extra compensation approved by top church officials, according to the defense for Anton Zgoznik, who took the stand Monday at his fraud trial.
   The prosecution has portrayed the payments as unauthorized kickbacks Zgoznik made for accounting contract work awarded to his private business.
   "I'm on trial because the officials of the Diocese of Cleveland did not want to take responsibility for their actions," the 40-year-old Zgoznik testified in U.S. District Court. "I never would have participated if I knew I was committing a crime."

• German Bishop Criticizes Reassignment of Pedophilic Priest

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Deutche Welle, ~ September 25, 2007
   GERMANY -- The host of a bishops' conference in southern Germany has taken one of his peers to task for reassigning a priest with a history of sexual abuse to a new parish. He also called for more openness on this sensitive issue.
   The Bishop of Fulda, Heinz Josef Algermissen, said his colleague Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensburg made a mistake in offering a second chance to priest with a history of pedophilia.
   "If something has happened in the past with children, a new start should only be allowed at a distance from children," Algermissen told the Bayern2 radio station.
   The priest in question, identified only as Peter K., was found guilty in 2000 of making improper sexual advances toward a minor and received a 12-month suspended sentence. Müller reassigned the priest to the parish of Riekofen, a village near Regensburg, after that sentence expired.

• Church official abused girls for year after fears raised

[2000s Mr Middleton] - Christian. 4 girls.

   Yorkshire Post, By Rob Preece, ~ September 25, 2007
   ENGLAND, U.K. -- A CHURCH official from Yorkshire was allowed to continue molesting young girls for a year after a senior clergyman dismissed concerns about his behaviour.
   William Middleton, 64, a sacristan, or churchwarden, in the Diocese of Wakefield, was jailed for three years yesterday after he admitted sexually abusing four girls.
   Leeds Crown Court heard that an assistant priest had raised concerns about Middleton's behaviour a year before he was arrested, but the priest in charge allayed his fears, telling him: "Yorkshire people are fairly tactile".

• Former accountant for Diocese takes stand

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.

   The Plain Dealer, Posted by James F. McCarty, 15:52PM, September 24, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A former accountant for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland testified Monday in federal court that church officials knew about, and approved, the hundreds of thousands of dollars of secret payments he is now being accused of making as kickbacks to the former top lawyer and chief financial officer at the diocese.
   Anton Zgoznik, who is accused of paying $784,000 in kickbacks to Joseph Smith, said the diocese routinely used non-traditional forms of compensation for its employees. To keep the transactions confidential, the church often used a pass-through company, such as Zgoznik's Mentor accounting firm, he said.
   Zgoznik said the beneficiaries of these secret compensation deals included Bishop Anthony Pilla and the Rev. John Wright, Smith's predecessor as the Legal and Financial Secretary at the diocese.
   When a whistle blower exposed his deal with Smith in 2004, Zgoznik said he immediately contacted Wright, who Zgoznik said had set up the deal. Zgoznik said his fears were realized when Wright refused to back up his story.

• Zimbabwe: Pius Relinquishes Leadership

   AllAfrica The Herald (Harare) September 25, 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Disgraced former head of the Roman Catholic Church in Bulawayo, Bishop Pius Ncube, on Sunday handed over the leadership of the archdiocese to his successor, Father Martin Schupp, at a mass at St Patrick's Church in Makokoba.
   The former archbishop of Bulawayo was forced to resign two weeks ago following the unmasking in July of a two-year adulterous relationship with Mrs Rosemary Sibanda, a fellow parishioner. Addressing hundreds of Catholics during the mass held in an open-air yard of the church premises, Bishop Ncube said the mass was meant to "strengthen each other in our faith" and for him to publicly hand over the leadership of the archdiocese to Father Schupp.

• Former Island Pond church teacher gets time served in sex case

[Mr Thomas]
   The Boston Globe, By Dave Gram, Associated Press Writer | September 24, 2007
   GUILDHALL, Vt. --Molested as a child, a 23-year-old man wept in court Monday as he confronted the former church teacher who abused him when he was 11, telling him: "Don't you ever do it to anyone else."
   John W. Thomas, 37, of Savoy, Mass., pleaded guilty to molesting two boys in the stockroom and basement of the Simon the Tanner shoe and clothing shop maintained by the Twelve Tribes Community Church.
   He was given a 6-to-10-year sentence, all but 16 months suspended. But he has already served that time, and is expected to be released from prison soon and then to move to join family members in Wisconsin.
   "John Thomas was my teacher. He was one person I really trusted," the young man, M.W., told the court. The Associated Press does not identify sex crime victims.

• Jurors in Jeffs Case Close to Verdict

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Child brides.
   Washington Post, By JENNIFER DOBNER, The Associated Press, 8:12 AM, Tuesday, September 25, 2007
   ST. GEORGE, Utah -- At first, jurors said they had reached an impasse in the case of a polygamous sect leader charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.
   But after more deliberation, jurors in the trial of Warren Jeffs told Judge James Shumate they were making progress Monday and headed home after nearing a verdict. They are to return Tuesday.
   "They believe they are close to a verdict on both counts, but they want to sleep on it for the night," Shumate said.

• Molestation convict's child-porn case dropped

[Mr Speers]
   Arizona Daily Star By Stephanie Innes Sep.25.2007
   TUCSON (AZ) -- Child-pornography charges against former Catholic schoolteacher Phillip Gregory Speers have been dismissed, although the 35-year-old Tucson native will remain locked up for child molestation.
   Speers had been facing two charges of sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly having child pornography on his computer and had been set to go to trial on Oct. 9. Yuma prosecutors dropped the charges last week "in the interest of justice," according to a motion. Officials with the Yuma County Attorney's Office did not return phone calls Monday.
   Speers, known as Greg, was convicted in August on two counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 34 years in prison. Authorities with the Yuma County jail confirmed that he was transferred to state prison Monday morning.

• Priest named in sex lawsuit

   Kennebec Journal By ELBERT AULL Blethen Maine Newspapers ~ September 25, 2007
   MAINE -- A former Windham resident has filed a lawsuit against a former priest and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, saying he was sexually abused by a man church officials knew was a threat to children.
   Steven F. Boyden, 37, of Villa Rica, Ga., claims a former priest molested him during the mid-1980s, when Boyden was an altar boy at St. Hyacinth's Parish in Westbrook.
   Ronald N. Michaud, who is identified as a resident of Augusta, told the teenager the abuse was a " show of affection," according to a complaint filed last week at Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta.
   The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in damages for "disgrace, humiliation, anger" and other emotional distress. It is one of two formal accusations of misconduct against Michaud, who has an unrelated sex-abuse case pending with church courts in Rome.

• Judge dismisses priest abuse suit

   Daily Herald, By Christy Gutowski | 12:03 AM, Sep/25/2007
   ILLINOIS -- A DuPage County judge officially dismissed a lawsuit Monday in which a man sued the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, claiming a former priest abused him decades ago.
   In an earlier ruling, DuPage County Judge Stephen Culliton found a 2003 state law that extends the time limit for child sexual abuse suits cannot be applied retroactively to revive old allegations.
   The judge, though, gave the accuser's attorneys until Sept. 21 to dig up new information to keep the suit alive. The legal action was dismissed Monday after the deadline expired.
   In the suit, Phoenix resident Dan Shanahan accused Rev. James Burnett of molesting him from ages 8 to 12 until the mid-1980s at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mokena. Shanahan, 36, held a news conference last year announcing the allegations.

• He fled a child sex-abuse case involving the Catholic Church in California. Now he's holed-up in Aurora. What is Msgr. Urell hiding?

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   Toronto Sun, By MARK BONOKOSKI, September 25, 2007
   CANADA -- Sunday morning at the Southdown Institute, a treatment centre for embattled clergy situated on 40 hectares of rolling farmland in rural Aurora.
   Inside the lobby, close by the reception desk, the doors to the chapel are wide open. Morning Mass is almost over. A dozen or more men, mostly middle-aged, and many in clerical robes, are still in their pews, reciting the responses to closing prayers aloud.
   "Monsignor John Urell?" the receptionist is asked.
   "He is probably attending Mass," she says, nodding towards the chapel.
   Then she looks down at her registry book and scans the names.
   "Oh, he's new here," she says, abruptly. "You must see someone first before there is any possibility of you seeing him."
   I am led to a small but well-kitted nurse's office where I am informed that "Monsignor Urell is not taking any visitors."

• Lawsuit targets priest previously accused of sexual misconduct

[1980s Michaud] - RCC. Altar boy.

   The Boston Globe, September 25, 2007
   AUGUSTA, Maine --A former altar boy who claims he was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest in Maine is suing in Kennebec County Superior Court.
   Steven Boyden, who now lives in Georgia, targeted the former priest, Ronald Michaud, who's believed to live in Kennebec County, as well as Bishop Richard Malone.
   Boyden, who's 37, contends the abuse happened in the mid-1980s when he was 16 and living in Windham. Michaud is accused of molesting the teen while serving at St. Hyacinth's Church in Westbrook and again after being transferred to Aroostook County.

• Protesters confront Fresno Diocese officials

[Bp Brown*] - RCC. 1965 boy. Years - Keeping seductions secret. 2007 allows flight to Canada.
   Fresno Bee By Vanessa Colón / 04:09:18, Sep/25/07
   FRESNO (CA) -- Three protesters who demanded full disclosure of a sexual abuse complaint from the Diocese of Fresno were confronted Monday by diocese school officials who accused them of trespassing.
   The exchange occurred as two San Diego men and a Newport Beach woman campaigned on a public sidewalk outside the diocese offices to raise awareness about sexually abused Catholics. The three, who represent the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, were themselves abused by clergy or parochial schoolteachers.
   The three said Bishop John Steinbock failed to appropriately address a complaint of sexual abuse made against Bishop Tod Brown. Brown, who once worked for the Fresno Diocese in Bakersfield, was accused in 1997 of molesting a boy in the 1960s. He is now the bishop of the Diocese of Orange. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 25, 2007 8:12 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue September 25, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed September 26, 2007 edition:

• Scandalo Chiesa, arrestato prete 44enne a Pavia

[Gelmini*, Mosa -NEW*, and Salesians:- Vaudagnotto -NEW*, Alliosio -NEW*, and another -NEW*] - RCC. Woman, children.

   Pupia, ~ September 26, 2007
   ITALY -- Police in Certosa, Pavia, have arrested the Rev. Michele Mosa for attempted assault of a woman. According to first investigation by the carabinieri, the 44-year-old priest was found on the first floor of the woman's home. He fled when the woman started shouting. Rev. Mosa will have to respond to a charge of sexual violence.
   This is not the first case to shake the balance of the Catholic Church. After a story about the Rev. Pierino Gelmini, who is accused of sexual abuse by two former members of the priest's drug rehabilitation community, three Salesian priests were targeted last month by magistrates. They are Mario Vaudagnotto, a 70-year-old parish priest at the elegant 16th-century church of San Lorenzo of Turin, the Rev. Luciano Alliosio, administrator of Valsalice College, a prestigious religious school in Turin, and a third priest of the same diocese.
   The investigation into the three priests started after Salvatore Tosca, 24, of Turin said he had been sexually abused since he was 15.
   The writer continued that after numerous denouncements for sexual violence, the church could be seen by many people as having lost that integrity and spirituality that had been its mark in the past.

• Organ player accused in theft

[Mr Lenser -NEW*] - RCC. US$12,000.

   Times Herald-Record, By Raja Abdulrahim, September 26, 2007
   GOSHEN (NY) – A Catholic church's senior organist was arrested Monday and charged with stealing more than $12,000 in church donations.
   Jimrae K. Lenser, an employee at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for about seven years, is accused of stealing a combination of cash and checks since May, police said. Church staff first reported missing collection money on Sept. 5 and police have recovered cash and numerous checks that were stolen from the church.
   Lenser, of Campbell Hall, is an organist at other local churches and police are investigating the possibility of similar thefts there. Lenser was the main organist at St. John's and responsible for the music during the weekend Masses, said the Rev. Thomas Dicks, the church's pastor.

• Nel mirino dei laici del centrosinistra l'ex procuratore di Terni

[Gelmini*, Mr Martellino -NEW*] - RCC. 50 complainants now.

   Il Tempo, ~ September 26, 2007
   ITALY -- Cesare Martellino, former Terni prosecutor who in 2002 concluded there were no grounds to prosecute the Rev. Pierino Gelmini for sexual abuse of two guests at his Incontro community in Amelia, is being investigated by the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura, a self-governing agency that decides, among other things, unethical behavior of magistrates.
   The magistrates have formally requested to decide what disciplinary measures must be taken against Martellino and what will be taken to criminal court regarding allegations made against him.
   Gelmini allegedly telephoned Martellino in The Hague, where Martellino was Italian representative to "Eurojust," a group that debates legal issues. He is said to have told Gelmini they had to meet to plan a strategy. Martellino said this allegation is groundless and he never said such words to Gelmini.

• Barbara Kay: Forgetting the male victims of child abuse

[1960s Unnamed offender -NEW*] - Book. Boy

   National Post, September 26, 2007
   CANADA -- At the age of 26, 10 years before earning his first million dollars as cofounder of the Second Cup coffee empire, Frank O'Dea was a homeless alcoholic panhandler. Almost 40 years on, the reason for his life of desperate squalor -- three rapes during his boyhood -- is revealed in O'Dea's new book, When All You Have is Hope. With no therapeutic outreach available to help him, he plunged into a ruinous downward spiral.
   In the 1980s, Canadians were shocked into awareness of the widespread evil of child sexual abuse. In Ontario alone, the names Cornwall, Prescott and London became synonymous with "respectable" pedophile rings -- lawyers, doctors, police officers and Catholic clergymen -- that for decades preyed on society's most vulnerable boys.
   The Cornwall Public Inquiry, launched in 2005 and presently in Phase Two -- "healing and reconciliation" -- is focusing on services and programs to prevent the victimization of, or help heal, future Frank O'Deas.

• Monsignor Betori illustrerà contenuti lavori consiglio dei vescovi. Il caso della curia di Firenze

[Bp Maniago*, Bp Buonristiani*, Mons. Acampa*, Fr Gelmini*] - RCC. Land, money, sex.

   Agenzia Radicale, ~ September 26, 2007
   ITALY -- Monsignor Giuseppe Betori on Sept. 25 gave details of the final document of the "Permanent Council of the Italian Bishops" which will end the following day. The session was held in the Guglielmo Marconi room on the Vatican Radio premises.
   The Agenzia Radicale writer said this news makes one reflect about issues which are of public interest right now. Recent accusations that Claudio Maniago, the Florence auxiliary bishop, was accused of "rose ballets." This allegation is denied by the Florence diocese, but Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, former Florence archbishop, seems not to believe in his innocence and it will be difficult for Maniago to be nominated as future Pisa archbishop.
   Accusations have also been made against Antonio Buoncristiani, Siena archbishop, who allegedly was involved in extortion while the administrator of that diocese, Monsignor Giuseppe Acampa, was charged with calumny and arson. He also mentions the charges of sexual misconduct being made against the Rev. Pierino Gelmini.
   Journalist Maurizio Di Giacoma concludes he hoped press representatives in the Marconi room would have courage to ask Monsignor Betori some questions regarding these scandals and avoid pretending that all is fine. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 26, 2007 8:33 PM]

• My Turn: A former priest responds to charges

- Nash (RCC) states he was cleared.

   Juneau Empire, By MICHAEL NASH, September 26, 2007
   ALASKA -- I'm writing to correct the false impression left by The Associated Press article, "Court rules former priest can take bar exam, despite allegations: Alaska man accused of abusing boy dismissed from priesthood in 2005," on Sept. 23.
   These allegations of abuse were made by Joel Post, a former parishioner, and were investigated thoroughly by the Lay Review Board convened by Bishop Michael Warfel. The Lay Board determined that I had provided evidence of unquestioned authenticity directly disputing Post's claims, and the board declined to forward Post's allegations for action.
   Despite this finding, church spokespersons continued to report the Post allegations, and in April 2004 the Juneau diocese reached a $175,000 settlement with Post.
   Because of this episode, and because of my treatment by the Diocese that stemmed from Post's allegations, in 2005 I reached a settlement with the Diocese in which I requested to be relieved of my priestly vows and obligations. It was this request that the Vatican accepted in November 2005, and which is characterized as my "dismissal" from the priesthood.

• Troppi scandali, Vaticano in crisi

[Bp Maniago*, Fr Cantini*, Fr Gelmini*] - RCC. Sex.

   Terrelibere, ~ September 26, 2007
   ITALY -- Mimmo De Cillis of the left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto remarked that Archbishop Bagnasco, who heads the Italian Bishops conference, is talking about Italy being prey to a moral crisis and having an education emergency. The writer said the church also is in such a condition. He then lists all recent church scandals in Italy, the last one about Auxiliary Bishop Claudio Maniago of Florence, who is being investigated regarding squalid stories of "red light parties," sexual abuse of minors and other episodes regarding Florentine clergy.
   DeCillis said this is an ugly story at a time when the church wants to affirm it intends to act as a guarantee of sound values, a common ethos, custody of youth and collective education. Maniago had been aquitted by the church and information became public and only after his former mentor, the Rev. Lelio Cantini, 82, was investigated by civil authorities.
   De Cillis also mentions the story of the Rev. Pierino Gelmini and how the administrator of Valsalice, a prestigous college in Turin that was founded by Don Bosco, has been accused of sexual violence by a young man.
   He concludes that by sheer facts that Cardinal Tarciso Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, cannot complain -- as he did at a recent meeting in Rimini -- that the church is being maliciously attacked by its enemies. Pope Benedict XVI, who when he was still a cardinal in 2001, promised zero tolerance toward sexual violence by clergy, but it seems whatever is decided sexual violence by clergy is increasing and this shows failure of the policy.

• Competency hearing slated for accused priest

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.

   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, September 25, 2007
   Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell)
   WORCESTER (MA) -- The brave victim of Fr. John Szantyr has suffered long enough. Thirty three times this predator and his shrewd lawyer have evaded justice. We hope that the November hearing will finally begin to bring some healing and closure for this wounded victim, and that Szantyr is soon behind bars where he belongs.
   Szantyr's lawyer should publicly disclose anything that backs up his alleged claim that this molester may be ill.
   But regardless, ailments neither cure predators nor stop them from raping again. Only the most naive would assume Szantyr is no longer dangerous.

• Let's Get Real About Priestly "Indiscretions"

- Orthodox Christianity.
   Orthodox Reform, Author: Fr. Aris Metrakos, Publication: OrthodoxyToday.org , Date Published: Sep/21/2007
   UNITED STATES -- Aren't we disgusted with the shocking number of high-profile cases of priests engaged in pedophilia, homosexual activity, and adultery? Some excuse this behavior with the platitudes "a sin is a sin" and "we are all sinners." Uh, excuse me?
   Persons who say "a sin is a sin" don't live in the real world. My wife is more than forgiving when I snap at her for no reason. I don't think that she would be that charitable if I were to come home smelling of another woman's perfume.
   I concede that we are all sinners, but clergy relinquish the right to even think of engaging in certain classes of sin. When a priest sins sexually he damages the Church the way that crooked judges, lawyers, and police officers damage the legal system. How can anyone not understand this?

• Church Pays $225K to Settle Kansas City Priest Abuse Case

[1971, 1974 McGlynn] - RCC. US$225,000. Altar boy. 2 girls still.
   My Fox, ~ September 26, 2007
   KANSAS CITY, MO. -- A man who claims he was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest has reached a $225,000 settlement with the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
   The suit was one of three pending against Francis McGlynn in Jackson County Circuit Court. All three plaintiffs allege they were abused at St. Mary's Church in Independence when they were minors.
   McGlynn was scheduled to go on trial Monday, but the settlement was reached late yesterday.
   Before retiring in 1992, McGlynn served parishes in Kansas City, St. Joseph, Independence and elsewhere for 38 years. He previously denied the charges through his attorney.

• Case against ex-priest set for trial on Monday

[1971, 1974 McGlynn] - RCC. Altar boy. 2 girls still.
   The Examiner, September 26, 2007
   JACKSON COUNTY (MO) -- Frank Scheuring's lawsuit claiming sexual abuse by a former priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Independence may proceed to trial next week, a Jackson County judge ruled Friday.
   Judge John O'Malley denied a motion for summary judgment filed by lawyers of Francis E. McGlynn, a retired priest who has been named in two other lawsuits claiming sexual abuse since Scheuring filed his lawsuit in October 2003.
   Scheuring, of Independence, claims that McGlynn sexually abused him in 1971 and 1974 while Scheuring was an altar boy at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
   McGlynn is scheduled to go on trial Monday in O'Malley's 16th Judicial Circuit Court, despite repeated mediation from lawyers from both sides to resolve the monetary damages sought by Scheuring.

• Learning from scandal

- RCC nation-wide seductions.
   San Diego Union-Tribune, By Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, September 23, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- "Pedophile priest."
   The alliteration is almost irresistible. But does it correspond to reality? Now that the dust is settling from the San Diego diocese sex-abuse settlement, it might be time to take an objective look at the question of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy in the United States. That is, if it is not already overdue.
   In response to the overwhelming media attention given to this issue in the spring of 2002, U.S. Catholic bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which, among other things, commissioned a study to be conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice on the nature and scope of the problem for all incidents alleged to have occurred between 1950 and 2002. The study's results were released in February 2004.
   It would be impossible to summarize the entire 120-page report here, but it is worthwhile to note some of the more salient points. First, the study revealed that the problem of sex abuse of children and young people by Catholic clergy was, indeed, widespread, in the sense that nearly all dioceses across the nation reported at least one incident during that time. Also, the patterns applied consistently throughout all dioceses, regardless of such factors as its size and the region in which it is located. The majority of the clergy accused had only one allegation against them; in fact, 3.5 percent of the priests accused account for 26 percent of all of the allegations. Most of the verified incidents, however, involved more serious types of abuse. It was in this context that the report referred to the results of the study as "very disturbing."
   [COMMENT: Please click the link above to see if this Bishop is trying to downplay the seriousness of those engaged and paid to help people go to Heaven, but who seduce them in ways leading to Hell. END.]

• Lessons learned

- RCC bishops obstructing justice.
   Catholic World News, ~ September 26, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- In an op-ed column for the San Diego Union Tribune, Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, an auxiliary of the San Diego diocese, offers some thoughts on what Catholics might have learned from the sex-abuse scandal.
   Could I add a few more items that seem to have escaped the bishop's attention?
   There are many American bishops still alive, and many still functioning as diocesan ordinaries even today, despite clear evidence that they obstructed justice and in many cases continue to do so. Governor Keating made this point when he resigned from the National Review Board. Cardinal Mahony has been making the point-- by example, I mean-- ever since.
   With the exception of Cardinal Law, no American bishops have been persuaded to step down because of their malfeasance in handling abusive priests. Bishop John McCormack, thoroughly implicated in the scandal that brought down Law, remains at the head of the Manchester, New Hampshire diocese.

• Mountain Home Priest Accused of Misconduct

[Covarrubias*] - RCC. Misconduct.
   Fox 12, ~ September 26, 2007
   BOISE (ID) -- The Catholic Diocese of Boise has received a serious complaint about a Mountain Home priest.
   Father Raul Covarrubias, who normally leads the Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church, is accused of misconduct.
   The diocese won't release more on the nature of the allegation, since their investigation is ongoing. But they do say police are notified in cases involving a minor and in this case, the authorities have not been notified. Covarrubias has been placed on leave.

• Settlement announced in child molestation case against Kansas City priest

[1972-73 McGlynn] - RCC. Altar boy + 2 girls.
   The Kansas City Star, ~ September 26, 2007
   MISSOURI -- An 11 a.m. news conference has been called to announce settlement of a child molestation case involving a Kansas City Catholic priest.
   A news release from the law firm of Randles, Mata & Brown says the victim will receive from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph $225,000 in damages and court costs as well as $2,000 from the Rev. Francis McGlynn.
   A civil lawsuit had alleged that McGlynn repeatedly molested an 11-year-old boy in 1972-73. The boy was a parishioner at St. Mary's in Independence.

• Diocese Settles Lawsuit In Local Abuse Case

[1971, 1974 McGlynn] - RCC. US$225,000. Altar boy; 2 girls still.
   KCTV, ~ September 26, 2007
   JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. -- A man who claims he was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest has reached a $225,000 settlement with the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
   The suit was one of three pending against Francis McGlynn in Jackson County Circuit Court. All three plaintiffs allege they were abused at St. Mary's Church in Independence when they were minors.
   McGlynn was scheduled to go on trial Monday, but the settlement was reached late Tuesday.
   Before retiring in 1992, McGlynn served parishes in Kansas City, St. Joseph, Independence and elsewhere for 38 years. He previously denied the charges through his attorney.

• Sex crimes can be funny, especially when it's the Salesians, as pedophile priests and their bosses continue to defend their behavior

[Whelan, Bro. Salmaloski (Salesians)] - RCC. Boy.
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 26, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- If I'm going to spend the next 50 years writing about sex crimes in the Catholic Church at least there'll be a lot of laughter in my life, as I have to admit, the more I research and learn about the schemes and lies of men in robes flitting around altars and rectories, the more I have outbursts of uncontrollable laughter. The Catholic priests in America provide so much fodder for off-color jokes that Comedy Central and Mad TV writers will never be without filler material.
   With a Salesian case headed for jury trial November 5, I called Joey Piscitelli to talk about his case against the Salesians that went to trial in July 2006 in Northern California. "What happened in my case," he said, "is you have to have notice that they knew or should have known. And how I had enough notice was the very first time Whelan masturbated in front of me Brother Salmaloski was watching."
   I burst out laughing and so did Joey. I mean they established prior notice by showing that another priest from the same order was taking part in the sex act as a voyeur? That's notice for ya. And with each laugh comes a flush of healing.

• Opferfamilien bedrängen Erzbischof

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Rheinische Post, ~ September 26, 2007
   GERMANY -- Families of children abused in Riekofen are upset with how the Regensburg diocese and its bishop handled the case of a priest who was assigned to work in their community after a prior conviction on charges of child sexual abuse. He now faces allegations that he abused boys in Riefkofen.
   The mother of one of the boys allegedly abused in Riekofen laid responsibilityon the diocese.

• Missbrauchsfall beschäftigt Deutsche Bischofskonferenz

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.
   Berliner Umchau, September 26, 2007
   GERMANY -- The German bishop are expected to take up the issue of child sexual abuse at its Fall conference.
   The issue has arisen nationally because of allegation of child sexual abuse by a priest in the Regensburg diocese. The priest had been on probation after being convicted of abuse in another town.
   Residents of the town of Riekofen are upset over the recent events and believe the bishop had a responsibility not to assign the priest to parish work.

• Police will charge 'victims' of false cases

   IOL, By Jeff Wicks, September 26, 2007
   SOUTH AFRICA -- Police have issued a stern warning to people laying false complaints, saying they will face criminal charges and civil claims should they be exposed.
   According to the police, five false cases were reported in Durban within a few days this month. The fraudulent complaints were uncovered by investigating officers soon after they were reported three weeks ago. …
   On September 13 a woman alleged she had been raped by a priest. She said she was taken to a beach by a priest who she consulted to exorcise a demon that had apparently possessed her. According to the woman, the priest told her that they needed to have intercourse to get rid of the demon.
   When police investigated the claim, it was revealed that no rape had occurred and that the woman had been coerced into laying the charge.

• Alleged perv priest stalls trial

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.

   Boston Herald, By Dave Wedge, Wednesday, September 26, 2007
   WORCESTER (MA) -- The case against an accused pedophile priest has been delayed for a whopping 34th time as his lawyer contests a new doctor's opinion that the embattled holy man is fit to stand trial.
   John Szantyr, who's accused of molesting a Worcester altar boy in the mid-1980s, once again did not appear in Worcester District Court yesterday when a judge continued his case again. Szantyr, 76, has been ruled incompetent but prosecutors pushed for a new evaluation based on complaints from the victim and the victim's supporters.
   The new opinion, which is being reviewed by a judge and will be the subject of a Nov. 19 hearing, reportedly contradicts a defense report that says Szantyr is too ill to face the charges.

• Retired priest faces judge in sexual assault case

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.
   Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), By Gary V. Murray, gmurray@telegram.com , September 26, 2007
   WORCESTER (MA) – A judge will decide whether a 76-year-old retired priest accused of sexually assaulting two altar boys more than 20 years ago is mentally competent to stand trial.
   A Nov. 19 competency hearing was scheduled yesterday in Central District Court in the case of the Rev. John Szantyr of Waterbury, Conn., who is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14. The sexual assaults on the two boys allegedly occurred in the 1980s, when Rev. Szantyr was assigned to Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish on Ward Street. The charges were lodged against him in 2003.
   In September 2006, Judge Dennis J. Brennan, since retired, found Rev. Szantyr mentally incompetent to stand trial. The judge's finding was based on a psychiatric evaluation done at the request of Assistant District Attorney Joseph J. Reilly 3rd, who is prosecuting the case.

• Statements from Arizona officials regarding Jeffs verdict

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   Deseret Morning News, ~ September 26, 2007
   ARIZONA Statement from Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, released Tuesday:
   "We are very happy with the verdict in this case. The Washington County Attorney's Office deserves all the credit and did a fantastic job in prosecuting this very difficult case. Brock Belnap and his staff, particularly Ryan and Jerry, did a tremendous job in preparing their case for trial. The Utah Attorney General's Office helped out with Attorney Craig Barlow, who handled the victim in the case. Gary Engel, Investigator for the Mohave County Attorney's Office, also did a great job in helping Washington County in preparation for their trial.
   "It is too early to speculate on what will happen next. The first thing we need to see is what type of sentence Warren Jeffs receives in Utah. That may determine what happens next. The second question then is whether or not he will go to Arizona or the federal authorities will get him, although it seems likely that he will probably go to Arizona first. The final question will be what are the desires of the victim, which may be somewhat determined by what happens to Mr. Jeffs in Utah. Other than that any answers on what is going to happen next would be pure speculation."

• Jurors: Girl's age was crucial to decision in Jeffs trial

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   Deseret Morning News, By Nancy Perkins, 12:19 a.m. MDT, Published: Sept. 26, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) – Jurors in the Warren Jeffs case said Tuesday they were convinced of the polygamist sect leader's guilt on charges of rape as an accomplice because of two "simple facts."
   "She was 14. She didn't have to say anything for rape to occur. Warren Jeffs was her only ticket to getting out or not getting married," said juror Gerald Munk, 36, a maintenance worker for St. George.
   The guilty verdict could send Jeffs, 51, to prison for life. Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in 5th District Court.
   Jeffs is the president and prophet of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, whose tenets include polygamy and a belief in arranged marriages through revelation by God to the FLDS prophet.
   But religion did not play a part in the jury's decision, jurors said during a debriefing with reporters following the verdict. Defense attorney Wally Bugden argued during his closing statement that Utah had made a political decision to charge Jeffs with rape, when it could have filed charges of performing an illegal, underage marriage.
   "Religion was definitely involved, but I don't think it (the case) was about that," said Heather Newkirk, a 32-year-old mom and massage therapist.

• Justice served

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   The Arizona Republic, Sept. 26, 2007
   UTAH -- After decades of looking away from the injustice, cruelty and sexual abuse masquerading as religion in the tiny polygamist towns straddling the Arizona-Utah border, determined law enforcers got their man.
   Finally, Warren Jeffs, 51, was convicted as an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl. The verdict came after jurors deliberated about 16 hours over three days, and amid a trial that placed national attention on the plural-marriage sect centered in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah.
   Jeffs could get life in prison.
   That would be fitting. Jeffs' attorneys and backers attempted to make this trial about religious persecution and prosecutorial bias: That Jeffs was hounded by law enforcement officials in two states as the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sanctions polygamy and arranged marriages.

• Tossed juror cites a dispute

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.
   The Salt Lake Tribune, By Nate Carlisle, Article Last Updated 02:11:54 AM MDT, Sep/26/2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- The juror who was dismissed Tuesday morning from Warren S. Jeffs' rape-as-an-accomplice trial said there was a dispute over how she answered a question about sex abuse in her own past.
   On Tuesday night, after the verdict of guilty on two counts was announced, 21-year-old Andrea Harold explained she had a personal experience involving sexual abuse. But Harold, a nail technician from Washington, said she did not feel she had misled the court.
   Instead, she attributed her dismissal to a disagreement with another juror, who passed 5th District Judge James L. Shumate a note about a comment she made during deliberations.

• Pimental's seat will stay vacant; name will be off ballot

   Standard-Times, By Aaron Nicodemus, September 26, 2007
   NEW BEDFORD (MA) – The Ward 6 City Council seat will remain open through the end of the year, after Leo R. Pimental died unexpectedly Tuesday.
   His name will be left off the Nov. 6 municipal election ballot, meaning that the seat will be won by candidates who run sticker and write-in campaigns. …
   A vacancy in an at-large seat would have to be filled immediately, no matter how much time is left in the term, she said. Such was the case the last time a vacancy occurred on the ballot: Thomas Kennedy resigned from his at-large seat in 2002, citing post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the priest sexual abuse scandal.

• Lawsuit against priest dismissed

[1978, 1982 Burnett] - RCC. Boy.
   Daily Southtown, September 26, 2007
   JOLIET (IL) -- A DuPage County judge has dismissed a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Joliet, saying too much time had passed since the alleged abuse occurred nearly 30 years ago at a Mokena parish.
   Circuit Judge Stephen Culliton previously had ruled that a 2003 state law that extends the time limit for child sexual abuse lawsuits cannot be applied retroactively to revive old allegations. He officially dismissed the lawsuit Monday.
   In the lawsuit, Dan Shanahan accused the Rev. James Burnett of molesting him from 1978 to 1982, when he was from 8 to 12 years old, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mokena. Shanahan, 36, announced the allegations 19 months ago.

• Sex-abuse suit against diocese is dismissed

[1978, 1982 Burnett] - RCC. Boy.
   Beacon News, By Emily McFarlan, September 26, 2007
   JOLIET (IL) -- A DuPage County judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet involving a former pastor of SS Peter and Paul Parish in Naperville.
   The suit accusing the Rev. James Burnett of sexual abuse was dropped this week after attorneys failed by Friday to appeal an earlier ruling by Judge Stephen Culliton.
   In June, Culliton ruled a state law passed in 2003 to extend the statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases could not be applied retroactively to old allegations and set the Friday deadline for new evidence to keep the suit alive. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 26, 2007 8:26 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed September 26, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu September 27, 2007 edition:

!!!: Ex-teacher faces sex charges

[? 2007 Ms Stein -NEW*] - Baptist. Boy.

   The Detroit News, by Karen Bouffard / ~ September 27, 2007
   CANTON TOWNSHIP (MI) -- A former teacher at Plymouth Christian Academy was arrested and arraigned Monday, accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student during the summer.
   Stephanie Ann Stein, 31, a married mother of two from Canton Township, is accused of sexually abusing the youth, whom she allegedly met at the Academy, a 630-student school on Joy Road run by Calvary Baptist Church.
   The alleged abuse is believed to have occurred during the summer and came to light after the boy's mother returned home on several occasions to discover the teacher at her house, according to Canton Township Police Detective Sgt. Rick Pomorski.

• Pedofilia/ Betori: No A Condanna Preti Preventiva Infondata

- RCC. [Cantino -NEW*] - Sexual violence +. [Bp Maniago*] - Sexual misconduct.

   Alice, ~ September 27, 2007
   ITALY -- Monsignor Giuseppe Betori, general secretary of the Italy Bishops Conference, which is meeting in Vatican City, said he trusts that Claudio Maniago, auxiliary bishop of Florence, will be found innocent of sexual misconduct allegations. The Rev. Lelio Cantino, who is under investigation for sexual violence and other crimes has already been suspended by the church and regrets that it happened 20 years after the alleged incidents happened.
   The monsignor said the church is not passive in this cases, both in prevention and in the way it faces these issues.

• Priest withdraws resignation following financial scandal

[- 2007 Demmer -NEW*] - RCC. Money.

   Detroit Free Press, BY BEN SCHMITT, September 27, 2007
   GARDEN CITY (MI) -- An ousted Garden City priest, who stepped down in the midst of a financial scandal, has withdrawn his resignation and told parishioners in a letter that he was forced out.
   Father Don Demmer of St. Dunstan Parish told parishioners that he did nothing wrong and has been living out of a suitcase since June when a financial audit of the church began.
   "I was asked in June to wait patiently and not contact parishioners until the resolution of the audit," Demmer said. "That is the reason I have not spoken to you or responded to your notes. I have not been hiding from you."
   Demmer said in the letter that he reluctantly resigned last week.

• Pastor faces $1.3M sex suit

[1995- ~2002 Major -NEW*] - United Church. Woman.

   Toronto Sun, By SAM PAZZANO, COURTS BUREAU, September 27, 2007
   CANADA -- A United Church minister used the guise of counselling sessions for childhood abuse with a Toronto mother of four to sexually abuse her for almost eight years, the woman alleged in a $1.3 million lawsuit.
   The 53-year-old woman alleged that Rev. William Major, now 64, committed "heinous sexual, physical, and emotional assaults" against her, starting in 1995 shortly after she began to attend Manor Road United Church.
   None of the allegations have been proven in court.
   Major was her counsellor when the sexual assaults and battery occurred and that because he was an authority figure and confidant to the woman (referred to as Jane Doe), he should have protected her, instead of violating her, the lawsuit alleged.

• Bad Moves

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   Orange County Weekly, By GUSTAVO ARELLANO Thursday, September 27, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Monsignor John Urell, from a videotape of his deposition. Monsignor John Urell enjoyed a blessed life until this summer. The Tustin High graduate joined the Catholic Diocese of Orange County as a priest in 1978 and zipped up the church's hierarchy–first as the secretary to the bishop, then as a chancellor, and finally as a vicar general. The last two positions placed him in the inner circle of county Catholicism, making him one of the men in charge of the second-largest Catholic diocese west of the Mississippi.
   Urell stepped down as vicar general in 2003 to serve as the pastor of St. Norbert in Orange. Parishioners loved him; in fact, one, Supervisor Bill Campbell, nominated Urell to the Orange County Human Relations commission in 2004.
   But the priest also had a direct role in the Orange diocese's darkest episode, leaving a paper trail that previously hasn't been thoroughly examined, one the Weekly has obtained. From 1988 through 2002, Urell was in charge of investigating sex-abuse allegations lodged against diocesan priests. The complaints poured in while Urell was in charge–at least 25, by his admission. He interviewed victims, helped arrange therapy for them–but usually assisted superiors in covering up pedophilia in county parishes.
   As the Orange diocese sex-abuse scandal exploded in 2004, as church officials eventually paid victims $100 million for their suffering at the hands of county priests and released documents showing the hierarchy's culpability, Urell largely escaped scrutiny. But the monsignor finally reckoned with his past on July 27. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:53 PM]

• Bad Moves: Addendum

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.
   Orange County Weekly, A paper trail through the Orange diocese's darkest episode, By Gustavo Arellano, Thursday, September 27, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- 1. 1988 letter by Urell to the Franciscan superiors of Gary Pacheco, alerting them that the Orange diocese no longer wanted him after fielding a molestation allegation against him.
   2. 1987 letter from Urell to Eleuterio Ramos. The priest was in Tijuana after admitting to molesting a teenage boy while at Anaheim¹s St. Anthony Claret in 1985, just one of the more than 25 children he molested in the Orange and Los Angeles diocese over a 20-year career.
   3. 1993 letter by Urell asking Tijuana Bishop Emilio Berlie to remove Ramos from a children¹s ministry.

• Case continued for priest accused of molestation

[2006 Robert Grant*] - RCC. Boy.

   Waterbury Republican-American, September 27, 2007
   NAUGATUCK (CT) -- A Naugatuck priest accused of sexually molesting a 15-year-old boy is due back at Waterbury Superior Court on Oct. 3 for a pretrial hearing.
   The Rev. Robert J. Grant, 63, who is on administrative leave from St. Mary's and St.Hedwis's churches, has been charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

• Trying to depose Salesians: "It appeared that a line was drawn in the sand and I assume it is because these are critical witnesses in the case"

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Crosses to Canada.

   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 27, 2007
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Coming through security at Superior Court Wednesday I kept my shoes on and when the beeper went off I stood, raised my arm, said, "It's just the pin and the shoes." No panic attack, (see September 21 post) no removing every possible metalic thing to avoid the baton, although I did get good advice from "Anonymous Reader" who suggested : "If you are having anxiety, please ask Bishop Tod Brown to send you to Southdown up in Canada with Monsignor Urell!"
   Arrive at court, clerk is in midst of taping a newly printed version of calendar outside the door, as plaintiff's Motions to Compel Depositions had iexplicably disappeared from the calendar (Deja Vu) then been penned back on as Number 12. Inside as we wait for the judge, a plaintiff attorney reads the tentative then nods to me, yes it was granted.
   I watch Church Attorney Steve McFeely and my first urge is to write something nasty but he looks so vulnerable and defeated as he reads. Plaintiff Attorney Helen Zukin walks up to him and puts her face right in front of his as she speaks. McFeely is so crushed, deflated, looking into her face -- Helen has one of those striking faces that make you just stop and gaze, obviously a gift from God, and she uses all her assets. McFeely, very central casting for Irish Cop, nods and agrees to whatever it is Zukin is saying.

• Rasta priest convicted of rape

[2000s Joe] - Rastafarians. Guilty. Girl.

   IOL, 06:39PM, September 27 2007
   SOUTH AFRICA -- An apprentice Rastafarian priest, convicted of raping a nine-year-old girl, appeared for a pre-sentencing report in the Grahamstown High Court on Thursday.
   Voyolethu Joe of Newvale, Queenstown, appeared before Judge Jeremy Pickering and two assessors.
   Joe was found guilty on July 27, 2007.
   The girl was the daughter of a Rastafarian priest, who, the trial court heard, was Joe's mentor in the religious cult.

• Veglia gremita per Maniago

- RCC. [Cantino*] - Sexual violence +. [Bp Maniago*] - Sexual misconduct.

   Toscana TV, ~ September 27, 2007
   ITALY -- A hundred people took part in a prayer vigil and recited the rosary to show solidarity with Claudio Maniago, auxiliary bishop of Florence. They believe the bishop had nothing to do with accusations of sexual misconduct made against the Rev. Lelio Cantini, his teacher and mentor.
   The vigil was held in Florence center at La Badia Fiorentina. The vigil was so crowded that some people had to stay outside. Giovani Salvadori, a regional assessor, attended the vigil as a personal decision.
   A letter written by Cardinal Ennio Antonelli of Florence was read in support of Maniago and the reading brought long applause from those attending. Before the prayer, a woman said people came spontaneously from throughout the diocese. Their intent was to pray for the bishops, victims of sexual abuse and for those who "are the instrument of lies."

• Jeffs' trial unveils cult's criminal side

[Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go.

   The Colombian, By ELIZABETH HOVDE, Thursday, September 27, 2007
   UTAH -- No one should be allowed to coerce young girls into marriages and get away with it. So hurray for the jury that just convicted Warren Jeffs. He was found guilty of being an accomplice to rape for performing a wedding between a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.
   The girl, now a 21-year-old woman, says she was forced to marry and that marriage set the stage for sex; sex she did not want to have. As Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said of Jeffs' conviction, "Everyone should now know that no one is above the law, religion is not an excuse for abuse and every victim has a right to be heard."

• Accused priest chided for saying Mass

[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. 4yr court delay. Altar boy.
   Boston Herald, By Dave Wedge, Thursday, September 27, 2007
   WORCESTER (MA) -- An alleged pedophile priest whose molestation trial has been repeatedly delayed due to questions over his competency has overseen religious services in apparent violation of church orders and was warned by a Catholic bishop, the Herald has learned.
   Church officials in Springfield were told in early September that John Szantyr has conducted Mass, despite being stripped of his authority to act as a priest in 1988. The apparent violation of church orders prompted Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell to fire off a stern warning to the embattled holy man, said Terence Hegarty, spokesman for the Springfield diocese.
   "We did receive conclusive proof that contrary to the instructions from the Diocese of Worcester, he had celebrated Mass in a private home in Springfield," Hegarty said. "The bishop informed him that he remains absolutely forbidden to celebrate Mass anywhere, privately or publicly, or to administer any sacramental functions at all."

• Zimbabwe: Pius Ncube Legal Wrangle With Sibands Rages on

[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.

   AllAfrica, The Herald (Harare), September 27, 2007
   HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The legal wrangle between the disgraced former head of the Roman Catholic Church in Bulawayo, Archbishop Pius Ncube, and the man who has filed a $20 billion adultery damages lawsuit against him rages on with the cleric arguing that he is not resorting to delaying tactics.
   In his response to Mr Onesimus Sibanda's response to his application seeking an order that he be given facts of the case or drop the case, Archbishop Ncube, who is the applicant in the case, said in his answering affidavit dated 24 September Mr Sibanda was not paying attention to relevant issues. It is the cleric's contention through his lawyer, Advocate Nicholas Mathonsi of Coghlan and Welsh, that Mr Sibanda "has assigned space and time to semantical matters which do not change the complexion of the argument."
   "While the respondent is entitled to his opinion, I do not understand the use of the word 'stubborn' to suggest anything mythical other than the fact that Respondent has resolutely refused to supply the particulars requested, albeit without any meaningful legal foundation. For that reason there is absolutely no need for any withdrawal," he said. Mr Sibanda, in his affidavit filed to indicate his intention to oppose Archbishop Ncube's application, had expressed displeasure at the use of the word "stubborn" and had brought to the court's attention his "displeasure at the language used by Ncube" in his application.

• Financial scandal hits US parish

[- 2007 Demmer*] - RCC. Money.

   Independent Catholic News, ~ September 27, 2007
   DETROIT (MI) -- A parish priest has resigned from his parish after the Archdiocese of Detroit discovered theft of parish funds and unpaid taxes.
   In a letter read out to parishioners of St. Dustan's, Garden City, Michigan, Bishop Francis Reiss, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said that its pastor Father Demmer had resigned.
   Bishop Reiss said, "The results of this summer's financial audit present some distressing news for the parish and have prompted legal action against a former office employee. On Friday, September 21st, information was turned over to the Garden City Police Department regarding what appears to be a prolonged pattern of embezzlement from parish funds. The amount is substantial– in the tens of thousands– but investigators have asked us to not publicize the precise figure at this time.

• New rape case reeks of a setup

- Fundamentalist LDS. [Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go. [2001-04 Mr Steed] - Child bride.
   The Salt Lake Tribune, By Rebecca Walsh, Tribune Columnist, Article Last Updated 02:20:23 AM MDT, Sep/27/2007
   UTAH -- I don't feel sorry for Warren Jeffs. I do feel sorry for Allen Steed.
   Fresh from winning their case against Jeffs, the empty-eyed megalomaniac of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Washington County prosecutors filed a rape charge against Steed on Wednesday based almost entirely on his court testimony and that of his one-time spiritual wife, Elissa Wall.
   It's almost like they set him up.

• Steed charged with rape

- Fundamentalist LDS. [Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go. [2001-04 Mr Steed] - Child bride.
   The Spectrum, By PATRICE ST. GERMAIN, patrices@thespectrum.com , ~ September 27, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) -- One day after a jury brought back guilty verdicts against Warren Steed Jeffs on two counts of rape as an accomplice, the person suspected of committing the rape was charged in 5th District Court.
   Allen Glade Steed, 26, the cousin and former spiritual husband of Elissa Wall, was charged with one count of rape, a first-degree felony, covering a time period from April 14, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2004.
   A $50,000 arrest warrant has been issued for Steed.
   While the papers were actually filed Wednesday at around noon, the paperwork was signed Sept. 21 by Brian Filter, senior deputy for the Washington County Attorney's Office.
   "We filed the charge at what we deemed to be the appropriate time considering a lot of factors, including the conducting of the Jeffs trial and the deliberation of the jury," Filter said.

• Change in structure raises Metro Catholics' concerns

[2007 Detroit Archdiocese] - RCC. Switching diocesan assets to small corporations.
   The Detroit News, by Gregg Krupa / September 27, 2007
   DETROIT (MI) -- Some Metro Detroit Catholics are expressing concerns about a change in the corporate structure of the Archdiocese of Detroit after Cardinal Adam Maida informed priests that by the end of the year all 288 parishes will be incorporated as individual nonprofit institutions.
   The archdiocese, including the parishes, has existed as a single corporate entity for generations.
   Maida and other church officials say the change merely conforms with how the legal, financial and organizational structure of the archdiocese is treated in civil law.
   "While this idea may sound new to some, it has been in effect in dioceses throughout the country for many years," Maida wrote the priests on Sept. 19. "Be assured that the day-to-day life of the parish will remain the same. This decision is not made in response to any crisis, nor are there are any civil or canonical court proceedings pending that would call into question the status of church property."

• St Ignatius 'Protecting God's Children'

- RCC.

   Cayman Net News, ~ September 27, 2007
   CAYMAN ISLANDS -- As part of Hedge Funds Care's commitment to raising awareness of, and supporting those addressing the issue of child abuse and neglect in the Cayman Islands, St Ignatius Catholic Church recognises recipients of its 2007 grants to show what strides have been made in the treatment and eradication of abuse in this community.
   Since 2005, the St Ignatius Catholic Church has run a child abuse awareness and identification programme, 'Protecting God's Children' (PGC), a twice-annual workshop which teaches adults and children to identify the warning signs of child sexual abuse as well as ways to safeguard a community against potential abusers.
   The programme is organised and administered by O'Neil Miller, Director of Religious Education at St Ignatius. He receives ongoing training for this programme through the Archdiocese of Detroit where the programme originated.
   Prior to receiving the Hedge Funds Care grant, PGC was offered only to employees, members and students of the St Ignatius Church and School, making up part of the core induction process for teachers and volunteers who would have close contact with children.

• Dan Satterberg's Sin of Omission

- RCC.

   The Stranger, By Josh Feit, ~ September 27, 2007
   SEATTLE (WA) -- At the height of the nationwide Catholic priest sex-abuse scandal in April 2002, Seattle attorney Timothy Kosnoff–who has successfully won over $50 million in settlements against priests on behalf of child-abuse victims–sent a letter to the King County Prosecutor's Office.
   Kosnoff, forbidden by a court order to talk publicly about what he found through legal discovery in the local Seattle Archdiocese's sealed files, asked the prosecutor's office to use its unique subpoena power to force the horror stories of 49 cases into the public eye and bring criminal charges against the priests.
   The King County prosecutor's chief of staff at the time, Dan Satterberg, responded to Kosnoff, saying the prosecutor's office was invited "to assist the Seattle Archdiocese with formulating a policy that is in compliance with state law regarding mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse," and there was no reason to subpoena the files.
   Kosnoff is still incensed today–both about the appearance of a conflict of interest when a law enforcement agency works closely with a potential law breaker and about Satterberg's refusal to look at the files.

• Area diocese to pay its biggest settlement in an alleged priest sex abuse case

[1971, 1974 McGlynn] - RCC. US$225,000. Altar boy; 2 girls still.
   The Kansas City Star, By JOE LAMBE, ~ September 27, 2007
   KANSAS CITY (MO) -- The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph this week agreed to pay an Independence man $225,000, its biggest settlement ever in a case of alleged priest sexual abuse.
   The retired priest in the case, the Rev. Francis E. McGlynn, also will pay $2,000 to the victim, Frank Scheuring, 47, of Independence.
   Two other lawsuits are pending against McGlynn for alleged abuse of two girls in the same time period of the early 1970s and at the same place, St. Mary's Church in Independence. McGlynn, now 80 and living in Kansas City, denies all the allegations.
   The settlement, announced Wednesday, came as Scheuring's case was to start trial next week. A Jackson County judge recently denied a final defense request to dismiss the lawsuit, and the trial would have been the first of its kind in Jackson County.
   The diocese issued a brief statement that said in part, " … the diocese agreed to end the dispute with the hope that healing can begin." It said the money will come from self-insurance reserves and will not affect operations.

• Ruling on statute of limitations on clergy sexual abuse cases hits KC

[1971, 1974 McGlynn] - RCC. US$225,000. Altar boy; 2 girls still.
   St. Louis Post-Dispatch, By Tim Townsend, Sep/27/2007
   KANSAS CITY (MO) -- The diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph agreed Tuesday to pay $225,000 to a former altar boy who said he was sexually abused by a priest in the 1970s. The settlement came days after a Kansas City judge declined to dismiss the lawsuit and less than a week before it was scheduled to go to trial.
   The case represents the first time on the west side of the state that a 2006 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that altered the state's statute of limitations was successfully harnessed in an effort to send a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit to a jury.
   The St. Louis Archdiocese faced the same situation in July after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Barbara Wallace ruled that a jury should decide the outcome of a similar suit. The archdiocese eventually settled with the plaintiff for $300,000, substantially more than its initial offer.

• OPP open investigation into abuse claims

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   Globe and Mail, By MICHAEL VALPY, September 27, 2007
   CANADA -- The Ontario Provincial Police yesterday began a formal criminal investigation into allegations of abuse of students at the now closed Grenville Christian College in Eastern Ontario.
   The chief investigating officer, Detective Inspector Brian Haggith, also asked former students for access to the private Facebook Internet site where they have been discussing their experiences at the school for the past several weeks. Former student Tyler Holmes, the administrator of the Facebook group site, gave them access.
   OPP spokeswoman Sergeant Kristine Rae said the police were appealing to anyone with knowledge of wrongdoing at the school - which closed in July - to contact them. [Posted by Kathy Shaw September 27, 2007 at 9:01 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu September 27, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri September 28, 2007 edition:

• Detiene a exseminarista acusado de abusar sexualmente de una menor

[2007, June 14 - Mr Quino Velasco -NEW*] - RCC. Girl (8).

   LaLagun4, ~ September 28, 2007
   MEXICO -- Agents of the state public prosecutor detained seminarian Julian Quino Velasco Monday in San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz. It is alleged that he abused a minor on June 14. The alleged victim's name, who is said to be an eight-year-old girl, is not being released for security reasons. Agents said he fled in the direction of Mexico City.
   Once agents determined the allegation was credible, they asked for an apprehension order by a judge. Judge Segundo of the penal branch of this judicial district granted the order and search began immediately. Quino Velasco was brought to court where the public prosecutor asked the judge to denied [? deny] Quino Velasco provisional freedom pending trial.
   The incident was made known July 2 when the mother of the girl, Olga Lilia Tovilla Madrigal, told what happened via e-mails. Tovilla Madrigal confirmed that she made the complaint against Quino Velasco, who is said to be a member of the Missionaries of Guadalupe.
   The prosecutor's office alleges that priests of the Tuxtla Gutierrez diocese helped save Quino Velasco, a seminarian with that group that crosses the country to distribute what they call "Semanas de Apostolado."
   The mother said the girl on June 14 attended a session on Catholic subjects by seminarians of the Missionaries of Guadalupe school. She added that the session was held in the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, located in the order's colony east of the city. When the girl arrived, no other children had gotten there yet but the seminarian was there.
   Her daughter went to the class alone because it is near her house, the mother said. The seminarian through deceit took her daughter into the colony house where the abuse allegedly happened, she said. He began to kiss and caress her and laid her down on bed, the mother said. The girl was so frightened she could not speak, the mother said.
   The mother said in testimony before an agent of the Public Ministry that her daughter said she would never return to the church because there were bad people there.

• Priest explains reporting crime

[2006 Skinner -NEW*] - RCC priest reported to police. Baby.

   Marietta Times, By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.com , ~ September 28, 2007
   OHIO -- A Lowell man who pleaded guilty this week to sexually abusing an infant was arrested after a conversation with a priest was relayed to police.
   The issue raises questions about when a conversation with a clergy member is privileged.
   On Tuesday, Leroy Skinner Sr., 68, of 8225 Muskingum River Road, pleaded guilty in Washington County Common Pleas Court to sexually abusing a 6-month-old child in 2006.
   The Rev. Tim Huffman of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church said Skinner and his wife approached him about the sex abuse last month, nearly 18 months after the incident.
   The priest said he was required to report the crime because the confession came outside of the Sacrament of Penance, a sealed conversation in which sins are confessed and forgiven.

• Organist accused in church theft appears in court

[? 2007 Lenser] - RCC. > US$12.000.
   Times Herald-Record, By Raja Abdulrahim, September 27, 2007
   GOSHEN (NY) – Catholic church parishioners were shocked and disappointed to hear that the music director had been charged with stealing more than $12,000 in church donations.
   Jimrae K. Lenser of Campbell Hall was arrested Monday, accused of stealing the money in the form of cash and checks from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church over a five-month period. Police had been investigating the missing money for three weeks.
   Lenser played the organ at several of the weekend Masses.
   Lenser appeared in Village Court yesterday, dressed in long, denim shorts and a dark gray T-shirt; his wrists and ankles handcuffed and linked with a chain to a belt around his waist. He sat on a folding chair in the court and appeared at times to be crying. Two reporters and a church member were the only audience in the courtroom. The church member, who would not give his name, said he came to see for himself what happened.

• Sexual assault charges dropped against priest

[Lawani -NEW*] - RCC. Sexual assault dropped.

   Union Leader, ~ September 28, 2007
   MANCHESTER (NH) -- Supporters of visiting Nigerian priest John Lawani began their celebration at Hillsborough County Superior Court yesterday morning after sexual assault charges against Lawani were dropped by the county attorney.
   For the past year, Lawani -- based at St. George Church, -- has been suspended from his duties of ministering to the city's growing African Catholic population.
   Defense attorney John Kacavas said Lawani, 40, was relieved the charges were dropped, so that he can resume his pastoral duties at the church.
   "He has no malice in his heart," said Kacavas.

• Anglican priest removed from church in Vic West

[Antonio Osorio*] - Anglican. (Promoted same-sex unions). Woman.

   Oak Bay News, By Keith Vass, Sep 28, 2007
   CANADA -- Vic West church now searches for ways to carry on aid work.
   Father Antonio Osorio will never lead the congregation of Saint Saviour's Anglican church again, but the parish will strive to carry on the work he began there.
   And $90,000 the Vic West church is holding to run the suspended programs for the needy will go towards the causes it was donated for.
   Those messages were delivered to the media last week by Rev. David Opheim, interim priest-in-charge at the Vic West church, alongside Rev. Bruce Bryant-Scott, executive director of the Anglican Diocese of B.C.
   Osorio resigned two weeks ago after admitting to allegations that he had beached the church's sexual exploitation policy, which prohibit consenting relations with adults in the church's care. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 28, 2007 6:08 pm]

• Going-away party

[Urell*] - RCC. No memory problems, then he has memory problems.

   Catholic World News, ~ September 28, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- An OC Weekly article focuses on Diocese of Orange Vicar General John Urell's crack-up during a deposition taken in July:
   [Plaintiff attorney John] Manly had had enough. "Do you have any memory problems?" he asked Urell.
   "Well, actually, I'm -- yes."
   An incredulous Manly asked Urell to explain. At the beginning of the deposition, Manly had specifically asked the monsignor if he had any memory problems; Urell said no. Diocesan lawyers objected to Manly's request, but Judge Robert Jameson instructed Urell to respond.
   "Well, you know when I worked at Marywood [the diocesan headquarters] for those years that I was there, many of those years, a good number of those years were in a tremendous variety of ministries," Urell replied. "And one of them, the most painful for those who came forward and for me who had to try to help them and manage these things, was all these allegations of sexual abuse.

• Spivey gets 21 months for sexual abuse

[Mr Spivey] - Sentenced 1 to 20 yrs. Children.

   The Hook, by Lisa Provence, September 27, 2007
   CHARLOTTESVILLE (VA) -- As an indication of how established and well-regarded former Charlottesville High School choir director Jonathan Spivey was in the community, the chairman of the city School Board, Alvin Edwards, showed up to support him at his sentencing hearing today for four counts of custodial indecent liberties – even though the sexual incidents happened to Spivey's students at school.
   And usually when police testify in court, it's on behalf of the prosecution. Not so today for Charlottesville Police Sergeant Tito Durrette, who calls Spivey "my dad" because choir director took him in at age 14 or 15. Durrette credits Spivey with giving him the structure he needed to turn his life around.
   But the courtroom full of family and friends and witnesses testifying on Spivey's behalf was not enough to sway Judge Daniel Bouton, who handed the musician a 20-year sentence - with all but one year and nine months suspended.

• Jury now has diocese kickback case

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   The Plain Dealer, Posted by James McCarty, 14:38PM, September 28, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- More than five weeks of testimony and thousands of documents should be enough evidence to convict a former accountant at the Cleveland Catholic Diocese of a criminal kickback scheme, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Siegel told a jury in his closing arguments Friday.
   But if the jurors in federal court need more to convict Anton Zgoznik, Siegel urged them to listen again to a secretly-recorded 17-minute conversation between the defendant and his former business partner, Zrino Jukic, in which they discussed a plot to hatch a defense.
   On the recording, Zgoznik can be heard pleading with Jukic to stick together and get their stories straight. Zgoznik testified earlier this week that the $784,000 he paid to former diocesan Chief Financial Officer Joseph Smith wasn't kickback money, but was actually executive compensation financed by the diocese and authorized by the Rev. John Wright, Smith's former boss and predecessor.
   When Jukic denied on the recording that he ever spoke with Wright or Smith about the secret payments, Zgoznik became flustered.

• Jury gets case against ex-church accountant

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   Ohio.com , By THOMAS J. SHEERAN, Associated Press Writer , Published on Friday Sep 28, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A trial which focused on alleged secret accounts and a six-figure payout to a favored Cleveland Catholic Diocese employee wrapped up Friday with the two sides contending the payment was either authorized by church leaders or a kickback made by a rogue accountant.
   Assistant U.S. Attorney John Siegel repeatedly mentioned Bishop Anthony M. Pilla in his closing argument to the jury and said "there was no way" the now-retired head of the diocese was aware of the $784,000 in payments made to a former top financial officer of the diocese.
   But lawyers for defendant Anton Zgoznik, of Kirtland Hills, said Zgoznik approved the payments through his businesses at the directive of two of Pilla's top lieutenants, a priest and a layman who replaced the priest as diocesan chief financial and legal officer.

• Conspiracy Case Of Ex-Diocese Accountant Goes To Jury

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
   NewsNet5, ~ September 28, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A former church accountant who paid $784,000 in kickbacks to his former boss at the Cleveland Catholic Diocese should be convicted for defrauding the church and the Internal Revenue Service, the prosecution said in its closing argument Friday.
   But the defense for Anton Zgoznik, 40, of Kirtland Hills, said he was following orders in paying the money to keep a valued top accountant working for the church.
   The U.S. District Court jury left the courtroom after 2 1/2 hours of closing arguments to begin deliberating. Zgoznik is charged with conspiracy, money laundering, mail fraud and obstruction of justice.

• Defiende al Cardenal Rivera el Episcopado

- RCC. [≤ 1986, 1994 Aguilar Rivera] - Boys sleeping on premises. Altar boy and 7 other boys. [≤ 1986, 1994 onwards - Cardinals Rivera, Mahony] - Complicity?

   Diario de Yucatan, ~ September 28, 2007
   MEXICO -- The Mexican episcopate has sent a message of support of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera because of a lawsuit filed in the United States alleging that he helped conceal a priest accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
   The bishops said the last few months have seen an orchestrated campaign of aggression and insults aimed at the cardinal.
   The plaintiff in the lawsuit is Joaquin Aguilar, who maintains that in 1994 he was sexually abused by the Rev. Nicholas Aguilar.

• German bishops affirm ban on paedophiles in parish work

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Expatica, September 28, 2007
   FULDA, Germany (dpa) - The Catholic Church will work "with all its might" to uncover paedophile attacks on children by priests, the head of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, said Friday.
   Speaking amid an outcry over a paedophile clergymen who was reassigned to a parish, Lehmann said the 70 bishops had discussed the issue for two and a half hours at talks this week but had not put it on their formal agenda.
   A guideline adopted by the bishops in 2002 prohibits the employment of convicted paedophiles in parish work, effectively confining them to administrative tasks where they only have contact with adults.
   Referring to the arrest of a previously convicted priest in the Bavarian parish of Riekofen on new child-sex charges, Lehmann said, "Every case of sexual abuse is one case too many."

• I conti della Chiesa ecco quanto ci costa

- Cost of the RCC to Italian taxpayers.

   La Repubblica, ~ September 28, 2007
   (Note: Readers have asked for a fuller translation of this article which we are posting here.)
   ITALY -- Curzio Maltese writes that Paul Marcinkus, former president of IOR -- the Vatican Bank -- escaped Italian justice for his illegal dealings with Roberto Calvi, former president of Banco Ambrosiano. Calvi was found dead in London.
   "When I came to the CEI, (Italian Bishops Conference) in 1986, we hardly could afford to pay four clerks," said Camillo Ruini, who does not exaggerate. In the mid-eighties Vatican finances consisted of an empty black box. One year after coming to the CEI only a Vatican passport saved the President of IOR (The Vatican Bank, Instituto Opere Religione), Monsignor Paul Marcinkus from being arrested by Italian police after the failure of Roberto Calvi's Banco Ambrosiano, one of the major Italian banks.
   The economic crisis is one reason why Pope John Paul II asked the young bishop Camillo Ruini to come to Rome from the city of Reggio Emilia. The bishop, endowed with great managerial skills, was then known by most people for having celebrated the wedding of Romano Prodi (the current prime minister) and Flavia Franzoni.
   Ruini in 1981 became secretary of CEI and was elected president in 1991. The rising rank and growing economic power could consequently influence the media and politics. At the same time the president of Italian bishops played a central role in Italian public debate and in the Vatican as never had happened with his two predecessors. He became the great elector of Pope Benedict XVI. The reasons for his success derive from his intelligence, his iron will and from his extraordinary skill as an organizer.
   But another key to understanding Ruini's ascent is called the "eight per thousand." A flow of money like a river starts to enter CEI's coffers starting in spring of 1990 with a new income law allowing for an automatic share of eight cents for each one thousand euros of taxable income to go to a list of recognized churches and charities. The river soon was transformed into a sea of a billion euros a year. Ruini is the uncontested "dominus" for all that.
   Except for the automatic expenses like the priests' stipends, the President of CEI, through a few trusted collaborators, has the last word on each expenditure from repairs to a church office, building of a mission in Africa or real estate and financial investments.
   The investigation by this newspaper on cost of the church to Italian taxpayers starts from this "eight cents per one thousand." The calculation is not simple and it is less fashionable than the present diatribes on the cost of politics in Italy.
   The price to support politicians is now estimated at 4 billion euros a year. Half the value of what is necessary to cover the annual budget deficit is used to feed the political class. This is equivalent to the money spent to build the bridge between Sicily and the Italian peninsula or the "Moses" project to save Venice from the high tides.
   This scandalous estimate comes from what is reported in newspapers and the magazine Il Mondo, referring to the recently book called La Casta written by journalists Rizzo and Stella and one titled I costi della Democrazia by authors Salvi and Villone. The sum is reached by adding the values of the 150,000 stipends paid to representatives elected by the people, from members of the European Parliament to the last councillor of communities in the mountains, plus compensation for almost 300,000 consultants, ministerial expenses, pensions for politicians, electoral expenses reimbursed to the parties, public financing of parties' newspapers, the "blue cars" and other privileges like free use of cafeterias and restaurants in the Italian Parliament.
   To be fair, the same measure adopted for estimating the cost of politics could be applied to the "cost of the church." The final result could be, however, very high and very approximate, like the one that can be read in the libels and on anticlerical Web sites.
   If we are to be more prudent and realistic then we can say the cost of the church for the Italian taxpayer is equivalent to the one calculated for the political class. This amounts to more than 4 billion euros per year, considering direct financing and tax exemption from the state and local governments.
   The first item includes the billion euros deriving from the 0.08 percent, 650 million euros for the stipends of the 22,000 religion teacher (the well-known Catholic writer Vittorio Messori defined this as "an old wreck" of the Concordat -- the agreement made by the church and Benito Mussolini in 1929), 700 million euros given by the state and local governments for the school covenants and health coverage. There additionally is variable financing for the "Grandi Eventi" (Big Events) from the Jubilee (3,500 billion of the old liras or about 3 million euros) to the 2.5 million euros for the meeting in Loreto and the sanctuary of the Madonna of Loreto. This amounts to a yearly average during the last 10 years of 250 million euros. In addition to the 2.6 billion euros of direct contributions to the church, we must add the sum of the fiscal advantages granted to the Vatican which are now being investigated by authorities of the European Union. (State help is not allowed by EU statute.)
   The list is immense at the local and national level. If we want to follow the cautious method applied here a sum of between 400 and 700 million euros is not going to ICI, the local real estate taxation, according to a favorable estimate by cities authorities and another 500 euros is not going for other kinds of taxation. In addition, there are another 600 million euros for "legalized" tax evasion in the world of Catholic organized tourism on behalf of about 40 million Catholic pilgrims and visitors. The total is over 4 billion euros a year, half of the annual Italian state deficit.
   Eight cents for each 1,000 euros of taxable income goes to the Vatican from each taxpayer whether or not they want the money to go there. A sophisticated and unconstitutional trick was invented to allow this, the writer said.
   The conclusion is the church cost to Italian taxpayers is high and about the same as what goes to politicians. An Italian member of Parliament gets a pension of 3,000 euros a month even if he as served for one day. These are reasons Italy has the highest debt in the world.
   The tax money given to the Vatican has not produced good results. This money is only minimally spent for charities and the number of priests in the last 20 years has reached a new low of 39,000. There once were 60,000 priests.
   More importantly, the present Pope Benedict XVI said 30 years ago when he was a progressive theologian that the church was becoming for many people the main obstacle to faith. They see the human ambition to power, the little theater of men who have the pretense to administer the official Christianity. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 28, 2007 8:58 AM]

• Vorbestrafte Priester dürfen laut Lehmann nicht in die Jugendarbeit

- RCC. [1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - Was transferred. Boys. [2007 Card. Lehman] - States that RCC didn't know much about paedophilia.

   PR-Inside, ~ September 28, 2007
   GERMANY -- Cardinal Karl Lehmann of the German Bishops Conference said no priest accused of sexual abuse can work with children and young people. The cardinal from Mainz indirectly criticized the Regensburg bishop, who has denied responsibility for assigning a priest convicted of sexual abuse of boys to another parish in Riekofen.
   The cardinal said the bishops' group deeply regrets all damage done to the victims and their families. He added the conference cannot intervene in individual cases since each diocese is responsible for what happens in its locality, but he added the 2002 guidelines adopted by the conference would have worked.
   Bishop Gerhard Muller of Regensburg had said at the beginning of the autumn plenary assembly of bishops that a psychological assessment of the priest in question showed that the priest had been cured.
   The sexual abuse topic was not officially on the agenda for the bishops meeting in Fulda but the bishops nevertheless debated the issues for two-and-a-half hours.Lehmann said not much was understood about pedophilia but understanding of the problem has developed in the last 20 years.
   [COMMENT: Understanding of paedophilia -- knowledge of the problem developed only in the past 20 years? But, but, weren't we taught that Jesus would be with the apostles until the end of the world, and that he was sending a Paraclete to lead them into all truth? Our faith is in tatters if these "successors of the apostles" don't know the psychological damage that sex abuse does to children -- let alone what it is supposed to do to their souls. And, didn't Fr Tom Doyle and two others recently write a book tracing the RCC's incessant wrestling with, and hiding, clergy child sex abuse for more than 1700 years. Isn't experience the best teacher? The Faith Purification Programme does NOT believe Cardinal Karl Lehmann, of Germany, or any of the other hierarchy around the world who make the same lame excuse. COMMENT ENDS.]

• Sexual assault charges dropped against priest

[Lawani*] - RCC. Sexual assault dropped.

   WCAX, Associated Press, 7:25 AM ET, September 28, 2007
   MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Prosecutors in Manchester (New Hampshire) have dropped sexual assault charges against a visiting Nigerian priest after the first day of his trial.
   The charges were dropped Wednesday for 40-year-old John Lawani, who was based at St. George Church.
   His lawyer, John Kacavas, said the first day of testimony ended as he was questioning the accuser. Then, Hillsborough County Attorney Marguerite Wageling dropped the charges. Wageling said cases like Lawani's are very traumatic and difficult for victims to testify about.

• German bishops affirm ban on paedophiles in parish work

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Monsters and Critics, Sep 28, 2007
   FULD, Germany - The Catholic Church will work 'with all its might' to uncover paedophile attacks on children by priests, the head of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, said Friday.
   Speaking amid an outcry over a paedophile clergymen who was reassigned to a parish, Lehmann said the 70 bishops had discussed the issue for two and a half hours at talks this week but had not put it on their formal agenda.
   A guideline adopted by the bishops in 2002 prohibits the employment of convicted paedophiles in parish work, effectively confining them to administrative tasks where they only have contact with adults.
   Referring to the arrest of a previously convicted priest in the Bavarian parish of Riekofen on new child-sex charges, Lehmann said, 'Every case of sexual abuse is one case too many.'
   'The church will do everything with all its might to uncover sexual abuse,' he said.

• Church kickback trial nears end

[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.

   Chronicle-Telegram, Associated Press, September 28, 2007
   CLEVELAND (OH) – Lawyers and the judge in the conspiracy trial of a former accountant for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese on Thursday wrestled with legal and financial complexities, seeking to make about 60 pages of jury instruction as clear as possible.
   U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich then finished instructing the jury and set closing arguments for this morning in the case of Anton Zgoznik, who is charged with conspiracy, money laundering, mail fraud and obstruction of justice.
   The charges concern $784,000 in kickbacks to his former boss, Joseph Smith, former chief legal and financial officer for the diocese. Smith is to go on trial later on various charges.

• Diocese facing $37 Million deadline Monday

[Decades - Spokane Diocese] - RCC. US$37m due. Many children.
   KXLY, by Erik Loney / Last updated 06:51:03 PM, Thursday, September 27th, 2007
   SPOKANE (WA) -- The Spokane Catholic Diocese faces a major deadline Monday when $37 Million in the bankruptcy settlement with victims of priest sex abuse will be due.
   The plan right now is for the Diocese to wire a $5 Million payment to the bankruptcy trustee on Monday. Local parishes, meanwhile, have until December 31st to raise their $10 Million share of the settlement.
   Campaign organizers couldn't give us an exact figure on how much local churches have raised so far but said it was between $6 Million and $7 Million. They'll keep collecting money until the end of the year and then take a bank loan for the deficit, which could be up to $4 Million. The bank loan will be secured by parish property and paid off in five years.
   About half of the Diocese's 82 parishes have met their fundraising goals. Some parishes have sold property or taken money from building projects. Organizers of the parish campaign told me this has not been easy.

• Law firm bills diocese $197,000 for work

[Decades - Davenport Diocese] - RCC. US$197,000 to pay. Many children.
   Des Moines Register, September 28, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- Lane and Waterman, the Davenport law firm representing the Diocese of Davenport in its bankruptcy proceedings, has billed the court for $197,048.50 for interim payment of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses for work done since the diocese filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 10, 2006, through Aug. 31.
   The firm is charging the diocese $230 an hour. In addition, the firm has incurred $3,265.12 in expenses.
   Senior partners Richard A. Davidson and Rand Wonio have done the most work on the bankruptcy, with Davidson asking for $86,457 in pay and Wonio asking for $43,953 in compensation.

• Historic case: Law should protect women and children from abuse

- Fundamentalist LDS. [Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go. [2001-04 Mr Steed] - Child bride.
   The Salt Lake Tribune, Editorial, Article Last Updated 06:16:23 PM MDT, Sep/27/2007
   UTAH -- The successful prosecution of Warren Jeffs as an accomplice to rape marks the first time in recent Utah history that the prophet of a major polygamous sect has been convicted of a crime associated with the group's practices. In that sense it is historic.
   But it is important to remember that Jeffs was not brought to court because of his religion or even because of plural marriage. He was prosecuted because he abetted the rape of a 14-year-old girl by performing an illegal marriage between her and her 19-year-old cousin, then counseling her, when she protested her husband's sexual advances, to remain in this union, subservient to her husband, lest she lose eternal salvation. In short, she was coerced.
   In the wake of the Jeffs trial, her former husband also has been charged with rape. That is an appropriate answer to the question of how Jeffs could be prosecuted as an accomplice when the direct perpetrator was not charged.

• Utah and Arizona building additional criminal cases against Jeffs

- Fundamentalist LDS. [Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - 1 case Guilty, more child brides to go. [2001-04 Mr Steed] - Child bride.
   Deseret Morning News, By Ben Winslow, ~ September 28, 2007
   ST. GEORGE (UT) – Building off the criminal conviction of Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs, authorities in Utah and Arizona are pursuing additional cases against the polygamist sect leader.
   "I'm hoping that other people come forward," said Gary Engels, an investigator with the Mohave County (Ariz.) Attorney's Office.
   Engels confirmed to the Deseret Morning News he has additional investigations under way into Jeffs, who was convicted in 5th District Court earlier this week of charges of rape as an accomplice, stemming from a marriage he performed between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

• UMC steps up sexual misconduct policy to halt 'disturbing trend'

- Methodist.
   Church Executive, ~ September 28, 2007
   UNITED STATES -- A United Methodist watchdog introduced new resolutions to counter a "disturbing trend" of sexual misconduct in the denomination.
   "The use of pornography continues to increase as it becomes more accessible and allows more immediate, realistic and anonymous sexual contact and gratification," stated the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women in a resolution.
   The resolution, presented last week at the commission's annual meeting, will be submitted to the United Methodist General Conference - the highest legislative body in the United Methodist Church - when it convenes next year in April for its quadrennial meeting.
   According to the commission, sexual harassment and misconduct, including the use of Internet pornography by clergy, laity or volunteers, often on church-owned computers, remains a concern of the church body. Such harmful and addictive behavior alters relationships and sexual perceptions, and the Church needs to be aware of those dangers, the commission said, according to the United Methodist News Service.

• Police probe alleged abuse at former Ont. private school

[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.

   CBC News, The Canadian Press, Last Updated 10:02 AM ET | Thursday, September 27, 2007
   CANADA -- A criminal investigation has been launched into allegations of abuse at the now closed Grenville Christian College near Brockville in eastern Ontario.
   The school, which closed in July, had an elite reputation among Ontario private schools, charging up to $35,000 annually. It listed former lieutenants-governor, a senator and a Canadian diplomat among its patrons.
   The allegations of sexual and physical abuse extend to the late 1970s. Former students and staff are spread across Canada and the United States.
   The Ontario Provincial Police has asked anyone with knowledge of wrongdoing at the school to contact them. Police have not named any suspects.

• Residential schools: truth, reconciliation -- but no apology yet

[100yrs] - Churches betrayed indigenous kids, want Canada to apologise.

   Canadian Christianity, By Frank Stirk, ~ September 28, 2007
   CANADA -- CHURCH leaders who took part in negotiating the $1.9-billion residential schools class action settlement that came into effect last month cannot understand why the federal government will not now apologize for its role in this dark chapter in Canadian history.
   "You kind of assume from the implementation of the agreement, … that an apology acknowledging that reality shouldn't be that difficult," said James Scott, the United Church of Canada's General Council officer for residential schools.
   Last year, the United Church, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), the Presbyterian Church of Canada, and about 50 Roman Catholic "entities" accepted the settlement-the largest of its kind in the nation's history. Over about a 100-year period, they had all at one time or another operated residential schools.

• "Require VOG from priests"

   Expatica Netherlands September 28, 2007
   HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS -- A majority in Parliament wants Roman Catholic priests and other church workers who work with children to be required to produce a Certificate of Good Conduct, (VOG), also called a 'police clearance certificate' in some countries.
   This measure would aim to combat the sexual abuse of children, the television programme Netwerk reported on Thursday.
   The programme's own research indicated that some Roman Catholic priests who have been found guilty of child molestation continue to work with children. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 28, 2007 7:43 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri September 28, 2007
• Ecclesiastical buildings sold off

Ecclesiastical buildings sold off

   The Tablet (RC paper, Britain), www.the tablet.co. uk/articles/ 10417 , by Jonathan Luxmoore, September 29, 2007
   CZECH REPUBLIC -- The Czech Republic's predominant Catholic Church has been forced to sell properties at vastly reduced prices in an effort to cope with falling attendance, writes Jonathan Luxmoore.
   "We simply don't have the money to keep them," explained Martin Horalek, spokesman for the Prague-based bishops' conference, whose Church saw its membership drop from 41 to 27 per cent of the 10.2 million-strong population between 1991 and 2001. "Some priests are spending most of the time just maintaining their churches," Mr Horalek said. The Church had been compelled to offer cut prices to private buyers, since most buildings required extensive investment.
   Around 200 churches, monasteries and convents were returned to the Church in the 1990s, after the end of Communist rule. A Plzen Diocese website, www.fary.net, has listed several dozen properties for sale over the past year, ranging from a former parish house in Myto priced at just 185,000 crowns (£3,700), to a monastery at Chotesov with 6,500 acres of land which is on the market for £54,000. #

http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm#ecclesiastical_buildings_sold [Sep 29, 07]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 29, 2007 edition:

!!! Sexual abuse alleged at day care

[Female assistant -NEW*] - Bible Church. 2 boys

   Evening Sun, By SHARI SANGER, Article Launched 04:04:58 AM EDT Sep/29/2007
   HANOVER (PA) -- A female classroom assistant at The Shepherd's Fold Day Care Center in Hanover was placed on administrative leave this week amid sexual abuse allegations brought against her by two 4-year-old boys, church officials said Friday.
   "We are taking these allegations very seriously," said Senior Pastor Mike Osladil, of Calvary Bible Church which operates the day care - one of its ministries.
   Friday afternoon inside his office, Osladil discussed the allegations made against the staff member and what the church has done in response.

• Have they not yet learned?

[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. ≥ 4 minors.
   Orthodox Reform Author: Theodore Kalmoukos Publication: The National Herald Date Published: Sep/28/2007
   UNITED STATES -- Once again, our Church is being dragged to the courts for one of the most heinous cases imaginable: sexual misconduct involving a priest and a young boy.
   Once again, church officials seemed to have known about the case, and tried for months to keep it a secret until the news inevitably broke - as it should have been expected to - when the case reached a court of law.
   Words are not enough to describe the shame and fury our people feel - honest, moral, God-fearing, hardworking, law-abiding American citizens - who are seldom engaged by the police (our community has one of the lowest crime rates in the country) for such despicable acts. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 29, 2007 8:58 PM]

• Something Urgently Needs to be Done

[2000s Graff*] - Greek Orthodox. Male teen.
   Orthodox Reform, Author: Theodore Kalmoukos, Publication: The National Herald, Date Published: Sep/28/2007
   BOSTON, Mass., UNITED STATES -- Before we could finish saying, "Thank God the Katinas case is over" - ecclesiastically, at least (from a legal standpoint, we still have a long way to go) - we started praying, "Holy Theotokos, Most Blessed Mother of God, help us," because yet another case involving allegations of sexual misconduct with minors against another prominent clergyman of the Archdiocese, the Very Rev. Nicholas Graff, has surfaced.
   I will not elaborate on the fact that Archbishop Demetrios did not have the courtesy or strength to come to the phone and make a statement about this new case; nor about what Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, who had appointed Father Graff to so many visible and prominent positions, stated (see related story, page 1), although at some point, Alexios should offer an explanation to the Church and to the Greek American community and answer a very simple question:
   Since when has he known that a well-known archimandrite serving in his jurisdiction was living with an underage boy?

• Bischof Müller setzte sich über gerichtlichen Rat hinweg

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   Der Spiegel, ~ September 29, 2007
   GERMANY -- Bishop Gerhard Mueller apparently ignored warnings from a Nuremberg court when he reassigned a priest convicted of sexually abusing minors to parish work in Riefkofen.
   A court spokesperson confirmed the inquiry was made. The court said the priest called Peter K. could only have an assignment where he had no contact with children and was supervised, the spokesperson said. The bishop in 2004 gave the priest an assignment at Riekofen where he had contact with children. He was arrested in August for abusing boys in that Bavarian town.
   The German bishops expressed regret for the latest allegations of abuse. Cardinal Karl Lehmann, who heads the conference, said one incident of child abuse is one incident too many. Mueller received an indirect reprimand from the bishops for his mishandling of the situation.

• Preti gay, i segreti svelati in tv

- RCC clergy.

   Il Corriere della Sera, ~ September 29, 2007
   ITALY -- Journalist Lorenzo Salvia reports on interviews with homosexual priests that will be shown on the private television station called La7. Anonymous priests said there were many homosexual men in seminaries. The film shows some do not take chastity seriously.
   One priest said he "frequented a Sicilian boy for one year." "If you wear the tunic (meaning clerical clothing) it doesn't mean two men can't love each other," was another comment. Another commented "Sure if you wear the priest's collar you can attract many people and you can ask them if they would like to make love with you."
   Some criticized the church. "It behaves like the America army -- don't ask, don't tell. It covers up. It hides everything under the sand but doing so it doesn't grow," said one priest.
   The "gay" priests were filmed with a hidden camera during clandestine encounters with a boy they had picked up on a chat line for homosexual men.
   The half-hour film will be shown next Monday during the Exit program on La7. The intent of producing the program was to lift the veil of secrecy and tell the truth about homosexuality in the priesthood. The faces of the three priests are not shown and their voices are disguised.
   The first priest said he had his first homosexual experience 10 years ago. The second priest admits to having hundred [?] encounters but added he did not participate in seminary. He added that the church is hypocritical about gay priests because there are many homosexual men in the Vatican. A third priest said he had a tendency toward sado-masochism.

• Cardinal Mahony to bless the new Mary Star High

   Daily Breeze By Paul Clinton ~ September 29, 2007
   CALIFORNIA -- Mary Star of the Sea High School's new campus enters the final stage of a 13-year construction odyssey Sunday, when Cardinal Roger Mahony blesses a building expected to house students by Christmas.
   Church leaders and volunteers who managed the project said they're looking forward to students flowing into new classrooms, a gymnasium and locker rooms, an art room, a computer room and science labs. …
   A whiff of protest could work its way toward the event. A group representing survivors of priest abuse sent a letter to Mahony and Monsignor Patrick Gallagher of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church.
   The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests asked for a forum for one or two victims to speak at the event. The group also asked Mary Star to display a handmade quilt with childhood photos of more than 160 victims in front of the church's altar.
   Mary Grant, the regional director, said the group had not received a response.

• Vorwurf des Kindesmissbrauchs in Bayerischer Kirche

[1999 and ≤ 2007 Father Peter K.*] - RCC. Transferred. Boys.

   OONachrichten, ~ September 29, 2007
   RIEKOFTEN, GERMANY -- The bishop of Regenburg has come in for heavy reproach because of his reassignment of a priest previously accused of sexually abusing minors to a parish in this town. He has since been accused of molesting more local boys.
   Mothers of the alleged victims and victim advocates are now speaking out and held a press conference. One mother called Johanna D. put responsibility for the new cases of abuse onto the priest called only Peter K. and the Regensburg diocese. Bishop Gerhard Mueller has repeatedly said he reassigned the priest based on a psychological report that the priest had been cured of pedophilia.
   A group of Catholics called We Are Church has asked the Vatican to intervene. They are calling for Pope Benedict XVI, who once lived not far from Riekofen, to appoint a co-adjutor bishop to Regensburg. The organization said the Vatican must work to reestablish reliability of the Catholic church.

• Marianists' chided for seeking names of plaintiffs

[1958 - 1980s Bro. Mueller* (Marianist)] - RCC. Boys.

   The Pueblo Chieftain, By PATRICK MALONE, ~ September 29, 2007
   PUEBLO (CO) -- A watchdog organization that tracks abuse by clergy staged press conferences in two cities Thursday over a Catholic religious order's actions in a slew of Pueblo lawsuits.
   The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, better known as SNAP, issued statements outside the St. Louis headquarters of the Society of Mary religious order (also known as the Marianists) and Central Catholic High School in San Antonio.
   The common thread between the two sites is former Marianist Brother William Mueller, who belonged to the order for 24 years before voluntarily leaving the clergy in the mid-1980s. During that span, he was assigned five times to all-boys high schools in three states, including Roncalli High School in Pueblo from 1966-71, and Central Catholic High School in San Antonio from 1971-81.
   Depositions from four Missouri lawsuits alleging that Mueller abused former students revealed that Marianist leaders were aware of Mueller's alleged indiscretions involving teenage boys since 1958. Mueller, who is 69 and resides in San Antonio, exercised his right to stay silent when he was deposed.

• Jeffs conviction is an indictment of abuse

- Fundamentalist LDS. [Decades - "Prophet" Jeffs] - 1 case Guilty, another child bride to go. [2001-04 Mr Steed] - Child bride.
   The Denver Post, Editorial Board, Article Last Updated 05:31:37 PM MDT, Sep/28/2007
   UTAH -- The photos released after the closing arguments in the trial of Warren Jeffs say it all.
   They show Elissa Wall at age 14, before her spiritual wedding to her 19-year-old cousin. In one, she is a pudgy girl, her body and smiling face still plump with baby fat, dressed as any youngster that age might be to attend church. In the other, taken just months later, she is being fitted for a wedding dress, her baby face looking anxious.
   Wall's age and innocence were convincing factors as prosecutors successfully argued in court that she was raped by the man she was forced to marry. A jury convicted Jeffs, the leader and prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of two counts of being an accomplice to rape for marrying Wall to Allen Steed and pressuring her to submit to sex with him.

• Ex-youth minister admits to molestation

[Mr Reeves]
   Columbus Dispatch, DISPATCH STATE SERVICE, 3:30 AM, Saturday, September 29, 2007
   DELAWARE, Ohio -- A former youth minister acknowledged yesterday that he molested two young boys during sleepovers at his home.
   Authorities initially charged Robert Reeves, 41, of Mount Vernon in Knox County, with nine counts of gross sexual imposition. In an agreement reached with prosecutors, Reeves pleaded guilty to five of the original counts and pleaded no contest to one count of attempted gross sexual imposition.
   Delaware County Common Pleas Judge W. Duncan Whitney said he will sentence Reeves on Dec. 11.

• Daycare Investigation

- Bible Church.
   WHPT, Reported by: Melissa Medalie, Email: melissamedalie@clearchannel.com , Last Update 6:01 pm, Sep/28/2007
   HANOVER (PA) -- The York County District Attorney's office says it's investigating a daycare on allegations of sexual misconduct by a staff member.
   The DA's office is working with the Hanover Police Department on this investigation.
   The Shepherds Fold Daycare Center is located within the Calvary Bible Church in Hanover. The worker in question is not being charged with any kind of crime just yet. But the York County District Attorney's office and the Hanover Police Department are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct involving that worker and at least one child.
   The daycare center is responsible for the care of children ages 2 to 5. It includes a nursery school and kindergarten. The senior pastor of the church says the staff member being investigated has been placed on paid administrative leave.

• More time sought in diocese case

   The Gazette By Gregg Hennigan gregg.hennigan@gazettecommunications.com ~ September 29, 2007
   DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is again seeking more time to file a reorganization plan in its bankruptcy case so it can resolve insurance issues that could add millions of dollars to the settlement.
   The diocese's request, made in a joint motion with the case's creditors committee, was filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
   It is the second time the two sides have asked the court to give the diocese more time to file its reorganization plan as they work toward an agreement.
   Last month, Judge Lee Jackwig moved the original deadline of Aug. 15 to Oct. 1. Now, the diocese and creditors committee, which includes people who claim they were abused by diocese priests, want the plan to be due Nov. 16 and approved by Jan. 16.

• Supreme Court to decide if school sex-abuse lawsuits continue

   The Rapid City Journal, By Chet Brokaw, The Associated Press, September 28, 2007
   PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA -- The Catholic Diocese in Rapid City is a defendant in one of two lawsuits involving alleged sexual abuse awaiting decisions by the South Dakota Supreme Court.
   The state's high court will determine whether students who allege they were sexually abused at two Native American boarding schools -- including St. Francis Mission School on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation -- waited too long to file lawsuits against the religious organizations that ran the schools.
   The other lawsuit involves St. Paul's School in Marty, which is near Wagner.
   Lawyers in both cases will argue before the Supreme Court at Black Hills State University in Spearfish on Monday. The high court will consider appeals involving conflicting rulings issued by the two circuit judges handling the lawsuits. At issue is a state law that requires a lawsuit seeking damages for childhood sexual abuse to be filed within three years of the alleged abuse or within three years of the time the victim discovered or should have discovered that an injury was caused by the abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 29, 2007 8:30 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat September 29, 2007
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun September 30, 2007 edition:

• Allegations of abuse made against priest

[1980s-90s McAlinden -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
   Asbury Park Press BY MATT PAIS MANAHAWKIN BUREAU September 30, 2007
   TUCKERTON (NJ) – The Diocese of Trenton has defrocked a priest at St. Theresa's Parish after learning of allegations that he sexually molested a juvenile over a period of several years in the late 1980s and 1990s.
   The Rev. Terence O. McAlinden, who served at St. Theresa's for more than 20 years, is no longer permitted to "exercise his priestly ministry, wear clerical garb or present himself as a priest in the Diocese of Trenton or anywhere," according to a statement issued by the diocese Saturday.
   The diocese received a complaint about McAlinden less than a week ago, said spokeswoman Rayanne Bennett. The complaint was forwarded to Trenton by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
   Capt. Michael Mohel of the Prosecutor's Office said his office first learned of the allegations last month. The victim, now in his mid-30s, said he had suffered a continued pattern of sexual molestation.

• Monsignor Urell And Trial-By-Media

[Mons Urell*] - RCC. Years - Permitted transfers. 2007 Memory problems. 2007 Sep 6 crosses to Canada.

   Red County, ~ September 30, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Someone relying on regular media coverage of Monsignor John Urell and the Jeff Andrade trial could be forgiven for believing the monsignor broke down during his deposition one day and was hustled him onto a Canada-bound plane the next day by the Diocese of Orange.
   After all, that is the impression being fostered by the reporting on this story. My friend Steve Greenhut, for example, deploys the word "fled" with the rigid discipline of a propagandist.
   Those relying on media coverage of the trial can be forgiven for not knowing that six weeks elapsed between the time of Monsignor Urell's un-completed deposition and his entering Southdown Institute in Canada. By relying on media coverage, you wouldn't know that Monsignor Urell underwent a progressive deterioration during that interval, to the point where his friend and subsequently attorney Patrick Hennessey took him to a doctor, who diagnosed Monsignor Urell as suffering from acute anxiety disorder and requiring immediate hospitalization and treatment. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 30, 2007 4:59 PM]

• Don Sante ancora in tivù, oggi pomeriggio sarà ospite a Buona Domenica

[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. 2007 Website, might join Milingo's Church. Celibate has girlfriend Laura.

   Il Gazzettino, ~ September 30, 2007
   ITALY -- The Rev. Sante Sguotti, the parish priest from Monterosso who has publicly confessed his love for a woman, will be guest today on the TV program called Buona Domenica. The program airs at 5 p.m. on Channel 5 (11a.m. EST in the U.S.) Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo has asked the priest to leave the parish but the priest so far has refused.
   It is not known what Rev. Sguotti will say during the half-hour segment. He celebrated Mass in his parish yesterday but will not do so today. The bishop has removed Rev. Sguotti from priestly duties but the priests continues to celebrate Mass.

• Agredieron a un sacerdote acusado de abusar de cinco adolescentes

[2005 Mercau -NEW*] - RCC. 5 boys.

   El Dia, ~ September 30, 2007
   ARGENTINA -- A priest who is accused of sexually abusing five teenagers was attacked by the parents of his presumed victims who intercepted the monk as he left the public prosecutor's office after declaring. The incident happened in Tigre, which is outside of Buenos Aires.
   The parents waited by the exit for the Rev. Jose Mercau, who declared before a justice regarding the allegations that he abused five young people. The incidents are alleged to have happened in 2005 when Mercau was at the San Juan Diego home, a home for poor boys or who have family problems.
   The priest is currently in a prison prevention program and lives at the Benedictine convent of Los Toldos.
   Guarded and handcuffed, the priest left the office in a police car. The parents insulted the priest and tried to attack. To the shout of "rapist," the parents wanted to strike Mercau but he was put into a police car and refused to speak to the press.
   According to the accusations, the youths were between 11 and 14 when the alleged abuse happened.

• Un sacerdote acusado de abuso sexual es agredido por los familiares de las víctimas

   Canarias, ~ September 30, 2007
   ARGENTINA -- A priest accused of sexually abusing minors at a home for young people outside of the Argentine capital was attacked by relatives of the alleged victims when appearing before the office of the public prosecutor.
   The Rev. Jose Mercau, who is accused of abusing four young people now about age 16, left the public prosecutor's office in Tigre, located outside of Buenos Aires.
   Merceau has been fullfilling a preventive prison program since 2005 by living in a Benedictine convent.
   According to statements made by the teenagers, the priest is being investigated for aggravated sexual abuse and they claim he seduced them and forced them to have sexual contact with him.

• Hilarious Quote of The Year Award Goes To…

   Orange County Weekly Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, Naranja News 6:38 AM September 30, 2007
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Peter Callahan, longtime attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Today, the Orange County Register plays catchup to the Los Angeles Times and interviews Scott Hicks, who claims Bishop Tod D. Brown abused him decades ago. Again, no mention of the fact that the Weekly broke this story six months ago.
   But we're straying from our point. In the Register piece, Callahan was asked to comment about Brown. Not only does Callahan label Hicks' allegation as an "attack," but he then offers this gem:
   "Bishop Brown is a good and decent man and he has led the way among many bishops across the country in trying to resolve the pain of victims who have been harmed in any way by any things or persons associated with the Church," {Callahan}continued.

• "Il colletto tira": tre preti gay si confessano

- RCC.

   Napoligaypress, ~ September 30, 2007
   ITALY -- The Exit program on La7 tomorrow will feature a special program with three unnamed priests who profess to be homosexual.
   According to the program, a homosexual boy frequents chat rooms and often meets priests. Priests indicate that many gay priests feel no shame and do not believe their activities are sinful.
   A priest using the name of Don Felice tells of his sexual experiences and said, "The church confuses homosexuality and pedophilia. And that is a large mistake."

• Bishop reports 'intruders'

   Gallup Independent By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola September 29, 2007
   GALLUP (NM) – Gallup Police were called to Bishop Donald Pelotte's home early Thursday morning, an incident that seems to be a strange echo of another incident in late July that left Pelotte seriously injured.
   Pelotte, 62, the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, is currently recovering from injuries suffered in July and is absent from his official duties.
   According to a copy of an incident report from the McKinley Metropolitan Dispatch Authority, Pelotte made an emergency call to Metro Dispatch at 5:51 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, claiming that unknown subjects were in his home. Three Gallup Police officers were dispatched to Pelotte's west side home, with the first two officers arriving at 6 a.m. and the third officer arriving three minutes later.
   The Metro Dispatch report provides a sketchy – but strange – account of the incident. Pelotte reportedly said there were four individuals in his house, but he offered conflicting information about them. At one point, he said one of the individuals came to visit and the others came inside. He also said they had been there for three hours, and he had tried to tell them to leave. Later Pelotte said they were unknown people, strangers who didn't want to leave.

• Sex predators proliferating in cyberspace, experts say

[2007 Sep 13 - Mr Stroschein*] - RCC. Internet "girl".
   Des Moines Register By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE RELIGION EDITOR September 30, 2007
   IOWA -- Louis Stroschein Jr., 31, remains in the Black Hawk County Jail since his Sept. 13 arrest.
   Police say the well-regarded Catholic school principal from Harlan drove to Waterloo to meet a teenage girl - his Internet chat friend - and take her to a motel for sex.
   Instead, he was met by Lt. Kent Smock of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department, and arrested on felony charges of enticing away a minor.
   Stroschein's wife has taken their children and left Harlan, school officials said. No one else has stepped forward to help the principal, who has been suspended from his job without pay, to make bail. He is being held on $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 8.
   Officials with the Diocese of Des Moines, like people in Harlan, were stunned by the charges against Stroschein. He had passed the Catholic Church's rigorous new background check and had taken child protection training required of every employee. He came highly recommended from his previous job at St. Anthony Catholic School in Dubuque.

• O'SHAUGHNESSY: Doubts linger over request to film in Naugatuck

   Waterbury Republica-American, September 29, 2007
   NAUGATUCK (CT) -- The opening line in "Doubt: a Parable" is spoken by a priest. "What do you do," he asks, "when you are not sure?"
   Set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play centers on a flinty, dogmatic nun who suspects the popular local priest is "interfering with" a child in her school.
   "Suspects" is the key word here. Sister Aloysius is a rigid, authoritarian principal to whom moral uncertainty is anathema. What to do, then, when her female intuition sends up flares that the charismatic Father Flynn's involvement with a new boy is a little untoward?
   "Doubt," as Ben Brantley of the New York Times wrote, is "an inspired study in moral uncertainty" that just happens to involve a priest. It is also a study in power, male-female dynamics and race – the boy in question is the school's first African-American.
   To the principal of Salem School in Naugatuck and some of the Board of Education, it is about one thing: priestly pedophilia.
   Miramax Films would like to shoot scenes at the school, a showpiece of Naugatuck architecture, for a movie version of the play, which will star Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Principal Jennifer Kruge and at least two board members do not want the school used even as a backdrop. They say the subject matter is inappropriate for elementary school pupils.They are concerned that the film may force them to discuss sexual molestation with their children. Worse, they are concerned about filming the movie in Naugatuck, where a local priest is facing accusations of sexual abuse with a 15-year-old boy.

• Brown accuser talks about his past

   The Orange County Register, By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI ~ September 30, 2007
   FRESNO (CA) -- Scott Hicks, the man who has raised disturbing allegations against Bishop Tod Brown of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, tends to wildflowers to ease his mind.
   A shock of pink, yellow and orange zinnias covers the front yard of the modest, one-story home, where he has lived with his wife and two daughters for 20 years.
   It is a weekday evening, around 6 p.m. Hicks sits in his living room, glancing out at the flowers. His wife, a family law attorney, isn't home yet. His youngest daughter, Katie, is in her bedroom.
   Jars of his handmade pottery line a shelf. Pottery is another reprieve, even from sleep when he dreams he is trapped in boxes.
   A bookcase lines a wall. Its shelves are filled with poetry by Sharon Olds and Louise Gluck. And also this: "Sex, Priests and Secret Codes: The Church's 2,000-Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 30, 2007 7:48 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun September 30, 2007

NEWSITEMS RECEIVED COVERING OTHER THAN RELIGIONS' CHILD AND/OR SEXUAL ABUSE

• Rodis to be arraigned on new fraud charges

[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. US$515,231 gone.

   Times-Dispatch, By TOM CAMPBELL, Last Updated 02:11 AM, Thursday, Sep 06, 2007
   RICHMOND (VA) -- The Rev. Rodney L. Rodis is due in federal court this afternoon for arraignment on new charges that he stole more than a half million dollars from his Louisa County parishioners.
   Until last month the retired Catholic priest was headed for trial in Louisa Circuit Court on 13 counts of embezzlement. Those state charges have been dropped by the Louisa County prosecutor.
   The U.S. District Court grand jury that indicted Rodis on Aug. 21 accused him of transferring $515,231 in embezzled money to addresses in the Philippines, which is Rodis' homeland. The federal indictment carries 13 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
   Federal prosecutors are taking over the Rodis case in part because the federal court is better equipped to recover stolen money from other nations, authorities said.
   [COMMENT: In later newsitems it seems he has a wife and three children in the Philippines. COMMENT ENDS.]

• Accused Priest Set To Be Arraigned

[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. US$515,231 gone.

   WRIC, September 06, 2007
   RICHMOND (VA) -- A Louisa County priest accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from two local churches is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court today in Richmond.
   Father Rodney Rodis was indicted two weeks ago on federal embezzling charges. Rodis had been facing local charges in Louisa since January. The END of Newsitems Received Covering Other Than Religions' Child And/Or Sexual Abuse

SYMBOLS:
   * -- NEW*, and in later entries summarising the facts just an asterisk (*), signify clergy who were not known to the public, and probably/possibly not included in previous overall statistics and enumerations of the numbers of seducing etc. clergy.
   ≤ means "less than or equal to," and on this website might signify before or during that year or month, or, before or on that date.
   ≥ means "greater than or equal to," and on this website is given cognate meanings.
   < means "less than," and on this website might signify before a date.
   > means "greater than," and on this website might signify after a date.
   However, at times, Internet addresses or e-mail addresses in some situations might be marked off with "<" and ">".
   ~ is being used on this website to signify approximately, or about that period.

FOR GOOD TEACHINGS TO BE HEEDED, A BIG CLEAN-UP IS NEEDED
Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker for current on-line
The Boston Globe book: http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse USA
Weblog starts: www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethicscontents.htm
Petition at: www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/optional.htm
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ANCHOR LIST (After reading an article, use Browser's "Back" button to return to Anchor List)
* Brothers seek healing for past. W. AUSTRALIA: Christian Brothers apologise again for physical and sexual abuse, and for taking part in the child migration scheme. Sep 12, 07
* Ecclesiastical buildings sold off. CZECH REPUBLIC: Sep 29, 07
* Ex-principal of Wesley settles writ over his job. W. AUSTRALIA. Dr John Bednall supposedly accessed inappropriate material on a school computer in 2002, resigned, and now withdraws from a "wrongful dismissal" case! Sep 24, 07
* Make sure Sofia did not die in vain. The Sunday Times, W. AUSTRALIA, editorial, sees the danger of vigilante gangs if paedophile register details were made available to the general public. [Sep 23, 07
* Music teacher pleads guilty to groping girl. W. AUSTRALIA: Sep 11, 07
* Mugabe critic quits as archbishop. ZIMBABWE: Hidden-camera adultery video finishes RC Archbishop Pius Ncube. Sep 12, 07
* Ncube resigns in storm of controversy. VATICAN CITY and ZIMBABWE: Sep 19, 07
* Parents demand Sofia's Law to expose pedophiles. W. AUSTRALIA: Arthurs. Sep 22/34, 07
* The past is a different country for 'orphan'. W. AUSTRALIA and BRITAIN: Non-orphans and orphans in Britain were tricked into shift to Australia. Sep 17, 07
* 'Pervert' coach's work ban lifted. W. AUSTRALIA: Sep 10, 07
* Registered pedophiles, sex offenders taking overseas trips. Perverts flout sex register. W. AUSTRALIA: Sep 22/34, 07
* San Diego settles. CALIFORNIA, US: San Diego and San Bernardino Dioceses will pay US$239.8m to 144 victims. Sep 12, 07

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