[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Child porn.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ~ April 01, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. -- An employee of the Catholic church in Yakima is facing child pornography charges in Oregon.
The 37-year-old, Juan Jose Gonzalez, was arrested March 19 after a traffic stop and is jailed in Yakima awaiting an April 22nd extradition hearing.
Gonzalez faces four charges that arose from when he was a seminary student at Mount Angel. He was dismissed from the seminary in 2003 and hired by the bishop in Yakima to work at the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche (cow-ICH'-ee).
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
6:10 PM]
(This is the first item ofAbuse Chronology:
http://www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ ethcont147. htm ,
and of the Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abusetracker ,
A Blog by Kathy Shaw,
for Tue April 01, 2008.)
[? 2000s "Bishop" Randy Fraser -NEW*] - Baptist. Girl.
The Voice,
~ April 1, 2008
BAHAMAS HIGH Court judges have ordered a new trial for Bishop Randy Fraser, who is accused of having sex with a teenage girl he was counselling.
The Justices of Appeal overturned a magistrate's decision to free Fraser, who is the pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church.
[? 2007-08 Deacon Ritchie -NEW*] - - RCC. At a home for seniors.
The Whig Standard
Posted By Rob Tripp
~ April 1, 2008
CANADA -- A ROMAN CATHOLIC DEACON WHO WAS THE spiritual care co-ordinator of Providence Manor in Kingston has been charged with sexual assault, according to the facility's administrator.
Shelagh Nowlan said Patrick Ritchie is no longer an employee of Providence Manor, a long-term care home where 243 seniors live.
It's alleged that the abuse took place at the home. A deacon holds an ordained position in the church and performs pastoral duties.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla -NEW*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
The Seattle Times,
By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer, ~ April 1, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima said Tuesday he regrets hiring a retreat director known to be under investigation of child pornography charges in Oregon, saying it "wasn't a good hire."
Juan Jose Gonzalez, 37, of Cowiche is being held on $80,000 bail at the Yakima County Jail on a fugitive warrant issued in Marion County, Ore. He faces four charges of encouraging child sex abuse, a felony, according to Yakima County Superior Court records.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla said he hired Gonzalez in 2003 to work part-time at the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche because he viewed the incident as an "isolated episode," and because the job involved administrative work and teaching religious education to adults only, not children. Gonzalez was hired as full-time retreat director later that summer.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
9:31 PM]
[O'Donnell] - RCC.
KXLY,
Story by Erik Loney / KXLY4 Reporter, Updated 08:52 PM EDT, April 1, 2008
[with video]
SPOKANE (WA) -- Confessed child molester and former Spokane priest Patrick O'Donnell is facing new legal troubles after a woman placed a restraining order against him.
A woman that lives in O'Donnell's gated neighborhood in LaConner filed a temporary harassment protection order against him last week, claiming he approached her twin daughters while they were at the neighborhood school bus stop.
O'Donnell is accused of picking up a rock off the ground, approaching the girls and giving it to them. Neighbors say they witnessed the interaction and chased O'Donnell away.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
9:43 PM]
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
Sacramento Bee,
By Jennifer Garza - jgarza@sacbee.com
Published 3:24 pm PDT Tuesday, April 1, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) -- Another alleged sex abuse victim of a former Sacramento priest has stepped forward.
Gabriela Enriquez, 26, claims she was repeatedly molested by Gerardo Beltran who was recently arrested in Mexico. Enriquez - and other Beltran victims - spoke at a press conference Tuesday outside St. Joseph's parish in Sacramento.
Enriquez says she was molested by Beltran at St. Joseph's Church from 1989 to 1991. She was an 8-year-old altar server at the church.
- RCC. More seducers still leading parishes.
San Francisco Chronicle,
AP, Monday, March 31, 2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- At least 64 Roman Catholic clergy members have been accused of molesting children in Alameda and Contra Costa counties since 1950 – far more than the diocese has publicly acknowledged – and nearly two dozen of them continue to serve in churches, according to published reports.
The alleged abuse spanned at least 26 parishes and six high schools in the East Bay, nearly three-quarters of the parishes in the Diocese of Oakland, according to reports published this week by local MediaNews Group newspapers, which analyzed court and church records.
Since 2004, Bishop Allen Vigneron has publicly apologized for 12.
- RCC.
New Hampshire Department of Justice,
~ April 1, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- This links to the report on the Diocese of Manchester made public today by Attorney General Kelly Ayotte.
New Hampshire Union Leader
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, ~ April 1, 2008
CONCORD, New Hampshire -– The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester reached a "milestone" in its compliance with child protection policies and practices since last year, including revising policies to close "critical gaps" and enhancing its program, an international forensic auditing firm said in its report made public today.
KPMG Inc. also remarked on the "openness and willingness to cooperate" with auditors shown by Bishop John B. McCormack, the Rev. Edward J. Arsenault and other senior diocesan leaders.
State Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte commended diocesan leaders and staff for the "dramatic improvement" made since last year.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:26 PM
Foster's Daily Democrat,
AP, April 1, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ The latest audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester shows "significant progress" in its compliance program to prevent child-sexual abuse, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday. But there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as not immediately removing someone accused of abuse when an allegation is reported, she said.
The audit was conducted as part of the state's December 2002 agreement with the diocese, relating to its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct of children by priests. The terms of the agreement included an annual audit of the diocese regarding its compliance with the agreement.
The third annual audit, the result of visits and other interviews conducted by an independent firm from Aug. 13 to Nov. 1 last year, was made public Tuesday.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:24 PM
- RC diocese does U-turn.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester,
April 1, 2008
MANCHESTER, NH -- "Protecting children and young people continues to be a focus of the entire Catholic Church in New Hampshire and maintaining a safe environment for everyone is an essential part of who we are as Catholics," said Bishop John B. McCormack.
Bishop McCormack commented on the assessment conducted by a Massachusetts accounting firm for the Attorney General's Office and released today along with a letter from the attorney general. "I am heartened by the letter from Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in which she recognizes our 'shared goal of protecting children from sexual abuse.' This mutual desire to do what is best for children serves both our state and our Church. I am deeply grateful to the priests, deacons, school administration and teachers, and the thousands of paid and volunteer lay ministers in our parishes, schools and institutions who remain dedicated to making our children and young people safe."
The KPMG assessment published today is the result of visits and interviews conducted by KPMG from August 13 to November 1, 2007.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:20 PM
NEW HAMPSHIRE --
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester,
~ April 1, 2008
[with link to Bishop McCormack's letter to the attorney general]
On April 1, 2008, the NH Attorney General released to the public the assessment report prepared by KPMG Forensic Services regarding the Diocese of Manchester's safe environment programs, along with a cover letter to Bishop McCormack, in which she "acknowledge[s] and commend[s] the Diocese for the significant progress which it has made" and identifies some areas for further enhancements and improvements. Bishop McCormack has replied to the Attorney General's letter. See below for more information.
Nashua Telegraph,
By ALBERT McKEON, amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com , April 1, 2008
CONCORD (NH) The state's top prosecutor on Tuesday praised the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester for making great strides in further refining and following its sexual misconduct policy.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said diocesan leaders had greatly changed their attitudes about instituting safeguards that can help protect children from sexual abuse. Her statement marked a clear reversal from last year, when Ayotte faulted a diocesan leader for displaying a poor attitude and impeding the process.
"We're certainly pleased we're moving in the right direction," Ayotte said at a press conference that outlined the latest state review of the diocesan sexual misconduct policy.
- RCC had them in temptation's path.
CALIFORNIA --
City of Angels,
~ April 1, 2008
SHORT NOTE:
Doing research I copy and pasted this letter from Via Coeli Servants of the Paraclete in 1968, and the PDF download corrupted a Word file so bad I had to delete the doc. Then I copy and pasted the letter two more times and it would just disappear. So I'm publishing it here today before it goes away and never comes back.
"Beginning July 1968 the Superior and Staff of Via Coeli Monastery inaugurate a system of MONTHLY REPORTS on guest priests resident with us at Via Coeli or [ILLEGIBLE] ed out to our halfway houses in Albuquerque and Santa Fe within recent weeks.
"In the past PROGRESS REPORTS have been mailed out intermittently, but this system has proven unsatisfactory in many instances. We hope that this new effort on our part will bring to the Ordinaries and Major Superiors a better understanding of their personnel resident with us, and a keener insight into what we have to offer at Via Coeli by way of priestly rehabilitation.
The Australian,
ANALYSIS: Jeremy Roberts | for April 02, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- ADELAIDE'S Anglican diocese yesterday shared the blame with the South Australian Government in failing to protect children in state care from sexual predators.
Ted Mullighan's report details alleged abuse of state ward children at two Anglican institutions over the past 65 years, as well as two Catholic and three Salvation Army facilities.
While the Catholic Church declined to comment yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver urged the South Australian Government to adopt all of Mr Mullighan's 54 recommendations.
"I strongly support the recommendations," he said.
[Tusky] - Christian. Money.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
By Francine Garrone
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
PITTSBURGH (PA) -- The Diocese of Pittsburgh has yet to make a decision to the future of former local pastor the Rev. Richard Tusky, and is unsure when that decision may come.
Diocesan spokesman the Rev. Ron Lengwin said Monday no decision had been made. …
His decision came after the diocese began an investigation of "financial decisions."
[Dr Reardon] - RC connected hospital. 8 new claims.
Hartford Courant,
By DANIEL P. JONES | April 1, 2008
HARTFORD (CT) -- Eight more people – including a man who claims Dr. George Reardon raped him repeatedly – have filed a lawsuit against St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center alleging negligence in not preventing the prominent endocrinologist from sexually abusing them.
"It's just another example of the depravity of Reardon and the increasing toll that the hospital's failure to intervene has taken on innocent lives," lawyer Joel Faxon, whose firm represents 44 of the plaintiffs, said Monday.
Reardon, who died in 1998, practiced medicine at St. Francis from 1963 to 1993, when he resigned in the face of accusations that he molested and inappropriately photographed children for decades, starting in the 1950s. A massive cache of slides and videos showing children in what police described as pornographic poses was discovered in November in Reardon's former West Hartford home.
[1982-85 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Stockton Record,
By Alex Breitler, April 01, 2008
LOCKEFORD (CA) -- A Catholic priest denied a newly filed lawsuit's claims that he sexually abused a young boy in Stockton in the early 1980s.
"The accusations are outrageous lies, and I categorically deny them," the Rev. Michael Kelly said Monday.
Kelly was placed on administrative leave in October while the Diocese of Stockton investigated. He was cleared in mid-March and has returned to the ministry at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Lockeford.
[LOOK BACK: March 14, 2008]
[1940s onward - Government and Church institutions, foster homes, youth shelters]
Herald Sun,
by Tim Dornin, 02:04pm, April 01, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- Child sexual abuse is widespread, reporting rates are low and the effects can be devastating and last a lifetime, a report into the sexual abuse of children in state care in South Australia has found.
Releasing the results of his three-year inquiry into the abuse of children in state care, former Supreme Court Justice Ted Mullighan said evidence showed abuse occurred in every type of care from the 1940s onward. …
Mr Mullighan found that abuse occurred in large institutional care, in church institutions, in government and non-government homes for children, in youth shelters, residential care units and foster homes.
[Dr Levine] - No religion link reported in these cases.
The Eagle-Tribune
By Stephanie Chelf
~ April 1, 2008
BOSTON (MA) – Lawyer Carmen Durso, a Haverhill native who represented victims of the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, is now a central figure in a sexual assault complaint against a doctor who has made appearances on the "Oprah" and "Today" shows.
Durso, on behalf of five unnamed clients, filed a complaint yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court accusing Dr. Melvin Levine of sexually abusing patients when he was treating them at Children's Hospital in Boston more than 20 years ago. …
Boston defense lawyer Edward Mahoney said in a statement that Levine "categorically denies" the allegations.
[Hoppe*] - Christian. 4yrs prison. Girl.
The Journal Times
BY JANINE ANDERSON
11:54 PM CDT
Monday, March 31, 2008
RACINE (WI) – The former Burlington pastor who had an ongoing romantic and sexual relationship with one of his youth group members is "a wolf in sheep's clothing," a prosecutor said Monday.
Judge Gerald Ptacek sentenced Scott Hoppe to four years in prison and six on extended supervision, a sentence which adds one year of incarceration and three of supervision to Hoppe's initial sentence.
Hoppe, 33, groomed his victim and her family over the course of several years to gain their trust and weaken boundaries, Deputy District Attorney Richard Chiapete said. By the time the girl was 16, their relationship had progressed. Eventually, he was leaving his home and sneaking into her bedroom nearly every night.
[LOOK BACK: ~ Jan 4, 2008]
- RCC and Government authorities kept challenging judge's authority.
CBC News
Last Updated 6:05 PM ET |
Monday, March 31, 2008
CANADA -- A public inquiry into sexual abuse allegations in Cornwall, Ont., will continue into the fall instead of wrapping up in July, thanks mainly to delays caused by institutions such as police and Ontario government ministries, says the judge presiding over the hearings.
Commissioner Normand Glaude announced the extension Monday while providing an update on a number of issues related to the Cornwall Public Inquiry, which is looking at how public institutions responded to allegations of sexual abuse made over decades against dozens of people in positions of authority, including priests and parole officers.
Glaude mainly blamed the Cornwall police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Corrections, the local Catholic diocese and other institutions for slowing the proceedings by challenging his authority on a regular basis. Many of them have gone to court to overrule Glaude's decisions, resulting in lengthy proceedings in those courts.
Albany Times Union
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
NEW YORK An attorney who represents numerous people who allege they were the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests said Monday that he will announce his run for the 21st Congressional District seat next week.
John Aretakis, 47, would be the seventh Democrat to enter the race, in addition to two Republicans. All are vying to take the seat of Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who will retire at year's end after 20 years in Congress.
Aretakis has filed numerous lawsuits against the church on behalf of those who say they were molested by priests. He was fined by two federal judges last year for filing baseless lawsuits. Aretakis has appealed these sanctions.
[1982-85 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Modesto Bee,
By SUE NOWICKI, snowicki@modbee.com , April 01, 2008
STOCKTON (CA) -- The Southern California law office of John C. Manly filed a lawsuit in San Joaquin County on Friday against an unnamed Catholic diocese, parish, school and priest on charges of childhood sexual abuse. The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of money for actual and punitive damages on behalf of an unnamed plaintiff.
"I'll confirm on the record that it's against the (Stockton Diocese) and Father (Michael) Kelly," Manly said in a phone interview Monday.
"As of this moment, the diocese has not been served with any papers, so we have no comment," said Stockton Diocese spokeswoman Sister Terry Davis.
- Book review.
Bloomberg,
Review by Susan Antilla, April 1, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Robert S. Bennett was at his desk on April 1, 1998, when word reached him that Paula Corbin Jones's sexual harassment suit against his client, then-President Bill Clinton, had been thrown out.
Bennett instantly dialed the White House to share the news with the president, but while on hold he glanced at his calendar and noticed the date: April Fools' Day. Frantic that the news could be a prank, he balanced a second phone on his free ear to verify the information before Clinton came on the line. He got the confirmation just seconds before the president greeted him from Senegal. …
He also faced emotional battles. His father moved out when Bennett was 7, and he describes watching him pack to leave -- a heartbreaking scene. Further chinks are made in his emotional armor by the Catholic Church: When his father remarried and asked Bennett to be best man, a priest told him it could "bring scandal to the church." He did it anyway.
Yet Bennett remains a devout Catholic and was even chosen to lead a review board that examined sexual abuse of minors by priests. The boxer from Brooklyn pulls few punches when he writes about the scandal, which includes some of the most intimate insights in the book.
Schenectady Daily Gazette
By Michael Lamendola
April 1, 2008
NEW YORK, 21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT – A high-profile lawyer known for pursuit of clergy abuse cases plans to join the field of Democrats seeking the 21st Congressional District seat of Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island.
John Aretakis, 47, of North Greenbush, will announce next week he will seek the seat, he said Monday in a news release.
Mark Lyman, a spokesman for Aretakis, said Aretakis wants to address the sexual abuse of children through legislation in Congress, as well as economic issues affecting New Yorkers.
[Decades - Salesians of Don Bosco] - RCC. Legal manoeuvres. Children.
San Jose Mercury News
By Jeremy Herb and Rob Dennis
Article Launched 03:02:25 AM PDT, Apr/01/2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- While the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland reached a $56.4 million global settlement in 2005 with the victims of childhood sexual abuse by its priests, one religious order opted for a different tactic.
The Salesians of St. John Bosco, whose Western Province is based in San Francisco, has been the most aggressive church group fighting lawsuits against its priests, said Rick Simons, a lawyer who handled many cases against the diocese and religious orders.
The order said one victim fabricated stories and had other cases dismissed -- not because its priests didn't commit abuse, but because the Salesians didn't have "notice" of the abuse, Simons said.
For the order to be held liable in a civil trial, they had to know that abuse was occurring and not take preventive action, according to California law.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
7:33 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 01, 2008
• The 1962 Vatican Instruction CrimenSollicitationis, promulgated on March 16, 1962
- Roman Catholic Church.
THE 1962 VATICAN INSTRUCTION
CRIMEN SOLLICITATIONIS, PROMULGATED ON MARCH 16, 1962
Richard Sipe website,
http://www. richardsipe. com/doyle/ Commentary_ on_Crimen_ Solicitationis_ 04-1-08.pdf ;
By Thomas Doyle, O.P., J.C.D.; April 1, 2008
[…]
2. Crimen Sollicitationis remained in effect until 2001 when the Vatican published a new set of procedures for prosecuting especially grave canonical crimes, including certain sexual crimes committed by the clergy. Two official documents were issued. The first was an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II, known by its Latin title Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, by which the actual norms were promulgated. This letter, dated April 30, 2001, was followed on May 18, 2001 by an official document that set forth the norms. This latter document was signed by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Both documents refer to certain serious canonical crimes and among those is sexual abuse by clerics.
These documents represent revised procedures to be used by Bishops and major religious
superiors in response to allegations of clergy sexual abuse. […]
11. Title V of the document, "De crimine pessimo," includes the crimes of sexual contact with same sex partners, sexual contacts with minors and bestiality. These crimes are also to be processed according to these special norms. The document does not imply that these crimes were to have been perpetrated through solicitation in the confessional. It included them under the title "The worst crimes" and presumably because of their serious nature, they were included under these special procedural norms. The 1922 document has an identical section. The norms of both documents were thus established as the obligatory procedures for prosecuting cases of four separate and distinct canonical crimes, namely, a) solicitation for sex in the act of sacramental confession, b) homosexual sex, c) sexual abuse of minor males or females, d) bestiality or sex with animals. It is therefore incorrect to state that the norms and procedures of Crimen Sollicitationis are applicable only to cases of solicitation for sex in the confessional.
12. It must be noted that these types of sexual crimes were already included in the Code of Canon Law (1917 version). Solicitation is covered in canon 2368, par. 1 and sexual contact with minors and bestiality in canon 2359, 2. Ordinarily the prosecution of these crimes would be processed according to the procedural laws of the Code. The 1922 and 1962 documents provided special norms with an added emphasis on confidentiality because of the very serious nature of the crimes involved. It may seem to be some sort of clandestine plan but in fact it is an expansion with added detail, of the procedural laws to be followed. The existence of this document also clearly proves that the highest Catholic Church authorities were aware of the especially grave nature of the clergy sexual crimes considered. This of course makes it difficult for any Church leader to credibly claim that the problem of clergy sexual abuse was an unknown quantity prior to 1984. [...]
24. The institutional Catholic Church has been criticized for having a culture of secrecy, especially with regard to clergy sexual misconduct. Such secrecy in these matters has not been the constant practice of Church leadership since its own official documentation from the past demonstrates that official attempts to curb violations of mandatory clerical celibacy were regularly published to all. For example, the Apostolic Constitution Sacramentum Poenitentiae, issued by Pope Benedict XIV in 1741, was included in the 1917 Code of Canon Law. 25. It appears that the obligation of secrecy for such cases was imposed by Pope Pius IX in 1866. The official document that imposes the secrecy was published on February 20, 1866 by the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in the form of an .Instruction.. This instruction provided clarification on certain aspects of the previous papal constitution dealing with solicitation in the confessional, Sacramentum Poenitentiae (1741) of Pope Benedict XIV. […]
30. Yet it is not difficult to see why so many have seen in the 1962 Vatican Instruction a "smoking gun." Over the past 18 years but especially since January 2002 we have witnessed wave after wave of deception, stone-walling, outright lying, intimidation of victims and complex schemes to manipulate the truth and obstruct justice. If anything we have watched as the culture of secrecy ended up causing much of what its proponents hoped it would prevent. The Vatican document did not cause the clandestine mode of dealing with clergy sex abuse. Rather it reflects it and should be a strong reminder that there is a much more important value than protecting the institutional church and its office-holders and that value is the creation and nurture of an attitude and aura of openness and honesty wherein true justice and compassion can flourish as the most
visible of Catholic virtues. […]
[RECAPITULATION: ... especially since January 2002 we have witnessed wave after wave of deception, stone-walling, outright lying, intimidation of victims and complex schemes to manipulate the truth and obstruct justice. If anything we have watched as the culture of secrecy ended up causing much of what its proponents hoped it would prevent. ENDS.]
[COMMENT: Painful as it is for Catholics to read, it's the truth --- wave after wave of lying, ... and schemes to obstruct justice. And the secrecy has only led to MORE exposures, more bad publicity, and all the more reason for revulsion by decent Christians, more determination by the news media and discerning citizens to uncover the truth, and more ammunition for the enemies of Christianity.
Never again believe the RC apologists who try to tell the public that the secrecy only applies to soliciting sex in relation to Confession. See Clauses 71 and 73 in CrimenSollicitationis.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: On November 06, 2009 (yes, 2009), the link to Rev. Tom Doyle's article was found on a new website, that of SNAP Australia http://www.snapaustralia.org . And it was the ever-faithful Kathy Shaw who told the Faith Purification Programme about SNAP Australia's start-up by e-mail of Nov 4. - jcm 06 Nov 09.
ENDS.]
[Apr 1, 08]
• Church shares blame with state.
[65yrs State Government oversighting 2 Anglican, 2 Catholic, and 3 Salvation Army institutions] - Children.
Church shares blame with state
The Australian,
www.the australian. news.com.au/ story/0,25197, 23470169- 5006787, 00.html ,
ANALYSIS: Jeremy Roberts | April 02, 2008
ADELAIDE'S Anglican diocese yesterday shared the blame with the South Australian Government in failing to protect children in state care from sexual predators. Ted Mullighan's report details alleged abuse of state ward children at two Anglican institutions over the past 65 years, as well as two Catholic and three Salvation Army facilities.
While the Catholic Church declined to comment yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver urged the South Australian Government to adopt all of Mr Mullighan's 54 recommendations.
"I strongly support the recommendations," he said.
Recalling the bitter lessons his diocese learned in the wake of the 2004 report into Anglican Church sex abuse, Archbishop Driver re-issued the church's apology.
"As a church we have learnt that timely, practical and pastoral support is an essential part of supporting victims and survivors," he said.
"I support the Premier's commitment to apologise."
Mike Rann said he stayed awake until 1am yesterday to read the Mullighan report, and was sickened by the accounts of abuse.
"Victims lived in fear that telling their story would result in punishment, rejection or even further violence and abuse," the Premier told parliament.
"I am sure that all will share my abhorrence at what has happened over many decades."
The report ended more than 60 years of silence, in which many victims had passed away, Mr Rann said. "For those victims who have not lived to give evidence to the inquiry, we rely on those who did survive to lift the curtain of silence," he said.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Vickie Chapman claimed some credit for then Opposition leader Rob Kerin in setting up the commission in 2004.
Alleged victim Priscilla Taylor, 55, was put into foster care at the age of three and grew up in a series of foster homes -- the Seaforth children's home in Adelaide and boarding houses in Adelaide and Port Augusta.
She said yesterday she and other state wards had been "sitting ducks". "We did not belong to anybody … we were nobody."
The Mullighan Commission concluded that Ms Taylor was sexually abused as soon as she was removed from her mother.
"I said I didn't like it, but it didn't make any difference," she said tearfully.
Among the victims who welcomed the release of "Uncle Ted's report" yesterday was Ron (not his real name).
He is the leading litigant in more than 100 civil cases being prepared by former state ward victims seeking compensation from the state government.
Ron, 46, said the release of the Mullighan report came as a huge relief. "It's fantastic to have the stories put out there," he said.
"I'm glad it's over for me and all of the other wards." #
[COMMENT: Balanced commentators keep repeating that it is not just ONE religion that has this problem. As a U.S. Jewish commentator asked (when commenting on Jewish clergy child sex abuse), what is there about religion that makes its practitioners pick on the little ones? (If there is time, exact words and publication details will be inserted here. Internet users could help on this!)
Needless to say, the pretence by religions' leaders, including Muslims and Hindus, that they lead virtuous lives, leads to their followers lowering their guard, and entrusting their vulnerable young people to them with little or no caution.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to CathNews (from the RCC Church Resources, Australia),
www.cathnews. com/article. aspx?aeid= 6480.
ENDS.]
The Record (R.C. Perth, W. Australia, weekly),
By Bronwen Dachs, CNS, p 2, Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) – Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, who resigned as archbishop of Bulawayo last year after a sex scandal, has admitted he had an affair with a woman.
The archbishop, one of the most outspoken critics of Zimbabwe's political leadership, made the admission to Frontier Africa TV, an independent film production company, in Zimbabwe before he boarded a plane for Rome in November 2007.
One of the directors of Frontier Africa TV, Fred Bridgland, released the archbishop's remarks from the interview in a March 23 story in the Scottish newspaper The Sunday Herald.
In the piece, Archbishop Ncube also spoke out against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who was widely expected to win re-election March 29.
"It is true, I do admit that I did fail in keeping God's commandment with regard to adultery," Archbishop Ncube said.
"Having failed in keeping the Seventh Commandment… I would like to apologise to you (the people of Zimbabwe); I'd like to apologise that so many of you were praying for me, for the fact that so many of you standing with me in fact suffered so much," he said. #
[COMMENT: "Seventh Commandment" in this newsitem is according to the non-Catholic numbering. RCs used to call it the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Another one he broke has an RC number of Eighth, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." He broke that commandment as he repeatedly lied when he kept denying his adultery, which had been photographed with a hidden video camera and played on Zimbabwe television.
But his fleshly weakness is all so sad.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[~ 2000s Bazzoffi -NEW*] - RCC. Fake exorcisms.
Telegraph (United Kingdom)
By Malcolm Moore in Milan, Last Updated 1:07am BST, April/03/2008
ITALY -- A senior priest in Florence is under investigation for fraud after allegedly amassing £3 million by performing fake exorcisms.
Prosecutors said that Father Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi would "stage shows" at the House of the Sainted Archangels, an organisation he founded.
During the events, which regularly attracted crowds of over 400 people, a number of associates would "pretend to be possessed by demons" and Fr Bazzoffi would allegedly exorcise them using ancient and obscure rites.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:27 PM]
[1999 Yurgel -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
By GARY WRIGHT AND TIM FUNK, ~ April 02, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) A former priest at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Charlotte was arrested Wednesday on charges of having sex with a minor, police announced.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, was taken into custody in New Jersey. He was wanted on five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory sex offense in connection with a 1999 incident in Charlotte. The alleged victim recently reported the matter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg detectives, police said.
He was a juvenile at the time the alleged offenses occurred, according to police.
Yurgel was "parochial vicar," or assistant to the pastor, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, when authorities say the incidents occurred.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:02 PM]
- RCC. > US$ 1m costs against unsuccessful complainant.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
By CHRISTOPHER QUINN, April 02, 2008
GEORGIA -- A judge's order for plaintiffs and their attorney to pay more than $1 million in court costs in a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Bishop Earl Paulk will discourage other victims from suing abusers, plaintiffs' supporters said Wednesday.
Victims will think they could end up crushed financially if they sue, said David Clohessy of St. Louis, head of the support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
"I would be hard pressed to think of a ruling anywhere more hateful and outlandish," Clohessy said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:38 PM]
[2003+ Aleshire*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
The Advocate,
By RUSS ZIMMER, Advocate Reporter, April 02, 2008
NEWARK – The state's highest court has vacated a Hebron pastor's 2006 admission of sexual abuse and ordered his case back to the Licking County Courthouse, according to an opinion released by the Ohio Supreme Court.
In November 2006, Lonny J. Aleshire Jr., now 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison for convictions on 10 charges, including first-degree felony rape, alleging sexual conduct with two girls – ages 15 and 17 at the time – while they were parishioners and he was an associate pastor at the Licking Baptist Church in Hebron.
Last week, the justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, by a 5-2 decision, ordered that Aleshire's case be returned to Licking County Court of Common Pleas and continue as if he had never changed his plea.
[LOOK BACK: April 26, 2007]
BOWIE (MD) --
Gazette
by Megan King | for April 03, 2008
The sexual abuse scandal that rocked the U.S. Roman Catholic Church in 2002 has faded from the headlines, but for Bowie resident David Lorenz, memories of the abuse he said he endured as a 15-year-old will never go away.
Between 1974, when he said a Catholic cleric abused him, and 1992, when he finally told his family, Lorenz, 49, said he buried his feelings and had trouble sleeping.
"I had worked up in my mind that I should tell people, but it's a very hard thing to do," he said.
But the abuse galvanized him into action. Today, Lorenz and his wife, Judy, are helping to bring healing and spread awareness of the issue through the Bowie chapter of Voice of the Faithful, which the Lorenzes founded in 2004.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:32 PM
LOS ANGELES (CA) --
The Tidings,
By Ellie Hidalgo, for April 04, 2008
Recently appointed leaders of the archdiocesan Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board and the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry said they hope to build on the solid work of their predecessors.
Dan Koenig --- who served the Los Angeles Police Department for 32 years in numerous field and management capacities prior to his retirement --- began chairing the Oversight Board for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in January. Koenig succeeds Judge Richard P. Byrne, who served as chair for more than five years.
Also in January, Suzanne Healy was named coordinator for the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry, which provides counseling to survivors of sexual abuse. Healy succeeded Society of the Holy Child of Jesus Sister Sheila McNiff, the first director of the program since its inception in April 2002, who currently is on sabbatical.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:59 PM
DAVENPORT (IA) --
Des Moines Register,
By ERIN JORDAN • REGISTER IOWA CITY BUREAU • April 2, 2008
A federal bankruptcy court judge today approved the disclosure statement to be sent to 162 victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.
The decision by Judge Lee Jackwig bodes well for overall approval of a $37 million settlement plan between abuse victims and the diocese, attorneys said.
"If the plan was patently unconfirmable, she would not have approved the disclosure statement," Hamid Rafatjoo, the Los Angeles-based attorney for the committee representing victims, said after a hearing today in Davenport.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:57 PM
The Gazette,
April 02, 2008
DAVENPORT (IA) -- Individual abuse victims will now have their say in the $37 million Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport bankruptcy settlement.
Judge Lee Jackwig of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa on Wednesday approved the disclosure statement that explains the diocese's reorganization plan to emerge from Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection.
Jackwig still must OK the plan for it to take effect. A hearing is set for April 30.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:07 PM
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WCNC,
By WCNC Staff
NEWS@WCNC.com ,
05:24 PM EDT on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former priest at a south Charlotte church has been arrested in New Jersey on charges related to having sex with a minor.
Robert Yurgel, a former priest at St. Matthews in Charlotte, was wanted on five counts of indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory rape.
Police said a 24-year-old man reported that the priest abused him in 1999 and the abuse lasted over a year. The man was 14 at the time.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:03 PM
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WSOC,
~ April 2, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former priest at St. Matthew Catholic Church in south Charlotte is accused of sexually abusing a boy nearly a decade ago.
Father Robert Yurgel, 43, was arrested Wednesday in Passaic, N.J., where he currently works as a priest. He'll be extradited back to Charlotte.
Yurgel worked at St. Matthew for three years in the late 90s. Police said the child he sexually abused was 14 at the time and just recently came forward.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. 5 more charges. Minors.
The Arizona Republic,
by Michael Kiefer, 12:06 PM, Apr. 2, 2008,
ARIZONA -- A defrocked priest who once served as spiritual advisor to Mother Teresa was indicted by a grand jury last week on charges he molested two brothers from the Phoenix area between 1988 and 2002.
Donald McGuire was arrested in suburban Chicago on Tuesday. He was hospitalized there after claiming he was experiencing chest pains, and is under the supervision of the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
McGuire, 77, is charged with three counts of child molestation, one count of furnishing obscene or harmful items to minors and once count of indecent exposure.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
ABC 15,
Email: kwessman@abc15.com ,
Last Update 12:22 pm, ~ April 2, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) -- A Jesuit priest was indicted in Arizona on Wednesday for child molestation.
Reverend Donald McGuire, 77, faces three counts of child molestation, one count of providing obscene material to minors, and one count of indecent exposure.
McGuire has already been convicted in Wisconsin for molesting two boys and is also facing charges in Chicago.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
AZfamily.com
The Associated Press
12:04 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) -- A Jesuit priest already convicted in Wisconsin of molesting two boys and facing additional charges in Chicago has been indicted in Arizona for child molestation.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix announced the indictments against the Rev. Donald McGuire Wednesday. He's charged with three counts of child molestation, one count of providing obscene material to minors and one count of indecent exposure.
McGuire lives in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn. Arizona authorities working with federal officials took him into custody Tuesday, but he complained of chest pains and is currently hospitalized pending an extradition hearing.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY ERIC HERMAN, Criminal Courts Reporter, April 2, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- Rev. Donald J. McGuire – already convicted of molesting two boys – has been charged with three counts of child molestation in Maricopa County, Ariz., police said.
A Chicago police officer appeared in court today at the Criminal Courts Building seeking to extradite McGuire to Arizona. But because McGuire is in the hospital, Judge Adam Bourgeois held the matter over until Friday.
"We're asking that because of the circumstances of him being in the hospital, that we continue the case," said Chicago Police Officer Elain Stancil.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
KTAR,
by Jim Cross/KTAR,
12:03pm
April 2, 2008
ARIZONA -- A Valley man who's [whose] two sons were allegedly sexually molested by a former catholic priest says it's the ultimate betrayal.
Jim Clark said he found out last September that his two sons were victims of former priest Donald McGuire.
Clark said he was devastated.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. More charges. Minors.
Chicago Tribune
By Jason Meisner | 1:01 PM CDT, April 2, 2008
ARIZONA -- Arizona authorities Wednesday announced child molestation charges against Donald J. McGuire, a defrocked Jesuit priest previously convicted of molesting two boys from Loyola Academy and under federal indictment in Chicago on similar allegations.
McGuire, 78, is wanted on three counts of child molestation in the Phoenix area, and authorities there are seeking to have him extradited from Cook County to stand trial there, a Maricona County Attorney's Office spokesman said. Details of the allegations will be released at a news conference in Phoenix later Wednesday, he said.
The former priest had been scheduled for an extradition hearing Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, but he complained of chest pains and the judge postponed the hearing until 11 a.m. Friday, said Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.
[1980s Wood] - Baptist. Boy.
The London Free Press
By JANE SIMS, SUN MEDIA, ~ April 2, 2008
CANADA -- Tara Ward's sensitive son was "a wuss," she said.
At age 12, he was easily offended if spoken to sharply. He cried often and wasn't very tough.
Ward said she wanted to help her son, John Milonas, by allowing Ambassador Baptist church pastor Royden Wood put him through "character training" at an alternative school run out of the controversial church between 1985 and 1987.
Yesterday, testifying at Wood's trial on assault and sex-related charges, Ward said she agreed with the self-discipline program for a son from whom she's been estranged for more than a decade, wanting him "to control his emotions more appropriately."
CANADA --
The Standard-Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 2, 2008
Morale was so poor among Cornwall police by 1993 that the chief at the time was accusing other officers of carrying out "coups" against their superiors, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Tuesday.
Yet it was an officer's duty to "rise above" morale issues and not let them interfere with police work, Staff Sgt. Garry Derochie testified repeatedly under cross-examination.
"If you're a professional and you're having a hard day, you go on and do your job the best you can," said Derochie, a 32-year veteran of the Cornwall Community Police Service.
CANADA --
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Posted By Rob Tripp, ~ April 2, 2008
A Roman Catholic deacon charged with sexual assault has been barred by church leaders from performing pastoral duties.
Patrick Ritchie was charged last week with sexual assault stemming from his job as spiritual care co-ordinator at Providence Manor in Kingston.
It's alleged that the sexual assaults happened at the Sydenham Street facility, a 243-bed home for frail seniors.
In addition to his full-time job at the seniors home, Ritchie helped with weekend services at the Church of the Good Thief in Kingston. He has been associated with the church for roughly three years.
[O'Donnell]
KOMO,
By KOMO Staff, ~ April 2, 2008
[with video]
LA CONNER, Wash. -- A former priest who admitted to having molested dozens of boys in Eastern Washington is facing new accusations in the western part of the state where he now lives.
Patrick O'Donnell, who worked as a priest in the Spokane area for years, now lives in La Conner. The confessed serial pedophile no longer works as a priest, but his presence in the community has made some local parents nervous.
Tammy Henricksen-McKenzie has filed for a restraining order against O'Donnell.
"He's admitted to molesting children. This man should be in prison for life," she said. "Stop him from approaching our kids because we don't want any of our kids to get hurt."
[1980s+ Kolko*] - Judaist. US $10m sought. 8 boys.
The Jerusalem Post,
By MICHAL LANDO, THE JERUSALEM POST, NEW YORK, ~ April 2, 2008
NEW YORK -- A Brooklyn yeshiva and its head administrator are being sued for $10 million over alleged sexual abuse by a rabbi who taught there for several decades.
The lawsuit is the fifth to be filed against Yeshiva Torah Temimah and administrator Lipa Margulies alleging sexual abuse by Rabbi Yudi Kolko.
Kolko was arrested for a second time in September for allegedly molesting a boy at the yeshiva, and then released on bail.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:30 AM]
- RCC.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Comparison of State versus Church Audits,
by Carolyn Disco,
Survivor Support Chairman, New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful
April 1, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Child protection programs have been developed and implemented in Catholic dioceses throughout the United States since the sexual abuse scandal broke in 2002. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has done what they call audits, not in the financial sense, but annual reviews of their implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, 1. known popularly as the Dallas Charter.
We in New Hampshire have an unparalleled opportunity to evaluate USCCB audits because Bishop John McCormack also agreed to five annual audits by the New Hampshire Attorney General. That was part of a plea bargain agreement in 2002 2. to avoid criminal prosecution of the Diocese for child endangerment.
So, we can read and compare for ourselves what church-sponsored audits concluded, versus what independent law enforcement audits found.
There are striking differences at the outset:
1) USCCB auditors have no right of access to personnel files or other confidential materials.3.
2) USCCB audits/surveys do not count allegations against the following abusers:
(a.) religious order brothers (Benedictine, Franciscan, etc.) since technically they are not
considered clergy 4.
(b.) victims of seminarians who did not go on to ordination 5.
(c.) mentally handicapped victims whose abuse did not begin before their 18th birthdays 6.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:25 AM
[1982-85 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Tracy Press,
~ April 2, 2008
STOCKTON (CA) – A lawsuit alleges that in the 1980s, the Rev. Michael Kelly, the parish priest in Lockeford who served many years at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Tracy, abused a young boy who is now serving with the U.S. military.
The suit, filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court last week, alleges the abuse began when the boy was 7 and lasted until he was 11, during a period from 1982 to 1985. Kelly was a priest at Stockton's Cathedral of the Annunciation at the time.
The Stockton Diocese recently reinstated Kelly to his post in Lockeford after a diocese investigation found no evidence of the alleged abuse.
- VoTF to air views.
The Standard-Times,
April 02, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Just as the Catholic group Voice of the Faithful prepares to make its most high-profile statement to date, the SouthCoast chapter is fading away. That's unfortunate.
The group is planning a full-page advertisement in the New York Times later this month to coincide with Pope Benedict's visit, but they will accomplish it without much SouthCoast support, because the local branch has largely dissolved.
While some Catholics are suspicious of the transformative influence of the group or oppose its aim to give laity a larger role in parish governance, Voice of the Faithful says it has no interest in changing church dogma.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
KNDO/KNDU,
with video, ~ April 2, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima comes under fire at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla admitted that he knowingly hired an employee who was under investigation for viewing child porn online while at seminary in Oregon back in 2003.
37-year-old Juan Gonzalez now sits in a Yakima County Jail awaiting extradition back to Oregon to face this charge.
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
KTXL,
April 1, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) – It's been nearly two decades since 26 year old Gabriela Enriquez allegedly endured years of sexual abuse by Father Gerardo Beltran at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Sacramento.
She decided to come forward now, only because police in Mexico arrested him last month after he was on the run for 16 years.
The alleged abuse by Father Beltran began when Enriquez became an altar server while preparing to make her First Communion.
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
CBS 13,
~ April 2, 2008
[with video]
SACRAMENTO (CA), (CBS13) -- Another woman has come forward, saying that she too was sexually assaulted by a former Sacramento priest many years ago. Gerardo Beltran was recently arrested in Mexico and is facing extradition on charges of abusing other children.
Gabriela Enriquez spoke with CBS13 about the events that happened to her nearly 17 years ago. She says her priest, then known as Father Gerardo Beltran, stole her innocence when he allegedly sexually molested her repeatedly inside Saint Joseph's Church in Sacramento.
"We would come to church every Tuesday, Thursday, Holy Friday, Good Friday, Saturdays and Sundays," Gabriela said. The assaults happened as many as five days a week.
New Hampshire Union Leader,
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, ~ April 2, 2008
CONCORD, New Hampshire -– The state's top law enforcement officer yesterday commended Roman Catholic church leaders for significant strides they made toward improving child protection policies and practices since last year and their willingness to enact a strong program that will outlast their tenure.
"There has been dramatic improvement," state Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte said in releasing results of the third independent audit measuring the Diocese of Manchester's compliance with the child protection agreement it struck with the state in 2002.
The findings represent a marked change from last year's report when KPMG Forensic Services faulted top diocesan leaders for failing to set a "tone at the top" promoting lasting policies to protect children from sexual abuse.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:49 AM
Nashua Telegraph
By ALBERT McKEON, Telegraph Staff
amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com
April 1, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The state's top prosecutor on Tuesday praised the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester for making great strides in further refining and following its sexual misconduct policy.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said diocesan leaders have greatly changed their attitudes about instituting safeguards that can help protect children from sexual abuse. Her statement marked a clear reversal from last year, when Ayotte faulted a diocesan leader for having a poor attitude and impeding the process.
"We're certainly pleased we're moving in the right direction," Ayotte said at a press conference that outlined the latest state review of the diocesan sexual misconduct policy.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:47 AM
NEW HAMPSHIRE --
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
~ April 2, 2008
The Diocese of Manchester is committed to preventing the abuse of children. Please click on the link to download and print Being Friends, Being Safe, Being Catholic, a coloring book for children ages 10 and under. The coloring book is a teaching tool which contains safety tips and may be used at home or in school or religious education classes.
Related Links:
Download a copy of the coloring book, Being Friends, Being, Safe, Being Catholic (pdf)
Article - Ten Ways to Keep Children Safer
How to Report Child Abuse
Visit our Child Safety page for more resources.
Concord Monitor
By Joelle Farrell,
April 2, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester has shown greater willingness to work alongside law enforcement officials to help prevent sexual abuse of children by priests and church leaders, according to the state's third annual audit of the diocese.
New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte commended the diocese for "significant progress" in establishing a program to help eliminate sexual abuse of minors by clergy members. Some of the diocese's latest efforts include an online database that tracks complaints, improved training for church staff, and educational materials for parents and children, including a coloring book about safety available at the diocese's website.
"I am very pleased that we are now having a much more open dialogue," she said at a press conference yesterday.
- Waited too long.
The Kansas City Star,
~ April 2, 2008
Court denies suit against priest
JEFFERSON CITY (MO) -- A man who claimed he was sexually abused as a high school student in the mid-1980s cannot sue a Catholic religious order because he waited too long to do so, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The ruling shot down an attempt to pursue a lawsuit on grounds that the abuse victim only recently realized the sexual nature of what he was led to believe was a psychological experiment. Robert Visnaw alleged he was abused by former school administrator William Mueller during his senior year at St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood in 1984 and 1985.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:39 AM
The Boston Globe,
Associated Press / April 2, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - The latest audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester shows "significant progress" in its compliance program to prevent child-sexual abuse, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said yesterday.
But there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as ensuring in its policy language that someone accused of abuse is removed when an allegation is reported, she said.
The audit was conducted as part of the state's December 2002 agreement with the diocese, relating to its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct of children by priests. The terms of the agreement included an annual audit of the diocese regarding its compliance with the agreement.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:34 AM
Sacramento Bee,
By Marcos Bretón - mbreton@sacbee.com , METRO section, Page B1,
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) -- It seems that every day, we learn of a new victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest.
Another victim stepped forward Tuesday in the hopes of bringing to justice a fugitive in Mexico – a former priest from Sacramento who is accused of committing unspeakable crimes in local parishes.
The scandal has left an indelible mark on the U.S. Catholic Church, including the Diocese of Sacramento, which has been rocked by multiple allegations.
Someone from the diocese has had to face a public demanding answers. That someone is usually Monsignor James Murphy.
Yakima Herald-Republic
~ April 2, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- Tuesday's news conference comes just over a year after the Most Rev. Carlos Sevilla, bishop of the Diocese of Yakima, declined to speak to the Yakima Herald-Republic for a story about an investigation involving a former diocesan priest.
In January 2007, Sevilla said through a spokesman that he "does not have any comment because he doesn't have confidence in the Yakima Herald."
In recent years, Sevilla has been difficult to reach for comment. He has issued prepared statements to the news media. And he has also issued "no comment" statements through spokespersons.
[RCC] - Hired porn fan.
YAKIMA (WA) --
Yakima Herald-Republic
By MARK MOREY
~ April 2, 2008
The bishop of the Catholic diocese in Yakima admitted Tuesday that he failed to tell priests and parishioners he had hired a former seminary student who was being investigated for viewing child pornography.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla acknowledged that he made a "series of errors in judgment, a whole bunch of them," when he gave a part-time job to a now 37-year-old man who was later promoted to direct the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche.
Among the missed checkpoints were informing Cowiche pastors about the man's background and telling the diocesan lay committee responsible for monitoring child safety issues.
San Jose Mercury News
By Matthew Artz,
03:02:11 AM PDT
Apr/02/2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- It was the worst of times for the Diocese of Oakland.
The clergy sexual abuse scandal that first broke in early 2002 had tainted the careers of at least 24 diocesan priests. A year later, the state Legislature extended the statute of limitations involving sexual abuse allegations, inundating the diocese with dozens more lawsuits stretching back decades.
As the scandal raged, the diocese in 2003 started holding seminars aimed at preventing further abuse by priests and lay officials.
Nancy Libby remembers looking out on a class that included several priests, none of whom had any credible allegations against them, but all of whom were tainted by the enormity of the scandal.
"There was a lot of sadness in the room," said Libby, who now runs the diocese's Safe Environment Project. "Nobody wants to be part of a group that did something so heinous."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:17 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed April 02, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2007-08 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - ? RCC. 3 girls.
DutchNews,
Thursday April 03, 2008
NETHERLANDS -- The public prosecution department has called for a 15-month jail sentence for a priest from Overburg for the possession of child pornography and attempting to molest three girls aged four, seven and nine.
The 60-year-old priest is also accused of taking 'sexual' photographs of a seven-year-old girl at a swimming pool in Kootwijk last October.
[2004-06 Szydlik -NEW*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
Madison County Record,
By Steve Gonzalez, 1:59 PM, Apr/3/2008
ILLINOIS -- An Edwardsville woman filed a civil suit against a Catholic priest she claims impregnated her then coerced her into an abortion.
Holly Force is joined in the suit by her husband, Chris Force, against the Rev. Thomas Szydlik and Bishop Daniel Jenky of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
According to the complaint filed March 31 in Madison County Circuit Court, the Forces attended Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in the Peoria Diocese from September 2000 until June 2006.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:35 PM]
[2008 Mr Mauro -NEW*] - RCC. Student.
Press of Atlantic City,
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, 609-272-7211
Thursday, April 03, 2008
MAYS LANDING (NJ) -- A former math teacher and assistant wrestling coach at St. Joseph High School in Hammonton was arrested late Tuesday on charges of inappropriately touching a student, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said.
Joseph W. Mauro, 30, of Forked River in Lacey Township, Ocean County, was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, meaning an act of sexual penetration was committed. Mauro was arrested at his home without incident, Housel said.
The charges arise from allegations that Mauro, while employed at St. Joseph, inappropriately touched a student in January. The charges were investigated by Sgt. David Weiss of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Crimes Against Children Unit and Patrolman Richard Jones of the Hammonton Police Department.
[~ 2000s Battersby] - Church of England. Child pornography.
This is Lancashire,
By Sally Henfield, ~ April 03, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A VICAR who was sacked after being caught downloading child porn was investigated for inappropriate behaviour with teenagers six years earlier, it has been revealed.
Police, council workers and the Church of England carried out an investigation after a concerned parent of a girl pupil at Witton Park High School, Blackburn, made allegations against Rev Paul Battersby.
At the time, in February 2002, Battersby was the priest in charge at St Mark's Church, close to the school.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:44 PM]
- RCC to close churches.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly and Kristen A. Graham, ~ April 03, 2008
[with video] [with link to list of affected parishes]
CAMDEN (NJ) -- Citing a growing shortage of priests - and a marked decline in religious observance among its Catholic laity - Bishop Joseph A. Galante announced today that he is cutting the number of Camden Diocese parishes nearly in half.
In a massive restructuring, 124 parishes will shrink to 66 in the six-county diocese, which comprises most of South Jersey. About 30 will close outright, and many others will become "worship sites" within newly formed parishes.
"This is radical," Galante told a news conference at diocesan headquarters in Camden. "It's being done piecemeal in so many dioceses, especially in the East.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
By TIM FUNK
tfunk@charlotteobserver.com
~ April 03, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) Pastors at St. Matthew and Our Lady of Consolation Catholic churches will speak to their congregations this weekend about the priest accused of having sex in Charlotte with a 14-year-old boy in 1999.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, who was taken into custody in New Jersey on Wednesday, spent time at both Charlotte parishes between 1997-99. His alleged victim was a member at St. Matthew, where Yurgel helped start a youth ministry in 1997.
Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew in the Ballantyne area, plans to address the case at all Masses. He'll offer what Diocese of Charlotte spokesman David Hains called a "healing message."
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:32 PM
- RCC hired suspected sex criminal.
YAKIMA (WA) --
KNDO/KNDU
~ April 03, 2008
[with video]
Dear Bishop Sevilla:
We are members of a non-profit self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We have two goals: to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable.
For decades, we've watched most of your colleagues engage in stunningly cold-hearted, dangerous and self-serving maneuvers designed to hide child sex crimes and protect serial predators.
In recent years, however, we've seen few actions as disturbing as yours, especially (but not limited to) your irresponsible secret hiring of a suspected child sex criminal, and letting him be promoted and teach kids until he was arrested.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:29 PM
Philadelphia Inquirer,
The Associated Press, ~ April 03, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden announced a consolidation plan Thursday that will reduce the number of parishes from 124 to 66.
Under the restructuring program, there will be 38 merged parishes, three "clusters" involving six parishes and 22 stand-alone parishes. The changes will take effect over the next two years, officials said.
In the six South Jersey counties the diocese serves, there now are 124 parishes which serve an estimated 450,000 Catholics. However, church officials said only about 25 percent of Catholics in the diocese attend Mass regularly.
[Deacon Long] - Baptist. 2 girls.
Victorville Daily Press
By RYAN ORR, 1:35PM, April 3, 2008
HESPERIA (CA) – A lawsuit filed this week alleges that the head pastor at a local church knew about child molestation taking place and did nothing, a mistake that could end up costing millions.
Roy Long was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Hesperia when he first began to molest two six-year-old sisters in 1996. The girls, scared and embarrassed, did not tell their mother about the abuse until they were 17 and living in New Mexico.
Now 88, the former deacon pleaded guilty in January to sexual intercourse with a minor and molesting children under 18.
CAMDEN (NJ) --
NBC 10
~ April 03, 2008
Bishop Joseph Galante's Remarks
After prayerful reflection and study, and extensive consultation, and in order to address our pastoral priorities by calling back those who have abandoned the faith, by providing compassionate outreach and offering lifelong faith formation, by giving nourishment through good, sound liturgy, by reaching out to our youth and young adults, my goal and desire always has been to revitalize parish life by improving care to the people of God.
Therefore, I intend the following reconfigurations for the Diocese of Camden:
In Deanery I, it is my intention to:
Merge the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Camden), Holy Name (Camden) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Fatima (Camden), with the primary worship site at the Cathedral and a secondary worship site at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel/Fatima Church.
Merge St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral (Camden), St. Cecilia (Pennsauken) and St. Veronica (Delair), with the worship site at St. Joseph-Pro Cathedral.
Merge St. Joan of Arc (Camden) and St. Bartholomew (Camden) with the worship site at St. Joan of Arc.
Cluster the new parish at St. Joan of Arc (Camden) with Sacred Heart (Camden).
St. Anthony of Padua (Camden) and St. Joseph Polish (Camden) will remain as standalone parishes.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
4:49 PM
CAMDEN (NJ) --
Courier Post,
By KIM MULFORD and JIM WALSH • April 3, 2008
The Camden Diocese plans to slash its number of parishes from 124 to 66, Bishop Joseph Galante has announced.
Under a restructuring program, the diocese will consist of 38 merged parishes, three "clusters" involving six parishes and 22 stand-alone parishes, Galante said at a press conference today.
The changes will occur over the next one to two years, he said.
Galante said the number of "worship sites" will vary - with some serving as "primary, year-round sites" and others in use as secondary sites, mission sites or in summer months at the Jersey Shore.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
4:21 PM
- Seducers worked in 75% of parishes.
UNITED STATES --
Contra Costa Times,
Article Launched 11:37:59 AM PDT
April/03/2008
From Boston to Los Angeles to Oakland, Catholic Church officials have sought to downplay explosive media reports about priests sexually abusing children.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, time and time again church officials claimed that these were isolated examples of deviant behavior.
Now, a MediaNews investigation has found that sexual abuse within the parishes and schools run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland was far more extensive than what church officials disclosed to the public.
After examining tens of thousands of pages of court documents, church records and police reports, MediaNews reporters made this shocking finding: Catholic clergy members accused of abusing children served in three-fourths of the parishes in the Diocese of Oakland, which covers Alameda and Contra Costa counties – and all seven Catholic high schools run by male clergy. Virtually no community escaped unscathed.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
4:18 PM
- Eight to become 4.
NEW JERSEY --
Courier Post,
By JIM WALSH • April 3, 2008
While the Camden Diocese is unveiling plans to restructure its entire network of parishes, a smaller-scale effort is nearing completion in northern Burlington County.
The Diocese of Trenton, which covers Burlington County, is to complete merging eight parishes into four by July, says spokeswoman Rayanne Bennett.
The diocese is merging two parishes in Burlington City -- St. Paul and All Saints. It's also combining St. Clare and Holy Assumption in Florence.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
4:15 PM
- 58 parishes to be swallowed up.
NEW JERSEY --
Cape May County Heraldm
By Herald Staff, ~ April 03, 2008
CAMDEN – Bishop Joseph Galante's announcement regarding the reconfiguration of parishes in the six counties of the Diocese of Camden April 3 included the merger of Cape May County's 14 parishes into eight.
His plan is to reduce the number of parishes in the diocese from 124 to 66 over the next 24 months, a loss of 58 parishes.
In Cape May County the following mergers are planned:
• St. Augustine, St. Frances Cabrini and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Ocean City will merge with the primary worship site at St. Augustine. St. Francis will continue to be a worship site for Hispanic liturgy. All three churches will remain as worship sites through the summer and shoulder months of fall and spring.
• Maris Stella in Avalon and St. Paul in Stone Harbor will merge with the primary worship site at Maris Stella and a secondary worship site at St. Paul.
• Resurrection in Marmora and St. Casimir in Woodbine will merge which includes St. Elizabeth Mission (Goshen), retaining worship sites at Resurrection and St. Casimir. Bishop McHugh Regional School remains a summer worship site.
• St. Ann in Wildwood and Assumption in Wildwood Crest will merge with the worship site at St. Ann. Assumption will continue as a secondary site for summer tourists.
• St. Raymond in Villas and St. John of God in North Cape May will merge retaining both worship sites for now.
CAMDEN (NJ) --
Courier Post
By KIM MULFORD and JIM WALSH • April 3, 2008
The Camden Diocese plans to slash its number of parishes from 124 to 66, Bishop Joseph Galante has announced.
Under a restructuring program, the diocese will consist of 38 merged parishes, three "clusters" involving six parishes and 22 stand-alone parishes, Galante said at a press conference today.
The changes will occur over the next one to two years, he said.
Galante said the number of "worship sites" will vary - with some serving as "primary, year-round sites" and others in use as secondary sites, mission sites or in summer months at the Jersey Shore.
CAMDEN (NJ) --
South Jersey News Online,
~ April 03, 2008
CAMDEN - The Diocese of Camden plans to reduce the number of its parishes from 124 to 66.
The mergers will take place over a 12 to 24-month period, authorities said Thursday afternoon.
Examples of the merger include the joining of St. John's in Paulsboro, St. Michael's in Greenwich Township and St. Joseph's in Swedesboro, according Bishop Joseph Galante.
PENNSYLVANIA --
USA Today,
~ April 03, 2008
The Philadelphia Daily News reports that 25 of 60 priests who are known to have abused children in that archdiocese are living in the community and collecting a church pension despite being defrocked because of their behavior.
"Kids are not safe," the Rev. Robert Hoatson, founder of a New Jersey organization that assists victims of clergy sex abuse, tells the News. "The church should tell people where these guys are living. Are they in Florida? Are they in Timbuktu? Where are they living? Neighbors around them should know where they are."
Church officials say they do inform authorities when a defrocked priest moves into their jurisdiction.
The Courier-Journal,
By Peter Smith • psmith@courier-journal.com • April 3, 2008
KENTUCKY --
Tougher penalties for sexual abuse and failing to report abuse are in the works now that the General Assembly has approved a bill drafted in response to scandals of abuse in churches, schools and elsewhere.
Gov. Steve Beshear has said he plans to sign the bill, which was approved unanimously by consent in the Senate yesterday.
"Finally the voice of the victims has been heard," said Shannon Whelan of the group Protect Our Children KY, a coalition of advocates for the bill.
- RCC.
City of Angels
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 03, 2008
UNITED STATES -- I woke up with a start this morning thinking it's going to happen again. The way the church wants to "put this all behind us" with a minimal amount of reform almost guarantees that in another hundred years there will be another 560 lawsuits going through the courts because another 560 plus children have been raped by Catholic priests in LA alone.
The Catholic Church noticed that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month so you can now get Bulletin Announcements at the bishops' website. Number one begins: "Did You Know? Take the Child Safety Quiz. Parents, guardians…" (Word for word the same as comments that used to arrive here after every post.)
The bishops put out a poster and a press release: "WASHINGTON – Child Abuse Prevention Month will be marked in parishes around the United States in April. Nationwide in safe environment programs 5,683,940 minors have been educated on how to protect themselves from harm and 1,844,681 adults have undergone background screening…"
Wait a minute. It's the priests who raped the children, in most cases. It's the priests who somehow got the message that they'd still be considered celibate as long as they only had sex with persons under 14, or better yet, persons too young to really know what they were doing like me at age five.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
9:33 AM
[1980s+ Kolko*] - Judaist. < US $70,000 from bodies. 8 boys.
The Jewish Week
by Hella Winston/ Larry Cohler-Esses, ~ April 03, 2008
BROOKLYN (NY) -- A Brooklyn rabbi charged with having sexually molested his students has collected almost $70,000 from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and entities linked to it since the school put him on administrative leave 22 months ago.
Rabbi Yehuda Kolko received payments ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 per month between May 2006 and December 2007, according to court records obtained by The Jewish Week.
The court records also suggest that before Rabbi Kolko left the school, he received tens of thousands of dollars above his reported yearly income at the school's direction.
- Haredi Judaism.
YNet
by Yael Branovsky, Israel Jewish Scene,
08:03
April.03.08
ISRAEL -- One harrowing case after another, yet welfare officials stand by helpless: Faced with a string of heart wrenching cases of child abuse in the haredi community, even state officials now concede that they have only been able to reach this closed community on rare occasions, and often too late.
One recent, disturbing case, for instance, in which a Netivot mother had sexually abused her son, only came to light when the son began to attend boarding school and molested a fellow pupil. The social workers who handled his case quickly realized that the child had no idea that what he was doing was wrong. …
"The haredi community firmly opposes airing its dirty laundry out in public, like we saw with many kibbutz communities in the past. The haredi community is extremely concerned about its public images, and in many cases rabbis did not allow families to go to the police and report abuse."
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WSOC,
~ April 03, 2008
[with video]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More victims may come forward after the arrest of a former Charlotte priest on sex charges, police said Wednesday.
U.S. marshals arrested Robert Yurgel in Passaic, New Jersey, Wednesday afternoon.
Yurgel will be extradited to Charlotte to face five counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory sex.
- RCC.
NEW JERSEY --
Courier-Post,
By KIM MULFORD, April 3, 2008
The announcement today that is expected to consolidate some South Jersey parishes is part of a trend sweeping across the Catholic Church in this country.
Pressed by shifting demographics, a severe priest shortage and declining Mass attendance, Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph Galante is to announce a major restructuring of the Camden Diocese that will likely led to the closing of some parishes in six South Jersey counties.
Across the country, and especially the Northeast, bishops facing similar problems are cutting parishes -- with sometimes contentious results.
Between 1995 and 2007, nearly 700 parishes were closed nationwide, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. More cuts are on the way. Within the next two decades, the number of active diocesan priests in the United States is expected to drop in half to 11,500.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
8:21 AM
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. More charges. Minors.
The Arizona Republic
by Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 3, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) -- A defrocked priest who once served as spiritual adviser to Mother Teresa of Calcutta was indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury last week on charges that he molested two brothers from the Phoenix area between 1988 and 2002.
Donald McGuire was arrested in suburban Chicago on Tuesday. He was hospitalized there after claiming he was experiencing chest pains and is under the supervision of the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
McGuire, 77, is charged with three counts of child molestation, one count of furnishing obscene or harmful items to minors and one count of indecent exposure.
- RCC clergy to be down 50% by 2015.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Kristen A. Graham, April 03, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- Bishop Joseph Galante, head of the Diocese of Camden, will today announce a reconfiguration likely to cause mergers and closures among 124 South Jersey Roman Catholic parishes.
The 1:30 p.m. announcement will be available via Web cast at http://www.camdendiocese.org and comes after more than a year of discussions with church members.
Galante has said that by 2015 there will be half as many priests as there were in 2005, when the diocese had 171. There are now 162 priests.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
8:14 AM
- RCC.
ROCHESTER (NY) --
Democrat and Chronicle
by Erica Bryant, April 3, 2008
Frustrated by Bishop Matthew Clark's refusal to sanction proposals to save Catholic schools, some local Catholics are reconsidering their financial support of the Diocese of Rochester.
About a half dozen people have cited proposed school closings as they officially canceled pledges to the diocese's 2007-08 Catholic Ministries Appeal. Other donors, who have supported various diocesan-wide appeals, have said that this year's donations would be their last.
Groups who aim to show displeasure with school closings by changing their donation patterns say they have dozens among their ranks.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:58 AM
[1982-85 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
CBS 47,
AP, ~ April 03, 2008
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - A priest at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton faces a claim that he sexually abused a boy in the 1980s.
The Rev. Michael Kelly was a priest at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton when the alleged abuse occurred at the boy's home from 1982 to 1985.
The alleged victim is now 33 years old, but did not recall the molestation until 2006, according to the lawsuit filed March 26 in San Joaquin County Superior Court.
[2003+ Aleshire*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
NEWARK (OH) --
The Advocate,
By RUSS ZIMMER, April 03, 2008
NEWARK -- The state's highest court has vacated a Hebron pastor's 2006 admission of sexual abuse and ordered his case back to the Licking County Courthouse, according to an opinion released by the Ohio Supreme Court.
In November 2006, Lonny J. Aleshire Jr., now 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison for convictions on 10 charges, including first-degree felony rape, claiming sexual conduct with two girls -- ages 15 and 17 at the time -- while they were parishioners and he was an associate pastor at the Licking Baptist Church in Hebron.
Last week, the justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, by a 5-2 decision, ordered Aleshire's case be returned to Licking County Court of Common Pleas and continue as if he never had changed his plea.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:53 AM
- RCC.
MOBILE (AL) --
Hattiesburg American
By GARRY MITCHELL, April 03, 2008
MOBILE, Ala. - The Most Rev. Thomas J. Rodi, appointed as Roman Catholic archbishop of Mobile on Wednesday, said he doesn't take the post with any list of pressing needs, but pledged that any accusations of church sexual abuse will be reported to authorities.
"Misconduct is not going to be tolerated," Rodi said at a news conference.
Rodi served for five years on a church advisory committee on sexual abuse.
"I make a pledge that if there are any accusations of abuse of minors that it will be reported as the law requires," Rodi said.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Bad things occurring.
KIMA,
By Valerie Hurst, ~ April 03, 2008
[with video]
YAKIMA (WA) -- The bishop says he made some mistakes keeping a man accused of kiddie porn on the job.
He wants to set things right with the church and public.
But the accused says the church is using him to cover up the real scandal.
Yakima attorney JJ Sandlin tells Action News his client, Juan Gonzalez, is a victim of abuse and cover up.
"Back at that seminary there were serious bad things going on and he was up to here with it…" Sandlin says.
- RCC.
Altoona Mirror,
with link to the court document, By Phil Ray, pray@altoonamirror.com POSTED:
April 3, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- A man awarded $2.2 million from the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in a child sexual abuse case could receive $500,000 more in interest, the state Superior Court said Wednesday.
The court overturned a Blair County judge's decision to limit the amount of interest paid to Michael Hutchison of Akron, Ohio.
Spokesman Rob Egan said diocesan officials and attorneys would study the decision before announcing what further action to take.
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
Chicago Tribune,
By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons | Tribune reporter | April 3, 2008
LEMONT (IL) -- The Legion of Christ, one of the lesser-known Catholic religious orders, is preparing to begin construction of a new school in Lemont.
School officials envision a campus with hundreds of students, athletic fields and maybe even a university one day, but for now they're starting with a primary school for children in kindergarten through 8th grade. …
The Legion of Christ has not been without controversy. Its founder, Rev. Marcial Maciel of Mexico, who died recently, was accused of sexual abuse and disciplined by the Vatican although never charged. The Legion of Christ denies the accusations.
[LOOKBACK: Of the many previous newsitems about Fr Marcial Maciel, check, for example,
~ September 03, 2007;~ August 07, 2006; June 1, 2006.
ENDS.]
Press-Citizen,
The Associated Press, ~ April 03, 2008
DAVENPORT (IA) -- A federal bankruptcy judge approved a disclosure statement Wednesday explaining how the Davenport Diocese plans to emerge from the bankruptcy protection it sought after a decades-long clergy sexual abuse scandal.
The ruling by Judge Lee Jackwig has attorneys optimistic that a $37 million settlement between the diocese and abuse victims also will be approved.
"If the plan was patently unapprovable, she would not have approved the disclosure statement," said Hamid Rafatjoo, the attorney for the committee representing abuse victims in the case.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:39 AM
The Plain Dealer,
by David Briggs,
Plain Dealer Religion Reporter, Thursday, April 03, 2008
OHIO -- Northeast Ohio Catholics are filling up the collection basket again as time and church reforms appear to be healing old wounds from the clergy sex-abuse scandal.
More than five years after the scandal shook the church, offertory giving last year reached a record high in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. Parishioners gave $109 million, an almost 3 percent increase, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007.
The $2.9 million jump was more than double the increase of the previous year, the diocese said in its latest financial report.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:37 AM
- RCC.
Des Moines Register,
By ERIN JORDAN • REGISTER IOWA CITY BUREAU •
April 3, 2008
DAVENPORT (IA) – A federal bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved a disclosure statement that will be sent to 162 victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.
The decision by Judge Lee Jackwig bodes well for overall approval of a $37 million settlement, attorneys said.
"If the plan was patently unconfirmable, she would not have approved the disclosure statement," Hamid Rafatjoo, a Los Angeles attorney for a committee that represents victims, said after a hearing Wednesday.
The reorganization plan will be discussed at a hearing April 30.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
CHARLOTTE (NC) --
WBTV
~ April 03, 2008
A former Charlotte priest is facing several charges for allegedly molesting a boy in Charlotte several years ago.
Investigators say Rev. Robert Yurgel was assigned to St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte's Ballantyne area.
Yurgel was arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked at the Passaic County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey.
[Years - Timmons*] - RCC. Child.
The Press Democrat,
By ROBERT DIGITALE,
Thursday, April 3, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A new lawsuit against former Roman Catholic priest Gary Timmons became public this week after an attorney ran a newspaper advertisement seeking new information about the convicted child molester.
The ad was labeled "Did You Know Fr. Gary Timmons?" and appeared in The Press Democrat at least three times in the past week. It was purchased by a Newport Beach attorney who himself received a $5.2 million settlement as a plaintiff in a molestation lawsuit filed a decade ago against the Orange County diocese.
The attorney, Ryan DiMaria, represents an anonymous man who filed suit nearly a year ago, claiming that Timmons repeatedly molested him three decades ago. The molestation, which DiMaria maintains included "the whole gamut of abuse," allegedly occurred at such places as St. Eugene's Cathedral in Santa Rosa and Camp St. Michael, a church summer camp in Mendocino County.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
CHARLOTTE (NC) --
Charlotte Observer
By GARY L. WRIGHT AND TIM FUNK
gwright@charlotteobserver.com , ~ April 03, 2008
A priest assigned to Charlotte's St. Matthew Catholic Church in the late 1990s was arrested Wednesday on charges of having sex in Charlotte with a 14-year-old boy in 1999.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, was taken into custody by U.S. marshals in Passaic, N.J., where he lives, and will be extradited to Charlotte.
Mecklenburg Assistant District Attorney Kelly Miller, who authorized the warrants charging Yurgel, said the boy and his family were members of St. Matthew -- now the largest Catholic church in the 46-county Diocese of Charlotte -- at the time of the alleged sex crimes.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:20 AM
- RCC haven.
Philadelphia Daily News
By WILLIAM BENDER
benderw@phillynews.com , 215-854-5255, April 03, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA --
IF YOU'RE A Philadelphia-area Catholic, you may have received a brochure in October explaining how the church has purged itself of pedophile priests and enhanced its outreach program for victims of clergy sex abuse. …
But what about the 25 others, who have been expelled from the priesthood amid allegations that they raped and molested schoolchildren?
A Daily News investigation has found that several of them are living in sunny climes such as the Jersey Shore and Florida, sometimes without their neighbors' knowledge. In some cases, these ex-priests are even collecting a church pension.
[20 seducers] - RCC.
Philadelphia Daily News
By WILLIAM BENDER
benderw@phillynews.com 215-854-5255, ~ April 03, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- THE VILLA ST. JOSEPH retirement home in Delaware County provides one of the clearest examples of how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has dramatically changed its approach toward clergy sexual abuse.
The 55-bed facility, on Lansdowne Avenue in Darby Borough, is home to Archdiocese retirees, including 20 priests found by the church to have abused minors and who have agreed to accept a "life of prayer and penance" under church supervision.
Today, "the Villa," as it is popularly known, employs a former probation officer and a psychologist to oversee those in its sex-offender-treatment program. Security has been upgraded with cameras and a swipe-card access system. The priests, ranging from ages 58 to 88, must submit travel logs and participate in individual and group therapy.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. More charges. Minors.
Chicago Tribune,
By Azam Ahmed and Jason Meisner | Tribune reporters, April 3, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Already convicted in Wisconsin of child molestation, former Jesuit priest Donald J. McGuire has been charged with molesting two brothers in Arizona, where authorities plan to try and hold him without bail.
McGuire, 77, was scheduled to appear in court in Cook County on Wednesday for an extradition hearing, but he complained of chest pains and was rushed to Mercy Hospital. Officials there said he is in good condition and under police guard. The Cook County state's attorney's office said his hearing was postponed until Friday.
McGuire was sentenced to 7 years for the Wisconsin offenses but has been at home in Oak Lawn as he appeals the conviction. The Arizona sexual abuse charges are the result of a six-month investigation launched by the Maricopa County attorney's office after being contacted by the two brothers. Last week's indictment said the brothers were abused between 1998 and 2002 during visits McGuire made to the Phoenix area. They were 9 and 12 years old when the abuse is said to have begun.
- General community.
Standard Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 03, 2008
CANADA -- A veteran city cop told the Cornwall Public Inquiry he considered rumours which spread throughout the community that police were covering up a pedophile ring "disgusting" and "obscene."
Staff Sgt. Garry Derochie carried out a number of internal investigations into how the Cornwall Community Police Service handled sexual abuse allegations in the 1980s and 1990s.
He was also assigned on more than one occasion to probe the on-the-job conduct of Perry Dunlop, the former cop whose actions helped spark the Ontario Provincial Police's four-year Project Truth investigation.
"The whole idea of members of the Cornwall police service conspiring to protect pedophiles was obscene in my mind," Derochie told Dallas Lee, an attorney for The Victims Group.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
7:05 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Thu April 03, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
The Catholic Key,
By Jack Smith, Editor, April 04, 2008
KANSAS CITY - Bishop Robert W. Finn has accepted the recommendations of planning studies calling for the merger of two parishes into neighboring parishes and the creation of a new parish in Platte City.
St. Raphael in Kansas City will close as a parish on June 30 with its territory assumed by St. Gabriel Archangel. St. Aloysius Parish in northeast Kansas City will close as a parish on April 28 with its territory assumed by St. Anthony of Padua Parish. Previously scheduled special liturgical celebrations will continue at St. Aloysius until June 1. Official decrees concerning the closures can be found on page 5 of The Catholic Key.
Following a lengthy collaborative process, a Pastoral Plan for Parishes and Schools in the Northland was approved last May. Facilitated by Meitler Consultants of Wisconsin, the plan noted significant population growth in Clay and Platte Counties which is expected to continue. Among other provisions, the plan called for the creation of a new parish in Platte City.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
6:39 PM]
[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. US$250,000 requested for seductions.
≤ 5 minors.
DENVER (CO) --
Orthodox Reform
~ April 04, 2008
Metropolitan Isaiah declared April to be "Child Abuse Awareness Month", but is at the same time being sued for negligence in protecting children from sexual abuse. One commentary from Take Our Church Back! has this to say:
This month our Metropolitan has issued a protocol which should be appearing in our next bulletin, that acknowledges the upcoming month of April as "Child Abuse Awareness Month." According to our Metropolitan, April is the month in which "all citizens are called to become more aware of the terrible tragedy of child abuse."
During this month, March, however, yet another victim of Father Nicholas Katinas has joined the upcoming lawsuit wherein our concerned hierarch is also named as a defendant.
[LOOK BACK: November 2007 newsitems. ENDS.]
[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. US$250,000 requested for seductions.
≤ 5 minors.
Orthodox Reform,
March 26, 2008
DALLAS (TX) -- More details emerge as an amended lawsuit filed today adds a Greek-American altar boy as the 5th plaintiff and 7th victim alleging sexual abuse by former Greek Orthodox priest Nicholas Katinas.
The Greek-American Altar Boy – described on p. 15 of the new amended petition as "John Doe V" – allegedly endured 7 years of abuse, occurring "at least thirty times in any given year" (p. 15).
[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. US$250,000 requested for seductions.
≤ 5 minors.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 04, 2008
DENVER (CO) -- A Denver Greek Orthodox bishop recently informed his entire diocese that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month in the United States. However, a national clergy abuse support group questions his commitment to addressing this serious problem.
In a March 6, 2008, letter Metropolitan Isaiah (Chronopoulos) encouraged parishes in the Metropolis of Denver "to become more aware of child abuse, to become more proactive in its prevention, and to support programs that help children suffering from abuse."
http://www.denver.goarch.org/protocols/2008-Protocols/protocol-08-08.pdf
[Jeffs] - FLDS. Girls.
Houston Chronicle,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer, ~ April 04, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas – Child welfare officials and state troopers removed Friday a busload of children from a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs following a complaint to state authorities.
Texas Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner confirmed the white bus that drove out of the compound accompanied by state troopers was filled with children being taken away from the compound, but could not immediately say how many.
The bus left the compound filled with what appeared to be mostly girls.
ELDORADO (TX) --
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Nate Carlisle and Russ Rizzo
~ April 04, 2008
2:47 PM- Child services agents in Texas have removed 18 children from the FLDS compound there and more could be taken soon.
A spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Patrick Crimmins, said the children are mostly girls but did not know their ages. Crimmins said he did not know why the children were removed.
Crimmins said it was "likely" more children will be removed.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
4:56 PM
- FLDS. Girls.
ELDORADO (TX) --
CNN,
~ April 04, 2008
[with video]
(CNN) -- Search and arrest warrants are being served at a ranch occupied by several hundred followers of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
An aerial view taken last year shows some living quarters at polygamist leader Warren Jeffs' Texas ranch.
No arrests have been made, a department spokesman said in a recorded message.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
4:54 PM
- FLDS. Girls.
The Dallas Morning News,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS / Associated Press, Apr/04/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Authorities served search and arrest warrants Friday at a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs following a complaint to state child welfare investigators.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger confirmed the warrants but declined to provide details. They were served a day after state troopers sealed off the polygamists' ranch near Eldorado on Thursday night so investigators could interview children to see if they're safe.
Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said the DPS and other law enforcement helped investigators gain access. She said CPS is "investigating whether any children are in danger" but said no decisions had been made on whether to remove any children.
- RCC.
NEW ORLEANS (LA) --
WDSU,
April 4, 2008
[with video]
Parishioner Cheron Brylski from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church said she received word from people inside the New Orleans Archdiocese that up to 17 churches could soon close down.
Brylski also said that Archbishop Alfred Hughes will be informing dozens of parishes they will cease to exist by the end of 2008 even though many of the parishes are self sufficient communities.
The concerns were addressed by the New Orleans Archdiocese.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
4:41 PM
STEUBENVILLE (OH) --
WTOV,
~ April 04, 2008
Many people in the valley feel the Diocese of Steubenville is moving forward with their plans to consolidate parishes is a step in the right direction.
Plans to have six parishes consolidate and three churches close is something that has been in the works for some time.
Seeing it move forward showcases a vision becoming a reality in the near future.
Because of the changes, many parishioners will have to move from one church to another. That could be hard for some people who attend the churches. The diocese said their faith will make the transition easier.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
4:38 PM
NTV,
Associated Press, 2:45 PM ET, April 4, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Catholic official in Lincoln says Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz (BRUSK-eh-witz) plans to see Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] when he visits the country later this month, despite protests from a group angry about how the bishop has handled the church sex abuse scandal.
The group called the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [SNAP] says Bruskewitz has snubbed efforts to address sex abuse by priests.
The pope plans to visit Washington and New York, April 15-20. Monsignor Mark Huber of the Lincoln Diocese says Bruskewitz was invited to join the pontiff.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
4:33 PM
- RCC.
WTRF
~ April 04, 2008
STEUBENVILLE (OH) -- A major decision is made by the Diocese of Steubenville to close several churches and consolidate others.
That word this morning from Bishop Daniel Conlon who says he will sign a document in just days making the consolidation of six parishes effective on June 8th of this year.
Conlin says all six parishes will close that day and St. Anthony, St. Stanislaus and St Pius the 10th church buildings will close.
Contra Costa Times,
~ April 04, 2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- The Contra Costa Times is asking the public four questions in wake of the Media News series on clergy sexual abuse in Northern California. This links to the poll.
SIOUX CITY (IA) --
KTIV
~ April 04, 2008
A support group for people sexually abused by clergy members plans to speak out about two recent lawsuits against the Sioux City Catholic Diocese.
The group called "SNAP", the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, has scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference outside the Diocese headquarters on Jackson Street.
SNAP is calling for the suspension of Father John Kurzak, who is accused of sexually abusing a Schaller, Iowa teen in the early 1980s.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
2:13 PM
- FLDS. Girls.
CNN
April 04, 2008
[with video]
(ELDORADO (TX), CNN) -- Texas authorities are investigating "the safety of children" at a ranch occupied by about 400 followers of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, officials said Friday.
Authorities have sealed off the 1,900-acre ranch near Eldorado and no one is allowed to enter or leave, officials with Child Protective Services and the Department of Public Safety said.
The people living at the ranch are cooperating, authorities said.
Escorted by police, social workers entered the compound in south central Texas at 8 p.m. Thursday after receiving "a referral," said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
2:11 PM
- FLDS. Girls.
Deseret Morning News,
By Ben Winslow, Published 9:30 a.m. MDT, Friday, April 4, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Search and arrest warrants were being served Friday on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's compound in Eldorado, Texas, where authorities are investigating allegations of child sex abuse on the Utah-based polygamous sect's ranch.
"At this point we are now serving search and arrest warrants at the property for individuals covered in those warrants," Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said. "There have been no arrests at this time."
Authorities said the investigation began when a girl who lives on the YFZ Ranch called child protective services.
"She said she was being sexually abused," Schleicher County Attorney Raymond Loomis told the Deseret Morning News.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
2:08 PM
- FLDS. Girls.
The Associated Press,
~ April 04, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (AP) – State welfare investigators sealed off a secretive religious retreat built by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in order to investigate the treatment of children there, officials said Friday.
Child Protective Services is "investigating whether any children are in danger," said spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner. She said no decisions had been made on whether to remove any children.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement helped investigators gain access to the complex near Eldorado, Meisner said.
- RCC.
KPTM,
Associated Press, 10:55 AM ET
April 4, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A group frustrated by the Roman Catholic Church's handling of the church's sex abuse scandal is asking that the Lincoln bishop be barred from participating in this month's U.S. visit of Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger].
The group called the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests says Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz (BRUSK--eh-witz) has snubbed efforts to reform clergy abuse.
The pope planned to visit Washington and New York, April 15-20.
It's not clear whether Bruskewitz plans to see the pope. A telephone message left with Bruskewitz's office was not immediately returned.
- RCC.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
~ April 04, 2008
[with Spanish video link]
NEW JERSEY -- Mis hermanas y hermanos:
Desearía hablarles hoy sobre los esfuerzos que está realizando esta diócesis para fortalecer la vida parroquial y abordar muchos de los retos que enfrenta la Iglesia en South Jersey.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
1:58 PM
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
~ April 04, 2008
[with video link]
NEW JERSEY -- My Sisters and Brothers:
I am here to speak to you today about the efforts that have been underway in this diocese to strengthen parish life and to address many of the challenges facing the Church in South Jersey.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
1:56 PM
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden,
Thursday, 03 April 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Citing the need to bring new vitality to parish life, Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, Bishop of Camden today announced his intention to reconfigure parishes in the six southern counties of New Jersey. Bishop Galante made the announcement in a web video posted to the diocese's website on Thursday afternoon.
Under the announced reconfiguration, there will be 38 merged parishes, three parish clusters (involving six parishes) and 22 stand-alone parishes. The reconfiguration, when fully implemented, will bring about an overall reduction in the number of parishes from the current 124 parishes to 66 parishes.
The number of worship sites serving each new configuration will vary. There will be primary, year-round sites, while others will function as secondary sites, mission sites or will be utilized during summer months to accommodate overflow populations in shore areas during the peak tourist season. In all, up to 100 worship sites could be utilized by the 66 parishes, depending on the time of the year.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
1:55 PM
[Greene] - RCC. Book preview.
IRELAND --
Ocean fm ,
~ April 04, 2008
The co-author of a new book that looks at the Garda investigation that brought two Donegal serial abusers to justice, has said he feels it is vital that the harrowing story of the victims is told.
Gerard Cunnigham was speaking ahead of the launch of the book 'Breaking The Silence' in Letterkenny tonight, which he wrote alongside former Garda Martin Ridge
The book examines a series of events in West Donegal that led to a Garda investigation which revealed local priest Fr Eugene Greene as a serial child sex abuser for decades.
[2004-06 Szydlik*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
WEEK,
Story Updated 11:10 AM CDT, Apr 4, 2008
PEORIA (IL) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria says one of its priests is denying allegations in a lawsuit that he forced a woman to have an abortion, after having sex with her.
Holly Force, and her husband, Christopher, are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed this week in Madison County.
The lawsuit names the Reverend Thomas Szydlik, who church officials say has stepped down from the ministry until the lawsuit is resolved.
[2004-06 Szydlik*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
The Edwardsville Intelligencer
by Steve Horrell, stevehorrell@hotmail.com, Apr/04/2008
An Edwardsville woman and her husband have filed a lawsuit against their former priest, claiming that he initiated an inappropriate sexual relationship with the woman and then followed her to Edwardsville when the couple moved here to try to get away.
The suit was filed in Madison County.
It alleges that Father Thomas R. Szydlik assaulted her when he was an assistant priest at Saint Vincent de Paul Church in Peoria. The couple attended the church from September, 2000, until June, 2006. The incidents are alleged to have occurred between November, 2004, and September, 2006, while Szydlik was employed by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
12:26 PM
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Bad things occurring.
KGW,
Associated Press, Apr/04/2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla should suspend himself without pay for at least a month after admitting he hired a man under investigation for viewing child pornography, an advocacy group says.
Leaders of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said the request Thursday in a letter to Sevilla was the first time the group has asked a bishop to suspend himself.
Sevilla apologized Tuesday for hiring Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios, 37, of Cowiche, in 2003 and of failing to inform pastors and other church employees about the child pornography probe. "It wasn't a good hire," the bishop said.
- RCC diocese sad at old stories!
Contra Costa Times,
Article Launched 10:56:57 AM PDT, April/03/2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- Dear Fathers, my brothers:
Beginning with Low Sunday weekend I was in Washington for meetings at the Catholic University. I came home to find in the Oakland Tribune and its sister papers the series of stories on clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Oakland. In response to these articles, I have asked that Sr. Glenn Anne McPhee and Fr. Mark Wiesner put out a statement expressing our Diocese's response to this story. It reads:
Diocese of Oakland
Statement regarding recent series in MediaNews group Papers
The Diocese of Oakland is saddened by the recent decision of the MediaNews group to run a series of articles revisiting past sexual abuse accusations made against clergy in the Diocese of Oakland. While there is nothing that can be done to change the past, the Diocese continues to be fully committed to ensuring that all our parishes, schools, religious education programs and other programs involving children and youth are safe environments.
- Russian Orthodox Church.
[≤ 2004 Mr Dushkin] - 9 convictions.
[~ 2008 Alaska Diocese] - Installed convicted paedophile as a reader. Dismissed whistleblower.
Kodiak Daily Mirror,
By RALPH GIBBS, Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
ALASKA -- Comparing himself to Jesus Christ in an interview with KTUU television in Anchorage, Bishop Nikolai Soraich said of his recent mandatory leave of absence, "I felt very much like Christ, going to the cross and being abandoned and pushed aside and no one there for him."
Now he has more reason to feel that way.
On Wednesday, the Orthodox Church in America's Metropolitan Council, the permanent executive body of the church, voted unanimously requesting the OCA "immediately reverse" its recent decision to lift Bishop Nikolai's suspension.
IRELAND --
Irish Independent
By Anita Guidera
Friday April 04 2008
ONE remote Gaeltacht community. Four convicted paedophiles and 52 confirmed victims.
Eugene Greene served in eight parishes in the Raphoe Diocese. He lured his victims with promises of odd jobs and driving lessons. He abused boys in the priest's house, his car, a bog, a mountain side, a church loft and even in the church sacristy.
Eventually, 26 victims came forward and Greene was sentenced to 12 years.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:55 AM
[Years ago - Mons Tully] - RCC. US $450,000. 6 men.
Daily Record
By Abbott Koloff • April 4, 2008
PATERSON (NJ) -- Paterson Roman Catholic Diocese officials acknowledged Thursday that they recently paid settlements to two additional alleged victims of Monsignor Ronald Tully -- a former Dover pastor who now has been accused by six men of molesting them as children decades ago.
Church officials said they have paid a total of $1.4 million to a half dozen alleged Tully victims and a total of $12.8 million to settle sex abuse charges against priests made since 2002.
That acknowledgement comes the same week that Paterson Diocese officials announced they are $37 million in debt and considering some cost-cutting moves. Marianna Thompson, a diocese spokeswoman, said on Thursday the payments to sex abuse victims all came from a self-insurance fund, none from donations, and are unrelated to the debt.
[2004-06 Szydlik*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
Rockford Register Star,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 07:27 AM, Posted Apr 04, 2008
EDWARDSVILLE (IL) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria says one of its priests is denying allegations in a lawsuit that he forced a woman to have an abortion after she became pregnant.
Holly Force, and her husband, Christopher, are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed this week in Madison County. The lawsuit names the Rev. Thomas Szydlik, who church officials say has stepped down from the ministry until the lawsuit is resolved.
Holly Force claims Szydlik began pursuing a relationship with her in 2004 while she attended a church in Peoria. The complaint states the Forces left Peoria and moved to Edwardsville to distance themselves from Szydlik.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
KIMA,
By Valerie Hurst, ~ April 04, 2008
[with video]
YAKIMA (WA) -- Juan Gonzalez believes he was called by God to be a priest.
But what he saw at an Oregon seminary quickly disappointed him…
"How they relate to eachother, how they treat each other, how they hate each other," he explained to Action News in an exclusive jailhouse interview.
Juan says he accepted allegations he looked at child porn just so he could get out of there. He claims Bishop Carlos Sevilla and other priests knew he was innocent all along.
The Courier-Journal,
By Peter Smith • psmith@courier-journal.com • April 4, 2008
KENTUCKY -- Tougher penalties for sexual abuse and failing to report abuse are in the works now that the General Assembly has approved a bill drafted in response to scandals in churches, schools and elsewhere.
Gov. Steve Beshear has said he plans to sign the bill, which was approved unanimously by consent in the Senate Wednesday.
"Finally the voice of the victims has been heard," said Shannon Whelan of the group Protect Our Children KY, a coalition of advocates for the bill.
[Greene, Mr McGinley] - RCC. Children.
Highland Radio,
~ April 04, 2008
IRELAND -- A retired Garda involved in the investigation into convicted paedophile Eugene Greene is calling for an independent inquiry to be set up into child sexual abuse in West Donegal.
Martin Ridge was also involved in the investigation into teacher Denis McGinley who was jailed for abusing pupils at a Donegal school.
Mr Ridge says the lives of many of the victims have been destroyed because of the abuse and its cover-up.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:33 AM
[2003+ Aleshire*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
The Advocate,
By RUSS ZIMMER, April 04, 2008
NEWARK (OH) -- An order by the Ohio Supreme Court prevented Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt from highlighting the differences between a high court decision and the case of a Hebron pastor convicted of sexual abuse, Oswalt said in a court filing.
The high court vacated the November 2006 guilty plea of Lonny "Joe" Aleshire Jr. last week, citing its ruling earlier this year that the failure to inform a defendant of mandatory post-release control at the time a guilty plea is entered is grounds to invalidate that plea.
Aleshire, a former associate pastor at Licking Baptist Church, Hebron, pleaded guilty to 10 sex charges, including rape, claiming he engaged in sexual conduct with two sisters beginning in 2003. Both were underage parishioners at the time.
Catholic Sentinel
~ April 04, 2008
OREGON -- Child Abuse Prevention Month will be noted during April in Catholic parishes around the United States, including in Oregon.
The publication of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has provided the path for the church on the issue.
The charter seeks to promote healing and reconciliation with victims of sexual abuse of minors. It also aims to guarantee an effective response to allegations of sexual abuse.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:28 AM
Nashua Telegraph
April 04, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- What a difference a year makes. That was our initial reaction to the release this week of the state's audit of the Diocese of Manchester, part of an agreement reached six years ago to avoid prosecution for its handling of child sex abuse allegations against priests.
One year after criticizing diocesan leaders for a general lack of commitment to the process, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte had mostly positive things to say about this year's annual audit, the third conducted by the international auditing firm KPMG since 2005.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:26 AM
Irish Independent
By Anita Guidera
Friday April 04 2008
IRELAND -- A retired garda has called for an independent inquiry into four decades of child sexual abuse in a remote corner of the Gaeltacht.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, dozens of children were being abused by four paedophiles in the area, which stretched from Gortahork, on the north Donegal coast, south to Leitermacaward and Glenties, and west to Annagry and Kincasslagh.
In a shocking new book, 'Breaking the Silence', former garda Martin Ridge, who investigated the horrific cases of priest Eugene Greene and teacher Denis McGinley, has accused the Catholic Church of turning a blind eye on the decades of devastation.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:21 AM
- RCC.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
by Jane Gargas, ~ April 04, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- A national support group for clergy sex abuse victims on Thursday urged Bishop Carlos Sevilla of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima to suspend himself without pay for at least a month for his "reckless and deceitful actions."
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) sent a letter to Sevilla, calling on him to punish himself for the way he handled the case of Juan Jose González Rios, a diocese employee under criminal investigation for allegedly viewing child pornography.
It's the first time in SNAP's history that it has urged a bishop to suspend himself.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
8:15 AM
Bridgeton News,
By JASON LADAY, jladay@sjnewsco.com , Friday, April 04, 2008
BRIDGETON (NJ) -- Citing recent declines in church attendance and available priests, Bishop Joseph A. Galante of the Diocese of Camden announced on Thursday a plan that would cut the number of parishes nearly in half.
The diocesan shuffle creates a new system of merged, clustered and stand-alone parishes, effectively reducing their total number from the current 124 parishes down to 66.
Swept up in the reconfiguration are nearly a dozen Cumberland County churches, the majority of which will see their congregations and services merge with other worship centers over the next 12 to 24 months, according to the bishop.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By Kristen A. Graham, Posted on Fri, Apr. 4, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Mark Drayton stood on a North Camden sidewalk, shaking his head in disbelief.
Holy Name Church, one of the roughly 30 Diocese of Camden parishes, closing outright? Drayton was devastated.
"It's the strongest church in this community," the lifelong Camden resident, 49, said yesterday. "It's going to break up the neighborhood."
CAMDEN (NJ) --
Courier-Post
By KIM MULFORD • Courier-Post Staff • April 4, 2008
Bishop Joseph Galante is used to making hard decisions. He knows how to deal with angry parishioners.
This week, he's doing both. Faced with a severe priest shortage and changing demographics, the 69-year-old leader of the Camden Diocese is reshaping many of its 124 parishes.
Before his arrival four years ago, the Philadelphia native collected a reputation for dealing with difficult issues during the dozen years of his assignment in Texas.
Courier-Post,
By JIM WALSH and KIM MULFORD • Courier-Post Staff • April 4, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- The Camden Diocese is slashing its parishes from 124 to 66, Bishop Joseph Galante announced Thursday.
The changes, to take effect over the next two years, are meant to bolster the diocese in the face of a priest shortage and demographic change, the bishop said.
"My prayerful hope is that we will have an increase in energy and enthusiasm as we work to carry out the church's mission," he said. "By joining parishes together, we will have more resources and increased opportunities to serve our people better."
Not all parishioners shared that upbeat view.
Courier-Post
Gannett News Service • April 4, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- The Diocese of Camden's plans to create 66 parishes out of the current 124 affected several in the outlying counties of Cumberland, Salem, Atlantic and Cape May.
In Cumberland County, the diocese's plan will move 12 churches into three grouped parishes, while leaving St. Padre Pio in Vineland as a stand-alone parish.
St. Isidore the Farmer will merge with Sacred Heart Parish in Vineland. St. Isidore, on Magnolia Road, was named the primary worship site of the two Vineland parishes.
Courier-Post
By EILEEN SMITH • Courier-Post Staff • April 4, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) – A plan to consolidate nearly half the parishes in the Camden Diocese will dramatically reduce the church's need for real estate.
Decisions on which properties will be retained and how much they are worth will be determined over the year or two it will take to implement the plan.
Analysts and market watchers expect values will be linked to both the location of the property and its current use.
Courier-Post
By LISA GRZYBOSKI • April 4, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Elected officials and neighborhood leaders in communities affected by Thursday's church closings announcement said they want to work with church officials to ensure the properties are put to the best possible use.
"The Catholic Church has the right to sell its property and make a profit, but it has to consider the effect on the neighborhoods," said Angel Fuentes, Camden's council president.
In Camden, two church properties -- Holy Name and St. Bartholomew -- could be closed and sold. He encouraged Catholic leaders to consider putting the churches to religious or community uses such as spiritual retreats or youth programs.
Courier-Post
By JIM WALSH • April 4, 2008
BURLINGTON COUNTY (NJ) -- While the Camden Diocese is planning to cut its parish system by almost half over the next two years, a smaller-scale effort is nearing completion in northern Burlington County.
The Diocese of Trenton, which includes Burlington County, is to complete merging eight parishes into four by July, says spokeswoman Rayanne Bennett.
The diocese is combining two Burlington City parishes -- St. Paul and All Saints -- and two in Florence, St. Clare and Holy Assumption.
Courier-Post
By JIM WALSH and MATT KATZ • April 4, 2008
RUNNEMEDE (NJ) -- James Sauer was bringing boxes of donated food to an unemployed single mom at St. Maria Goretti Church when he got the word Thursday: His Runnemede parish, after more than 40 years, is being merged with another.
"I don't see how it will work," said Sauer, who lives down the block from the church he helped found in 1965. "When you've been associated with a particular place for so long, it's hard to see it dissolved."
Sauer, who now expects to worship at another Catholic church, seemed somewhat shocked by the announcement.
Gloucester County Times,
By John Barna and Stephanie Brown, gcnews@sjnewsco.com , Friday, April 04, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- The Catholic Diocese of Camden will cut in half the number of parishes within the next two years and close 24 existing churches Bishop Joseph A. Galante announced Thursday
Six of the churches to close Most Holy Redeemer and St. John Vianney in Deptford Township, St. John the Evangelist in Paulsboro, St. Mary's in Malaga, St. Anne's in Westville and St. Catherine in Clayton are in Gloucester County.
The six-county diocese will go from 124 parishes at present to 66, Galante announced at a news conference in Camden that was also videocast live. There will be 100 churches within those 66 parishes.
Gloucester County Times
By Lucas K. Murray, lmurray@sjnewsco.com , Friday, April 04, 2008
MULLICA HILL (NJ) -- For clergy and parishioners at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Mullica Hill, the pending addition of St. Ann's in Elmer and St. Joseph's in Woodstown comes as no surprise they have been planning for it with other parishes in Gloucester and Salem counties for the past year.
The Rev. Anthony DiBardino, pastor of Holy Name, said he will see his parish of 2,000 families grow exponentially over the next few years. A relocation of the church to a parcel of land south of Mullica Hill on Route 77 and Route 538 in Elk Township is on the books for the diocese.
"We're in a unique area. This part of Gloucester County is really growing," DiBardino said. "Where the demographics of other areas are becoming lower you see many of those people are moving to this area."
The Daily Journal
From staff reports, April 04, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- And then there were five.
A sweeping reconfiguration of churches in the Diocese of Camden announced Thursday would trim the number of parishes from 124 to 66 in six South Jersey counties.
The 12 Roman Catholic churches currently in Cumberland County will be consolidated into five parishes. Only St. Padre Pio in Vineland will remain unchanged as a standalone parish.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2008
7:34 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri April 04, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2007-08 Elder Forbes -NEW*] - Church of God in Christ. Boy.
NECN,
~ April 05, 2008
[with video]
WORCESTER (MA), (NECN) -- A Worcester teacher is charged with raping a 15-year-old boy. The accused also holds an official position at a local church.
Parents of students at Seven Hills Charter school in Worcester, were given notices from the school Thursday, telling them of the arrest of music teacher Tyrone Forbes. …
Prosecutors say Forbes, a Worcester resident and father of two, is a friend of the teen's family and active at the same church…Mount Sinai church in Worcester.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2008
6:05 PM]
[? 2007-08 Simental -NEW*] - Jehovah's Witness. 3 girls.
The Press-Enterprise
By TAMMY J. McCOY
~ April 05, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A Murrieta man accused of child molestation is asking an appellate court to overturn a judge's ruling that ordered leaders of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation to testify about admissions he reportedly made to them.
The petition comes after last week's ruling by Riverside County Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson ordering two congregation elders to testify during Gilbert Simental's trial on child molestation charges.
Simental's attorney, Miles Clark, said he believes the 4th District Court of Appeal needs to hear the case and rule on these important issues.
[1996-2000 Deacon Long -NEW*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
Modesto Bee
~ April 05, 2008
VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Two sisters molested over a four-year period by a Hesperia church deacon are suing First Baptist Church, claiming the pastor knew about the molestations.
The Superior Court suit filed this week alleges pastor Wayne Stockstill knew deacon Roy Long began molesting the girls when they were 6 years old and did nothing. Long is also named in the suit.
The girls were molested from 1996 to 2000, but they didn't tell their mother about the abuse until they were 17 and living in New Mexico.
- FLDS.
NECN
~ April 05, 2008
[with video]
ELDORADO (TX), (NECN/ABC) - Child welfare officials are trying to find foster homes for dozens of girls who may have been abused at a secretive religious compound of polygamists in rural West Texas. Eighteen girls are already in state custody.
Marleigh Meisner, Texas Child Protective Services Spokeswoman: "Those are the ones that we believe have been abused, or they are in imminent risk of harm, imminent risk of being abused, and that it would not be safe those children to remain in the compound for another day."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2008
6:09 PM]
[2007-08 Elder Forbes*] - Church of God in Christ. Boy.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Gary V. Murray, gmurray@telegram.com , April 04, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – A Seven Hills Charter Public School music teacher and elder at a city church has admitted carrying on a five-month sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy, according to authorities.
The boy is not a student at the school, which yesterday told the teacher he was barred from school grounds.
Tyrone D. Forbes, 49, of 84 Chatham St., Apt. 2, was arrested after he and the boy were found together about 1:30 a.m. yesterday in a pickup truck in the parking lot of Bennett Field on Main Street, police said. …
Mr. Reilly told the court that Mr. Forbes was involved with the Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ and that church members acquired information that led them to question Mr. Forbes' relationship with the teenager. Police said Mr. Forbes is an elder at the Wellington Street church.
The prosecutor said another of the church elders suggested to the alleged victim that he have no further contact with Mr. Forbes, advice he said the boy apparently followed for a time. …
His lawyer, E. Jeffrey Newcombe, said Mr. Forbes was an active member of Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ who had been serving as pastor of a fledgling sister church in Nashua, N.H., at the request of his bishop.
[2007-08 Elder Forbes*] - Church of God in Christ. Boy.
Boston Herald
By Jessica Van Sack
Friday, April 4, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) -- A school choir director and church leader in Worcester was behind bars yesterday on charges of statutory rape after cops allegedly found him in a parking lot with a 15-year-old boy and determined the two had a five-month "sexual relationship."
"This is a very disturbing incident involving a person who's supposed to be a mentor - he teaches young children," Worcester Police Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst said.
Tyrone D. Forbes, 49, was held in lieu of $5,000 bail yesterday after pleading not guilty. …
Police said Forbes is an elder at the local Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ. But a man who picked up the phone at the listing for church Bishop Robert L. Webbs said Forbes has not been a member of the church "in six or seven years."
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
Article Last Updated 08:38:02 AM MDT, April/05/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Early Saturday, two shuttle vans left the First Baptist Church in Eldorado, where many of the girls from the FLDS ranch were taken Friday.
An order issued by Judge Barbara Walther of the 51st District Court instructed officials to bring all children, including boys under age 18, out of the compound.
Nathan Butler of San Angelo, the attorney for the FLDS in Eldorado, on Saturday declined to comment.
- FLDS.
The Spectrum,
By RANDY MANKIN, The Eldorado Success, ~ April 05, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas -- Child protective officials have removed 167 children from a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints complex near Eldorado, Texas.
The YFZ Ranch was built by members of the FLDS church whose self-proclaimed prophet, Warren Jeffs, remains in a Utah prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape as an accomplice last year for arranging a marriage between an underage girl and her older cousin.
Buses from the Schleicher County school district and First Baptist Church of Eldorado were pressed into service Friday to transport the children from the YFZ Ranch where they had been removed from their parents' custody by Texas Child Protective Services in accordance with a court order issued by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther.
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams
Article Last Updated 02:02:10 PM MDT
April/05/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- After hours of quiet outside a polygamous enclave in Eldorado, Texas, a shuttle van emerged at 1:53 p.m. CDT carrying at least two adults, a young woman, what appeared to be other people ducking down and law enforcement officers.
At the First Baptist Church in Eldorado, two girls emerged from the van and got into the back seat of a white car, which left, escorted by law enforcement vehicles.
[1998-2007 Mr Kozklowski*]- RCC. Gambling. < US #380,000 money.
Buffalo News,
~ April 05, 2008
CHEEKTOWAGA (NY) -- Randall Kozlowski, the former business manager of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Cheektowaga, pleaded guilty Friday to charges he stole almost $380,000 from the church to pay off gambling debts.
Jailed since his Jan. 31 arrest, Kozklowski, 49, of Fordham Avenue, was told by State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski that he could face probation or up to 15 years in prison when sentenced June 12.
Erie County District Attorney Frank J. Clark said a routine diocesan audit uncovered the thefts, which occurred from November 1998 until last April.
WKBT
Associated Press, 12:05 PM ET, April 5, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Diocese of Madison says it's waiting at least a year before launching a capital campaign to rebuild St. Raphael Catholic Cathedral.
Bishop Robert Morlino says the hard economic times and the need to persuade more people to support the project are the primary reasons for the delay in rebuilding the church destroyed by an arson fire three years ago.
- Baptist. Money.
Record Searchlight
By Ryan Sabalow
Saturday, April 5, 2008
REDDING (CA) -- All is not well within the Bonnyview Baptist Church.
Members of the once-prominent Redding church are suing their pastor and members of the church's board of directors, alleging parishioners have been defrauded by leaders who have pocketed tens of thousands of dollars.
In civil court papers filed in late March in Shasta County Superior Court, parishioner Michael Duffy says that the Rev. Danny Ray Smith was hired to be the pastor at Bonnyview Baptist Church in August 2006.
[2000s Barlow*] - FLDS. Girl (16).
San Angelo Standard-Times,
By PAUL A. ANTHONY and MATT PHINNEY, April 5, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Accusations that a 50-year-old man illegally married and had sex with a now-16-year-old girl led to the removal Friday of 52 girls from a secretive Schleicher County polygamist compound.
Some of the girls, ages 6 months to 17 years, showed signs of having been abused or were in danger of abuse, said state Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner. …
Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said Friday evening officers were still searching for Dale Barlow, identified as the subject of an arrest warrant - signed by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther on Thursday afternoon and released just before 5 p.m. Friday.
According to the warrant, authorities were to seize any records or documents detailing the marriage of Barlow and the 16-year-old and the resulting birth about eight months ago of a girl. It also orders the seizure of computer equipment, hard drives and data storage equipment from the ranch, as well as DVDs, videotapes and photographs.
[1998-2007 Mr Kozklowski*]- RCC. Gambling. < US #380,000 money.
WIVB
~ April 05, 2008
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - - The money was stolen from Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Cheektowaga between November 1998 and April 2007.
Frank Clark, Erie County District Attorney, "About two thirds of the money came from cash, you know collection plate money, and the other third came from checks."
Today, the church's former business manager, Randall Kozlowski of Buffalo, admitted he stole nearly 380-thousand dollars from the church, when he pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny.
- RCC.
Voice of the Faithful
~ April 05, 2008
[with link to the ad]
UNITED STATES -- THANK YOU! More than 1,000 of you contributed to the success of our first phase of activities during the Pope's visit in April. Your support (as of April 2) totaled $63,000. We are using that to place a full-page ad in the New York Times (see the ad at right), to put smaller ads in other media, and to fund other communications centered on the papal visit. You will hear more about these efforts via email very soon.
Other good news: Local and national media are already interviewing VOTF staffers and volunteers about the ad effort – and more importantly, about our message. So your donations also have the enhanced effect of both paying for advertising and generating free news coverage to spread our message. We will keep you up-to-date on important VOTF news coverage generated by this effort.
BRIDGEPORT (CT) --
The Hour
~ April 05, 2008
Members of the Voice of the Faithful in the Diocese of Bridgeport have contributed more than $1,000 to the national VOTF fund that will provide a full-page advertisement in the national edition of the New York Times.
The advertisement will be timed to the April 16-20 visit to the United States of Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] and will be aimed at alerting him and all Roman Catholics to what VOTF considers the dire plight of the church.
John Lee of Bridgeport, president of the group here, told the 35 members present Thursday night in the First Congregational Church on the Green in Norwalk that more than $50,000 in donations had been received by the national organization in an 11th hour appeal.
- RCC offers to help its victims.
MALTA --
Times of Malta
by Ariadne Massa, April 05, 2008
Gozo Bishop Mario Grech is asking for forgiveness from those who were abused as children while in the care of the Dominican nuns at the Lourdes Home in Gozo.
His apology comes in the wake of a report, which confirms that "in some particular cases there had been inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should have never taken place". The outcome of the report, compiled by a commission set up by Mgr Grech to investigate allegations of physical and psychological abuse perpetrated on minors during their stay at Lourdes House, was released last night; 22 months behind schedule.
Mgr Grech said the Church wanted to accompany these persons, who are now adults and who have suffered unwarranted behaviour, through a healing process.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2008
7:30 AM]
- RCC.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By Jacqueline L. Urgo, April 05, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- The massive restructuring of the Camden Diocese, announced by Bishop Joseph A. Galante on Thursday, was being called a mixed blessing yesterday by Catholics at the Jersey Shore.
How it was perceived had a lot to do with whether one prays in a barrier-island parish or one on the mainland.
Members of inland parishes in Galloway and Egg Harbor Townships, which have experienced population growth spurts during the last decade, will barely have time to catch their breath before welcoming the faithful from congregations that are being folded into theirs.
- RCC.
Courier-Post
By KIM MULFORD • April 5, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Catholics across South Jersey on Friday flooded Camden diocesan officials with phone calls and e-mail seeking more information about the planned cutback of 58 parishes.
Some parishioners expressed disappointment with Bishop Joseph Galante's decision to reduce the diocese from 124 to 66 parishes within two years. But most posed detailed questions about how and when planned mergers will take place.
There was understanding, too, that the decision was necessary, said Andrew Walton, spokesman for the diocese. Among the reasons the bishop cited were a severe priest shortage, shrinking Mass attendance and population trends.
Gloucester County Times,
By John Barna, jbarna@sjnewsco.com ,
Saturday, April 05, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- Following his announcement that the Diocese of Camden will be restructured, Bishop Joseph Galante plans to enlist trained counselors to aid parishioners with what he expects to be "feelings of loss."
The diocese announced Thursday that it will reduce its present number of 124 parishes to 66 within two years. Twenty-four churches will close six in Gloucester County.
Andrew Walton, diocesan spokesman, acknowledged Friday that Galante's office had received "some phone calls" from parishioners.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News,
By Ben Winslow, 12:37 a.m. MDT, Saturday, April 5, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Authorities have removed 167 children from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's compound near Eldorado, Texas, after a raid over allegations of child sex abuse on the Utah-based polygamous sect's ranch.
School buses and church buses commandeered by law enforcement ferried the children from the YFZ Ranch. Some of the girls, wearing the prairie-style dresses so common to the fundamentalist border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., appeared nervous. Child protective services workers said they range in age from 6 months to 17 years.
Authorities said 18 girls were immediately placed in state protective custody.
"We concluded they had been abused or were at immediate risk of future abuse," said Darrell Azar, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. "Under Texas law, either one is grounds for removal."
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By BILL HANNA and JACK DOUGLAS JR., ~ April 05, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- State officials removed 52 girls from a polygamous sect's compound in Schleicher County on Friday, a day after authorities blocked access to the secretive West Texas outpost in response to a report of child abuse, officials said.
The girls, ranging from 6 months to 17 years old, were put on buses at the YFZ Ranch outside Eldorado and driven north to San Angelo, where they were being housed at a civic center, Child Protective Services officials said.
Eighteen were taken into legal custody and will be placed in foster care, CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins said.
[MacDonald] - RCC. CAN $32,000 hush money. Police knew. Male.
Standard Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 05, 2008
CANADA -- City police had "serious concerns" in 1993 about negotiations that were going on between David Silmser and the local Roman Catholic diocese, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Friday.
But Staff Sgt. Luc Brunet said the negotiations - which culminated with Silmser receiving $32,000 in exchange for not pursuing sexual abuse charges against Rev. Charles MacDonald - were "dangerous territory" for lead investigator Const. Heidi Sebalj to get involved with.
"She expressed to me that he had talked to her about meeting with the church. He was talking about a civil settlement with them," said Brunet.
[1982-85 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
The Union Democrat,
By LACEY PETERSON, Published: April 4, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Rev. Michael Kelly plans to fight a lawsuit filed against him and the Diocese of Stockton, which alleges sexual abuse to a child in the 1980s.
"I absolutely, adamantly and vehemently deny … allegations," Kelly said in a telephone interview.
The Newport Beach law office of John Manly filed a lawsuit in San Joaquin County March 28 against an unnamed Catholic diocese, parish, school and priest on allegations of sexual abuse and negligence.
KTIV,
~ April 05, 2008
In the past two weeks, two lawsuits have been filed against the Sioux City Diocese and two of their former priests. Both claiming sexual abuse. SIOUX CITY (IA) -- Friday, one group, who say they support victims of priest abuse are calling on the diocese to take action.
Over the past couple of weeks, two men have filed separate lawsuits naming the Sioux City Catholic Diocese and two of their former priests.
[Kurzak, Mr Perdue] - RCC.
Sioux City Journal,
By Molly Montag, ~ April 05, 2008
SIOUX CITY (IA)-- A man representing an advocacy group for victims of clerical sexual abuse on Friday urged officials at the Diocese of Sioux City to do more to find and help victims of abuse.
Minnesotan Bob Schwiderski of Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, made the announcement during a news conference outside diocese headquarters in Sioux City.
The event came on the heels of two lawsuits filed last month against the diocese, both of which claim young men were sexually abused by former priest John Kurzak and former seminary student John Perdue.
[Lopez]
KNBC,
~ April 05, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- An appeals court panel Friday upheld the conviction of a former Catholic priest who molested two teens while assigned to a Los Angeles church, rejecting a defense claim that errors were made in instructions given to the jury that convicted him, City News Service reported.
Fernando Lopez was convicted in March 2005 of four felony counts of committing a lewd act with a child, one felony count of sexual battery by restraint, two misdemeanor counts of child molestation and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery. The charges involved two boys, aged 14 and 16, and a man of 19 or 20.
Lopez was sentenced in April 2005 to six years and eight months in state prison after saying that he offered his forgiveness to those who had "betrayed" his trust.
[Formed Church with gay unions, female priests, and communion for outsiders.
Official RCC has 14,000 claimants since 1950, payout US $2.3 b.]
The Chronicle Herald,
By LANA GERSTEN, Columbia News Service, 7:01 AM,
Sat. Apr 5, 2008
NEW YORK – Ten years ago, James Callan's world turned upside down. He had been a priest for 22 years at Corpus Christi Church in Rochester, N.Y., but was ousted for supporting gay unions, female priests and communion for non-Catholics. Two months later, the newly conservative diocese demanded that Mary Ramerman, then associate pastor of the church, step down from the altar because she was a woman. After refusing, she was fired. The following Sunday, 1,200 people came to church to protest.
Together, they decided to break away from the traditional rigid structure and form Spiritus Christi, an "underground church" that follows the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, but is not restricted by the demands of Rome.
They are part of a new form of worship, where women are free to take leadership roles, married men can be priests, and many support gay unions as well as communion for non-Catholics.
These underground churches, or gatherings of people who have broken away from the Catholic Church to form their own independent churches, believe in an inclusive, progressive environment for worship. Some rent church space from other denominations, but most gather for services in people's homes.
…
Sexual abuse scandals, which came to light in 2002, are also feeding this move. According to a March 2008 report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, nearly 14,000 molestation claims have been filed against the Catholic clergy since 1950, resulting in a total payout of $2.3 billion. In 2007 alone, total abuse related costs exceeded $615 million. These payouts, as well as the declining attendance at Mass, caused many parishes throughout the country to close.
[COMMENT: Spiritus Christi Church follows the liturgy of the RCC, which unfortunately has "developed" away from the original Jesus teachings. Ah, well! at least they are away from threats of excommunication if they tell the police about clergy child sex abuse. ENDS.]
[36yrs Sylvestre] - RCC. 47 girls.
Windsor Star,
by Grace Macaluso, Saturday, April 05, 2008
CANADA -- Storm clouds loomed over the Chatham courthouse on that day in August 2006 when 47 sexual abuse victims of Roman Catholic priest Charles Sylvestre finally saw justice.
"We were on the top floor of Superior Court," recalls Paul Bailey, the Crown lawyer who prosecuted the 83-year-old clergyman on 47 counts of indecent assault on young girls over a period of 36 years. "Because there were so many spectators, we needed the largest room in the courthouse, and that room has a huge skylight, probably 15 feet by 16 feet. It was a very dark, cloudy day and 47 counts were being read out, one by one. At the end of each count he would be asked 'how do you plead?' He would say 'guilty.' "
As the eighth count was being read, "the skies just opened up," says Bailey. "It didn't just start raining, it was a downpour and the rain was pounding on the skylight."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2008
6:25 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat April 05, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
- RCC had 4400+ criminals seducing children.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 06, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Forget about taking a weekend off, VOTF is about to run a full page in the New York Times that waters down the message that 4400 felons operated openly in the United States as Catholic priests, raping thousands of children.
I'd like to see an ad that says "Arrest the Pope! He aided and abetted felonies of 4400-plus pedophile priests who raped thousands of American children." Now that would be an effective ad, it would probably get the attention of those outside the "survivor movement" and it sure would be a better use of $63 thousand dollars. (A comment just now said the Pope can't be arrested. What about the Patriot Act and Extraordinary Rendition? The guy in robes sure looks suspicious to me-- city)
Plus VOTF has a petition for us to sign that says: "1. Treat survivors of sexual abuse with the justice and compassion our faith demands." It was "Rape" of children by Catholic priests in cities all across America. How could VOTF forget to mention that in Number 1 of their petition? It was sodomy with boys younger than 10 years old, drugging of children to photograph them. Pedophile orgies went on openly in rectories and other church propterties, involving groups of priests. VOTF's smiling language does not get the message across, but sounds like it's trying not to be too offensive -- Trying not to offend when talking to the lead perpetrator in this massive gang bang of American children, The Pope.
[Orsmond] - RCC. Boys' Town founder.
The Times (South Africa),
by Andrea Nagel, for Apr 07, 2008
SOUTH AFRICA -- "When I started writing my book," says Mario d'Offizi, author of Bless Me Father, "I had no intention of writing the accusation into the story. It is not a confession, or an attempt to punish anyone. It is a kind of catharsis. There's still a wound, but now the pus has gone."
D'Offizi suffered sexual abuse throughout his childhood and as a teenager at the hands of Father Reginald Orsmond, founder of Boys Town in South Africa and later Bishop of Johannesburg.
Bless Me Father is the first public revelation of Father Orsmond's double life as social activist and sexual predator, but there is so much more to the book than a focus on these traumatic events. In this way, the book reflects d'Offizi's life; it is so much more than a collection of awful occurrences.
- RCC cutting 124 parishes to 66.
Courier-Post,
By JIM WALSH • April 6, 2008
CAMDEN (NJ) -- The Diocese of Camden will reduce the number of parishes from 124 to 66. The sweeping reduction is needed to cope with a shortage of priests and population changes in the South Jersey diocese of some 500,000 Catholics, according to Bishop Joseph Galante.
Here are some questions about the plan, which will unfold over the next two years.
Question: What changes did diocesan planners consider?
Answer: Planners considered:
Mergers, where two or more nearby parishes form one larger parish with a single pastor. It will control all of the former parishes' assets and debts, including their churches.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2008
9:28 AM]
[2004-06 Szydlik*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Terry Hillig
Apr/06/2008
EDWARDSVILLE (IL) – An Edwardsville woman and her husband have sued a Roman Catholic priest and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, claiming the priest impregnated the woman during nonconsensual sex in 2006, and later encouraged her to have an abortion.
The suit alleges that the priest, the Rev. Thomas R. Szydlik, began pursuing an inappropriate relationship with the woman after he heard her confession at a church in Peoria in November 2004.
- RCC.
KTIV,
~ April 06, 2008
IOWA -- A day after taking their message to Sioux City's Catholic Diocese, SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by priests held another press conference Saturday afternoon in Davenport, Iowa.
They're trying to keep former Sioux City bishop Lawrence Soens from attending an upcoming visit by Pope Benedict the 16th [Ratzinger].
[Smyth]
Irish Independent,
By JEROME REILLY, Sunday April 06 2008
IRELAND -- Kilnacrott Abbey and 44 acres of land, including the grave of the notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth, is for sale.
The property just outside Ballyjamesduff could fetch in excess of €3m for the Norbertine Order, who will build a new residence in the area.
In a statement, the order they say that after much consideration they had decided to dispose of Holy Trinity Abbey and surrounding lands of 43 acres.
- Latter Day Saints (Mormons).
Deseret Morning News,
By Carrie A. Moore and Twila Van Leer, Published 12:56 a.m. MDT,
Sunday, April 6, 2008
UNITED STATES -- In an unusually frank public sermon on a sensitive topic, Elder Richard G. Scott told Latter-day Saints during the faith's general conference on Saturday that God knows the details of each act of verbal, emotional, physical or sexual abuse and will help victims while holding abusers accountable.
"The rising tide of this vicious, abominable sin may not have touched your life personally. Yet it is pervasive enough in the world that it may have touched someone you love," said Elder Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. "It frequently causes such profound suffering – that can be overcome – that I want to speak of how healing can be attained."
To abusers, he said: "You likely have deceived yourself in the false, temporary security that you have successfully hidden your transgression from the civil or church authorities. But know that the Lord Jesus Christ is completely aware of your sins. Know that sometime, even without action by the victim, your acts of abuse will be publicly know, for Satan will expose you and abandon you."
[~ 1976 Mons. Zatarga] - RCC. Boys.
New York Daily News
BY ALISON GENDAR, 4:00 AM, Sunday, April 6th 2008
BROOKLYN (NY) -- A disgraced Brooklyn monsignor kept a record of some of his romps with teenage boys, including comparing their "unique physiques" during one hiking trip to upstate New York, the Daily News has learned.
In a 1976 travel log, the Rev. George Zatarga freely described how he took boys to a private cabin outside of Saratoga.
Now that Zatarga, a monsignor with the Diocese of Brooklyn , has admitted to "inappropriate behavior" with teen boys, his vacation writings take on a surreal creepiness.
- FLDS.
CNN,
April 06, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (CNN) -- Authorities stormed the temple of a Texas ranch that's home to a rogue Mormon sect Saturday, as part of a search for victims of physical and sexual abuse, police said.
Police called in ambulances and other emergency vehicles as they prepared to search the polygamist group's temple, officials said.
Authorities wanted medical backup "in case they're involved in sensitive areas that could escalate into a negative reaction," a law enforcement source said. A police helicopter circled the ranch Saturday night.
[Decades - Rockville Centre Diocese] - RCC. 85% critical.
Newsday
BY BART JONES | bart.jones@newsday.com , ~ April 06, 2008
LONG ISLAND (NY) -- Six years into the church sex abuse scandal, two-thirds of Long Island's Roman Catholics believe the Diocese of Rockville Centre did a poor or fair job in addressing the crisis, according to a Newsday poll.
Conversely, 20 percent said it was doing an "excellent" or "good" job.
The national figures were even worse: A total of 85 percent rated the church's performance "fair" or "poor," while 14 percent deemed it "excellent" or "good."
Poll respondent John Jandras, 72, a Rockville Centre resident who was raised Catholic but no longer practices, called the church's handling of the scandal "terrible."
- RCC.
Newsday
BY BART JONES | bart.jones@newsday.com , April 06, 2008
LONG ISLAND (NY) -- Five years ago, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre was not a popular man among the faithful, according to at least one poll. Some 43 percent of Catholic respondents on Long Island said they had an "unfavorable" opinion of him, as opposed to 16 percent who had a "favorable" view.
But today Murphy's standing has improved, according to a Newsday poll. Some 28 percent of Catholics on Long Island now view him favorably, and 18 percent unfavorably. About 50 percent said they did not know enough about him to offer a view.
Among fans of Murphy is Michael Perkowski, 55, who responded to the poll and who is a parishioner at St. Louis de Montfort Parish in Sound Beach. "He hasn't done anything that I consider really controversial," Perkowski said. "I saw him at a confirmation. He was very pleasant, very open. He gave a good sermon. It was realistic."
Others were less enthusiastic. "I really don't like him," said Carol Bruno, 65, of Levittown, citing the church sex abuse scandal as one reason.
- RCC.
Newsday,
BY BART JONES | bart.jones@newsday.com , April 06, 2008
LONG ISLAND (NY) -- As Pope Benedict XVI's [Ratzinger's] visit to New York and Washington, D.C., approaches, a Newsday poll has found that Long Island Catholics view religion and prayer as critical parts of their lives, though they may dissent from church stances on major issues such as allowing priests to marry or the ordination of women.
The poll, conducted in late March, also found that Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre has dramatically improved his standing among Catholics compared with five years ago, when Newsday last commissioned an opinion survey on Catholicism and faith on Long Island. At that time, Murphy had just arrived as bishop to a diocese freshly roiling with the priest sex abuse scandal.
In a world that many observers have deemed increasingly secular, the poll nonetheless found that an overwhelming 83 percent of Long Islanders say religion is "very important" or "fairly important" in their lives, while 48 percent pray once a day or even several times a day.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2008
8:33 AM]
- RCC.
City of Angels,
By Frater R, ~ April 06, 2008
(In response to Arrest The Pope Now While You Can!, posted earlier today)
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The current Pope [Ratzinger] really is at the heart of the whole crisis. His backward policies were directly responsible for the whole crisis because he was in charge of the office of doctrine. If anyone could be rightly seen as the lightening rod for this whole thing, Ratzinger is it.
His policies directly led to (perpetrator) R. Henry being moved around to Holy Redeemer after having problems. Had Ratzinger had a zero tolerance policy back then, Rick would never have wound up at Holy Redeemer. So I don't let him off the hook, or even recognize the legitimacy of his papacy. …
Ultimately I can respect Mahoney because he was a big enough man to admit that he actually had been one of the "bad guys" in that he admitted that he had his head in the sand and cost his people dearly with his poor leadership. I mean I can respect someone who can admit he was wrong, and actually ask for my forgiveness. That's a big turnaround from how I was treated when I first approached them.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2008
9:18 PM]
[COMMENT: Well, we mustn't blame this Pope, formerly Cardinal Ratzinger, for the WHOLE mess, although he was quoted as saying only 1% were sinners, although Church records showed 4%. "Good Pope John" 23rd, way back in the 1960s, signed a secrecy document, which was probably a rewrite of older documents. And three authors have researched the Roman Catholic Church right back for more than 1600 years, and found that clergy child sex abuse was a recurring problem. During part of that Church's history in some places the punishments included being locked up and fed only bread and water. Of course, this was different to the tenor of some scriptures, which seem to demand expulsion from the group.
ENDS.]
[DOCTRINE:
Purge out therefore the old yeast, that you may become new dough. (Bible, 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Remove the wicked from among yourselves. (1 Corinthians 5:13).
And read 1 Peter 2:11-12, 15-16, and 6:19-20.
ENDS.]
[READING: DOYLE, Thomas; SIPE, A.W. Richard; and WALL, Patrick; 2006, Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church's 2,000-Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse.
< http://images. barnesandnoble. com/images/ 10970000/ 10972086. gif >
END.]
- RCC.
Telegraph (Britain),
Last Updated 12:30am BST April 07, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The Pope's visit to America next week has been plunged into controversy after the Church decided that he will not address the victims of sex abuse by priests.
Groups representing thousands of victims of sexual abuse by American clergy yesterday threatened to greet the Pope with protests on his first visit to the country.
They will publish full-page newspaper advertisements to condemn his five-day visit because it does not include a stop in Boston, the epicentre of a scandal that has shattered the church in America.
One victims' group has demanded that clergy linked to the scandal should be barred from attending any of the papal events. …
The Vatican insists that any meeting with the victims would reopen old wounds, and several senior aides have indicated that they felt the matter was "now closed".
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Article Posted 5:11 PM, Last Updated 05:12:49 PM MDT,
April/06/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Texas officials said Sunday afternoon they had removed 219 women and children from a FLDS ranch but were only halfway through their search of the compound.
Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for the Texas Child Protective Service, gave the new total at an afternoon news conference at 3 p.m. CST. Three hours later, another bus filled with women and children left the ranch, owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Meisner said authorities still have not identified or located a 16-year-old girl who called for help and said she had been physically abused. That call sparked a raid that began Thursday night at the ranch, outside the town of Eldorado.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WSOC,
~ April 06, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For this first time since a former St. Matthew priest was arrested on charges that he allegedly had sex with a then 14-year old boy, now 23-years old, parishioners gathered at the south Charlotte church for Sunday services.
Father Robert Yurgel, who served at St. Matthew Church from May 1997 until June 1999, was arrested in New Jersey on Wednesday and is awaiting extradition to Charlotte.
"There is an elephant in this room that needs to be talked about," Reverend John McSweeney told parishioners during a ten-minute discussion on the topic.
[2007-08 Elder Forbes*] - Church of God in Christ. Boy.
Nashua Telegraph,
~ April 06, 2008
NASHUA (NH) -- A pastor who preached in Nashua, N.H., is charged with carrying on a five-month sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Massachusetts boy, a Worcester newspaper reported Friday.
Worcester police arrested Tyrone Forbes, 49, of 84 Chatham St., Apt. 2, at 1:30 a.m. Thursday after he was found with the teen inside a pickup truck at a playing field, the Telegram and Gazette reported.
Forbes is a music teacher at a public elementary school in Worcester and is currently the pastor for a Nashua chapter of the Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ, the newspaper reported. …
Forbes' attorney, Jeffrey Newcombe, told the court that the bishop of the Worcester church had asked Forbes to serve as pastor for the Nashua chapter.
- RCC.
MaltaMedia,
7:51:17 PM, Apr 4, 2008
MALTA -- The Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Mario Grech, has published a statement in which he asks for forgiveness for physical and psychological abuse of children at Lourdes Home in Ghajnsielem run by the Dominican Sisters.
Allegations of abuse had been under investigation for almost two years now and a Commission appointed by Mgr Grech himself on April 24th 2006, has now concluded that in some cases there has been "inadmissible behaviour involving minors".
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2008]
- RCC.
DI-VE
by Nestor Laiviera - nestor.laiviera@gmail.com
Current Affairs,
20:30CEST
April 04. 2008
MALTA -- In a statement issued today, Mgr Mario Grech, the Bishop of Gozo, asked abuse victims for forgiveness after a commission assigned to uncovering child abuse discovered cases of both physical and psychological child abuse at Lourdes Home in Ghajnsielem. In his statement, the Bishop said that there had indeed been "inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should never have taken place." Additionally, the Bishop also stated that "the commission also presented some recommendations that will ensure that such abuses will never happen again."
Expressing words of solidarity, Mgr Grech said in no uncertain terms that he wishes to personally "ask forgiveness from those who have suffered because of this behaviour. The Church wants to accompany these persons who were hurt by this behaviour."
- RCC.
Malta Independent,
by Juan Ameen, ~ April 06, 2008
MALTA -- Gozo Bishop Mario Grech yesterday asked for forgiveness after a committee investigating claims of physical and psychological abuse at Lourdes Home, run by the Dominican sisters, found that "inadmissible behaviour involving minors" had taken place.
In a short statement titled "I ask for forgiveness", Mgr Grech explained that the commission that was set up by the Curia had reached "the conclusion that in some particular cases, there had been inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should have never taken place."
Furthermore, he added, the commission also presented "some recommendations that will ensure that such abuses would never happen again". The Gozo Curia statement did not say what the recommendations were.
- RCC.
Malta Independent,
~ April 06, 2008
MALTA -- Gozo Bishop Mario Grech asked for forgiveness on Friday after a committee investigating claims of physical and psychological abuse at Lourdes Home, run by the Dominican sisters, found that "inadmissible behaviour involving minors" had taken place.
In a short statement titled "I ask for forgiveness", Msgr Grech explained that the commission set up by the Curia had reached "the conclusion that in some particular cases, there had been inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should have never taken place".
Furthermore, he added, the commission also presented "some recommendations, which will ensure that such abuses would never happen again".
- RCC.
Malta Independent,
by Daphne Caruana Galizia, ~ April 06, 2008
MALTA -- In 1999, some young adults went public with the information that they had been physically and psychologically abused as children in an institution run by nuns in Gozo.
I never doubted for a moment that what they said was the truth. The devil is in the detail, and there are some details that just ring. You have to be a smart liar indeed to come up with descriptions of how you were made to eat your own vomit after being force-fed and throwing up, or how you had your hand ironed with a clothes-iron, of how you were dragged by your hair along the institution's corridors. And what would be the point of inventing stories like this in adulthood, in any case, in a country with absolutely no compensation culture for victims and no justice wrought on priests and nuns who abuse children?
Apart from the fact that the detail of their claims sounded authentic, there was another reason why I didn't doubt for a minute that they were speaking from experience. I spent the first 13 years of my life at a convent school run by nuns, so I do not automatically assume that they are meek and holy or even nice, nor do I have any respect for them that is not earned. My reaction to a wimple and habit is not: "Oh, she must be a good person," but "Brrrrrr! Prove to me that you're not a nasty piece of work and I might believe you."
- RCC.
Buffalo News,
By Jay Tokasz, Updated 7:29 AM, April/06/2008
NEW YORK -- As a Cheektowaga resident for many years, Gary Kadow supported the Buffalo Chapter of the American Red Cross and area arts organizations such as MusicalFare Theater.
But when Kadow moved to Florida in 2005, he found other charitable outlets for his time and money, including Rotary Club fundraisers for education and the local Red Cross chapter. …
Catholic Charities, too, remained well short of its $11.2 million target weeks after the annual appeal was supposed to wrap up. The Rev. Joseph Sicari, director of Catholic Charities, said he isn't sure how much of the agency's recent struggles is due to the flight of former givers to warmer climates.
But he acknowledged that at least 60 percent of Catholic Charities donors are 60 and older, and the agency has its work cut out in trying to connect with younger people.
- Anglican.
The Telegram,
By NADYA BELL, ~ April 06, 2008
CANADA -- The Anglican Church of Canada has received a cheque for $9.7 million from the federal government for paying too much compensation for residential school victims, but Newfoundland's eastern diocese won't be seeing any of the money.
Executive archdeacon Geoff Peddle of the eastern diocese says when the amount needed nationally for compensation was revised down, the diocese was just shy of the revised figure that needed to be raised by the diocese.
The eastern diocese was asked to raise $600,000, but when the figures were revised, its final target was $365,000.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2008
11:24 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sun April 06, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1990s Unnamed priest -NEW* + 4 others] - Christian. Children.
News 24,
14:06 - (SA), April/07/2008
DJIBOUTI -- Djibouti on Monday issued international arrest warrants for five French nationals, two of whom held senior positions in the Horn of Africa nation, for sexually abusing children, an investigator said.
The accused included two senior advisors to former president Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who ruled from 1977 to 1999, a priest and two schoolteachers, said Abdoulkader Ibrahim Issack, the investigating magistrate handling the case.
[~ 2000s Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Blind woman victim.
New Oxford Review,
www.newoxford review.org/ article.jsp? did=0408- morelli ;
By Lindy Morelli, ~ April 07, 2008
Ed. Note: The following is the story of a victim of clerical sexual abuse. It contains a depiction sexual depravity perpetrated by a member of the clergy. We are publishing this article because it is important to understand the wickedness of such acts and the human devastation that results therefrom. UNITED STATES -- In July 1988, I was a naïve 23-year-old. Having been blind since birth, I was also extremely vulnerable. I'd been sent to a school for the blind at four years old and saw my family infrequently. The separation was very sorrowful. I longed for a home.
As I grew, my need for human love was heartbreakingly unfulfilled. But God sent me treasured friends, in whom I found solace. Moreover, at an early age, I had a profound experience of God's love. One day, while praying in church as a young child, I felt a warmth emanating from the Tabernacle, and I was overwhelmed by the unmistakable presence of Jesus. From that moment, my life was never the same; faith became my bedrock and preserved me through many trials.
In 1987 I went on my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia. Being in that oasis made me radically hunger for God.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2008
8:43 AM]
[Greene, Mr McGinley, unnamed man] - RCC.
Irish Independent,
By Anita Guidera, Monday April 07, 2008
IRELAND -- A priest named as giving a reference to a paedophile, in a book on child abuse in the Gaeltacht, has told congregations he is seeking legal advice.
The book 'Breaking the Silence' by retired Garda Martin Ridge details garda investigations into three paedophiles, and was launched at the weekend in Donegal.
It outlines his investigation into the abuse crimes of Fr Eugene Greene, school teacher Denis McGinley and an unnamed third man against young boys in various parishes in west Donegal.
The author names the Parish Priest of Derrybeg, Fr Michael Sweeney as one of two priests who gave a character reference to abuser Denis McGinley at his trial in 2002.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2008
8:25 AM]
Laconia Citizen
Staff Report
Monday, April 7, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A proposal to consolidate several Catholic parishes in central New Hampshire is being forwarded to a special diocesan committee which advises Bishop John McCormack on such matters.
Under the proposal, Laconia's three parishes – St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, and Our Lady of the Lakes – would be consolidated into one parish which would be served by two priests. Masses and other services would continue to be held in all of the three existing parish churches under the plan endorsed by the cluster of local parishes which consists of St. Joseph in Belmont, St. Mary of the Assumption in Tilton, St. Paul in Franklin, in addition to the three Laconia parishes.
The Tilton and Franklin parishes would be consolidated under the proposal, while the Belmont parish would remain unchanged.
[1970s-80s Hawkins] - Anglican. 7 boys.
ABC News,
Posted 18:16:00
April 7, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- A former Tasmanian Anglican priest and convicted paedophile will be put on the sex offenders register for 8 years.
62-year-old Garth Stephen Hawkins will be listed on the register when he's released from prison.
In 2003, Hawkins was sentenced to seven and half years in jail for abusing seven teenage boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2008
8:17 AM]
[1990s Unnamed priest* + 4 others]
BBC News,
~ April 07, 2008
DJIBOUTI -- A court in Djibouti has issued international arrest warrants for five French nationals suspected of sexually abusing children in their care.
The accused include two school teachers, a priest and two senior advisors to former Djibouti president Hassan Gouled Aptidon, a judge said.
The case relates to alleged incidents in the 1990s when the five unnamed suspects were working in Djibouti.
- RCC.
WAVE,
By Shayla Reaves, ~ April 07, 2008
[with video]
LOUISVILLE (KY), (WAVE) -- A major milestone doesn't come without mixed emotion for members of the Louisville Archdiocese. Tuesday, the Roman Catholic Church will celebrate 200 years of service in the Louisville area. As WAVE 3's Shayla Reaves reports, it comes with the merger of five churches to help save money.
For some people, going to church is just part of life. But after years at a place they've come to know, this particular Sunday is bittersweet.
"I told my kids today this is our last Mass at St. Polycarp and I'd like for you all to be there," said Donna Fluhr, a member for 27 years.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams
Article Last Updated
12:35:48 AM MDT
Apr/07/2008
ELDORADO, Texas - Carolyn Jessop, once married to the man who oversees the FLDS church's besieged ranch, arrived Sunday in west Texas with two daughters she hoped to reunite with their half siblings.
Jessop, whose memoir Escape detailed her experiences in and departure from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, visited the Schleicher County Civic Center Sunday to explain the group's culture to authorities working with women and children taken from the YFZ Ranch this weekend.
Also in Texas: Elissa Wall, the young woman whose testimony sent sect leader Warren S. Jeffs to prison in Utah on convictions for rape as an accomplice, and Shannon Price of the Utah-based Diversity Foundation, which helps teens leaving the sect.
[1964-84 Mons Prince] - RCC. 12th boy now.
CNews,
By KENNETH JACKSON, SUN MEDIA, The Ottawa Sun, April 7, 2008
CANADA -- A 42-year-old Ottawa man intends to join 11 other sexual assault victims when they file individual lawsuits today against a convicted Pembroke priest and the Roman Catholic Diocese.
The question that remains, however, is how much the man should get for being abused nearly 30 years ago when he was a 13-year-old boy visiting the Ottawa apartment of Monsignor Bernard Prince .
"I really don't have a dollar amount. What I hope it boils down to is the impact (the assault) had on me for all these years. Maybe I could have done better in my life if I hadn't been abused," said the man, who can't be identified because of a court-ordered publication ban.
- RCC.
The Ottawa Citizen,
Monday, April 07, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The Pope's visit to the U.S. next week has been plunged into controversy after the Catholic Church decided that he will not address the victims of sex abuse by priests. Groups representing thousands of victims of sexual abuse by U.S. clergy yesterday threatened to greet the Pope with protests on his first visit to the country.
[Years - Mons Prince] - RCC. 13 boys now.
The Ottawa Citizen,
by Andrew Seymour, Sunday, April 06, 2008
A dozen multimillion-dollar lawsuits have been filed against the Catholic Church and pedophile priest Bernard Prince. CANADA -- Details of the lawsuits against Msgr. Prince and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke are expected to be revealed Monday when several of the retired priest's 13 victims gather in a Pembroke hotel.
"The purpose of this conference is to allow the victims who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Father Bernard Prince to begin their own personal healing by publicly speaking about the abuse that they have lived with in secrecy for so long," said Rob Talach, a lawyer for the London, Ont., law firm Ledroit Beckett, who is representing 12 men and some of their family members who have filed suit against Msgr. Prince and the Pembroke diocese.
- RCC.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
By Ann Rodgers, Monday, April 07, 2008
UNITED STATES -- To help ensure that the Catholic sexual abuse scandal never repeats itself, a local civil and canon lawyer has written a book on how the U.S. bishops handled cases of child molestation by clergy before they pledged themselves to zero tolerance at a 2002 meeting in Dallas.
In "Before Dallas," Nicholas P. Cafardi, dean emeritus of Duquesne University School of Law and a past chairman of the committee the bishops created to oversee their efforts to end the abuse, says that changes to church law under Pope John Paul II inadvertently tied the bishops' hands. The book, based on his recent doctoral thesis in canon law, was published last month by Paulist Press.
"It's important that we learn these lessons so this doesn't happen again," said Dr. Cafardi, who had worked since 1985 to change church law so offenders could be promptly and permanently banned from ministry. …
Nevertheless, Dr. Cafardi believes the bishops could have removed the abusive priests, in part due to a long-forgotten 1962 document. Issued only in Latin, it was mostly about priests who solicit sex in the confessional, but referred at the end to "the worst crime" of sexual abuse of children.
It said that these crimes were to be handled by the Vatican's powerful doctrinal office, which had the effect of removing the canonical statute of limitations, Dr. Cafardi said. While the document was sent to each bishop in 1962, they were told to keep it confidential and it was forgotten, he said.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
By TIM FUNK AND GARY L.WRIGHT, tfunk@charlotteobserver.com , ~ April 07, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- The Rev. Robert Yurgel, the Catholic priest charged with having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Charlotte in 1999, was a close friend of the boy's family, the attorney for the alleged victim, now 23, said Sunday.
Charlotte lawyer Seth Langson also said that some of the alleged molestations occurred on church property in Charlotte -- not only at St. Matthew Catholic in the Ballantyne area, but also at Our Lady of Consolation Catholic north of uptown.
On Sunday, pastors at both parishes spoke to their congregations, reminding them that Yurgel, now 43 and living in New Jersey, is innocent until proven guilty, but also expressing regret for any hurt caused by the case.
- RCC.
Press of Atlantic City
Monday, April 07, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Bishop Joseph A. Galante, the head of the Camden Diocese, made his long-awaited announcement about parish closings last week. The 124 parishes in the diocese, which serves six counties in southern New Jersey, will be cut to 66 through mergers and closings.
Like the previously announced closings and mergers of Catholic schools in the diocese, the elimination of 58 individual Catholic churches is sure to generate anger and bitterness among some parishioners. That's understandable - to a point.
The closing of any house of worship - of any religious denomination - is always a loss for a community, and not just for the highly religious.
[Years - Mons Prince] - RCC. 13 boys now.
The Daily Observer,
~ April 07, 2008
CANADA -- Victims of convicted sex offender Monsignor Bernard Prince, are launching a civil lawsuit against the former priest and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke.
The London law firm of Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers will publicly announce its intentions at a press conference today at the Best Western Inn and Conference Centre in Pembroke.
In a media release, the law firm indicates that part of the purpose of the conference is to allow the victims to begin their own personal healing by publicly speaking about their abuse.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2008
7:35 AM]
[1998 Passmore*] - Church of God. 35yrs prison. 2 girls.
KULR,
The Associated Press, Story Updated 10:29 AM MDT, Apr 7, 2008
LIVINGSTON (MT) -- A former Livingston minister has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the sexual assault and rape of two young sisters.
In December, a jury convicted 49-year-old Terrence Passmore of four felony sex crimes for events that happened in 1998 when the sisters were 12 and 14. At the time of the assaults, the sisters and their family attended the Livingston Church of God, where Passmore was a pastor.
On Friday, District Judge Wayne Phillips sentenced Passmore to 35 years with five years suspended for rape, and 10 years with five suspended for each count of sexual assault.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2008
7:56 PM]
[LOOK BACK: See Dec 4, 2007, and ~ December 09, 2007]
[1998 Passmore*] - Church of God. 35yrs prison. 2 girls.
Montana's News Station
~ April 07, 2008
LIVINGSTON (MT) -- A former minister from Livingston has been sentenced to 45 years behind bars for the sexual assault and rape of two young sisters.
Terrence Passmore, 49, was convicted in December of one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of sexual assault.
The girls were 12 and 14 at the time of the assaults.
- Whistleblower Knapp re-hired.
Belleville News-Democrat,
BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK, gpawlaczyk@bnd.com , ~ April 07, 2008
BELLEVILLE (IL) -- The 46 priests who asked Bishop Edward Braxton to step down have won a lesser demand contained in the same letter, calling for the reinstatement of the diocese's financial overseer.
Braxton has approved a one year reappointment for Bill Knapp as chief financial officer for the Belleville Catholic Diocese.
The priests' letter, released publicly on March 14, stated it was "imperative" that Braxton reinstate Knapp, who is widely credited by priests for having drawn attention to the bishop's recent misuse of restricted funds.
- VOTF and RCC.
OneNewsNow,
by Jim Brown, 11:45:00 AM, April/7/2008
UNITED STATES -- In advance of Pope Benedict's visit to the U.S. later this month, Voice of the Faithful -- a lay Catholic group formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal -- is calling attention to what it believes is a lingering "moral crisis" in the Roman Catholic Church.
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) seeks the "transformation" of the Catholic Church and "envision[s] a church that is open, transparent and accountable." The group is raising money to spread its message through an ad it is placing in local and national newspapers.
Julie Rafferty, a VOTF volunteer and one of the principal authors of the ad, says many of the issues raised by the clergy sexual abuse scandal have yet to be resolved. She also notes that many bishops who shuttled predatory priests from parish to parish still remain in power.
[1964-84 Mons Prince] - RCC. 13 boys.
CBC News
April 07, 2008
CANADA -- A retired priest and Vatican official sentenced to prison time for sexually abusing 13 boys decades ago is being sued by 11 victims for more than $20 million.
The civil suits filed in Pembroke, Ont., on Monday named both former priest Bernard Prince and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke. The lawsuits, which each seek $2 million in damages, are on top of two filed against Prince earlier.
Prince was sentenced in January to four years in prison after being convicted of one charge and pleading guilty to 12 others related to sexually abusing boys between 1964 and 1984.
- FLDS.
Houston Chronicle,
By JANET ELLIOT and JOHN MacCORMACK, ~ April 07, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas – The state has taken legal, temporary custody of 401 children from a polygamist compound in nearby Schleicher County, a child welfare official said today, citing allegations of abuse and that the children were at risk of harm.
"In my opinion, this is the largest endeavor we've ever been involved with in the state of Texas," Marleigh Meisner, spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, said as the number of children in temporary custody grew from an initial 18 youngsters.
Temporary custody was awarded by a state district judge, Meisner said. Each child will be appointed a guardian ad litem and an attorney ad litem to represent their interests, she said.
- RCC and VOTF.
Wicked Local Needham,
By Richard Griffin, Growing Older, 03:21 PM EDT,
Mon Apr 07, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- Next week, the pope is coming to America.
He will visit Washington and New York. Most importantly, he will speak at the United Nations.
Boston, however, does not get to receive him. Presumably, he prefers not to call further attention to the scandal of sexual abuse by clergy.
…
But at least one Catholic organization does care intensely about this visit. Voice of the Faithful, which started in 2002 in response to the clergy abuse crisis, has raised money for a full-page ad in the New York Times.
VOTF's main effort is to promote active participation by laypeople in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. More concretely, they want the pope and the American bishops to treat the survivors of sexual abuse with justice and compassion.
- VOTF on tap.
-- AScribe Newswire,
April 7, 2008
BOSTON (Mass.), UNITED STATES, (AScribe Newswire) -- Voice of the Faithful has spokespeople available from its national office in Boston, Mass. -- and local spokespeople in many cities around the country -- to provide a lay Catholic's perspective on the state of the U.S. Catholic Church on the occasion of the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict to the U.S. April 15-20, 2008.
The organization's members believe the Catholic Church faces many serious challenges and unresolved problems due, in part, to insufficient meaningful participation by the laity in decision making on issues such as Church management and finance. It is this lack of lay involvement and dialogue, members believe, that made the sex abuse scandal possible and are now at the root of financial problems, including Church closings, mismanagement and embezzlements, that plague the Church.
However, Voice of the Faithful members also believe the Church is capable of transformation and envision a Church that is open, transparent, and accountable and look forward to a Church that embraces the gifts and talents of the laity.
[1964-84 Mons Prince] - RCC knew > 30yrs ago. 13 boys.
Canada.com ,
by Andrew Seymour, Canwest News Service,
Monday, April 07, 2008
PEMBROKE, Ont., Canada -- The Roman Catholic Church was aware of the sexual abuse of young boys by Msgr. Bernard Prince more than three decades ago but allowed it to continue, according to lawsuits filed by nearly a dozen victims of the pedophile priest.
"I think it just goes to show the attitude of the Catholic Church that they would just as well keep this buried," said one of 11 men who filed $2 million lawsuits against Prince and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke.
"All of these years, in my silence, I never thought the church knew about it," said the man, whose name is protected by a publication ban. He was sexually assaulted by Prince in 1984 when he was 17. "Why would the Catholic Church allow this to continue and not do anything about it?"
- RCC hired a man accused of child porn.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
~ April 07, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- There was one aspect of the most recent scandal within the local Catholic diocese that was most troubling: There was no doubt that Bishop Carlos Sevilla hired a man he knew faced child pornography charges of some nature, and yet Sevilla never asked any questions about the outcome of those charges.
But even in the midst of that appalling discovery, there was also one improvement in the way the bishop of the Yakima diocese has reacted to similar scandals of the past few years: This time it didn't take a lawsuit for Sevilla to come forward.
Hardly earth-shattering, but an improvement nonetheless.
- RCC.
Daily Gazette,
By Mark Robarge, ~ April 07, 2008
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Two Schoharie County churches have been recommended for closing as part of a restructuring initiative within the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese.
According to an announcement distributed at Sunday's Mass at St. Anna's parish in Summit, a local planning group including parishes in Schoharie, Otsego and Delaware counties has recommended that St. Anna's, as well as St. Joseph's in Schoharie, be closed under the two-year initiative, "Called to Be Church." St. Mary's parish in the Otsego County village of Schenevus was also recommended for closing by the local panel.
Those recommendations will be passed along to Bishop Howard Hubbard and another panel will review the recommendations, with Hubbard scheduled to announce a final determination early next year. Diocesan spokesman Kenneth Goldfarb said this morning he believed the diocese had not formally received the recommendation from the local planning group, but said the timetable for considering the recommendation remains unchanged.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon April 07, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[Unnamed pastor -NEW*] - Assemblies of God. Own daughter.
Fiji Times,
By SERAFINA SILAITOGA and HAROLD KOI, for Wednesday, April 09, 2008
FIJI -- A MAN has been charged with raping his 15-year-old daughter over the past three years.
The 57-year-old man faces 20 counts of abuse and raping his daughter on separate occasions in their family home on Ovalau. …
Meanwhile, a pastor accused of incest against his daughter in the Northern Division has been suspended from church duties.
The divisional head of the Assemblies of God Church, Pastor Manasa Rasalato, said they have laid-off duty the pastor accused of incest.
"He has been suspended and depending on the results of the investigation, a decision will then be made on his pastoral duties," Mr Rasalato said.
[2008 Steed -NEW*] - FLDS. Evidence tampering.
The Associated Press,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, ~ April 08, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (AP) – A second member of a polygamist sect has been arrested in connection with a search of a Texas compound.
Leroy Johnson Steed is charged with tampering with physical evidence. Authorities say that Steed was arrested Monday night and was being held in a jail near the compound.
The 41-year-old Steed is the second member of the Yearning for Zion Ranch to be arrested since authorities raided the religious retreat last week after a young girl called them and reported abuse.
[~ ? 2000s Nolan -NEW*] - Jehovah's Witness. 10yrs prison. 2 girls.
Telegraph & Argus,
By Steve Wright, ~ April 08, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A Jehovah's Witness, who raped two young girls and sexually assaulted another, has been jailed for ten years.
Patrick Nolan, 61, was told by a judge at Bradford Crown Court: "This was an appalling act of self-gratification." …
Mr Keeley said that while growing up Nolan suffered unwanted sexual advances from a Catholic priest and a neighbour and was regularly beaten by his schoolteachers. He left Ireland in the late 60s and found work on a farm in the Skipton area.
[2000s Knight - NEW*] - Church of Christ. Dating a parishioner.
Portsmouth Herald News,
By Karen Dandurant, kdandurant@seacoastonline.com , April 08, 2008
YORK, Maine – The senior pastor at the First Parish Congregational Church has been placed on a two-month leave after a complaint was lodged against him by a former parishioner, with whom he had a "personal" relationship.
His voicemail greeting at the church says he will return on
June 1.
A press release sent by the Rev. Linda Hirst indicates that the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ recommended to the First Parish Church of York that Richard B. Knight be reprimanded. The committee said, while Knight had sought advice about dating a parishioner, his action constituted a "misuse of pastoral authority."
- RCC. Drug barons donate to Church.
IPS,
Apr 8, 2008
MEXICO CITY, (IPS) - A senior Catholic bishop's acknowledgement that drug traffickers contribute money and buildings to their communities, and occasionally seek out priests to redeem themselves, was merely a restatement of old news. The novelty here was the angry reactions from within the Church, experts say.
"Internal power struggles have been brought to light as a result of this incident, above all because of the intervention of the hard-line faction in the Catholic Church and of other religious denominations," Bernardo Barranco, a sociologist of religion, told IPS. …
Spokesmen for the archdiocese of Mexico, headed by Archbishop Norberto Rivera, who belongs to the most conservative wing of the Church, and has been accused in U.S. courts of protecting a paedophile priest, spoke out against the drug cartels, declaring that "dirty" money cannot be laundered through supposedly charitable works.
At no time did they mention Aguiar or defend his point of view.
"Rivera can't forgive the bishops for not appointing him president of the CEM, so he is attacking Aguiar (elected in 2006 for a three-year period) indirectly, by letting it be understood that Aguiar defended drug traffickers," Barranco said. …
Protestant churches also took up the issue. Arturo Farela, president of the National Fraternity of Evangelical Christian Churches, asked the Attorney General's Office on Monday to investigate the Catholic Church for suspected links with drug traffickers.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 8, 2008
10:20 PM]
- Russian Orthodox Church.
[≤ 2004 Mr Dushkin] - 9 convictions.
[~ 2008 Alaska Diocese] - Installed convicted paedophile as a reader. Dismissed whistleblower.
Kodiak Daily Mirror,
By RALPH GIBBS, Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
ALASKA -- The Most Rev. Nathaniel, archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate, and the Right Rev. Tikhon, bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, returned to Anchorage over the weekend.
Both visited Kodiak over the weekend continuing their investigation into allegations that Alaska diocese leader Bishop Nikolai Soraich has ruled in Alaska for the last seven years under a blanket of intimidations and abuse.
Bishop Nikolai denies the charge, although he does acknowledge on his diocese Web site that he needs to become a better leader.
[? 2007-08 Simental*] - Jehovah's Witness. 3 girls.
The Press-Enterprise,
By TAMMY J. McCOY, ~ April 08, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A Murrieta man's trial on molestation charges began Monday after an appellate court declined his request to halt it and rule on whether two Jehovah's Witnesses' elders could be required to testify.
In opening statements, a prosecutor told jurors the man touched girls during his daughter's sleepover party in Murrieta.
"The defendant Gilbert Simental fondled three separate girls by exploiting the innocent trust of his own daughter's slumber party," prosecutor Burke Strunsky told the jury.
- Anglican institutions.
Anglican Media Melbourne,
by Jane Still, Tuesday, 8 Apr 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- A report into the treatment of children in state care in South Australia has prompted a renewed apology to victims of abuse by the Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide.
"I acknowledge, with deep regret, that some of that abuse occurred in institutions run by the Anglican Church in South Australia," said Archbishop Jeffrey Driver, repeating "without reservation" an apology previously issued to victims of sexual abuse in the diocese. "I support the Premier's commitment to apologise. Sexual abuse is always intolerable. When it is perpetrated by a person holding a sacred trust it is particularly repugnant."
Archbishop Driver said he supported all 54 recommendations of the inquiry, which include various moves to broaden the Children's Protection Act in South Australia, and a public education campaign to educate the community about child sexual abuse.
[2001-02, 2002-05 Cote* (Dominican)] - Roman Catholic. 3 boys.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
April 08, 2008
NEW YORK --
WHEN
Tuesday, April 8, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
Outside the Dominican Provincial House (near St. Vincent Ferrer's) 869 Lexington (near 65th) in NYC (where the predator is believed to be living now)
- FLDS.
TransWorldNews,
~ April 08, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Carolyn Jessop, the former wife of known polygamist Merrill Jessop, spoke on NBC's Today Show in regards to the recent raid of a polygamist compound in Texas.
Jessop, an author of a polygamist memoir "Escape", told Today Show correspondent Matt Lauer that the compound breeds a mentality that keeps women trapped. …
Carolyn Jessop also said that the sect practices "a form of pedophilia hiding behind a religion as a protection. There's just a desire to control and manipulate and torture people, and religion is just used as the cover." She left the sect in 2004 before they move to Eldorado.
- FLDS.
San Angelo Standard-Times,
By Paul A. Anthony, 02:40 p.m., Updated 04:36 p.m.,
April 8, 2008
TEXAS -- State child welfare officials are alleging a "pervasive pattern and practice" of forced marriage and sexual abuse inside the secretive Schleicher County compound from which hundreds of children have been removed.
According to documents filed this afternoon in state District Court in Tom Green County, Child Protective Services asked Judge Barbara Walther to grant the agency custody of all 417 boys and girls removed from the YFZ Ranch as of this afternoon because every child is at risk for abuse.
- RCC.
Herald Sun (Melbourne, Vic., Australia),
From correspondents in Washington, 07:59am, April 09, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- A VICTIM support group for some 9000 Americans who say they were sexually abused by Catholic clergymen today urged Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] to take action to protect children from pedophile priests.
"We are looking for the Holy Father to hold the enablers and wrongdoers accountable," Barbara Blaine, head of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said outside the papal nuncio in Washington ahead of Benedict's visit next week.
In January, SNAP sent a letter to the Pope, calling on him to meet with victims of predator priests when he visits Washington and New York from April 15-20, "to assist in the unfinished healing that needs to occur," said Ms Blaine.
- RCC.
AFP,
~ April 08, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC), (AFP) – Days before Pope Benedict XVI was due to begin a historic visit to the United States, a support group for some 9,000 Americans who say they were sexually abused by Catholic clergymen on Tuesday urged the pontiff to act against pedophile priests.
"We are looking for the holy father to hold the enablers and wrongdoers accountable," Barbara Blaine, head of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP), told reporters outside the papal nuncio in Washington, where Benedict XVI is due to begin his first visit as pope to the United States next week.
In January, SNAP sent a letter to the pope calling on him to meet with victims of predator priests when he visits Washington and New York, "to assist in the unfinished healing that needs to occur," Blaine said, reading from the letter.
- FLDS.
The Associated Press,
~ April 08, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (AP) – The 16-year-old girl whose phone call triggered the massive raid on a polygamist sect's West Texas compound told a local family violence shelter that her husband beat and raped her, according to court documents released Tuesday. …
The documents said that investigators discovered a number of teen girls who appeared to be pregnant as they searched the compound.
"Investigators determined that there is a widespread pattern and practice of the (Yearn for Zion) Ranch in which young, minor female residents are conditioned to expect and accept sexual activity with adult men at the ranch upon being spiritually married to them," read the affidavit signed by Lynn McFadden, a Department of Family and Protective Services investigative supervisor.
McFadden said that as soon as girls reached puberty, they were spiritually married to an adult male and required to produce children.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News,
By Brian West, ~ April 08, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas – Officials in Texas on Tuesday released documents detailing the reasons why police raided a polygamist ranch and took custody of 416 children.
In the affidavit by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, officials say a 16-year-old girl living at the YFZ Ranch called a local shelter March 29 to report that she was being abused by an adult male to whom she had been "spiritually married."
The document states that the girl, who said she was several weeks pregnant and had an 8-month-old infant, requested assistance leaving the ranch, which is owned by the Fundamentalist LDS Church. The affidavit states that the girl called several times that day, expressing the "need to leave her current living situation."
Also on Tuesday, Marleigh Meisner, spokeswoman for Texas' division of child protective services, said "all the children have been safely removed from the ranch."
- FLDS.
The Huffington Post,
by Marci Hamilton, ~ April 08, 2008
TEXAS -- There is nothing so dangerous for a child as an insular, patriarchical religious organization, and the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, whose compound in El Dorado, Texas, is now under control of the Texas authorities, is one of the scariest examples. It took the extraordinary bravery of a 16-year-old girl to set in motion a chain of events that should have happened long ago.
She reported that she had been "married" to a 50-year-old man, forced to have sex, get pregnant, and have a baby. Because of her, Texas authorities have taken hundreds of children and women to safety. From all reports, they have yet to find her.
I give the Texas law enforcement and child protective agency officials a great deal of credit for moving in on the compound. They bucked the three trends in our culture that have kept these children at risk for far too long.
First, authorities in general are too fearful of intervening in religious enclaves, even when the harm is so awful and apparent. Yet, there is no right of religious liberty to engage in child and spousal abuse, or polygamy for that matter. The taboo against holding religious entities accountable is simply foolhardy.
- RCC.
Breitbart,
AP, ~ April 08, 2008
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican's No. 2 official says Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] recognizes the damage and pain caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis and will seek healing during his U.S. trip next week.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that Benedict will deliver a message of "trust and hope."
The pope turns 81 during the trip. Bertone says Benedict is fit but could not meet all the invitations from U.S. cities and had to limit himself to Washington and New York.
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Last Updated 10:29:40 AM MDT, April/08/2008
SAN ANGELO and ELDORADO, Texas -- Sounding weary and anxious, Merrill Jessop spoke briefly to The Salt Lake Tribune Tuesday about the law enforcement investigation now in its fifth day at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado.
Jessop, who oversees the ranch and is a presiding elder in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said a sizeable law enforcement force remains at the ranch.
He said the ability to communicate with those outside -- and family members taken from the ranch -- is rapidly diminishing as officers confiscate cell phones "as fast as they find them."
[Decades - Porter, Shanley] - RCC. Children.
- One of the pioneer paedo-busters.
WBZ,
~ April 08, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- Joe Bergantino is the I-Team Reporter for WBZ-TV News, Boston. …
In 1992, Bergantino broke the story of Father James Porter, a priest who sexually assaulted dozens of children in the 1960's. Bergantino's stories led to Porter's imprisonment.
It was the Porter case that prompted hundreds of priest sex abuse victims to file suit against the Boston Archdiocese.
In 2002, the I-Team spent most of the year reporting on many of those cases made public for the first time in a new sex abuse scandal that eventually led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law.
In 2002, the I-Team single-handedly tracked down alleged rapist Father Paul Shanley in San Diego. Two days later, the priest was under arrest.
- RCC had ~ 5000 felons molesting thousands of children.
City of Angels
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 08, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The first and only jury trial in LA concerning pedophile priests begins next week, just as the lead perpetrator, the Pope [Ratzinger], is distracting Catholics and the media on the East Coast. Since Americans now have the Patriot Act and Extraordinary Rendition, the prudent response to the pope stepping on US soil is his arrest and indefinite detention. Instead we'll have non stop coverage of praise and glory by bug-eyed frothing crowds following the Pope around as if the Catholic Church hadn't turned 5000 felons loose on the US population and let those pedophiles disguised as priests rape thousands of children in the last few decades.
Motions in Limine filed by Salesians for the trial in LA next week are copied below, naming everything the Salesians don't want mentioned in Court. Hearings begin April 14 and all 23 motions in limine by defendants and 6 by plaintiffs have to be heard and ruled on before jury selection and the trial can begin. So might as well follow the pope around, please take rotten fruit in case you get within a stone's throw…
With these 23 motions Attorneys from the Foley & Lardner firm show they will do the same obstruction in LA as they did when they defended the Salesians in San Francisco in 2006, obstruction such as flooding the court with 23 motions in limine when rarely are there more than 10. Why not? Attorneys who represent the Catholic Church and its felons seem to have a bottomless briefcase full of cash.
[2006-2007 Ajemian*] - RCC. Stalking a TV host/comedian.
Reuters,
12:45pm EDT, Tue Apr 8, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Boston priest apologized in a New York court on Tuesday for stalking U.S. television host Conan O'Brien and his family and accepted an order to stay away from the comedian's home and office for two years.
The Rev. David Ajemian, 48, a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, was arrested in November 2007 during a taping of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza.
Wearing khakis and a wrinkled overcoat, Ajemian said in court on Tuesday that from September 2006 until his arrest he sent letters, postcards and packages to O'Brien's New York home and to the NBC studio.
[2006-2007 Ajemian*] - RCC. Stalking a TV host/comedian.
Hip Hop Elements,
~ April 08, 2008
NEW YORK -- The Catholic priest who stalked Conan O'Brien just pleaded guilty to being a crazy stalker man -- and he's going to have to stay away from his favorite red-headed talk show host for two years. Lawd have mercy!
[1990s Deacon Long -NEW*] - Baptist. Children.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ April 08, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- It's alarming that the senior pastor of a Southern Baptist church would choose to "handle" a child sex abuse report by keeping quiet.
According to a lawsuit filed last week, Pastor Wayne Stockstill at the First Baptist Church of Hesperia said he "erred on the side of grace" when, a decade ago, he did nothing about a report that church deacon Roy Long was molesting children.
- RCC.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
April 08, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) --
WHEN
1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8
WHERE
Outside the Papal Nuncio's office, 3339 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Washington, D.C.
[- 2007 Ms Rowe -NEW*] - Methodist. Money US $50,000.
NBC 4,
~ April 08, 2008
ROANOKE, Va. -- A Catawba woman is accused of taking $50,000 from three churches where she volunteered as a treasurer.
A Roanoke County grand jury has indicted Lola Taylor Rowe on seven counts of embezzlement. Rowe served as treasurer for the McDonald's Mill, Catawba and Shiloh United Methodist churches. All three congregations are officiated by the same pastor and share the same treasury fund.
The superintendent of the Roanoke District of United Methodist Churches said he requested an audit, and the church turned over improprieties to Roanoke County police in 2007.
- RCC to issue more words. US $1.5bn gone so far.
Spero News,
By Kent Klein, ~ April 08, 2008
UNITED STATES -- It's likely that one of the first things Americans will notice about Pope Benedict is that he is somewhat quieter than his charismatic predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
The president of the Catholic University of America, Father David O'Connell, said on CNN's Late Edition he believes that's not necessarily a disadvantage.
"I hope that people, first and foremost, will get to know him a little bit," said Father O'Connell. "Unlike his predecessor, who had rock star status, this man, because of his intellect and scholarly reputation, he's a little more reserved, and there's a little more mystery. In fact, I think it's intentional on his part. When he became pope, he indicated that he wanted the attention to be focused on Jesus Christ, and not on the person of the pope." …
The Church is still recovering from the scandal surrounding the sexual abuse of children by priests and other Church officials. It's estimated that the Church has paid out $1.5 billion in settlements to abuse victims. Cardinal George says he expects Pope Benedict to address the issue during his visit.
"It bothers him immensely that children have been abused by priests or bishops," he said. "This is a complete betrayal of our own office and of Jesus Christ, and of our Catholic people. He's very clear on that, and I imagine he'll express it forcefully."
- RCC.
CBS 3,
~ April 08, 2008
BEAVERDALE, Pa. (AP) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown says two more places of worship in Cambria County will close this year.
The Holy Spirit Parish in Beaverdale and its chapel in Dunlo will close because of dwindling membership and resources.
The diocese says it doesn't have enough money to replace the Holy Parish church building's roof or for parish operations.
- RCC.
The Daily Journal,
April 08, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- The anxiety felt by many Catholics throughout the Camden Diocese is understandable.
Change is never easy. But when that change is as dramatic as slashing parishes from 124 to 66 during the next two years, including several mergers in Vineland, Millville and Bridgeton, the feelings of disappointment and uncertainty are even more intense. That's especially in parishes like Vineland's Sacred Heart, where family traditions may go back generations.
The decisions could not have been easy for Bishop Joseph A. Galante either. He saw the facts, however, and had the courage to address the problems now instead of just ignoring them. And the diocese went out of its way to make the whole process as open as possible, wisely including lay members of the parishes in the decision-making process.
- FLDS.
The Spectrum (UTAH),
April 08, 2008
TEXAS -- Texas authorities have taken busloads of children from the YFZ Ranch, a huge complex built and owned by followers of Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
It's about time law enforcement takes action in an attempt to stop the suspected cycle of abuse. …
The FLDS claim a right to practice polygamy, allowing so-called spiritual marriages to take place, most of them reportedly arranged by Jeffs. Society shouldn't infringe on the rights of adults to put their beliefs into practice. Frankly, it's not the government's business how many wives a man chooses to have and support.
However, when those beliefs spill over into allegations of sexual abuse against children and women, welfare fraud and other suspected crimes, the line is drawn, and Utah state officials should do more than put the cuffs on only a few offenders.
It took courage, for example, for Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap to bring charges against Jeffs.
- Christian. Girl.
The Arizona Republic,
07:20 PM, Apr. 7, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Dear Abby: I'm writing in response to "In Love in Washington" (Feb. 4), about the 16-year-old who became pregnant by her pastor. What she described is not a "love" relationship; it is an abusive one. A pastor who has a sexual relationship with a member of his congregation is misusing his power, and this constitutes clergy sexual misconduct.
You were correct when you stated that "if there is any 'shaming'," it should be directed at the pastor. Unfortunately, that is not typically the case. The shaming of victims that follows disclosure is nearly unbearable. Church officials typically collude in denial or cover up the problem. Rarely is there any care for the victim.
[> 10yrs ago - Mr Dwayne Smith] - Christian school. Fondling girl.
The Columbus Dispatch,
By Jennifer Smith Richards, 10:45 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008
OHIO -- More than a decade after he admitted fondling a middle-school girl, Dwayne K. Smith will forever lose his right to teach in Ohio.
There won't be specifics about his misconduct in the official state record, though, when the State Board of Education votes to revoke his license today. And the sexual abuse that Smith admitted to his employers at Worthington Christian Schools isn't mentioned.
Smith officially is surrendering his license, which the state then permanently revokes, for committing "actions unbecoming to the teaching profession." Smith was never charged with a crime.
- RCC.
|
USA Today,
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, April 07, 2008
UNITED STATES -- When Shepherd One lands outside Washington, D.C., on April 15, the jet carrying Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] to a six-day visit in the USA will deliver a complex and surprising man. …
Notably omitted: Boston, the epicenter of the nationwide clergy sexual abuse scandal, in which 5,000 clergy members have been accused of abusing 12,000 children and teens.
The scandal has cost nearly $2 billion in settlements and legal fees and driven five dioceses into bankruptcy. Papal ambassador Pietro Sambi says Benedict will address the scandal "more than once."
"Really, what could he say?" asks David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP), which has called on the church to remove accused priests more swiftly and discipline bishops who protected or even promoted abusers. "The issue is actions, not words."
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Knowingly hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
By JANE GARGAS, ~ April 08, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- Priests in 40 Catholic parishes spanning Central Washington were asked to read a letter of apology from Bishop Carlos Sevilla this weekend.
Sevilla personally delivered an apology to parishioners Sunday at St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Cowiche, where he hired an ex-seminarian, Juan Jose González Rios, to work in the parish five years ago despite knowing González was under investigation for viewing child pornography in Oregon.
Sevilla told Cowiche parishioners he was sorry for how he had handled the case. Rarely, if ever, has a bishop's personal apology been read aloud in all the parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima.
[1990s Police] - Never told the Children's Aid Society.
Standard Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 08, 2008
CANADA -- Two of the principal investigators who looked into sex abuse allegations made against a priest and a probation officer in 1993 "never thought" of notifying the local Children's Aid Society, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard yesterday.
Staff Sgt. Luc Brunet was the head of the force's criminal investigations branch from 1993 to 1999, and oversaw Const. Heidi Sebalj's nine-month investigation into allegations raised by David Silmser against Rev. Charles MacDonald and Ken Seguin.
"It was my belief, at the time, that being the case was historical and there were no grounds to believe any recent incident had occurred, that the Children's Aid Society would not have any interest in this case," Brunet wrote in a 1995 memo to former chief Anthony Repa that was entered into evidence on Monday.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 8, 2008
6:55 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 08, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000-08 Bp Reid -NEW*] - Christian. Resigned. Choir mistress.
Daily Mail,
~ April 09, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A bishop has been forced to resign after confessing to having an affair under his wife's nose.
Former policeman Michael Reid, 64, has resigned as a bishop after admitting he had "sinned by committing adultery".
His former church has refused to speculate on claims Mr Reid had been embroiled in an eight year affair with its music director Sheila Graziano.
The bishop, branded a 'hypocrite', slammed the BBC in 2006 for screening Jerry Springer The Opera for its depiction of Jesus wearing a nappy.
[An HIV priest -NEW*] - RCC. US $130m. Male.
Foster's Daily Democrat,
By AARON SANBORN, asanborn@fosters.com , Article Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008
PORTSMOUTH (NH) – A former Dover priest is at the center of a $130 million civil suit against the Diocese of Manchester.
A former Seacoast man claims the diocese was negligent in allowing an HIV-infected cleric to be a head priest, a position that ultimately gave the priest the opportunity to rape the victim.
The suit, filed by Daniel M. Brown, of Key West, Fla., was sent to the Hillsborough County Superior Court earlier this month and was on file Tuesday, according to a court clerk.
[50yrs 5000 clergy] - RCC. Wounder to heal wounded.
Pewsitter,
By Hugh McNichol, Pewsitter.com , April 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The word is out that Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] will call for healing and reconciliation among Catholics in the United States over the clergy sex scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church in the U.S. Papal pronouncements on this topic are certainly welcome and should assist in putting the issue behind us and helping the Church to move forward with healing and reconciliation.
Benedict XVI, as a bridge-builder, offers forgiveness and healing so the Church in the United States can learn and grow from these unfortunate incidents. After the Pope makes his remarks, the Catholic Church in the U.S. needs to continue its vigilance in protecting all individuals from predatory sexual behavior and then continue to move past the scandal. Acknowledgement, forgiveness and reconciliation are the key points necessary for everyone in the United States to understand.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 9, 2008
7:04 PM]
[50yrs 5000 clergy] - RCC.
Catholic Sentinel,
~ April 09, 2008
VATICAN CITY – In a videotaped message, Pope Benedict said he wants to bring a message of Christian hope to all Americans and to the United Nations when he visits in mid-April.
"I shall come to the United States as pope for the first time to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition," the pope said.
He said he intends to reach out spiritually to U.S. Catholics and show fraternity and friendship to other Christians, to followers of other religions and to all people of good will. …
Meanwhile, the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said he expects the pope to bring a message of "healing and reconciliation" in response to the priestly sex abuse scandal in the United States.
- RCC.
CBNNews.com ,
April 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict will be in the U.S.next week and the Vatican says he will try to heal the wounds caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis.
The Pope is scheduled to speak to American clergy at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
He will deliver what the Vatican calls a message of "trust and hope."
- RCC.
Catholic World News,
Apr. 9, 2008
VATICAN CITY, (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio - news), the Vatican Secretary of State, has offered a preview of next week's trip by Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) to the US, in a pair of interviews with American news outlets.
Speaking to an Associated Press reporter, Cardinal Bertone said that the Holy Father will address the effects of the sex-abuse scandal when he speaks to the clergy in New York. The Pontiff "will try to open the path of healing and reconciliation," the cardinal said. He added that the Pope is keenly aware of the suffering endured by victims of priestly abuse, and the damage done to the Church as a whole, "because it was a contradiction with the great educational mission of the Church."
In a separate interview with the Fox News network-- which was taped for a future telecast-- the Secretary of State added the observation that the sex-abuse scandal has left an "open wound."
- RCC.
Reuters,
~ April 09, 2008
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict will seek to heal wounds from a sexual abuse scandal that shook the Catholic Church in the United States, during his first trip there as pontiff next week, the Vatican's number two said.
"The pope will talk about it -- talk about it in a specific way," Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, told Fox News in an interview to be broadcast on Wednesday.
"The pope, along with the Church's priests, will naturally seek the path toward healing and toward reconciliation."
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams
Article Last Updated
12:02:35 PM MDT
April/09/2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas - Flora Jessop wishes she was wrong.
She wishes authorities hadn't found dozens of young girls at a polygamous sect's ranch in West Texas who were already mothers or pregnant. That rumors of abuse were unfounded. That no one had to experience the upheaval that now has beset members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
But she also wishes someone - Utah and Arizona authorities, specifically - had acted long before now to stop the sect's practice of arranging marriages between young girls and older men.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News
By Brian West,
3:59 p.m. MDT
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Attorneys for the FLDS Church and some of its leaders reached an agreement in court with prosecutors Wednesday over evidence seized at the YFZ Ranch.
During a two-hour court hearing the attorneys agreed to sift through the evidence with the assistance of an unbiased third party to determine what information collected at the ranch is pertinent to the case involving alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children.
"Anything that is seized will be sealed and separated," said Gerald Goldstein, attorney for the church and Lyle Jeffs, the brother of FLDS president Warren Jeffs.
The FBI is now at the ranch serving a third search warrant signed by a federal judge. Because of the recent warrant, the attorneys arguments to put a stop to the two previous warrants is now considered moot. "It seems to me that there is another work (warrant) in progress that whatever we ask the court for today is really now a moot point," Goldstein said.
- FLDS
Houston Chronicle,
By LISA SANDBERG and GARY SCHARRER, ~ April 09, 2008
SAN ANGELO (TX) – An attorney for a polygamist sect conceded in court today that the state has an interest in searching its compound because of allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
San Antonio attorney Gerald H. Goldstein argued, however, that the search should be conducted in a way that doesn't denigrate the religious beliefs of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
State District Judge Barbara Walther – who earlier granted the search warrant and agreed to allow the state to take temporary custody of 416 children – encouraged lawyers for the church and the government at today's hearing to come to agreement on several issues involving the way the search is conducted.
[2001-02, 2002-05 Cote* (Dominican)] - Roman Catholic. 3 boys.
The Republican
By STEPHANIE BARRY
sbarry@repub.com
~ April 09, 2008
SPRINGFIELD (MA) – The mother of two small boys from Greater Springfield has filed a lawsuit in New York against a suspended priest, alleging he sexually abused her two sons when they were just 2 and 5 years old.
The complaint against the Rev. Aaron J. Cote was filed in New York Tuesday, and announced today by a clergy abuse watchdog group in front of diocesan offices here. A lawyer for the alleged victims, Michael G. Dowd, did not immediately return a call for comment this afternoon.
The suit does not name the family, and The Republican does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse.
- RCC and VOTF.
United Press International,
April 9, 2008
BOSTON (MA), (UPI) -- A Catholic lay group based in Boston called Wednesday on Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] to address the issue of sexual abuse by priests while he is in the United States.
Voice of the Faithful placed a full-page advertisement in The New York Times.
"How can our Church be a moral beacon when so many bishops who repeatedly transferred known predators remain in office?" the group asked in the ad. "Pope Benedict should call for the resignations of those bishops."
[1995-2007 Harper*] - Family Church of God Pentecostal. 26½yrs prison. 10 females now.
Kitsap Sun,
By Josh Farley, April 9, 2008
KITSAP (WA) -- A former South Kitsap pastor was sentenced this morning by Judge Jay B. Roof to 318 months in prison, or 26 and a half years, for molesting young female members of his congregation.
Robbin Leeroy Harper, 60, was arrested and charged in November following detectives' interviews with 10 female victims who said they'd been raped, molested or both by the ex-pastor. In February he pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual abuse.
Harper was apologetic in his statements to the packed courthouse.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 9, 2008
6:27 PM]
[LOOK BACK: October 26, 2007 and later]
- RCC and VOTF.
Catholic World News
Apr. 9, 2008
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) -- The American Catholic lay group Voice of the Faithful took a full-page ad in the New York Times on April 8, calling for "accountability" as the key to recovery from the sex-abuse scandal.
In a message timed to anticipate the visit of Pope Benedict XVI Voice of the Faithful said that the Church's recovery from the damage caused by the scandal would require compassion for victims and justice for wrongdoers.
- FLDS.
KEYE,
~ April 09, 2008
SAN ANGELO (TX) -- A judge in San Angelo on Wednesday will consider a request to stop law officers from searching a West Texas polygamist compound.
Attorneys for the church have filed motions asking a judge to quash the search on constitutional grounds -- including the warrants being too broad.
A call from a 16-year-old mother -- who allegedly had been abused -- led to the searches, which began last week at the Yearning For Zion Ranch near Eldorado.
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer, ~ April 09, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Their pioneer-style dress, multiple marriages and cloistered ways may be unusual, but church lawyers argued in court Wednesday that the polygamist sect has a right to its faith and privacy.
Gary Goldstein, a San Antonio lawyer representing the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, told a judge that the search of the temple in the sect's West Texas compound is analagous to a law enforcement search of the Vatican or other holy places.
He urged authorities to handle any documents seized with respect.
Prosecutor Allison Palmer countered that the purpose in seizing the documents was to uncover evidence of criminal activity, not to malign a religion.
- FLDS.
KVOA,
~ April 09, 2008
[with video]
TUCSON (AZ) -- Court documents released Tuesday show the 16-year-old girl who triggered the raid on a compound in Texas founded by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs called a local family violence shelter saying her 50-year-old husband, beat her. …
As Tucson attorney Mike Piccarreta follows the news this week about the raid in Texas, he doesn't like what he's seeing.
"You shouldn't be allowed to search a whole village on the basis of a phone call and not only search the area where there might be evidence but search every residence in the village? That's never happened in American jurisprudence," he says.
- RC parish exceeded targets, still to close.
The Times-Picayune,
by David Hammer, Wednesday April 09, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- At Our Lady of Good Counsel, a few blocks off St. Charles Avenue Uptown, dozens of bewildered parishioners today gathered in the entryway to the 121-year-old sanctuary, its gold and scarlet altar gleaming at the foot of an ornate ceiling lined with stained-glass depictions of the mysteries of the Rosary.
The parishioners said they couldn't understand why the archdiocese would fold them and nearby St. Henry's parish into the area's other large church, St. Stephen.
Our Lady of Good Counsel, established in the late 1800s, since Hurricane Katrina had more than doubled its membership, paid off $115,000 in debt, expanded its ministries and succeeded in developing a diverse and vibrant community, the members said. The community met and exceeded benchmarks the archdiocese gave it to meet, they said.
- RCC.
The Times-Picayune,
~ April 09, 2008
[with video]
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- New Orleans author Poppy Z. Brite joined other parishioners on the steps of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church on Wednesday, shortly after the Archdiocese of New Orleans made it official: as part of the belt-tightening overhaul plan, OLGC would be "suppressed" - shut down.
Given her body of work in the world of the vampiric and quirky macabre, longtime Poppy Z fans might find it surprising to find her speaking passionately in defense of the Uptown congregation. But under the cameras and microphones of all major New Orleans media today, she talked of her years-long search for faith that finally found a home a few months ago at OLGC.
Poppy Z was one of a number of parishioners who spoke from their hearts about the Louisiana Avenue congregation. Full coverage from The Times-Picayune and other content partners is showcased on today's homepage.
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
di Riccardo Bastianello, ~ April 09, 2008
ABANO, Italia -- Guai in vista per il prete papà di Monterosso. Ancora una volta don Sante Sguotti è finito sotto la lente d'ingrandimento della giustizia.
Ma a differenza dei trascorsi della scorsa estate non per scelte incompatibili con il codice canonico ma per questioni legate al diritto penale.
Le ipotesi di reato a suo carico sono pesanti: si parla di peculato e di appropriazione indebita.
Proprio ieri è stato emesso dalla Procura della Repubblica un verbale di sequestro di diversi fascicoli di documenti utili a ricostruire l'ultimo periodo di vita della parrocchia di Monterosso.
In particolare gli inquirenti stanno indagando sull'utilizzo fatto dal parroco-papà degli strumenti della canonica e delle finanze della parrocchia.
L'ipotesi è che si sia venuto a delineare un utilizzo indebito di computer, telefoni e del denaro di proprietà della comunità di Monterosso. [translation]
ABANO, Italy
Woes are coming for the priest….
Woes are coming for the "priest father" of Monterosso. Once more the Rev. Sante Sguotti is under the magnifying lenses of justice.
But contrarily to what happened last year the reasons are not connected to choices incompatible with the Canon Law but for issues connected with the Italian penal code.
The alleged crimes he is charged with are very serious: embezzlement and undue appropriation.
Just yesterday the Prosecutor issued a decree ordering the seizure of documents useful to reconstruct the last period of his activity in the parish of Monterosso.
More specifically the investigators are trying to understand the utilization of the parish utilities and finances by the former parish priest who was suspended 'a divinis' after he confessed to be the father of a child.
The allegations are connected with the inappropriate use of the computer, telephone and money belonging to the community of Monterosso.
The thought goes immediately to the Chiesa Cattolica dei Peccatori (Catholic Church of the Sinners), the association founded by the Rev. Sante to debate the situation of the divorced and separated couples in the catholic church.
An association which dissents openly from the Curia but that was run by the Rev. Sante in his parish until he was forced to leave at the beginning of this year.
But the allegations go even further with the additional hypothesis that the former parish priest could have used public money for his private undertakings.
"I don't know anything about the decision of the Prosecutor", the Rev. Sante said. Besides that he asked his attorney to sue the Curia for his being the victim of defamation.
That is also the answer of the former priest to the request the Curia is making for compensation for the alleged impediment, due to his permanence in the parish for a longer period than allowed, of the normal parish activity.
Meanwhile he continues his activity of "rebel priest". In the next days, not later than the next week, the excommunicated exorcist Emmanuel Milingo will come to Italy.
The date and place of the meeting is yet to be decided but it's sure the two "allies" won't miss the opportunity to shake each other hands once more and to discuss the strategy for their "battle".
-- Riccardo Bastianello
- RCC.
The Times-Picayune,
by Bruce Nolan, 7:49 PM, Tuesday April 08, 2008
[with map showing where the affected churches are located]
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- The parish-by-parish changes announced by the archbishop today are as follows:
French Quarter
-- The community of St. Mary's Chapel in the Old Ursuline Convent, technically still a parish, will close and merge with the nearby St. Louis Cathedral and worship there. In that one case, the name of the cathedral parish will not change as a result of the merger, Jacques said.
Gentilly
-- St. Frances Cabrini and St. Raphael the Archangel parishes will be closed to create a new parish by the end of the year to be named by parishioners. They will worship at St. Raphael Church. […]
- RCC.
ABC 26,
April 9, 2008
[with link to map showing closings and mergers]
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- The New Orleans Archdiocese released its plan to for local churches.
The Archdiocese detailed the plan in a press release:
Parishes to be Re-opened (3)
These parishes were temporarily closed by the 2006 Pastoral Plan and will now reopen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Violet;
St. Bernard, St. Bernard;
St. Thomas, Pointe a la Hache […]
- Judaism.
The Awareness Center
~ April 09, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The center has prepared a guide to help Jewish survivors of sexual abuse cope with the Passover season.
- RCC.
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
By Victor L. Simpson, ~ April 09, 2008
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] recognizes the damage and pain caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis and will seek to heal wounds during his U.S. trip next week, the Vatican's No. 2 official said Tuesday.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, in an interview with The Associated Press, said Benedict will deliver a message of "trust and hope" when he meets American clergy at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Benedict "will try to open the path of healing and reconciliation," said Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state.
The abuse crisis has caused "so much suffering for the victims, for the families of the victims and above all to the church because it was a contradiction with the great educational mission of the church," Bertone lamented during the 30-minute interview in the frescoed Treaty Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
[2001-02, 2002-05 Cote* (Dominican)] - Roman Catholic. 3 boys.
Voice from the Desert,
~ April 09, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Yesterday I received two email messages from SNAP National Outreach Director Barbara Dorris about serial pedophile Dominican priest A.J. Cote.
The first email message announces a sidewalk news conference in New York City outside the Provincial House (Headquarters) of the (eastern US ) Province of St. Joseph of the Dominican order.
The news conference was called by attorneys Jeff Anderson and Michael Dowd to demonstrate the reckless disregard of the safety of children on the part of the superiors of the Dominican order by permitting serial pedophile Dominican priest A.J. Cote to continue in ministry after credible allegations of criminal activity surfaced, needlessly placing innocent children at risk.
[2000s Knight*] - Church of Christ. Dating a parishioner.
Portsmouth Herald News,
By Karen Dandurant, kdandurant@seacoastonline.com ,
April 09, 2008
YORK, Maine – New information about suspended The Rev. Richard Knight of the First Parish Church hints at a turbulent relationship between himself and a former parishioner.
York Police detective Tom Cryan confirmed that a 14-day protective order was taken out against Knight in January. He could not say who requested the order.
"There is no order in place right now," said Cryan.
- RCC. 7 jobs gone.
Albany Times Union,
By MARC PARRY, Wednesday, April 9, 2008
ALBANY (NY) -- The Albany Catholic Diocese is downsizing its central office by seven jobs -- including three layoffs.
The cuts come as parishes across the 14-county diocese are working on a sweeping restructuring project that will lead to an unknown number of church closings.
The goal of the budget reductions -- announced last week in a memo to Pastoral Center staff and parishes -- is to close a projected 2008-09 deficit of $975,000.
- RCC.
Times-Picayune,
By Bruce Nolan, Wednesday, April 09, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- Thousands of New Orleans area Catholics still struggling to right their Katrina-damaged lives braced for the possibility of a new blow late this morning, when the Archdiocese of New Orleans announces which beloved but damaged churches will not reopen.
The list of closures likely will include weakened parishes and churches in New Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines that never recovered after the 2005 storm because buildings are damaged and surrounding neighborhoods remain stripped of most of their populations.
But closings apparently will include some undamaged parishes as well -- perhaps some suburban parishes far from the flood zone. The archdiocese has said the time has come to accommodate a slower-moving disaster: the steady loss of priests to man their pulpits.
[2006-2007 Ajemian*] - RCC. Court lets stalker free! Stalking a TV host/comedian.
New York Daily News,
BY BARBARA ROSS and ADAM NICHOLS, 4:00 AM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008,
NEW YORK -- The Boston Catholic priest collared for stalking talk show host Conan O'Brien apologized Tuesday and left court with little more than a slapped wrist.
The Rev. David Ajemian, 48, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after prosecutors withdrew more serious charges of aggravated harassment and stalking, punishable by up to 90 days in jail.
The plea allowed him to avoid trial. He was ordered to stay away from the comedian for two years.
- RCC.
OhmyNews
by Bhumika Ghimire (bhumika1), April 09, 2008
UNITED STATES -- April is noted as child abuse prevention month in Catholic parishes and dioceses in the United States.
In a press release United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said that resources in English and Spanish are available to assist the prevention efforts. 5,683,940 minors have been trained to protect themselves and spot signs of trouble and 1,844,681 have had their backgrounds checked and educated about proper way to interact with children and young adults in their care.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the USCCB, said that they hope to prevent the repeat of the child abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church during early 2000s.
After the indictment of John Geoghan, former Massachusetts priest on child rape charges in 1999, the issue of abuse within the Catholic Church gained widespread national attention. Many victims came forward alleging abuse by a priest when they were children.
- FLDS.
The Moderate Voice,
by DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, April 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- In Eldorado, Texas, there's been a gathering up of women and children taken into protective custody from a commune that practices polygamy, one that claims LDS (Mormon) status, (Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints: FLDS) but long ago was exiled from the Mormon Church… Facts presented in affidavits brings again into the spotlight, evil toward children justified by wrapping it in robes of religion.
Lawyers for the communees are arguing that this was 'an unlawful raid,' "matching anything in Russia or Germany," rather than a taking into protective custody 401 some children and girls, most under 18 years of age and more than a few either pregnant or with children of their own. Proponents of polygamy are outraged. …
It's not about polygamy between adults. It's a set of different issues regarding children.
Remember all the arguments, for/pro, years ago about the usefulness and the ethnic roots that ought not be disturbed in female genital mutilation "rituals?" It was "religious," they said. Therefore, somehow, supposed to be ok.
- RCC.
Standard-Times
By CAROL MARKEY
(Ms. Markey lives in Mattapoisett),
April 09, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- It is important for us at SouthCoast Voice of the Faithful to respond to John Kearns' statement that we have not met with the bishop "in quite some time." The truth of the matter is Bishop George Coleman won't meet with us. He won't even answer our letters.
Our group does exist, and we as a group (and some personally) did contribute to the national Voice of the Faithful for the ad in the New York Times. The ad will attempt to make Pope Benedict aware of the seriousness of the impact of the abuse crisis and financial crisis in the church in the 21st century. The letter is respectful, informative, and truthful.
[Years - Government, Anglican, Salvation Army] - Outsiders taking advantage too.
City Messenger,
by Chris Day, April 08, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- BOYS living in a North Adelaide State Government hostel were raped by staff and other boys and groomed for sex by outsiders, the Mullighan Inquiry was told.
Seven people said they were sexually abused while living at Stuart House Boys Hostel, Hill St, between the early 1960s and late 1980s. …
Six allegations were made to the inquiry by former residents of the Anglican Church's Walkerville boys home, Kennion House, which closed in 1984.
They included sexual abuse by staff, other boys and visitors.
Five allegations of sexual abuse were made by former residents of the Salvation Army Boys Home, in Kent Town.
The incidents happened in the 1950s and 60s and implicated a staff member, other residents, visitors and people outside the home.
- FLDS, and RCC.
The Daily Aztec,
~ April 09, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Sometimes my fierce opposition to religion can seem extreme, even to me.
After all, faith and church have been staples of human existence for a long time, with undeniable positive influence on many individual people, including my immediate family.
Sometimes I question myself, wondering if the negative aspects are merely exceptions to an overall positive force.
Then news releases such the following pop up:
Police raided an isolated religious polygamist compound founded by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last Friday. The congregation, known as FLDS, is a group that split from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (whose members are known as Mormons), after they renounced polygamy in the late 1800s. The group has faced prosecution in the past for the rape of young teenage girls and the sometimes incestuously arranged marriages to older men in the compound. …
There are too many situations such as this, where religious conviction masks revolting systems of abuse. Another instance that easily comes to mind is the widely publicized scandal of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, where church officials simply relocated the perpetrators, concealed evidence or paid off victims, rather than reporting the crimes to police.
- FLDS.
AFP,
~ April 09, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (AFP) – A Texas polygamist compound emptied of more than 400 children was the site of pervasive sexual abuse where girls were groomed to accept sex at puberty and boys were indoctrinated to perpetuate the cycle, officials said in court records released Tuesday.
Girls as young as 13 were "spiritually married" to men who claimed several wives and were forced to have sex with their significantly older husbands "for the purpose of having children," according to an affidavit by an investigator with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Children were deprived of food and locked in closets as punishment, and severe beatings were also reported on the sprawling YFZ (Yearn for Zion) Ranch outside of Eldorado, Texas owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
[2000s] - FLDS. "Spiritual" husband broke ribs. Girl.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Article Last Updated 02:29:34 AM MDT, April/09/2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas - The 16-year-old girl whose call for help sparked a massive raid at a polygamous sect's compound in west Texas said her spiritual husband would "beat and hurt" her whenever he got angry - sometimes choking her and once breaking her ribs.
During these attacks, another woman in the home held her infant child, the girl said in March 29 calls to an unnamed family violence shelter.
The new details about the call that led to an unprecedented evacuation of children from the sect's YFZ Ranch near Eldorado are laid out in a chilling affidavit released Tuesday by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
[2000s Barlow*] - FLDS. Girl (16).
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Nate Carlisle, Article Last Updated 02:30:43 AM MDT, April/09/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- Texas authorities named the wrong man in search and arrest warrants used to enter the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado and begin questioning FLDS children, two opponents of the sect said Tuesday.
The warrant issued Thursday evening named 50-year-old Dale Barlow, alleging he had married and impregnated a 16-year-old girl. Officials, who later sought a second search warrant, have removed 419 children.
But Joni Holm, who has helped children leave the FLDS, said the teenager who called officials on March 29 and 30 and claimed she was abused is married to a different, younger man. The girl's husband is in his late 30s, is related to Dale Barlow, shares his surname and has a similar sounding first name, Holm said.
- John Aretakis running for Congress.
Albany Times Union,
By ROBERT GAVIN, Wednesday, April 9, 2008
COLONIE (NY) -- On Sept. 6, when a federal judge asked attorney John Aretakis to explain the basis for his client's lawsuit, he cited public knowledge, news articles and his belief that the government had wasted "a lot of money."
"Congratulations," U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe replied that day. "Why don't you run for the Senate or president of the United States and do something about it?"
Seven months later, Aretakis is making a run for Washington. …
But he identified his "signature issue" as protecting children from sexual predators. He said he would push for stronger and more uniform laws.
"No one in Washington, D.C., is standing up for children," Aretakis told reporters at the Hampton Inn on Route 9 in Latham.
Aretakis, who has filed clergy abuse lawsuits against the Catholic Church, said he would actively seek support from Catholics.
[1982-85 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Lodi News-Sentinel,
By Ross Farrow, Updated 8:13 PM PDT, Tuesday, April 8, 2008
LOCKEFORD (CA) -- A popular Lockeford priest who recently returned to St. Joachim's Catholic Church vehemently denies allegations that he sexually abused a boy in the 1980s.
Father Michael Kelly says he underwent a lengthy polygraph test and an in-depth investigation by a former FBI agent.
Now, he is stepping forward to strongly reject the accusations of abuse.
"With every fiber in my body, with every breath left in me, I'm going to fight these vicious lies," Kelly told the News-Sentinel.
- RCC leader to give words.
Boston Herald,
By Mike Underwood, Wednesday, April 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Critics of the Catholic Church welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's decision to address the child sex abuse scandal during his first U.S. trip - but said he should be making the historic speech in Boston.
"By not including Boston on his trip, Pope Benedict may give the appearance of trying to avoid the sexual abuse scandal," said Dan Bartley, president of Voice of the Faithful, a Boston-based lay group that formed in the wake of the abuse scandal that rocked the city in 2000.
"Avoiding the scandal will not fix the many challenges facing our church today," Bartley said.
[≤ 1985 Gauthe] - RCC. Removal of sex organs an option. US$20m so far. 40 boys.
The Advocate,
By MARK BALLARD, Advocate Capitol News Bureau, Page: 4A, UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.,
Published: Apr 9, 2008
LOUISIANA -- Sex offenders can opt to be physically castrated under legislation forwarded by a Senate panel Tuesday.
Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, said he is pushing Senate Bill 144 partly because he is close friends with several victims of the Rev. Gilbert Gauthe, a priest who pleaded guilty in 1985 for molesting altar boys in Vermilion Parish. Gauthe was accused of sex crimes with youths at several churches around the country.
Gauthe served 10 years in prison. Civil cases resulted in settlements and judgments exceeding $20 million.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ~ April 09, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima has apologized to parishioners for knowingly hiring a man under investigation for viewing child pornography in Oregon.
Priests in 40 Catholic parishes across Central Washington were asked to read the letter of apology from Bishop Carlos Sevilla last weekend. Sevilla personally delivered an apology to parishioners Sunday at St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Cowiche, where he had hired former seminarian Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios to work in the parish five years ago.
Gonzalez, 37, faces four charges of encouraging child sex abuse, a felony, according to Yakima County Superior Court records. The allegations stem from when Gonzalez was a student at Mount Angel Seminary in Mount Angel, Ore. He was dismissed from the seminary in 2003, but Oregon authorities did not issue an arrest warrant until 2005.
- RCC.
The News Tribune,
April 9, 2008
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI recognizes the damage and pain caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis and will seek to heal wounds during his U.S. trip next week, the Vatican's No. 2 official said Tuesday.
In an interview, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said Benedict will deliver a message of "trust and hope" when he meets American clergy at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
- RCC. [≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Knowingly hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
Catholic News Agency,
01:02 am, Apr 9, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) / (CNA).- In a letter read at 40 Catholic parishes in the state of Washington, Bishop Carlos Sevilla has apologized to his diocese for hiring an ex-seminarian to work in a parish despite knowing he was under investigation for viewing child pornography, the Yakima Herald reports.
On Sunday Sevilla personally delivered his apology to parishioners at St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Cowiche–the church that the ex-seminarian worked at.
"I respectfully ask your forgiveness for my errors and for the embarrassment this may cause you, and your forgiveness for any damage this may cause to the work of the Church in our Diocese," he said in the letter.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 9, 2008
6:54 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed April 09, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2008 Lanzas -NEW*] - "Iglesia Cristiana Luz y Verdad." Child.
CBS 5,
~ April 10, 2008
SAN JOSE (CA) -- A church pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Luz y Verdad [Light and Truth Christian Church ] in San Jose was arrested Friday afternoon for allegedly committing lewd or lascivious acts on a child who was 12-years-old at the time, police announced today.
Gustavo Antonio Lanzas, 64, was arrested in San Jose around 1:30 p.m. and booked in Santa Clara County Jail after police arrested him with a warrant stemming from an allegation. Lanzas was charged with lewd acts on a child under 14 years of age and showing harmful matter to a child.
[1990s Sandler -? NEW*] - Christian. 2 girls.
The Star,
By Jillian Jones, Thursday, April 10, 2008
ST. HELENA (CA) -- Court proceedings for the former St. Helena High School coach accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in the 1990s were delayed for the second time Monday.
Herschel Sandler, 45, of Napa, will return to court on Thursday, April 10 for an arraignment and bail hearing.
Sandler previously requested that he be released on his own recognizance. He is currently being held at Napa County Jail on $250,000 bail. …
In addition to his post as volleyball coach, Sandler coached wrestling at St. Helena High until 2007, and served as a youth minister at his former St. Helena church, according to his wife.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
5:11 AM]
[? 2007-08 Johnston -NEW*] - Baptist. 4 children.
Greenville News,
By Eric Connor, April 9, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA -- An investigation is ongoing in connection with a former Laurens County school resource deputy and Baptist minister who is facing charges that he molested four children ages 5 to 10 years old over the course of a year, a state attorney general's office spokesman said today.
Robert David Johnston Jr., 35, is charged with four counts of "lewd act on a child under the age of 16," according to a grand jury indictment.
Johnston is a former minister of New Hope Baptist Church in Clinton and a former school resource officer at Gray Court-Owings School, said Mark Plowden, a spokesman for S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, whose office is prosecuting the case.
[RCC paid $2.35m for < 6000 wartime slaves]
Voice from the Desert,
REUTERS, Published: April 9, 2008
BERLIN, GERMANY (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Church in Germany exploited nearly 6,000 forced laborers during the Nazi era, the church said in a report released Tuesday.
In 2000, the church acknowledged its use of forced labor under Hitler; it has paid about $2.35 million in compensation to foreign workers. The report, "Forced Labor and the Catholic Church 1939-1945," is the most thorough look at the issue.
It documents the fate of 1,075 prisoners of war and 4,829 civilians who were forced to work for the Nazis in nearly 800 Catholic institutions – including hospitals and monastery gardens – to help the war effort.
[~ 2008 Lanzas*] - "Iglesia Cristiana Luz y Verdad." Child.
Mercury News,
By Leslie Griffy, Article Launched 01:35:10 AM PDT,
April/10/2008
SAN JOSE (CA) -- A longtime preacher of a San Jose church was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 12-year-old churchgoer, San Jose police officer Enrique Garcia said Wednesday.
Gustavo Antonio Lanzas, 64, of Sunnyvale was taken into custody Friday on suspicion of committing lewd acts on a minor under 14 years old.
He has been the only pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Luz y Verdad for about 20 years, Garcia said.
[≤ 2006 Ascolese*] - RCC. Money, < US$1m "mislaid".
The Express-Times,
By TOM QUIGLEY, Thursday, April 10, 2008
BELVIDERE (NJ) | A plea bargain appears imminent in the case of the former pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Washington, according to a letter filed Monday in state Superior Court.
The Rev. Robert Ascolese -- who faces a 32-count indictment involving theft-related charges -- is scheduled to appear Friday before state Superior Court Judge John Pursel.
But his attorney is seeking permission to appeal Pursel's March 11 decision denying a motion to dismiss some charges. Attorney Marvin Wright only wants a 15-day extension.
- RCC.
The Advocate,
By JOE GYAN JR., Advocate New Orleans bureau, ~ April 10, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) – Calling it a "pivotal moment" in the 215-year history of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Archbishop Alfred Hughes said Wednesday that 25 church parishes – 19 of them shuttered since Hurricane Katrina – will close and merge with neighboring congregations by year's end.
The majority of those Catholic parishes are in New Orleans, while a handful are in St. Bernard Parish and one each are in Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes.
Hughes also announced that two other church parishes, both in the Jefferson suburb of Kenner, will close and merge by the middle of next year. Four other church parishes in Jefferson will close and become missions by the end of this year, he said.
- RCC.
The Times-Picayune,
By Michelle Krupa, Thursday, April 10, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- In the two years since the Archdiocese of New Orleans mothballed Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, neighbors have wondered what would become of the massive church building and school at the edge of the Freret section of Uptown.
Apart from the loss of worship services and social programs, the absence of activity at the Napoleon Avenue site caught the attention of parishioners and non-Catholics alike as the once-bustling space reverted to a quiet compound predisposed to blight.
"It's like having a big shadow cast over your neighborhood," said Greg Ensslen, president of the Freret Business and Property Owner Association. "It's not necessarily malevolent, but it's also not contributing anything to daily life."
- RCC. 33 parishes to close.
The Times-Picayune,
By Bruce Nolan, Thursday, April 10, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- The Archdiocese of New Orleans on Wednesday announced a sweeping post-Hurricane Katrina reorganization of parish life that essentially accepted the storm's permanent destruction of 17 church communities in New Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.
Beyond that, however, Archbishop Alfred Hughes announced a wide-ranging package of mergers, closures, downsizings and shared-pastor arrangements that reached far beyond the flood zone to touch parishes in relatively undamaged communities such as Algiers and West Jefferson, Metairie, Kenner and Luling.
All told, the plan closed 33 parishes, reducing the number of archdiocesan parishes to 108, according to church figures.
- FLDS.
Independent (United Kingdom),
By David Usborne, Thursday, April 10, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- When a member of the secretive Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints turned up in the sleepy Texas town of Eldorado four years ago and paid $700,000 (£350,000) for an abandoned exotic-animal farm on its outskirts comprising 1,700 acres of prairie scrub, many residents were disturbed. "The Devil is Here!" was the slogan drawn on one protest placard paraded outside civic offices at the time.
The locals were sceptical of claims by the purchaser, David Allred, that he planned to turn the property into a hunting preserve. Of all the habits associated with the church – including polygamy and self-sufficiency – no one had heard of rabbit-chasing. The land, they thought, would become another enclave. …
"Spiritually married" sounds almost sweet but could be more like a synonym for sexual enslavement. The girl spoke of being forced by her husband into having sex with him and being beaten by him regularly, most recently over Easter.
Once, she said, she was taken off the ranch for medical treatment after he had broken her ribs. He allegedly beat her chest and choked her in front of his other wives.
When the girl asked her elders if she could leave, she was told that outsiders would cut her hair off and force her to have sex with "lots of men". She once considered feigning illness to ensure being taken beyond the fence for a second time and then running away. But her plot failed when elders refused to allow her to take her infant.
- FLDS. Broken ribs. Girl (16).
Mirror (United Kingdom),
By Anton Antonowicz, US Editor, April/10/2008
TEXAS -- The 16-year-old had broken her silence to report a distressing catalogue of unimaginable abuse.
Her voice hushed and barely audible, she told a local family violence refuge how her 50-year-old husband beat and raped her.
He had hit her in the chest, broken her ribs, choked and sexually assaulted her. And he had allowed her no contact with the outside world. …
The teen caller was just one of hundreds of young girls who had apparently been bred for a child sex cult.
- FLDS.
KTNV,
~ April 10, 2008
[with video]
TEXAS -- Investigators learn more about what was happening at a polygamist compound in Eldorado, Texas.
According to newly released court documents teenage girls were required to have sex in a temple after they were married at the compound.
A Texas ranger says agents also found a bed where adult men had sex with girls younger than 17.
There are also allegations of even greater abuse to the girls as well as the boys at the compound.
Action News Anchor Casey Smith talked with a woman who escaped from a similar situation 15 years ago.
Flora Jessop was raised in Colorado City, Arizona and says she suffered the abuse of the men who run the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. …
"My sexual abuse started when I was eight. I started having sex with my dad because they believe that it is part of the training to become a wife," said Jessop.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News
By Paul Foy
Associated Press
Published
12:11 a.m. MDT
Thursday, April 10, 2008
UTAH -- With 80 search warrants in hand for DNA samples and other evidence, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he was set to conduct a sweeping raid on a secretive polygamous clan in 2006.
Instead, Shurtleff changed his mind and clan leaders quickly made themselves scarce. He made the disclosure in an interview with KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City.
"We elected not to do that and to try and work with their attorney," Shurtleff said of the Kingston family, a 1,500-member group based in the Salt Lake City area that has a wide range of businesses, from pawn shops to dairies and a coal mine.
"And, of course, the result of that was all our subjects disappeared, our targets disappeared and we didn't get the warrants served like we hoped to do," Shurtleff told the TV station Tuesday.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News
By Brian West
~ April 10, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas – As the legal battle begins over last week's siege of an FLDS compound here, a majority of Utahns believe law enforcement was justified in removing more than 400 children from the ranch, a new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll shows.
In a Texas courtroom Wednesday, attorneys for the Fundamentalist LDS Church and some of its leaders reached an agreement with prosecutors over evidence that continues to be seized at the church's YFZ Ranch.
During a two-hour hearing, the attorneys agreed to sift through the evidence with the assistance of a "special master" – or unbiased third party – to determine what information collected at the ranch is pertinent to the case involving alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children.
"Anything that is seized will be sealed and separated," said Gerald Goldstein, attorney for the church and Lyle Jeffs, the brother of jailed FLDS president Warren Jeffs.
- FLDS.
Houston Chronicle
By LISA SANDBERG and GARY SCHARRER
Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau, ~ April 10, 2008
SAN ANGELO (TX) – Authorities suspect that adult men belonging to a West Texas polygamist sect used beds inside their temple to have sex with underage girls, court records released Wednesday indicate.
Investigators who conducted an initial raid last week of the desert compound known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado found beds inside the temple. On one unmade bed, they discovered a long strand of hair they believe belonged to a female, the records stated.
The allegations were released in an affidavit that detailed the suspected sexual abuse of underage girls at the compound belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
- RCC and VOTF.
Catholic News Agency
CNA STAFF,
05:55 pm
Apr 9, 2008
UNITED STATES (CNA).- Today the group Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) ran an advertisement in the New York Times in anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States next week. In an email interview with VOTF leaders, CNA was able to discover what exactly the group means by calling for "structural change" within the Church.
The Wednesday full-page advertisement in the New York Times is part of a larger campaign VOTF is conducting to try and advance their view that lay people are not well represented in the Catholic Church.
As of April 2, the group said on their web site that so far they had raised $63,000 to promote their campaign. The message said that the money would be used to place today's full-page advertisement in the New York Times, to place smaller ads in other media and to fund "other communications centered on the papal visit."
[2001-02, 2002-05 Cote* (Dominican)] - Roman Catholic. 3 boys.
CBS 3
By Matt DeLucia, ~ April 10, 2008
SPRINGFIELD (MA) -- In November 2007, a Springfield-area family accused father Aaron J. Cote of molesting their two and five-year-old boys. Angry with inaction, the family filed a 15-page lawsuit Tuesday against Cote and the Dominican Church, with which he worked. Now, the family and a local activist group are accusing the Diocese of Springfield for not doing enough to encourage other victims to come forward.
"We're extremely disappointed and concerned that Bishop (Timothy) McDonnell still hasn't done the outreach that he could do and should do," said Barbara Blaine, President of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
The organization wants parishioners throughout the diocese to be notified about Father Cote, who served in Western Massachusetts. Cote worked in the area as a Dominican priest. That, in addition to Cote's family ties to Western Mass has led SNAP's members to believe there are more victims out there.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
4:16 AM]
- RCC.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 10, 2008
UNITED STATES -- This is going to take more than one post. I asked fellow victims of Sex Crimes in the Catholic Church to comment on the upcoming visit by the Pope. Two letters are run below. In a second post at City of Angels Blog tonight we will run quotes from more of the crime victims with their reactions to the upcoming papal visit. Email me at cityofangelslady@yahoo.com if you want to write an editorial or do a phone interview airing your views.
Thursday night on a cable and internet TV broadcast-call in show from Wichita, Robert Costello from A Matter of Truth in Boston is the guest. Costello told City of Angels Blog today: "To come to this country and not come to Boston is arrogant. There was a thing on this morning, he hopes coming here will heal wounds. It's like hello he's ripping the wounds right open."
The program Thursday night is Educating to End Abuse, one hour beginning at 6 PM Central Time. Toll free call in number is 866 - 905 - 8855 and producer Peggy Warren hopes it will be a forum for crime victims of sex crimes in the Catholic Church to air their feelings. (Also, the 'Pope Bobblehead' DC Metro ad, which the Church demanded be taken off the air, is still running in the video box above.)
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
4:12 AM]
[Chen] - Judaist (Charedi, strictly Orthodox). Instructed children to eat excrement, drink turpentine.
The Jewish Chronicle,
By Eric Silver, Jerusalem, for April/11/2008
ISRAEL -- Israel is seeking the extradition of a strictly Orthodox rabbi, Elior Chen, who fled to Canada after being accused of instructing a mother of eight to brutally abuse her children as a means of "cleansing" and "educating" them.
The case, the second of its kind in recent weeks involving Charedi families, has shocked Israelis.
The 38-year-old woman was charged in a Jerusalem court this week with savagely beating her two younger sons, aged four and three, forcing them to eat their own faeces and drink a concoction of salt water and turpentine until they "vomited out the devil". Two of the rabbi's disciples are suspected of working with her.
The three-year-old was admitted to hospital in a vegetative state from which he is not expected to emerge. The mother, an American immigrant, is separated from her husband. Her name cannot be published for legal reasons.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
11:35 PM]
- FLDS.
Rocky Mountain News
By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News (Contact),
Originally published 06:43 p.m., April 10, 2008
COLORADO -- Montezuma County authorities are keeping an eye on property near Mancos owned by the same religious sect whose Texas compound was raided last week, but they have no reason to believe anything illegal is happening there, Sheriff Gerald Wallace said Thursday.
"There's not a lot of activity," Wallace said of the two parcels located deep in southwest Colorado's San Juan National Forest. "We have not even seen any women or children."
Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints bought land – a 60-acre parcel and a 40-acre parcel – northwest of Mancos in 2003 and 2004. At the time they told local authorities they were building a hunting retreat.
- FLDS.
The New York Times,
By GRETEL C. KOVACH and KIRK JOHNSON,
Published: April 11, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Tex. – For years, the veiled world behind the doors of a fundamentalist Mormon polygamist temple tantalized local imaginations in the Hill Country south of here.
On Thursday, a Texas ranger described in detail what occurred last week when law enforcement officers, responding to a call for help from a 16-year-old who said she was being sexually abused in the compound, sought entry.
In essence, Capt. Barry Caver of the Texas Public Safety Department said at a news conference here, the officers knocked and asked for a key. The church members quietly said no.
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By BILL HANNA
bhanna@star-telegram.com , ~ April 10, 2008
SAN ANGELO, TEXAS -- As authorities prepared to enter the temple of the YFZ Ranch Saturday night, the polygamous followers of Warren Jeffs lined themselves around the building's perimeter to block the path of officers.
But Texas Rangers Capt. Barry Caver said Thursday that only one follower of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) offered resistance.
"They line up 57 people around the temple," Caver said. "We didn't see any firearms."
Once they got past the resistors, Caver brought in a locksmith to successfully unlock a gate but could not pry open the doors to the temple at the YFZ (Yearn for Zion) Ranch.
- RCC and FLDS.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 10, 2008
(At the bottom of this post is a copy and pasted version of the New York Times ad placed by VOTF, free of charge on City of Angels Blog.)
UNITED STATES -- I still think it's suspicious for the Pope [Ratzinger] to visit the East Coast next week, the same time the jury trial concerning Salesian priests who raped children in Southern California begins in Los Angeles.
I even suspect that West Texas law enforcement decided to raid the FLDS compound this week to focus media attention on pedophilia in this one small cult instead of the Catholic Church during the Pope's visit, considering the men there have been raping young girls for decades.
Remember, Ratzinger is the lead perpetrator in the worst pedophile ring EVER in the United States and he is meeting with the President and speaking at the UN next week.
The level of PR the Catholic bishops can afford CAN manipulate the media, law enforcement, and district attorneys to produce that kind of diversion, especially with their bottomless briefcases full of cash.
On Saturday NPR's Morning Edition will run a story about the Pope not visiting Boston. Robert Costello from A Matter of Truth said the reporter spent several days meeting with crime victims in their homes and at the Boston NPR station to produce the report.
It looks like questions about Sex Crimes are going to follow the Pope wherever he goes.
Hopefully the media will hound him with questions about sex crimes committed by Catholic priests.
Wonder if any reporters will wake up and realize that in any city in America with a little digging on bishop accountability and a little work in courthouse records, they'd have a Pulitzer story about Sex Crimes in the Catholic Church.
[1998 Evans] - RCC. US$ 300,000. Male
Coloradoan,
By Coloradoan staff and wire services, ~ April 10, 2008
DENVER, COLORADO – An attorney says the Archdiocese of Denver has agreed to pay $300,000 and write letters of apology to settle a lawsuit accusing a Fort Collins priest of molesting a teenager 10 years ago.
Attorney Jeff Anderson said Thursday his client, 26-year-old Nick Gerber of Ohio, was molested by Timothy Evans, a former parish priest at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Fort Collins and another parish in Arvada who was convicted last year of sexual assault.
Evans, who left St. Elizabeth in 2002 and was removed from the priesthood in 2003, is serving a term of 14 years to life.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
11:15 PM]
[~ 1998 Evans] - RCC. Boy.
CBS 4,
~ April 10, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- The Archdiocese of Denver will pay $300,000 and write letters of apology to settle a lawsuit accusing a priest of molesting a teenager 10 years ago, an attorney said Thursday.
The settlement is for the lawsuit filed last year by 26-year-old Nick Gerber of Ohio, who said he was molested by Timothy Evans, a former parish priest in Fort Collins and Arvada. Evans, 45, was convicted last year of a sexual assault in each parish. Gerber now lives near Columbus, Ohio.
Gerber's attorney, Jeff Anderson, says his client was one of two victims in the criminal cases against Evans. Evans is serving a term of 14 years to life.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Knowingly hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
The Seattle Times,
By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer, ~ April 10, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima should forgo Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States next week as penance for continued secrecy surrounding sexual misconduct allegations against priests and diocese employees, a national support group for clergy sex abuse victims said.
In a letter Thursday to Bishop Carlos Sevilla, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests also said skipping the pope's visit might deter future recklessness by other church officials.
"By passing up this trip, and doing so in the name of accountability, you would send a powerful signal to others in the church that wrongdoing has consequences," the letter said.
- RCC.
Catholic Online,
Inside Catholic ( www.insidecatholic.com ), By Deal W. Hudson,
April/11/2008
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (Inside Catholic) - Pope Benedict XVI will arrive in the United States next week. It's predictable that various Catholic groups will use the occasion to gain visibility for their cause.
Such is the case with Voice of the Faithful, whose full-page ad in the April 8 New York Times begins with "On behalf of all Catholics who share our desire to help our Church."
In many ways, VOTF and the message of its ad together represent the most serious problem Benedict will face in America. Let's call it "institutionalized dissent": I don't mean organized dissent, but dissent woven into the fabric of Catholic institutions, especially Catholic colleges and universities.
Institutionalized dissent, by its very nature, is slippery, difficult to pinpoint because it never says what it really means. Take the case of VOTF. Since its founding in 2002, VOTF's program "to help the Church" has always been to change the Church. Using the sex-abuse scandal as a launching pad, VOTF traced all the reasons for the priest scandal to the need for "structural change" in the Church.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Knowingly hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
KIMA TV,
By Valerie Hurst, with video, ~ April 10, 2008
YAKIMA -- They told us they wouldn't let the issue die.
And now 'SNAP'… is snapping back at Yakima's bishop.
The 'Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests' has a new request.
The group says talk is cheap.
It wants bishop Carlos Sevilla to face consequences for keeping Juan Gonzalez employed while he was under investigation.
And it's bringing up another alleged scandal.
[2001-02, 2002-05 Cote* (Dominican)] - Roman Catholic. 3 boys.
Gazette,
by Melissa A. Chadwick | ~ April 10, 2008
GERMANTOWN (MD) -- A former youth pastor at Mother Seton Parish in Germantown has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing two young Massachusetts brothers between 2002 and 2005.
The Rev. Aaron Joseph Cote, 57, and the Catholic religious order to which he belongs reached a $1.2 million settlement in August with a former Mother Seton altar boy, now 21, who accused Cote of sexually abusing him from 2001 to 2002 at locations in Germantown and Washington, D.C.
The new lawsuit, filed Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court, New York County, alleges that Cote molested two preschool boys in Springfield, Mass., on several occasions. The lawsuit names Cote and the Order of Dominican Fathers and Brothers in New York City as defendants.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Knowingly hired a porn viewing man.
[Seminary] - Hate and porn there.
Montana's News Station
Associated Press, 9:15 PM ET
April 10, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - A national support group for clergy sex abuse victims says the Roman Catholic bishop of the Yakima Diocese should skip Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States next week. Missing the visit would be penance for continued secrecy surrounding sexual misconduct allegations against priests and diocese employees.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - RCC hiding crimes, documents. Girl.
KNDO/KNDU,
~ April 10, 2008
[with video]
Yakima, WA - A national organization makes another allegation of a cover up by the Catholic Diocese of Yakima.
This comes eight days after the bishop admitted to knowingly hiring an ex-seminarian under investigation for viewing child porn online.
According to court documents, Father Joaquin Estrada was convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl five years ago.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. 6th charge. Minors.
ABC 7,
~ April 10, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- A former Jesuit priest found guilty of molesting two boys is now facing another lawsuit. A 29-year-old man claims the priest molested him 14 years ago.
This is the sixth person to come forward and say Donald McGuire molested them. McGuire is currently in jail being held without bond.
Last February, McGuire was found guilty of molesting two boys during a trip to Wisconsin in the late 1960s.
[1960s Reed -NEW*, Wendling -NEW*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
Des Moines Register
ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 10, 2008
DUBUQUE, IA. -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque announced Thursday that it will pay $4.7 million to settle 18 sexual abuse claims against former priests.
The archdiocese and lawyers for the 18 individuals who claimed they were abused released statements outlining the settlement.
The statement from attorneys Thomas Staack and Chad Swanson in Waterloo said the settlement was reached on March 24 after a mediation session earlier in the month.
No lawsuits were filed by the individuals, who each provided written statements, were questioned under oath and underwent two psychological evaluations.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
KCRG,
By Katie Wiedemann, ~ April 10, 2008
DUBUQUE, IOWA -- In this latest settlement nine priests have been accused of sexually abusing children.
Seven of those priests have already been publicly named in prior law-suits.
But now, two more priests are being named for the first time.
Father John Reed and Reverend Louis Wendling, were both priests in the Dubuque area in the 1960's.
Both are now dead.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
Telegraph Herald,
by Mary Nevans-Pederson, ~ April 10, 2008
[with link to a written apology from Bishop Jerome Hanus, O.S.B.]
IOWA -- The Archdiocese of Dubuque will pay $4.7 million to 18 more victims of sexual abuse by its priests, it was announced today.
The settlement awards an average payment to each victim of $261,111. The archdiocese has now paid three global settlements - $5 million in 2006 and $2.6 million in 2007 - and other individual settlements with men and women who were sexually abused as children by Archdiocesan priests.
- RCC.
KJCT,
Associated Press, 7:04 PM ET, April 10, 2008
DENVER (CO), (AP) - An attorney says the Archdiocese of Denver has agreed to pay $300,000 and write letters of apology to settle a lawsuit accusing a priest of molesting a teenager 10 years ago.
Attorney Jeff Anderson said Thursday his client, 26-year-old Nick Gerber of Ohio, was molested by Timothy Evans, a former parish priest in Fort Collins and Arvada who was convicted last year of sexual assault.
Anderson says Gerber was 1 of 2 victims in the criminal case against Evans. Evans is serving a term of 14 years to life.
- RCC.
Voice from the Desert,
~ April 10, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- The nation's largest support group for clergy sexual abuse victim is asking Pope Benedict XVI to ban Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley from attending events during the pontiff's U.S. tour, including a mass at Yankee stadium.
That's because the Archdiocese of Boston has for the past two years been found in violation of the U.S. bishops' child sex abuse charter by not providing abuse prevention training to thousands of Boston Catholic children. Its latest breach was disclosed last month.
"O'Malley's repeated breaking of the national bishops' policy is scandalous and dangerous," said Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, outreach director for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "For five years, bishops have been required to teach all Catholic kids how to protect themselves. But by O'Malley's own admission, he's failed to provide that training to 20% of Boston's Catholic children. That's inexcusably reckless."
[Evans]
The Denver Post
By Mike McPhee, 02:26:15 PM MDT, April/10/2008
DENVER (CO) -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Denver has agreed to pay an Ohio man $300,000 for having been groped by a Fort Collins priest nine years ago.
Nick Gerber was groped twice by former priest Timothy Evans, who served as pastor at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish from 1998-99.
Evans was convicted last year of sexually assaulting Gerber, as well as another teenager in Arvada, and is serving 14 years to life in prison.
Gerber, who is now 27 and lives near Columbus, Ohio, said the money doesn't mean that much to him. "It helps to bring some closure, but it doesn't do a whole lot for the betrayal and anger I have against the Archdiocese and Evans," he said.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - RCC hiding crimes, documents. Girl.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
by Jane Gargas, ~ April 10, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- A national support group for clergy sex abuse victims today criticized Bishop Carlos Sevilla of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima for the way he handled information about a former priest who was arrested for molesting a minor in Oregon after he had served in the diocese here.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said Sevilla should have notified local parishioners of Father Jose Joaquin Estrada Arango's arrest for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in Morrow County, Ore.
According to court papers, Estrada pleaded guilty in December 2003 and was subsequently deported to Colombia, his home country.
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
April 10, 2008
Abano Terme, Italia --
"Ma quale peculato e appropriazione indebita… sono io ad avanzare soldi della parrocchia e a breve presenterò il conto". Non si lascia intimorire don Sante Sguotti dall'indagine aperta a suo carico che ha portato al sequestro di diversi plichi di documenti dalla canonica della parrocchia di Monterosso. Anzi, rilancia minacciando una nuova azione legale per avere giustizia. "Lo sapevo fin dall'inizio che dopo aver toccato i poteri forti con la mia lotta - ha proseguito il prete ribelle - la curia avrebbe cercato di tutto pur di farmi fuori, di mettermi in ridicolo e di umiliarmi". [translation]
ABANO, Italy -- Yesterday the home where his companion Tamara is living at Lovertino was searched, too. Documents and a computer were seized.
The Finance police went to Don Sante's home and to the parish. The priest-father is accused of having used public money allocated to the parish.
" But what embezzlement and undue appropriation… it's me who must be reimbursed by the parish and in a short period I'll present the bill". The Rev. Sante Sguotti wasn't in the least scared from the investigation which brought seizure of some documents from the rectory in the parish of Monterosso. On the contrary, he retaliates threatening a new lawsuit to get his due. "I already knew since I started my fight against the "strong powers" - he went on saying - the Curia would have used all its means to knock me out, to ridicule and humiliate me".
What is sure is that for the time being some of the details of the investigation led by the men belonging to the Finance police (the so called "Fiamme Gialle" which means "Yellow Flames", the symbol of that special police) in the residences of the priest-father are trickling out. The same Prosecutor Silvio Scamurra, who ordered the seizure of documents and software in the priest's homes, prefers not to enter into the details. The allegations are weighing like a rock in the priest's life who was suspended "a divinis" last October: embezzlement, that's the use of public money allocated to the parish. The priest suspended "a divinis", now a truck driver, was warned about the "visit" of the Finance police during his working hours: "I'm sorry especially for the computer - he said - for it's the real tool for the life of the association. There are conserved email addresses and telephone numbers of my supporters, without whom my work on behalf of the association (The Catholic Church of the Sinners) is almost impossible".
But contrarily to what one may think the legal action against the priest wasn't started by the Curia. It seems instead the office of the same Prosecutor issued the order to verify the correctness of the use of a certain amount of money during the years in which the Rev. Sante Sguotti was a parish priest.
"I confirm the seizing of the papers" - explained the Rev. Giovanni Brusegan, who has been until now the parish priest since the supension "a divinis" of the Rev. Sante Sguotti - "but that didn't happen for the initiative of the Curia, it was only due to a control of the parish finances".
Meanwhile the Carabinieri of Abano have listened to what some faithful of Monterosso had to say, particularly those people than more than others were near the priest-father when events and restoration of the church were organized. A few days ago another lawsuit was made against the Rev. Sante, who having delayed his departure from the parish of Monterosso, had allegedly impeded the normal community life.
Riccardo Bastianello
- FLDS.
The Associated Press,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, ~ April 10, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas (AP) – When authorities moved to search the large white temple on the polygamist compound in West Texas, about five dozen of the sect's men prayed and cried around the structure, state investigators said Thursday.
Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran also said he had been working with a confidential informant for four years who was feeding him information about life inside the polygamist sect. …
"We are aware that this group is capable of (sexually abusing young girls)," Doran said. "But there again, this is the United States. We are going to respect them. We're not going to violate their civil rights until we get an outcry. I've said that from day one."
- Petition to Pope
AScribe Newswire,
~ April 10, 2008
NEWTON, Mass., April 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- According to Voice of the Faithful VOTF), the Catholic Church will continue to decline unless it uniformly treats survivors of sexual abuse with justice and compassion rather than treating them as litigants; makes bishops who transferred pedophile priests more accountable for their past actions; encourages and welcomes greater lay participation in decision making; and provides full financial transparency and accountability in all its governance matters.
"Transformation and renewal of the Church is possible," says VOTF President Dan Bartley of Long Island. "We envision a Church that is open, transparent, and accountable and look forward to a Church that embraces the gifts and talents of the laity."
But many more lay Catholics need to make their voices heard if that transformation is to occur, says Bartley. "As a first step, we invite all Catholics to participate in this transformation by signing a petition we have online calling for greater accountability and lay involvement in our Church."
[~ 2000s Reid -NEW*] - Pentecostal. Woman (we hope!)
BBC News,
~ April 10, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A church leader has "stepped down" from pastoral duties after admitting he had committed adultery.
Michael Reid, 64, founder of an evangelical church in Brentwood, Essex, told followers he had "sinned".
A spokesman for the Peniel Pentecostal Church said Mr Reid had resigned and was spending a period of "reflection".
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
The Globe Gazette (WATERLOO),
By JEFF REINITZ and JOSH NELSON, April 10, 2008
IOWA – Eighteen people who were abused by Roman Catholic priests as children will split a $4.7 million settlement.
The resolution between the Archdiocese of Dubuque and the victims was announced this morning during a press conference at Dutton, Bruan Staack & Hellman law office in Waterloo.
This is the third group of victims represented by Waterloo attorneys Chad Swanson and Thomas Staack to reach an agreement with the archdiocese.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
WHO,
Associated Press, 12:34 PM ET, April 10, 2008
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque will pay $4.7 million to settle 18 sexual abuse claims against former priests.
The archdiocese and lawyers for the 18 outlined the settlement today.
The attorneys say the money will be distributed based on the nature of the abuse, but the average is about $260,000.
- FLDS.
ABC News,
By MIKE VON FREMD, JAY SHAYLOR, STEVE PETYERAK and SCOTT MICHELS;
April 10, 2008
TEXAS -- The Texas sheriff who raided a secretive polygamist compound on suspicions that young girls were being sexually abused as child brides said today that he has had an informant inside the cult for the last four years. "I have had a good informant who has given me good information over the past four years," Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran during a news conference today. "This person has been assisting us as we've gone forward on this operation."
That immediately raised questions, however, about why the sheriff waited until a desperate 16-year-old girl -- apparently pregnant with a second baby and battered so badly she had sufferered broken ribs -- called a family violence hot line pleading for a rescue.
Doran said that he was aware that the Yearning for Zion sect had similar compounds in Utah and Arizona where the group's men had been prosecuted for having sex with underage girls. "We were suspicious" that a similar problem existed on the remote ranch in the Texas town of Eldorado, he said.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
The Gazette (WATERLOO),
By Orlan Love, orlan.love@gazettecommunications.com , April 10, 2008
IOWA -- Attorneys for 18 clergy sexual abuse victims on Thursday announced a $4.7 million settlement with the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
No formal lawsuit was filed in the case, and the victims have not been publicly identified, said Thomas Staack, an attorney with Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman in Waterloo.
The victims, in a statement released by their attorneys, said they "hope through this announcement that others who may be struggling with the pain and shame of clergy abuse will find the courage and strength to come forward."
- RCC.
The Plain Dealer,
Posted by Francis X. Rocca / Religion News Service,
10:08AM, April 10, 2008
VATICAN CITY -- During his visit to the United States next week, Pope Benedict XVI "will try to open the path of healing and reconciliation" with the victims of clergy sex abuse, the Vatican's second highest official said Tuesday (April 8).
Sex abuse by priests has caused "so much suffering for the victims, for the families of the victims and above all to the church because it was a contradiction with the great educational mission of the church," Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, told the Associated Press.
Bertone said the pope will bring a message of "trust and hope" when he celebrates Mass before priests in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral on April 19.
- FLDS.
The Smoking Gun,
~ April 10, 2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- This links to the affadavit for a search and arrest warrant for the YFZ ranch where more than 400 women and children were removed amid allegations of child sexual and physical abuse.
- RCC.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 10, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Broadcasting online this evening, Educating To End Abuse at kctu.com will feature victims of Catholic clergy sex crimes reacting to the upcoming papal visit at 6PM central, with a toll free call in number: 866 - 905 - 8855. Person for person, a soft poll of the crime victims yesterday evoked the same reaction to the Pope's upcoming visit. Who cares? We should turn our backs. Hope to see empty seats in the stadium for the papal Mass.
PEGGY WARREN:* I just don't get it. Why aren't more people infuriated over Pope Benedict's visit? This is the man who headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which handles the clergy sexual abuse cases. Need I say more. Pope Benedict, a.k.a. Cardinal Ratzinger, allowed child rape to continue for decades and he is still allowing such atrocities as Pope. All Catholics should be sickened and ashamed, …society should demand justice and put him behind bars.
[~ 2000s Mulraine] - Christian. 4 girlfriends simultaneously. 9 complainants.
Sun,
Thursday April 10, 2008
ST. KITTS -- A Kittitian pastor residing in England has denied accusations that he has been sexually involved with up to nine members (who now want him ousted) of his congregation. This is according to an article which appeared on an online edition of The Voice.
The article said that Pastor Haskelle Mulraine, 47, who runs a Bible study group in Leicester, has come under attack from four of his alleged former girlfriends who all claim that he has been in a relationship with all of them, at the same time.
- RCC.
Press TV (Iran),
~ April 10, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI has started his US tour in a bid to help restore the scattered Catholic Church image marred with pedophile scandals.
"The pope will talk about it in detail at St Patrick's cathedral (in New York) during a speech to priests," Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone said in an interview with the US network Fox News.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
~ April 10, 2008
- In 2002, when the clergy sexual abuse crisis exploded in the United States, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger blamed the scandals on an "intentional, manipulated…desire to discredit the church" by the media.
- He and his spokesmen have time and time again minimized the crisis by repeating discredited estimates on the number of pedophile priests.
- RCC problems with "safe touching" lessons.
The Boston Globe,
By Michael Paulson / Globe Staff / April 10, 2008
RANDOLPH, Massachusets - The third graders sit squirming in their seats, a crucifix on the wall and a bag of Doritos on each desk, as Rose Eames holds up a big picture of two girls and starts to tell a potentially unsettling story.
The girls are at a movie, she says, and when their chaperone, an older sister, goes to get popcorn, a man in the row behind them strokes the hair of one of the girls. What should they do?
While the question seems straightforward, the very discussion in a weekly religious education class of inappropriate behaviors is causing major headaches for Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Boston, who has made resolving the abuse crisis a hallmark of his tenure. O'Malley, like almost every Catholic bishop in the United States, has promised to teach children in educational programs about "safe environments," but the program he has chosen for pupils in kindergarten through third grade, "Talking About Touching," has proved more divisive than expected. …
The leadership of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the primary organization advocating for abuse victims in the United States, has slammed O'Malley because the archdiocese has not achieved full compliance.
"This is allegedly a binding national policy, and has been for five years, and it's disingenuous blame-shifting for O'Malley to claim that it's not his fault that the programs are not being offered," said David Clohessy, national director of SNAP. "The spirit of the bishops' reforms is that every Catholic kid will be trained."
But another victims' advocate, Anne Barrett Doyle of bishop- accountability.org, said the situation appears to be more complicated. Doyle's own parish, St. Agnes in Reading, is among those that have declined to use the program.
- FLDS.
Capital Hill Blue,
By THOMAS HARGROVE, ~ April 10, 2008
TEXAS -- How could hundreds of children go unreported, uncounted and unprotected while living on a sprawling Texas retreat created by a polygamist sect?
That is a question facing West Texas police and state social workers trying to piece together what went on far from public sight at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in rural Schleicher County. …
Officially, it seems, the children living on the Yearning for Zion Ranch did not exist.
[1984-86 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Tracy Press,
By Ross Farrow / San Joaquin News Service / Wednesday, 09 April 2008
LOCKEFORD (CA) -- A popular Lockeford priest who spent many years at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Tracy vehemently denies allegations that he sexually abused a boy in the 1980s.
Father Michael Kelly says he underwent a lengthy polygraph test and an in-depth investigation by a former FBI agent.
Now he is stepping forward to strongly reject the accusations of abuse.
- RCC.
Foster's Daily Democrat,
By JASON G. HOWE, jghowe@fosters.com , ~ April 10, 2008
DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Pope Benedict XVI will visit the United States next week for the first time as pontiff in what one local scholar said is a move to "humanize" the papacy here.
Michele Dillon, a Catholic scholar and professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, believes the Pope's visit – although unlikely to be met by the throngs of youths that greeted Pope John Paul II – will help American Catholics reconnect with their faith.
"Every Catholic will be listening for some reference to their favorite issue and for affirmation of their viewpoint. Obviously, not all will be satisfied. In general, we should expect Pope Benedict to cover the core life issues from stem cells and abortion to the death penalty," Dillon said. "And New England Catholics will additionally be listening for acknowledgment of the church's failures regarding the sexual abuse of children by priests."
- General community.
Standard Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 10, 2008
CANADA -- A retired Cornwall police officer denied he used the term "cover-up" to criticize his own force's handling of the David Silmser investigation, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Wednesday. Staff Sgt. Claude Lortie testified he told his colleagues at a September 1993 meeting he was "ashamed" of the apparent lack of progress on Silmser's sexual abuse allegations against Rev. Charles MacDonald and probation officer by Ken Seguin.
But he maintained he had no knowledge of the $32,000 settlement Silmser had struck with the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic diocese in exchange for dropping the investigation against MacDonald.
"I walked into that meeting not knowing what was going on. So why would I say 'cover-up'?" Lortie told commission counsel Ian Stauffer.
- RCC.
[1978 Feeney] - Clergyman seduced 2 boys.
[1970s Mr Prosser] - DA turned justice aside.
Green Bay Press-Gazette,
Gannett Wisconsin Media, April 10, 2008
APPLETON (WI) – A hearing is set for July 15 in the lawsuit filed against the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay by two brothers who were sexually assaulted by a priest.
Todd and Troy Merryfield were victims of former priest John Patrick Feeney, who is in his fourth year of a 15-year prison sentence at Fox Lake Correctional Institutionon four sexual abuse charges.
Feeney, 81, was the parish priest at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Freedom in 1978 when the assaults took place. The Merryfields were 12 and 14 years old at the time.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2008
5:21 AM]
[LOOK BACK: March 4, 2008]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Thu April 10, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[- 2008 Dr Taylor -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Child pornography.
St. Tammany News,
By Matthew Penix, Published 8:43 AM CDT, Friday, April 11, 2008
COVINGTON (LA) -- A Covington psychiatrist whose years of philanthropic work was recently recognized for an "Angel Among us Award" fell from grace Wednesday after he was arrested and charged with 107 counts of child pornography.
Dr. Steve Martin Taylor, 68, of 420 First Ave. E. in Covington, was arrested Wednesday by at least three armed St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputies outside his home.
"I never would have guessed this," said Judy Bird, a neighbor who watched the events unfold, her mouth dropping, hands on her face. "He just seems like such a friendly, good neighbor." …
Taylor was also known for teaching Sunday school, volunteering at a mental health clinic at Southeastern Louisiana University and working with a health committee for the Episcopal Diocese.
[2008 March - Murd -NEW*] - RCC. Touched man.
NBC 24,
By Arielle Berlin, 4:19 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2008
[with statesment from Bishop Leonard P. Blair]
SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP (OH) -- A local priest has stepped down amid allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.
The Toledo Diocese made the announcement Friday about Father Frank Murd of St. Joseph's Parish in Maumee.
Sylvania Township Police say Father Murd inappropriately touched another man in the hot tub at the Jewish Community Center in Sylvania Township in March.
[1990s Bevel -NEW*] - Baptist. Girl (daughter)
ABC 3,
~ April 11, 2008
[with video of testimony]
LEESBURG (VA) -- A daughter of a civil rights icon who served as a top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Junior testified Monday that her father regularly molested her beginning when she was just six years old.
The Reverend James L. Bevel went on trial for incest in Loudoun County Circuit Court. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
While the criminal charges revolve around a single incident that allegedly occurred in the early 1990s when the daughter was a teenager, Monday's testimony indicated a pattern of abuse.
[Szott -NEW*] - RCC. Boy
The Detroit News
by Kim Kozlowski / April 11, 2008
MICHIGAN -- When Vincent Venturini was 9, he denied that anything improper happened after he spent the night with the pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Utica.
Years later, when the Rev. Timothy Szott pleaded no contest to possessing child pornography, Venturini of Shelby Township denied that the priest had ever hurt him.
Venturini says he can't deny the truth anymore, and that's why he filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that Szott molested him and blaming the Archdiocese of Detroit for what happened.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 11, 2008
8:37 AM]
- RCC.
San Jose Mercury News,
By Karl Fischer, Contra Costa Times, Article Launched 04:02:59 PM PDT, April/11/2008
RICHMOND (CA) -- Activists distributed leaflets at the gate of a Catholic high school Friday, urging students to call Richmond police if they were sexually abused at the campus.
Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests hoped to draw attention to an allegation of abuse that surfaced this week at Salesian High. Adminstrators placed a teacher on administrative leave while investigating "allegations of misconduct," according to a statement from the school.
"Why haven't the parents been told? Why hasn't the community been told?" said Joey Piscitelli, Northern California director of SNAP and a Salesian grad. "In this case, we have an accused serial molester. We want any others who have been abused to come forward."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 11, 2008
8:47 PM]
[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. Banned since 1988, was still officiating in Seeds of Hope group to 2006 with a Weeping Madonna. 2 altar boys.
NECN,
~ April 11, 2008
[with video]
WORCESTER (MA) -- (Katie Daly, NECN: Worcester, Mass.) - Frustration continues for the alleged victims of accused pedophile priest Reverend John Szantyr. Szantyr was back in a Worcester courtroom Friday. A judge says he needs more time to decide if Szantyr is competent to stand trails.
Katie Daly has the latest.
Script:
Sitting in a wheelchair, Reverend John Szantyr appeared in Worcester District Court. The former priest in the Worcester Diocese is accused of molesting 2 Worcester altar boys in the 1980's. At Friday's competency hearing, the question was whether or not Szantyr is competent to stand trial.
[Kos] - RCC.
WFAA,
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA-TV, 05:35 PM CDT on Friday, April 11, 2008
[with video]
DALLAS (TX) -- The Pope's visit to the US comes during a surge in North Texas Catholicism. In the last 15 years, the Dallas Diocese has quadrupled to almost a million members.
"In the Diocese of Dallas alone, over 3,000 people entered the Catholic Church, entered the Catholic Church this Easter," said Bishop Kevin Farrell, Dallas diocese. …
However, a Vatican official said this week that Benedict
"…will try to open a path of healing and reconciliation…" between the Vatican and American victims of clergy sex abuse.
"I think the heart of the Holy Father, and the heart of all bishops goes out, and all priests and all people, goes out to these victims," said Bishop Farrell.
Dallas was the epicenter of the Catholic sex scandal in 1997, during the civil trial of Father Rudolph Kos, convicted of molesting altar boys in several Dallas parishes. But for now, Bishop Farrell and other North Texas Catholics expect Pope Benedict's first visit to the US to be more about hope in the future - than heartaches of the past.
- RCC.
Fox News,
~ April 11, 2008
UNITED STATES -- When Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] comes to America this Tuesday for an historic first visit, it may feel like a homecoming for the German-born pope.
"The Christian church in America is still very vibrant," former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a recent convert to Catholicism, said in an exclusive interview with FOX News. "I think some of the vibrancy we would do well to have in the Christian church in Europe." …
The Rev. Kenneth Lash, former pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Mendham, N.J., is an outspoken critic of how the church has dealt with the scandal, which revealed hundreds of instances of sexual abuse by priests that the church hierarchy often hushed up.
The Rev. Lash said he hopes the pope will not only discuss the issue, but will try to "gather the abused of this country and wash [their] feet
… in the sanctuary."
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WCNC,
By MARIA KOTULA, MKotula@WCNC.com / April 11, 2008
[with video]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina authorities are driving former Charlotte priest Robert Yurgel back to Charlotte this weekend.
They left New Jersey Friday morning and expect to have the priest behind bars at the Mecklenburg County jail by Saturday or Sunday.
"It's something awful to hear," says Catholic Jackie Groff.
- ARCHBISHOP'S STATEMENT about TOM DOYLE. Sentenced without trial.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis,
~ April 11, 2008
[with link to the text of the extra-official decree]
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has issued the following regarding the extra-judicial decree regarding the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, O.P:
As the chief shepherd of the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, I have the duty and moral obligation to uphold the teachings and practices of the Catholic Faith. Those teachings include the obligation of a bishop to safeguard the legal processes under which the Church operates. The decree of extra-judicial adjudication that is printed in this week's edition of the St. Louis Review is one of many steps I have been obliged to take in the matter surrounding the situation involving the board of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation. Upon consideration of the facts and circumstances, it is my judgment that Father Thomas P. Doyle, O.P., a priest and canon lawyer, has failed to represent two members of the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation board properly or effectively in connection with intra-Church legal matters.
- ARCHBISHOP'S STATEMENT about TOM DOYLE. Sentenced without trial.
Fort Mill Times,
By CHERYL WITTENAUER, April 11, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO) – A prominent Roman Catholic priest and canon lawyer, who says he has been helping those "harmed by the institutional Catholic Church" since 1985 and counseling a Polish heritage church here, has been banned from working in the archdiocese.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, a Dominican priest and canon lawyer based in Virginia, also has been ordered by Archbishop Raymond Burke to pay back any payment he received from St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
Burke issued a decree charging Doyle with two "canonical crimes" related to his defense of two excommunicated board members of St. Stanislaus.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
Telegraph Herald,
~ April 11, 2008
[with audio]
IOWA -- Priests of the Dubuque Archdiocese who were accused of abuse in the April 10 settlement (these dates and places of abuse are the only ones included in this settlement).
* Albert Carman: ordained in 1945, accused of abuse at Loras College from 1965 to 66. He died in 1980.
* Tim DeVenney: Ordained in 1993, accused of abuse of several male minors while at St. Columbkille Parish in Dubuque from 1994 to 96. Suspended from the priesthood in 1996. Pleaded guilty in January 1997 and sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 1997. Released from prison and paroled in December 2001. He lives in a facility run by a religious order outside of Washington, D.C.
[…]
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
~ April 11, 2008
PADOVA, Italia -- Don Sante è un uomo meticoloso. Registra ogni soldo che passa per le sue mani. Da una parte le entrate, dall'altra le uscite. Data, importo, "causale". Rendiconti memorizzati su diversi file dei suoi cinque computer che sono stati sequestrati dalla Guardia di Finanza e dalla polizia municipale di Abano Terme: quattro portatili e un fisso. Ma non solo. Tra l'abitazione di Lovertino della sua compagna, la casa di Selvazzano dove don Sante Sguotti ha ancora la residenza ufficiale e la canonica della parrocchia di Monterosso, gli investigatori coordinati dal pubblico ministero Silvia Scamurra hanno sequestrato anche numerosi incartamenti e documentazioni bancarie. [translation]
ABANO, ITALY - 5 computers and bank reports were seized in the residences of the priest suspended "a divinis" since last October
The Rev. Sante, an investigation on some invoices for the value of 50 thousand euros issued by two apparently non-existing construction firms in order to obtain two grants.
Padova
The Rev. Sante is a meticulous man. He keeps a file for all the money passing in his hands. On one side the revenues and on the other the expenditures. Dates, amount of money, "motives". The reports were loaded on various files of the five computers seized by the Finance police and the municipal police of Abano Terme: four laptop computers and a regular one. But it wasn't only for that. In the home of his companion at Lovertino where the Rev. Sante Sguotti still resides officially and the rectory of the parish in Monterosso, the investigators acting under the orders of the Public Prosecutor Silvia Scamurra seized many papers and bank documents, too. The paper and computer data will serve to clarify if there is any ground for the allegation of emblezzement committed by the priest-father. Fifty thousand euros, in round figures, that the priest suspended "a divinis" allegedly put in his pockets and that were instead destined to two precise ends: the repair of the stair steps of the parish soccer field and the restructuring of the church, especially its altar.
For the time being, the only person to be investigated is the Rev. Sante but it's not to be excluded it could be extended to other people. Above all the investigators must clarify the "nature" of those invoices the priest-father used to get 20 thousand euros from the Veneto Region and 30 thousand euros from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo. Those invoices were issued apparently by two non-existent construction firms. However, since last Wednesday afternoon, after he received the notice he was being investigated, the Rev. Sante has declared that everything was made respecting the rules, the 20 thousand euros were effectively used to repair the stair steps of the soccer field and the 30 thousand euros given by the banks were used to restructure the church. On the contrary, the priest underlined, he is the one the parish owes some money.
The investigation started a month ago when the municipal police at Abano Terme received a signed and very detailed denunciation. The agents made the first checks and then, on April 5, sent a very precise report to the Prosecutor's office.
The case ended up on the table of the Public Prosecutor Scamurra, who after having read the documents opened a formal procedure whereby the Rev. Sante Sguotti's name was written down as a person to be investigated under the allegation of embezzlement and being the object of three search warrants. If the money wasn't used for the reasons it was given for, where is it now? How did the priest who was suspended "a divinis" last October use it? The answer could be found in the five computers and the documents which were seized. That's in the case the Prosecutor is right, contrarily to what the Rev. Sante Sguotti has been saying in his rejection of all the charges.
If however some evidence could be found, the Finance police and the agents of the municipality would also follow another investigative lead, the one about the fake invoices issued by the two construction firms. That's in the case those firms do really exist. But if they were really found, what could it be the reason they issued those invoices? To do the priest a "favor"?
Or in exchange for what ? Or could it be the same priest to have "fabricated" those invoices? These are the questions the Finance police and the municipal police agents at Abano Terme must answer to in order to support the charges. "I paid for those works" the same Rev. Sante has underlined.
Egle Luca Cocco
- FLDS.
NewsReleaseWire,
Friday - April 11, 2008
TEXAS -- Exactly seven months from the launch of "Operation Fuzzy," the Franks Foundation announces the most comprehensive phase of our program for sexually abused children to date.
The recent polygamist compound raid in Eldorado, Texas, has gripped the nation with allegations of rampant physical and sexual abuse. Young girls, some as young as their early teens, are suspected of being victims of rape and incest. Many are known to be pregnant. The 416 children taken from the FLDS compound are frightened and traumatized. Having been torn from the only home environment they've ever known, their needs are many.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News,
By Ben Winslow, Friday, April 11, 2008
TEXAS -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is criticizing international news media outlets for failing to distinguish between the mainstream Mormon church and the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy officially in 1890. More than a century later, some news reports, especially those outside the U.S., still fail to draw clear distinctions whenever stories arise about polygamy in the Intermountain West," the LDS Church said in a statement posted on its Web site.
The LDS Church praised many news media outlets across the country for noting the difference between the two churches. However, church officials were critical of foreign media reports that ran photographs of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City next to stories of the polygamous compound raid in Texas and headlines that use the term "Mormon" without a distinction.
[1974-84 Monroe*] - RCC. Admitted. 13 boys.
WSBT,
~ April 11, 2008
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) – A lawsuit that claims a former Catholic priest sexually abused a boy and that an archdiocese covered up his prior history of sexual abuse can move forward, the state appeals court has ruled.
The court in a two-page order declined to hear an appeal by lawyers for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
The claim names as defendants the archdiocese and Harry Monroe, a former Catholic priest accused of molesting numerous boys between 1974 and 1984 at churches in Indianapolis, Terre Haute and southern Indiana's Perry County. It said the archdiocese committed fraud by deceiving members of an Indianapolis parish into believing Monroe was suited for ministry to young boys.
[LOOK BACK: December 14, 2007]
- RCC retrenches < 20%.
Chicago Sun-Times,
FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 11, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced Friday it will lay off nearly a fifth of its workers early next month to try to cut costs.
Thirty-seven of the approximately 150 positions reporting to the archdiocese will be eliminated, although 15 new jobs are being created as part of a streamlining of operations, diocese spokeswoman Kathleen Hohl said.
The changes are part of an effort to close a $3 million budget gap for this fiscal year and balance the books for the one beginning in July, Hohl said. The shortfall stems from costs associated with the priest sexual abuse crisis as well as such things as increasing health care costs, she said.
[≤ 2006 Ascolese*] - RCC. Money, raffle racket, < US$1m.
The Star-Ledger,
by Mike Frassinelli / 3:02 PM, Friday April 11, 2008
WARREN COUNTY (PA) -- The Rev. Robert J. "Father Bob" Ascolese will trade in his collar for handcuffs after pleading guilty today for his role in staging church raffles with fake grand-prize "winners."
The Warren County priest pleaded guilty in Belvidere to three counts of theft, maintaining he didn't know he was doing anything wrong when his charitable foundations bought tickets in the names of alter egos to ensure a sellout of the $100-a-ticket lottery that benefited his financially struggling church and elementary school in Washington Borough.
The raffles in question were from 2001 to 2005. The church was to raise $200,000 annually for the 50-50 raffles, with another $200,000 going back to winners, including a $100,000 grand prize winner. Through the years, the winners included people named "Ezekiel Fleming" and "Arlene Bishop" -- people who didn't really exist.
[≤ 2006 Ascolese*] - RCC. Money, raffle racket, < US$1m.
PennLive,
Posted by Tom Quigley, 15:54PM, April 11, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The Rev. Robert Ascolese, known as "Father Bob," a former pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Washington Borough, is sworn in to speak during his guilty plea this afternoon in Warren County Courthouse in Belvidere. The Rev. Robert Ascolese - known to his former parishioners in Washington as Father Bob - pleaded guilty today to three counts of theft.
Ascolese, 46, admitted to stealing money from the church raffle and two corporate charity programs to help keep the financially ailing parish afloat.
Warren County Assistant Prosecutor Craig Barto said the priest doubled his money in one instance by setting up a scam to obtain money from a Johnson & Johnson charitable fund.
- Another RC move to make parishes "independent".
KTVZ,
2:35 PM ET, Associated Press - April 11, 2008
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland is going to reorganize its parishes to make them legally independent.
The move grew out of the bankruptcy settlement the archdiocese reached last year with victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests.
Each parish will be reorganized into a nonprofit "member corporation" with a five-person board of directors.
- RCC.
City of Angels
http://city ofangels4. blogspot. com/2008/04/ jay-nelson- publishes- research- revealing. html ;
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 11, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Jay Nelson writes: "With Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] days away from arrival in this country, now is an auspicious time to announce that I have discovered some of the secret history behind the scandals. And that Joseph Ratzinger is central to it. No, this is not a joke nor hyperbole but the fruit of deep, serious, historical research, and undoubtedly these are the most important pieces I've ever written."
Jay Nelson reports: "Carefully coded language (in 1962) reveals that 1) priests will no longer be punished for sexual transgressions but treated 'with fraternal charity and magnanimity' and 2) celibacy is not necessary for the priesthood but would still be demanded of Latin-rite priests.
"This sets the stage for the great clergy exodus."
- RCC.
Religion News Service,
By BENEDICTA CIPOLLA, ~ April 11, 2008
In case you've missed the countless news articles, blog posts and television segments, the leader of 1.13 billion Catholics is coming to America.
When Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] makes his first trip to the United States April 15-20, with stops in Washington and New York, he will claim one in four Americans as his own. The trip will also be a chance to raise his own profile – 81 percent of Americans said they don't know much or anything about him, according to a recent Marist College poll. …
"It's not just the sex abuse crisis. There's a real sense the (American) church needs new vitality, said Timothy Matovina, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame.
"If the church is not strong and solid in its own membership and links to its own people, then all the other goals of influencing society, of being leaven in the world, will not be met."
[2000s Thomas] - Baptist. Money.
The Baptist Standard,
By Bruce Nolan, New Orleans Times-Picayune, ~ April 11, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA), (RNS)–Federal prosecutors have charged the former pastor of a church damaged by Hurricane Katrina with diverting thousands of dollars in private donations and public flood relief money to his private bank account.
The U.S. attorney's office said it filed a bill of information charging Noah A. Thomas Jr., former pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, with a single count of mail fraud. He led the church until October 2006, authorities said.
Thomas was unavailable for comment.
- FLDS.
Deseret Morning News,
By Ben Winslow, Friday, April 11, 2008
TEXAS -- The State Bar of Texas has put out a call for volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono representation for the 416 children now in state protective custody after being taken from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's compound in Eldorado.
"Since the news first broke, the State Bar has been providing free online training to all lawyers volunteering to serve as attorneys ad litem for the hundreds of children taken into state custody," State Bar of Texas President Gib Walton said in a statement posted on their Web site.
The child custody case is the largest of its kind ever in Texas history. Because of that, the State Bar (which certifies and disciplines lawyers) is coordinating efforts to recruit volunteer lawyers. A massive volunteer training session is being held in San Angelo today, the State Bar said.
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Christopher Smart, Article Last Updated 11:52:39 AM MDT,
April/11/2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas - Marriage certificates. Birth certificates. Computers. Belts. A clip-on tie -- and perhaps even a mystery document referring to cyanide.
Authorities who raided the FLDS polygamist compound near Eldorado last week seized everything from flash drives to pregnancy kits. The list of items also refers to a "cyanide poisoning document," but offers no other explanation.
The initial warrant was based on calls from a 16-year-old girl who contacted a family violence shelter on March 29 and 30, saying she was being physically and sexually abused by her FLDS husband. A second warrant was based on officials' observations and interviews after entering the ranch, owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
- SNAP wants Law-succourer to shun Law-successor.
Ethics Daily,
by Brittani Hamm, April-11-08
BOSTON (MA), (RNS) -- Survivors of clergy sexual abuse are asking Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] to shun Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley during the pope's U.S. visit after an independent firm reported that the Archdiocese of Boston is not fully providing abuse prevention training to Catholic children.
A recent report from the Boston-based Gavin Group, which has surveyed U.S. dioceses on compliance with abuse-prevention policies, found that 64 of 295 do not have mandated safe environment programs for children. The Boston archdiocese had complied with the other 12 of 13 requirements.
On Thursday, leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) complained in a letter sent to the pope's U.S. ambassador, Archbishop Pietro Sambi.
- Haredi / Charedi Judaists.
The Jerusalem Post,
By CALEV BEN-DAVID, ~ April 11, 2008
ISRAEL -- No local media coverage has been more compelling - and disturbing - the last few weeks than that dealing with the two horrendous cases of child abuse, one in Jerusalem and the other in Beit Shemesh, exposed as having in part been the result of a twisted religious fanaticism in the families involved.
It is the latter fact that has made it unavoidable in reporting on these cases that the accused abusers belong to the haredi community (evident anyway from the appearance and behavior of the two accused mothers in the television footage of their arraignments). This has sparked complaints from that sector that mainstream media coverage of the crimes is being deliberately highlighted in such a way as to unfairly tarnish the entire community.
Covering such extreme cases of domestic abuse always poses a series of challenges. To protect the privacy of the victims, the media is obligated (legally and morally) to tread carefully when it comes to identifying the individuals involved.
- 37 RC staffers to go.
WBAY,
Associated Press 11:35 AM ET, April 11, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI), (AP) - A spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee says 37 of the approximately 150 people who work directly for the archdiocese will have their jobs eliminated early next month.
The move was first reported by The Business Journal of Milwaukee.
Diocese spokeswoman Kathleen Hohl says 15 other jobs are being created as part of a streamlining of operations. She says the diocese is hoping to close a $3 million budget gap for this fiscal year and balance the books for the one beginning in July.
[2000s Barlow*] - FLDS. Girl (16).
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Nate Carlisle, Article Last Updated 06:14:34 AM MDT,
April/11/2008
TEXAS -- Dale Evans Barlow, the man who remains at the heart of the FLDS ranch raid in Texas, was defended by the polygamous community as a victim of religious intolerance when he was convicted of a similar crime last year.
A Texas judge signed an arrest warrant for Barlow last Thursday after a 16-year-old girl accused him of marrying and impregnating her. Barlow, 50, is on probation in Arizona for a conviction stemming from his marriage to a different 16-year-old girl, with whom he has a son.
While he denies knowing his Texas accuser - and others have said he is not the girl's husband - police said at a news conference Thursday that he remains their suspect.
- FLDS.
KTAR,
by Jim Cross/KTAR, ~ April 11, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The raid on a polygamist compound in Texas could signal the beginning of the end of a lifestyle that has flown under the radar in America, according to an expert on cults.
The Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints, which operates the compound near Eldorado, Texas, along with other communities around the country -- including Colorado City, Ariz. -- fits the classic criteria of a cult, according to Rick Ross.
He says there are about 50,000 polygamists living in North America and Mexico.
"The level of harm done by polygamist groups is horrific, and, in particular, this group (FLDS) has a long history of very seriously damaging children through sexual abuse, neglect and physical abuse."
[Dr Reardon]
NBC 30,
~ April 11, 2008
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- West Hartford police are trying to identify men who are persons of interest in a case where more than 50,000 child pornography slides were found in the home of a prominent doctor.
The slides were found last May in a hidden storage space by the current owner of Dr. George Reardon's former home.
The cache included 50,000 35 mm slides and more than 100 8 mm movie reels. Police believe Reardon may have victimized hundreds of children beginning in the 1950s at his medical offices and at St. Francis.
[Reardon + 3 men]
Hartford Courant,
By DANIEL P. JONES | 9:51 AM EDT, April 11, 2008
WEST HARTFORD (CT) -- West Hartford police are asking the public to help identify three men pictured in sex acts with children - images that were found among the huge cache of child pornography retrieved from the former home of a prominent St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center doctor who died in 1998.
Detectives are not sure if the children in the photographs were among the victims of the doctor, George Reardon, who practiced medicine at the hospital from 1963 to 1993, when he resigned in the face of sordid allegations that he sexually molested children.
After police retrieved a cache of child pornography from Reardon's former home in November, dozens of people who say they were abused as children by Reardon have come forward to tell their stories to police, and some 85 men and women have sued the hospital alleging it was negligent in not preventing the doctor from molesting them and photographing them in degrading poses.
[1990s Bevel*] - Baptist. Civil Rights leader. Girl (daughter)
Washington Post,
By Bill Brubaker, Page B05, Wednesday, April 9, 2008
LEESBURG (VA) -- Prosecutors in the incest trial of civil rights leader James L. Bevel played a tape for a Loudoun County jury yesterday of a phone conversation in which he never fully admitted or denied having sex in the 1990s with his then-teenage daughter, despite her repeated attempts to get him to make the admission.
Instead, Bevel, 71, responded vaguely to her explicit questions about their alleged sexual encounters.
The daughter had earlier told the Loudoun Circuit Court jury that she saw her father, a Baptist minister, trying to "brainwash" residents of communal "clinic houses" he set up in which his daily 12-hour meetings focused on overcoming lust. He taught the "science of marriage," in which open sex was often the solution to problems, she said.
[1990s Bevel*] - Baptist. Civil Rights leader. Girl (daughter)
Washington Post,
By Bill Brubaker, Page B05, Thursday, April 10, 2008
LEESBURG (VA) -- James L. Bevel, a Christian minister and leader in the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s, insisted repeatedly at his incest trial in Loudoun County yesterday that he did not have sex in the 1990s with one of his daughters.
Bevel was asked by his public defender, Bonnie H. Hoffman, whether he ever rubbed the daughter's chest, another allegation that the woman has made but that is not part of this criminal case.
"Yes, I have engaged in rubbing [her] chest in an educational context," he said. Bevel was not asked by his attorney or prosecutors to elaborate. But he testified that as a minister and teacher, he has often educated people, including his children, on the "science" of sex and marriage.
[1993 Bevel*] - Baptist. Civil Rights leader. Guilty. Girl (daughter)
The Boston Globe,
AP, April 11, 2008
LEESBURG (VA), (AP) -- A jury convicted an iconic civil-rights figure of incest yesterday after concluding that he had sex with his teenage daughter 15 years ago.
The Rev. James L. Bevel, 71, a top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. who also helped organize the Million Man March, faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced.
The four-day trial in Loudoun County Circuit Court included bizarre testimony about Bevel's philosophies for eradicating lust, and parents' duty to "sexually orient" their children. (AP)
[1993 Bevel*] - Baptist. Civil Rights leader. Guilty. Girl (daughter)
WBIR
~ April 11, 2008
LEESBURG (VA) -- A jury in Leesburg, Virginia, has convicted a civil rights leader of incest after concluding that he had sex with his teenage daughter 15 years ago.
The Rev. James L. Bevel was a top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. He also is credited with helping to conceive and organize the Million Man March.
Bevel faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced.
- RCs lose ~ 24 staff.
The Business Journal,
by Robert Herguth, for April 14, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- On financially treacherous ground because of the priest sexual abuse crisis, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is laying off a large chunk of its work force to save more than $1 million, The Business Journal has learned.
Roughly two dozen staffers out of the 150 now working directly for the archdiocese will lose their jobs starting May 2 -- and the impact on the Catholic faithful in the Milwaukee area could be substantial, especially in the short run.
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
Courier,
By JOSH NELSON, April 11, 2008
WATERLOO, Iowa – Thursday's announcement of a third settlement between the Archdiocese of Dubuque and 18 people abused by priests may not be the last.
Waterloo attorneys Chad Swanson and Thomas Staack said the people who were involved with the three settlements are only the tip of the iceberg. Many abuse victims either haven't come forward yet with abuse claims, or haven't asked to be included in a settlement.
"Most likely there will be a fourth group and probably beyond that because we don't believe we've gotten through the number of victims that are still out there," Staack said Thursday during a press conference on the settlement.
- FLDS.
The Badger Herald,
by Andrew Wagner, Friday, April 11, 2008
TEXAS -- For more than 200 years the Constitution of the United States of America has enshrined freedom of religion through the First Amendment, which states in part, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Although this country has by no means been perfect in following this practice, most religious groups in the United States have been able to freely worship in whatever way they please.
In the past week, events in Texas have rekindled the debate over what kinds of religious practices are legitimate and what practices violate the law, warranting state intervention. In the case at hand, Texas law enforcement officers raided a compound affiliated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. FLDS is a splinter group from the Mormon Church and adheres to the belief that men and women must engage in polygamy to reach the inner circle of heaven. In 2007, the sect had a high profile run-in with the law when Warren Jeffs, its leader, was arrested on charges of arranging a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.
[- 2008 Dr Taylor*] - Episcopalian. Campaigned with SNAP. Child pornography.
The Times-Picayune,
by Jeff Adelson, 9:58 PM, Thursday April 10, 2008
LOUISIANA -- St. Tammany Parish deputies say they have discovered at least 107 sexually explicit pictures of children on the computer of a retired Covington psychiatrist who has been honored for his work with health care organizations and is affiliated with a group aimed at counseling victims of sexual abuse.
Dr. Steve Taylor, 78, 420 First Ave. East, Covington, was booked Wednesday with 107 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles. State law defines juveniles as children younger than 17 years old.
Deputies began investigating Taylor after a tip that child pornography had been downloaded on his computer, St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain said. The sheriff declined to say where the tip originated. …
He also is affiliated with the Louisiana chapter of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests.
Taylor was present at the first meeting of the organization in Metairie in 2003. He also accompanied members of the organization to Baton Rouge when they pressed the Legislature to require clergy to report suspicions of abuse.
- RCC.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - Convicted. Girl.
[~ 2008 Bp. Sevilla*] - Hid the conviction from the diocese.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
by Jane Gargas, ~ April 11, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- A national support group for clergy sex abuse victims is keeping the pressure on Catholic Bishop Carlos Sevilla, calling on him to explain his actions concerning a priest convicted of a sex crime in Oregon who had previously served in the Yakima diocese.
In a letter sent to the bishop on Thursday, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests accused Sevilla of hiding the criminal conviction of the Rev. Jose Joaquin Estrada Arango, 42, from Yakima parishioners.
"The bishop should have told the entire diocese that this priest was arrested, charged and pleaded guilty," said David Clohessy, SNAP's national director, in a telephone interview.
[Jeffs] - FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
Article Last Updated 01:21:13 AM MDT, April/11/2008
UNITED STATES -- In the past two weeks, jailed FLDS leader Warren S. Jeffs has been visited by two people from the sect's Texas compound.
On March 30, he was visited by Merlin Jeffs, according to jail logs provided by Mohave (Ariz.) County Attorney Matt Smith. On April 2, a day before a massive raid on the YFZ Ranch began, he was visited by Patricia Keate.
Both Keate and Merlin Jeffs listed the Eldorado, Tex., compound as their residence, Smith said.
Jeffs, 52, has been convicted of two counts of rape as an accomplice in Utah based on a marriage he conducted between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. He is in jail in Arizona awaiting trial on similar charges.
- FLDS.
The Herald,
By ELIZABETH WHITE • The Associated Press, Updated 4:25 AM,
April/11/08
TEXAS -- Veteran lawyer Gerry Goldstein is known for taking on cases that challenge him and address higher constitutional principles, colleagues say.
He appears to be getting both with his latest undertaking: The San Antonio lawyer is representing the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamist sect whose 1,700-acre compound was searched by authorities after a 16-year-old girl there called a family violence shelter to report her 50-year-old husband beat and raped her.
Goldstein "wouldn't condone the polygamy or child abuse or anything like that," said J. Craig Jett, president of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, where Goldstein is a past president. "But my guess is he sees it as a bigger issue of the government interfering with the exercise of religion. It probably is an issue that resonates with him a great deal."
- Polygamous sects. Were cries for help linked?
The Arizona Republic,
by Amanda J. Crawford, Apr. 11, 2008
ARIZONA -- Arizona child-welfare officials are investigating a call from a 16-year-old girl alleging sexual abuse in the polygamist stronghold of Colorado City - a call similar to one in Texas that led officials to raid a related polygamist compound last week and take more than 400 children into state custody.
The calls came within a week of each other and were allegedly made by girls of the same age and involved similar allegations of abuse. In both cases, the calls were made to outside organizations and referred to child-welfare authorities. In both cases, officials were unable to immediately find the girls who made the calls.
It is unclear at this time whether the calls are related.
- Polygamist sect.
The Calgary Herald,
by Susan Martinuk, Published: Friday, April 11, 2008
CANADA -- Thank God a 16-year-old Texas girl had the courage to call a family violence shelter last week. She was desperate to escape her life as the abused Wife No. 7 of a 49-year-old pedophile at the local polygamist compound.
She was forced to marry him at 15. He made her have sex with him and routinely beat/choked her. She was now pregnant and being held against her will. …
This fundamentalist Mormon sect also has its claws dug deep into Canadian children. Bountiful is a polygamist colony of about 1,500 residents, whose leader (with at least 22 wives and 100 children) brazenly advocates it is a man's duty to marry as many women as possible and create as many children as possible to get into heaven.
Most North American men would consider that lifestyle to be more hell than heaven, but the Bountiful men have been left to carry on as they please for more than 60 years -- even though polygamy is prohibited by the Criminal Code and has been banned for more than 100 years.
- RCC has 17,000 fewer ministers than in 1965, less nuns too.
Earthtimes,
www. earthtimes. org/articles/ show/198204, pope-visits- troubled-us- catholics- in-shadow- of-campaign-- feature.html ;
~ April 11, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC), U.S.A. -- Pope Benedict XVI is set to find in his visit to the United States a rich and powerful Roman Catholic Church, but also one divided and rather anxious: sexual abuse scandals have damaged its reputation and pushed some dioceses close to ruin.
The third-largest national Roman Catholic Church in the world - after Brazil and Mexico - is, like those in other countries, suffering from a scarcity of priests: there are currently some 46,000 in the United States, 17,000 fewer than in 1965. There are also 116,000 fewer nuns.
[1974-84 Monroe*] - RCC. Admitted. 13 boys.
The Tribune-Star,
By Sue Loughlin, ~ April 11, 2008
TERRE HAUTE (IN) -- An Indiana appeals court has given a green light to a civil lawsuit that alleges a former Catholic priest sexually abused a boy and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis covered up the priest's prior history of sexual abuse.
In a two-page order issued Monday, the Indiana Court of Appeals declined to hear an appeal by lawyers for the Indianapolis Archdiocese.
It gave no reason for the decision.
The defendant in the case is Harry E. Monroe, a former Catholic priest accused of molesting numerous boys between 1974 and 1984 at churches in Indianapolis, Terre Haute and Perry County in southern Indiana.
- RCC.
Lexington Herald-Leader,
By Matt Stearns, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS, ~ April 11, 2008
WASHINGTON --If Pope John Paul II was an international icon, his successor, Benedict XVI [Ratzinger], remains largely undefined in the public eye in the United States, even as the Roman Catholic Church here experiences a wrenching transition.
Next week provides an opportunity for Benedict to establish his public image and steady the American church, as he makes his first visit to the United States since ascending to the papacy after John Paul's death three years ago. …
Nevertheless, the Catholic Church's credibility in the American religious marketplace took a major hit with revelations of systemic cover-ups in many dioceses of the sexual abuse of children by priests. Benedict must address in some way what Allen called "the deepest trauma in the life of the Catholic Church in the United States in its more than 200 years of history."
Vatican insiders say those planning the pope's agenda considered a visit to Boston, the epicenter of the scandal, or a meeting with victims of pedophile priests. Both appear to have been scotched. A Vatican spokesman said last week that Benedict recognizes the gravity of the situation and will address the crisis with a message of "trust and hope."
Victims' advocates say that neither Benedict's words nor his actions are enough. They wanted him to discipline bishops who presided in U.S. dioceses where abuse occurred, and to develop systems to prevent abuse around the world, especially in developing countries.
[Szott*] - RCC. Boy.
The Detroit News
by Kim Kozlowski / ~ April 11, 2008
MICHIGAN -- When Vincent Venturini was 9, he denied that anything improper happened after he spent the night with the pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Utica.
Years later, when the Rev. Timothy Szott pleaded no contest to possessing child pornography, Venturini of Shelby Township denied that the priest had ever hurt him.
Venturini says he can't deny the truth anymore, and that's why he filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that Szott molested him and blaming the Archdiocese of Detroit for what happened.
[Evans]
Rocky Mountain News,
by John C. Ensslin, Friday, April 11, 2008
OHIO -- An Ohio man who was sexually abused as a teenager by his parish priest settled a lawsuit this week against the Archdiocese of Denver for $300,000, his lawyer said Thursday.
The settlement reached Tuesday also includes a letter of apology from Archbishop Charles Chaput and a statement to be read to the parishioners of St. Elizabeth Seton in Fort Collins, where Timothy Joseph Evans was a priest until the Archdiocese removed him in 2003.
In May 2007, a Larimer County District Court judge sentenced Evans to 14 years to life for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and for a pattern of abuse.
[Evans]
The Coloradoan,
April 11, 2008
DENVER (CO) -- An attorney says the Archdiocese of Denver has agreed to pay $300,000 and write letters of apology to settle a lawsuit accusing a Fort Collins priest of molesting a teenager 10 years ago.
Attorney Jeff Anderson said Thursday his client, 26-year-old Nick Gerber of Ohio, was molested by Timothy Evans, a former parish priest at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Fort Collins and another parish in Arvada who was convicted last year of sexual assault.
Evans, who left St. Elizabeth in 2002 and was removed from the priesthood in 2003, is serving a term of 14 years to life.
- RCC.
Monsters and Critics,
~ April 11, 2008
ROME -- The week before Pope Benedict XVI is to head to the United States, questions remain about how he will address the priest abuse scandal that has shaken the world's third-largest Catholic community.
Reporters have pressed the Vatican's spokesman on whether Cardinal Bernard Law, who has resided in Rome since resigning as Archbishop of Boston in the wake of the scandal, would accompany the pontiff on the trip.
During his pastoral visit, Benedict is to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of five US dioceses including Boston, where Law's tenure as archbishop lasted for 18 years.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 11, 2008
7:36 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri April 11, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. Banned since 1988, was still officiating in Seeds of Hope group to 2006 with a Weeping Madonna. 2 altar boys.
WPRI,
Associated Press, 9:04 PM ET, April 12, 2008
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - The brother of a retired priest facing molestation charges told a judge that the clergyman is too sick to stand trial.
Paul Szantyr told a judge in Central District Court on Friday that the Rev. John Szantyr can no longer carry on an intelligent conversation, handle his financial affairs, drive a car or take care of his personal needs.
He says his 76-year-old brother has Parkinson's disease and relies on others to dress and feed him.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:50 PM]
La Repubblica,
di MARINO BISSO e CARLO PICOZZA, April 11, 2008
ROMA, Italia - Scappa dal convento e si rifugia in un centro contro la violenza alle donne. È la storia di una suora trattata come schiava. Vittima di ricatti psicologici, si sottopone a visita ginecologica per far certificare la sua verginità. Angherie e vessazioni: cure mediche negate, mortificazioni e punizioni come "il bacio al pavimento". Le accuse sono finite ora al centro di un'inchiesta della procura di Roma che ha iscritto la madre superiora nel registro degli indagati contestandole il reato di maltrattamenti. [translation]
Rome, a nun originating from the Philippines escapes from the convent.
The mother superior being accused denies and says it's a revenge.
A shocking confession of a nun.
"I, treated like a slave"
by MARINO BISSO and CARLO PICOZZA, April 11, 2008
ROME, ITALY - She escaped from the convent and took refuge in a center for the protection of women from violence. It's the story of a nun treated like a slave. A victim of psychological blackmail, she had a gynecological exam to certify her virginity. Mistreatments and vexations: medical care denied, punishment and mortifications as "the kiss of the floor". Her charges are now at the center of an investigation of the Rome's prosecutor office which listed the mother superior among those responsible for mistreatments.
The shocking story of the nun was confirmed by two other sisters who were interrogated at the Palace of Justice in Rome. The investigation is being coordinated by the substitute prosecutor Nicola Maiorano, who gave the authorization to investigate to the judiciary police led by the vice chief Orlando Parrella.
The scene for the alleged mistreatments is a convent located near the hospital Gemelli and belonging to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, a convent now functioning as a "one star hotel". The victim, Sister Maria (let's use that name), was born 48 years ago in the Philippines and disembarked in Rome in June 1997. A year ago, on March 8, a day dedicated to women, is described by her in the following way: "I was forced to abandon the convent because I was gravely ill and a victim of mistreatments by my superiors". "Now", she goes on, "I found refuge in an anti-violence center". Her sufferings are described in a lawsuit presented by the lawyer Teresa Manente, a member of the legal office of "Differenza donna" (Woman's difference).
She was brought to the anti-violence center by two other Philippines women belonging to the association "Donne filippine" (Women from Philippines). Twenty days after, "hit by a grave hemorrhage", she was forced to leave the center to go to the hospital San Camillo to undergo surgery. "Notwithstanding, I had been gravely ill for a long time", she says, "the mother superior denied her any treatment and medical assistance and she ordered me to go on working". She recalls: "When I first came to Rome with other sisters I was told I had to learn the Italian language and dedicate myself to the apostolate, which included periods for training and meditation". "But" - she continues - I always and only worked in the convent which, in reality, is a one star hotel, "Hotel sisters of the Holy Spirit", with more than 50 rooms". At the start, "by myself, I had to prepare everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner for at least 15 persons: At 6 a.m. I served breakfast to the other sisters; at 6.30 a.m. prayer and Mass and at 8.30 a.m. I served breakfast in the refectory. Then again in front of the stove to prepare the lunch for 12.30 p.m. Then I cleaned the kitchen to go back there at 5 p.m. and cook the dinner". "Three days a week, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., I had to clean the church".
Five months later and, " in December 1997, there appeared cuts in the skin of my hands: "Grave dermatitis", the dermatologist's diagnosis", inviting her to protect her hands. But the mother superior belittled the diagnosis and prescribed another therapy: "Cream and rubber gloves". " The wounds hurt me very much but I hadn't the courage to ask for a change of duties for I was afraid the mother superior would get enraged and accuse me of being unwilling to work". But the wounds got infected. The sister got a fever. "Then she brought me to the hospital: the dermatologist warned the infection could provoke the loss of my fingers". Sister Maria was given another job: "Wash and iron the laundry of the other sisters and of the hotel's guests". Between the Congregation's walls, sister Maria is being subjected to "continuous aggressions and humiliations". "I was given 20 euros a month", she says, "and each time I bought something I had to show the receipt to the mother superior. The latter was interrogated a few weeks ago. She was assisted by lawyer Stefano Merlini and she denied the charges saying she was a victim of a revenge and the charges were invented by the three sisters.
- FLDS.
Trading Markets,
McClatchy Newspapers - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX, Apr 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- American taxpayers have unwittingly helped finance a polygamist sect that is now the focus of a massive child abuse investigation in West Texas, with a business tied to the group receiving a nearly $1 million loan from the federal government and $1.2 million in military contracts.
The ability of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, to operate and grow is largely dependent on huge contributions from its members and revenue from the businesses they control, according to a former accountant for the church, and government officials in Utah and Arizona, where the sect is primarily based.
One of those businesses, NewEra Manufacturing in Las Vegas, has been awarded more than $1.2 million in federal government contracts, with most of the money coming in recent years from the Defense Department for wheel and brake components for military aircraft.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
News 14,
04:51 PM, April/12/2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- A former area priest who was arrested earlier this month in New Jersey for sex crimes against a Charlotte teen nearly 10 years ago is traveling back to the Queen City on Saturday.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, was a former parish priest at St. Matthew Catholic Church in south Charlotte. He is charged with five counts of indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory rape.
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
April 12, 2008
ITALIA -- Fine del gioco. Sante Sguotti non è più sacerdote. Era la scorsa estate, la vicenda si stava affacciando ancora timidamente ai media nazionali quando don Sante dichiarò in conferenza stampa che la sua vita, e così la notizia del suo innamoramento e del suo essere padre, in fondo "era un gioco". Ora però la partita è conclusa. Non solo perché nel frattempo il parroco è stato allontanato dalla parrocchia, non solo perché è stato sospeso "a divinis", non solo perché ha confessato di essere padre e ha organizzato convegni per mettere in discussione alcuni dei pilastri del Vaticano e nemmeno perché proprio in questi giorni la Guardia di Finanza ha avviato su di lui un'indagine che parla di truffa e appropriazione indebita. [translation]
ITALY -- Resignations "ex officio" for the priest who admitted to be the father of a child, now investigated by the magistrates for embezzlement.
The Mass is over, now the Rev. Sante is Mr. Sguotti.
Official announcement by the Paduan Curia, the former parish priest of Monterosso has been reduced to the lay state by Pope Ratzinger.
Abano Terme
End of the game. The Rev. Sante Sguotti isn't any more a priest. It was during last summer, the story was just about to reach the national media when the Rev. Sante declared at a press conference that his life, and in the same manner his falling in love and his being a father, after all "was a game". Now the story is over. Not only because in the meantime the parish priest was expelled from his parish, not only because he was suspended "a divinis", not only because he confessed to be a father, organizing meetings to discuss some of the pillars of the Vatican and not only because in the last days the Finance police started an investigation in which he is allegedly suspected for fraud and embezzlement.
It's over because the one who just spoke was Pope Ratzinger. It was he who signed the Rev. Sante Sguotti's resignation from the clerical state, who is from now on simply Sante Sguotti. The "resignation ex officio" arrived yesterday in the late afternoon, after the assent given by the Congregation for the clergy, an institution the same rebel priest appealed to ask his readmission to the parish of Monterosso ( situated in the Abano territory). As it can be read in the Diocese of Padua' s announcement, the resignation from the clerical state means substantially that "the Rev. Sante Sguotti is not any more listed in the number of the church's ministers or clergy and as such he hasn't any rights or duties of the clergy: therefore he can't celebrate the Eucharist and the other sacraments, nor have clerical appointments, titles or wear ecclesiastical garments". Such a thing, translated into more comprehensible words means that from today on the Rev. Sante Sguotti is a layman as many others.
But on the other hand his being "reduced to the lay state" had been waiting for a long time. On the contrary, many people would have bet the Vatican would have decided much earlier "to solve" the problem of the priest-father. All started last August 19 when the bishop asked the then parish priest of Monterosso, the Rev. Sante, to leave the parish because "voices" about him had started to circulate more insistently. Then the arm twisting started, in the course of time becoming harsher and less respectful of the roles imposed by the canon law. In October there was the decree of the priest's removal from his parish and the starting of the process for violation of the sixth commandment. But the situation was very far from being solved. On the contrary, the Rev. Sante started to frequent TV stations's sitting rooms and give press releases to radios, TV stations and tabloids. That until he announced in December, for the first time, at the "Buona Domenica" TV show , to be the father of a child.
That evidently wasn't enough for him. He was for many long weeks implored before he convinced himself it was the case to leave the rectory of Monterosso. Then last January there was his meeting with the excommunicated exorcist Emmanuel Milingo and the creation of a common front for fight. To sum it up, never as in this story the Curia and the Vatican ever showed such a patience. A few days ago the straw which broke the camel's back (but that according to the Curia wasn't the episode which influenced Pope Benedict XVI's decision): the Rev. Sante being investigated for having allegedly pocketed about 50 thousand euros, which were to be used to repair the stair steps of the Monterosso's soccer field and church altar. As soon as he knew "he had been resigned" from the clerical state, Sante Sguotti switched off his phone. Perhaps it was the best thing to do to avoid new useless provocations.
-- Riccardo Bastianello
- RCC. FILM from BOOK.
The Times-Picayune,
By Bruce Nolan, ~ April 12, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- "Vows of Silence" is New Orleans writer Jason Berry's tale of sexual abuse and coverup in the Catholic Church, adroitly transferred to film from his 2004 book of the same name and updated with fresh reporting on developments since then.
The film will screen Monday, April 14, at the Prytania Theatre. It is one of 50 films being shown throughout the city through April 20 as part of New Orleans' fifth annual International Human Rights Film Festival.
Berry has been digging in this minefield in one way or another since 1990, when his "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" proved to be the first deep excavation of the time bomb of priestly sexual abuse ticking toward detonation 12 years hence.
[Jeffs] - FLDS.
The State
By CHRIS KAHN - Associated Press Writer, ~ April 12, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- Polygamist sect members who were moved to a Texas compound from their longtime homes along the Utah-Arizona line were hand-picked for their fierce loyalty to leader Warren Jeffs, and that allegiance may be a stumbling block for law enforcement, authorities say.
Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, transferred people to Eldorado, Texas, to escape growing government scrutiny on the sect's base in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said.
"This was Warren Jeffs' all-star cast," said Goddard, who has been investigating the sect since 2004. "They had the strongest sense of obedience."
- Archdiocese had said parish property was held in trust.
The Oregonian,
By NANCY HAUGHT, Saturday, April 12, 2008
OREGON -- The Archdiocese of Portland is sorting out who owns hundreds of millions of dollars in property in western Oregon -- and handing the deeds to its 124 parishes.
The change is required by the bankruptcy settlement last April between the archdiocese and claimants. But a critic considers it a pointless maneuver meant to protect the archdiocese from future lawsuits.
Parishes will receive the legal titles of their real property, including churches, schools and meetings halls by the end of the month. Until now, almost all parish real estate deeds were in the name of the archdiocese. During two-year bankruptcy proceedings, the archdiocese argued that parish real estate could not be sold for the settlement because it was held in trust for the parishes.
- RCC.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - Convicted. Girl.
[~ 2008 Bp. Sevilla*] - Hid the conviction from the diocese.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ April 12, 2008
OREGON -- A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is blasting Baker's Catholic bishop for "apparently doing little or nothing" to "warn, protect or help others" who may have been molested by a priest who sexually assaulting an Oregon teen in 2003. The group is also upset that church officials are keeping the crimes secret.
Leaders of a Chicago-based support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, have obtained and are making public four pages of court records from Morrow County, Oregon, about Fr. Jose Joaquin Estrada Arango.
The documents show that in October 2003, Estrada pled guilty to attempted felonious sexual assault of a then 14-year-old girl, and agreed to be deported. At the time, Estrada was pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Boardman (541 481 2024).
[1974-84 Monroe*] - RCC. Admitted. 13 boys.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ April 12, 2008
INDIANA -- Soon, Indiana's top Catholic officials may finally be confronted in court, under oath, about how they've concealed child sex crimes by the state's most prolific and notorious predator priest.
We're very grateful that these judges understand that it's fraudulent for church employees to put dangerous predators in parishes and claim they're holy, celibate, trustworthy individuals.
- RCC.
NY1,
April 10, 2008
[with video]
NEW YORK -- A Queens attorney representing victims of clergy sex abuse reacted Thursday to news of the pope's plans to heal wounds left by the scandal.
Michael Dowd of Howard Beach said that although he is anxious to know what the Pope plans to do about the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church - he suspects that the pontiff will do nothing constructive.
Dowd said he thinks the Pope will only repeat apologies to victims - which Dowd calls nothing but empty words. He wants to know when the church plans to make reparations to victims and hold church officials accountable.
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
Voice from the Desert,
~ April 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Jason Berry's new film Vows of Silence, about Legionaries of Christ founder Father Marcial Maciel, who won the favor of Pope John Paul II despite years of pedophilia accusations, is now available for purchase on DVD.
- RCC.
Reuters,
~ April 12, 2008
UNITED STATES (Reuters) -- Details of the recent sexual abuse scandals and related developments affecting the U.S. Roman Catholic Church:
* 1984 - Abuse scandals in Louisiana begin to attract attention leading freelance journalist Jason Berry to shed new light on the issue of cover-ups. His 1992 book "Lead Us Not into Temptation" contends 400 priests and brothers were involved in abuse cases during the previous eight years in North America.
* January 2002 - The Boston Globe reports 130 people were abused by former priest John Geoghan during three decades where he was reassigned rather than removed from contact with young boys. The Boston scandal starts to grow from there.
* April 2002 - U.S. cardinals called to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II on the issue; in June 2002 the bishops approve plan for dealing with abuse, calling for accused offenders to be removed from ministerial duties pending investigation and evaluation.
- RCC has lost 382,125 students since 2000.
Yahoo News,
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer, 8:14 AM ET,
Sat Apr 12, 2008
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - For 46 years, crime, recessions and hurricanes proved no threat to the daily ritual of St. Monica School, where the entire blue-and-white uniformed student body.
Come June, though, the tradition will fade away, and "amen" will close St. Monica's morning recitations for the last time. The school, a home-away-from-home for mostly minority students, will close.
As Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] next week makes his first trip to the U.S. as pontiff, Catholic schools across the country, long a force in educating the underprivileged regardless of their faith, face the same fate as St. Monica.
About 1,267 Catholic schools have closed since 2000 and enrollment nationwide has dropped by 382,125 students, or 14 percent, according to the National Catholic Education Association. The problem is most apparent in inner cities, in schools like St. Monica with large concentrations of minorities whose parents often struggle to pay tuition rather than send them to failing public schools.
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians. FILM of BOOK.
Marquette Tribune,
By Jim McLaughlin, April 10, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- "Vows of Silence," a documentary which details the Catholic Church's procedure in dealing with clergy sex offenders was shown publicly for the first time to an audience of more than 100 in a Wauwatosa Methodist church last week.
The movie follows the case of the Rev. Marcial Maciel, a Roman Catholic priest who founded the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order for clergy, and Regnum Christi, a religious movement for both clergy and laypeople, similar to the Opus Dei order made infamous from Daniel Brown's "The DaVinci Code".
He was accused of being addicted to prescription drugs and sexually abusing members of his congregation, including a group of boys and young men he favored and called "the apostolic schoolboys," said the film's director Jason Berry.
The allegations were investigated by a Vatican department that was led by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI, Berry said. The Pope removed Maciel from public ministry but dropped the investigation due to the priest's old age and failing health. Maciel died in January at the age of 87.
[~ 1980s Tom Murphy] - RCC. Boy.
One in Four,
The Irish Times, ~ April 12, 2008
IRELAND -- The High Court in Cork has heard the opening of a case in which a man is suing the estate of a deceased priest whom he claimed sexually abused him while a secondary school pupil.
He is also suing a bishop and others in charge of the school for allegedly failing to protect him from such abuse.
Enda Horgan (30), Menevia, Dromin, Cloghroe, Co Cork, is taking legal action for damages in the High Court against the estate of the late Fr Tom Murphy from Stuake, Donoughmore, Co Cork, as well as Bishop of Clyne Dr John Magee and others.
[Decades - Katinas] - Greek Orthodox. US$250,000 requested for seductions. ≤ 4 minors.
Orthodox Reform
~ April 12, 2008
Defying Judge, Greek Church Again Attempts to Expose Victims' Names TEXAS -- A motion from the defendants filed on March 21st, 2008 attached an exhibit that included the alleged victim's names and detailed, sensitive personal information. This move was in defiance of a previous order by the court to keep the alleged victim's names anonymous after an earlier attempt to expose the victim's names in 2007 (see previous article).
Protecting the privacy of alleged sexual abuse victims is a standard practice in sexual abuse litigation as well as a common policy for responsible journalistic publications.
The victim's support group SNAP reacted strongly to the Greek Church's previous attempt to expose alleged victim's names (read the article). The Greek Orthodox Church is embroiled in a lawsuit by alleged victims claiming child sex abuse by Nicholas Katinas, former priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in North Dallas.
[≤ 2006 Ascolese*] - RCC. Money, < US$1m "mislaid".
Star-Ledger,
BY MIKE FRASSINELLI, Saturday, April 12, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- He didn't drive fancy cars or take lavish trips.
The Rev. Robert J. "Father Bob" Ascolese wore the same faded brown blazer to most of his court proceedings to face charges that he misappropriated nearly $1 million through church raffles with fake "winners."
He traveled to the courthouse in a Toyota that has logged 200,000 miles.
And when Ascolese pleaded guilty to three counts of theft yesterday, the defense and even the prosecution painted a portrait of the Warren County priest as a sort of Catholic Robin Hood who used funds from $100-a-ticket raffles to benefit his financially strapped church and elementary school in Washington Borough.
Defense lawyer Melvin M. Wright Jr. of New York City described the case as an "anomaly."
[Abercrombie] - RCC. 3 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Jean Torkelson, Originally published 12:05 a.m., April 12, 2008
COLORADO -- Not every Catholic is rushing out to welcome the pope.
Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] is widely expected to discuss America's clergy sex-abuse scandal, but it's not soon enough for the Murphy brothers, of Colorado Springs.
The Murphys hope to get a letter to Benedict demanding an apology for past sex abuse by a priest. John Murphy wrote to Pope John Paul II during Denver World Youth Day in 1993, but never got an answer.
"It's never going to go away," said Eddie Murphy, 59, this week. He says the late priest Leonard Abercrombie, a family friend, abused him and his two brothers when they were kids.
[Jeffs] - FLDS.
The Arizona Republic,
by Dennis Wagner and Amanda Crawford, Apr. 12, 2008
ARIZONA -- An Arizona attorney for polygamist religious leader Warren Jeffs said he believes authorities who raided the fundamentalist church's Texas ranch last week may have been duped by a fake crime report.
"I smelled a rat from the beginning," said attorney Michael Piccarreta, referring to the phone tip purportedly received from a 16-year-old victim at the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound in Eldorado. "I think the Texas authorities need to make a careful analysis of whether they have been part of a ruse."
Texas Department of Public Safety representatives could not be reached for an immediate response.
[1980s Szantyr] - RCC. Banned since 1988, was still officiating in Seeds of Hope group to 2006 with a Weeping Madonna. 2 altar boys.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Gary V. Murray, gmurray@telegram.com , ~ April 12, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – A retired priest accused of sexually assaulting two altar boys more than 20 years ago is no longer able to carry on an intelligent conversation, handle his financial affairs, drive a car or take care of his personal needs, his brother told a judge yesterday.
Paul T. Szantyr, one of two witnesses to testify at a competency hearing yesterday in Central District Court, said his 76-year-old brother, the Rev. John Szantyr, relies on aides, friends and family members to dress, feed and bathe him, give him medications, pay his bills and change his diapers.
Mr. Szantyr told Judge David Ricciardone that Rev. Szantyr, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and was brought to court yesterday in a wheelchair, responds with a nod or one-word answers when efforts are made to engage him in conversation.
- High cost of RCC decadence. 37 to lose jobs.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By BILL GLAUBER
bglauber@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 12, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese announced Friday a major restructuring to eliminate 37 central-office jobs early next month, wring out $1 million in cost savings and close a $3 million budget deficit.
The plan was revealed this week by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan in an e-mail sent to more than 4,300 people in the central office, parishes and schools, and to church volunteers.
"We worry about the many services and ministry areas that appear to be cut, while we place our faith in God's promise of new growth and new life that will result from the 'pruning.' And that takes faith," Dolan said in the letter.
He did not sidestep the cause of the budget problems facing the archdiocese.
"We are frustrated that money is tight and we have to make these cuts," he said. "This is heightened because we know it is caused largely by the financial impact from the actions of those priests who sexually abused minors."
[1960s Reed*, Wendling*, 7 others] - RCC. US $4.7m settlement (added to $5m and $2.6m). 18 more children.
Telegraph Herald,
By MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON, ~ April 12, 2008
[with audio]
IOWA -- For the third time in as many years, the Archdiocese of Dubuque announced a legal settlement with men and women who were abused as children by its priests.
The archdiocese will pay a total of $4.7 million to 18 claimants who suffered abuse at the hands of archdiocesan priests in incidents that spanned five decades. The settlement was announced Thursday in Waterloo, Iowa, by attorneys for the victims and by the archdiocese in a press release from its headquarters in Dubuque. The action heads off potential lawsuits by the claimants against the archdiocese.
This settlement reportedly is the second largest paid to clergy abuse victims by the archdiocese. In 2006, 20 victims were paid $5 million and last year, nine victims received $2.6 million.
- RC diocese cutting ~ 20% staff,
TMJ4
by Shelley Walcott, ~ April 12, 2008
[with video]
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is slashing 37 jobs. That's about one-fifth of its workers.
It's a move to pay off a $3 million debt, part of a $17 million settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits involving former Milwaukee priests.
"We did have to take out a loan to pay for our part of the responsibility of the California lawsuits," diocese spokesperson Kathleen Hohl told TODAY'S TMJ4. "Every single day we pay interest on that loan."
- RCC.
The Times of Trenton,
BY MICHAEL P. RICCARDS, Saturday, April 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- When Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] comes to the United States next week, the Church he visits will be different from what Pope John Paul II saw at the beginning of his reign.
The U.S. is in deep military, financial and political trouble -- and it is a great nation at war with the forms of militant Islam of which the Pope himself is wary. He will meet with the lame-duck president, and he will try to figure out this strange new land that is so different from the rarefied cultures of Europe. Benedict, as was John Paul, seems to be fixated on warning that the Church is being overwhelmed by the forces of secularismm and atheism, or at least nonreligious consumerism. But secularism is not the major cause of disenchantment in the American Roman Catholic Church. …
The Church is sill hurt by the steady stream of pedophilia and other forms of sexual abuse and its attendant costs -- moral, fiscal and political. In addition, American consumer choice is oddly apparent in religious affiliations.
More than 40 percent of us change our religious affiliation (or nonaffiliation). The major force keeping Catholic numbers up is the large number of Hispanics in the United States, many of them illegal. Those groups aside, the Catholic Church is losing adherents. Churches and schools are closing.
- In the home.
The Nation Newspaper,
April/12/08.
BARBADOS -- LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS and deal with the high incidence of sexual abuse in the home should be the first item on the front burner of the country's new Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration.
That's according to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Barbados, Father Harcourt Blackett, who is appealing to Minister of Family, Youth, Sport and the Environment, Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, to promote the appropriate implementation of legislation which would not only address sexual abuse in the home, but also "irresponsible parents in general who require serious counselling".
- RCC.
Reuters,
By Daniel Trotta, ~ April 12, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Catholics angered and demoralized by the priest sex abuse scandal say one man can help revitalize the Church with bold action: Pope Benedict. [Ratzinger]
The pope's trip to Washington and New York next week marks the first U.S. visit by a pontiff since a wave of sex abuse scandals began in 2002, provoking lawsuits that have forced dioceses to pay more than $2 billion in settlements.
Some advocates for the victims want the pope to apologize, others want him to permanently ban child molesters from the priesthood, or publicly identify them. …
"In addition to apologizing, Pope Benedict and all our bishops should meet with survivors, listen to their stories, and treat them with respect and compassion," said Dan Bartley, president of Voice of the Faithful, a Boston-based group formed after the scandal erupted there.
Bartley called it "good news" that Benedict will address the issue, but the group wants more accountability and transparency from the Church.
• Roman Catholic Church Sex Scandals
- Listing the RCC's sinful past. 1.5% charged up to date.
Javno (Croatia),
www.javno. com/en/ world/ clanak. php?id= 139847 ,
Reuters, ~ April 12, 2008
Following are some sexual abuse scandals that have affected the Roman Catholic Church in Europe and the United States.
Church officials say charges of sexual abuse of minors have been made against about 1.5 percent both of the worldwide priest population and of that in the United States.
AUSTRIA - 1995 - The archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, was forced to retire after allegations that he had molested a schoolboy 20 years earlier.
- July 2004 - Austrian News magazine Profil ran pictures of priests kissing and groping seminarians studying for the priesthood at a Roman Catholic seminary in the St. Poelten diocese.
BRITAIN - July 2000 - The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, acknowledged he had made a mistake while in a previous post in the 1980s by allowing a pedophile to continue working as a priest. The priest at the center of the controversy, Father Michael Hill, was jailed in 1997 for abusing nine boys over a 20-year period.
FRANCE - March 2000 - A court sentenced Abbot Jean-Lucien Maurel to 10 years in prison for raping and sexually abusing three boys. The assaults dated to 1994-96, when Maurel was head of a school in the southern French department of Aveyron.
IRELAND - April 2002 - Brendan Comiskey, one of Ireland's best-known priests, resigned as Bishop of Ferns over the way he had dealt with allegations of sexual abuse against a priest of his diocese, Father Sean Fortune. Fortune committed suicide in 1999 while facing 66 charges of sexual abuse.
POLAND - March 2002 - Archbishop Juliusz Paetz quit following accusations, which he denied, of sexually molesting young priests.
THE UNITED STATES - December 2002 - Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, the most senior Roman Catholic official in the United States, resigned over his handling of clergy sexual abuse.
- June 2002 - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops directed each diocese to promptly investigate all allegations of sexual abuse. "When even a single act of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest or deacon is admitted or is established after an appropriate process in accordance with canon law, the offending priest or deacon will be removed permanently from ecclesiastical ministry, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state, if the case so warrants," the bishops said.
- September 2003 - Boston Archdiocese agreed to pay up to $85 million to settle lawsuits filed by hundreds of people who say they were sexually abused by clergy.
- February 2004 - Independent researchers commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a report on alleged priestly sexual abuse of children in the United States.
The report said:
* A total of 10,667 people accused priests of child sexual abuse from 1950 through 2002.
* More than 17 percent of accusers had siblings who were also allegedly abused. Among accusers, 46.9 percent said they had been abused numerous times.
- In May 2004, Pope John Paul told bishops in the United States to clean up seminaries so that future priests would live by the rules.
In December 2004, Archbishop Harry Joseph Flynn of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, assured Pope John Paul that U.S. bishops were struggling "to restore the integrity of the priesthood and to provide adequate safeguards against those who would sadly misuse their sacred office."
- In a speech delivered shortly before he was elected pope, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said the Church had to clean out the "filth" in its ranks.
- In July 2007, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $660 million to 500 victims of sexual abuse dating as far as the 1940s in the largest compensation deal of its kind. #
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:59 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat April 12, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
- RCC.
WBZ,
Jim Smith, reporter, ~ April 13, 2008
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (WBZ) – When Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] visits the U.S. this week, his travel plans will not include a trip to Boston, but if he did come here, he would get an earful from local Catholics, including those who continue to occupy churches slated for closing by the archdiocese.
One group says parish closings are a direct result of a financial crisis created by the priest sex abuse crisis. "This is a real issue, and yes we wanted him to come to Boston," said Mary Beth Carmondy, a member of the Council of Parishes.
They gathered at St. James the Great Church in Wellesley, where parishioners have stood in vigil for more than three years. Many believe a papal visit would have healed wounds. "I would have been glad to see the pope here," said Suzanne Hurley, of the Council of Parishes, "but I think he didn't want to be linked with what's going on here."
- RCC.
California Catholic Daily,
~ April 13, 2008
[with link to poll results]
UNITED STATES -- Americans have an overwhelmingly positive view of Pope Benedict XVI on the eve of his visit to the United States, according to a new poll released yesterday at the National Press Club. The pope will be visiting the United States April 15-20.
The poll was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion between February 25 and March 5, 2008. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson announced the results. …
"The bottom line," Anderson said, "is that, despite years of very negative stories about the Catholic Church scandals, and dissenting view of the pope as some sort of "panzercardinal" determined to pursue the unorthodox to the ends of the earth, the American people have a very sensible and balanced view of Benedict and the Church. And they are very open to hearing his views on matters of how they might live their faith and put it into action in their daily lives."
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
Staff Reports, ~ April 13, 2008
NORTH CAROLINA -- A Catholic priest charged with having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Charlotte in 1999 is in the Mecklenburg County jail today.
Records show the Rev. Robert Yurgel was booked around 9:15 this morning. He is expected in court on Tuesday, according to a Web site for the jail.
Yurgel, 43, is charged with five counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory sex offense. He was arrested April 2 in Passaic, N.J., where he lives. Later that week in court, Yurgel waived his right to contest extradition.
[U.S. R.C. school enrolment half the figure of the 1950s.]
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ April 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- If you are not specifically Googling "pope" and especially "pope sex abuse" this week, you probably won't hear or read much about the thousands of felonies committed by pedophiles and other sexual predators operating as priests in the American Catholic Church the last 50 years. In its "complete coverage" of the papal press event, the New York Times does have an article about Catholic school enrollment being half what it was in the 1950s but you have to read between the lines to say, Thank you God that Catholic parents are getting their children out of danger.
Don't expect mainstream media to do much more than respond to press releases and for that I'm grateful to VOTF and SNAP. In fact the stream of demands from advocates in the past week may have caused the pontiff to change his upcoming speeches to at least acknowledge the crimes, crimes like these:
Sodomy with children. Men grabbed altar boys and forced oral sex on them before going out to serve Mass. Regularly. Altar boy rape before Mass shows up over and over again in the documents that have come out so far. In one LA coastal town, the church had a carnival every Saturday plus Catechism class, and a network of pedophile priests picked children up from the carnival rides and forced them into nearby rooms to have sex, on church property, when the children were supposed to be learning church doctrine. Instead the children were developing their gag response. Children sexualized before age 10 while staring at the stained glass and statues of saints to take their minds off the horror.
- RCC.
The Associated Press,
By DAVID CRARY, ~ April 13, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] may not see them or hear them, but aggrieved Roman Catholic activists hope his U.S. visit this week will help them draw attention to issues ranging from the ordination of women and gay rights to sex abuse by priests and the Vatican ban on contraception.
The groups have planned vigils, demonstrations and news conferences to press their causes as the pope visits Washington and New York. On Monday evening, the eve of his arrival, supporters of women's ordination will host what they are calling "an inclusive Mass" at a Methodist church in Washington, presided over by Catholic women – including two who were recently excommunicated. …
For many American Catholics, the most distressing church-related issue of recent years has been clerical sex abuse. Thousands of molestation allegations have been filed against Catholic clergy, and dioceses have paid out more than $2 billion in claims since 1950.
David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abuse by Priests, said his advocacy group would not be mollified even if the pope meets privately with abuse victims.
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
~ April 13, 2008
ABANO TERME, Italia -- Arriva all'appuntamento da solo. Addio gruppetto di fedeli al seguito. Addio anche a quel colletto bianco della camicia che dal momento della sua ordinazione l'aveva accompagnato per quasi vent'anni. Da venerdì Sante Sguotti è tornato un laico come tanti. «Devo proprio fare i complimenti a chi sta organizzando tutto questo contro di me - esordisce alla conferenza stampa - Pur di demolirmi sarebbero disposti a tutto. Guarda caso le mie dimissioni dallo stato clericale sono state firmate da Papa Benedetto XVI il 9 aprile, lo stesso giorno in cui hanno bussato alla mia porta le Fiamme Gialle». [translation]
Reduced to the lay state the rebel priest cries out there is a conspiracy
ABANO TERME, ITALY -- He comes to the appointment alone. Absent is the usual group of followers. Absent the white collar shirt he had been wearing since he was ordained twenty years ago. Since last Friday Sante Sguotti has been a layman like many people. "I'm compelled to compliment those who are organizing all that against me - he starts saying at the press conference - provided they can demolish me they are willing to do anything. It's not a coincidence my resignations from the clerical state were signed by Pope Benedict XVI on April 9, the same day in which the Fiamme Gialle (The nickname of the Finance police) knocked at my door. By any means, the coincidence can't be denied and it makes you think. But to suspect that even Pope Ratzinger was part of a conspiracy to eliminate "the Rev. Sante's scandal" perhaps is too far fetched. Yet there are no doubt for the priest-father of Monterosso. "But even by doing that they won't stop me - Sante Sguotti continued - everyone spends his life as he likes. I have a mission and I'll carry it out against anything and anyone".
The investigations for the alleged crimes committed by Sante Sguotti, who must respond of embezzlement and undue appropriation, started by an anonymous tip, which according to Sante, couldn't but be the work of those "strong powers" he often defied since last summer. "That is what happens to those who challenge the Church - he went on saying - now to defend myself I'll be forced to spend my money for the lawyers. It's very likely that's what they want, they will be satisfied only when they'll see me begging for money in some street corner". It could even be that something irregular will be found in the parish book accounts, like a comma in the wrong side or (as he said during another press conference) some photocopied invoices, but for the rebel priest there are no doubts: what's going on is a conspiracy . All the grants obtained by the parish (particularly the fifty thousand euros donated by the Fondazione Cariparo and by the Veneto Region under scrutiny by the Finance police, the so called "Yellow Flames") were spent in the best possible way, according to the former priest of the small parish of Monterosso.
Meanwhile, for the gravity of the alleged crimes, the investigators led by the Public Prosecutor Silvia Scamurra could block Sguotti's current accounts. A bad week has been ending for the former rebel priest. First the warrant where he was warned he was under investigation for an alleged fraud and undue appropriation, then the reduction to the lay state signed by the same Pope Benedict XVI. But that doesn't make him abandon his will for polemics. "The Lord's mercy is limitless" - he concluded at the end - "but the one shown by the Church has a limit, that's for sure!".
-- Riccardo Bastianello
- RCC.
Bishop Accountability,
~ April 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- In the sexual abuse crisis, attention has focused on priests who have sexually abused children; the problem of bishops and major superiors who abuse has not received systematic scrutiny. Yet a bishop who is himself guilty of child abuse, or who has other violations of celibacy to conceal, has compromised his role in the formation of his priests and in assigning them properly.
Bishops who sexually abuse seminarians, as Anthony J. O'Connell has admitted doing, may establish a generational pattern of clergy abuse. The following list comprises bishops who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors. It does not include bishops accused of sexual misconduct with adults, such as Archbishop Robert F. Sanchez of Phoenix.
- RCC.
Montreal Gazette,
By ALAN HUSTAK, ~ April 13, 2008
CANADA -- Cough up cash to keep Montreal's money-losing Catholic churches up and running - or they'll close.
That's the message behind this year's special fundraising campaign being launched by the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal today, when a special collection will be taken in all parishes. The goal: to raise $2 million to keep Montreal's struggling religious communities alive.
In kicking off the 20th annual fundraising campaign, which runs until April 27, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte said he faces "new, previously unheard-of questions" about the future of a number of parishes.
- RCC.
CJAD,
by Catherine Sherriffs, ~ April 13, 2008
CANADA -- A special fundraising campaign is being launched by the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal today.
Special collections will be taken in all parishes, in the hopes of raising $2,000,000 to keep Montreal's struggling religious communities alive.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte says the fundraiser is desperately needed, due to a decline in church-attendance, fewer clergy members, and the increasing cost of keeping churches open.
- RCC.
City of Angels,
~ April 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Think of City of Angels Blog as a platform, for webcasting of videos and music, performance of art and humor, and publishing the work of victims of Sex Crimes in the Catholic Church. This poem came in tonight, written by Vinnie Nauheimer "For the Pope's Visit," entitled: The Saddest Story Ever Told
An injured child lies in the street and cries.
A passerby ignores the cries; the child dies.
Depraved indifference in anyone's eyes.
In the face of reason, this indifference flies!
Is there any excuse for the gravity of this depravity?
A pedophile priest children enslaves
Seeking the illicit sex he craves.
Creating wounds children take to their graves
He's a sexual predator, that's how he behaves.
- RCC.
Voice from the Desert
From an email received today, from Peter Borre', April.12.2008,
UNITED STATES -- In advance of the U.S. visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict [Ratzinger], parishioners from some of the major Catholic dioceses have assembled in New York City to draw attention to the actions of American bishops which put at risk the future of our faith,
The systematic destruction of vibrant, viable parishes which constitute the spiritual and material infrastructure of the Catholic Church.
Parishioners from dioceses in Boston, Buffalo, Camden, New Orleans, New York and Toledo are represented here, for the purpose of announcing the formation of the Coalition of Parishes, constituted as:
A voluntary association of Catholic parishioners across America who are determined to safeguard their faith communities against the abuses of diocesan bishops.
- RCC.
Boston Herald,
By Margery Eagan, Sunday, April 13, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- Pope buzz? I don't hear it.
Yet my parish was standing-room only, overflowing out the door, not only for five Masses on Easter Sunday but on the three days prior, too: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. …
VOTF itself recently ran a full-page ad in The New York Times [NYT] "calling all Catholics to transform our church" and asking, "How can our church be a moral beacon when so many bishops who repeatedly transferred known predators remain in office?"
The pope, they argued, should call for their resignations. Other bishops should stop blocking settlements with abuse survivors, support laws eliminating statutes of limitations on child sex abuse and create a national database of credibly accused priests. Repeatedly, VOTF has called for the pope to meet with survivors. But no one expects that to happen this week.
"I know lots of Catholics who are pretty upset, who think nothing has changed," says abuse survivor Skip Shea, author of "Catholic (Surviving Abuse & Other Dead End Roads)."
"The unfortunate thing is that it's still happening," Shea said, referring to criticism of Chicago Cardinal Francis George for failing to act faster against a priest who was arrested two years ago but has allegedly abused since the 1980s.
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
By Michael Paulson, April 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger], who has praised the United States for its religious freedom but rued its increasing secularization, arrives this week for a six-day, two-city visit in which he will introduce himself to a nation enamored of his predecessor but largely unsure what to make of the new pontiff.
He will discuss public policy at the White House and the United Nations, will preach the Gospel at Yankee Stadium and Nationals Park, will roll through the streets of Washington and New York in his bulletproof Mercedes-Benz popemobile, and will kneel in silent prayer at ground zero. …
"The pope is coming to the church in the US at a time when American Catholicism is in a very serious crisis," said Russell Shaw, an author and commentator who is the former communications director for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Some people would say it's too late, that the church is in an irreversible downward spiral in the United States. I think it can be turned around, but we've suffered enormous losses in numbers and commitment over the last 40 years. The pope is not going to turn it around by magic, but I hope what he will do is begin to address these problems seriously."
The Catholic Church, with 67 million adherents in the United States, is the nation's largest religious denomination. But it is hemorrhaging members - 10 percent of the American adult population is made up of former Catholics - and its overall population level is stable only because of immigration, according to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey released in February. The church is also reeling from the effects of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, which has harmed Mass attendance, financial contributions, and seminary enrollments in Boston and beyond.
- FLDS.
Daily Herald,
Sunday, 13 April 2008
TEXAS -- A raid on a polygamist compound in west Texas has raised in the minds of some observers the question of whether the rights of the members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were infringed -- namely their First Amendment right of freedom of speech and association, and their Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure in criminal cases.
But a broad look at the event suggests that authorities, facing a deeply disturbing and virtually unprecedented situation, acted in good faith to protect children.
According to news reports and court documents, the raid on the FLDS compound was prompted by furtive phone calls from a 16-year-old girl at the Yearning for Zion Ranch who said she had been beaten by her spiritual husband. He was married to her when she was 15. Authorities said that girls of 13 and 14 had been conditioned to engage in sex with adult men, and police said some of the underage girls at the ranch appeared to be pregnant. Headlines and news articles told of allegations that adult FLDS men had sex with underage brides in the sect's limestone temple.
- FLDS.
Dayton Daily News,
By Khalid Moss, Staff Writer, Sunday, April 13, 2008
OHIO -- Religious observers differ on what Pope Benedict XVI should say during his visit to the United States. University of Dayton professor of religious studies William Portier thinks Benedict has an obligation to address the church's sexual abuse crisis.
"The Vatican has been too silent on the sex abuse scandal," Portier said. "People are outraged by it and the pope needs to say it's a shame. He needs to say extreme things about it and do penance for it."
- RCC.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
~ April 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI's trip to the United States marks a time of celebrations and challenges for the church.
The pope is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Tuesday, and spend three days in New York before returning to Rome. He will turn 81 on Wednesday.
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University says that nearly 700 parishes closed across the country from 1995 to 2007, with more cutbacks coming. The numbers of priests and sisters continue to decline. In South Jersey, it's estimated that by 2015 there will be only 85 active priests to serve 450,000 Catholics. Nationwide, in the next 20 years, the number of active diocesan priests will drop in half to 11,500. There are about 19,000 parishes, so that translates to a huge gap.
The church has helped create this crisis by insisting on ancient disciplines such as priestly celibacy (including its refusal to allow priests to marry) and the bar against women in the clergy. None of these practices was expressly enjoined by Jesus. All were local traditions that ossified into doctrine. Now, they're helping strangle it.
Sexual-abuse scandals have destroyed trust in the institution and its ministers. Church leaders have contributed to this fiasco in being slow to react; hiding or minimizing the problem; or stonewalling. , the Philadelphia Archdiocese has overhauled its prevention and victim-assistance program (for a reported 144 victims), devoting $1 million since January 2007 on counseling and other services. On the other hand, generally it refuses to say where the disgraced and defrocked perps are now.
[RECAPITULATION: The church has helped create this crisis by insisting on ancient disciplines such as priestly celibacy (including its refusal to allow priests to marry) and the bar against women in the clergy. None of these practices was expressly enjoined by Jesus. … traditions that ossified into doctrine. Now, they're helping strangle it.
ENDS.]
- RCC.
Arizona Daily Star,
By Stephanie Innes, Tucson, Arizona | Published: April 13, 2008
[with link to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops blog detailing Pope Benedict XVI's visit]
TUCSON (AZ) -- He doesn't get to ride in the popemobile, but Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas will personally welcome Pope Benedict XVI when he arrives Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Kicanas, who is vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will take part in many of the official events during Benedict's first papal visit to the United States. …
Among other issues facing the church, Kicanas said he is hoping the pope addresses sadness and pain for victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
- RCC.
The News Journal,
By GARY SOULSMAN, April 13, 2008
DELAWARE -- When Pope John Paul II last visited cities along the East Coast in 1995, he was something of a superstar, met by warm, welcoming crowds who felt connected to a holy man who had traveled to the U.S. and other nations for 17 years.
When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, he is close to his third anniversary as pope and will introduce himself on a first visit as pontiff with lots of media attention.
"One of the pluses is that people will get to know him better," said the Rev. Tom Flowers, whose parishioners at St. Polycarp Church in Smyrna have been praying for the pope. …
At the same time, there are policy issues that many of the nation's 67 million Catholics have questions about: How will Benedict address the sexual-abuse issue in the church, with several dioceses in bankruptcy and more than $2 billion in settlements? Will he criticize Catholic universities as not Catholic enough? Will his pro-life positions sound like censure on the abortion issue? Will what he says influence the presidential race now under way?
- RCC.
The Orange County Register,
By ELLYN PAK, ~ April 13, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Just last fall, Yvonne Tran and Shaun Nguyen stood five feet away from Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] during a pilgrimage to Rome. The pope's presence left the Anaheim Hills couple awe-struck and inspired.
When they learned they could see the pope again, the couple jumped at the chance to travel to the East Coast. The two also agreed to renew vows for their 22nd wedding anniversary during their weeklong trip.
"I've been very devoted to the Catholic Church," said Tran, a 49-year-old public health nurse. "The reason I'm going on this trip is to renew our faith and see the pope." …
Brown said he expects to hear a message of hope, the contributions that Catholics make in the country and the necessity of passing on the faith. The pope's visit will be a positive one for the church after the sexual abuse scandals, Brown said.
"I think that our church is just beginning to move beyond that now," said Brown, who has met the pontiff twice.
- RCC.
Providence Journal,
BY RICHARD C. DUJARDIN, Journal Religion Writer, April 13, 2008
RHODE ISLAND -- He's leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, and even before he was pope had been widely acknowledged as the Vatican's top theologian.
Yet for all his influence, Pope Benedict XVI has remained a mystery to a large segment of America's 67 million Catholics. Though a Zogby poll released this month shows 70 percent of U.S. Catholics believe he is doing a good job leading the Church, a great many say they would like to know more about him. …
The Rev. Joseph Escobar, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Providence's Fox Point and president of the Priests' Council, has been invited to concelebrate Mass with the pope at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. He and Sister Simonne Camire, of the diocesan Office of Religious Education, received their tickets from Bishop Tobin. They will be the only two Rhode Islanders in the cathedral.
The two say everyone knows the church has been hurt by the clergy sexual abuse scandal and the pope needs to address it. "I'm sure," says the priest, "he will encourage us to be compassionate to the victims and to do our best not to allow it to happen again."
- RCC.
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched 11:05:28 PM PDT, April/12/2008
CALIFORNIA -- THE RESPONSE to our series on priests accused of sexual abuse (March 30-April 2) was swift and passionate. In hundreds of e-mails, telephone calls, Web site forum posts, and letters, readers reacted with strong opinions.
That reaction ranged from outrage at the newspaper for bringing up "old news" to outrage at the Diocese of Oakland for "its cover-up and denial." There were also heartbreaking personal stories of abuse.
The four-part series, researched and written by Rob Dennis, Jeremy Herb, Matthew Artz and Chris De Benedetti of the Fremont Argus, showed that the number of clergy accused of sexual abuse, many multiple times, has been vastly underreported in the diocese that includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties. One element of the series was a list, including some photos, of 64 priests who are serving or had served in the diocese and the sexual abuse allegations against them.
- RCC.
Toledo Blade,
By DAVID YONKE, BLADE RELIGION EDITOR, April 13, 2008
OHIO -- Sister Patricia Marie McClain and others from Lial Catholic School in Whitehouse know they may not get close - but they're still hoping for a chance to see the Pope.
Early tomorrow morning, Sister Pat and 34 Lial students and teachers will board a bus and head to Washington.
They'll be in the nation's capital the same time as Pope Benedict XVI, who arrives on Shepherd One Tuesday morning, but they will not be able to attend the Papal Mass at Nationals Park on Wednesday. …
The Vatican's No. 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, told the Associated Press last week that Pope Benedict recognizes the pain caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis and will seek to "open the path of healing and reconciliation" during his U.S. visit.
David Clohessy, national president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said he believes the Pontiff is planning to meet with "a hand-picked group of survivors."
But "talk is cheap and it protects no one," Mr. Clohessy said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:48 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sun April 13, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
NECN,
by Jennifer Eagan, ~ April 14, 2008
[with video]
UXBRIDGE (NECN: Uxbridge, Mass.) – An alleged victim of priest sex abuse is speaking out on the eve of Pope Benedict's [Ratzinger's] visit to the United States. He is calling for an apology from the Pontiff to ease the pain and suffering of victims.
Jennifer Eagan has more.
Script:
Pope Benedict the sixteenth [Ratzinger] will arrive in Washington D.C. Tuesday, to begin a six-day visit to the United States.
Benedict is expected to spread a message of spiritual renewal to American Catholics, who continues to cope with the sex abuse crisis.
The scandal first broke in Boston six years ago.
Abuse survivor George Shea of Uxbridge says the Pope's decision not to come to Boston is disappointing. Shea settled out of court against former Uxbridge priest Reverend Thomas Teczar.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 14, 2008
10:21 PM]
[1940s-2000] - RCC.
Contra Costa Times,
~ April 14, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- The alleged abuse occurred from the late 1940s through 2000*. Some clergy members were accused in the Diocese of Oakland, while others were accused in other dioceses but also served in the East Bay.
Rev. Jeff Acebo ( Diocesan)
Where alleged abuse occurred: St. John the Baptist, San Lorenzo (1986-1988)
Where accusation was made: Named in lawsuit, deposition, apology service
Other places served (Diocese of Oakland): St. Joseph, Pinole; Holy Spirit, Fremont; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fremont; St. Anthony, Oakland; St. Albert, Alameda
Last known status or location: Pinole
Rev. Christopher Berbena (Franciscan/Diocesan)
Where alleged abuse occurred: St. Anthony's Seminary, Santa Barbara (1980)
Where accusation was made: Named in lawsuit, diocese investigation found abuse could not be substantiated and returned him to active ministry
Other places served (Diocese of Oakland): St. John Vianney, Walnut Creek
Last known status or location: St. John Vianney, Walnut Creek
[…]
- RCC.
United Press International,
April 14, 2008
BOSTON (MA), (UPI) -- Cardinal Sean O'Malley has urged Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] to speak out about the priest sex abuse crisis, the leader of the Boston archdiocese said.
Benedict will begin a six-day trip to the United States Tuesday in Washington.
O'Malley, who will accompany the pontiff at many appearances during his trip, has joined other U.S. bishops in calling on the pope to talk about the abuse scandal, The Boston Globe reported Monday.
In discussions with the pope's ambassador to the United States, the prelate expressed the importance of the pope broaching the sensitive subject.
- RCC.
Press TV (Iran),
~ April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- A victims advocacy group has called for the United Nation's inquiry into an alleged attempt by Vatican to protect the abusive clergy.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) on Monday urged UN's investigation into what it dubbed Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] and Vatican officials' complicity in the matter, said the DPA reports.
The demand was made while His Holiness is expected in the United States on his first visit to the country.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 14, 2008
9:54 PM]
- RCC.
NY1,
~ April 14, 2008
NEW YORK -- A man who says he was raped by priests at a Brooklyn Catholic school as a child tells his story for the first time. He spoke to NY1's Cheryl Wills as speculation continues over whether Pope Benedict XVI will address the church sex abuse crisis during his visit to the United States.
Joe Byrnes is 78 years old, but he is still haunted by his childhood.
"The priest would be waiting for me outside the classroom," says Byrnes. "He mentioned it to the nun, teacher that he was going to teach me some new tricks and the tricks turned out to be abuse."
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ April 14, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- This links to the video of the press conference held April 13 by SNAP and BishopAccountability.org.
[1965 Unnamed priest - ? NEW*] - RCC. Girl.
Montreal Gazette
by Sue Montgomery, ~ April 14, 2008
CANADA -- A woman who claims she was raped and impregnated by a priest 43 years ago is suing the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Quebec, as well as the estate of the father, who died two months ago.
A teary France Bédard, 59, met with journalists today, saying she was encouraged by singing star Nathalie Simard, who spoke out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her manager, Guy Cloutier.
"There are good priests, but there are some whose behaviour is criminal," said Bédard, who is claiming $325,000 in damages. "They have no code of ethics. They abuse their power."
- RCC.
Trend News (Azerbaijan),
(DPA), ~ April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- On the eve of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States, a sex-abuse victims' organization Monday challenged the United Nations to investigate an alleged Vatican cover-up of priests who used their authority to sexually exploit children.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said the UN should investigate the role of Benedict and Vatican officials in the cover-up.
Benedict is to arrive Tuesday evening in Washington, meet with US President George W Bush on Wednesday and address the United Nations on Friday on human rights issues, including the death penalty and abortion.
SNAP had hoped that some victims would be able to meet with the pope during his five-day visit to the US, but SNAP's president, Barbara Blaine, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) they had not received a response to the group's request to meet with the pontiff.
- RCC.
City of Angels
~ April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- One signs his name: "Sodomized by the great parish priest starting when I was ten years old from 1953 to 1956." A Midwestern woman writes: "What I was not prepared to find out was that I was not alone. The most terrible truth of all was they knew what was happening. The pope knew and was complicit with the bishops." A third writes: "Down in Georgia they're still taking priests into the home to spend the night with their four sons."
Several victims of Sex Crimes in the Catholic Church sent poignant emails to City of Angels Blog which are published below. Meanwhile, Jury Trial in the Salesian cases begins tomorrow at 9AM in LA Superior Court and we'll be there reporting with video
"This is about the only satisfaction I get, letting Ratzinger know what a lowlife I think he and all his cronies are," an LA Plaintiff wrote. "And what hypocrites they are when they preach morality to us and yet can't seem to understand thousands of people have been seriously hurt by their inaction and cover-up on the priestly sexual deviancy problem. They preach about the sanctity of life and yet don't seem to care one iota about those so injured by the clergy. -- (NAME) - sodomized by the good parish priest from 1953 to 1956 starting when I was ten years old."
[2006-07 Unnamed pastor -NEW*] - Christian. Daughter.
Fiji Times,
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
FIJI -- POLICE are expected to question the church pastor accused of incest against his daughter in the north.
Divisional Crime Officer north Luke Rawalai said they would question the pastor this week as police round up investigation.
The pastor, who has been suspended from church duties, is believed to have had sex with his daughter between December 2006 to early 2007.
- RCC.
The Associated Press,
By RACHEL ZOLL, ~ April 14, 2008
NEW YORK (NY), U.S.A., (AP) – A theologian recalls the then-cardinal's deep understanding of Protestantism. A former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican was impressed by his interest in all things American.
Those who have met Pope Benedict XVI say the nation should expect a man who knows and admires much about the U.S., but also sees a culture in need of moral guidance. …
However, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone – the Vatican secretary of state – told The Associated Press that Benedict will address the scandal during his trip and "will try to open the path of healing and reconciliation." A likely forum could be when Benedict speaks to priests during a Saturday morning Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's U.S. ambassador, told the National Catholic Reporter that a meeting of the pope and victims is "within the field of possibility."
Karl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic lay fraternal group, said Benedict doesn't get enough credit for his part in instituting reforms in the U.S. church in 2002 and 2003. At the time, he ran the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviewed all molestation cases against clergy worldwide.
- Roman Catholic Church.
[Decades - Papacy, Card. Law, Geoghan, Shanley, Raux] - Child rape.
[Years - Papacy] Still fostering Card. Law, rape enabler.
Slate,
www.slate. com/id/2188971 ,
By Christopher Hitchens, Posted at 12:55 PM ET, Monday, April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The visit of his holiness the pope [Ratzinger] to the United States this week will be an occasion for all kinds of manifestation of deference and servility from politicians and from the press.
There will also be the usual speculation about the growth of a specifically or distinctively "American" Catholicism: a Catholicism that, for instance, this week sent me a heavy envelope of material titled Catholics for Choice, arguing against the church's dogma on abortion.
The phenomenon of "cafeteria Catholicism," by which the faithful pick and choose among the doctrines that do and do not appeal to them, has long been understood.
It was Joseph Ratzinger's role, when he was the right-hand man and enforcer of the last pope, to recall the flock to a more traditional and orthodox version of the faith.
The chief interest of this trip, at least for Roman Catholics, will be to see how explicitly he addresses himself to a flock that is too used to making up its own a la carte rules. …
So journalists and reporters who can manage to get off their knees might want to ask the pope if he is conducting his own foreign policy and, if so, in consultation with whom?
Then there is another question, which also raises a matter of diplomatic propriety: Why is the Vatican continuing to shelter Cardinal Bernard Law?
It will be remembered that Law resigned his position as head of the Archdiocese of Boston in late 2002. He had little alternative.
A series of lawsuits and depositions and disclosures had established beyond doubt that, as my Slate colleague Dahlia Lithwick phrased it, "Law was not only aware of egregious sexual misconduct among his subordinates but was apparently engaged in elaborate efforts to cover up incident after incident of child rape." (I pause to praise her for employing that latter term instead of the grubby all-purpose euphemism abuse.)
To be specific, the cardinal admitted in a deposition that he knew that the Rev. John Geoghan had raped at least seven boys in 1984 before he approved Geoghan's transfer to another parish where other boys were at risk.
Further disclosures revealed that the Rev. Paul Shanley, who at one point was facing trial for 10 counts of child rape and six counts of indecent assault and battery, had been moved from ministry to ministry in what amounted to an attempt to protect him.
Law himself lied to a West Coast bishop about Shanley's history and certified in writing that another rapist priest, the Rev. Redmond Raux, had "nothing in his background" to make him "unsuitable to work with children."
[Chen] - Judaist (Charedi, strictly Orthodox). Instructed children to eat excrement, drink turpentine.
YNet,
by Rabbi Levi Brackman, ~ April 14, 2008
ISRAEL -- This week a horrific story of child abuse came to light in Jerusalem. Child abuse is always terrible and leaves psychological scars on its victims. Tragically in this case, one of the children involved has been severely and irreversibly physically injured as well.
However, what makes this case even more disturbing, if such a thing were possible, is the fact that the person who inspired and advised this abuse called himself a rabbi. Elior Chen, together with some of his students, is suspected of beating two children aged three and four with hammers and knives and other instruments over many months. The three-year-old finally fell into a coma last month, and is not expected to recover.
Any normal human being finds it difficult to read the horrific details of the abuse in this case. How a parent could allow this to be done to his or her child and even participate in it is beyond comprehension.
- RCC and the female gender.
The Huffington Post,
by Angela Bonavoglia, ~ April 14, 2008
Talking about the Catholic Church without talking about the place of women is like talking about the history of South Africa while ignoring apartheid. It completely denies the realities of the Catholic Church today, which include:
* The exclusion of women from the ranks of cardinals, bishops, priests and deacons -- an exclusion that contributes to an attitude of condescension toward women and children, which surely influenced the hierarchy's condescending response to decades of complaints about clergy child sexual abuse.
…
* The minimization of the impact of the clergy child sexual abuse scandal on girls, who made up nearly 20% of the victims; were in fact more likely than boys to be sexually abused up to the age of seven; and after the age of puberty, were held accountable themselves for the abuse, or seen as "normal" targets for priest experimentation.
* The perpetuation of the myth of a celibate priesthood, despite estimates that at any one time nearly half of all Catholic priests are involved in some kind of sexual activity, most of it with adults, and worldwide reports of priests sexually abusing and exploiting women. Pregnancies have been met by priests' insisting the women have abortions, or by their abandoning the women and their own children.
The Courier-Journal,
By Peter Smith, psmith@courier-journal.com, April 14, 2008
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear this morning signed into law a measure toughening the penalties for sexual abusers and those who fail to protect them.
The bill is the first Kentucky legal reform to follow the scandals of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and other religious and civic organizations earlier this decade.
"Over the last decade, we have all been outraged and horrified by the revelation of wretched and sometimes avoidable sexual crimes by those in positions of power in religious and education institutions," the governor said.
- RCC.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - Convicted. Girl.
[~ 2008 Bp. Sevilla*] - Hid the conviction from the diocese.
The Bellingham Herald,
~ April 14, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla says he won't attend the pope's U.S. visit this week but not in response to the concerns of two advocacy groups for people who say they were sexually abused by priests.
…
David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, said Sevilla's statement that he could have done more was a positive step, but he urged the bishop to visit parishes where Estrada served and reach out to potential victims.
"Words alone don't protect the vulnerable or heal the wounded," Clohessy said.
Robert Fontana, a VOTF member who lives in Yakima, said Sevilla has failed to disclose abuse cases over the past decade.
- RCC leader contrasted with Jesus' idea of leadership.
Washington Post,
by John Dominic Crossan, On Faith, ~ April 14, 2008
The Pope should convene the Third Vatican Council so that the hierarchy can solemnly return the gift of infallibility, and beg instead for the gift of accuracy, and maybe also for the gifts of transparency, honesty, and integrity? …
Second, both Peter and the Twelve are warned severely by Christ about the mode of leadership they should administer. At the Last Supper in Luke, Jesus said to the Twelve that, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves" (22:25-27).
- RCC.
NPR
Weekend Edition Saturday, April 12, 2008
[with audio]
UNITED STATES • Representatives for victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests are threatening protests during Pope Benedict's visit to the United States next week. The critics are particularly angry that he is not visiting Boston, the archdiocese at the center of the scandal.
[Sguotti]
Il Gazzettino,
~ April 14, 2008
ABANO, Italia -- «Dopo sei mesi di lavoro io me ne vado e lascio un popolo che sta uscendo da una crisi, da un esodo. Dopo aver attraversato il deserto si avvia verso la terra promessa». Parole che non hanno bisogno di spiegazioni e che hanno accompagnato l'addio di don Giovanni Brusegan alla parrocchia di Monterosso. La bufera don Sante sembra insomma passata. E sarebbe la stessa comunità di 800 anime che compone la parrocchia di Monterosso a confermarlo. [translation]
ABANO TERME, ITALY - The Rev. Danilo Zanella became yesterday the new parish priest of Monterosso. And the former Rev. Sante Sguotti celebrates a Mass in front of a few people.
"My dream is to transform this parish"
The Rev. Giovanni Brusegan, the substitute parish priest of Monterosso: "After six months of work I'm leaving and I leave people who are exiting from a crisis, from an exodus. After having gone through the desert they are now reaching the promised land". That was said during his farewell address from the parish of Monterosso. The turmoil brought by the the former parish priest, the Rev. Sante, seemed over in the end. And the same community of 800 souls seemed to confirm it, through their glances, talking and serenity. Yet Sante Sguotti, expelled from the parish of Monterosso, suspended "a divinis", dismissed from the clerical state and recently accused of fraud, was still alive. And just when the community of Monterosso was welcoming the new parish priest, the rebel priest was about to celebrate his "Mass" near the Villa Bassi, in the new premises of his association, the Chiesa Cattolica dei Peccatori (the Catholic Church of the Sinners) in front of his more vanishing group of followers. But the alarm was given for the presence of some reporters, photographers and journalists and the ceremony was immediately suspended.
Meanwhile the Rev. Danilo Zanella took possession of the reins of the parish of Monterosso. He had been the director of the Villa Immacolata for twenty years. "The Rev. Danilo - explained the outgoing parish priest during his farewell speech - takes charge of a parish where people are good, simple and rich of affection. The same affection which could become dangerous if shown towards the wrong person, but this is now something we learned". For the farewell to the Rev. Giovanni and the welcome to the Rev. Danilo two ceremonies took place (at 9.30 a.m and at 11 a.m.), both crowded. "For the last few days I'm making the first steps in this parish - the Rev. Danilo commented - and I found a community more united than divided.
It seems to me we got over all the problems very well. My dream is now to make this parish a center for courses dedicated to those who are engaged to be married, as I did at Villa Immacolata. My twenty years of experience can't obviously be put aside".
-- Riccardo Bastianello
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
~ April 14, 2008
NORTH CAROLINA -- A Catholic priest charged with having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Charlotte in 1999 was booked in the Mecklenburg County jail on Sunday.The Rev. Robert Yurgel is expected in court on Tuesday, according to jail records.
Yurgel, 43, is charged with five counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory sex offense. He was arrested April 2 in Passaic, N.J., where he lives. Later that week in court, Yurgel waived his right to contest extradition.
Authorities have said the boy and his family were members of St. Matthew Catholic in the Ballantyne area when the alleged sex crimes occurred. The victim recently reported the matter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg detectives, authorities have said.
- RCC.
NECN,
with Prat Thakkar, NECN: Wellesley, Mass., ~ April 14, 2008
[with video]
MASSACHUSETTS -- Pope Benedict the 16th is asking Catholics worldwide to pray for him as he prepares to visit the United States for the first time this week.
During his five day trip, the Pontiff will stop in both Washington and New York. Here in New England, many Catholics say they'll be watching closely for the pope to address some of their many concerns. …
The group "Voice of the Faithful" who formed in the wake of the sex abuse crisis, released a newsletter ahead of the Pope's arrival. The newsletter calls for the Pope to visit with abuse victims. The group says a meeting between the Pope, and those victims is critical to the healing process.
Business Wire,
~ April 14, 2008
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Faith, the joint washingtonpost.com and Newsweek feature devoted to the intersection of religion and news, today launches special coverage to coincide with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States April 15-18.
On Faith founders and co-moderators Sally Quinn of The Washington Post and Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham will present "The Pope Comes to America," a live webcast featuring a panel of religious leaders, scholars and Washington Post reporters offering deep perspectives and varying points-of-view on the significance of the Pope's visit. …
On Faith will also air Quinn's exclusive video interviews with Thomas Bohlin, U.S. vicar of Opus Dei, and Barbara Blaine, a clergy abuse victim and founder and president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
- RCC.
Earthtimes,
~ April 14, 2008
NEW YORK -- At a news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will call on the United Nations to launch a investigation into the role of Pope Benedict and Vatican officials in the widespread cover-up of sex crimes against children. Victims also want the U.N. to take action for the Pope's refusal to submit required reports as a signatory of the U.N. Charter on the Protection of the Rights of Children.
When:
Monday, April 14, 1:30
Where:
In New York City, Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, One United Nations Plaza, 44th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue) (The Governor's Room, 2nd floor)
- RCC.
Daily Targum,
~ April 14, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit America this week, stopping in Washington, D.C. and New York City, where he will deliver a mass at Yankee Stadium.
But his visit is being met with widespread criticism by American Catholics who see it as a chance to protest what they see as some of the Church's outdated social policies.
Chief among the grievances raised by protesters are the Church's stance on gay rights, the ordination of female priests, the Catholic hierarchy's lenient stance on disciplining priests convicted of sexual abuse and the archaic ban on artificial forms of contraception.
The Pope is also being criticized for not stopping in Boston, a largely Catholic city and the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sex abuse scandal.
- RCC has 700 less parishes than in 1995.
The Wall Street Journal,
By SUZANNE SATALINE, Page A3, April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- At Catholic University in Washington, undergraduates have been thinking up chants to shout when they greet Pope Benedict XVI on their campus later this week.
"Students are very excited and ready to welcome our pontiff, and express our love and support for him during what many would describe as a difficult time in the church," said sophomore Jonathan Jerome of Charlotte, N.C. …
Several U.S. Catholics described the visit as a papal pep rally, designed to cheer the team during hard times. Catholic fund-raisers, such as Ed Orzechowski, president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, say they hope the visit will prod Catholics to give more, though they expect any benefit will be temporary. The Washington nonprofit, which is serving 700 more people a month than in 2006, ran in the red last year by $300,000.
Money has been a divisive subject. Victims of clergy sex abuse, and critics seeking greater accountability from bishops as well as more fiscal transparency, are expected to stage protests. Since 1993, Catholics have consistently donated about $8.7 billion annually to their parishes. But the $2 billion legal liability from the sexual-abuse scandal and rising costs -- including those for personnel, maintenance of buildings and caring for elderly clergy -- has forced a fire sale of property and closing of Catholic institutions. There are 700 fewer parishes than in 1995, with more than half of those closed between 2002 and 2006.
- FLDS.
Deseret News,
By Nancy Perkins, ~ April 14, 2008
[with audio of exclusive telephone interview from inside Fort Concho]
SAN ANGELO, Texas – A Texas judge on Sunday ordered law enforcement officials to immediately confiscate all cell phones in the possession of FLDS women and children now housed in temporary quarters here.
"I just called to say hi. They are about to collect the phones, I think," one soft-spoken FLDS woman said during a telephone call to another member of the Fundamentalist LDS Church who was outside the shelter. "I don't like what they're doing."
Several of the women inside the shelters spoke by cell phone to the Deseret News on Saturday to describe the living conditions there. Children could be heard crying in the background of each conversation. The News published an article on Sunday quoting the women, who complained there was no privacy and that their children were getting sick.
- RCC.
Erie Times-News,
April 14, 2008
[with photo of members of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests and BishopAccountability.org yesterday at their news conference in Washington, D.C.]
NEW YORK -- Pope Benedict XVI might not see them or hear them, but Roman Catholic activists hope his U.S. visit this week will help them draw attention to issues ranging from the ordination of women to sexual abuse by priests.
The groups have planned vigils, demonstrations and news conferences to press their causes as the pope visits Washington and New York.
The Vatican's envoy to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, said any dissent was regrettable.
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By ANNA M. TINSLEY, ~ April 14, 2008
TEXAS -- As the storm continues swirling around the polygamist sect whose compound near Eldorado was raided, Barbara Lane Walther is trying to make some sense of it.
Walther, the 51st district judge, issued search warrants based on accusations of a pattern of sexual abuse of youths for the West Texas compound occupied by followers of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- and the order that 416 children there be taken into state custody.
The 55-year-old Republican judge has been thrown into the limelight with the biggest case she has presided over. Those who know her say she's the right person for the job.
[50yrs 4392 priests] - RCC. 10,667 allegations. Children.
Washington Post,
By Emmett Coyne, Page A15, Monday, April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- At the height of the potato famine, Queen Victoria of England made a state visit to Ireland. Facades were built in Dublin to prevent her from seeing the dire suffering of the people who lived along her route from ship to castle, where she was wined and dined. The wrenching issue of the famine was totally ignored.
As Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States, will he likewise be shielded from a scandal that has brought an unprecedented harvest of shame for the Roman church in America (and elsewhere)? I am speaking, of course, of the plague of clerical sexual abuse. Or will he deal forthrightly with the matter, as needs to be done?
In 2004 a report commissioned by Catholic bishops was released, revealing 10,667 allegations of abuse against minors and accusing 4,392 of the nearly 110,000 priests who served in U.S. dioceses and religious orders from 1950 to 2002. This does not count the victims who never came forward.
- RCC.
The Week Daily,
~ April 14, 2008
What happened
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI is coming to the U.S. for a six-day visit, starting Tuesday, in his first papal visit to the country. It is also the first papal visit since the U.S. church was roiled by a clergy sex abuse scandal. The pope will meet with President Bush, address the United Nations, celebrate his 81st birthday, and address crowds at baseball stadiums in New York and Washington, D.C.
- RCC.
TheBostonChannel,
~ April 14, 2008
[with video]
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- Pope Benedict will travel to New York City this week.
NewsCenter 5's Lynn Jolicoeur reported Catholic parishioners in the Boston area, where more than 60 churches have been shut down in the last few years, called on the Pope to save their churches.
"We believe we are the hope and future of the Catholic Church in Boston, the U.S., and the world. We only hope Pope Benedict will recognize this fact," said St. Jeremiah's parishioner Mary Beth Carmody.
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
By John C. Drake, Globe Staff / April 14, 2008
WELLESLEY (MA) -- Kathleen Daly said she appreciates the historic nature of this week's visit to the United States by Pope Benedict XVI, but she is not looking forward to the occasion with the fondness she felt during a visit by Pope John Paul II.
Daly is among a group of area Catholics who will observe this visit in the context of a battle with local church leadership over the preservation of their parishes.
"I don't feel the warmth," Daly said yesterday while sitting in a pew at St. James the Great in Wellesley, after leaders of protests at that occupied parish and several others in the region called on the pope to take up their cause during his visit.
- Lutherans and RCs co-sponsor.
Tulsa World,
Staff Reports, April/14/2008
TULSA (OK) -- A workshop designed to help survivors of childhood abuse begin the spiritual healing process is coming back to Tulsa.
Mary's Hope Introductory Workshop "Spiritual Healing and Recovery from Childhood Abuse" is 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 8730 E. Skelly Drive. …
The workshop is cosponsored by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
- RCC.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - Convicted. Girl.
[~ 2008 Bp. Sevilla*] - Hid the conviction from the diocese.
KNDO/KNDU,
~ April 14, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Bishop Carlos Sevilla of the Yakima Diocese announced today he won't be attending any of the events for the Pope's visit to the United States.
Bishop Sevilla says it has nothing to do with the recent allegations that he covered up the sexual abuse conviction of a former Yakima Diocese priest. However, the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests or "SNAP" have been calling on the bishop to skip the papal visit since news of reverend Joaquin Estrada's conviction surfaced.
The Bishop says he was asked to celebrate in the funeral mass for the mother of an employee at the diocese at the same time as the papal visit.
- RCC.
Fresno Bee,
By Manya A. Brachear and Margaret Ramirez / Chicago Tribune, ~ April 14, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- Shortly after he sets foot on American soil this week, Pope Benedict XVI will strive to set a tone of compassion and reassurance for a church still haunted by the sins of sexually abusive priests.
In Washington, D.C., the pontiff will remind U.S. bishops of their mission to serve God by easing victims' pain and tending their flock. …
Though the sexual abuse scandal dominated headlines and damaged the church, it also underscored greater challenges that have been simmering for 40 years. These include an exodus of "cradle Catholics" and their replacement by waves of immigrants, dissent over church teachings on sexuality, and heated debates over clerical authority and lay leadership fueled by a crippling priest shortage.
"The way that the pope can connect is by speaking pastorally to a church that has gone through some very difficult times and is now trying to find its way again," said Robert Orsi, religion professor and chair in Catholic studies at Northwestern University.
- 19 US RC bishops accused.
Examiner,
~ April 14, 2008
BALTIMORE (MD) -- When Dave Lorenz went to the Archdiocese of Washington to start a program for survivors of those sexually abused by church officials, he was told not to come back until he was "healed."
"How can you get healed without help?" asked Lorenz, 49, of Bowie, who said he was abused by a priest 30 years ago in Kentucky.
"You're afraid of the shame and guilt of making the revelation."
The archdiocese's rebuff prompted him to join dozens of sexual-abuse survivors and advocates Sunday in front of the U.S. Capitol, where two Catholic Church watchdog groups released the names of 19 U.S. bishops accused of sexual abuse.
- RCC.
[2003 Estrada Arango*] - Convicted. Girl.
[~ 2008 Bp. Sevilla*] - Hid the conviction from the diocese.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
by Mark Morey, ~ April 14, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The Catholic bishop in Yakima acknowledged Sunday that he could have done more to inform church members that a former pastor in the diocese pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a teen girl in Oregon.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla's news release came in response to charges last week from a national advocacy group for victims of abuse by priests that Sevilla had fallen short in his duty to publicize that the Rev. Juan Estrada was convicted of sexual abuse.
"Should I have publicized Fr. (Father) Estrada's conviction? Perhaps so," Sevilla said in the news release. "But I certainly didn't hide it."
Sevilla also announced that he would not attend Pope Benedict's visit to Washington, D.C., this week. The advocacy group, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, had called on Sevilla to forgo the trip as penance.
Sevilla said the group's suggestion had nothing to do with his decision. Instead, he said, he needed to remain here to fulfill a request to take part in the funeral for the mother of a diocesan employee.
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
By Michael Levenson, April 14, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- When Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass on Boston Common on Oct. 1, 1979, Robert Costello was there. He was 18, president of the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Theresa of Avila parish in West Roxbury, and a freshman at Boston College. Praying in the rain with 400,000 believers, he watched as his friend, who was dying of cancer, took Communion from the pope's hand.
Now, almost 29 years later, Costello is anticipating another pope's visit. Only this time, he is going to protest, not pray. A victim of sexual abuse by a priest who was supposed to teach his Boy Scout troop to swim, Costello will travel from Boston to New York City Friday to read aloud the names of fellow victims, while Benedict XVI addresses the United Nations.
"I don't owe him the courtesy of kissing his ring, because they certainly didn't do me the courtesy of stopping this abuse when it happened," said Costello, a 46-year-old Norwood resident who, in 1989, came to terms with the abuse he said he suffered between the ages of 10 and 14.
- RCC.
Columbia Spectator,
By Joy Resmovits, PUBLISHED APRIL 14, 2008
NEW YORK -- He sauntered into the Journalism School's lecture hall on Friday, wearing a three-piece black suit, a large cross around his neck, and the requisite red ring. "Thank you for dressing more like a Cardinal than me," he said, his blue eyes gleaming, to a woman in the front row wearing a bright scarlet suit and a matching cap.
Cardinal John Patrick Foley, Journalism '66, is the first cardinal to graduate from Columbia's School of Journalism. He knelt to be ordained in St. Peter's Basilica in November 2007. Foley arrived at the J-School as an ordained priest and a doctor of philosophy, after which he became the editor of the diocesan paper. He led the Pontifical Council for Social Communications at the Vatican for 23 years before he was ordained as an archbishop. …
Responding to Goldman's question, Foley said Benedict will address the question of sexual abuse among church leaders. "The church in the United States has begun to heal that problem," Foley said before pointing out that these crimes exist outside of the church as well. Further discussion centered on interfaith relations and the upcoming meeting with President Bush.
- RCC.
The New York Times,
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, April 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Less than two weeks ago, as final preparations were being made for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States, the bishop of Camden, N.J., announced plans to close or merge nearly half the parishes in his diocese. Meanwhile, Catholics in New Orleans, Boston, New York, Toledo, Ohio, and nearly three dozen other dioceses are mourning the loss of parishes and parochial schools they grew up in. …
In addition to the issues the closings and consolidations present, this will be the first visit by any pope since the sexual abuse scandal erupted in 2002, taking a spiritual, emotional and financial toll on Catholics across the country. The scandal revealed more than 5,000 victims, and left behind five bankrupt dioceses. It has cost the church more than $2 billion, so far, and it is not over. Last week the family of two young boys filed a civil lawsuit against a Massachusetts priest accusing him of molesting the boys as recently as 2005.
One of the scandal's repercussions is that lay Catholics across the country are demanding more financial accountability from their bishops and more control over decisions, especially when it comes to closing parishes.
- RCC.
Washington Post,
By Alan Cooperman, Page B04, Monday, April 14, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- A decade ago, Toni McMorrow and her husband might have joined in the prayer and pageantry of the pope's visit to Washington. But now, she says, Benedict XVI's arrival and the throngs who will cheer him are "like daggers cutting into our broken hearts."
McMorrow thinks that her son was molested seven years ago by a priest at their Germantown church, she said. And, like many victims of clergy sex abuse and their families, she doesn't think the pope has done enough to punish bishops who engaged in or covered up abuse.
Together with lay Catholic groups, the victims' families are planning what they say will be respectful protests timed to coincide with the pope's trip, which begins tomorrow. "We won't be bringing any bullhorns into the stadium or disrupting anything," said Barbara Blaine, president of the largest victims support group, the 8,000-member Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "But we do want people to know that the sex abuse scandal is not history."
Blaine spoke at a small protest yesterday afternoon by the Reflecting Pool of the U.S. Capitol, where members of the survivors network laid out 19 white paper crosses bearing photographs of children allegedly abused by priests. The group also issued a list of 19 U.S. bishops who have been accused of abusing minors; 13 of them are alive, and three are still in office.
"Bishops can remove priests, but only the pope can discipline a bishop," said Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, based in Boston. "As the country goes a little bit pope-crazy this week … we should remember that this is not just a 'meet and greet' for the pope with the American people. It's also a managerial moment for the pope with his bishops."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 14, 2008
8:00 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon April 14, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Mrs LaBounty -NEW*] - Wife. "Church of Lord Jesus Christ." Did not report her seducing husband. Child victim.
Muskogee Phoenix,
www.muskogee phoenix.com/ local/local_ story_1052 30027.html ,
By Donna Hales, ~ April 15, 2008
WARNER (OK) -- A Warner woman received a 10-year suspended sentence Monday for enabling the sexual abuse of a 9-year-old child.
Sherry LaBounty earlier told a judge she did not report her husband for sexually abusing the child and allowed him to be around the victim, who he again abused.
During sentencing Monday she blamed her failure to report sexual abuse on her upbringing and her relationship with her church.
Muskogee County Assistant District Attorney Nikki Baker Dotson argued the sexual abuse was reported by a church member, so LaBounty couldn't blame the church for her not reporting it.
Frank Anderson, interim pastor of the Church of Lord Jesus Christ at Mountain Grove, off Coffee Road between Warner and Webbers Falls, said only one church elder knew of the abuse and advised LaBounty. …
Several hours after the sentence was pronounced, a woman identifying herself as Sherry LaBounty's twin sister, Terry Estes, said she did not believe the sentence was fair to Sherry LaBounty or her children.
She said her sister might later need her teaching certificate to make a decent living for the children. Sherry LaBounty has filed a divorce action against her husband, who is employed and provides support. …
- RCC.
Newsday,
BY MICHAEL AMON and CRAIG GORDON | michael.amon@newsday.com |
4:37 PM EDT, April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] arrived safely in Maryland Tuesday for his first papal visit to the United States after a seven-hour plane trip during which he said he was "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sex scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church. …
Dan Bartley, president of priest abuse victim advocacy group, Voice of the Faithful, said Benedict should take "concrete steps" to change the church's "culture of secrecy" and increase the role of lay people in church decision-making.
"Catholics want their bishops to be accountable to the people they serve," Bartley said. "How can our church be a moral beacon while this situation remains unaddressed?"
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 15, 2008
9:11 PM]
- RCC.
The Sun (United Kingdom),
By EMILY SMITH, Apr 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- THE Pope spoke yesterday of his "deep shame" about the clergy sex abuse scandal in the US.
Benedict XVI pledged he would work to make sure paedophiles do not become priests. …
The White House said the church scandal may be discussed by the two leaders.
Campaigners want child protection policies established for the church worldwide with leaders disciplined if they fail to stop pervert priests.
- RCC.
NBC Sandiego,
~ April 15, 2008
[with video]
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A victim of the clergy sex abuse scandal is speaking out about Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States.
On his flight to the U.S., the pope said he was ashamed "deeply ashamed" of the scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church and vowed to work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.
Paul Livingston said he was abused by a member of the Catholic Church at the age of 7. He was a part of the lawsuit that cost the archdiocese more than $650 million.
Livingston said he heard the pope's statements and now wants to see something done.
"Start by following that charter that was developed in 2002 when the scandal broke," Livingston said. "That's a good start."
- RCC.
The Oregonian,
Posted 17:46PM, April 15, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) -- In a surprise move, Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny on Tuesday released 2,000 pages of documents on priests accused of sexually abusing Oregon children.
Vlazny described the release in a statement as "part of the healing process and in the interest of transparency."
Bud Bunce, a spokesman for the Archdiocese, said the release had nothing to do with Pope Benedict XVI's trip to the United States or his apology for church's sex abuse scandal.
Portland attorneys who have filed sex abuse suits against the Archdiocese expressed bafflement over the unscheduled release, which comes less than 2 weeks after one round of failed mediation and a day before another is set to start.
- RCC.
The Oregonian,
The Associated Press, ~ April 15, 2008
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A year after the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portland settled its bankruptcy case for about $50 million, it has released some of its files on priests accused of sex abuse.
The files include some confidential personnel records.
The documents were expected to be released shortly after the settlement. But negotiations over the release stalled, sending the church and lawyers for the victims back to federal bankruptcy court.
- RCC.
Telegraph (United Kingdom),
By Malcolm Moore in Rome, Last Updated: 1:07am BST, April/16/2008
UNITED STATES -- The Pope said yesterday that he felt "profoundly ashamed" by sexual abuse by American priests at the start of his first visit to the United States.
He said on board his plane: "Paedophiles will be completely excluded from the priesthood. It is more important to have good priests than many priests. … "
The Vatican initially said that the issue was "closed" and that the Pope felt he would reopen old wounds by discussing paedophiles. But the Holy See has been forced to reverse its position by several American pressure groups.
One, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, held a three-hour vigil outside a church in Washington ahead of the Pope's arrival in the capital.
The group said St Dominic's Catholic Church had allowed a known paedophile to remain working for two years. Fr Aaron Cote, 56, was alleged to have molested two young boys in 2004. The church settled a civil suit with their family last year for $1.2 million (£600,000).
- RCC.
International Herald Tribune,
The Associated Press, Published April 15, 2008
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Maryland: Pope Benedict XVI stepped onto U.S. soil for the first time as pontiff Tuesday, arriving to a presidential handshake and wild cheering only hours after he admitted that he is "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sex abuse scandal that has devastated the American church. …
Gary Bergeron, who was molested by a priest in the 1970s in Lowell, Massachusetts, called the comments a "step I've been looking for." Bergeron said he was disappointed that Benedict did not plan to visit the Archdiocese of Boston, the scene of a case that sparked the greater scandal, but urged the pontiff to meet with victims this week.
The pope's promise failed to mollify other advocates for abuse victims, however. They said the problem is not just molester priests, but bishops and other church authorities who have let errant clergymen continue to serve even after repeated allegations.
"It's easy and tempting to continually focus on the pedophile priests themselves," said Peter Isely, a board member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "It's harder but crucial to focus on the broader problem – complicity in the rest of the church hierarchy."
- Former Benedictine Wall says "25yrs too late". US $3billion stated.
ABC (Australia),
~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] has begun a visit to the United States, where he has expressed deep shame over a decades-long sex scandal that has badly damaged the Catholic church in the country.
The 80-year-old pontiff was welcomed by President George Bush and his family in Washington.
Speaking to reporters, Pope Benedict said he would do everything he could to ensure that child molesters do not become members of the priesthood. …
One former Benedictine priest who left the clergy over the child sex scandal told Reuters the Pope's promise was "25 years too late".
"As chief enforcer for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for 24 years, he had the power and the jurisdiction to stop this, but he did nothing," Patrick Wall said.
"The church has lost over three billion dollars in settlements and in the next 10 years will lose another three billion dollars if things don't change. The church is scared," he said.
- RCC. US $2 billion.
The Times (United Kingdom),
by Tim Reid, ~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI said yesterday that he was "deeply ashamed" over the sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests in the US and vowed to keep paedophiles out of the Church.
The Pope, answering questions on board his flight from Rome to Washington, addressed directly one of the toughest issues facing him on his US visit: the wave of sex scandals that first arose in 2002 and which has since forced the country's Roman Catholic Church to pay more than $2 billion (£1 billion) in abuse settlements.
"It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," the Pope said. "It's difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way their mission to give healing, to give the love of God to these children," he said.
"I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future," he added. He promised that the Church would do everything possible to screen candidates for the priesthood "so that only really sound persons can be admitted".
- RCC.
Vatican Radio,
~ April 15, 2008
[with audio]
UNITED STATES -- If you came expecting 21-gun salutes, fanfares and speeches – you would have been disappointed.
The Pope's arrival at Andrew's Air Force Base, outside Washington DC, was even more sober and subdued than the prearranged protocol had decreed it would be. That's not because the Pope's visit hasn't been eagerly awaited, anticipated and analyzed on everything from TV talk-shows to tabloids and blogs. On the contrary: Time Magazine set the tone with its 4-page article, entitled "The American Pope". The local press confirms that he "respects" and even "admires" America's spiritual foundations and deep religiosity. …
What will surprise (and please) his hosts is the clarity and courage with which he responded to the inevitable question regarding the sexual abuse issue. Every conversation regarding the Catholic Church in this country either begins or ends with comments concerning this issue – which the Pope himself called a "wound". Benedict XVI couldn't have been clearer. 3 points: justice, healing and greater attention to the human and spiritual formation of seminarians. He confirmed exactly what people want to hear: "it should never have happened"…"it must never happen again".
- RCC.
Muskogee Phoenix,
~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict's apology will go a long way to improve the Catholic Church's image in the United States. Carrying out his promise to screen priests better and bar pedophiles from becoming priests will go further.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived Tuesday in the United States, his first visit here since becoming the head of the Roman Catholic Church three years ago. He immediately apologized for the child sex abuse committed by some priests that became public about six years ago. Since then U.S. Catholic churches have paid out about $2 billion in court settlements.
The scandal is certainly still fresh in people's minds and an embarrassment for the church. But the pope's visit is important beyond the apology he made.
- RCC.
NBC 12,
From NBC12 News, ~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The leader of the Catholic Church has arrived in Washington, D.C.
Pope Benedict XVII, who turns 81 tomorrow, is beginning a six-day visit to the United States. …
But Catholics, students and volunteers are thrilled to be a part of it all - while some are already protesting.
Barabara Dorris of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests says she wants to see real change in the Catholic church's attitude toward the priest abuse scandal.
"I don't want an apology," Dorris said, "Words are cheap - I want actions."
- RCC.
Scopical (Australia),
~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The Pope has arrived in the United States today and was welcomed by US President George W. Bush in Maryland.
It marks the first US-trip for Pope Benedict XVI, with hundreds of Catholics also present at the airport for the Pope's arrival.
However the Pope's visit is likely to be overshadowed by fury at the Catholic Church's handling of child abuse claims emanating from organiastions around the US.
- RCC.
The New York Times,
By IAN URBINA and ABBY GOODNOUGH, Published: April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) – Far from tamping down emotions, Pope Benedict XVI's expression of remorse on Tuesday for the church's sexual abuse scandal prompted an angry and skeptical response from victims, who said they wanted actions, not words from the Vatican.
"He talks about feeling shame for the scandal but it's a far cry from the shame that victims have had to live with our entire lives," said Becky Ianni, 50, an abuse victim who joined a vigil in front of St. Dominic's Catholic Church here.
Holding an eight-foot-long vinyl banner with photographs of more than 60 children abused by priests, a group of about a half-dozen victims and supporters gathered to voice their frustrations with the pope.
- RCC.
The Washington Times,
By Andrea Billups, April 15, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Washington, kicking off three days of festivities in the nation's capital as he meets with church leaders, holds Mass and is honored by a gala dinner at the White House before traveling on to New York.
Benedict briskly descended his Alitalia jet about 4:10 p.m., walking down a red-carpeted stairway amid cheers as he waved to well-wishers with the brisk afternoon wind whipping his white robes. …
The Pope, whose trip is as much a public relations visit as a diplomatic one, is expected to address challenges to the church when he holds mass at the Washington Nationals Stadium on Thursday – from the priest sex abuse scandal as well as the downsizing of U.S. catholic schools, churches and priests.
- RCC.
WBZ
~ April 15, 2008
[with video]
WASHINGTON (DC), (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI begins his first trip to the United States on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of Catholics are expected to flock to the East Coast for the pontiff's appearances in Washington and New York.
Worcester Bishop Robert McManus is among those who will meet with the Pope during his U.S. trip. He for one, believes Pope Benedict XVI will address many of the issues concerning local Catholics.
"There's a restlessness in our country on various levels," Bishop McManus told WBZ-TV's Ron Sanders. "I think the Holy Father would say part of that restlessness derives from the fact that people are losing a sense of hope."
Bishop McManus will meet with the Pope in New York and Washington. He says he thinks the pontiff will address war and the clergy sex abuse crisis, even though he's not coming to Massachusetts - the epicenter of the scandal.
- RCC.
WBZ,
by Ron Sanders, ~ April 15, 2008
WORCESTER (MA), (WBZ) – Costly settlements in the Church's abuse scandals since 2002 have led to dozens of parishes, including Catholic schools, having to close their doors in Massachusetts.
The Boston Archdiocese just announced the 120-year-old St. Mary Star of the Sea in East Boston will close in June.
This week, several Worcester Catholic school leaders will be meeting with Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the United States.
"We believe, as Catholic school leaders, that we really are at a crossroads," said Worcester Catholic Schools Superintendant Stephen Perla.
- RCC.
Bloomberg,
By Nadine Elsibai, April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES (Bloomberg) -- Pope Benedict XVI has a lot of catching up to do with the U.S. and its 69 million Roman Catholics as he begins his first official visit to the country.
The trip marks the first by a pope to the U.S. since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the American invasion of Iraq, and the revelations that, over a span of decades, Catholic clergymen had sexually abused minors. Benedict, upon arriving at Andrews Air Force Base today, was greeted by President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura.
While Benedict's reserved public persona contrasts with the celebrity status of the last papal visitor, John Paul II, he has confronted all three issues head on. He triggered riots among Muslims by speaking out against Islamic extremism, criticized the war, and forced the church to begin facing up to the sex scandal. The pope, en route to Washington today, said he felt "deeply ashamed" over the scandal, according to the Associated Press, which cited Italy's ANSA news service.
- RCC.
AFP,
~ April 15, 2008
WASHINGTON(DC), (AFP) – Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday began a visit to the United States, hoping to heal wounds from a decades-long clergy sex scandal that has disfigured the US church and to tackle other sensitive subjects, including the war in Iraq.
The 80-year-old pontiff was given an unprecedented welcome by President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, who were on hand at Andrews Air Force base near Washington to greet the pope.
No visiting head of state has ever been welcomed on arrival in the United States by the president.
On the flight from Rome to Washington, Benedict said the sex scandal that looms over his visit had made him feel "deeply ashamed".
- RCC.
NECN,
by Brad Puffer, Boston, Mass., ~ April 15, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS, (NECN): - Pope Benedict says he is "deeply ashamed" by the church's sexual abuse scandal. He says he will work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.
Benedict also says the scandal is a "great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general."
He's been criticized by some for not doing enough to stop abuse and penalizing bishops accused of covering it up.
- RCC.
Vatican Radio,
~ April 15, 2008
[with audio of the pope's comments in English]
(15 Apr 08 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI is bound for the United States of America on his 8th Apostolic voyage, dedicated to the theme Christ Our Hope.
The Pope is due to touch down in Washington at 4pm local time. …
After outlining the two main objectives of this visit, his pastoral visit to the Church in America which is marking a series of anniversaries this year, and his speech to the United Nations, also celebrating it's 60th birthday, the Pope then addressed the most pressing questions for the secular media; top of the list whether he had a special message for those in the US church who are still suffering the painful aftermath of the child abuse scandal.
"It is difficult for me to understand how priest could have failed in this way their mission to give healing to give the love of God to these children", confessed the Pope, "We are deeply ashamed and we will do everything possible to ensure that this will not happen in the future".
[2001 Card. Ratzinger] - RCC. Banned whistleblowers again.
Guardian (United Kingdom)
~ April 15, 2008
Over the centuries many dubious miracles have been claimed on behalf of the power of prayer. But Pope Benedict XVI, who arrived in the United States today for his inaugural visit, is expecting more than a miracle if he thinks that prayer can remove the ugly stain of priestly paedophilia from the Catholic Church in America.
The Vatican says the Pope will address the sex scandals during his American visit, while the New York Times today reports that the Vatican will begin screening candidates for the priesthood for paedophilic tendencies. But this is a diversion from the real issue: will the Catholic church deliver its known paedophiles to civil authorities for their prosecution, regardless of the damage to the church's reputation and finances? …
As defender of the faith, Ratzinger could have amended the Vatican's Crimen Sollicitationis {Crime of Solicitation}, which originally drew guidelines for how the church dealt with priests that used the confessional booth to solicit sex from parishioners, even the young. In 2001, Ratzinger revisited the document in a confidential letter to bishops reminding them of the strict penalties whistle blowers faced if they took the matter outside the church.
[LINKS: www.cesnur. org/2007/ Crimen_ 1962.pdf, and
www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ criminelatin. htm. ENDS.]
- RCC.
WBBM,
~ April 15, 2008
CHICAGO (IL), (WBBM) -- Pope Benedict has landed in the United States for a nearly week-long visit that will take him to New York and Washington D.C., including a speech at the United Nations.
On the plane ride over seas he spoke with reporters about the priest sex abuse scandal. WBBM's Bernie Tafoya reports.
Pope Benedict says he's deeply ashamed priests sexually molested children and he promises to do all he can to see that pedophiles are not ordained priests in the future.
But, Barbara Blaine president of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests says statements are not enough and that what's needed is to punish those who've covered-up for molester priests and have a worldwide Church policy on the sexual abuse of children.
- RCC.
The Raw Story,
by David Edwards and Muriel Kane, Published: Tuesday April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI has set out for his first papal visit to the United States at a time when many American Catholics are less than satisfied with their church and its leader. According to a recent ABC News poll, 73% disapprove of how the Church has handled the sex abuse scandal that has cost it $2 billion.
The pope stated, while on his flight to the United States, that he was "deeply ashamed" of the scandal and would work to keep pedophiles out of the priesthood. However, victims groups say he has refused to meet with them and plan to protest his arrival.
"There has to be more substance to what's he's saying," said Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian. "He actually has to take steps. He has to let victims and the public know what those steps are."
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
by Michael Paulson 12:29 PM, April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Greetings from Maryland, where I'll be blogging about the pope's visit today. The pope, Benedict XVI, is en route now from Rome Fiumicino, aboard a chartered Alitalia Boeing 777 dubbed, for the moment, Shepherd One. This is the pope's eighth trip during his three years in office, and his first to the US. …
The pope is already making news -- in his traditional in-flight remarks to reporters, he used the most personal, and arguably the strongest, language yet used by a pontiff in reference to the abuse crisis, saying he is "deeply ashamed" by the abusive behavior of priests.
Survivors are already reacting -- in Boston, attorney Mitchell Garabedian gathered some of his clients to comment, and Peter Isely, a SNAP official, immediately issued a statement calling for action rather than words, saying, "Benedict has done essentially what John Paul II did - make a few vague, brief remarks about the continuing crisis, and nothing more."
- RCC. Harbouring a criminal-harbourer.
The Dallas Morning News,
by Bruce Tomaso, ~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- That's the question that one longtime reader of this blog asks -- and it's a damn good one.
Law, of course, is the former archbishop of Boston who presided there while some of his priests ran amok sexually abusing children. Law did little if anything to stop the abuse. And when he was forced to step down as head of the archdiocese -- an archdiocese bitterly divided and financially battered by his long years of negligent leadership -- he was given a cushy job in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI's predecessor, John Paul II. Law remains a cardinal in Rome to this day.
Celebrity atheist Christopher Hitchens could be predictably counted upon to trash the Catholic Church on the eve of the pope's U.S. visit, and Hitchens doesn't disappoint those dull predictions in this column for Slate. Still, his observations about Law toward the end of the column are cogent, and they ought to be disturbing to any Catholic. Including the pope.
[Mons. Alzugaray]
Daily Breeze,
From wire reports, Article Launched 10:29:52 AM PDT, April/15/2008
CALIFORNIA -- A support group that aids victims of clergy sexual abuse settled a lawsuit with a monsignor and his lawyer that alleged the two tried to stop their attempts to expose priests who are molesters, an attorney for the group said today.
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2006 accusing Msgr. Joseph F. Alzugaray and lawyer Neil L. Papiano of malicious prosecution.
SNAP's suit claimed that Alzugaray was attempting to use the courts to intimidate victims from speaking out against molestation by priests.
- RCC.
Newsmax,
By Philip V. Brennan, 2:10 PM, Tuesday, April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The U.S. media is in for a big disappointment this week – his holiness Pope Benedict XVI has no intention of allowing our secularized and largely agnostic media to set the agenda for his visit.
Unable to grasp either the real nature of or what motivates the holy father, the media sees both through the prism of their own misinformed world view: as being concerned solely with political and ethical questions, with bricks and mortar rather than the reality and destination of the human soul. …
Benedict XVI is not here to deal with petty material matters that concern a minority of Catholics and most of the media such as the impossible ordination of women or to grovel before the angry crowd that is obsessed with the tiny minority of faithless priests who allowed their homosexual tendencies to overcome their vows of chastity and abuse teenagers.
He has pronounced his church's mea culpa and vowed his determination to root out the moral rot in the seminaries and the small part of the priesthood that led to this outrage.
[RECAPITULAION: … the tiny minority of faithless priests …
ENDS.]
[COMMENT: Four per cent of U.S. R.C. priests is NOT a tiny minority. It was more than 4000, and the number is rising. The fact that Cardinal Law is still in a Vatican position is proof to most people that the present Pope is, like the previous one, a supporter of "panders".
ENDS.]
- RCC.
United Press International,
Published April 15, 2008
The Roman Catholic Church reviews candidates for priesthood to exclude those with tendencies to molest children, Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters while flying to his first visit to the United States, the pope discussed the U.S. scandal that has uncovered more than 5,000 sexual abuse victims since 2002 and cost the church more than $2 billion. …
Pope Benedict drew a distinction between priests with homosexual tendencies and those who molest children, saying, "I would not speak at this moment about homosexuality, but pedophilia … is another thing. And we would absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry."
- RCC.
InTheNews (United Kingdom),
19:39, Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in the US today for the first visit of his papacy.
The six-day trip will involve visits to the White House and the United Nations.
Reports in the US media suggest that the Pope may address the sex-scandal that has rocked the US Catholic community, which with an estimated 70 million members is the largest in the world.
Last week a spokesman for Pope Benedict however tried to distance the church leader from the scandal claiming that he would instead focus on religious and moral values during his trip.
- RCC.
The New York Times,
By ABBY GOODNOUGH, Published: April 15, 2008
BOSTON (MA) – Pope Benedict XVI [Ratzinger] may have expressed his regrets on Tuesday for the child sexual-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, saying he was "deeply ashamed," but several abuse victims here, where the crisis erupted in 2002, said his comments rang hollow.
"I think they were rehearsed," said Robert Costello, who says he was abused by a priest in West Roxbury, Mass., starting when he was 10. He and other victims spoke at a news conference organized by Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer who has represented hundreds of victims of clergy abuse.
In particular, Mr. Costello questioned why the pope would say the scandal has caused "great suffering for the church" and "for me personally" without acknowledging the pain of abuse victims themselves.
"What about the suffering of the children?" said Mr. Costello, who will travel to New York to read aloud the names of victims on Friday while the pope addresses the United Nations. "He doesn't have any empathy for victims because he doesn't talk to us."
- Indigenous boarding institution.
Times Colonist,
by Shayne Morrow, Alberni Valley Times, Tuesday, April 15, 2008
CANADA -- Local First Nations leaders are calling on a long-time activist to come up with proof of sensational allegations made last week, concerning the location of grave sites at the former Alberni Indian Residential School site.
The school site is located on the traditional territory of Tseshaht First Nation. On Monday, chief councillor Les Sam said his nation will welcome a forensic investigation by qualified parties, with proper authority. …
Last week, former Alberni United Church pastor Kevin Annett, who now bills himself as Eagle Strong Voice, announced that a newly-created body known as the International Human Rights Tribunal into Genocide in Canada has evidence of 28 residential school gravesites across Canada, including a location 100 metres west of the present Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council office, which sits on Tseshaht First Nation property, at the site of the old school.
- RCC.
<-- ### IF THIS IF THE FIRST, MOVE UP -->
Catholic News Agency,
Apr 15, 2008 / 10:34 am
Aboard the papal plane, (CNA). -- While in transit to the United States today, Pope Benedict XVI took the opportunity to respond to the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, saying that he will do "everything possible to heal this wound" and that he will work to ensure pedophiles don't become priests.
The Pope's words were part of answers he gave to questions submitted in advance by reporters aboard Shepherd One, a special Alitalia airliner that is ferrying him to the United States.
"It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children."
- RCC.
Catholic League,
~ April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Here is how Catholic dissidents are responding to the pope's visit: …
• SNAP, a gang of professional victims greased by lawyers who have exploited the church, wants the U.N. to investigate the Vatican.
• Voice of the Faithful, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, is lecturing the pope about Church finances …
"These groups are dying out fast. Staffed by senior citizens who are angry that the Church didn't turn left, they have almost no members under the age of 90 (okay, maybe 85).
[COMMENT: This Website didn't know that the Catholic League had received a Papal Dispensation from the "false witness" Commandment. How did they get that privilege? Might we add that such a Papal Dipensation would NOT be honoured in Heaven?
- RCC.
The Star-Ledger,
by Mark Mueller/The Star-Ledger, Tuesday April 15, 2008
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE -- Pope Benedict XVI said today he was "deeply ashamed" by the clergy sex abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church in the United States, calling it a "great suffering" for both the thousands of victims and the church in general.
Speaking briefly with reporters aboard the papal plane as he traveled from Rome to Washington D.C., the pope addressed head-on an issue that was certain to come up repeatedly during his six-day American visit.
"As I read the histories of these victims, it is difficult for me to understand how it is possible that priests betrayed in this way," the pope said. "Their mission is to give healing, to give the love of God to these children. We are deeply ashamed and we will do everything possible that this cannot happen in the future."
The pope addressed the issue about an hour after taking off from Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, answering a reporter's question in English. He spoke calmly, his face impassive.
- Words about seductions and immigration.
Los Angeles Times
By Tracy Wilkinson and Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
8:32 AM PDT, April 15, 2008
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE -- Embarking on his first voyage to the United States as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI said that the priesthood was "absolutely incompatible" with the sexual abuse of children and pledged to help heal the wounds that have scarred the Roman Catholic church.
En route for the first visit by a pope since the scandal broke several years ago, Benedict also signaled to reporters that he wanted to discuss immigration issues during his visit this week. The papal party is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., this afternoon where he will be greeted by President Bush at Andrews Air Force Base.
"We are deeply ashamed," the pope said on the airplane of the abuse scandal. "We will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future.
[Carlos Gonzalez Gonzalez] - RCC. 4 girls.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
MEXICO -- Civic Organizations and Victims of Sexual Abuse will unite to demand a resolution from the San Luis Potosi Courts in this ongoing case which has been on going for four (4) years! A call for justice for the four (4) underage girls who were allegedly abused by Carlos Gonzalez Gonzales, the Ex-Director of the Potosina Marianist Elementary Institute in San Luis Potosi. …
The Press Conference will be held on Tuesday, April 15th at 11:00 a.m. at "La Corriente Restaurant, " located at Avenue V. Carranza, corner with Uresti in the Historic Center of the City of San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
UNITED STATES -- A new ABC/Washington Post Poll released today shows that Catholics' disapproval of the church's handling of the sex abuse issue is the highest level ever, and it has increased dramatically over the past four years, despite repeated pledges by bishops to do better (story which contains link to the full poll).
We are grateful that so many Catholics realize that little has changed in the church hierarchy's continued mismanagement and cover up of horrific child sex crimes. These findings are truly shocking, given that church officials have spent millions on public relations efforts designed to convince American Catholics that "everything has been fixed."
Catholics aren't fools. They have seen - through news accounts, criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits, grand jury investigations, and personal experience - that bishops say one thing in public and do something very different in private. Parishioners have not been swayed by smooth promises of reform by bishops when those same bishops' actions prove no real reform has happened.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
WASHINGTON (DC) -- WHAT
As the Pope lands in America, clergy sex abuse victims will hand out fliers, wear childhood photos, and hold a sidewalk vigil outside a Washington DC church where a pedophile priest who committed very recent child sex crimes worked. …
WHEN
Tuesday, April. 15, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
WHERE
Outside St. Dominic's Catholic Church, 630 E Street SW, Washington DC (202 544 7863)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
UNITED STATES -- Statement by Peter Isely of Milwaukee, board chair emeritus of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (414-429-7259)
(In the first of what will likely be several remarks about the church's ongoing child sex abuse and cover-up crisis, on the plane this morning, the Pope said he's 'ashamed' of the scandal and will work to prevent it in the future.)
Promises don't protect kids. Action protects kids.
The Pope has established a worldwide policy on saying mass in Latin. He has not established a worldwide policy on child sex abuse. Three years into his papacy, Benedict has done essentially what John Paul II did - make a few vague, brief remarks about the continuing crisis, and nothing more.
CNSNews
By Fred Lucas
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
April 15, 2008
NEW YORK -- (CNSNews.com) - Comments by HBO's Bill Maher insulting the Pope and calling Catholicism a "cult" that promotes "organized pedophilia" have stirred resentment among many American Catholics upset he would say this the week before Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States.
The comments were made on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday, Apr. 11. Maher went into a long monologue on his program comparing the Catholic church to a polygamous cult -- the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- which was raided on Apr. 3 and whose founder, Warren Jeffs, was convicted last year for being an accessory to the rape of a teenage girl. …
Catholic League President Bill Donohue responded that Maher "lied when he said the Pope 'used to be a Nazi.' Like all young men in Germany at the time, he was conscripted into a German Youth organization (from which he fled as soon as he could). Every responsible Jewish leader has acknowledged this reality and has never sought to brand the Pope a Nazi. That job falls to Maher."
The Daily News Tribune
By Nancy Reardon
The Patriot Ledger
MASSACHUSETTS -- Local Catholics disappointed that Pope Benedict XVI is not visiting Boston this week say the church leader is missing an important opportunity to promote healing.
Many view the Boston archdiocese as the epicenter of the clergy sex abuse scandal that exploded in 2002. And in a year when the archdiocese is celebrating its bicentennial, some view the pope's itinerary as a snub to abuse victims and a deliberate attempt to avoid controversy.
"Boston is a symbol of the crisis," said John Moynihan, spokesperson for Voice of the Faithful, a Boston-based lay organization that supports abuse victims. "Obviously, (the pope) didn't come here because the bishops want to bury this story… . They don't seem to have an understanding of where the survivors are and how big this problem is."
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 15, 2008
11:33 AM
The New York Times
By JOHN HOLUSHA
Published: April 16, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI said on Tuesday that following the Roman Catholic Church's child sexual abuse scandals in the United States, the church is reviewing candidates for the priesthood with the objective of excluding those with a tendency to molest children.
Speaking to reporters on an airplane taking him for his first visit to the United States as pope, he addressed the scandal in the U.S. that has produced more than 5,000 sexual abuse victims since it erupted in 2002 and cost the church more than $2 billion.
"It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the church in general and for me personally that this could happen," he said. "As I read the histories of those victims it is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way. Their mission was to give healing, to give the love of God to these children. We are deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible that this cannot happen in the future."
Boston Herald
By Jessica Fargen
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- On the heels of Pope Benedict XVI's bold statements this morning that he's "ashamed" of the clergy sex abuse crisis and wants to bar pedophile priests, Boston victims and Catholic critics are speaking out and demanding more action from the visiting pontiff.
"There has to be more substance to what's he's saying," said Mitchell Garabedian, the Boston attorney who represented dozens of clergy sex abuse victims who sued the Boston Archdiocese. "He actually has to take steps. He has to let victims and the public know what those steps are.
"The words are fine, but we need action.''
Garabedian is holding a press conference today with six clergy abuse victims and their families, which was planned before Benedict made his comments. Prior to his arrival in Washington D.C. today, Benedict told reporters aboard the papal airplane that he was "deeply ashamed" of the U.S. sex abuse scandal and will work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.
[19 bishops] - RCC. Child seducers.
ABC News
By BRIAN ROSS and RHONDA SCHWARTZ
April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict is criticized for how he dealt with recent church scandals.Even as he told reporters on his flight to America that he was "deeply ashamed" over the church sex abuse scandal, Pope Benedict was accused by victims of protecting some 19 bishops accused of sexually abusing children.
"As a Catholic, I have to sadly conclude that he is not serious about ridding the church of corrupt bishops," said Anne Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a group tracking public records involving the bishops.
According to the group, of the 19 bishops "credibly accused of abusing children," none has lost his title, been publicly censured by the Vatican or referred for criminal prosecutions.
Guardian (United Kingdom)
Daniel Nasaw in Washington and Riazat Butt, guardian.co.uk, Tuesday April 15 2008
Pope Benedict XVI today said he was "deeply ashamed" of the child sex abuse scandal that rocked the US Catholic church, just hours before he was to arrive on his first journey to the US as pontiff.
"It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said aboard a special Alitalia airliner, nicknamed Shepherd 1. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children.
"I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future," the 81-year-old pope said, pledging to keep paedophiles out of the priesthood.
Newswise Social and Behavioral Sciences News
UNITED STATES (Newswise) – Pope Benedict XVI will visit the United States April 15-21 with stops in Washington, DC, and New York City. The pope's visit comes at a pivotal time for the Catholic Church in the United States: parishes are closing or being consolidated, churches are aging, there is a priest shortage, and fallout from the sexual abuse scandal continues.
Sociologists are available to comment on the implications of the pope's visit, the state of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, and related issues.
Stuff (New Zealand)
Reuters | Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Pope Benedict has said he was "deeply ashamed" over sexual abuse that shook the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, and vowed to do everything possible to avoid a repeat scandal.
"We will absolutely exclude paedophiles from the sacred ministry," he told reporters aboard the plane taking them to Washington for his first visit to the United States as pope.
"We are deeply ashamed and will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future."
Yahoo News
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE - Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday he was "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that stained the Catholic church and will work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.
Benedict was answering questions that were submitted in advance by reporters aboard a special Alitalia airliner as he was flying from Rome to Washington to begin his first papal pilgrimage to the United States.
"It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children.
MetroWest Daily News
By Julia Spitz/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted 10:39 PM
Apr 14, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to America, which begins today, is being viewed as a blessing, a chance to unite the church and a reason to protest.
"It's many things," said Mary Jesch, one of 14 members of St. Bridget Parish in Framingham scheduled to attend Mass in New York on Sunday, but most importantly, "it's an amazing opportunity for American Catholics to worship with the Holy Father." …
Even the Voice of the Faithful, the Newton-based group created in response to clergy sex abuse scandals, is not sending an official contingent.
"Everybody's going to be there. Why compete with everybody?" John Moynihan, communications director for the Voice of the Faithful, said yesterday.
Instead, the group has taken out an ad in the New York Times, urging the pope to help heal the wounds left by clergy sex abuse with "justice for the abused and accountability from the bishops."
- 1. Exposed Islamic extremism, 2. Criticised the war, 3. Faced up to seductions.
Bloomberg
By Nadine Elsibai
April 15, 2008
UNITED STATES, (Bloomberg) -- Pope Benedict XVI has a lot of catching up to do with the U.S. and its 69 million Roman Catholics when he begins his first official visit to the country today.
The trip will mark the first by a pope to the U.S. since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the American invasion of Iraq, and the revelations that, over a span of decades, thousands of clergymen had sexually abused minors.
While Benedict's reserved public persona contrasts with the celebrity status of the last papal visitor, John Paul II, he has confronted all three issues head on. He triggered riots among Muslims by speaking out against Islamic extremism, criticized the war, and forced the church to at least begin facing up to the sex scandal. …
Many Catholics say the pope hasn't done enough: Voice of the Faithful, a 35,000-member group, ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times on April 8 calling on Benedict to meet with abuse survivors and create more transparency in the church hierarchy.
Standard-Times
By Brian Fraga
April 15, 2008
NEW BEDFORD (MA) – As Pope Benedict XVI arrives today in Washington, D.C., on the first leg of a six-day visit, local Catholics will be paying close attention to how the pontiff addresses the clergy sex abuse crisis that rocked the American church in 2002.
"Benedict will not be vague or ambiguous in condemning it," the Rev. Roger J. Landry, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford, said Monday. …
Despite the efforts of Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley, the former bishop of the Fall River diocese, Pope Benedict will not be visiting Boston, which was at the epicenter of the clergy sex abuse scandal.
The Rev. Landry said the Vatican did not want the pope's visit to end on that note.
Voice of the Faithful, a lay group formed in response to the abuse crisis, is seeking to keep the issue front and center, raising money to buy a full-page advertisement in the New York Times and other national newspapers.
"We don't think (Pope Benedict) understands what's happening in the U.S. church," John Moynihan, Voice of the Faithful communications director, told The Standard-Times last month. "We want to call his attention to reality."
NECN
by Greg Wayland,
MASSACHUSETTS – NECN's Greg Wayland takes a closer look at the Pope's visit to the United States and talks to some New England Catholics about what the trip means to them.
Script:
He is scholarly, shy and prayerful, and seldom given to grand gestures. But Pope Benedict the 16th, will face a grand audience during his six-day American visit. The country's 67 million Catholics, though divided on moral and political issues, seem united in welcoming their spiritual leader. …
Phil Lawler, who's book, "The Faithful Departed," describes the church culture he believes gave rise to the sex abuse crisis, believes Boston is still unfriendly turf for the Catholic hierarchy.
Lawler: "His enemies would be very well prepared and his allies would not be prepared to welcome him."
The lay Catholic group "Voice of the Faithful" took out a one-day $51,000 dollar ad in the New York Times calling on the Pope to remove Bishops who knowingly re-assigned sex-abuser priests. The ad also calls on Benedict to transform the church through greater lay involvement in finances and other areas.
Quad-Cities Online
By Reggie Jarrell, rjarrell@qconline.com
IOWA -- Several Quad-Citians are traveling to the East Coast this week to see Pope Benedict XVI, anticipating encouraging words and personal spiritual growth during the six-day visit to the United States by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Most Rev. Martin Amos, bishop of the Diocese of Davenport, will travel to Washington, D.C., with hopes that the papal visit revitalizes the nation's spirit. …
Heather Smith, Waterloo, would like to see the pope also meet with a cross section of abuse victims. Smith co-founded the Northeast Iowa chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
"There are still significant issues with cover-up, healing, responsibility, accountability and publicly naming pedophile priests," she said. "These are issues that definitely need to be addressed."
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Bronislaus B. Kush, bkush@telegram.com ,
UNITED STATES -- In a video message to Americans last week, Pope Benedict XVI said the purpose of his trip to the United States, which begins today in Washington, D.C., is to reach out spiritually to all Roman Catholics living in this country. …
In January, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked Archbishop Pieto Sambi, the papal nuncio, to arrange a formal meeting between victims and the pope.
"We never received a response," said David Clohessy, SNAP's national director. "Benedict has never reached out to victims. In the early part of his papacy, he made reference to the 'filth' within the church and people thought he was referring to the pedophiles. But that's about all he's done. The church's response to the crisis has been deplorable."
On Friday, SNAP asked Vatican officials that Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley be excluded from public events because of the organization's belief that the prelate hasn't done enough to safeguard children.
Gallup Poll News
by Jeffrey M. Jones,
PRINCETON, NJ -- As Pope Benedict XVI prepares to make his first U.S. visit as pope, a recent Gallup Panel survey finds Americans with a mostly positive view of U.S. Roman Catholics as a group.
With 45% of Americans saying they have a positive view of U.S. Catholics and 13% reporting a negative opinion, the net positive score for Catholics is +32. A substantial proportion of Americans, 41%, say their view of Catholics is neutral.
These results are based on a March 24-27 Gallup Panel survey, which asked a representative sample of Americans whether they have a positive, negative, or neutral view of each of 10 spiritual or religious groups in the United States. …
Certainly, one of the Pope's goals in visiting the United States will be to raise awareness and positive perceptions of the Catholic Church. Even though the church has been the subject of controversy in recent years -- most visibly with revelations of sexual abuse by priests -- Americans on balance view the church more positively than negatively.
[2000 Mr Wood] - Christian. 1yr's prison. Boy.
This is Gloucestershire
09:00 - 15 April 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- Music teacher Peter Wood has been jailed for a year for a sex attack.The 53-year-old from Cheltenham admitted abusing a 14-year-old who was a pupil.
Gloucester Crown Court heard the boy was badly psychologically scarred by the experience and did not report the offences for eight years.
The victim - now 22 - first met his abuser at a church where Wood was playing the organ, the court heard.
Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
CANADA -- Court - A former youth ministry volunteer will go to trial on 15 of 17 charges of sexual abuse allegedly involving four teenage girls.
Provincial court Judge William Cummings ordered Kelly Malcolm Grant, 43, to stand trial following a preliminary hearing on Monday.
All four complainants testified Monday during the one-day hearing. There was a ban on publication of evidence.
Statesman Journal
April 15, 2008
OREGON -- Pope Benedict XVI is welcome as he arrives in the United States today. His theme – hope – is a good one in these times of war and economic anxiety.
But one topic strangely is missing from his announced programs in Washington, D.C., and New York City: the clergy-sex-abuse scandal that has shaken the U.S. Catholic Church in recent years.
Here in the Mid-Valley, this subject has touched many lives. The Portland archdiocese, covering most of Western Oregon, has gone through complicated bankruptcy proceedings because of the high cost of sex-abuse claims. Local lawyers took on victims' cases; local church members worried that parish schools might be sold.
KPTV
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Sergio Alvarizares will be appearing in court Wednesday to announce his acceptance of a plea deal in a sexual abuse case, the district attorney said.
The trial date was set for May 5 but by entering a guilty plea Alvarizares will forego a trial.
Alvarizares was the leader of Casa del Padre, a large congregation in Northeast Portland.
Newsweek
By Daniel Stone and Eve Conant | Newsweek Web Exclusive
UNITED STATES -- Back in 2004, Roman Catholic Bishop Donald Wuerl traveled often to Rome to work with the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, led at the time by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Both were scholars, both were of German decent, and they worked well together. Two years later, after Ratzinger had become Pope Benedict XVI, he appointed Wuerl archbishop of Washington, D.C., a post considered by many the de facto Vatican spokesman position in the United States.
Wuerl was well placed for the position. Having led the Pittsburgh diocese for 21 years, he rescued its parishes from a $2 million deficit and wrote a book on Catholic teachings that became a best-seller. He was lauded for his strong record in fighting to remove priests involved in the church's sexual abuse scandals. Compared to the populist personas of their predecessors, Benedict and Wuerl are both considered traditionalists who hold conservative views on Catholic doctrine and emphasize the importance of teaching to confront new challenges like dwindling church attendance and the dilution of social teachings.
Just days before the pontiff's arrival in America, Wuerl invited NEWSWEEK's Daniel Stone and Eve Conant for a rare interview inside his home–a renovated church attic–to discuss the challenges facing the Catholic Church in America, Wuerl's relationship with the pope and his expectations for the upcoming trip.
WBUR
By Martha Bebinger, April 15, 2008
BOSTON, Mass. -- The Boston Archdiocese is in recovery mode as it marks its Bicentennial this year.
Distrust from the clergy abuse crisis lingers, some parishioners say the church is too outdated to remain relevant, and most parishes that were closed or merged are still struggling.
Today, we continue our series, "The Future of the Faith," in one of those merged parishes: Saint Cecilia, Boston. WBUR's Martha Bebinger has the story.
USA Today
By Cathy Lynn Grossman,
UNITED STATES -- When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Washington, D.C., today on his first U.S. papal visit, he'll see a Catholic Church of great vitality – facing great uncertainty.
"People are excited that he's coming. He's saying, 'You matter in the universal church,' " says Sheila Garcia of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' office for the laity. "But for most laity, the church is what happens in their parish. …
Although the nationwide costs of the abuse scandal were estimated by church studies at about $2 billion, population shifts out from inner cities were the primary reason dioceses closed 2.7% of parishes nationwide between 2000 and 2006, according to CARA.
Of the 20 dioceses that closed more than 10 parishes in that period, all were in Northeast and Midwest dioceses, "where Catholics have migrated away to the Sun Belt or the suburbs. These changes would have occurred on their own, yet were likely quickened by the sex abuse crisis," says CARA researcher Mark Gray.
•
Catholic League
a href= "http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1418">www.catholic league.org/ release.php? id=1418 ,
April 14, 2008
NEW YORK -- On his April 11 HBO show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," the comedian went into an extended assault on Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church. For a transcript, click here. [On original web newsitem.]
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:
"Maher's obsession with the Catholic Church continues, only this time there isn't enough material for him to use as a club, so he literally makes things up. His lies include the following statement: 'When the–when the current pope was in his previous Vatican job as John Paul's Dick Cheney–he wrote a letter instructing every Catholic bishop to keep the sex abuse of minors secret until the statute of limitations ran out.'
"A similar lie was floated by an angry ex-Catholic bigot, Rosie O'Donnell. The fact is that before he was named pope, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger had absolutely nothing to do with policing allegations of sexual abuse until 2002, after the scandal erupted that January. And he certainly never counseled bishops to keep sexual abuse secret–this is a bald face lie. Indeed, a week before Pope John Paul II died, he addressed the scandal by saying, 'How much filth there is in the church, even among those who, in the priesthood, should belong entirely' to God.
[COMMENT: Wrong again! The secrecy policy presumably has existed for centuries, but there is a definite date, 1962, and a couple of definite confirmations that "The Crime of Solicitiation" document is still valid, in spite of some fudging on that issue.
COMMENT ENDS.]
Online Journal
By Jerry Mazza
Online Journal Associate Editor, 00:22
Apr 15, 2008
Okay, I'm just giving you a heads-up because he's arriving today. And as a lapsed member of "The One True Faith" (still its slogan), I want you to know the whole story, so you don't let this little smiling piranha fool you. First of all, his stage name as pope, as you probably know, is Benedict XVI. Would that be after Benedict Arnold? …
In fact, the sex-abuse scandals that have racked and will continue to rack the church, thanks to its prescription of priestly celibacy, are now running in the millions of dollars in legal fees and victims' settlements. In fact, he has ordered a crackdown on homosexuality in seminaries, even forced the retirement of the head of the Legionaries of Christ, a conservative order of priest, after a prolonged sex investigation.
Yet, as reported in UNKNOWNNEWS, Benedict XVI, A Pope to be ashamed of, "In 2001, as the decades-long pattern of priests' abuse first started to be reported, he wrote a letter to bishops reminding them that church policy since 1962 mandated that the church itself would investigate, bypassing worldly police authorities, and required victims of priestly abuse to take an oath of secrecy. In effect, Ratzinger ordered a cover-up."
The Ledger Independent
By JOE BIESK, AP Writer
1:02 AM EDT
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY -- Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law Monday a bill aimed at toughening penalties for teachers and other authority figures who sexually abuse youngsters, and giving victims more time to report.
The measure would stiffen penalties for people in positions of authority over children if they have sexual conduct with youngsters under 18 years old. It also increases the statute of limitations on criminal charges for an abuse case from one to five years and increases the penalty for people who don't report abuse to authorities.
"All too often, we see people in positions of power over their victims using that authority to steal their childhood," said state Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, who sponsored the measure that cleared both chambers of the General Assembly without a single vote of opposition.
The Courier-Journal
By Peter Smith, psmith@courier-journal.com, April 15, 2008
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- It had been six years since John Scott filed a lawsuit over the sexual abuse he suffered as a child and three years since the priest who abused him pleaded guilty.
So Scott, of Louisville, took quiet satisfaction yesterday when Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law a measure toughening the penalties for sexual abusers and those who fail to report them, the first legal reform in the state following the sex-abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.
"I'm really glad," said Scott, who for the past several legislative sessions has advocated for stricter criminal laws on sexual abuse. "The kids and parents of Kentucky should be proud. They wanted this for a long time, and it's here."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 15, 2008
6:21 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 15, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 1966 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Maid raped at 17 in presbytery.
Globe and Mail,
www.theglobe andmail.com/ servlet/ story/LAC. 20080416. LAWSUIT16/ TPStory/ National ; By RHÉAL SÉGUIN,
April 16, 2008
QUEBEC, CANADA -- The Archdiocese of Quebec is refusing to accept responsibility for the actions of a priest accused of rape by a 59-year-old woman who is suing the church.
In the latest sexual-abuse scandal to hit the Catholic Church in the province, the archdiocese said in a terse statement yesterday that the priest had been "forbidden to conduct any pastoral ministry" while the case was before the courts.
That did not appease France Bédard, who was a 17-year-old maid at a parish presbytery at the time of the alleged crime.
- RCC.
The Star-Ledger
by Mark Mueller / 7:51 PM, Wednesday April 16, 2008,
WASHINGTON (DC) -- After two joyful stints on the popemobile and a visit to the White House, Pope Benedict XVI's [Ratzinger's] 81st birthday took a mostly serious turn this evening when he delivered a wide-ranging speech to American bishops that touched on religious fervor, Catholics who don't follow church doctrine, the clergy sex scandal and the shortage of priests.
"America is…a land of great faith," Benedict said at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, repeating what has been a common theme thus far in his first trip to the U.S. as pope. "Your people are remarkable for their religious fervor and they take pride in belonging to a worshipping community. …
He repeated one bishop's statement that the sex scandal had been "sometimes very badly handled" by the church hierarchy.
"Now that the scale and gravity of the problem is more clearly understood," he said, "you have been able to adopt more focused remedial and disciplinary measures and to promote a safe environment that gives greater protection to young people."
- RCC.
Radicali Milano
~ April 16, 2008
Luca Perego, segretario di Radicali Lecco scrive a George Bush e gli pone 7 domande sul rapporto tra Vaticano e Stato italiano in occasione del viaggio del Papa negli Stati Uniti ITALY -- Dear President Bush,
The Vatican State is becoming more and more powerful and dominant in the political decisions of our country, Italy. We write you, Mr. President, because in the eight years of your presidency you have met with dissidents and important anti-authoritarian people such as Nathan Sharanksy, Kang Chol-Hwan and most recently the Dali Lama. President Bush, in these years you have tried to distinguish your administration from other administrations by concentrating your efforts on religious freedom as an essential first step toward gaining political and civil freedoms. …
4. On what Constitutional basis did the Justice Department of the Bush Administration defend Pope Benedict XVI's right to protection from prosecution on American soil on the basis of diplomatic immunity? For the American government, is the Pope a Head of State or leader of a church? Would American courts recognize both of these roles, to be used whenever convenient, in order to escape prosecution under American law? Does any other religious leader enjoy this privilege under American Law?
- RCC.
The Dallas Morning News,
by Sam Hodges, ~ April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Diocese of Dallas is among those who say that the speeches of Pope Benedict XVI - a highly regarded theologian, like him or not - merit close reading by Catholics and others.
Here's the full text of Benedict's Wednesday night address to U.S. bishops:
Dear Brother Bishops,
It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the National Shrine, who have welcomed us here this evening. American Catholics are noted for their loyal devotion to the see of Peter.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:04 PM]
- RCC.
The Associated Press
By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, ~ April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC), (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI told America's Roman Catholic leaders Wednesday evening that the clergy sex abuse scandal has sometimes been "very badly handled," his harshest criticism yet regarding the crisis that has badly damaged the U.S. church.
Benedict's remarks came at a prayer service with hundreds of American bishops at a national shrine in Washington, and marked the second time the pope has addressed sex abuse on his first papal journey to the U.S. …
The pope spoke after Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
George said that the consequences of the clergy abuse scandal "and of its being sometimes very badly handled by bishops makes both the personal faith of some Catholics and the public life of the church herself more problematic."
Benedict seemed to agree with that assessment.
Herald Sun (Australia)
From correspondents in Washington
09:31am
April 17, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- POPE Benedict XVI today berated US bishops for their poor handling of the child sex scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic church, but also laid blame on the breakdown of values in US society.
Pope Benedict told a gathering of bishops they had "sometimes very badly handled" the decades-old problem of pedophile priests.
But he urged efforts "to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores".
[COMMENT: The corrupted boys (it was mainly boys) might have, when they became teenagers and adults, HELPED to degrade the moral standards in the United States and elsewhere back 50 years ago -- have you ever thought of that? The teachings against "scandal" of the 1940s would seem to put the responsibility back on those who CORRUPTED the young in society -- and priests are part of the population, are they not? "If the salt loses its savour … trampled underfoot." And isn't that the whirlwind that the RCC is reaping? (Pardon the mixed metaphors.)
COMMENT ENDS.]
WASHINGTON (DC) --
The Marlborough Express (New Zealand)
Reuters | Thursday, 17 April 2008
Pope Benedict has acknowledged the Church handled the paedophile priests scandal "very badly" and told US bishops to bind up wounds and seek reconciliation with those who were "so seriously wronged."
For the second consecutive day, the pope said the scandal had caused "deep shame" and enormous pain as the result of priests betraying their vocation by sexually abusing minors with such "gravely immoral behaviour."
After visiting the White House on Wednesday morning and praying with President George W Bush, he dedicated a section of a speech to the bishops to the scandal that rocked the Church starting in 2002 and has forced US dioceses to pay over $US2 billion ($NZ2.56 billion) in damages.
"It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged," he said.
Globe and Mail (Canada)
By PHILIP PULLELLA AND TOM HENEGHAN
Reuters
7:22 PM EDT
April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) – Pope Benedict on Wednesday acknowledged the Church had handled the pedophile priests scandal "very badly" and told U.S. bishops to bind up wounds and seek reconciliation with those who were "so seriously wronged."
For the second consecutive day, the Pope said the scandal had caused "deep shame" and enormous pain as the result of priests betraying their vocation by sexually abusing minors with such "gravely immoral behaviour."
Earthtimes
~ April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Pope Benedict XVI again condemned sexual abuse by priests as a "deep shame," adding in an address Wednesday to US bishops that the church's reforms to cope with and prevent molestation "need to be placed in a wider context."
"Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships," Benedict said in an address, following a vesper service at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
"They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person."
Benedict's comments were made available to journalists in advance copies of the speech.
Forbes
By VICTOR L. SIMPSON 7:09 PM ET
April.16.2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Pope Benedict XVI told America's Roman Catholic leaders Wednesday evening that the clergy sex abuse scandal has sometimes been "very badly handled" by the church. Benedict's remarks came at a prayer service with hundreds of U.S. bishops at a national shrine in Washington.
The comments mark the second time the pope has addressed sex abuse on his journey to the U.S., and they are the harshest criticism yet of the bishops themselves.
On his flight to America, the pope said he was deeply ashamed of the scandal and would fight to keep pedophiles out of the priesthood.
Los Angeles Times
~ April 16, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Pope Benedict XVI's comment on his flight to the United States that "we are deeply ashamed" of pedophile priests may not appease Catholics in Boston who are upset that his American tour will bypass their archdiocese.
But the pope's full remarks also may discomfit conservative Catholics who argue that a supposed tolerance of gays by the "liberal" post-Vatican II church somehow played a role in the scandal. (The preferred liberal Catholic meta-explanation is that the celibacy requirement contributed to priestly abuse.)
In response to a question about the scandal, the pope said: "I would not speak in this moment about homosexuality, but pedophilia, [which] is another thing. We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry, this is absolutely incompatible. And who is really guilty of being a pedophile cannot be a priest."
WAVE,
By Maira Ansari, ~ April 16, 2008
LOUISVILLE (KY), (WAVE) -- Pope Benedict XVI is getting a warm welcome where ever he goes in his first U.S. visit. Wednesday, he addressed the nation, speaking about the importance of faith. But the pontiff is not ignoring the sex abuse scandal that still has many victims here in Kentuckiana trying to heal. They tell WAVE 3's Maira Ansari they want to see more done. She also talks to the Archdiocese of Louisville to see what changes have been made. …
Shannon Age takes the Pope's words personally and hopes they aren't just empty promises.
"I think apologies are good. But, I also think there has to be substance behind it," said Age.
Age was 4 years old when her Franciscan priest from Mount Saint Francis in Southern Indiana repeatedly sexually abused her and her sister. She is also one of the more than 240 plaintiffs from the Louisville Archdiocese $25 million settlement.
[1980s+ Kolko*] - Judaist. Boys.
NEW YORK --
New York Daily News
4:00 AM
Tuesday, April 15th 2008,
A rabbi charged with molesting boys at a Midwood, Brooklyn, yeshiva took a plea deal on Monday that will spare him any jail time after the case fell apart for prosecutors.
Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, 62, who still faces five lawsuits, pleaded to misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child in exchange for three years' probation.
[LOOK BACK: March 15, 2008]
[1980s+ Kolko*] - Judaist. 8 boys.
The Jewish Week
by Hella Winston and Larry Cohler-Esses
NEW YORK -- In a surprise move, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, the Brooklyn yeshiva teacher charged with having sexually molested his students, pleaded guilty Monday to two lesser counts of child endangerment and was sentenced to three years' probation.
Under the plea agreement, Rabbi Kolko, 62, made no admission of sexual wrongdoing. He will not have to register as a sex offender, and pleaded guilty only to a misdemeanor – not a felony.
Before the plea bargain, Rabbi Kolko, of Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Flatbush, had been facing felony charges of touching two first-graders in their sexual areas and forcing an adult former student to touch him during a visit to the school. Five former students have also filed suit against the prominent yeshiva, alleging school administrators knew.
[LOOK BACK: ~ March 15, 2008]
The Associated Press
By VICTOR L. SIMPSON
WASHINGTON (DC), (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI moved Wednesday from a jubilant White House visit where he defended religion in the public square to a contemplative prayer service at a national Roman Catholic shrine, where he was expected to tell bishops that they must heal the suffering caused by clergy sex abuse.
Benedict arrived at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to deliver remarks to hundreds of U.S. prelates during a vespers service.
The Australian
April 17, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The Pope said yesterday he was "deeply ashamed" over sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the US and vowed to keep pedophiles out of the church.
Answering questions on board his flight from Rome to Washington, the Pope directly addressed one of the toughest issues facing him on his US visit: the wave of sex scandals that first arose in 2002 and has since forced the country's Roman Catholic church to pay more than $2billion in abuse settlements. …
"He could start by disciplining some of the many Catholic bishops responsible for this," said Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, an online archive that has collected information on 3000 clergy accused of sexual abuse.
One continuing issue for Catholics is that there is no way to track every clergy member who has been accused of abuse or whether they were disciplined by the Vatican.
"He has names that no one else has. How many cases are there?" Mr McKiernan said.
KTHV
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pope Benedict may address the clergy sex-abuse crisis this evening when he speaks to U.S. bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
Terry McKiernan heads a group, bishopaccountability.org, that names 19 current or former bishops who have been accused of molesting children. He says Benedict should be "calling them in on the carpet" and demanding how they could treat "the children in their charge this way."
[- 2006 Fay*] - RCC. $US 1.4m. 37mos prison. Live-in male. On RC abuse board!
The Darien Times
By Susan Shultz,
BREAKING NEWS 2:06 p.m., Thursday
DARIEN (CT) -- Former St. John Roman Catholic Parish pastor the Rev. Michael Jude Fay's attorney has filed another motion to further delay when the priest reports to federal prison.
Fay is seeking an additional 90 days of freedom. The previous motion to delay was granted for 45 days rather than the six months Fay was originally seeking. He is due to report to prison at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, N.C. on May 19.
Fay's attorney, Lawrence Hopkins, previously said Fay would die in prison if he does not continue the experimental treatment for his prostate cancer. His medical records were turned over to the judge after the last request for an extension.
[≤ 1987 Luddy] - RCC. Hidden by diocese. US $1.5m to pay.
Altar boy.
WTAJ
Reported by: Ben Manning
02:05pm EST
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
ALTOONA (PA) -- The Altoona Johnstown Catholic Diocese announces it will not appeal a Superior Court ruling and they've paid the interest that's been at the center of a priest abuse controversy dating back two decades.
The case surrounding the former Reverend Francis Luddy was first filed in Blair County Courts back in 1987. Luddy was found guilty in a civil suit of molesting a former altar boy who was an adult by the time the lawsuit was filed.
Michael Hutchison was awarded $500,000 in compensatory damages, and the Diocese was ordered to pay another million dollars in punitive damages, because of the way the abuse was covered up and not addressed.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:53 PM
UNITED STATES --
Google
Comment by Peter Borre', Co-Chair, Council of Parishes
The New York Times ran an article last Sunday, April 13, quoting me on the issue of the shortage of clergy in Catholic America; TIME magazine picked this up yesterday and has posted it on its webpage in the "Quotes of the Day" section. To deal concisely with a very difficult topic, Catholic America is in the initial phases of a "tipping point" crisis:
- One-third of adult Catholics have left the faith in which they were raised (The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, March report); these 23 million Americans would constitute the second largest religious denomination in the U.S. today (behind practicing Catholics);
- The Catholic seminaries are emptying out; this fall in the seminary of the Archdiocese of New York, there is not a single entering seminarian, for the first time in its 108 year history;
- The American bishops are well into a massive parish closing program nationwide, with downsizing underway in at least 40 dioceses across 14 states, involving over 800 parishes; many more will come on to the closing lists over the next few years
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:40 PM
PORTLAND (OR) --
The Register-Guard
By Bill Bishop
The Archdiocese of Portland announced Tuesday the release of nearly 2,300 more pages of documents concerning priests accused of child sexual abuse.
The release came two weeks after a mediation session between the church and attorneys for abuse victims failed to reach agreement on which documents among the approximately 10,000 pages should be released.
The archdiocese released more than 350 pages of documents last June concerning priests who had multiple claims made against them. Tuesday's release brought the total number of pages released thus far to nearly 2,700.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:35 PM
UNITED STATES --
On Faith,
by Anthony Stevens-Arroyo
Pope Benedict XVI's first message to Catholic America on his historic 2008 visit came early – on the airplane, in fact. The pontiff said he was ashamed of the abuse of children by Catholic clergy. He promised to do everything possible to see that such things do not happen again. There is likely to be a heated debate between those who believe this statement satisfied papal obligations to move beyond the scandal for the good of the Church and those who think it was superficial and self-serving.
I don't anticipate any quick resolution of the matter, and still less a smoothing over of raw emotions. Before reengaging in the debate, however, a few items need to be recognized.
, The Bishops have abandoned the principle, "Innocent until proven guilty" in favor of "Guilty until proven innocent" in order to address the offenses.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:31 PM
FLORIDA --
New Times
By Thomas Francis
Published April 17, 2008
Around the age of 8, a boy we'll call Sam made a new friend. He was a man in his early 50s, the Rev. Neil Doherty, pastor at St. Vincent Catholic parish across the street from Sam's Margate home.
Sam's family was not religious, and as the boy spent more time with Doherty, it struck his parents as odd. But the boy had trouble controlling his anger, and maybe a mild-mannered priest could be a positive influence.
In 2001, when Sam's violent tendencies landed him in a juvenile court, Doherty wrote a letter on Sam's behalf. He began by listing his curriculum vitae – his master's in divinity, psychology training at Harvard and at Loyola of Chicago, as well as counseling work at Catholic Charities and part-time private practice with Fort Lauderdale psychiatrists. He also said that over his adult life he had adopted five boys aged 6 to 12 and that all had become productive citizens. …
In retrospect, Sam's parents and social workers might seem naïve. You can't say the same about the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. By the time he wrote his letter about Sam, Doherty had accumulated some 30 years' worth of abuse complaints, each of which followed the same arc: A troubled boy meets Doherty for counseling and later accuses the priest of giving him drugs and then abusing him.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:27 PM
UNITED STATES --
Catholic League
April 16, 2008
Yesterday, before he landed in the U.S., Pope Benedict XVI said he was "deeply ashamed" of predatory priests, adding that pedophiles would be rooted out of the Church. Today, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is holding a press conference in Washington criticizing the pope for not doing enough.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:
"Any minor who has been sexually molested deserves our compassion. But what SNAP is doing, aided and abetted by angry Catholics and ex-Catholics, deserves not our understanding, but contempt. This is a group which has a deep ideological and financial investment in painting the Catholic Church as a villain.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:23 PM
ABC News
By ANNA SCHECTER
April 16, 2008
UNITED STATES -- A list of America's five "worst" cardinals that a watchdogs group says have allegedly protected priests accused of sexual abuse was unveiled today while the pope meets with American cardinals in Washington.
"The secrecy, recklessness and deceit of these powerful cardinals have left thousands of children at risk for abuse," said Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) national director David Clohessy. Clohessy' group, made up of alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, compiled the list of supposed "worst" cardinals.
Cardinals Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, Daniel DiNardo of Houston, Edward Egan of New York, Francis George of Chicago and Sean O'Malley of Boston are the worst cardinals whose "secrecy and deceit" have been most egregious, according to SNAP. …
Los Angeles Archdiocese media relations director Tod Tamberg said Mahony "is clearly among the best bishops in the country at effectively dealing with abusive behavior and reaching out to victims. Tamberg said "SNAP's leadership does not speak for the majority of victims or Catholics in Los Angeles, who know and appreciate Cardinal Mahony's excellent leadership in helping the church and victims to recover from the abuse scandal."
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
4:16 PM
Wall Street Journal
By STACY MEICHTRY
April 25, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI is appealing to a new group of admirers: marketers seeking not blessings but pontifical product placements.
Since his election last year, the pope has been spotted wearing Serengeti-branded sunglasses and brown walking shoes donated by Geox. He owns a specially engraved white Apple iPod, and he recently stirred much publicity with a pair of stylish red loafers that may or may not be from Prada. …
Over the past few months, scores of media reports have dubbed Benedict XVI the "Prada Pope," crediting the Italian fashion house with having made the pope's eye-catching red loafers.
The senior Vatican official says the loafers were actually made by the pope's personal cobbler. But Prada has refused to confirm or deny the reports, allowing the press speculation to continue. A spokesman for Prada said the fashion house lacked "the necessary elements" to make an accurate determination.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
12:15 PM
UNITED STATES --
Times Now (India)
[with video]
On his first papal trip to the US, the Pope Benedict XVI has made headlines with his comments on clergy sex abuse scandal that has rocked the American church. But the one reason average Americans are noticing this visit of Pope even more is for his latest fashion statement.
Faith and fashion may be an unusual mix but Pope is proving to quite a style icon wearing no less than bright red Prada loafers on his visit to the US. His first visit is the most talked about event in the American media.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
12:10 PM
UNITED STATES --
NPR
[with audio]
Tell Me More, April 16, 2008 • Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Washington on Tuesday for his first visit to the U.S. as pontiff. His trip comes at a time when many American Catholics are looking for assurance about the state of the church, following years of child abuse scandals and a recent spate of parish closings. Monsignor Kevin Irwin discusses the pontiff's visit and issues confronting the American Catholic Church.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
11:29 AM
WKYT
by Kim Wendel
CLEVELAND (OH) -- The trial of the former finance chief of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese is being delayed, after defense lawyers said they worried about the closeness to the pope's U.S. visit.
Without mentioning those concerns, a federal judge agreed to move the case to May 12.
Smith is accused of taking $784,000 in kickbacks and has been charged with 23 counts, including making false personal income tax returns and money laundering.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
11:05 AM
The Irish Times
by Aoife Carr
IRELAND -- The chief executive of children's charity Barnardos has warned there will be "further disasters" if child protection guidelines are not placed on a statutory footing.
Fergus Finlay was speaking in the wake of a HSE report into Dr Niall McElwee, the childcare lecturer convicted of attempted indecent assault. Dr McElwee was allowed to continue in his post at Athlone Institute of Technology despite health authorities, gardaí and Government officials being informed of allegations against him. …
"The Ferns inquiry recommended that the guidelines be put on a statutory basis, this latest inquiry recommends that they be put on statutory basis but they're not."
"There's going to be further disaster if these guidelines aren't given the force of law and I don't know what its going to take or what kind of terrible tragedy will have to happen for people to release that it should have happened years ago," he added.
[Barnardo's has also had its own scandals. This is a welcome intervention.]
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
11:03 AM
CALIFORNIA --
Orange County Weekly
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra
7:05 AM
April 16, 2008
It's still to be seen what exactly will KOCE-TV Channel 50's much-hyped documentary about Orange County Catholic life will contain (how much you wanna bet not a peep about the pedophile priests that terrorized county parishes for a quarter century?), but the Weekly can report that most of its principal funders helped the Diocese of Orange spin its sex-abuse scandal in one way or another.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
10:06 AM
UNITED STATES --
NewReleaseWire
Wednesday - April 16, 2008
The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to America is an opportunity for healing for the victims of the "pedophile priest" scandal; an opportunity which would be tragic to miss. These victims are large in number and are not going away. Indeed, they are holding the Holy Father to his words. Words alone, however, are never enough. …
Polly Franks, Executive Director of the Franks Foundation, is calling upon religious leaders of all faiths to thoroughly investigate every allegation of child physical and sexual abuse within their schools and houses of worship. There should be no safer place in this world for children than within the walls of God's house. Anything else is intolerable. Nothing less than a "zero tolerance" policy for abusers of children can be accepted. While the Pope visits, his church's victims watch and wait.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
9:57 AM
WBUR
By Monica Brady-Myerov, April 16, 2008
BOSTON, Mass -- As we heard yesterday in Part Two of our series on the Boston Catholic Archdiocese, revitalizing the church rests heavily on the priests. Yet, Boston and the nation are facing a serious shortage of men taking up the vocation.
In our series, "The Future of the Faith," today we look at how the Archdiocese is trying to deal with the problem. WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov reports.
Audio for this story will be available on WBUR's web site later today.
TEXT OF STORY:
MONICA BRADY-MYEROV: The numbers tell the story. Within the next six years there won't be enough priests to run all of the Archdiocese's 294 parishes. The gap could be a wide as 50 priests. An internal planning report warns if the archdiocese doesn't take action now, there will be more church closings and that will lead to more financial problems.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
9:24 AM
UNITED STATES --
Sky News (United Kingdom)
[with video]
Pope Benedict arrives in the United States today for a six day visit. It's his first visit as Pontiff's to a country which has been dogged by sex abuse cases within the Catholic church. Asish Joshi reports from Washington.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
9:12 AM
The Boston Globe,
April 16, 2008
UNITED STATES -- An unofficial transcript of the remarks of Pope Benedict XVI, according to the National Catholic Reporter:
It is a great suffering for the church in the United States, for the church in general, and for me personally that this could happen. If I read the histories of these victims, it's difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way their mission to give healing and to give the love of God to these children. We are deeply ashamed, and we will do all that is possible that this cannot happen in the future.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
8:56 AM
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer
By TIM FUNK AND GARY L. WRIGHT
tfunk@charlotteobserver.com
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- The Rev. Robert Yurgel, the Catholic priest accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Charlotte in 1999, made his first local court appearance Tuesday. Also there: Yurgel's lawyers, hired by the Catholic religious order in New Jersey that assigned him to Charlotte's St. Matthew Catholic Church in the late 1990s.
Appearing by video from the Mecklenburg County jail, Yurgel, 43, was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and listened attentively as Judge Bill Constangy set a bond hearing for April 25. The proceeding lasted about 30 seconds.
Besides acknowledging that it was paying for Yurgel's defense, his order -- the Capuchin Franciscan Friars -- also confirmed that his 1997-99 stints at St. Matthew in Ballantyne and Our Lady of Consolation north of uptown were not his first assignments in North Carolina.
- RCC.
The News
POLAND -- The majority of Polish media are keenly following Pope Benedict's US visit. (photo by thenews.pl's photographer following the Pontiff's trip, Jakub Szymczuk)
According to the Dziennik daily, Pope Benedict's trip to Washington will be one of the hardest, as the leader of Catholic Church will have to face the problem of an internal split within the Catholic Church in the USA and try to bring together the flourishing Latino and stagnant Anglo-Saxon Catholic parishes. The global future of Catholicism is at stake, writes the daily, dramatically. …
'Paedophilia is not the main reason for [his] visit in the USA', Professor Zbigniew Lewicki from the American Studies Department at Warsaw University commented on TVN24 news television Wednesday morning.
He was commenting on Pope Benedict's words uttered on board his plane while travelling to USA, that the Church was 'deeply embarrassed' about the accusations against some members in the US and would do its best to eradicate it by 'excluding paedophiles from priesthood'.
- RCC.
The New York Times
WASHINGTON (DC), U.S.A. – Far from tamping down emotions, Pope Benedict XVI's expression of remorse on Tuesday for the church's sexual abuse scandal prompted an angry and skeptical response from victims, who said they wanted actions, not words from the Vatican. …
Anne Barrett Doyle co-director of Bishop Accountability, a Web site that documents the sexual abuse scandal, expressed similar skepticism. She said that what the pope did not say is more important that what he did.
"Rather than shifting attention to pedophile priests, he needs to focus on the culpability of bishops," she said. "The crisis occurred because many U.S. bishops were willing to hide their priests' crimes from the police with lies."
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
8:40 AM
[Author of God is not great sees bishops, Bernard Law, showing Pope wrong.]
On Faith
http:// newsweek. washingtonpost. com/onfaith/ guestvoices/ 2008/04/my_ response_to_ benedict.html ;
by Christopher Hitchens,
UNITED STATES -- Tuesday, Pope Benedict said he is "deeply ashamed" of the scandal and assured Catholics that seminaries will not tolerate pedophiles. "It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States, for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict told reporters. "If I read the stories of these victims, it is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way their mission to give healing, to give love of God to these children."
In his response, the Pontiff has utterly mis-stated the nature of the clerical pedophilia scandal. The scandal is not the presence of pedophiles in the church, but the institutionalization of child-rape by the knowing protection and even promotion (by non-pedophiles) of those who are guilty of it. The most grievous offender in this respect is Cardinal Bernard Law, currently an honored figure at the Vatican. This expression of contempt for the victims makes the Pope himself a direct accomplice in the very atrocity that he affects to denounce. #
[RESPONSE: "Unusual suspect" agreed to this by e-mail to the blogging section on April 25, 2008]
[~ 2000s Joseph Smith] - RCC. > US $700,000 "off the books" money called "kickbacks".
CLEVELAND (OH) --
MyFox Cleveland
Attorneys for the former Chief Financial Officer of the Cleveland Diocese have asked a federal judge to delay the start of his trial for a unique reason: the Pope's visit to America.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived today and was greeted by President Bush. Enroute to the United States, the Pope responded to questions submitted by reporters that he was "deeply ashamed" of the pedophile scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in America over the last several years.
Four-years ago, FOX 8 I-Team Reporter Bill Sheil broke the story about alleged kickbacks inside the Cleveland diocese. Former CFO Joseph Smith now stands accused of converting over $700,000 of diocese money to his own personal use. Smith says he was paid the money off the books and says that such types of payments were common back then.
WTOL
Associated Press,
8:15 AM ET
April 16, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH), (AP) - Attorneys for the former finance chief of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese are asking that his trial be postponed on account of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the U.S.
Joseph Smith is accused of taking $784,000 in kickbacks and has been charged with 23 counts, including making false personal income tax returns, money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy.
News-Press
UNITED STATES -- Three years after his election as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI faces several pressing issues on his first visit to the United States.
Various Roman Catholic activists will use the visit to highlight their causes, including the ordination of women, gay rights and the ban on contraception.
They have planned news conferences, vigils and demonstrations along "Popemobile" routes.
Benedict owes it to the church to address his congregants' concerns.
Especially the distressful issue of clerical sex abuse.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
8:22 AM
Irish Independent (Ireland)
By Tom Baldwin and Malcolm Moore
Wednesday April 16 2008
UNITED STATES -- THE Pope said yesterday that he felt "profoundly ashamed" of sexual abuse by American priests.
As he flew to the United States at the start of his first visit to the country, he said: "Paedophiles will be completely excluded from the priesthood. It is more important to have good priests than many priests. …
The Vatican initially said the issue was "closed" and that the Pope felt he would reopen old wounds by discussing paedophiles. But the Holy See has been forced to reverse its position by several American pressure groups.
The victims of sexual abuse have demanded a meeting with the Pope but are unlikely to get one. "Although the survivors may want a meeting, this is a visit to all Americans," said Mgr Bartholomew Smith, a priest in Washington.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
8:09 AM
- Empty personnel file covers.
City of Angels
By Kay Ebeling
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The cops crouched behind squadcars with guns pointed, cordoning off the street down by Wilshire Boulevard. I had to sprint eight blocks to connect again with a rerouted bus, due to police activity. And that's just what I went through to get home at lunch to boost my laptop battery. The first of several cases against the Salesian religious order head to a jury trial in LA Superior Court Department 308 this month, and so far I'm the only journalist covering it.
At one point Tuesday Ray Boucher jumped up angry at Steve McFeely: "For him to say there's no evidence when his defendant has destroyed evidence," and it brought up a recent phone call with Joey Piscitelli. When Salesians finally turned over personnel files in his case, they were empty, he said. "30 years of personnel files with nothing in them."
Judge Emilie Elias slammed through defendants' motions in limine so fast, Wayne Mason, attorney for the Salesians hadn't even gotten out of his chair to object before the judge denied two of them. Elias directed the hearing through 15 of the motions, and the other 15 or so will likely be resolved when the hearing continues Thursday morning.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 16, 2008
7:54 AM
The Plain Dealer
Damian G. Guevara,
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH) -- This week's first American visit by Pope Benedict XVI will energize millions of people, spur protests by some and - a local defense lawyer believes - prejudice a Cleveland jury.
Lawyers for Joseph Smith, the former chief financial officer of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, asked a judge to push back the start of Smith's trial on corruption charges by one week.
U.S. District Judge Anne Aldrich ruled Tuesday to change the trial date to May 12. Jury selection for Smith's trial in U.S. District Court was scheduled to begin Monday, one day after the pope celebrates a Mass at Yankee Stadium.
