[O'Hearn / O'Hern -NEW*, Peter Brock -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC).
ABC News,
www.abc.net. au/news/ stories/ 2008/06/02/ 2262101.htm ,
for June 02, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is refusing to disclose why the parish priest at Nelson Bay has been stood down while it investigates his conduct.
Father David O'Hearn is the second priest in the diocese to face a professional conduct investigation in the past year.
He was stood down last week from St Michael's Parish at Nelson Bay pending an investigation by the diocesan child protection and professional conduct unit.
A statement by the vicar-general of the diocese, Tom Brennan, was read to parishioners at services yesterday.
The statement obtained by the ABC says Father O'Hern will not be involved in his usual parish ministry and will live privately while the investigation is carried out.
It says the matter has been discussed with Bishop Michael Malone, who is currently on pilgrimage in Greece.
Monsignor Bill Fuller has been appointed to look after the parish in the meantime.
Last September, Father Peter Brock - who administered eight lower Hunter Catholic parishes - was also stood down while a professional conduct investigation was carried out. The church says it is still investigating him. #
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:13 PM]
(This is the first item ofAbuse Chronology:
http://www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ ethcont149. htm ,
and of the Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abusetracker ,
A Blog by Kathy Shaw,
for Sunday, June 01, 2008.)
[2008 Pfleger -NEW*] - RCC. Mimicked presidential candidate Clinton.
Chicago Sun-Times,
By CAROL MARIN cmarin@suntimes.com , ~ June 01, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- Barack Obama had no choice Saturday but to resign from the church he loves.
I'm so mad at Mike Pfleger. The prophetic pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church is a genuine man of God, a fine priest even if the Chicago Archdiocese never thought so, and someone who has made a vast difference in the lives of people in this city.
That having been said, what the heck was he thinking when he went to preach at Trinity United Church of Christ last Sunday? When he mocked Hillary Clinton, parodying her voice to say, "I'm white, I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show." …
Pfleger has been fearless in critiquing the church for its own politics. And for its handling of the pedophile crisis. The church, which has inexplicably rewarded Boston's disgraced Cardinal Bernard Law with one of the largest basilicas in Rome, hasn't been able to countenance this rebel with a cause.
[≤ 2007 Covarrubias*] - RCC. Adult.
LocalNews8,
Associated Press - 8:04 PM ET, June 1, 2008
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (AP) - The Roman Catholic Diocese in Boise says a priest from Mountain Home has returned after an eight-month absence from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and told parishioners he engaged in sexual misconduct with an adult.
Diocese officials in a press release say Rev. Raul Covarrubias, 63, returned Saturday. Officials gave no information about the other adult.
Covarrubias served as pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Mountain Home since 1992. He was placed on paid leave in September after the allegations surfaced.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:46 PM]
[LOOK BACK for example to ~ January 03, 2008]
- RCC,
WFMZ,
June 01, 2008
[with video]
PENNSYLVANIA -- Some Catholic Churches in the Lehigh Valley are closing their doors due to a lack of priests. The restructuring comes after a two year planning process. WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito joins us live in Allentown with the story. Stephanie Esposito: The Diocese of Allentown officially announced today that they'll be closing 47 parishes. The one behind me is not one of them. This is the hub of the ministry. The Bishop of the Allentown diocese says it wasn't an easy decision.
- RCC.
PennLive,
Posted by Colin McEvoy 16:54PM, June 01, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Due to the Diocese of Allentown's restructuring program, 54 pastors or diocese employees are being reassigned to a different church building, eight more employees are being assigned new jobs in their current churches and 11 are retiring.
In all, the 73 changes account for the largest amount of clerical reassignments in the diocese in recent memory, diocese spokesman Matt Kerr said.
"It's certainly more than usual," he said. "It's all part of the restructuring. When you're putting a new parish together. sometimes it's best to have someone new there."
Monsignor Michael Chaback will leave Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish, the Bethlehem city church he has served for 16 years, to become director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate.
"I've known these people, I've grown up with them," he said. "No pastor wants to leave the people he's been close to in that situation, but all the way around, it's the best decision."
- Hildegard, Joan of Arc, and Guerin cited.
Voice from the Desert
~ June 01, 2008
Recived by email from Roberta Meehan. Thanks, Roberta.
For immediate release
From Roman Catholic Womenpriests,
www.romancatholicwo menpriests. org
CONTACT: Bridget Mary Meehan: (703) 283-2929 (cell), 703-671-6712,
sofiabmm@aol. com
Roman Catholic Womenpriests' Response to Vatican Decree of Excommunication
Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the penalty of excommunication issued by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stating that the "women priests and the bishops who ordain them would be excommunicated 'latae sententiae". Roman Catholic Womenpriests are loyal members of the church who stand in the prophetic tradition of holy disobedience to an unjust law that discriminates against women.
We hold up heroic women in the church's tradition like Hildegard of Bingen, Joan of Arc and St. Theodore Guerin who obeyed God, followed their consciences and withstood hierarchical oppression including interdict, excommunication and death.
- RCC.
Voice from the Desert,
From the British weekly The Tablet,
by Robert Mickens, May 31, 2008
Where have all the thinkers gone?
The Tablet Interview BRITAIN and BELGIUM -- Progressive Catholics might think that Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who is 75 next week, would be concerned that the Church is moving away from the ideals of Vatican II. But what really concerns him, he tells Robert Mickens, is the scarcity of intellectuals among bishops.
- RCC hasn't disciplined the bishops.
Voice from the Desert,
From the Whispers in the Loggia blog, May.28.2008.
A tip of the hat and a grateful thank you to Dick Regan, who brought this outrageous propaganda piece to my attention.
It's pure Vatican: complete with exquisite double-talk, white smoke, black smoke, deflection, minimization, dissembling, fabrication, distortion, lying, prevarication, deception, and plain ol' BS.
Archbishop Sambi could teach advanced graduate courses in the fine art of the verbal rope-a-dope to White House press secretaries. UNITED STATES -- "The Sense of Liberation";
In a recent chat with Our Sunday Visitor, the "Super-Nuncio" Archbishop Pietro Sambi – shown above on the steps of 3339 Massachusetts with Big Boss – offered some notable comments on the backstory behind the PopeTrip and B16's approach to the visit's Big Story.
OSV: During his meeting with the U.S. bishops, the pope, quoting Chicago Cardinal Francis George [president of the U.S. bishops' conference], noted that some U.S. bishops had handled badly some of the sexual abuse cases. Many people in the media, who were skeptical before the pope, were very pleased by the trip. But they still thought, "Why haven't any of these bishops who handled cases badly been disciplined in a pubic way?"
How would you respond to a question like that?
Archbishop Sambi: You need to read what is written. The pope quoted a phrase of Cardinal George referring to the past. There is a phrase to the priests in St. Patrick's in New York in which the pope, already responding to this kind of rumor, said to the priests to be in solidarity with their bishops, who will continue to repair the damage created by the sex scandal and to renovate the Church on this aspect.
- BOOK. Lawsuits opened up the RCC.
Priests, Celibacy, and Sexuality,
Review by Richard Sipe, ~ June 01, 2008
Holding Bishops Accountable: How Lawsuits Helped the Catholic Church Confront Clergy Sexual Abuse.
Author: Timothy Lytton. Harvard University Press, 2008.
[See also the webpage for Holding Bishops Accountable.]
LA JOLLA (CA) -- Just when I think I have read the final word on the clergy child abuse crisis an important book pops up that focuses on a new facet of the whole ordeal. What a great job law professor Tim Lytton has done to explain part–an important part–of the response to the crisis that confuses many lay folk (and some lawyers); the persuasive value of the tort system.
In 1988 I reviewed 1,800 letters and reports from men and women who alleged that they had been sexually abused by a Catholic priest, bishop, or member of a Catholic religious order. Not one–not a single person–was asking for money. What they were seeking was recognition of their suffering, validation of the facts in their case, and belief in their word against a powerful person and structure that denied, defied, and at times humiliated and abused them further. An apology would have been comforting and healing. Their pleas were not heard.
Timothy Lytton's title says it all–how lawsuits helped the Catholic Church. What some people think is only a money-driven effort is rightly exposed in the sex abuse crisis as fundamentally a reform-driven tool. I was a consultant on a number of cases where the victim asked for modest sums to finish their education only to be denied. When the case was litigated the plaintiff was awarded several millions of dollars. The victim then was in a position to demand conditions to assist other victims.
- Various religions, and government.
BBC News,
~ June 01, 2008
CANADA -- A truth and reconciliation commission examining what Indian [Amerind] leaders call one of the most tragic and racist chapters in Canada's history has begun.
The commission will study Canada's decades-long policies that removed Indian children from their families to force Christianity upon them.
The state-funded religious schools were often the scenes of horrific physical and sexual abuse.
The commission has a five-year mandate to detail the abuses.
- RCC.
The Morning Call,
By Paul Muschick and Chris Parker | ~ June 01, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Parishioners who didn't get the word last night at Masses learned this morning whether their Catholic churches would close, consolidate or be spared from the Allentown Diocese restructuring plan.
The diocese expects to close nearly one-third of its churches in the next year.
The six churches in Lansford and Coaldale will merge into a new parish to be called St. Katharine Drexel. It will be housed in the former St. Michael the Archangel Church building on Abbott Street in Lansford.
This morning, parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Lansford applauded as the Rev. Monsignor Lawrence J. Bukaty announced he would be staying to lead St. Katharine's.
Parishioner Suzanne Rackham said she has confidence in the Diocese's decisions.
"The church knows what's best for the church," she said. "The Holy Spirit will guide us."
[COMMENT: Is He back from a long vacation? ENDS.]
- RCs defending their local church.
The Times-Picayune,
By Bruce Nolan, Sunday, June 01, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes celebrated Mass on Saturday in an Uptown parish he has ordered closed in a few months, then stayed to absorb a barrage of civil but passionate criticism during dozens of one-on-one encounters with tearful, angry and skeptical parishioners who have vowed to resist his decision.
Even as Hughes stood surrounded by members of St. Henry Church in their gymnasium after Mass, many others stuffed cash in buckets marked for contributions to a parish legal defense fund.
Alden Hagardorn, a parish lay leader, said parishioners have retained a church lawyer to try to reverse Hughes' decision to close St. Henry, in the 800 block of Gen. Pershing Street, before the end of the year.
[≤ 2007 Covarrubias*] - RCC. Adult
2 News,
By Adam Rodriguez, ~ June 01, 2008
MOUNTAIN HOME (ID) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise said Father Raul Covarrubias returned to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish Saturday after an eight-month absence.
Covarrubias was put on leave last September after allegations the priest sexually abused a minor. An investigation found Covarrubias had broken no laws. The priest told parishoners he was involved in sexual misconduct with an adult.
At a parish meeting on Saturday, Bishop Michael Driscoll acknowledged the hurt caused by Covarrubias.
"… his misconduct has had a major impact on the ministry," Driscoll said.
- RCC.
The Morning Call,
By Daryl Nerl | June 1, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The Allentown Diocese is expected to close nearly a third of its parishes in the next year, leaving small boroughs like Coaldale without a Catholic church and reducing the number of churches in south Bethlehem from five to one, the faithful learned at Saturday night Masses.
The announcement was not entirely unexpected, coming at the conclusion of a three-year process in which church and lay leaders discussed how to restructure a diocese that has seen attendance drop and its clergy dwindle. But it was nonetheless painful.
Many learned that they would lose a house of worship where they had been baptized, confirmed and married. At ethnic, or so-called "national parishes," people learned they would lose the church that grandparents had built decades ago after immigrating to America.
- RCC.
The Republican & Herald,
From Staff Reports, 8:15 PM EDT, Published: Saturday, May 31, 2008
[with map and list of affected parishes]
PENNSYLVANIA -- According to information obtained by The Republican & Herald, the following parish restructuring plans were announced by the Diocese of Allentown at Masses Saturday evening. The restructuring plans are the culmination of a 2 1/2 year process begun in response to a growing priest shortage. Restructuring plans for a number of Deanery Regions are still being developed.
A number of priests have also been re-assigned due to the restructuring. The new priest assignments for Schuylkill County are listed below the restructuring plans.
Tell us what you heard at your Mass this evening, and share your reaction in the "Reader Comments" section below.
- RCC.
The News Item
TIMES SHAMROCK STAFF REPORTS
June/01/2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The shepherd wants his flock to pray.
Across the Catholic Diocese of Allentown, priests read letters during Saturday Masses from the bishop, the Most Rev. Edward. P. Cullen, announcing a restructuring plan which includes the closing of 32 churches, more than half of those in Schuylkill County.
Of the county's 62 parishes, at least 39 will be eliminated, while seven new parishes will be created from some of those closed. Two parishes will absorb others through consolidation.
Four will not be affected.
"Our efforts of prayer must be even more fervent. We must pray so the reconfiguring are not harmful to the unity of faith in the diocese," Cullen wrote.
[COMMENT: Bad recruitment selections, bad supervision, and bad men seduced children, helping to cause the huge financial losses. Didn't RCs pray in the previous 50 or 100 years? ENDS.]
- RCC.
WIVB
~ June 01, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The final list is out.
The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has revealed the last of the church sites to be part of its restructuring plan in western New York.
This final round (listed below) affects more than 60 parishes.
The "journey" started three years ago.
In response to a shortage of priests, aging communities, and financial concerns.
- RCC.
WGRZ,
Posted by Thea Tio, Reporter, ~ June 01, 2008
BUFFALO (NY) -- The Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday that a number of parishes in the Vicariate of Southeast Buffalo (South Buffalo and Kaisertown-Sloan Clusters), the Vicariate of Northern Erie, and the Vicariate of Eastern Erie will be restructured as part of the "Journey in Faith and Grace," a parish-based strategic planning and spiritual revitalization initiative launched in June 2005 by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo.
These changes represent the final in a series of decisions to reimagine parish life throughout the eight counties of Western New York in response to changing times and emerging needs.
Announcement of the mergers is being delivered to affected parishioners at this weekend's Masses.
Bishop Kmiec said the announcement of the pastoral restructuring phase of the journey is now 100-percent complete as decisions have been made on all of the 275 weekend worship sites in the diocese when the process began in 2005.
[COMMENT: "Reimagine" -- now that's a word to respect! ENDS.]
- RCC.
WBEN,
WBEN Newsroom
12:15 AM
Sunday, June 1, 2008
BUFFALO, NY (WBEN) - The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has completed the "Journey in Faith and Grace," a multi-year effort to reduce the number of worship sites, to better allocate the diocese's dwindling supply of clergy and resources.
According to a statement from the Diocese, "These changes represent the final in a series of decisions to reimagine parish life throughout the eight counties of Western New York in response to changing times and emerging needs."
Parishioners are learning the news at Masses this weekend.
- RCC.
Buffalo News,
By Andrew Rafferty and Brian Hayden, NEWS STAFF REPORTERS, 6:48 AM,
June/01/08
BUFFALO (NY) -- Twenty-five Catholic parishes will feel the pinch of the final round of church mergers, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday.
As part of Bishop Edward U. Kmiec's "Journey in Faith and Grace," more parishes will either merge or link, and others will no longer be used for weekend services.
Members of 64 parishes throughout Erie County found out their church's fate during Saturday Masses.
While the Diocese said this is the last in a series of church mergings, the final plan leaves the door open for more closings if some parishes are not able to improve their finances.
- RCC.
Burlington Free Press,
By William Cleary, June 1, 2008
VERMONT -- Why did a Vermont jury hit the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington with not only damages for the person its priest molested, but also $7.75 million to punish the diocese?
We need only look at how the diocese handled the verdict. The first thing Bishop Matano did was to try to influence the next jury. He claimed the diocese was poor and then brought out the head of the diocese's child-abuse prevention program to talk about what the diocese has done.
I talked about this with David Clohessy, the head of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests). He thought it untrue and misleading. The Burlington diocese, he reminded me, has known since the '60s that several of its priests were molesting children. Nonetheless, the diocese apparently never really voluntarily reported abuse by its priests.
Did someone say the abuse of children by priests is no longer going on? One of the bishop's lawyers made that claim. But how could anyone know that? The same root causes are still in existence, however uncertain these are.
Retired bishop Geoffrey Robinson just wrote a book saying the Catholic Church needs to change 2,000 years of wrong teaching on sex, but he was instantly condemned.
[COMMENT: The Roman Catholic Church has only existed since it broke away from most of the Churches of the East, so it is NOT right to say it has had 2000 years of wrong sex teaching. In fact, some correct teachings went on for many centuries, but having broken the links it was almost certain the RCC would move further into apostacy. ENDS.]
- RCC.
California Catholic Daily,
By Christopher Zehnder, ~ June 01, 2008
It has been 14 years since Pope John Paul II issued his controversial apostolic letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, declaring that the Church has no authority to ordain women as priests. Though the pope issued the letter "in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance," doubt about women's ordination continues unabated. It still seems a matter open to debate.
The decree issued last week by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will do little to still the debate. The decree – that "both he who has attempted to confer holy orders on a woman, and the woman who has attempted to receive the said sacrament, incurs in latae sententiae excommunication, reserved to the Apostolic See" – is an important and welcome sign that the Holy See is exercising its role as pastor as well as teacher. However, it will be perceived in many circles as just another exercise of a raw, despotic, "patriarchal" power by the Church, to keep women down.
- RCC.
California Catholic Daily,
~ June 01, 2008
ROME -- In response to a report in the Italian daily La Repubblica that Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, could become the new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a spokesman for the archdiocese has told Stephanscom Austrian Radio the rumor is unfounded.
On May 25, La Repubblica published an article by Marco Politi in which he offered a "general analysis" of the General Assembly of the Bishops' Conference of Italy. Commenting on the rumor about Cardinal Schönborn, Politi said a personnel change at the Vatican was possible but that "until the Pope has signed off" on any changes, "everything is subject to question."
The German daily Der Standard, picking up on the report in La Repubblica, said that if Cardinal Schönborn were to take the post, Cardinal William Levada, former Archbishop of San Francisco, would have to return to the United States.
- Commission likely to raise unrealistic hopes.
The Edmonton Journal,
by Lorne Gunter, ~ June 01, 2008
CANADA -- Given past experience with federal commissions on aboriginal Canadians, I could reel off a hundred reasons why Ottawa's five-year, $60-million Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on abuse of aboriginals in residential schools will fail to find truth or reconcile anyone to anyone else.
The odds are decidedly against the TRC serving as a catharsis for native Canadians that leads to a healing of their animosity towards whites, or as a bridge between native and non-native Canadians.
If I had to bet, I'd put my chips on the commission making things worse by June 2013, when it is slated to wrap up.
Rather than being a salve for jagged aboriginal views of non-native society, of history and of land claims, I am predicting the commission will serve as an amplifier for First Nations' discontent.
[Dr Reardon] - RCC. 1970 photo remembered. Dishonest cover-up.
Hartford Courant,
By KEVIN HUNT | Courant Assistant Features Editor, June 01, 2008
HARTFORD (CT) -- On a Sunday afternoon in March 1970, Dr. George Reardon photographed me in degrading, sexually provocative poses in his office at St. Francis Hospital.
It was just another day for the doctor. Afterward, he stopped at Arthur Drug on Farmington Avenue for a pack of cigarettes and The New York Times.
Here's what he didn't expect: When I got home, I told my mother what he did to me. She got a lawyer and filed a formal complaint. The medical authorities assured us Reardon would be stopped. They lied. …
For virtually his entire professional life, Reardon hid behind the protective cloak of St. Francis and its close ties to the Catholic Church. And just in case, police say, he carried a handgun for protection. He lived his life in fear. Yet no one – adult victim, parent, brother or uncle – apparently ever sought revenge. He never spent a day in court, much less a day in prison.
- FLDS.
Houston Chronicle,
By JANET ELLIOTT, Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau, ~ June 01, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS – In the early days of the state's raid on a West Texas polygamist sect's compound, child welfare officials insisted that they were going by the book in removing children from a potentially dangerous living situation.
Only the numbers made the case unusual, representatives for Child Protective Services repeatedly insisted.
But that rigid professional compass may have prevented agency officials from thinking about the various "what ifs" in the case and now many people are second-guessing CPS.
- RCC.
San Mateo County Times,
By Christine Morente, Article Created 05:38:32 PM PDT,
May/31/2008
MENLO PARK (CA) – In the quiet morning light, Mike Quinn and Jerry Murphy hold their Bibles close to their hearts and do the sign of the cross.
They pray in hushed tones, and they take turns reading from the holy book's passages inside the comfort of Quinn's bedroom at St. Patrick's Seminary.
Each phrase is marked with conviction and longing.
"Oh God, you are my God," said Quinn, the image of the Virgin Mary not too far from his gaze. "For you I long, for you my soul is thirsty. My body pines for you."
This is the life the two men have chosen.
Not yet ordained in the Roman Catholic priesthood, Quinn and Murphy say they are destined to a life dedicated to God.
Quinn can now joke that he once helped people maintain riches when he was an accountant. But as he became involved with the church, he started questioning what wealth really means.
Quinn decided. "Real wealth is Christ."
The 55-year-old is expected to be ordained next year. Quinn would join a new breed of older priests who have staved off their callings long enough to have other careers, to date women and even get married.
The priesthood has evolved and much of it has to do with the years of child abuse and rape that have plagued Catholic churches across the nation.
These new priests have passed a tough round of background checks, a battery of psychological testing, and training to prevent sexual abuse.
But the stigma remains attached to a vocation that has always been grounded in trust and reverence.
[COMMENT: Read more literature from the Middle Ages, please. ENDS.]
- RCC.
Burlington Free Press,
By Sam Hemingway, June 1, 2008
VERMONT -- Dorothy Whiston was upset when she first learned in 2006 that her Roman Catholic diocese in Davenport, Iowa, was filing for bankruptcy.
The Midwestern diocese announced it was taking the step after concluding it lacked the funds to resolve a mounting number of lawsuits filed by dozens of victims of clergy sexual abuse, including one claim that a former bishop had molested boys.
"It was very painful," recalled Whiston, a regular attendee at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Iowa City, Iowa.
Today, a month after a federal judge approved a bankruptcy reorganization plan for the Davenport diocese and the 105,000 parishioners it serves, Whiston sees things differently.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:55 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun June 01, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Mr Opoku -NEW*] - "Winners Chapel." Money.
Ghana News,
~ June 02, 2008
GHANA -- The Statesman newspaper on Monday reported that a former accountant of Winners Chapel Ghana, Daniel Opoku, is alleged to have embezzled at least GHc 11,200 from Heritage Academy, a school belonging to and run by the church, as well as several thousands of cedis pilfered from church coffers, usually after church service, when the offertory had not been properly sorted and counted.
The act, according to the paper, is much against admonitions of the Biblical Ten Commandments against covetousness.
In separate operations, Opoku is alleged to have forged the signature of the head of the church, Bishop George Agyeman, and that of his Associate Pastor, Maxwell Tweneboa-Kodua, to withdraw GHc15,000 from the church's account at Prudential Bank. That incident is still under investigation.
- Roman Catholic Church (RCC).
6 ABC,
By Walter Perez, (WPVI), June 2, 2008
[with video]
ALLENTOWN (PA) -- Catholics attending dozens of churches around the Lehigh Valley will have to find new places to worship.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown is closing dozens of parishes.
Most Catholics who spoke with Action News in the Lehigh Valley say they understand why this decision was made, but it doesn't take away from the emotional impact.
The parish where John Kospiah has been a member since 1956, St. Joseph's, is among those marked for closure.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:00 PM]
- FLDS.
The Associated Press,
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, ~ June 2, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) – More than 400 children taken from a polygamist sect's ranch two months ago began returning to the arms of their tearful parents Monday, hours after a judge bowed to a state Supreme Court ruling that the seizure was not justified.
"It's just great day," said Nancy Dockstader, whose chin quivered and eyes filled with tears as she embraced her 9-year-old daughter, Amy, outside a foster-care center in Gonzales, about 65 miles east of San Antonio. "We're so grateful."
Her daughter and four other children were among the roughly 430 children ordered released after two months in state custody, much of it spent in foster care centers. Because siblings were separated at facilities hundreds of miles apart, it will probably take several days for all the families to be reunited.
- FLDS.
USA Today,
~ June 2, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Hours after children began returning to their parents, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints announced it would now allow girls to marry only if they can consent legally in the state where they live.
Willie Jessop, an elder of the polygamist sect, said the church will not sanction marriages of underage girls and will counsel its adult members against such unions. But he said that marriages among church members have always been consensual and that the Mormon offshoot has been misunderstood.
Baptist Press
Posted by Michael Foust
on Jun 2, 2008
[with link to the special report]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The June/July issue of SBC Life features an eight-page pull-out special report on child sexual abuse aimed at urging churches -- and assisting them in doing so -- to take steps in protecting children from sexual predators.
The section consists of seven stories, including a heartbreaking testimony from a woman who was sexually abused as a child, a testimony from a former social worker who worked on child abuse cases and an article from the co-founder of a ministry that seeks to educate churches about the problem.
In addition, the special report -- titled "Protecting Our Children: Accepting the Responsibility, Embracing the Privilege" -- includes practical advice for churches and church members on how to prevent sexual abuse within their congregations -- and what to do if it does occur.
The special report amplifies resources already available, including one -- www.sbc.net/localchurches/ministryhelp.asp -- that includes a list of ways to prevent child sexual abuse.
[COMMENT: But, but -- wasn't harming children forbidden by Jesus of Nazareth about 2000 years ago? What changed? ENDS.]
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Article Last Updated 04:26:29 PM MDT,
Posted: 4:37 PM, June/02/2008
ELDORADO, Texas -- Hours after signing an order releasing FLDS children from state custody, 51st District Judge Barbara Walther arrived at the Schleicher County Courthouse in Eldorado to swear in a grand jury that may be considering indictments related to the polygamous sect.
By the end of the day, 18 indictments had been issued, although no details were immediately available. The number was more than the usual; it is more typical for five to 15 indictments to be returned, a court clerk said.
Walther arrived at at the Eldorado courthouse at 12:30 p.m., accompanied by two bailiffs and her court clerk. She left an hour later.
Allison Palmer, the deputy district attorney for Tom Green County who has been leading the office's investigation into the sect and appearing at related hearings, also was at the courthouse.
- RCC.
Catholic News Service,
May 27, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC), (CNS) -- Two educators, a district court judge, a psychologist and a civic association leader will begin three-year terms on the National Review Board June 1. A judge and another psychologist also have been named to the board for terms beginning June 1, 2009.
Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced the appointments May 22.
Established by the bishops in 2002, the board reviews diocesan compliance with the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," oversees diocesan audits on child protection policies and practices, and recommends ways to ensure child protection to dioceses and church-based agencies.
Joining the boards June 1 are: Ana Maria Catanazaro, an associate professor, director of public health programs and director of La Salle Neighborhood Nursing Center at La Salle University in Philadelphia; Ruben Gallegos, executive director of International Educational Services Inc., a Los Fresnos, Texas-based child care association for unaccompanied minors from Central America; Al Notzon III, recently retired as the director of the Alamo Area Council of Governments in Texas and chairman of the San Antonio Archdiocesan Review Board; Thomas Plante, professor of psychology at Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine; and Judge Geraldine Rivera of the second judicial district of New Mexico's District Court.
Charles Handel, a psychologist who practices in Cincinnati and is an adjunct professor of psychology at Xavier University, and Anna Moran a judge on the Kenai, Alaska, Superior Court's third judicial district will begin their terms in June 2009.
- FLDS.
PR-Inside,
~ June 02, 2008
VICTORIA, British Columbia, CANADA (AP) - British Columbia's top lawyer on Monday appointed a special prosecutor to look into allegations of sexual misconduct within the polygamous community of Bountiful in western Canada.
Attorney General Wally Oppal said lawyer Terrence Robertson has been appointed to assess the likelihood of criminal convictions in the community, a breakaway Mormon sect of about 1,500 people that practices polygamous marriages long ago abandoned by the mainstream church. The community includes about 500 U.S. citizens. At least one teenager from Bountiful was apprehended by U.S. authorities in April when a sister polygamous community in Texas was raided.
Oppal has said there have been allegations of sexual misconduct in Bountiful but that nobody has agreed to testify in court. The community was previously investigated in a three-year review that was launched in 2004.
- RCC.
KWMU,
~ June 02, 2008
[audio]
UNITED STATES -- A discussion about Jason Berry's documentary on clergy sex abuse and the issues it raises.
Guests -
John Shemleffer,
Judical Vicar, Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Jason Berry,
Reporter
Author and Director of the documentary "Vows of Silence"
Author of the books "Vows of Silence" and "Lead Us Not Into Temptation"
Mary Ellen,
Member, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests and Voice of the Faithful
[≤ 2007 Lewis] - Christian.
KXLY,
~ June 02, 2008
SPOKANE (WA) - Preaching on Sunday. Doing drugs on Monday.
That's how former Spokane preacher Herman Lewis admitted to living his life up until a 2007 arrest following a bizarre rampage at Shari's restaurant.
The admission comes from a taped confession given by Lewis where he admits to using the church as a business tool to get free money and free women.
- Baptist.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitutuion,
By STEVE VISSER, June/02/08
GEORGIA -- The Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Fulton County judge violated rules of judicial conduct and violated a man's rights by sentencing him to 20 days in jail without letting him defend himself.
Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall became an "advocate" and took on a prosecutorial role by conducting his own private inquiry into a case involving $47,000 missing from a southwest Atlanta church, the high court ruled.
The ruling arose from a 2007 dispute involving the finances and control of the Macedonia Baptist Church of Atlanta, a 200-member church in southwest Atlanta.
[1970s Lenihan] - RCC. Girl.
Orange County Weekly
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, 5:33 AM,
June 2, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Under the reign of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown, the Catholic Diocese of Orange has lied, spun, hid, dismissed, excused, and ignored its shameful sex-abuse scandal--no surprise there. But never in my four years of reporting on the story have I ever encountered such a ridiculous action as the one I'm about to explain.
Look closely at the picture to the left of this post. It's from the Orange diocese's new history of itself, which I reviewed this week. Pay special attention to the space between the lady and the guy on the farthest right.
Now, click at the jump to see the original photo!
Notice anything different? You see that guy where once there was nothing? None other than John Lenihan, one of Orange County's most notorious rapist padres and my childhood priest.
That's right: the Orange diocese PHOTOSHOPPED A FREAKING PICTURE SO READERS WON'T KNOW THAT IT LET LENIHAN STAY AROUND LONG AFTER HE ADMITTED TO HIS RAPES.
The snapshot was taken in 2001, when Lenihan was serving as an adviser for the then-developing JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano.
Brown didn't seek to laicize him until spring of 2002--almost a decade after he admitted to molesting a 15-year-old girl during the 1970s.
[Shanley] - RCC. What is the NCRJ?
City of Angels
By Kay Ebeling, ~ June 02, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- Robert Costello was steaming mad as he sat behind Paul Shanley in court last week. Not only that the court would consider a retrial for one of the worst pedophile priests in the country, not only at the line of NAMBLA types, "creepy guys" in the row behind him who Costello recognized as Shanley supporters from the criminal trial. The thing that induced rage in Costello was the hearing aid, where was Shanley's hearing aid.
He and other victim advocates would joke during breaks in Shanley's 2005 trial, Maybe he just has his hearing aid turned off. Now he's in prison and taxpayers have apparently paid for surgery on his ears.
"The church protected him as a priest when he was getting away with serial pedophilia in Massachusetts and California. Now why is it up to the victims once again to monitor him, pay attention to what he's doing."
Shanley's new attorney only seems to have come out of nowhere but the National Center for Reason and Justice is paying at least in part for Shanley's Defense. NCRJ say they are "An innocence project for people wrongly accused or convicted of crimes against children."
[O'Hearn / O'Hern*, Peter Brock*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC).
Sydney Morning Herald,
by Linda Morris, June 3, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- THE Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has stood down a second parish priest to face a professional conduct investigation.
Father David O'Hearn, of St Michael's parish, Nelson Bay, was stood aside last Wednesday. He is the second priest to be suspended from duty since September. Parishioners at St Michael's Church were told on the weekend that their priest of four years would "not be involved in his usual parish ministry at this time". His suspension concerned a matter that required "independent investigation".
The diocese is refusing to specify why Father O'Hearn is under investigation, or how long the investigation will take.
- RCC.
GetReligion,
Posted by tmatt, ~ June 02, 2008
One of the biggest problems that your GetReligionistas face week after week can be stated this way: We know that many problems on the religion beat would vanish if reporters had more time to write and were given longer story lengths.
Trust me, as a columnist who has for 20 years written to a plus-or-minus 10 words assigned length, I know that having room for one or two extra paragraphs of background information would really help.
That's why it's important to note when reporters – even with short, short stories – manage to avoid words that are wrong and use words that are as right as possible, given the realities of daily journalism.
So how does that apply to the whole issue of covering the Womenpriests movement and its fight with the Roman Catholic Church?
[Porter] - RCC.
Boston Herald,
By Jessica Heslam, Monday, June 2, 2008
BOSTON (MA) -- Legendary Channel 4 I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino has left after 22 years at WBZ-TV, the latest iconic news figure to exit the cash-strapped CBS-owned station.
Bergantino, whose last day was Friday, was the head of WBZ's storied investigative unit.
"I wasn't fired, wasn't laid off, didn't resign. We began conversations and in the end they offered the option of taking what is essentially a buyout and that's where it's at," Bergantino said this afternoon. …
In 1992, Bergantino broke the story of former Fall River priest James Porter, who was accused of molesting dozens of children in the 1960s and eventually went to prison. Porter admitted to Bergantino on the phone that he had assaulted nearly 100 children.
The Porter case triggered hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits against the Boston archdiocese. The station's I-Team spent much of 2002 reporting on those cases.
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Posted: 1:12 PM,
Article Last Updated June/02/2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- The fiduciary overseeing a polygamous sect's trust wants access to documents seized from the YFZ Ranch -- and to see documents related to its 2003 purchase.
Bruce R. Wisan, who has overseen the United Effort Plan Trust under a judge's order since May 2005, has filed a motion in Texas that would allow him to look at the ranch documents once a criminal investigation ends.
Wisan believes the documents may contain information related to UEP assets. A hearing on that request is set for Wednesday before Judge Ben Woodward. Wisan is being represented in the Texas action by San Angelo attorney Sam Allen.
"We've been told it's a treasure trove of information," Wisan said in a telephone interview.
- FLDS.
The Times (United Kingdom),
from Chris Ayres in San Angelo, Texas, ~ June 02, 2008
TEXAS -- More than 400 children from a Texas polygamist sect were preparing to make their way back to a self-sufficient compound outside the town of Eldorado today, after a court brought an end to the largest child custody case in US history.
An order signed by the Texas District Judge Barbara Walther allowed parents in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) – whose "prophet", Warren Jeffs, allegedly married a 12-year-old girl – to pick up their children from state foster care facilities around the state immediately.
The children were taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch almost two months ago, after a woman claiming to be a teenage sect-member called an abuse hotline. It is now thought the call might have been a hoax.
- RCC.
The News,
~ June 02, 2008
POLAND -- Father Henryk Jankowski, a controversial priest from Gdansk, is to close down his institute.
According to Dziennik, the decision was made after pressure from the new metropolitan bishop of Gdansk, Slawoj Leszek Glodz, who forced Jankowski to do so after scandals connected to the institution.
Head of the Father Henryk Jankowski Institute, Ryszard Walczak, confirmed that Father Jankowski has decided to withdraw his patronage from the institution, which is to be closed down by August.
According to the daily, the Metropolitan Bishop Glodz became fed up with the 'immoral conduct' of the young employees of the institute. The allegations are connected to the previous head of the institution, the 26-year-old Mariusz Olchowik.
After some initial success with launching the Jankowski brand of mineral water, Olchowik became entangled in economic failures and scandals. Media reported that some employees of the institute allegedly frequented expensive brothels.
- RCC.
Buffalo News,
By Brian Hayden, 6:41 AM, Updated: June/02/08
NEW YORK -- The telltale signs of area parishes in decline came long before the Diocese of Buffalo's final announcement of mergers and closings.
Parishioners at Mother of Divine Grace in Cheektowaga first heard rumors of their church shuttering several years ago.
St. Bonaventure and St. William in West Seneca shared a common weekly bulletin for the last two years.
And at St. John the Evangelist in South Buffalo, the church pew fixtures that once held worshippers' hats and purses in a more vibrant era now contain "Journey in Faith and Grace" prayer cards that encourage parishioners to be "thankful for the gifts of yesterday" and for strength and courage in the times ahead.
- Abp. Milingo resumes liturgy, healing sessions.
AllAfrica,
The Times of Zambia (Ndola), by Anthony Mulowa, June 2, 2008
ZAMBIA -- ARCHBISHOP Emmanuel Milingo yesterday conducted his first mass in Zambia since being excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church two years ago and immediately started holding healing sessions expected to last up to Wednesday.
And the 77-year-old prelate has urged priests who have been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church to join him and start serving the people.
Speaking to journalists after the interdenominational mass held at Masiye Lodge in Lusaka, Archbishop Milingo said priests who had been forced out of the Catholic Church should come out in the open and continue serving the Lord.
- RC priests, nun, embezzle.
Buffalo News,
By Jay Tokasz, 6:37 AM, June/02/08
[with link to a compilation of parish and school thefts in Western New York since 2004]
NEW YORK -- White-collar thefts uncovered since 2004 have cost a combined $1.7 million in four Catholic parishes and a Catholic school in Erie County.
The parish pilfering isn't limited to Western New York. Church leaders across the country are wrestling with how to prevent what once was thought of as an unthinkable crime.
One study suggests that embezzlement of funds has cost churches nationwide millions of dollars over the past five years.
The Archdiocese of Omaha, Neb., has experienced a string of five major thefts since 2006, including two by priests and one by a nun, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
- Indigenous children.
The Ottawa Citizen,
Published: Monday, June 02, 2008
Re: PM to apologize for residential schools, May 16.
CANADA -- As the prime minister prepares to apologize to Aboriginal peoples for the multi-generational harms of residential schools, it is an opportunity for the Ottawa Citizen to re-publish the article authored by Dr. Peter H. Bryce, Health Officer for the Department of Indian Affairs, that appeared in the Citizen on Nov. 15, 1907.
Dr. Bryce surveyed the health of Aboriginal children in 15 residential schools and found that about one in every two students were dying at the schools from preventable spread of disease.
Despite Dr. Bryce's articles and his continued advocacy for over 20 years, the federal government did little to improve the situation for First Nations children and the deaths continued. There is no doubt the federal government knew of the deaths -- and the historical record says they did almost nothing to stop it. There is also no doubt that Canadians should celebrate the many Aboriginal peoples who advocated to stop the deaths and abuses and non-Aboriginal people like Dr. Bryce who joined them in the struggle.
Today, there are three times the number of First Nations in child welfare care than there were at the height of residential schools. The cause is neglect fueled by poor housing, poverty and caregiver substance misuse, often linked to the residential schools and complicated by the fact First Nations children and young people get far fewer government and voluntary sector services than other Canadians.
- RCC.
The Express-Times,
Monday, June 02, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA --The following are clerical reassignments affecting parishes in Lehigh and Northampton counties. For the complete list of all of the reassignments announced by the Allentown Diocese visit LehighValleyLive.com.
The Rev. Msgr. William T. Baker from pastor, St. Lawrence and St. Andrew, Catasauqua, to pastor, Incarnation of Our Lord, Bethlehem.
The Rev. Richard C. Brensinger from assistant pastor, St. Ann, Emmaus, to pastor, All Saints, McAdoo.
The Rev. Msgr. John S. Campbell from pastor, St. Bernard, St. Joseph and St. Michael, Easton, to pastor, Queenship of Mary, Northampton.
- RCC.
The Express-Times,
By COLIN MCEVOY, Monday, June 02, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Monsignor Michael Chaback was born and raised in the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish. His grandparents on both sides of his family were married there.
After serving 16 years as pastor of the Bethlehem church -- one of eight in Northampton County to be closed due to diocese restructuring -- Chaback said he is sorry to leave but it was the right move.
"I've known these people, I've grown up with them," he said. "No pastor wants to leave the people he's been close to in that situation, but all the way around, it's the best decision."
Chaback is one of 54 pastors or diocese employees being reassigned to a different church building due to the Diocese of Allentown's restructuring program.
- Public schools, Bible school, accused.
Tulsa World,
By NORA FROESCHLE, June/2/2008
OKLAHOMA -- During the 2007-08 school year, at least 11 Oklahoma school employees, many of them teachers and coaches, were charged, sentenced or ordered to stand trial for inappropriate sexual conduct with students.
Most recently, the principal of Bible Fellowship School, 4915 S. Waco Ave., was charged May 21 with second-degree rape of a 17-year-old student, and on Thursday, a Jennings High School teacher's aide was charged with second-degree rape of a 16-year-old student.
Investigations of possible sexual misconduct by two Vian Public Schools teachers are ongoing, and a Drumright High School teacher was recently suspended and is being investigated by police over accusations that he had sex with a 17-year-old student.
Fred Berlin, an associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has researched sexual disorders and also treated patients who have engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with minors. Berlin has served on commissions appointed by the Archdiocese of Boston examining the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church.
- RCC.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Bronislaus B. Kush, bkush@telegram.com , ~ June 02, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – Some members of St. Casimir Church have formally asked Bishop Robert J. McManus to reconsider his decision to close their parish and may take their appeal to the Vatican, if a reprieve by the chancery is not granted.
"It's a gorgeous church and the parish is very active," said 92-year-old Anna Leseman, a member of Friends of St. Casimir Parish, a group of parishioners trying to keep the Providence Street church open. "I can't believe the bishop wants to shut us down." …
"We're not interested in attending St. John's or any other parish, for that matter," said Barbara Thompson, another Friends member. "St. Casimir's is our home."
Members of Friends of St. Casimir wrote a letter May 27 asking Bishop McManus to rethink his decision. The group has also been meeting regularly to discuss ways to keep the parish open.
The bishop is scheduled to meet with parishioners following the 10 a.m. Mass next Sunday. …
Peter Borre, a member of the Council of Parishes, a group of Catholics that formed to help parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston that were threatened with "suppression" or closure, warned the Friends at a meeting at Maironis Park in Shrewsbury yesterday that the Congregation of Clergy generally rubberstamps the decisions made by bishops.
[Shanley]
MetroWest Daily News,
By Sister Maureen Paul Turlish / Guest columnist,
GHS, Posted 12:15 AM, Jun 02, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- The Rev. Paul R. Shanley is an archetypal figure, a product of the clerical system that spawned, enabled and protected him.
He speaks to the tragic need to change all states' inadequate childhood sexual abuse statutes for the protection of children.
To even consider that Shanley remained a priest for 43 years after the first credible and official complaint was made to the Archdiocese of Boston in 1961 is appalling.
Moreover, that he will remain a priest forever, even though he was officially laicized by the Holy See in 2004, because the church teaches that there is some indelible priestly character taken on by the soul during ordination is even more distressing.
It is insulting to the priests I know, especially those I have met across the country who attempt to minister to two and even three parish communities in rural areas of Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana and Minnesota. These men, these priests, represent the spiritual underpinning of the church I know.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:26 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon June 02, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2007-08 McGuigan -NEW*]- Methodist. Guilty. Internet "girl."
Erie Times-News,
BY TIM HAHN, tim.hahn@timesnews.com , June 03, 2008
MEADVILLE (PA) -- A minister who was once in charge of two Conneautville-area Methodist churches faces up to 28 years in prison after admitting he sent sexually explicit comments and photos online.
Steven R. McGuigan, 39, of Conneautville, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon in Crawford County court to two counts each of criminal use of a communication facility and unlawful contact with a minor-obscene and other sexual materials and performances. Each of the third-degree felony charges is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Agents with the state Attorney General's Office Child Predator Unit filed the charges in early March after accusing McGuigan of sending sexually explicit materials online in December and January. McGuigan thought he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl named Brianna in a Yahoo Messenger chat room between Dec. 10 and Jan. 22, according to the criminal complaint filed by agent David K. Frattare of the Child Predator Unit.
[20yrs Bearinger -? NEW*] - Mennonite. Boy.
Sexual Abuse Claims Blog,
Posted by John McKiggan on June 3, 2008
CANADA -- A founding member of a Mount Forest Mennonite community has been ordered to pay compensation to a man that he sexually abused as a child.
CTV news has reported that 84 year old Amsey Bearinger is currently serving a two year sentence after being convicted of sexually abusing 17 children over two decades.
[2007 Costa (39) - NEW*] - RCC. Woman (72).
Newsday,
June 3, 2008
HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY -- A Roman Catholic priest in Bergen County is accused of inappropriate sexual contact with an elderly parishioner.
Prosecutors say that after a Nov. 15 church service at St. Anne's Parish in Fair Lawn, Father Edson Fernando Costa forced a 72-year-old woman to touch him in a sexual manner.
The Archdiocese of Newark placed the 39-year-old Costa on paid leave and reported the incident to authorities.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:28 PM]
[2007 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Child porn.
PR-Inside
~ June 03, 2008
BERLIN, GERMANY (AP) - A prosecutor says a Roman Catholic priest in Germany is under investigation after child pornography was found on the hard drive of his computer.
Prosecutor Reinhard Baumgart said Tuesday an investigation of the 49-year-old was opened in December and he has been suspended by the church.
He confirmed a report in the regional daily Westfalenblatt that some 250 pornographic images of children were found on the man's hard drive. The priest from the northwestern city of Bielefeld was not identified.
[1988-95 Oswald -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC) Sexual abuse. Boy.
Record-Bee,
By Tiffany Revelle--Record-Bee staff, Article Last Updated 09:18:52 PM PDT,
June/02/2008
LAKE COUNTY (CA) -- An investigation is under way after a civil complaint alleging sexual abuse was filed against Father Ted Oswald, according to a Monday press release from the Lakeport Police Department (LPD).
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa reported to the LPD in late May that it had been served with the civil complaint alleging that Oswald committed sexual abuse between 1988 and 1995, according to the release. Oswald served as chaplain for the LPD for two years, and for 11 years at the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
"This was a civil law suit. A civil complaint is a civil law suit. There was no crime alleged here," Lake County Sheriff Rodney Mitchell said Monday.
- RCC.
Pink News (United Kingdom),
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk - 10:54, May 23, 2008
POLAND -- The Roman Catholic Church has helped set up a rehabilitation centre in Poland that attempts to 'cure' homosexuality.
Last week as countries around the world marked the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) the Polish rehabilitation centre 'Odwaga' opened its doors to the media.
Among the centre's activities are football lessons for men and cooking classes for women.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:48 PM]
- RCC.
WCAX,
June 2, 2008
[with video]
COLCHESTER, Vermont -- Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is located on the shores of Lake Champlain in Colchester. It operates on nearly 30-acres of prime real estate, which is owned by the Catholic Diocese. But now the Church may have to sell it.
The church says it must terminate a lease with Camp Ta-Kum-Ta because it's looking at properties that can be sold to pay for lawsuits against the church. This is one of them.
- RCC.
Bellville News-Demcrat,
~ June 03, 2008
[with link to the letter that Bishop Braxton and the Executive Committee sent to priests]
BELLEVILLE (IL) -- Bishop Edward K. Braxton and priests will begin a series of meetings this summer in an effort to improve communication.
Priests in the Belleville Diocese said it was a failure to communicate that led to a recent request by more than half the priesthood for Braxton to step down.
The meetings will include participation by The Reid Group, a non-profit that bills itself as "…a consultation and mediation service which specializes in assisting Catholic organizations transform challenges into opportunities."
- RCC.
Chicago Tribune,
Associated Press, 10:24 AM CDT, June 3, 2008
BELLEVILLE, Ill. - The Roman Catholic bishop of the Belleville diocese plans to begin meeting privately this summer with the diocese's priests in hopes of smoothing communication.
Bishop Edward Braxton says in a letter to priests that the goal of the discussions is to improve dialogue and move beyond was has been contentious relations.
Dozens of the diocese's priests recently requested that Braxton step down, among other things citing the lack of communication.
[2007 Edson Costa* (39)] - RCC. Woman (72).
The Star-Ledger,
by Russell Ben-Ali / 3:03 PM, Tuesday June 03, 2008
FAIR LAWN (NJ) -- A priest at a Fair Lawn Catholic church was arrested today and charged with criminal sexual contact after he was accused of forcing a 72-year-old female parishioner to touch him, authorities said.
Rev. Edson Fernando Costa, 39, of West Orange, surrendered to Fair Lawn police today after detectives obtained a formal statement from his alleged victim, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said today in a statement.
The victim reported the incident first to her pastor at St. Anne's Parish in Fair Lawn and later to the Archdiocese of Newark, Molinelli said. She accused Costa of taking her hand and forcing her to touch him in a sexual manner, the prosecutor said.
Catholic World News,
~ June 03, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- The OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano is no friend of the Catholic Church, but in this instance it's hard to dismiss as bigotry the mortar shell he lobs into the lap of the local bishop.
It concerns a newly published history of the California diocese now headed by Bishop Tod Brown, titled, Diocese of Orange: Learning, Loving, Living Our Faith.
In the published history, according to Arellano, the photo below appears in illustration of some event in the life of Junipero Serra High School in San Juan Capistrano.
[2007 Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Child porn.
Top News (India),
~ June 03, 2008
BIELEFELD, Germany -- Catholic authorities disclosed Tuesday the suspension of a 49-year-old priest, who is expected to face criminal charges after police found child-sex photographs on his computer.
The clergyman was removed in November, following complaints, a month before a police raid on the man in December, said Aegidius Engel, a spokesman for the Catholic archdiocese of Paderborn in the north of Germany.
National Survivor Support Working Group
For release: Tuesday, June 3, 2008
UNITED STATES -- What:
It's about protecting our children, not money; and
It's about reaching out to those injured and silenced by sexual abuse; and
It's about knowing who the abusers are, where and when they preyed on children; and
It's about empowering the survivors to speak and teach about the life long damages from sexual abuse.
Who:
Survivor support group salutes brave and inspirational abuse survivors for securing significant non-monetary mandates as part of Davenport Diocese bankruptcy settlement.
Will more dioceses establish similar mandates?
The National Survivor Support Working Group ( NSSWG ) praises the courage, perseverance, and community-focused good sense of the Davenport Iowa survivors of clergy sexual abuse for securing precedent-setting non-monetary mandates as part of the recent $37 million Diocese of Davenport bankruptcy settlement. ( Des Moines Register )
These mandates will enhance the safety of future generations of children, raise the visibility in the Catholic community of the horrifying nature of sex abuse of children by Catholic clergy, and help prevent future abuse.
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By BILL HANNA,
bhanna@star-telegram.com , ~ June 03, 2008
TEXAS -- Even as children continue to stream back home to the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran predicted today that numerous criminal charges will eventually be returned against followers of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS).
"I believe when all of the criminal charges come forward it is going to be very hard to practice their beliefs within the state of Texas," Doran said. "I believe there are numerous criminal investigations going, and a number of charges will eventually come out of those investigations."
A grand jury was convened Monday in Schleicher County, but Doran said that panel is only dealing with local issues and is not taking up cases related to child abuse allegations at the sect's compound. He said the Texas Rangers, who are the lead agency in the investigation, are moving deliberately.
[2000s Deal*] - Christian. Internet "child," etc.
The Enquirer,
by Trace Christenson, June 3, 2008
MICHIGAN -- His lower lip began to quiver and Troy Deal wiped away tears as a judge told him what his prison sentence meant.
"If you commit a crime and get convicted of it, you have to pay the price," Calhoun County Circuit Judge Stephen Miller said Monday. "And it's sad for you and your wife and your children."
Not only will the sentence mean Deal is imprisoned, the judge said, but it will deprive him of seeing his children grow and it will place a hardship on his wife, trying to keep the family together.
But, Miller said, because Deal was convicted he must spend between four and 20 years in prison.
Deal, 35, was sentenced Monday on 11 counts of using a computer to solicit a child for sexually abusive material, distributing sexually abusive material and communicating with a child for immoral purposes.
- RCC.
News Item (ZWire),
BY MARK GILGER
mark_g@newsitem.com
June/03/2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The heartaches and challenges now being experienced with the consolidation of parishes in the Diocese of Allentown were very real emotions for area Catholics 13 years ago when churches in the Shamokin and Mount Carmel area were merged.
Local priests who went through the process in 1995 shared their thoughts about the impending closing of 32 Catholic churches in Schuylkill County.
"It's a difficult process, but realities have to be faced," said the Rev. Raymond Orloski, pastor of Holy Angels Church in Kulpmont since 1995. "Change is frightening and closing churches is definitely a traumatic change in people's lives. But Catholics must realize that they will still have a church and priest who serves them."
Orloski is a native of the former St. Casimir Church in Kulpmont, which was part of the consolidation process that the Harrisburg Diocese underwent which led to the formation of Holy Angels Church.
- RCC.
The Morning Call,
June 3, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- By the numbers, the restructuring plan announced on Sunday by the Catholic Diocese of Allentown makes sense. With about 272,000 members, Catholics are the largest single religious group in the Lehigh Valley, comprising almost one quarter of the population in four counties. But, the number of priests available to minister to them and to look after the churches, schools and related groups can no longer carry the load. The number of priest in the diocese by this time next year is expected to be 115, or 100 fewer than when the diocese was founded in 1961, and a number too small to maintain the current number of parishes.
Most dramatically affected are what are called the "national" or ethnic parishes. This is especially so in Carbon and Schuylkill counties, and, in the Lehigh Valley, in South Bethlehem, where five churches will become one. The presence of churches identified as Italian, Slovak or Irish reflects a broader stream of history and Pennsylvania -- that this is a place and nation that welcomed immigrants. Joseph McShea, founding bishop of the Allentown Diocese, wrote in 1961, "All through the 19th century, vast numbers of Catholics poured into the five-county area of this Diocese in a steady flow of immigration from Ireland, Germany, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean shores. They came seeking a new livelihood, new freedom, both political and religious. Those faithful Catholic immigrants were already fused in the solidarity of their Catholic faith and in the warmth of the charity of Christ which burned in their hearts. Tenaciously, they have adhered to this sacred legacy through the generations."
- RCC.
The Morning Call
By Chris Parker and Daniel Patrick Sheehan | Of The Morning Call,
June 3, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Churches tend to be quiet neighbors, so the impact of losing nearly 50 of them across the five-county Catholic Diocese of Allentown might not be immediately obvious to anyone outside the circle of faithful.
But the massive church consolidation unveiled over the weekend is more than a Catholic story. Many downtowns, some of them already distressed, will see prominent buildings go dark. The downtrodden will lose places of refuge. Merchants will lose business. Historians and preservationists will lose living museums, places where generations marked milestones of life.
"This is the unsung part of their greatness," said Gregory Lloyd of the National Coalition of Clergy and Laity in Whitehall, pointing to the central place of houses of worship, Catholic or otherwise, in the life of a town. They have historically been recognized as neighborhood anchors and as sanctuaries in times of trouble.
- RCC.
Albany Times Union,
By MARC PARRY, Tuesday, June 3, 2008
TROY (NY) -- St. Peter's, known as the "mother of Troy parishes," is one of two churches that would close under a plan expected to be presented to the Albany Catholic Diocese this month, according to a person close to the process.
The plan would merge three of the city's historically Irish parishes -- St. Peter's, St. Paul the Apostle and St. Patrick's -- into one.
St. Paul's and St. Peter's would close, said the person, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, with St. Patrick's remaining as the merged parish's worship site.
- Churches, Government, and others.
CNW,
June 2, 2008
TORONTO, CANADA /CNW/ - In a letter sent to Stephen Harper, The United Church of Canada has urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the June 11 apology to residential school survivors and their families is an occasion that will be experienced as a defining moment in the healing of our nation.
The church's letter also echoes the concerns raised by the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, in an open letter on April 22. In that letter Chief Fontaine lamented the absence of direct consultation with Aboriginal leaders and survivors about the content of the
national apology.
- Book Nothing to Hide, by Russell Shaw
InsideCatholic
May 27, 2008
Inside Catholic contributor Russell Shaw's 20th book, Nothing To Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and Communion in the Catholic Church
(Ignatius Press), takes a candid and sometimes surprising look at the abuse of secrecy in an ecclesiastical context. In this interview, Shaw, former information director of the Catholic bishops' conference and the Knights of Columbus, explains the book's genesis and the nature of the problem it examines. Nothing To
Hide is available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other outlets. UNITED STATES -- Inside Catholic: What moved you to write a book about secrecy in the Church?
Russell Shaw: I guess I first became conscious of the problem in 1969, when I went to work for the bishops' conference as director of information. At the time, the bishops' relations with the press were in terrible shape, and much of the tension focused on the bishops' general meetings. They were entirely in executive session, with no reporters and observers allowed in. Yet the bishops invited reporters to come to the meeting and cover it -- which they did, partly by means of briefings and partly by means of leaks. Needless to say, there was no good reason for all that secrecy. The situation was a mess and very harmful to the bishops' own best interests.
I was one of those who helped get them to open the meetings, starting in 1972. That arrangement worked well for the next 20 years, but starting in the mid-1990s, when I was no longer with the bishops' conference but was covering the bishops as a journalist, I realized that, without any announcement or explanation, they were spending more and more of their meeting time in secret session behind closed doors. Once again, there was no good reason for so much secrecy. So I started writing about that and about secrecy in the Church in general.
Then came 2002 and the sex-abuse scandal. The cover-ups were a big part of it. Now it was clear that the abuse of secrecy wasn't just counterproductive -- it was capable of doing very serious harm in a very serious matter. I concluded that to do justice to the problem would take a book. Nothing To Hide is the result. …
But ever since Vatican II haven't we had structures and processes of consultation to prevent what you're talking about -- pastoral councils, finance councils, things like that?
On paper, yes. But in many places, if not most, they don't seem to be working very well. What did diocesan and parish councils do to detect and prevent sex abuse? Nothing -- evidently they were frozen out, kept in the dark. In lots of parishes and dioceses, nobody knows who the council members are or when they meet or what their agenda is or what they do. There's a common impression that very often -- there are exceptions, of course -- the main role of these bodies is to be a sounding-board and rubber-stamp decisions by the authorities.
[Beaudet, Plourde] - RCC.
Morning Sentinel,
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, ~ June 03, 2008
MAINE -- The two Maine priests the Vatican has dismissed from the clergy spent parts of their careers ministering in central Maine.
The Vatican passed down its most severe penalty -- laicization -- to George Beaudet, 69, and Michael Plourde, 57, stripping them of their authority to minister and cutting their ties to church authorities, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland officials announced Friday.
Beaudet, who now lives out of Maine, served at Notre Dame in Waterville in 1974 and 1976 to 1978; and Notre Dame de Lourdes, in Skowhegan, from 1987 to 1994. His most recent assignment was at St. Anne in Dexter.
Plourde served at St. Mary in Augusta, from 1990 to 1992; and St. John the Baptist, Winslow, from 1992 to 1993. He also was the assistant to the lay chaplain at the Augusta Mental Health Institute, now known as Riverview Psychiatric Center, from 1993 to 1994.
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Boy.
Lake County News,
by Elizabeth Larson, Tuesday, June 03, 2008
LAKEPORT (CA) – At the end of his 10:30 a.m. Sunday mass – the biggest mass of the week – Father Ted Oswald stood before his parishioners at Saint Mary Immaculate Church and delivered a shocking piece of news.
The 63-year-old priest told his flock that he was taking a leave of absence because of a civil lawsuit that alleges he sexually abused a teenage boy between 1988 and 1995.
He said he couldn't do his work as priest until the lawsuit was resolved, adding that he wanted his day in court.
Oswald, who has been the parish's priest for 20 years, then asked his church members to pray for him and all involved in the case.
Lakeport resident Phillip Myers, a pastoral advisory council member who was attending mass that morning, said the reaction to the well-beloved priest's announcement was "absolute astonishment."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:02 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue June 03, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2007-08 Ruk -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Offering sensual bodywork.
NBC 10,
~ June 04, 2008
[with video]
PENNSYLVANIA -- Officials at the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania said they are investigating one of their own priests.
The action comes after Harry Hairston and the NBC 10 Investigators started asking questions.
After being contacted by a viewer, the NBC 10 Investigators look into allegations about the actions of a local priest.
And after months of investigating, Hairston went straight to the priest for answers about his online life.
"You know, Harry, I wanted you to talk to me first," the Rev. Michael Ruk, of St. Paul's Episcopal, said.
"But why are you hiding?" Hairston asked.
"Because I want to talk to you privately," Ruk said.
That's because what Ruk does in private is something he apparently thought would stay very private, but it didn't -- not after a New Jersey man came across an Internet ad, Hairston reported.
The ad was on the popular Web site Craigslist.com. It's a Web site people use to sell or buy just about anything.
"It appeared that the priest in charge of an Episcopal church was selling sex on Craigslist. I was outraged," said a man who only wants to be known as Jake.
But after discovering it was possibly a priest offering massages with an extra bit of pleasure --"sensual bodywork" -- afterwards, he wanted the public to know everything about Ruk's online life.
[2000s Chen -NEW*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). Torture regime. 2 children.
The Jerusalem Post,
~ June 04, 2008
ISRAEL -- The father of two children who were allegedly severely abused by their mother and several other men lashed out at the leader of the gang, Elior Chen, on Wednesday, wishing that the self-proclaimed rabbi die in prison.
Chen, 29, turned himself in to Sao Paulo police on Tuesday night.
"Elior Chen is a dangerous man; I will only be at ease when he is behind bars," the father told Israel Radio. "We cannot know if he will try to do such a thing again. I bless him that he will depart from this world or rot in prison."
[2008 Lisante -NEW*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign.
Newsday,
BY BART JONES | bart.jones@newsday.com , June 4, 2008
LONG ISLAND (NY) -- A prominent Long Island Roman Catholic priest yesterday issued an apology for endorsing John McCain for president at a Republican fundraiser, but said he'd still do it again - only not during the invocation of an event.
The Rev. James Lisante, a religion commentator for Fox News Network and a pastor in West Hempstead, came under fire from some, including bloggers, for condemning Barack Obama and backing McCain at the Manhattan event Thursday.
"One final thing, Lord, I promise," Lisante, dressed in his clerical collar, said at the end of the invocation, a videotape of which was posted on the Internet. "This November could you keep an eye on all of us and see that the change that we embrace comes from Arizona and not Illinois?"
[COMMENT: The above half-jocular semi-blasphemous invocation brings Christianity into disrepute. ENDS.]
[2008 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
Washington Post,
By E. J. Dionne Jr., Page A15, Tuesday, June 3, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Word spread like wildfire in Catholic circles: Douglas Kmiec, a staunch Republican, firm foe of abortion and veteran of the Reagan Justice Department, had been denied Communion.
His sin? Kmiec, a Catholic who can cite papal pronouncements with the facility of a theological scholar, shocked old friends and adversaries alike earlier this year by endorsing Barack Obama for president. For at least one priest, Kmiec's support for a pro-choice politician made him a willing participant in a grave moral evil.
Kmiec was denied Communion in April at a Mass for a group of Catholic business people he later addressed at dinner. The episode has not received wide attention outside the Catholic world, but it is the opening shot in an argument that could have a large impact on this year's presidential campaign: Is it legitimate for bishops and priests to deny Communion to those supporting candidates who favor abortion rights?
- "Older Than America" and "Honour Thy Father" FILMS
Edmonton Journal,
Mari Sasano, Freelance, Published: 1:33 am, ~ June 04, 2008
OLDER THAN AMERICA, Rating 4;
Director: Georgina Lightning
Starring: Adam Beach, Georgina Lightning, Tantoo Cardinal
When: Canadian premiere tonight at 7, with Lightning in attendance
With: World premiere of short film, Honour Thy Father
Where: Ziedler Hall at the Citadel Theatre
- - -
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada -- The horror of the treatment of students at native residential schools has been in the headlines for years. The extent of psychological damage on generations of aboriginal children, taken away from their families to be raised in Christian boarding schools, is almost unimaginable. But even though the last survivors of that system are now growing old, the repercussions of the physical, psychological and sexual abuse are still being felt by the descendants of those who were first victimized.
That is the background to Older Than America, the directorial debut of actor/writer Georgina Lightning. But rather than merely dwell on the past, the film makes a strong case for hope and healing by focusing on the children of the last generation of survivors who are now understanding the issue as adults.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:12 AM]
- Former RC. Abp. Milingo.
Catholic News Service,
By Bronwen Dachs, ~ June 04, 2008
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- Excommunicated Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo is not drawing the crowds that he used to in his home city of Lusaka, Zambia, a church official said.
"As archbishop (of Lusaka) he could fill a football stadium, but now he is easily able to use the conference room of the motel he is staying in to hold his healing ceremonies. That tells the story," Father Joe Komakoma, general secretary of the Zambia Episcopal Conference, said in a June 3 telephone interview with Catholic News Service from the Zambian capital, Lusaka.
While "the media is still fascinated by him," Archbishop Milingo "is largely ignored by Zambian Catholics now that he is no longer a member of the church," Father Komakoma said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:57 PM]
- Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Closing parishes.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
by Bronislaus KUSH, Worcester Diary, June 04, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) -- Catholic parishes are being closed across the country, in large part because church officials maintain that there aren't enough priests to staff the churches.
But is that really the case?
Peter Borre, a member of the Council of Parishes, doesn't believe so.
The council has served for years as a sort of "support group" for members of parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston that have been threatened with closure.
Mr. Borre met Sunday with some parishioners of St. Casimir's Church on Providence Street, who are hoping to convince Worcester Bishop Robert J. McManus that their parish is viable and should not be closed July 1.
[Curran] - RCC. Minors.
WABI,
~ June 04, 2008
[with video]
AUGUSTA (ME) -- Changes to the name of a bridge and two scholarships honoring an Augusta priest who sexually assaulted a child while serving in the Catholic church. Some say it would help all victims of abuse to have the honors revoked.
IT WAS HERE AT THE ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH IN AUGUSTA WHERE REVEREND JOHN CURRAN SERVED AS A PRIEST FOR TEN YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1976.
ALLEGATIONS THAT CURRAN SEXUALLY ABUSED MINORS LINGERED AFTER HIS DEATH AS VICTIMS SPOKE OUT…ONE CASE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.
[2001-05 Tendler] - Judaist (Kehillat). "Sexual therapy." Woman.
The Journal News,
By Jay Gallagher, Albany Bureau, June 4, 2008
ALBANY (NY) -- The state's highest court heard arguments yesterday about whether a claim of emotional distress and breach of fiduciary duty should be reinstated against a New Hempstead rabbi on behalf of a woman who says he seduced her.
The case involves Adina Marmelstein, a Manhattan woman, and Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, founder and spiritual leader of Kehillat New Hempstead.
Marmelstein claims the two had a sexual relationship from November 2001 to May 2005 after he induced her into having intercourse "as part of a course of sexual therapy which he represented would lead to her achieving her goals of marriage and children."
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). Torture regime. 2 children.
The Jerusalem Post
~ June 04, 2008
ISRAEL -- An Israeli fugitive who is considered to be the ringleader of - and 'spiritual mentor' responsible for - one of the worst child abuse cases in Israeli history turned himself in to Sao Paulo police on Tuesday night. Elior Chen, who calls himself a "rabbi," is expected to be extradited to Israel in the coming days.
Chen, 29, and his followers are suspected of severely abusing two children, ages three and four, who were beaten with hammers, knives and other implements for months, until the younger child lost consciousness in March.
They are also suspected of severely abusing other children in the family.
[? 2000s Alvarizares] - Christian. ≥ 3 females.
OregonLive,
The Associated Press, ~ June 04, 2008
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland church pastor faces sentencing for sexually abusing female members of his congregation.
Sergio Alvarizares (al-ver-uh-zar-ez) is scheduled to be in court Wednesday afternoon to hear his sentence.
Last April, the 39-year-old admitted to a Multnomah County judge he tried to kiss or have sex with at least three female members from his Northeast Portland church.
- Catholics of two kinds.
Whispers in the Loggia,
~ June 04, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- Having been occupied since 2005 by protesting parishioners, a closed suburban Boston parish is going bi-ritual, with a Syro-Malybar priest to offer one Sunday liturgy in the India-born rite (which celebrates its Eucharist ad orientem), and another in the Roman rite:
The archdiocese is hailing the plan as a testament to improved relations between church officials and the protesters; the protesters are denouncing what they say was a lack of consultation with them about the plan, but say they are happy to share space with a group of Catholics in need and optimistic after an initial conversation with Vadana yesterday.
[2008 Pfleger*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign.
Fox News,
June 03, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- The decision to remove Father Michael Pfleger, the Catholic priest who berated Hillary Clinton from the floor of Barack Obama's former church, has drawn criticism from members of St. Sabina Church where Pfleger is the pastor.
St. Sabina President Gerald Stewart said members of the church "wholeheartedly disagree" with Cardinal Francis George's decision and "respectfully request" that Pfleger be reinstated because of the significant impact he has had on the Chicago community.
Cardinal Francis George, the Archbishop of Chicago, announced Tuesday that Pfleger was to be removed from his post, at least temporarily.
[2007-08 McGuigan*]- Methodist. Guilty. Explicit, photo. Internet "girl."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,
By wire report, Wednesday, June 4, 2008
CRAWFORD COUNTY (PA) -- A minister who pastored two United Methodist churches in Crawford County has pleaded guilty to charges he had sexual contact with an undercover agent posing as a minor girl over the Internet.
The Rev. Steven McGuigan will be sentenced Sept. 12 and faces a maximum of 28 years in prison. Authorities say McGuigan was involved in explicit sex chatting with an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl and that he displayed part of his naked body on a webcam.
[2008 Pfleger*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign.
The Associated Press,
~ June 04, 2008
CHICAGO (IL), (AP) – Cardinal Francis George asked a Chicago priest on Tuesday to temporarily step down from his post to "reflect on his recent statements" regarding Sen. Hillary Clinton and her bid for the White House.
Last week, the Rev. Michael Pfleger mocked Clinton at Sen. Barack Obama's former church, saying the New York senator felt "entitled" to the Democratic nomination for president.
In a guest sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ, Pfleger pretended he was Clinton crying over "a black man stealing my show."
[2007 Edson Costa* (39)] - RCC. Woman (72).
The Hudson Line,
~ June 04, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- The Rev. Edson Fernando Costa, 39, of West Orange, a priest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, has been arrested and charged with one count of criminal sexual contact, a fourth-degree crime, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli announced.
Costa was a priest at Saint Anne's Parish in Fair Lawn at the time of the alleged incident. His residence is currently listed as Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, West Orange, though he is not currently listed as a member of the parish's staff.
The arrest came about as a result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Squad, under the direction of Chief Joseph Macellaro, and the Fair Lawn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Erik Rose.
- RCC.
Voice from the Desert,
~ June 04, 2008
UNITED STATES -- James Carroll wrote the following book review for the Atlantic Monthly in 1992, 16 years ago and 10 years before the Boston Globe's exposé of Cardinal Law's obstruction of justice, but Carroll has many lessons for us about the clerical culture that spawned the widespread sex abuse of children by Catholic clergy and its cover up by church officials.
I have added yellow highlighting and bold underlining for emphasis.
* * *
The Cardinal of Repression
Militant and Triumphant: William Henry O'Connell and the Catholic Church in Boston, 1859-1944
by James M. O'Toole
University of Notre Dame Press, $28.95
by James Carroll
AMERICAN Catholics have known what it is to be attacked by the narrow-minded and prejudiced among their fellow countrymen, but the full possibilities of American Catholic contributions to the life of the universal Church have also been under sporadic attack – from Rome itself. For more than a century Catholics who have valued the "American" virtues of democracy and pluralism, and have waited for the Church to become more tolerant of differences, more fully catholic, have been in turn rejected and accepted by those in Church authority. Lately, after the momentous acceptance of American Catholicism under Pope John XXIII and Vatican Council II, in the early 1960s, the cycle has turned again. Repeating a tragic mistake, Roman Catholicism is doing its best to repudiate one of the Church's most promising traditions.
When Pope Paul VI solemnly reaffirmed the Catholic Church's condemnation of "artificial birth control" in his 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, most observers outside the Church and many inside, especially liberals, thought his reaffirmation was a historic mistake. Today, in Europe and North America, as the Pope's critics predicted would be the case, the prohibition is ignored: polls and birth rates show that Catholic use of contraception is no different from non-Catholic use. In the developing countries of, say, Latin America, where the Church is strong, soaring populations almost certainly have more to do with economic and other cultural factors than with simple acquiescence to papal authority. Yet though it has harmed the Roman Church, Humanae Vitae may have saved Roman Catholicism, by undercutting one of the most misguided propositions the Church ever promulgated as a central tenet of the faith: the doctrine of papal infallibility.
[COMMENT: Hold on, there were so many mistakes by popes in the history books that infallibility is NOT a central tenet to SENSIBLE RCs. In fact, it was not introduced until the 1800s -- about 1500 years too late to be a Jesus doctrine. ENDS.]
[~ 2000s Ms Kilyanek*] - RCC. Money US $111,693.
The Detroit News,
by Steve Pardo / June 04, 2008
GARDEN CITY (MI) -- A Garden City woman was sentenced Tuesday to 120 days in jail, five years' probation and ordered to pay $111,693 in restitution under a plea agreement for embezzling from her church.
Debra Ann Kilyanek, 54, was charged in December after an audit by the Archdiocese of Detroit showed an $111,693 shortfall at St. Dunstan Roman Catholic Church in Garden City. Kilyanek worked at the parish for 10 years as an administrative assistant before being fired. An audit showed she used church accounts to pay auto loans, credit cards and college loans, according to prosecutors.
She pleaded guilty in March to the embezzlement charges.
[LOOK BACK: Dec 18, 2007]
- Rounding them up. One had porn CDs and riches.
Hard News,
Jeemon Jacob , ~ June 04, 2008
The plethora of godmen that flourished with political support in India's most educated state now find themselves hunted Thiruvananthapuram, INDIA -- They were all 'holy men'. In hundred per cent literate and Left-leaning Kerala, they were revered. Politicians consulted them, filmstars added glamour to their aura, musclemen guarded them, artists greeted them and top cops escorted them. The law and order machinery considered them privileged. Nobody touched them since they were well-connected and claimed proximity to senior politicians across party affiliations. Their numbers and their sponsors multiplied over the years. Some of them claimed they had predicted the 2004 tsunami a year before it happened.
Now all that is lost. The police are rounding them up for various offences. Their hasty fall started when Santosh Madhavan alias Amrita Chaitanya, the first swami to be booked for cheating and wanted by the Interpol, was arrested and his guest house was raided. Police confiscated pornographic CDs from his locker and found records of huge real estate investments amounting to crores of rupees. They also found the uniform of a circle inspector.
- FLDS.
CNN,
By Ashley Broughton, June 03, 2008
TEXAS (CNN) -- Removing 460 children from a polygamist sect compound and then reuniting them with their families will cost Texas $7 million, according to the state Department of Family and Protective Services.
The children were ordered returned to their families this week after the Texas Supreme Court found that the state did not have enough evidence to show that abuse was happening at the Yearning for Zion ranch near Eldorado.
The price tag includes costs from fighting a court battle to retain custody of the children, attempting to determine their parentage through DNA testing and reuniting the children with their parents.
- FLDS.
The Dallas Morning News,
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / rtgarrett@dallasnews.com (The Associated Press contributed to this report), Wednesday, June 4, 2008
ELDORADO, Texas – A judge Tuesday set special conditions for the release from state custody of a 16-year-old daughter of polygamist sect prophet Warren Jeffs after the girl's lawyer complained she'd been sexually abused by a man in the group and might be in danger.
While 397 of the sect's 440 children in the custody of Child Protective Services had been released by late Tuesday, Mr. Jeffs' daughter was the only one accorded special protections, said her lawyer, Natalie Malonis of Flower Mound.
State District Judge Barbara Walther of San Angelo allowed the girl to be released to her mother, Annette Jeffs, at a Midland foster care facility after ordering the mother to keep her in the San Antonio area where she lives
– and away from the alleged perpetrator, a 38-year-old sect member.
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Altar boy.
The Press Democrat
By Glenda Anderson, Wednesday, June 4, 2008
LAKEPORT (CA) -- A Lake County Catholic priest has been placed on administrative leave from his church and law enforcement ministries pending an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of an altar boy more than a decade ago, church and law authorities said Tuesday.
Father Ted Oswald was suspended Monday from his post at St. Mary Immaculate Church in Lakeport pending an investigation into the allegations, which were made in a civil lawsuit, said Santa Rosa Diocese spokeswoman Deirdre Frontczak.
The lawsuit, filed last month in Sonoma County Superior Court, alleges sexual misconduct involving a minor between 1988 and 1995, said Dan Galvin, attorney for the diocese.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed June 04, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2008, May 29 - Cortez -NEW*] - RCC. Schoolgirl.
New York Post
By ALEX GINSBERG, June 5, 2008
BROOKLYN (NY) -- A Brooklyn priest was arrested yesterday and charged with touching the breast of a 12-year-old schoolgirl, prosecutors said yesterday.
Father Augusto Cortez, 44, a member of the Vincentian Fathers order, allegedly fondled the girl last May 29 at St. John the Baptist School in Bushwick, where he was assigned.
[1988+ Surin -NEW*] - "Original Church." Girl.
Newsday,
June 5, 2008
NEW YORK - The Brooklyn district attorney says a minister has been convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.
DA Charles Hynes on Thursday announced the conviction of Dieuvais (Doov-WAH') Surin (SUR'-in), a pastor in the Original Church of God of Prophesy.
Surin could face up to 56 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 9.
The child, who attended Surin's church, was abused in 1998 and 1999. Sometimes, he waited outside her school and then abused her in his van.
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Interfered in presidential campaign.
NPR,
by Nina Totenberg, June 2, 2008
[with audio]
CALIFORNIA -- All Things Considered, · Conservative lawyer Douglas Kmiec was denied communion recently at a mass connected with a gathering of Catholic business people. The priest denounced Kmiec's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, then refused to give Kmiec communion.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:01 PM]
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
The Malibu Times,
By Laura Tate / Associate Publisher / Editor, June 04, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A priest denied communion to Pepperdine University professor of law Douglas Kmiec, a conservative Catholic and an opponent of abortion, because he is supporting Democratic nominee Barack Obama for president.
The story, first circulated among the Catholic community in online blogs and posts mid-May, was taken up by Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. and National Public Radio this week.
Kmiec, who served both in the Reagan and the first Bush administrations, was asked in April by a conservative Catholic business group to talk about why he chose to endorse Obama. Kmiec told NPR that, at a Mass service before he spoke to the group, the priest began talking about him during the service. He was talking, "in quite explicit terms," Kmiec told NPR, "about the only choice for a faithful Catholic, was one of a pro-life candidate, a fully legitimate pro-life candidate, and that anyone who would contemplate voting for or endorse a candidate otherwise was participating in a grave moral evil." …
A spokesperson for Cardinal Mahoney told NPR that it was not in the priest's authority to have denied Kmiec communion.
- Dunlop sued in 1996, now won't give evidenc.
Standard Freeholder
Posted By BY TREVOR PRITCHARD, ~ June 05, 2008
CANADA -- His voice breaking, a high-ranking city police officer on the stand at the Cornwall Public Inquiry Wednesday lashed out at the former cop who sued him and his force 12 years ago.
Insp. Brendon Wells asked for forgiveness if he appeared "a little sensitive" before suggesting Perry Dunlop's 1996 lawsuit was filled with "slanders" that damaged his personal and professional reputation.
"I'm extremely disappointed that Mr. Dunlop will not come forward to explain to my family and I why he felt it was necessary -- in pursuit of this multi-million dollar claim -- to spread these untruths," said Wells, a 39-year veteran of the Cornwall Police Service.
In 1993, Dunlop -- who was then working in the force's drug investigation unit -- learned of a $32,000 settlement between David Silmser and the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese.
- General community.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By John J. Monahan jmonahan@telegram.com , June 05, 2008
BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS – The House last night adopted a bill to impose mandatory minimum sentences for new crimes of aggravated child rape, but rejected arguments from State Rep. Karyn E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury, to impose a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence for rape of a child with force.
Ms. Polito argued the mandatory sentence for forcible child rape was needed to send a message that the state is tough on child rapists, guarantee that everyone convicted would serve jail time, and put the state in line with 42 others that have mandatory sentencing laws for child rape.
"When we see the rape of a child, it should mean a mandatory sentence, not maybe," she said. "We ought to be offering the first, best protection," for the state's children, she argued before the amendment was rejected on a 123-24 vote with all 19 Republicans and five Democrats voting for the amendment.
Critics, including House Judiciary Chairman Eugene L. Flaherty, D-Boston, argued against Ms. Polito's amendment, saying the state's district attorneys and Attorney General Martha Coakley have all recommended against the 10-year sentencing for forcible child rape. He said those officials, however, support the proposed new sentencing minimums for the new aggravated child rape offenses covering cases involving authority figures, use of a weapon or drugs.
- Clergyman becomes UN president.
The New York Times,
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR, June 5, 2008
UNITED NATIONS (New York, NY, USA) – The Rev. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, an outspoken leftist critic of the United States and a former foreign minister in Nicaragua's Sandinista government, was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
[2008 Pfleger*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign. But Cardinal moved slowere on paedophile.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY MARY MITCHELL, Sun-Times Columnist, ~ June 05, 2008
There's good reason for St. Sabina parishioners to be outraged that the Rev. Michael Pfleger is being forced out of St. Sabina. CHICAGO (IL) -- On Tuesday, Cardinal Francis George announced that Pfleger was asked to "step back" and take a "couple of weeks" leave from St. Sabina -- a response to the fallout over Pfleger's insulting remarks about Sen. Hillary Clinton during a sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ.
Although Pfleger, who is both beloved and despised in Chicago, apologized for mocking Clinton -- characterizing her fierce campaign against Barack Obama as an example of "white entitlement" -- it wasn't enough to save him from exile.
But I'm curious.
It took just eight days -- and that includes the Memorial Day holiday -- for Cardinal Francis George to react to the fallout.
George moved a heck of a lot slower when it came to removing the Rev. Daniel McCormack, a pedophile priest, from St. Agatha Catholic Church in 2006.
- RCC. Sent girl away from home to a mission school
Pique,
By Jesse Ferreras, ~ June 05, 2008
CANADA -- Marjorie Natrall seems to remember it like it was yesterday.
It was 1936. She was eight years old, a young Squamish girl living with her family in a small house on Marine Drive in West Vancouver. One day a Catholic priest visited her home and saw young Marjorie standing behind her mother. "Who's that?" the priest asked. "That's Marji, my daughter," her mother responded.
"How come she's not in school?"
Marjorie's mother told the priest that her daughter was very sick and would be better served by staying at home. He was unmoved, telling her that both she and her daughter would go to jail if Marjorie didn't go to school.
Her mother relented when she learned that her daughter wouldn't be too far off at St. Paul's Indian Residential School in North Vancouver, just a city away.
- National apology to indigenous victims.
Liberal,
June 5, 2008
CANADA -- Dear Prime Minister,
I write to you regarding your government's proposed statement of apology to the survivors of Canada's Residential Schools on June 11th. Such an apology from the Government of Canada is a critical first step in the healing and reconciliation process with Canada's aboriginal peoples. This apology must be treated with the importance and historic consideration it deserves.
Unfortunately, as in many other instances, Members of Parliament have received only vague answers from both your Minister of Indian Affairs and your House Leader on your government's plan for delivering the Government of Canada's apology on June 11th. I have also been contacted by aboriginal organizations who have expressed a deep concern over the lack of consultation about issues such as the nature, timing and substance of the apology. Surely one week before the scheduled date, out of respect for the survivors, your government should be open about these details.
I wish to convey my concerns about both the content of the apology and the aspects of the ceremony your Government is organizing.
- Indigenes not fully consulted.
Daily Herald
The Canadian Press, June 05, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA - A spokesman for former students says an official apology for abuse in native residential schools has become a source of more hurt.
Ted Quewezance (QWAY-zance) says the National Residential School Survivors' Society and the Assembly of First Nations have been shut out by planners in the Prime Minister's Office.
Stephen Harper is set to officially apologize next Wednesday for decades of abuse in the schools across Canada.
But Quewezance says neither his group nor the assembly has been consulted on the final draft as expected.
[Mons. Fushek*] - RCC. Allegations, and 2yrs of stalling.
The Arizona Republic
by Jim Walsh - Jun. 5, 2008
ARIZONA -- After two years of delays and a victory before the Arizona Supreme Court, a suspended Roman Catholic priest finally appears close to having his day in court.
A date for the trial of Monsignor Dale Fushek on misdemeanor sex charges may be set June 12, when he returns to San Tan Justice Court for the first time since his case was interrupted by two years of pre-trial appeals.
A cloud of suspicion has been hanging over Fushek, 55, since December 2004, when he named in a civil suit that accused him of watching and performing a sex act on himself while another priest sodomized a 14-year-old boy in 1985.
Once the second highest ranking official in the Diocese of Phoenix, Fushek was placed on administrative leave and banned from participating in public ministry. In November 2005, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging him with misdemeanor sex acts, including indecent exposure, assault and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
[1995-2003 Lambert] - Independent Baptist. Ritual abuse. Teenage girl.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford, Thu Jun 05, 2008
PINEVILLE (MO) -- A McDonald County pastor facing eight felony charges of child sexual abuse will be back in court Friday morning.
Raymond Lambert, 52, will be in court at 9 a.m. Friday for a pre-trial conference, to be held in the McDonald County Circuit Courtroom in Pineville. Judge Timothy Perigo will preside. Trial is set to begin June 30 in McDonald County.
Lambert is charged with four counts of second-degree child molestation and two counts of statutory sodomy. Charges of statutory sodomy and sexual abuse were dropped April.
The child molestation charges are Class D felonies and carry a prison term of up to four years, if a conviction is reached. Meanwhile, the statutory sodomy charges are Class C felonies and carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison, if a conviction is reached.
[LOOK BACK: December 4, 2007, and others]
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). Torture regime. 2 children.
Haaretz (Israel),
~ June 05, 2008
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL -- Local police yesterday arrested an ultra-Orthodox rabbi suspected of seriously abusing Jerusalem children, one of whom is in a vegetative state.
Police officers nabbed Rabbi Elior Chen on a street corner in the Bom Retiro neighborhood after conducting an extensive search through the Jewish neighborhood.
"Apparently he was being protected by the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Sao Paulo, who supposedly didn't know about the accusations against him in Israel," said Menoti Barros de Oliveira, the Interpol sheriff in Sao Paulo. "He was found alone, in the street of Julio Conceicao, so we think he was already separated from his peers."
Chen is considered the spiritual leader of a Jerusalem sect that was found to have abused young children, two of whom, aged 3 and 4, were hospitalized in March in critical condition.
[2001-05 Tendler] - Judaist (Kehillat). "Sexual therapy." Woman.
Newsday,
June 4, 2008
ALBANY, N.Y. - New York's top court is considering whether a 1935 state law that prohibits suing seducers for monetary damages applies to members of the clergy.
Adina Marmelstein wants the Court of Appeals to reinstate her claim for breach of fiduciary duty against married Orthodox Rabbi Mordechai Tendler. The New York City woman says Tendler talked her into having sex while advising her on personal, legal and financial problems at the Kehillat New Hempstead synagogue in Rockland County.
In arguments Tuesday, her lawyer _ Lenore Kramer _ said a special fiduciary, or trust, relationship exists in clergy counseling.
[Years - Jeffs*] - FLDS. Arranging child marriages. 4 girls.
Tucson Citizen,
The Associated Press, ~ June 05, 2008
KINGMAN (AZ) -- An Arizona judge dropped four of eight charges against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs on Wednesday, saying a state incest law does not apply to the arranged marriages of two teenage girls and their older male relatives.
Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steven Conn ruled that the Arizona law only applies if both participants in the sexual activity are older than 18, and that the law does not apply to half cousins.
In both of the marriages Jeffs is accused of arranging, the girls were younger than 18 and were their husbands' half cousins.
- RCC. Little Rock Diocese had 2% seducers.
Fox 16,
~ June 05, 2008
LITTLE ROCK (AR), (AP) - The Associated Press interviewed Father Anthony B. Taylor, the bishop-elect for the Little Rock diocese, which oversees all Catholic churches in the state.
Among issues discussed Wednesday: …
- PRIEST ABUSE: Arkansas has largely been spared from scandals surrounding the Catholic church and abuse by priests. In 2004, a report by then-Bishop J. Peter Sartain showed sexual-abuse complaints were made against only 11 Catholic priests between 1950 and the 1980s. That represents only about 2 percent of the priests assigned to the diocese over those decades.
Taylor said the church continues to vigorously vet all complaints and credited the work of past administrators of the Little Rock diocese in avoiding the "trauma" that abuse can bring.
[? 2000s Alvarizares] - Christian. 3yrs prison. ≥ 3 females.
KPTV,
~ June 05, 2008
[with video]
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A pastor who pleaded guilty to sexual abuse charges against some of his parishioners was sentenced to more than three years in prison, Wednesday.
Sergio Alvarizares pleaded guilty in April to five charges that included the attempted sexual abuse of five parishioners and attempted rape.
He was sentenced to 42 months in prison for first-degree attempted sexual abuse plus four other counts of third-degree attempted sexual abuse.
[? 2000s Alvarizares] - Christian. ≥ 3 females.
The Oregonian,
By AIMEE GREEN, Thursday, June 05, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) – The Northeast Portland pastor who sexually assaulted five women in his church didn't want to stand up in court and say he was sorry.
But the terms of his plea agreement made it a requirement.
"Do I have to?" Sergio Alvarizares asked Judge Eric Bergstrom, in a last-ditch effort to get out of it.
"Yes," replied the judge.
And so Alvarizares rattled off the few sentences of his apology letter Wednesday: "I am sincerely sorry for all the sexual contact," Alvarizares read, his voice lacking any emotion
[? 2000s Alvarizares (married)] - Christian. 3yrs prison. 5 women.
OregonLive,
The Associated Press, ~ June 05, 2008
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A pastor who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting five women in his Portland church was sentenced to three years in prison.
Sergio Alvarizares, 39, the former co-pastor of Casa del Padre, a nondenominational Spanish-speaking church, had originally been charged with raping one woman, attempting to rape two others and sexually abusing two others. Last month, he pleaded guilty to attempted rape and third-degree sexual abuse.
Alvarizares and his wife, who have three sons, had been co-pastors of the church for several years.
The Freedom Files
by RS Davis
(Libertarian)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
UNITED STATES -- At the end of last month, lawmakers in Springfield, Illinois sent a bill to the governor's desk that would remove the statute of limitations on the crime of rape:
The House sent the governor legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations for rape and four other sex crimes as long as victims report the crime within three years and the offender's DNA has been entered into a state database within 10 years of the assault. Such felonies must now be brought within three years.
It's a good move. You should not be able to get out of such a heinous crime just because some time has passed. For instance, one dirtbag pedophile priest walked in 2004 after raping two boys, simply because the statute of limitations have expired.
Statutes of limitations are intended to prevent bad prosecutions. The theory is that memory is unreliable in the first place, but memory of something that happened ten years ago is practically worthless.
Zenit,
By Karna Swanson, JUNE 4, 2008
Interview With Psychologist Phil Scrofani
ARLINGTON, Virginia, (Zenit.org).- The best approach to avoiding another sexual abuse crisis in the Church is to prevent candidates with tendencies toward pedophilia from becoming priests, says psychologist Phil Scrofani.
Scrofani, who has a Ph.D. in psychology, is an assistant professor and director of clinical training at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a Catholic graduate school of psychology in Arlington, Virginia.
He will be a speaker at the seminar "Psychology Serving Pastoral Ministry," organized by the Institute for the Psychology Sciences, and sponsored in collaboration with the Sacerdos Institute.
[2008 Cortez*] - RCC. Schoolgirl.
Empire State News,
~ June 05, 2008
BROOKLYN (NY) -- Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes Wednesday announced the arrest of Father Augusto Cortez, 44, on sex abuse charges.
Cortez, a priest who works with students at Saint John the Baptist School, in Bushwick, is charged with Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, Forcible Touching and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.
He is charged with touching a 12-year-old female student's breast May 29.
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Altar boy.
The Press Democrat,
By Glenda Anderson, Wednesday, June 4, 2008
LAKEPORT (CA) -- Friends and parishioners of Lakeport Catholic priest Father Ted Oswald were reeling Wednesday from allegations in a lawsuit that he sexually abused a boy he had befriended more than 10 years ago.
"Everybody's still in shock," said Mark Thevenot, who has known Oswald and attended his Masses for 20 years.
Oswald has been saying Mass at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Lakeport for two decades. He used the sermon on Sunday to announce he would be taking a leave of absence because of the allegations.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:39 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu June 05, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2000s Mr González Rios -NEW*] - RCC. Child porn.
Yakima Herald-Republic
by Mark Morey, ~ June 06, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- A Tieton man accused of viewing child pornography while he was studying to be a Catholic priest in Oregon is scheduled to enter a plea next month.
Juan Jose González Rios, 37, made his first appearance in Marion County District Court in Oregon on Thursday. He remains free without bail, but must avoid non-family contact with minors and must stay off the Internet.
The next hearing was set for July 21, though that could be postponed.
González's attorney, J.J. Sandlin of Zillah, has said his client is innocent of the felony charges. Multiple people had access to the computer González is accused of using, Sandlin said.
[~ 2006 Pliauplis -NEW*] - RCC court clears him. Boy (17).
The Journal News,
By Gary Stern, June 5, 2008
NEW YORK -- A Roman Catholic priest who formerly served in Nanuet and Carmel and was removed from ministry in 2006 because of a single accusation of sexual abuse has been cleared by a church court.
The Rev. Christopher Pliauplis will receive a new assignment from the Archdiocese of New York to go into effect July 1, according to today's "Catholic New York," the newspaper of the archdiocese.
Pliauplis was serving at St. Patrick's Church on Staten Island when a 17-year-old boy accused the priest of touching him inappropriately. A review board of the archdiocese recommended to Cardinal Edward Egan that Pliauplis be removed from ministry.
- Rounding them up. One had porn CDs and riches.
Religious Intelligence (United Kingdom),
By Vishal Arora, 4:52pm, Friday, June 6, 2008.
NEW DELHI, India: Fear and anxiety are running high among religious and spiritual groups in the south Indian state of Kerala, nicknamed God's Own Country, in the wake of a massive crackdown on "fake" spiritual gurus launched by the communist government.
It is estimated that the "spiritual business" in Kerala is worth more than 200 million rupees (approximately £2.5 million). The minister in charge of the administration of temples, G Sudhakaran, believes that 90 per cent of the gurus "are all thieves and they are all fit to go to jails". Kerala, one of the most literate states of the country, is ruled by the Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
Kerala's home minister, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has vowed to "book them all," saying the government had launched a special drive to investigate the wealth amassed by "these so-called spiritual leaders."
The crackdown began with the arrest of Santosh Madhavan alias Amrita Chaitanya, a temple priest and astrologer, on charges of molesting minor girls and fraud on May 13. Madhavan, who was wanted by Interpol for cheating a Dubai-based Indian woman with more than 4 million rupees (approximately £48,000) in 2002, has a palatial ashram in Kerala's Kochi city. Top politicians, police officials and film stars frequented the ashram. (It is widely believed that godmen and women flourish with the support of politicians.)
- 4 Churches and Government.
Marketwire,
June 6, 2008
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA -- PRESS RELEASE--Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver - The First Nations Leadership Council fully supports the Residential School Survivors in BC and across Canada in their important efforts to have their voices, their words and their expectations reflected in the Government of Canada's apology to residential school survivors.
Such efforts included the BC Indian Residential School Survivors Society who spoke with 1000 survivors about what would make an apology meaningful to them and forwarded their recommendations to the Prime Minister. As well the National Residential School Survivors Society articulated their expectations in a letter to the Prime Minister on May 30, 2008.
"We welcome the announcement of the long-awaited apology and we strongly urge Canada to recognize, as a fundamental tenet of the apology, what was done was wrong and that Canada accepts full responsibility for the the devastating effects of residential schools," said Shawn Atleo, Regional Chief for the BC Assembly of First Nations. "The survivors of these schools, many of whom have spent decades struggling to cope with their ordeal, are to be commended for their courage and perseverance."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:47 PM]
- Roman Catholic Church (RCC). 25% girls, 20% boys - SNAP.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ June 06, 2008
OHIO -- Clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters are asking some 60 southeastern Ohio Catholic priests and Steubenville's Catholc bishop to let them speak to parishioners in churches.
The request comes from leaders and members of a Chicago-based national support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. SNAP's goal is to "heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable."
"One in four girls and one in five boys will be sexually abused. We just want to help parishioners be better able to detect abuse and respond appropriately when it happens, no matter who the predator happens to be," said Judy Jones, SNAP's Southeastern Ohio director. "We simply want to educate parishioners about this horrific, on-going crisis inside and outside the church - and help them better understand how to help those who have already been wounded and how to safeguard those who are at risk of being wounded."
[≤ 2007 Abano] - RCC. Misconduct.
Kakammpi News (Philippines),
~ June 06, 2008
WOODBRIDGE, NJ – A popular parish priest accused of sexual misconduct won't be returning to his parish, but would be given a chance to say his final mass before departing for the Philippines.
Reverend Edgardo Abano, 52, of St. Frances Cabrini Church in Piscataway is leaving the church, but would celebrate mass for the last time on June 8.
The website www.saveourpastor.org states that Abano's 12 noon farewell mass will be held at the St. Frances Cabrini school gym followed by a farewell reception in the cafeteria. The website was created by his supporters in a bid to clear the pastor's name.
Abano, well loved in his parish, was arrested in October of 2007 on charges of sexual misconduct.
- RCC.
The Dallas Morning News,
by Jeffrey Weiss, ~ June 06, 2008
DALLAS (TX) -- So we've had a Chicago priest reprimanded by his bishop for dissing Clinton in support of Obama at a Protestant church. And a New York priest whose bishop has had no public reaction to him dissing Obama in favor of McCain from the podium of the state GOP confab. The differences aren't surprising. While outsiders view the Catholic Church as sharply hierarchical, the truth is that individual bishops have astonishing autonomy. Archbishops and Vatican agencies can exert influence, but the management chart for every bishop has a single solid line -- straight to the Pope.
I wondered whether Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas has offered guidance to his priests on this subject of public partisan politicking. The answer at the jump. (Hint: Just say no.)
- Ethnic parish council gives in.
Fort Mill Times,
By CHERYL WITTENAUER, June 06, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO) – The lay board that oversees a predominantly Polish parish at odds with the Archdiocese of St. Louis has voted to disband itself.
The vote Thursday at St. Stanislaus Kostka church in St. Louis will allow parishioners to elect a new board at a meeting in August.
The parish has been involved in a long dispute with Archbishop Raymond Burke, who has asked the Vatican to defrock the priest, The Rev. Marek Bozek.
Both the board and Bozek have been declared excommunicated.
- Poles knuckle under.
Catholic World News,
Jun. 6, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO), (CWNews.com) -- Just three weeks after the Vatican upheld the decision by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke to excommunicate them, the directors of a schismatic parish have voted to dissolve their board.
Meanwhile one of the eight lay board members disciplined by Archbishop Burke has met with the archbishop, professed his loyalty, and been restored to full communion with the Church.
The dissolution of the board of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish came on June 5, after a contentious meeting during which some board members had pushed for the dismissal of the pastor, Father Marek Bozek. After the board reached a deadlock in a 3-3 vote, Father Bozek himself cast the deciding ballot on a resolution to disband the board and ask parishioners to elect a new board.
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
Catholic News Service,
~ June 06, 2008
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- For Pepperdine law professor Douglas Kmiec, a constitutional lawyer who often writes on religion in the public square, the situation had uncomfortable echoes of the last presidential election cycle -- a priest was refusing to give Communion to someone on the basis of the man's support of a candidate.
This time, though, the surprised Massgoer turned away by a priest was Kmiec himself.
The former dean of the law school at The Catholic University of America in Washington is an architect of the Reagan administration's stance against abortion whose pro-life credentials include serving as keynote speaker at the March for Life's annual Rose Dinner a few years ago.
When the priest upbraided the law professor from the pulpit for his endorsement of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and then refused to give him Communion, Kmiec was stunned, he told Catholic News Service June 4 in a telephone interview.
- Lithuanian parish awaits visit.
Friends of Saint Casimir's Lithuanian Parish,
~ June 06, 2008
[with links to a letter to the parish and a petition]
WORCESTER (MA) -- The Friends of Saint Casimir's Lithuanian Parish met at Maironis Park for several hours this afternoon, accompanied by Peter Borré of the Council of Parishes and Bronislaus Kush of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, to discuss plans for the Bishop's visit next Sunday. In addition, plans for the next step of the appeal process were discussed in anticipation of Bishop McManus' refusal to reconsider. A parish letter has been prepared to remind parishioners of the importance of this occasion.
The Catholic Free Press,
By Tanya Connor, ~ June 06, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – Bishop McManus' visit to St. Casimir Parish after the 10 a.m. Mass Sunday will be an occasion for parishioners to welcome him, not a time to make problems, according to Frank P. Statkus.
Mr. Statkus is chairman of "Friends of St. Casimir's Lithuanian Parish," a committee of parishioners trying to keep the parish open. He is also the parish finance committee chairman and vice president of the parish council.
"It's a special occasion when a bishop comes under any circumstances," said David M. Moulton, a Friends committee member and director of music. He said some parishioners may wear native costumes and pray for the bishop in Lithuanian on Sunday.
[Decades - 4 Churches and Government] - Indigenous people.
The Daily Graphic,
Posted By Leah Kellar, ~ June 06, 2008
CANADA -- Residential school survivors from local First Nations communities came out to release their pain and be empowered yesterday.
Survivors were invited to tell their stories during the Residential School Survivors Empowerment Gathering, a two-day event to promote healing, health and legal understanding, which continues today at the Keeshkeemaquah Conference and Gaming Centre on Long Plain First Nation's urban reserve east of Portage la Prairie.
"I am a survivor. I still speak the language frequently. When I arrived (at the residential school) I didn't know a word of English, but I'm a survivor and I want to keep our story alive," said Cecil Desjarlais, from Long Plain prior to a pipe and healing ceremony where survivors could publicly share the story of their experience of residential schools.
"We want to encourage our survivors to tell the story and we want to give them strength, encouragement and healing when they do tell have to tell their stories at court hearings," said Jacqueline Daniels, a band councillor for Long Plain First Nation and an organizer of the event.
- Less RC donors, and giving less per head.
Catholic Sentinel,
By Archbishop John Vlazny, ~ June 06, 2008
OREGON Back in February I asked the Catholic people of this archdiocese once again to support our Archbishop's Catholic Appeal for ministries and programs here in western Oregon. The theme for this year's appeal was "Strike the Rock and the Water will Flow." The waters of generosity, compassion and charity have been flowing across the archdiocese the past few months. I am very grateful to all of you who have already made a contribution but I humbly acknowledge that we need to keep "striking that rock," because the flow has not been as strong as we hoped.
After the twelfth week of this year's appeal, pledged donations were $256,169.00 short of last year's pledges at the same time. Moreover, there were also 1,415 fewer donors and the average gift was slightly less than what was pledged in 2007. This downturn in support is a bit discouraging, but there still is plenty of time to turn it all around.
[Mons Urell]
Orange County Weekly,
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, 11:52 AM,
June 6, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Monsignor John Urell, longtime pedophile protector in the Catholic Diocese of Orange, announced last week he's leaving St. Norbert's in Orange (where he currently serves as pastor) for St. Timothy in Laguna Niguel. In a letter he read to parishioners two weeks ago and reprinted in this past weekend's St. Norbert church bulletin, Urell gave no real explanation other than "I know it is time for me to go and use my talents and abilities in a new place and with a fresh start."
- RCC.
St. Louis Review,
~ June 06, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Edward Florek, excommunicated in December 2005 for being part of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation board of directors that fought Archbishop Raymond L. Burke over parish restructuring, privately met with the archbishop this week and was reconciled with the Church.
Florek, 63, a St. Stanislaus parishioner for 33 years since coming from Poland, said he broke ranks with the St. Stanislaus board in March. He told the Review he had concluded that Father Marek Bozek, whom the board hired as its pastor after the archbishop recalled the parish's priests in 2004, was leading the parish away from Roman Catholicism. …
When they met, Florek said, he prayed the Nicene Creed with the archbishop then took an oath of loyalty to him and the Catholic Church. For that, Florek was "restored to the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church," according to a decree from Archbishop Burke.
- Christian Gospel Temple.
The White House Watch,
By JOHN FERGUSON, Watch Editor, ~ June 06, 2008
TENNESSEE -- One of the women who filed a civil lawsuit earlier this year against Christian Gospel Temple has filed an additional lawsuit against the church, claiming slander, libel, and false light invasion of privacy.
According to the lawsuit filed with the Robertson County Circuit Court Clerk on May 29, Jennifer Meier-Beita and her husband Paul have alleged that representatives for the Christian Gospel Temple, in response to the televised news stories about the original lawsuits, "launched a retaliatory campaign designed to discredit and defame the Plaintiffs and falsely portray them as child abusers."
The lawsuit reads, "On May 19, 2008, acting through its members and leaders, CGT falsely reported to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services that the Plaintiffs had committed acts of child abuse against their children."
The lawsuit then claims that Steve Brumfield, a public relations representative retained by Christian Gospel Temple, contacted reporters from the Associated Press, Channel 5, and Channel 4 on May 19 and 20, who allegedly reported that Paul Beita had been arrested for child abuse.
• Vatican ordains Czech Republic's first married Roman Catholic priest
- RCC reverses its man-made rule for another man.
Radio Prague,
www.radio. cz/en/ article/ 104856 ,
By Rosie Johnston, 14:19 UTC, June-06-2008
[with audio]
CZECH REPUBLIC -- The Vatican has just ordained father of four Jan Kofroň into the Roman Catholic priesthood. This makes Mr Kofroň the Czech Republic's first ever married Roman Catholic (Western Rite) priest. But this is not the first time that Father Kofroň has been ordained. He was originally made a priest in 1970s communist Czechoslovakia, where he subsequently worked illegally in the country's underground church. Following the revolution, the Vatican declared his ordination invalid, but in recent weeks, it has reversed its decision.
- RCC.
The Pilot,
By Antonio M. Enrique, Posted June/6/2008
FRAMINGHAM (MA) -- The Syro-Malabar Eparchy of the United States may soon establish its first parish in the Archdiocese of Boston, at the site of a former parish.
A priest from the eparchy will start residing at the rectory of St. Jeremiah Church in Framingham this month and he will be using the facilities to serve the Syro-Malabar community in the area.
Father Kuriakose Vadana, a priest from India who is a parochial vicar at St. Julia Parish in Weston and a priest for the mission of the Syro-Malabar eparchy, will also provide a Sunday Mass in the Latin rite at St. Jeremiah's, according to a June 2 statement from the archdiocese.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. No. 2 alleges early 1960s.
WDEL,
By Peter MacArthur, ~ June 06, 2008
WILMINGTON (DE) -- Another lawsuit's being filed against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and a former priest accused of sexually abusing a boy who went to his church.
The plaintiff in the case is a 52 year old man, John Doe #2 as he's called in the suit, claims that in the early 1960's, the Reverend Francis DeLuca tried to kiss him and had sex with him more than a hundred times.
The suit claims that because of a shortage of priests at the time, there was a cover up which allowed clergy members like DeLuca to work at new locations rather than be fired and face charges.
- RCC, and perhaps others.
Reform Network,
~ June 06, 2008
The following commentary from my California pal Jim Jenkins first appeared on the Voice of the Faithful Notes and Discussion (VOTFND) YahooGroup. It's presented here with Jim's permission.
Folks:
I have to admit that confronting bishops is not a very high priority for me because we have long since passed the point of diminishing returns on that strategy. This is not to say that we shouldn't speak truth to power - remember we call ourselves VOICEotf.
I believe that we should treat the bishops, and their clerical minions, in a manner that reflects the reality of most Catholics' relationship with them: bishops are basically irrelevant to our lives. We, i.e., American Catholics of every stripe, need to get on with the task of enabling the future "people's church" that is currently evolving into existence.
I have often thought about what it will take for true reform to occur for the Catholic church. Jesse Jackson, the civil and human rights advocate, once said: "The golden rule of politics is 'he
who has the gold, rules!'"
First, we have to understand that the situation in the Catholic church is foremost a political issue, namely the aging celibate guys, who make all the rules and all the decisions, do so because they have complete control of the church's money.
As an American general once said (very crudely), "When you have them by the b–s, their hearts and minds will follow."
Once the folks in the pews take control of the money, the clerics will experience an epiphany about a whole host of issues from celibacy, reconciliation with survivors, the role of women, birth control, the selection of bishops and priests, transparency, respect for diversity of ideas and opinions, etc., etc., etc.
Once the folks in the pews have control of the retirement funds and healthcare insurance for all the aging priests, we will see less and less of the narcissistic arrogance which has become the trademark of far too many clerics.
- RCC.
Press of Atlantic City,
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN, 609-463-6716, Published: Friday, June 06, 2008
WILDWOOD CREST (NJ) -- Two months have passed since Bishop Joseph A. Galante announced plans to combine the Church of the Assumption with St. Ann's in Wildwood, but parishioners' disappointment about that decision remains high.
The church is appealing the decision, and its members have sent many letters to Galante expressing their displeasure.
"We are dead set against merging Assumption with St. Ann's at this time," said Nicholas Nastasi, a member of Assumption's parish council and organizer of the effort to maintain the parish.
Nastasi said 1,300 families in the church have signed petitions asking the bishop to reconsider.
"These voices must be heard," Nastasi said.
Now, Galante is planning a visit to the church during a public meeting June 11 to hear those concerns in person.
"Because I value you, I would like to meet with you to hear your specific concerns about the planned reconfiguration to share my reasons for this merger with you and to try to reconcile the concerns cited in your correspondence and communications," Galante wrote in a letter to the parish.
- RCC.
Whispers in the Loggia,
~ June 06, 2008
UNITED STATES -- (CORRECTED) Lest anyone missed it -- and, admittedly, I did until a perceptive pal phoned yesterday -- the first draft of the agenda for next week's June Meeting of the US bishops in Orlando included the little matter of "a recommended structure for dialogue between priests and bishops on the church's handling of sexual abuse allegations."
Some might see the move toward dialogue as another fruit of the papal visit, but a sit-down on the issue of allegations and their handling -- often the touchstone for the hit taken by priest-bishop relations in dioceses across the country since the Dallas "zero tolerance" norms -- has actually been in the works for some time.
In a change from the original plan, the "recommended structure" has already been worked out among the bishops and, instead of showing up on the floor, will see its first spin on the national level: the conversation's slated to kick-off during the plenary over dinner between bishops and priest-observers credentialed for the event.
- RCC.
Voice of the Faithful,
by Carolyn Disco, Survivor Support Chair, NH Voice of the Faithful, June 05, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The third annual state audit of the Diocese of Manchester's implementation of its sexual abuse policy found an improved "tone at the top," marked by openness and a more cooperative attitude on the part of diocesan officials. The welcome positive findings followed a difficult year in which Bishop John McCormack initially refused to participate in a fourth audit, an action the state was willing to litigate if necessary. McCormack changed his mind, perhaps in response to unfavorable press over prior negative audit results.
That was the essence of the report by New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and Associate Attorney General Kristin Spath to about 60 people at a Voice of the Faithful meeting last month. It was the attorney general's third appearance before the group, continuing an annual tradition of updating members on the state's progress in monitoring diocesan compliance.
Ayotte gave generous credit to McCormack and his staff – "even Fr. (Edward) Arsenault," highly criticized in the previous audit – for significant enhancement in cooperation, and cited that as the most heartening development of all. The attorney general said there was an apparent breakthrough when McCormack decided it was more productive to work on what needs to be done, instead of fighting the state by dragging one's heels. The turnaround is particularly evident in the bishop's decision to participate in the fourth audit, though he may have realized he would have probably lost in court. Nonetheless, greater diocesan receptivity to recommendations and feedback, without disruptions, signals a much better working relationship.
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
ABA Journal,
By Debra Cassens Weiss, ~ June 06, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Pepperdine law professor Douglas Kmiec says he was denied communion because he supports Barack Obama, a candidate who backs abortion rights.
Kmiec, the former dean at Catholic University law school, told National Public Radio that he was asked to speak at a church about why he supported the candidate. Before the speech, the priest denounced Kmiec, saying those who support pro-choice candidates were "participating in a grave moral evil," Kmiec said.
The priest held a mass and when Kmiec presented himself for communion, the priest shook his head from left to right. "I said to him, 'I think you're making a serious mistake, Father,' and he said, 'I don't think I've made any mistake,' " Kmiec told NPR. Kmiec said his wife left the church in tears.
- Bp Robinson honoured.
Voice of the Faithful,
May 22, 2008
MANHASSET (New York) --It is my great honor and privilege to present Bishop Robinson with the Voice of the Faithful Priest of Integrity award.
You should know that you are a tremendous source of encouragement to those who are working so hard, such as those present here this evening, to heal and transform our beloved church.
After reading your book and again after listing to you this evening I realized that any words I say would pale in comparison to the wisdom you have so courageously offered.
For example, you have said:
It is necessary to confront rather than manage the causes of abuse--with openness, humility, honesty and compassion – so that it doesn't happen again.
We are all imperfect members of an imperfect church….but – dedicated to promoting a better church, a church that is not contrary to the mind of Jesus Christ.
We need to be a healthy people in a healthy relationship to a healthy God which entails a constant search and openness to the truth.
We are all on this journey together.
If the Catholic Church is to regain some credibility after the many scandals of sexual abuse, it must first learn to speak with humility, intelligence, realism and compassion about all aspects of human sexuality
- RCC closures.
Niagara Gazette,
By Don Glynn, ~ June 06, 2008
NEW YORK -- The past several months have been traumatic for countless Catholics whose churches were closed and their parishes merged.
Known as the Journey in Faith and Grace, the eight-county Buffalo Diocese plan was to address the acute shortage of priests, declining attendance at Mass and the drop in population throughout Western New York.
Some people, unfortunately, still struggle with bitterness over their shuttered landmark churches that were so much a part of their lives.
Amidst those difficult days for them, however, one parish not affected by the current diocesan downsizing is reaching out to help members of two other parishes that merged.
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). Torture regime. 2 children.
The Jerusalem Post,
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS, ~ June 06, 2008
ISRAEL -- The suspected ringleader and spiritual mentor in one of the worst child abuse cases in Israeli history, who is currently under arrest in Brazil, will decide only next week whether he agrees to be extradited back to Israel, his Israeli attorney Ariel Atari said Thursday.
'Rabbi' Elior Chen, 28, was apprehended by Brazilian police on a residential street in Sao Paolo on Tuesday night after his local lawyer called Brazilian police with information about his whereabouts, officials said.
A Justice Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday that they were waiting for Chen's response to the extradition request.
Israel and Brazil do not have an extradition treaty, but law enforcement officials from the two countries have been working hand-in-hand on the case since an international warrant for Chen's arrest was issued in April.
[1988+ Surin*] - "Original Church." Girl.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
By Ryan Thompson, ~ June 06, 2008
JAY STREET – A 72-year-old pastor from the Original Church of God of Prophecy was convicted yesterday of sodomizing and sexually molesting a little girl on numerous occasions.
Dieuvais Surin was convicted on all 22 counts of sexual abuse that he faced. He began with taking the little girl into his van, where he fondled her in 1998. On subsequent occasions, he made her perform oral sex and various other perverted acts on him. These incidents occurred in the pastor's van and apartment, and in the basement of the church.
Surin often waited outside the little girl's middle school in Brooklyn, and on eight occasions, he then took her into his van and sodomized her.
- RCC. Opus Dei dispute.
Catholica,
~ June 06, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The editor of Catholica has been aware for several days of a fairly sensational email that has been circulated to Sydney priests by a former Sydney-based Opus Dei accountant at Warrane College, Dennis Dubro. We have now confirmed the authenticity of the email and are able to provide the following details, including the text of the email…
Background
The background to this story appears to be a court case in New York where Dennis Dubro a physicist and former long-serving member of Opus Dei has had a case dismissed on a legal technicality where he was seeking damages from the organisation for fraud and breach of contract. Mr Dubro has been seeking wider support for an enquiry and settlement of the injustice he feels has been inflicted on him. Catholica is also aware that the story has been picked up in the Spanish language press but to our knowledge Catholica is the first to break the story in the English speaking media.
The Opus Dei prelature has long had management responsibility for Warrane College – which is the Catholic residential college within the University of New South Wales.
Following is the text of the email that has been circulated to priests and others in the Sydney region.
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Altar boy.
Record-Bee,
by Tiffany Revelle, ~ June 06, 2008
LAKE COUNTY (CA) -- Tracy resident Christopher Griego filed a complaint alleging sexual abuse by the Rev. Ted Oswald known informally as "Father Ted" with the Sonoma County Superior Court in September 2007, according to court records.
The Santa Rosa Diocese and Lake County District Attorney's Office are investigating the allegations of a complaint alleging that the abuse happened between 1988 and 1995.
The diocese has 30 days to respond to a civil suit filed against Oswald and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Santa Rosa Daniel Walsh, according to the diocese's attorney Dan Galvin. It was amended May 5, 2008 to name Oswald and Walsh as defendants.
"The plaintiff alleges that he was an altar boy," Galvin said.
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
California Catholic Daily,
~ June 06, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- An April incident in which a priest denied communion to Pepperdine University law professor Douglas Kmiec at a Mass for the Ventura/LA North chapter of Legatus, a group made up of well-to-do Catholics in business, has made it onto the pages of the Washington Post.
Kmiec, a former legal counsel to presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and who once served as dean of the law school at the Catholic University of America, stunned many of his Catholic colleagues in March when he endorsed Barack Obama for president in an article written for Slate magazine.
On April 18, less than a month after Kmiec's endorsement of Obama appeared on the pages of Slate, an unnamed college chaplain refused to give him communion at the Legatus meeting. "Kmiec said Catholic bloggers told him he had excommunicated himself for supporting Obama," wrote syndicated religion columnist Cary McMullen on May 24, citing a Kmiec essay elsewhere on the Internet. "Then, at a Mass before a dinner at which Kmiec was to speak, he said, 'a very angry college chaplain excoriated my Obama-heresy from the pulpit at length and then denied my receipt of communion.'"
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Altar boy.
Lake County News
Written by Elizabeth Larson,
Friday, June 06, 2008
LAKEPORT (CA) – A Tracy man has filed a civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Santa Rosa and a local priest, seeking millions of dollars for damages he alleges he suffered due to sexual abuse.
Christopher Griego, 31, of Tracy filed a lawsuit in Sonoma County Superior Court on Jan. 2 in which he alleged he was sexually abused as a child. However, in that initial filing he did not specifically name anyone, referring only to a "John Doe," according to court documents.
On May 5, his attorney – Richard Simons of Hayward – filed an amended complaint naming the diocese and Lakeport priest Father Ted Oswald.
The diocese's attorney, Dan Galvin of Santa Rosa, said Griego is seeking just over $2.5 million in total damages – from psychological and emotional damages, to current and future medical expenses and earnings losses.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:39 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri June 06, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2000s Phillips -NEW*] - Christian. Money US $500,000.
The New York Times,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, June 6, 2008
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- A prominent Denver-area pastor accused of falsifying insurance documents to funnel money to church groups he controlled pleaded guilty Thursday to felony theft and was sentenced to serve probation and pay restitution.
In exchange for the guilty plea by the Rev. Acen Phillips, Arapahoe County prosecutors dropped 12 other counts against him, and AIG Life Insurance Co. dropped a federal lawsuit.
Phillips was sentenced to eight years' probation and ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to perform 100 hours of community service and told to attend a theft-offenders class and a victim empathy group.
- Roman Catholic Church (RCC).
The New York Times,
~ June 07, 2008
ROME (Reuters) - Some 10,000 dancing and singing homosexuals and gay-rights supporters marched through Rome on Saturday, many of them chanting slogans against the Vatican and Italy's conservative new government.
The yearly Gay Pride march took on added political significance because city officials denied a request for the march to end with a rally near the Basilica of St John's in Lateran, the pope's cathedral in his capacity as bishop of Rome. …
Berlusconi and the Vatican see eye-to-eye on many issues and his government's relationship with Church is much more cordial than that of the previous government.
"Berlusconi kisses the pope's slipper and says 'yes' to everything. We risk a theocracy and clerical dictatorship," said Franco Grillini, a homosexual who was a parliamentarian in the previous government.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:31 PM]
- Global community.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
June 02, 2008
It is beyond heart-breaking to read of the horrific abusive crimes perpetrated by 'peace-keepers' and aid workers on perhaps the most helpless children of all: those in war zones and dire poverty.
For years, US bishops claimed there simply could not be a national Catholic child sex abuse policy because each bishop is largely autonomous. Today, Southern Baptist officials make the same bogus claim about their churches. In both cases, these are poor excuses to leave kids at risk of devastating, life-long harm.
So too is the UN claim that because soldiers come from individual nations, the UN can't effectively monitor or discipline them. Where there's a will, there's a way. It's just that simple. The United Nations has proven that it can respond well to crises and move heaven and earth when motivated. It must act decisively now to protect the already physically and emotionally wounded Third World kids being victimized again by alleged 'helpers.'
- FLDS.
GetReligion,
Posted by Mollie, ~ June 07, 2008
TEXAS -- When Texas judge issued an order Monday allowing the parents in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to begin picking up their children, I noticed that the CNN headline was:
Polygamist moms can pick up their kids
That was at 12:54. By 1:36, it was changed to
Polygamist parents OK'd to pick up their kids
That's a good change. The FLDS had put the mothers of the siezed children front and center as part of a smart public relations move. Putting the older fathers out there would have just reminded the public of the polygamy and age differentials. It's smart for the FLDS to highlight the mothers but the press shouldn't follow suit. The original headline is a small example of the many problems we saw with media coverage of the sect. Frankly, much of the coverage was sensationalistic, unreflective and about an inch deep.
In a sea of horrible coverage, one reporter in particular is an exception. Brooke Adams has been covering polygamous families for the Salt Lake Tribune for years. Day after day, she reports hard news and keeps a blog devoted to the subject.
- "Schismatic" apologises.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Tim Townsend, June/08/2008
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Three weeks after the Vatican upheld the excommunication of the original Stanislaus Six, the St. Louis archdiocese said Friday that one of the board members had been granted absolution from his excommunication and is now back "in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church."
Edward Florek, 63, who was a member of the lay board of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church from 2004 until 2007, met with St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke earlier last week .
Florek "expressed his deep sorrow and regret over the harm which his schismatic activity, as a member of the Board of Directors, has caused, and promised to do everything possible in the future to promote the communion of the Church through obedience to her legitimate authority," Burke said in a statement.
Staten Island Advance
By LESLIE PALMA-SIMONCEK Saturday, June 07, 2008
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Catholic priest who was removed from ministry at St. Patrick's Church two years ago following allegations that he molested a 17-year-old boy has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Vatican.
The Rev. Christopher Pliauplis, 59, who was in charge of the religious education program for the Richmond parish, has been reassigned to St. Patrick's Cathedral, and will begin work there July 1, according to his attorney, Mario Gallucci.
"I was never more satisfied with a decision," Gallucci said. "No way did he do what he was accused of."
The decision by the Congregation of the Faith, the Vatican office that has jurisdiction over allegations against priests, ends two years of uncertainty Father Pliauplis, who insisted in 2006 that he was innocent. He declined to speak to the Advance yesterday.
- Episcopalian.
Bucks County Courier Times,
By BEN FINLEY, ~ June 07, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is investigating whether one of its Bucks County priests offered massages "with something extra afterwards" on an online classified site, according to Daniell Hamby, the dean of Episcopal priests in Bucks.
The priest under investigation is 34-year-old Michael Ruk. He is the priest-in-charge of two churches in Falls – St. Paul's in Levittown and All Saints in Fallsington. On Wednesday, Ruk voluntarily stepped down from his duties at the two Bucks churches as the diocese conducts its investigation, Hamby said.
Earlier this week, Philadelphia's NBC10 alleged that Ruk was possibly the person behind an online ad posted on craigslist.org in April offering "sacred and sensual body work" for men. The ad said it was posted by a 28-year-old male in Philadelphia.
- Embezzling US $1.017m
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By TOM HEINEN
theinen@journalsentinel.com
Posted: June 6, 2008
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan's recent announcement that all 211 parishes in the 10-county Catholic archdiocese must undergo professional financial audits to ensure sound stewardship was based not just on national trends but also on local history.
The Catholic Mutual Group, which insures the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, paid $1,017,000 in parish embezzlement claims from 1997 through early 2008, according to the archdiocesan Parish and School Financial Services Office.
"Since 1997, Catholic Mutual or the archdiocesan parish finance office or both have been involved in the review of 19 parishes with suspected financial theft or mismanagement by employees," said Katie Hoeller, director of the office. "Although authorities were called in on many of them, most were either not pursued by the parish; restitution was made and the case was dropped; or the police determined that there was insufficient information to proceed."
[Beaudet] - RCC. Children.
News-Press
By Pedro Morales, pmorales@news-press.com , June 7, 2008
BONITA SPRINGS (FL) -- A Roman Catholic priest from Maine defrocked by the Vatican last week for allegedly sexually abusing children is living in Bonita Springs.
George W. Beaudet, who lives on Colony Road, worked in nine Maine parishes before being removed from public ministry in 2000 after at least one abuse allegation was brought against him, according to the Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests.
The Vatican investigated Beaudet and several other priests before he and another priest were laicized May 30, according to media reports.
Reached at his home Beaudet was noncommittal: "I've never been convicted of anything."
[2006-07 Bent, aka Travesser, aka The Messiah] - "Righteousness Church." 3 girls.
4 charges.
Santa Fe New Mexican,
~ June 07, 2008
CLAYTON (NM) – The leader of an apocalyptic sect accused of sex crimes against underage female followers said Friday that he will not eat until state child welfare workers return a teenager who was removed from the sect's compound.
Two teenage girls and a boy were taken from the compound in northeastern New Mexico in late April by the state Children, Youth and Families Department after the allegations were raised against Wayne Bent, 67, who heads The Lord Our Righteousness Church.
Bent, who calls himself Michael Travesser, has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• Residential schools: reliving a painful past
- Indigenous children.
Vancouver Sun,
www.canada. com/vancouver sun/features/ apology/story. html?id=4218 f9b6-2870- 4f93-8c12- fd371e469432 ;
by Catherine Rolfsen, ~ June 07, 2008
METRO VANCOUVER, CANADA -- Holding an umbrella against the spring drizzle, Joe Aleck wandered through the Mission park that stands in the place of so many of his memories.
Little more than ruins and a cemetery of battered crosses remain of St. Mary's Indian Residential School.
"This was the boy's residence," Aleck said, standing before a concrete outline filled with long green grass.
"All the boys were on the third floor. The second floor was the infirmary and medicine room," he said. "The first floor was the offices and the chapel."
Aleck, a 76-year-old member of the Sto:lo First Nation, is about the best person you could have as a guide through the remnants of St. Mary's, B.C.'s longest-running residential school.
- Hierarchy want to stifle Bp Geoff Robinson.
Los Angeles Times,
By Duke Helfand, June 7, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Four of California's leading Roman Catholic bishops, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, have taken the extraordinary step of urging an Australian bishop to cancel a monthlong tour of the United States to promote his controversial new book about clergy sexual abuse.
Following direction from the Vatican, the California religious leaders and eight other prominent bishops around the country have asked former auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney to steer clear of their dioceses because of his "problematic positions" on priestly celibacy and other issues.
In his book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus," Robinson argues that the church's celibacy requirement has contributed to the sex abuse crisis. He openly criticizes the papacy for failing to provide leadership. And he wonders whether the Catholic Church has been more concerned with managing the scandal than confronting it.
Those positions have put Robinson squarely at odds with church leaders on three continents.
- RCC. What he saw opened Bp Geoff Robinson's eyes.
Seattle Times,
By Janet I. Tu, Seattle Times religion reporter, ~ June 07, 2008
SEATTLE (WA) -- After years spent listening to the stories of sexual-abuse victims and leading the Australian bishops in their response, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson started writing.
The resulting book, in which the retired prelate from Sydney calls on the Catholic Church to take a serious look at sensitive issues such as mandatory celibacy, has not exactly been welcomed by many of his peers. Ditto his book tour, which began last month and features a stop in Seattle today.
Seattle Archbishop Alex Brunett was among several American bishops who sent a letter asking Robinson not to appear. A cardinal at the Vatican requested he cancel his trip.
And Robinson's fellow Australian bishops issued a statement saying they had "doctrinal difficulties" with his book, central to which is "a questioning of the authority of the Catholic Church to teach the truth definitively."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:06 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat June 07, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Mr Tamani -NEW*]- Methodist. Money.
Fiji Times,
By SAKIASI NAWAIKAMA, Monday, June 09, 2008
FIJI -- THE Methodist Church in Fiji has launched an internal investigation into claims of discrepancies in the audited accounts of one of its educational institutes.
Parents and teachers of Suva Methodist Primary School have questioned the transparency and accountability of the school board, chaired by a senior minister of the church.
Methodist Church general secretary Reverend Ame Tugaue said the church was carrying out an internal investigation and has asked the school bursar and manager, Taito Tamani, to step aside during the course of investigation.
[1971-77 + 2006 Br. Roger Moloney* (St John of God Order)] - RCC. 2006 fought extradition. 11 boys.
Christchurch Court News
By David Clarkson. Marylands Trial, Day 1, ~ June 08, 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- The crown alleges that Brother Roger William Moloney was "a risk-taker", sexually abusing boys in reasonably open areas while he was effectively headmaster at the Marylands Special School, Christchurch, in the 1970s.
The former prior of the Order of St John of God in Christchurch has gone on trial today before Justice Graham Panckhurst and a jury.
Eleven complainants who were all boys at the school are alleging he committed 30 sexual abuse offences against them over a six-year period from 1971-77.
Moloney, 71, denied all the charges on the first day of his three-week trial.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:47 PM]
- Baptists. Christa Brown's story.
American-Statesman,
By Eileen E. Flynn, for Monday, June 09, 2008
AUSTIN (TX) -- On the Web site she designed to help victims of clergy sexual abuse, Christa Brown keeps a time line of her efforts to confront Baptist church leaders with her claim that she was molested by a youth minister in North Texas four decades ago.
Every few paragraphs, an icon of a hurdle appears in the text to symbolize the setbacks the Austin lawyer, 56, says she has encountered: wrangling with church lawyers, dealing with systemic blindness and finding aggressive resistance to change.
Despite her shy, private nature, Brown has become the public face of victims of abuse who hope to force the Baptist church to acknowledge their allegations and take concrete action to identify and sanction abusers.
As the Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant denomination, prepares for its annual meeting this week in Indianapolis, the issue that Brown has championed will be aired more openly than it has in past meetings.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:26 PM]
• MARTINI CALLS FOR CHURCH REFORM
- Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Cardinal Martini says to ordain married men, women.
Rentapriest,
http:// rentapriest. blogspot. com ,
by Juan G. Bedoya, El País, http://www. elpais.com/ articulo/ sociedad/ Martini/pide/ reforma/ Iglesia/ elpepisoc/ 20080525 elpepisoc_ 3/Tes ;
May/25/2008
Web Editor's Note: Translation from the Spanish by Phoebe, formerly known as Rebel Girl. "The Church must have the courage to reform itself." This is the main idea of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (Turin, 1927), one of the great contemporary church leaders. With praise for the Protestant reformer Martin Luther, the Cardinal asks the Catholic Church to consider the possibility of ordaining viri probati (married men, but of proven faith), and women. It also calls for an encyclical to end the prohibitions of Humanae Vitae, issued by Paul VI in 1968 with severe censorship in matters of sex.
Cardinal Martini has been rector of the Gregorian University of Rome, archbishop of the largest diocese in the world (Milan) and papabile. He is a Jesuit, has published books, written for newspapers and debated with intellectuals. At the Synod of European Bishops in 1999, he called for the convocation of a new council to finalize the reforms put on the back burner by the Second Vatican Council, held in Rome between 1962 and 1965. Now he is back in the news because his book, Jerusalemer Nachtgespräche (Nocturnal Talks in Jerusalem), has been published in Germany (by the Herder publishing house) -- the spiritual testament of a great thinker. Georg Sporschill, also a Jesuit, is co-author.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:24 PM]
- Farewell to Fr. Ed.
Home News Tribune,
By LALITA ALOOR AMUTHAN, June 8, 2008
PISCATAWAY (NJ) –Cooled only by paper fans in the midday heat in the sweltering school gym, hundreds of parishioners and supporters from neighboring parishes gathered Sunday to say goodbye and good luck to "Father Ed."
About 500 supporters turned out as the Rev. Edgardo D. Abano, pastor at St. Frances Cabrini R.C. Church, gave his final Mass in the parish.
The priest, who has been on a leave of absence since he was accused of -- but not indicted for -- sexual misconduct, is leaving his post at the church, despite the vocal support of parishioners.
[2001-05 Tendler] - Judaist (Kehillat). "Sexual therapy." Woman.
Vos Iz Neias,
June 08, 2008
NEW HEMPSTEAD, NY - In the long awaited decision, The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court ruled in a decision dated June 3, 2008 that the Kehillat New Hempstead breached the contract of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler when they terminated him in February, 2006.
The court stated: "In May 1992 the plaintiff entered into a contract with the defendant…The Parties' contract expressly provided that the Congregation could not terminate the plaintiff's employment as its rabbi "unless" it had obtained prior authorization from a rabbinical court…While implicitly conceding that it terminated the plaintiff as its Rabbi sometime before February 27, 2006, the Congregation contends that it obtained the required rabbinical court ruling authorizing such action. However, the rabbinical court ruling upon the Congregation relies is dated March 21, 2006…Accordingly, the plaintiff established, as a matter of law, that the Congregation breached the contract."
[2001-05 Tendler] - Judaist (Kehillat). "Sexual therapy." Woman.
PRWeb,
June 8, 2008
NEW YORK (PRWEB) -- In the long awaited decision, The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court ruled in a decision dated June 3, 2008 that the Kehillat New Hempstead breached the contract of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler when they terminated him in February, 2006.
The court stated: (http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2008/2008_05067.htm)
"In May 1992 the plaintiff entered into a contract with the defendant…The Parties' contract expressly provided that the Congregation could not terminate the plaintiff's employment as its rabbi "unless" it had obtained prior authorization from a rabbinical court…While implicitly conceding that it terminated the plaintiff as its Rabbi sometime before February 27, 2006, the Congregation contends that it obtained the required rabbinical court ruling authorizing such action. However, the rabbinical court ruling upon the Congregation relies is dated March 21, 2006…Accordingly, the plaintiff established, as a matter of law, that the Congregation breached the contract."
Rabbi Tendler argued that reliance upon a document purporting to be a Rabbinical Court decision authored by Benzion Wosner, of Monsey, New York was untenable inasmuch as it was dated after his termination. Rabbi Tendler was not involved in any such proceeding at any time. In fact, he was never advised of the existence of Wosner's so called "rabbinical court" action until it surfaced in the litigation as an apparent pretext for his termination.
- RCC and the Establishment.
La Repubblica,
pagina 21, sezione: CRONACA, 25 maggio 2008
GENOVA, Italia - C' è sempre stato il rosso nella storia di Genova. Quello degli stendardi della Repubblica Marinara, più di recente nelle bandiere del Pci, che nel capoluogo ligure aveva una sua roccaforte. Ma in questi ultimi anni a risplendere è il rosso degli zucchetti, le papaline dei cardinali. I politici, gli imprenditori e gli affaristi coinvolti nell' inchiesta sulle mense, che millantino o no, nei loro dialoghi intercettati una verità la raccontano. Oggi, a Genova, chi è in cerca di aiuti, accelerate, appalti, poltrone, favori, non si rivolge più al politico di turno. Anche chi ha un passato, o un presente, a sinistra, tenta comunque di agganciarsi al carro della Curia. E c' è un nome che ricorre in un paio di episodi giudiziari: Tarcisio Bertone, Segretario di Stato della Santa Sede.
[translation]
Board of directors and recommendations in the reign of the Curia
(Repubblica – page 21, section: CRONACA, May 25, 2008)
GENOA, Italy - The red was an ever present color in the history of Genoa. It was in the ensign of the glorious seafaring Republic between the X and XII centuries and in the near past it was present in the flags of the Italian Communist Party, for which Genoa represented the stronghold in the Liguria region. But in recent years the most visible red is the one which is shining on the Cardinals' skull caps. One truth comes out from the recent wiretappings of the conversations between politicians, entrepreneurs and businessmen who were recently put under precautionary arrest for the illegal contracts regarding the public refectories: today in Genoa, whoever is seeking help, contracts, appointments, favors, applies to the Curia, shirking the politicians, even if he is or was in the past connected to the former Communist party. And there is a name which is present in a few judiciary investigations: Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State of the Holy See.
Genoa has become, perhaps second only to Rome, a crucial point of power for the Vatican. It's in Genoa that then archbishop Bertone, between 2002 and 2006, became a strategic force until Benedict XVI called him to Rome, and it's in that city with the ancient symbol of the lantern that his successor, Angelo Bagnasco, now the President of the CEI (Italian Bishops' Conference) is following the same path. Before cardinal Bertone there had been Dionigi Tettamanzi, who became Cardinal Martini's successor in Milan.
It's in the Tarcisio Bertone's years that influential groups of politicians, financiers, administrators, took hold in Genoa, the capital of the Liguria region. Nicknamed "Arcitarci" (which means Big Tarcisio), he is a jovial, communicative, popular man. Perhaps someone misunderstands his availability. For example, Roberto Alessio, the beef-steak king of the city of Vercelli, who in his quest to become the contractor for the public refectories, promises Mario D'Antino, the President of the Corte dei Conti (the institution which controls the regularity of the budget expenses of the Liguria region), the support of the Vatican Secretary of State in order to become the President of the Padre Pio's hospital at San Giovanni Rotondo. Or in the case of Giovanni Novi, the former president of the Genoa's Port Authority, who was arrested last February during an investigation about the selling of public land. In a wiretapped conversation by the finance police, Novi enthusiastically reports having asked and obtained from Bertone "an acceleration" in order to unblock, in the Vatican tribunal of the Sacra Rota, the annulment procedure of a matrimony regarding one of his relatives. The classic recommendation, this time clerical style.
In the same period the role of the church in Genoa in some strategic fields becomes stronger. The first is related to the Fondazione Carige, the Ligurian bank. The long time President had been Vincenzo Lorenzelli, one of the most important members of Opus Dei, and a commissary of the Gaslini Institution, which is part of the pediatric hospital presided by the bishop of Genoa: a 700-million-euros real estate and stock empire. In the role of vice-president of the Fondazione Carige, there is today another Opus Dei's member, Pierluigi Vinai. In the board of Directors there is Marco Simeon, a thirty-year-old man from the city of Sanremo, very close to Opus Dei, which was chosen by the Mediobanca's CEO, Cesare Geronzi, as his "ambassador" at the Vatican. In Genoa, Marco Simeon is the prior of the Magistrato di Misericordia, a charity with a lot of real estates presided by cardinal Bagnasco. Simeon and Vinai were the selected guests privately received by the Pope in the Ligurian city of Savona during his recent mid-May trip.
There is also Giuseppe Profiti, the president of the hospital Bambin Gesu', who is being investigated for corruption and interference in the bid for the public refectories' contract, who was defended by the Vatican by a communique of solidarity inspired by Bertone. The Curia's power is so much rooted in Genoa that even former communist Claudio Burlando, the president of the Liguria region, has fallen into its spell. He offered cardinal Bagnasco to be councillor of the Fondazione Carige, which is the regional bank, and the cardinal indicated a monsignor to take his place. It was a gesture which was applauded by Minister Claudio Scajola, but which now could embarass the same Burlando. In fact, following some polemics for the Fondazione Carige's financing of some associations represented by its vice-president Vinai, a PD party's councillor, Ubaldo Benvenuti, presented a motion in the Ligurian region's council in order to ask its representative to clarify the matter. But unfortunately that representative belongs to the Curia.
- MASSIMO CALANDRI, MARCO PREVE
- Florek.
Catholic News Agency,
03:06 pm, Jun 8, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO), (CNA).- An excommunicated board member of a breakaway St. Louis Catholic parish has reconciled with the Church after meeting privately with the Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond L. Burke. Archbishop Burke has said he is "profoundly happy" about the man's reconciliation.
Edward Florek was excommunicated in December 2005 for his membership on the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation board of directors, which opposed Archbishop Burke's parish restructuring plan and brought in a renegade priest to staff St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
According to the St. Louis Review, The church was founded by Polish immigrants in 1880. In 1891 the then-archbishop allowed the parish to form a lay trustee board to control parish finances and own the parish property. In 2004 Archbishop Burke continued his predecessor's efforts to persuade the board to transfer property ownership to the archdiocese, as required by canon law.
- Bp Geoff Robinson contends that celibacy is a root cause of RCC sex crimes.
KNBC,
~ June 08, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Not in my house.
That was the message from Cardinal Roger Mahony to Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Australia, who is on a tour promoting his book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church," which asserts that the priestly vows of celibacy are at the root of sex crimes within the church, City News Service reported.
"I hereby deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles," Mahony told Robinson, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Robinson, a former auxiliary bishop from Sydney, said his speaking tour would continue. His national book began in Philadelphia May 16. He is scheduled to speak this month in La Jolla, Costa Mesa, Culver City and San Francisco.
"I'm not looking for any confrontation," he told The Times, but said he has every intention on speaking as he sees fit.
- Baptist numbers fall.
Washington Post,
By Jacqueline L. Salmon, Page A02, Sunday, June 8, 2008;
UNITED STATES -- Alarmed by a drop in membership and baptisms, members of the Southern Baptist Convention are set to consider at their annual meeting, which starts Tuesday, a 10-year initiative to reverse the decline.
The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches fell for the third straight year last year to the lowest level in 20 years, and membership in the nation's largest Protestant denomination decreased by close to 40,000 to 16.27 million last year. Leaders of the convention say the numbers could represent a turning point for the organization.
The convention's president, the Rev. Frank S. Page, has predicted that unless the denomination takes swift action, the number of Southern Baptist churches will fall by half by 2030.
[2008 Pfleger*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI, mwisniewski@suntimes.com , June 08, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- The Rev. Michael Pfleger will return to St. Sabina parish on June 16, a parish official said.
Cardinal Francis George temporarily removed the outspoken priest from his South Side parish last week in the wake of comments Pfleger made about presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)
- Bp Geoff Robinson says RCC managed scandal instead of confronting.
Sydney Morning Herald,
from Duke Helfand in Los Angeles, June 9, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- AN AUSTRALIAN bishop has rejected demands by 12 leading Catholic bishops that he cancel a month-long tour of the US to promote his controversial book about sexual abuse by the clergy.
Following direction from the Vatican, the bishops have asked Geoffrey Robinson, a retired auxiliary bishop of Sydney, to avoid their dioceses because of his "problematic positions" on priestly celibacy and other issues.
In his book, Confronting Power And Sex In The Catholic Church: Reclaiming The Spirit Of Jesus, Bishop Robinson argues that the church's celibacy requirement has contributed to the sex abuse crisis. He openly criticises the papacy for failing to provide leadership, and wonders whether the church has been more concerned with managing the scandal than confronting it.
[150yrs - 4 Churches and Government] - Indigenous children.
CTV,
by Saira Peesker, CTV.ca News, June 08, 2008
CANADA -- Native groups are apprehensive this week, as they prepare for Prime Minister Stephen Harper's delivery of a long-awaited apology for abuse at residential schools. Some are wondering why the government hasn't discussed details about the apology -- and what may or may not accompany it.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl has promised Harper will deliver what "will be a very meaningful and respectful apology" in front of the House of Commons. But no drafts of the apology have been circulated.
According to the executive director of the National Residential School Survivors' Society, victims are looking for signs Harper plans to help improve their situation.
- RCC to close 50 churches.
The Morning Call,
By Daniel Patrick Sheehan and Bob Laylo | June 8, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- When the Catholic Diocese of Allentown announced the impending closure of nearly 50 churches, it raised a practical question with implications for this region's landscape, history and culture: What will become of all that real estate?
If the past is any guide, some of the buildings may become apartment houses, private homes or houses of worship for other faiths. Others may be transformed into boutiques or restaurants. Some may be razed.
Who knows? Maybe one or two will be transformed into health clubs. It's not so far-fetched. Lehighton's former Wesley United Methodist Church, which closed because of declining membership, is now the Cathedral Rock Gym.
[1970 Dr Reardon] - RCC. Photographing children.
Hartford Courant,
by Karen Hunter | Reader Representative | June 8, 2008
HARTFORD (CT) -- The Courant's front-page story count has decreased considerably over the years, but it is still rare for a first-person article to take up the entire page. If ever there were a reason, however, Assistant Features Editor Kevin Hunt's story about the child abuse complaint his mother filed 38 years ago against Dr. George Reardon was it.
So it was surprising when a reader questioned me about the placement of the story. "I'm not saying it shouldn't have been done," the reader said. "It was very interesting and compelling. It was very well written. It opened my eyes. But I don't think it was news. It was something I would expect to see in the Commentary section. If you still had Northeast, I could see it there."
Managing Editor Barbara Roessner explained, "I felt it was an extraordinary piece of work, and that it would have an extraordinary impact. I wanted the presentation to live up to the importance and the power of the piece."
- Bp Geoff Robinson says celibacy contributary factor.
Chicago Tribune,
June 8, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Twelve Roman Catholic bishops have taken the extraordinary step of urging an Australian bishop to cancel his U.S. tour to promote his controversial new book about clergy sexual abuse.
In "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus," retired auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney argues that the church's priestly celibacy requirement has contributed to the sex abuse crisis.
[~ 1975-79 Amyx] - Baptist. Girl.
Denton Record-Chronicle,
By Donna Fielder / 12:04 AM CDT on Sunday, June 8, 2008
TEXAS -- Two years after a woman filed a damage suit alleging Bolivar Baptist Church pastor Dale "Dickie" Amyx molested her as a 14-year-old and impregnated her when she was 18, the suit has been settled out of court.
Debbie Vasquez, now 47, sued Amyx and the church in June 2006, alleging that he began having sex with her when he was 28 years old, married and the youth pastor of a now-defunct Lewisville church, Calvary Baptist. According to the court documents, he continued having sex with her after he was pastor of the Bolivar church by threatening her with guns and knives.
The Denton Record-Chronicle traditionally does not name victims of sexual assault, particularly children. But Vasquez requested that she be identified to shine a light on the issue of clergy sexual misconduct. Coming forward with the story, which she hid for many years until it was too late to press criminal charges, was part of her healing process, she said.
- Abuse from his first day.
Edmonton Sun,
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF, ~ June 08, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA -- It was nearly 50 years ago and he was just five years old at the time.
But Ted Quewezance remembers the day he was ripped from his home and family like it was yesterday. Government officials arrived by car and carried him away crying, forcing him to live in an Indian residential school in rural Saskatchewan with complete strangers who didn't speak his language or understand his culture.
"They dragged me away from my grandparents. It's a hard thing to talk about, but it's something I'll never forget," he recalled. "I travelled all day, and cried the whole way."
Quewezance remained a student at Gordon Residential School for 11 years. While there were many good people and practices, most positive recollections are overcome by the horrors of chronic sexual, physical and emotional abuse he endured from the first day he arrived.
- Cornwall police tensions.
Standard-Freeholder,
Posted By BY TREVOR PRITCHARD, ~ June 08, 2008
CANADA -- Tensions at police headquarters were running so high in the early 1990s that the former deputy chief believed he was going to face a civil lawsuit from then-chief Claude Shaver, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Friday.
"I no longer trusted him, I think, by that point," said Joseph St. Denis, who was the Cornwall Police Service's deputy chief from 1987 to 2001.
St. Denis had testified Thursday that when he joined the force, he found Shaver to be an "excellent" leader.
But within a few years, their relationship had deteriorated to the point that St. Denis had consulted a lawyer in case Shaver were to charge him with breaching the Police Services Act, the inquiry heard.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[≤ 1973 ?+ Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, June 08, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., 64, still wears a purple vest, a pectoral cross, and an engraved gold ring - symbols of his stature as leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.
But tomorrow morning this white-haired and controversial prelate, suspended from office in the fall, will step off an elevator at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel and into a Court for the Trial of a Bishop.
There, nine judges from around the country will consider whether Bennison improperly concealed his brother John's sexual abuse of a minor decades ago, and decide if he may continue as head of the five-county, 55,000-member diocese.
[LOOK BACK: October 31, 2007]
- RCC.
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
By Lindsay Melvin, ~ June 08, 2008
MEMPHIS (TN) -- To those who have never heard "the call," Dennis Schenkel explains his attraction to the priesthood by comparing it to the irresistibility of falling in love.
"I had a crush on her in high school, and I ran into her years later and she was even more beautiful," he said.
Three days before his ordination, the 42-year-old former computer network analyst was as anxious as a groom in waiting.
While cities across the country are suffering from a shortage of priests, Schenkel is part of a very different trend. …
In places like Boston, Ohio and New Orleans, reasons for the shortage vary from changing demographics to fallout from sexual abuse scandals.
The local diocese has dealt with its own share of sexual abuse but not to the degree other cities have seen, Stewart said.
"I find the morale of the Memphis priests to be very good here," he said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:43 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun June 08, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[≤ 2005 Unnamed clergyman -NEW*] - Swedish Church. Affair with married woman.
United Press International,
June 9, 2008
VASTERAS, Sweden, (UPI) -- The Swedish Labor Court has ruled a Swedish Church priest was unlawfully terminated after he was fired for having an affair with a married woman.
The priest was fired in December 2005 after he engaged in a fistfight with the woman's husband, who had reported the affair to the parish vicar and a bishop, in October of that year, The Local reported Monday.
The letter sent to the priest to inform him of his termination said his actions had caused harm to the church's reputation.
However, the priest disagreed with the rationale for his firing and sued the Swedish Church for wrongful termination in August 2006. The Labor Court upheld the Vastmanland District Court's ruling in favor of the priest, which cited the length of time between the priest's alleged improper behavior and his firing.
[COMMENT: From 2005 to 2006 is too long!? What rot! In reality, even the cool-headed Swedes have been stricken with moral relativism, and can't see that a clergyman of a Church preaching "No adultery" is obviously no use in the pulpit if he is doing the opposite. ENDS.]
[1978+ Lucas- NEW*] - RCC. Girl.
KPTM,
Associated Press, 6:05 PM ET, June 9, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An attorney for an Oregon man who had his lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Omaha Archdiocese dismissed today says she will likely appeal.
Attorney Maren Chaloupka of Scottsbluff says she must first talk to her client, Cary Claar (CLAHR) of Springfield, Oregon. He alleged in the lawsuit that the late Father Duane Lucas sexually abused him for several years starting around 1978, when Claar was 12 or 13 years old.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Virtue Online,
By David W. Virtue, www.virtueonline.org , June/9/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- In dramatic opening testimony on the first day of the ecclesiastical trial of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison, victim Martha Alexis told a hushed court of five bishops, two clergy and two laity that Bishop Bennison stumbled in on his brother John's sexual activity with her, "saw his erection", turned on his heel in the church office and walked away.
The then 14-year-old victim described to the court and some 60 persons at the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, how she was repeatedly sexually abused by the Rev. John Bennison, describing his acts as "persistent, intense and frequent" as many as "three or four times a week, for four years."
"He groomed me over time to be his sexual toy. He was very exacting and specific in technique which grew more progressive over time, eventually growing to include everything you can possibly imagine." Alexis, now 50, and the mother of three, said that what occurred in 1973 between herself and Bennison was "unspeakable perversion and too horrific to name."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:04 PM]
[1971-77 + 2006 Br. Roger Moloney* (St John of God Order)] - RCC. 2006 fought extradition. NZ $300,000 so far. 11 boys.
TVNZ,
6:36 PM, Jun 9, 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- The head of a former Catholic boys school in Christchurch has gone on trial on historic sex abuse charges.
Eleven boys who were at the Marylands School in the 1970's are alleging sexual abuse by Brother Roger Moloney who is facing a total of 30 charges.
Ten of the complainants have already been paid compensation by the church, one receiving more than $300 000.
- 4 Churches and Government. Indigenous children.
National Post
by Don Martin, Monday, June 09, 2008
CANADA -- Tuesday's half-hour statement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to a hushed House of Commons will be the greatest grovel in Canadian history, completing a ten-year process of parliamentary remorse for the residential schools tragedy and starting another five years of reconciliation.
On a Commons floor filled with dignitaries, native leaders and survivors of the notorious school system, a formal apology will drag on for thousands of words, every syllable agonized over to ensure it was sufficiently contrite and conveying suitable gravitas.
The government, Parliament, indeed every Canadian will be apologizing without exception for every student's experience, be it positive, negative or abusive.
But there are still high-level concerns it won't be enough and, while unlikely, could be rejected by native leaders as a political stunt that isn't sufficiently sincere. One senior government official involved in drafting the apology acknowledged in mid-gulp on an Ottawa beer patio: "Of course, we're still not sure they'll accept it."
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
The Associated Press,
By JOANN LOVIGLIO, ~ June 09, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) – An Episcopal bishop accused of concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl decades ago twice walked in during the abuse and never did anything to stop it, the now-adult victim testified Monday at a church trial.
The testimony came as the trial opened for Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. His brother became a priest after the abuse is alleged to have begun.
A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bennison, the leader of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese, may resume his duties. Bennison, 64, was ordered to cease all "ministerial and canonical acts" in November.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Daily Gazette,
By Jill Bryce, June 09, 2008
ALBANY (NY) – A former priest who served at a Troy parish was sentenced in federal court today to 48 months in prison for possession of child pornography.
Raymond Ethier, 51, of Hudson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy and was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. The judge also ruled that Ethier have no unsupervised contact with minors, participate in a sex offender program and register with the state Sex Offender Registry Program. His computer equipment was also turned over to the government.
Kenneth Goldfarb, a spokesman for the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese, said Ethier was formally defrocked today. Ethier was put on administrative leave after he was arrested on May 30, 2007, and was not allowed to perform or present himself as a priest, said Goldfarb.
[LOOK BACK: June 04, 2007, November 16, 2007]
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Albany Times Union,
By CAROL DeMARE, Last updated 5:57 p.m., Monday, June 9, 2008
ALBANY (NY) -- A 51-year-old Roman Catholic priest from Columbia County was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for his guilty plea to possession of child pornography.
Raymond Ethier of Hudson, who was put on administrative leave by Bishop Howard Hubbard after his arrest in May 2007, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in federal court in Albany, Ethier was told to have no unsupervised contact with minors, to participate in a sex offender program and to register with the state Sex Offender Registry. Also, various computer equipment seized from Ethier will be forfeited to the government.
[2007 Cuevas*] - RCC. Public masturbation, groped male.
San Luis Obispo.com ,
~ June 09, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A Nipomo priest was sentenced to three years probation this morning after he pleaded no contest to committing sex crimes near the Pirates Cove nude beach.
The Rev. Geronimo Enrique Cuevas, 52, must also complete 40 hours of community work service and an AIDS education class, Deputy District Attorney Craig VanRooyen said. He must also stay away from Pirates Cove.
Cuevas pleaded no contest to engaging in lewd conduct and soliciting another to engage in lewd conduction, both misdemeanors.
- Bp Geoff Robinson won't stop.
CathNews,
~ June 09, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- Retired Sydney Bishop Geoffrey Robinson is continuing his US tour despite accusations that his positions are "not in keeping with the Church" and that he is spreading "misinformation" about the Church's efforts to combat abuse.
The Los Angeles Times reports four of California's leading Catholic bishops, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, have taken the extraordinary step of urging the Australian bishop to cancel a month long tour of the United States to promote his controversial new book about clergy sexual abuse.
But Bishop Robinson, 70, said he has no intention of canceling any part of a trip that began May 16 in Philadelphia and brings him to California this week.
- RCC.
The Plain Dealer,
Posted by David Briggs / Religion Reporter, 17:13PM,
June 09, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH) -- A prominent downtown church is fighting to stay alive in a planned massive diocesan reorganization, saying an anonymous angel has pledged $2 million to save St. Peter Catholic Church.
St. Peter appears to be the first parish to declare its opposition to plans by the Cleveland Catholic Diocese to close or merge nearly 50 churches in response to population shifts to the suburbs.
Final decisions on closings are not expected before late February 2009, but regional groups of parishes throughout the eight-county diocese are starting to make recommendations that will be brought before their parishes. Some groups have agreed to the mergers and closings requested by Bishop Richard Lennon.
On Sunday, June 8, however, officials at St. Peter, at East 17th St. and Superior Ave., announced they would oppose a recommendation that it merge with St. John Cathedral. The church said an anonymous donor has agreed to give $2 million to wipe out a $355,000 debt to the diocese and demolish and turn into a green space a closed school next to the church. The rest of the gift would be used to expand St. Peter's ministries, which include support of a women's shelter and a Cleveland elementary school.
[1978+ Lucas*] - RCC. Boy.
Beatrice Daily Sun,
By MARGERY A. GIBBS, 03:46:50 pm CDT, Monday, Jun 09, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. - A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit against the Omaha Archdiocese by a man who said the archdiocese let him be abused by a priest as a boy.
The lawsuit, brought by 41-year-old Cary Claar of Springfield, Ore., alleged a Roman Catholic priest, the late Rev. Duane Lucas, sexually abused Claar for several years starting around 1978, when Claar was 12 or 13 years old.
U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon dismissed the lawsuit Monday, reiterating that many of Claar's claims did not fall within Nebraska's statute of limitations.
[Decades - Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. Child seductions.
OPB News,
By Pete Springer, 4:12 p.m., June 9, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) -- A final arbitration hearing on what documents the Portland Archdiocese will release about priest sexual abuse took place Monday. Pete Springer reports.
Attorneys for both the abuse victims and the Portland Archdiocese met in federal court in Eugene for the hearing.
Judge Michael Hogan closed the hearing to the public and news media and issued a gag order on everyone involved.
The judge is taking the information from the hearing under advisement and there is no estimate when he will make a final determination.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
CBS 21,
~ June 09, 2008
[with link to the presentment against Bishop Bennison]
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) -- A mother says a bishop accused of concealing sexual abuse of her daughter once told her that he knew about the abuse but didn't think it was up to him to tell the family.
The testimony came as a church trial opened for Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. He is accused of concealing the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl by his brother, then a lay minister at a California church where Bennison was rector.
A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bennison, the leader of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese, may resume his duties.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
The Associated Press,
By JOANN LOVIGLIO, ~ June 09, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) – An Episcopal bishop accused of concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old decades ago once told the girl's mother he didn't think it was his place to inform her family, her mother testified Monday at a church trial.
The testimony came as the trial opened for Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. His brother became a priest after the abuse is alleged to have begun.
A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bennison, the leader of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese, may resume his duties. Bennison, 64, was ordered to cease all "ministerial and canonical acts" in November.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Mid-Hudson News,
~ June 09, 2008
ALBANY (NY) – Former priest Raymond Ethier, 51, of Hudson, NY, who had served as a pastor at the St. John Vianney in Columbia County, was sentenced Monday in federal court to four years in federal prison on a charge that he possessed child pornography on his computer.
Following his release from prison, Ethier, who was employed at the time of the incidents, by the Albany Catholic Diocese, must serve 10 years of supervised release and must register with the New York State Sex Offender Registry Program.
Ethier pled guilty on November 13, 2007, admitting that he had videos and still images of minors engaged in sex acts.
[2008 Unnamed priest*] - Interfered in presidential campaign.
America (RC magazine, U.S.A.),
Author: James Martin, S.J., Posted at 14:19:00.0, June 09, 2008
[with link to the original article]
UNITED STATES -- Here's a smart piece by two of the smartest Catholic scholars in this country: David O'Brien, the church historian at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., and Lisa Sowle Cahill, the moral theology professor at Boston College, writing on the policy of denying Communion to certain politicians. Their piece takes off from the curious case of Douglas W. Kmiec, a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine and pro-life Republican (that's right, pro-life) denied Communion during a recent Mass.
Here are O'Brien and Cahill:
"If we remain silent when respected Catholic leaders are publicly attacked and denied Communion, the proper role of faith in our public square is grossly distorted. This election year, let's have a better debate about faith and political responsibility that reclaims the vital role religion has often played in renewing our most cherished democratic values."
- RCC.
The Flint Journal,
by Rose Mary Reiz | 3:34 PM, Monday June 09, 2008,
FLINT, Michigan -- Long-time parishioners at three northern Flint churches slated to close this summer are mourning the impending loss of part of their histories, and their hearts.
"When the letter was read yesterday at church, people just cried," said Patricia Panek, 69, who has attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Flint since she was four years old.
Due to a steady bleed in attendance and increasing financial woes, Sacred Heart, St. Luke and St. Agnes Catholic churches must close by August, Bishop Earl Boyea announced in a letter read during Sunday masses.
Parish leaders may set a closing date of their choosing, but not later than Aug. 1, the bishop said. The closed parishes will merge with the parish at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Flint.
- RCC tries to ban Bp Geoff Robinson, who met victims.
GetReligion,
Posted by Mark Stricherz, ~ June 09, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Some stories don't get religion because they lack necessary details. Of course, few stories can get at the whole truth. But too many stories about religion are bland and unedifying.
For example, consider The Los Angeles Times' piece about a former Australian bishop of the Catholic church whose book tour is not welcome among California bishops.
Give reporter Duke Helfand credit, however, for an interesting and informative lede:
Four of California's leading Roman Catholic bishops, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, have taken the extraordinary step of urging an Australian bishop to cancel a monthlong tour of the United States to promote his controversial new book about clergy sexual abuse.
Following direction from the Vatican, the California religious leaders and eight other prominent bishops around the country have asked former auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney to steer clear of their dioceses because of his "problematic positions" on priestly celibacy and other issues.
That left me wanting more. When it comes to the sexual abuse scandal in the church, there is a rough consensus among Catholics that the facts should come out and not be denied. Wanting more information to come out is not a "left" thing or a "right" thing, when it comes to matters of faith and doctrine.
- Bp Geoff Robinson, victim, queries celibacy.
Union-Tribune,
By Onell R. Soto, 12:29 p.m., June 9, 2008
SAN DIEGO (CA) – A Roman Catholic bishop who questions whether the church's celibacy rules have played a role in leading to childhood sexual abuse by priests is speaking in San Diego, defying church leaders.
Retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney, Australia, was asked by San Diego Bishop Robert Brom and several other American bishops – and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony – to stay away.
He is banned from speaking on church property in several dioceses.
A victim of sexual abuse as a child, Robinson went on to become a church law attorney and bishop and co-chaired a committee investigating abuse of children by Australian clergy.
- Mugabe is an RC, still, though NCube was demoted quickly.
Slate,
By Christopher Hitchens, Posted 12:27 PM ET, Monday, June 9, 2008
ZIMBABWE -- The scale of state-sponsored crime and terror in Zimbabwe has now escalated to the point where we are compelled to watch not just the systematic demolition of democracy and human rights in that country but something not very far removed from slow-motion mass murder a la Burma. The order from the Mugabe regime that closes down all international aid groups and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations is significant in two ways. It expresses the ambition for total control by the state, and it represents a direct threat–"vote for us or starve"–to the already desperate civilian population. The organization CARE, for example, which reaches half a million impoverished Zimbabweans, has been ordered to suspend operations. …
Which in turn raises an interesting question: What is it going to take before the Roman Catholic Church has anything to say about the conduct of this member of its flock? Mugabe has been a devout Catholic ever since his days in a mission school in what was then colonial Rhodesia, and one is forced to wonder what he tells his priest when he is asked if he has anything he'd like to confess.
By way of contrast, look what happened to Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo. This Catholic churchman in Zimbabwe's second city was a pillar of opposition to the regime and a great defender of its numberless victims. After a long campaign of defiance, and after surviving many threats to his life, the archbishop was caught on video last year having some fairly vigorous sex with a woman not his wife. Indeed, she was someone else's wife, which made it adultery as well as fornication. You might think the church would have been glad of a bit of heterosexual transgression for a change, but a dim view was taken of the whole thing, in spite of the fact that it bore all the marks of a setup and was immediately given wide publicity by the police agencies of the Mugabe state. Ncube is no longer the Roman Catholic archbishop of Bulawayo.
Very well, I do understand that he broke his vows and that the rules are the rules. But he didn't starve or torture any children, he didn't send death squads to silence his critics, he didn't force millions of his fellow countrymen into penury and/or exile, and he didn't openly try to steal an election. Mugabe has done and is doing all these things, and I haven't heard a squeak from the papacy. A man of his age is perhaps unlikely to be caught using a condom, but one still has to hope that Mugabe will be found red-handed in this way because it seems that nothing less is going to bring the condemnation of the church down upon his sinful head.
led
[FOOTNOTE: Christopher Hitchens wrote God is not great: How religion poinsons everything, 2007, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest and New York; Dewey shelf number 201.5. (The wording similar to above was published in The Australian of June 14, and was repeated in the July 2008 CSAT (Id 12926) under the heading "Lion to lamb and the silence is unbearable". ENDS]
- RCC.
NTV
Associated Press
3:05 PM ET
June 9, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A court has dismissed a lawsuit against the Omaha Archdiocese by a man who said the archdiocese let him be abused by a priest as a boy.
The lawsuit, brought by 41-year-old Cary Claar of Springfield, Ore., alleged a Roman Catholic priest sexually abused Claar for several years starting around 1978, when Claar was 12 or 13 years old.
U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon dismissed the lawsuit Monday, saying among other things that Claar failed to bring his claims within the statute of limitations.
- RCC "cure" facility.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ June 09, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The letter below is a sampling of documents recently passed to City of Angels Network, which we are in the process of scanning and uploading for an upcoming post. This one letter reveals the Catholic Church hierarchy destroyed records of pedophile priests per "legal advice."
On page 2, the director of Via Coeli writes, "Once these documents have been read, please destroy them." The 1989 letter is a progress report on George V. Bredermann, an Arizona pedophile priest with a long entry in the bishopaccountability database of sexual predators in the church.
Uploads coming soon here at City of Angels Network include a 1963 letter from Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald to Pope Paul VI outlining their recent meeting where they discussed the problem of pedophile priests. As I scan and upload these documents, I feel I'm beginning the process of proving what so many of us knew was .
The bishops not only knew about pedophiles in their ranks of priests, they were more knowledgeable about pedophilia than the general public, because Father Gerald kept sending out letters, more and more letters, in the end almost pleading with the the bishops, saying these men are "vipers" and "rattlesnakes" and should be put out of civilization, not be put back into parishes.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly and Robert Moran, ~ June 09, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- A lawyer for the Episcopal Church told a panel of judges this morning that Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., leader of the five-county 55,000-member Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, failed to protect an underage girl from the predatory sexual behavior of his brother in the 1970s.
The lawyer, Larry White, told the nine-judge Court for the Trial of a Bishop panel, that Bennison, 64, compounded his wrongful inaction by shirking his responsibility in the matter, as he rose through the church's ranks in later years.
White said that Bennison's brother, John, then a 24-year-old married staffer in their church in Upland, Calif., had groomed a 14-year-old church parishioner as a "sexual target."
Bennison's attorney, James Pabarue, argued that his client had not been trained by the church to handle such matters and followed his own instinct to try to avoid scandal for the victim and the church.
[Mr Washburn]
The Boston Globe,
By Megan Woolhouse, June 8, 2008
CAMBRIDGE (MA) -- While some of his fellow Buckingham, Brown & Nichols alumni gathered at the school for their annual weekend of festivities, Daniel Weinreb staged a one-man protest at the school's front entrance.
Weinreb said he wants school administrators to openly acknowledge the sexual abuse he and others endured more than a decade ago at the hand of former teacher Edward "Ted" Washburn. …
He is represented by Mitchell Garabedian, the Boston lawyer who represented more than 100 victims of Catholic clergy in a scandal that has scarred one of the world's largest denominations. Garabedian could not be reached yesterday.
- RCC.
San Francisco Chronicle
by Matthai Kuruvila, Sunday, May 18, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- For years, parishioners at St. Alphonsus Liguori saw their numbers dwindle, and their members age. They buried their brethren, but they kept coming.
On a typical weekend, 140 would show up for the two Masses at the San Leandro parish - in a region where some Catholic churches draw thousands. But they saw meaning.
"This is our home," said Virginia DeLaCruz, 61, of San Leandro. "We like to come because of the closeness."
But the small parish couldn't support itself financially, especially as church repair costs kept rising. The Diocese of Oakland said it wasn't spiritually healthy either, scoring low on church vibrancy. A week ago, the congregation was told the parish would be closed June 30.
[2006-07 Bent, aka Travesser, aka The Messiah] - "Righteousness Church." 3 girls.
4 charges.
Las Cruces Sun-News,
The Associated Press, Article Launched 10:45:33 AM MDT, June/09/2008
CLAYTON, N.M.–The leader of an apocalyptic sect who is accused of sex crimes against underage female followers now says he's fasting to clear his heart and mind.
Wayne Bent, who heads The Lord Our Righteousness Church, began a fast Friday to force the state to release a teenage girl taken from the group's compound near Clayton.
He has vowed to not eat until state child welfare workers return the girl. The state Children, Youth and Families Department removed two teenage girls and a boy in late April after allegations against Bent.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[5yrs Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
The Associated Press,
By JOANN LOVIGLIO, ~ June 09, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) – A church trial began Monday for the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, who is accused of concealing the sexual abuse of a teenage girl by his brother, also a priest, in the 1970s.
A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., the leader of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese, may resume his duties. Bennison, 64, was ordered to cease all "ministerial and canonical acts" in November.
"(He) didn't put a stop to it … and didn't alert the church," church lawyer Larry White said in his opening statement Monday. He said the sexual relationship started when the girl was 14 and continued for five years.
[~ 2005 Unnamed clergyman*] - Swedish Church. Affair with married woman.
The Local,
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/12320/ , 16:49 CET, Jun 9, 2008
SWEDEN -- Sweden's Labour Court has ruled in favour of a priest who felt he was unlawfully fired for having an affair with a married woman in his congregation.
The woman's husband also confronted the priest directly on several occasions before the two finally came to blows in October 2005.
Police gave up their investigation of the incident after being unable to determine which man threw the first punch.
- RCC. Lithuanian community.
Friends of St. Casimir's Lithuanian Parish
Sunday, June/08/2008
WORCESTER (MA) -- Members of Saint Casimir's Lithuanian Parish met with Bishop McManus today. This meeting served as an opportunity for parishioners to convey their concerns to the Bishop. It was also an opportunity for the Bishop to explain his reasons for making the decision to close the parish.
At the request of the Pastor, the 60-minute meeting was limited to members of the parish. However, several parishioners were denied an opportunity to speak. The Bishop did indicate that it was a "strategic blunder" on behalf of the parish to involve the media.
- RCC.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Bronislaus B. Kush, bkush@telegram.com , June 09, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – Bishop Robert J. McManus told parishioners of St. Casimir Church yesterday that he will not reconsider his decision to close their parish July 1, members of the congregation said.
"The bishop told us he's not changing his mind," said Raymond Jakubauskas, a member of Friends of St. Casimir Parish, a group trying to save the Providence Street church. "He seemed to be telling us that the health of the diocese is more important than the salvation of our souls."
The bishop met with parishioners in a packed parish hall after the 10 a.m. Mass. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was closed to the media and nonparishioners.
Congregants said they were hopeful the bishop would change his plans after hearing their reasons why the Grafton Hill church, which is more than 100 years old, is viable and should remain open.
The Cape Breton Post,
CP, ~ June 09, 2008
TORONTO, CANADA (CP) – Native and church leaders are urging people across the country to stop in their tracks on Wednesday to hear Prime Minister Stephen Harper's formal apology for Canada's Indian residential schools policy.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl tells the Globe and Mail that if the opposition parties agree, the House of Commons will set aside all other business for the event, which will start at 3 p.m.
One-hundred and four-year-old Marguerite Wabano is one of six residential school survivors who'll be seated on the floor of the House of Commons when Harper apologizes on behalf of all Canadians.
- Cornwall community.
Standard-Freeholder
Posted By TREVOR PRITCHARD, ~ June 09, 2008
CANADA -- The man who ran the city's police force just before allegations of mishandled sexual abuse investigations hit the media will begin answering questions about his tenure at the Cornwall Public Inquiry today.
If all goes according to schedule, Claude Shaver will take the same witness stand this morning where, over the past three-and-a-half months, some of his former subordinates have been highly critical of his leadership of the Cornwall Police Service.
"He is an important witness," said lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann, who will be conducting Shaver's initial examination.
[Years - Brandenburg] - Anglicans. £342,000 last year. Selling land. 36 boys.
Religious Intelligence (United Kingdom),
By George Conger, 12:52pm, Monday, June 9, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- The ANGLICAN diocese of Adelaide paid out over £342,000 last year in sexual abuse claims, delegates to a special meeting of synod heard on May 31. However, it may be further liable for up to £1 million, and it is "uncertain whether any part of these paid claims or the future potential claims paid may be covered by insurance," diocesan reports note.
The 140-member diocesan synod agreed to sell portions of Bishopscourt, Archbishop Jeffrey Driver's official residence, to fund the liability claims. Since 2004 the diocese has faced claims for damages of £5 million, and in 2006 settled the claims of 36 men, who as boys were allegedly molested by Church of England Boys Society youth worker Robert Brandenburg.
Former Adelaide Archbishop Ian George was forced into early retirement in June 2004 following an independent review that sharply criticized his handling of the abuse controversies. Sale of portions of Bishopscourt must be approved by Dr Driver. However since taking office, the Adelaide Archbishop has taken an activist stance towards resolving the abuse crisis.
- Baptists.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
June 08, 2008
UNITED STATES -- As thousands of Southern Baptists church officials and members open their annual meeting in Indianapolis tomorrow, clergy sex abuse victims are skeptical that the gathering will produce any reform on the pressing issue of predatory preachers.
At last year's Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio, a motion to study the creation of a database of child-molesting ministers passed overwhelmingly. Since then, the committee charged with conducting the study has met several times. But it has not been forthcoming with a budget for the study; nor has it held hearings to receive input from victims and experts.
Last week, the Convention published a slick, glossy, 8-page pamphlet on "Protecting our Children."
SNAP members fear that Baptist officials will try to portray that pamphlet as a sign that the denomination is acting with diligence to combat clergy sex abuse. SNAP leaders, however, feel otherwise.
- Baptists.
The Courier-Journal,
By Peter Smith, psmith@courier-journal.com , June 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- For most of four decades, Southern Baptists could boast of rising membership even as more moderate and liberal Protestant denominations lost members in droves.
But with membership slightly down last year, and flat for the past five, Southern Baptists face a growing anxiety about their future as they gather for their annual meeting tomorrow in Indianapolis.
"We have peaked," Southern Baptist statistician Ed Stetzer wrote in an online commentary on the latest statistics from 2007. "…For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline."
[2008 Pfleger*] - RCC. Interfered in election campaign.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI, mwisniewski@suntimes.com , ~ June 09, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- The South Side parish of St. Sabina exploded with shouts of joy and a standing ovation Sunday morning at the news firebrand Catholic pastor Rev. Michael Pfleger would be returning June 16.
Cardinal Francis George temporarily removed the outspoken priest from his parish last week following comments Pfleger made about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Pfleger had said Clinton believed she was entitled to the Democratic nomination because she is white. Pfleger is white, while most of his parishioners are African-American.
At a three-hour Sunday mass filled with songs and dancing, pastoral associate Kimberly Lymore read a letter from Pfleger in which the priest wrote, "This has been a very painful time for me personally and for our church family."
- RCC.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By Jan Hefler, June 09, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Robert J. Walsh knows a bit about mergers. The management consultant previously worked at Mobil Oil in Fairfax, Va., where he dealt with consolidations.
Walsh, a button-down-shirt guy with graying hair and a cell phone affixed to his belt, lives in Pitman now and is a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace, a gray stone church built in 1940 atop a small hill.
The merger he's involved in these days is one he's trying to stop - one that would combine Queen of Peace with another parish as part of the Camden Diocese's consolidation plan.
"We're picketing, and we're appealing the decision," Walsh said. "We oppose this and are not backing down."
[2008 Unnamed priest* and others] - Interfering in presidential campaign.
Baltimore Sun,
By David O'Brien and Lisa Sowle Cahill, June 9, 2008
UNITED STATES -- What do a former legal counsel for Ronald Reagan and a Democratic governor have in common? As you might expect, it's not the same politics. Douglas W. Kmiec, an esteemed constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University, is a pro-life Republican. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is a moderate known for consensus-building. But these prominent Catholics are both the most recent targets of clergy who use Communion as a political weapon and effectively blacklist respected Catholic leaders. It's time for Catholics and all Americans to speak out against this spiritual McCarthyism.
When Mr. Kmiec endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president, conservative Catholic blogs buzzed with outrage. How could a conservative known for his public opposition to abortion rights support a pro-choice liberal? In a recent Catholic Online column, Mr. Kmiec describes how he was declared "self-ex-communicated" by many fellow Catholics. He writes that at a recent Mass, an angry college chaplain denounced his "Obama heresy" from the pulpit and denied him Communion.
In Kansas City, Kan., Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has ordered Ms. Sebelius, also an Obama supporter, not to receive Communion after she vetoed abortion legislation riddled with constitutional red flags. The bill in question made it easier for prosecutors to search private medical records, allowed family members to seek court orders to stop abortions and failed to include exceptions to save the life of the mother. Along with many public officials, Ms. Sebelius recognizes the profound moral gravity of abortion. She has supported prudent public policies that have reduced abortions in Kansas by investing in adoption services, prenatal health care and social safety nets for families. But in his diocesan newspaper, the archbishop blasted the governor over her "spiritually lethal" message and her obligation to recognize the "legitimate authority within the Church."
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). Fake rabbi. Torture regime. 2 children.
YNet News,
by Avner Hofstein, Israel News, 12:56, June 08, 2008
BRAZIL -- Letters sent by Elior Chen to his supporters in the Jewish community of Sao Paulo days before he was detained raise doubts in the versions of the story presented by the Israeli and Brazilian police and may indicate he was not arrested but rather chose to turn himself in.
In letters written to rabbis in the community and sent a very [sic] shortly prior to his arrest, Chen declares that he decided to turn himself in and describes his plans for the future.
"Unfortunately, I am compelled to turn myself in so that the entire community will not be harmed because of me," explains Chen in a letter which describes his decision to put an end to the three-month period as a fugitive from the authorities.
[Decades and decades - 4 Churches, and Government] - Indigenous children.
Globe and Mail,
By ANNE MCILROY AND BILL CURRY, 4:37 AM EDT, June 9, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA – Marguerite Wabano, 104, is known as Granny Wabano to everyone in Moosonee, Ont. On Wednesday, she and five other residential school survivors will be seated on the floor of the House of Commons to hear Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologize on behalf of all Canadians.
It will be a historic and personal moment for Ms. Wabano and tens of thousands other indigenous people who were taken from their families and sent to church-run boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their own languages. Many were sexually and physically abused.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said that if the opposition parties agree, the House of Commons will set aside all other business on Wednesday for the formal apology for Canada's Indian residential schools policy, which will start at 3 p.m. Church and native leaders are urging Canadians across the country to stop in their tracks on Wednesday afternoon and turn on the nearest TV.
[1971-77 + 2006 Br. Roger Moloney* (St John of God Order)] - RCC. 2006 fought extradition. NZ $300,000 so far. 11 boys.
Radio New Zealand,
June 09, 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- The prosecution has opened its case in the High Court trial of a Catholic clergyman accused of sexual abuse.
Rodger Moloney, 72, is charged with abusing boys while he was in charge of Marylands School in Christchurch, run by the St John of God order, in the 1970s.
Prosecution lawyer Kerryn Beaton told the jury the school was intended to educate disabled boys.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
The Associated Press,
By JOANN LOVIGLIO, ~ June 09, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) – A panel of bishops, priests and church members is to decide whether the sanctioned leader of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese may resume his duties.
A church trial was scheduled to begin Monday for the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, accused of concealing the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl by his brother, also a priest, in the 1970s.
In November, Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. was formally "inhibited" by the diocese and was ordered to cease all "ministerial and canonical acts."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:50 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon June 09, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1995-2003 Lambert] - Independent Baptist. Ritual abuse. Teenage girl.
The Joplin Globe,
By Derek Spellman, dspellman@joplinglobe.com , ~ June 10, 2008
PINEVILLE, Mo. – The McDonald County prosecutor's office has dismissed all charges against Raymond Lambert, a church pastor charged with eight counts of sexual abuse.
Charges against Lambert were dropped late Monday because the "incessant publicity" and preparations for the upcoming trial caused the alleged victims to decide "that they can no longer subject themselves or their families to the ongoing scrutiny and pressures of a very public proceeding," according to a statement released Tuesday by the office of Prosecutor Janice Durbin.
"In no way does this dismissal reflect the state's opinion about the validity of the charges against the defendant," Durbin said in the statement.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:50 PM]
[Bokulich, aka Friar Leopold (Franciscan)] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). 7yrs prison. 4 boys.
The Journal News,
By Louis Buccheri, June 10, 2008
WHITE PLAINS (NY) -- A Yonkers monk charged with sexually abusing four boys from the same family was sentenced today to seven years in state prison, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
Dominic Bokulich, 35, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree sexual abuse and course of sexual conduct, felonies, and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Bokulich, also known as Friar Leopold, sexually abused the boys at their home and at a retreat location operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the congregation of which he was a member.
[2003-04 Russell*] - "Acts II Church". 3 girls.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford, 03:10 PM CDT, Tue Jun 10, 2008
NEOSHO (MO) -- A self-proclaimed pastor has been bound over for trial on several sexual abuse charges.
Randall "Danny" Russell, 49, pastor of Acts II church, 11285 Mulberry Road, was bound over for trial after three women, currently aged 20 to 24, testified during his preliminary hearing Monday morning that he molested, sodomized or raped them when they were under age.
Russell faces 12 felony sexual abuse charges in Newton County, as well as a misdemeanor charge of child molestation. According to Bill Dobbs, assistant prosecutor, Russell was bound over on nine of the charges Monday, with three others taken under advisement until Tuesday morning, when Division II Associate Circuit Court Judge Greg Stremel ruled there was sufficient evidence to bring these charges to trial as well. A court appearance has been set for June 16 on the felony charges, Dobbs said.
[LOOK BACK: May 01, 2008]
- Indigenous children.
CTV,
CTV.ca News Staff, June 10, 2008
CANADA -- On the eve of his historic apology to survivors of residential school abuse, the prime minister is fending off criticism for failing to give aboriginal leaders the chance to respond on the House of Commons floor.
Manitoba Liberal MP Tina Keeper, a member of Norway House Cree Nation, led off question period on Tuesday by asking why aboriginal leaders have not been invited to address Parliament following Wednesday's apology.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responded by accusing Keeper of detracting from the importance of the event with her comments.
"I would urge all parties not to play politics with this (and) simply get behind a sincere apology," he said.
- Indigenous children.
CBC News,
Last Updated 7:26 PM ET, Tuesday, June 10, 2008
CANADA -- A day before it will deliver a historic official apology to aboriginal people abused or otherwise harmed within Canada's residential school system, the Conservative government came under fire Tuesday for refusing to provide time for aboriginal leaders to respond.
About 250 former students, church officials and other guests have been invited to Parliament Hill to witness Prime Minister Stephen Harper's statement.
All political parties have agreed to cancel the regularly scheduled Question Period at 3 p.m. ET to make time for the apology, which is being delivered on behalf of all Canadians.
- Baptists.
WZTY,
19:26 EDT, June 10, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (IN), (AP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee doesn't want to create its own database to help churches identity sex offenders.
The convention is meeting in Indianapolis this week, and the committee's report calls sexual abuse reprehensible and a sin. But the committee says the Southern Baptist principle of local church autonomy means it's up to individual churches to take action against offenders.
- Baptists.
San Francisco Chronicle,
By ERIC GORSKI, AP Religion Writer, 15:45 PDT, Tuesday, June 10, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (IN), (AP)-- Under pressure to fight child sex abuse, the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee said Tuesday that the denomination should not create its own database to help churches identity predators or establish an office to field abuse claims.
The report decried sexual abuse as reprehensible and a sin. But the Southern Baptist principle of local church autonomy means it's up to individual churches – and not the convention – to screen employees and take action against offenders, the committee said.
Opening its two-day annual meeting, the nation's largest Protestant body also elected a new president, Georgia megachurch pastor Johnny Hunt, a theological conservative. He is of Native American descent, a biographical detail that might help the convention reach out to minorities.
- Bp Geoff Robinson explains.
Daily Pilot,
By Michael Miller, Updated 2:35 PM PDT, Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- A local Catholic organization will have a controversial guest speaker Wednesday at the Costa Mesa Community Center, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange has asked him not to give his presentation.
Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson left [sic] the church because he was unhappy with how it handled the sex abuse scandal, which he details in his new book "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church." Now he's on a nationwide tour promoting the book, which Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange says contradicts church doctrine.
"Bishop Brown has echoed the sentiments of 10 other bishops in the U.S. who have expressed problems with the doctrinal issues in the book," said Ryan Lilyengren, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.
Chairman Steve Dzida of Voice of the Faithful Orange County, the group that invited Robinson to speak, says the issues that Robinson deals with are not doctrinal in nature.
- RCC.
KNDO/KNDU,
Posted 07:55 PM EDT, June 10, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests delivered a letter to the Yakima Catholic Diocese Tuesday afternoon, accusing the church of covering up abuse by former clergy members.
The letter was addressed to the Diocese's Bishop Carlos Sevilla. It urged Sevilla to do three things:
- "To permanently post on his dicesan website the names, photos and whereabouts of current and former church employees, who are proven, admitted, and credibly accused molesters".
- "To personally visit the parishes where they worked, disclose what he knows about their crimes, and beg victims and witnesses to come forward, get help, and call police".
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
York Daily Record,
By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer, Article Last Updated 11:26:18 AM EDT,
June/10/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) – A woman who was abused by a priest as a teenager says she never sought the removal of an Episcopal bishop accused of concealing the abuse.
The testimony came on the second day of a church trial in Philadelphia for Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. He is accused of concealing the sexual abuse by his brother, then a lay minister at a California church where Bennison was rector.
The victim acknowledged under cross-examination by Bennison's attorney that she never wanted him removed from the church. She says she wanted him to acknowledge what happened and what she called his failure to protect her.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, June 10, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The church trial of Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison, accused with concealing his brother's abuse of a minor, resumed today in Philadelphia with further testimony by the adult victim.
Bishop Bennison, 64, is charged with failing to protect the victim when she was a teenager in his Upland, Calif., parish in the 1970s.
John Bennison, 59, was the parish's youth minister. Charles Bennison was the rector of the parish.
Martha Alexis, 50, said that Charles Bennison took no steps to protect her from his brother after twice walking in on them while they were having sex on church property.
- RCC.
The National (United Arab Emirates),
by Rahul Bedi, Foreign Correspondent, June 10, 2008
INDIA -- A paucity of Roman Catholic priests in North America and Europe has led to devotees outsourcing prayers to Indian clergymen.
Known as holy mass intentions, these benedictions are recited mostly in the southern state of Kerala, where the majority of India's Catholic population of 25 million lives, but also in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
[COMMENT: Before adopting such ridiculous practices, try to think how it must appear to outsiders! ENDS. ]
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Episcopal Life,
Episcopal News Service, Philadelphia, By Jerry Hames, June 10, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The ecclesiastical trial of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison opened June 9 with opening statements from both the prosecution and defense, followed by testimony from family members, including a woman who was sexually abused by the bishop's brother 35 years ago.
The bishop is accused of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. He faces charges that, as rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Upland, California, he failed to respond properly after learning that John Bennison, a 24-year-old freshly-ordained deacon who he had hired as youth minister, had a continuing sexual relationship with a girl that began when she was 14. He is also accused of later suppressing that information when his brother, who having once renounced his orders, was reinstated as a priest. John Bennison was again forced to renounce his orders in 2006 when knowledge of the abuse, which stretched over more than three years, became public.
Last November, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori inhibited Bennison from all ordained ministry pending a judgment from the ecclesiastical court. The trial is expected to continue until Friday, June 13, and the judges then have 30 days to announce their decision. A vote of two-thirds of the nine-judge panel is required to determine if there has been a canonical offense and, if so, to agree on the sentence which ranges from a admonition to deposition.
[2007 Cuevas*] - RCC. Public masturbation, groped male.
San Francisco Chronicle, AP, 06:02 PDT,
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, (AP)-- A Nipomo priest got probation for groping a male sheriff's deputy at the Pirates Cove nude beach.
Besides three years' probation, the Rev. Geronimo Enrique Cuevas must complete 40 hours of community service and attend an AIDS education class. He also is banned from Pirates Cove.
San Luis Obispo County prosecutor Craig VanRooyen says the 52-year-old priest pleaded no contest to misdemeanor engaging in lewd conduct and soliciting another to engage in lewd conduct.
[LOOK BACK: ~ August 16, 2007]
[CORRECTION]
Los Angeles Times,
June 10, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Voice of the Faithful: An article in Saturday's Section A about a book tour by former Australian auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of the Roman Catholic Church said that a group supporting him, Voice of the Faithful, pushes for doctrinal change in the church. The group works to reform governing structures of the church.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
The Daily Star
By Mark Boshnack
Staff Writer
NEW YORK -- A former associate pastor at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Oneonta was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Albany on Monday on a child pornography charge.
Raymond Ethier, 51, of Hudson, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in November, according to a media release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
When he was arrested in May 2007 after an investigation by an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, he was pastor at St. John Vianney in Philmont. He served at St. Mary's from 1990 to 1995.
He was sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, according to the release. He was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minors; to participate in a sex-offender program; and register with a state sex-offender registry program, according to the release. The court also ordered that various computer equipment be forfeited.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Albany Times Union,
By CAROL DeMARE, Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ALBANY (NY) -- A 51-year-old Roman Catholic priest from Columbia County was sentenced Monday to 48 months in federal prison for his guilty plea to possession of child pornography.
Raymond Ethier of Hudson, who was put on administrative leave by Bishop Howard Hubbard after his arrest in May 2007, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in federal court in Albany, Ethier was told to have no unsupervised contact with minors, to participate in a sex offender program and to register with the state Sex Offender Registry. Also, various computer equipment seized from Ethier will be forfeited to the government.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Daily Freeman,
By Kyle Wind, June/10/2008
ALBANY NEW YORK -- The former pastor of a Roman Catholic parish in Claverack was sentenced Monday to four years federal prison following his guilty plea to a charge of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby said.
The Rev. Raymond Ethier, 51, of Hudson, who was pastor of St. John Vianney Church at the time of his offense, was additionally sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy to 10 years supervised release. He was also ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minors; to participate in a sex offender program; and to register with the state sex offender registry program in U.S. Northern District Court in Albany.
When his computer was seized on May 10, 2007, an examination found seven different videos and "a number of still images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct," according to a written plea agreement released by authorities.
Standard-Freeholder
Posted By TREVOR PRITCHARD,
CANADA -- Former police chief Claude Shaver told the Cornwall Public Inquiry Monday he had "no axes to grind" when he decried the state of affairs on the city's force in a confidential 1993 letter to a pair of provincial auditors.
Shaver said he was already planning to retire when he told officials from the Ministry of the Solicitor- General there was, among other things, a "cancerous rot" destroying the Cornwall Police Service.
"I wanted to put it on paper and give it to them in the strongest possible terms, so that they understand that there are things happening here," said Shaver, who appeared calm and easygoing during his first day on the stand.
"I have no axes to grind here. I want the very best for my police department."
- RCC.
BBC News
NORTHERN IRELAND -- A shortage of priests in the Derry diocese means people will have to bring their own holy water on Cemetery Sunday.
Father Michael Canny said family members, acting on the order of the bishop, will be asked to sprinkle the water on loved ones' graves themselves.
[Amyx] - Baptist.
Ethics Daily,
by Bob Allen, June-10-08
TEXAS -- A Texas Baptist church and its pastor have reportedly settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed the minister molested, raped and got her pregnant when she was a minor.
The Denton Record-Chronicle reported Sunday that Debbie Vasquez, 47, dropped a lawsuit she filed in 2006 against Pastor Dickie Amyx and Bolivar Baptist Church. The story quoted court documents saying the settlement included payment of $22,500--$15,000 from Amyx and $7,500 from the church--and that after paying her attorney and court costs she would receive a little less than $10,000.
Vasquez' story, reported in media including EthicsDaily.com and the advocacy Web site StopBaptistPredators.com, caused members of the SBC Executive Committee to voice outrage when they discussed it in a February work group meeting about the feasibility of establishing a denomination-wide database of clergy sex offenders in the SBC.
[COMMENT: Yes, the lawyers don't advise the victim to add the words "plus all legal and other costs" to the compensation figure. This happens in other kinds of compensation cases, too. ENDS.]
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Bronislaus B. Kush
bkush@telegram.com
WORCESTER (MA) -- Ascension Church – though founded in 1911 as an offshoot of St. John Parish to predominantly serve Irish immigrants living on Vernon Hill – has drawn a hodgepodge of worshippers from various working class ethnic groups.
Just ask the Rev. Joseph A. Adamo.
As the church's pastor over the last several years, Rev. Adamo has picked up snippets of French, Polish and many other languages spoken by his parishioners.
But Rev. Adamo, who is of Italian descent, never even gave a thought to the idea that he'd ever hear a word of Tagalog, one of the native languages of the Philippines.
However, that all changed about five years ago when Filipino families from all around Central Massachusetts began to call Ascension their spiritual home.
Interestingly, Rev. Adamo said he believes, with just a little more time, his little church, which overlooks busy Kelley Square, might have been saved by the growing Filipino population within the Ascension community.
"My heart was broken when the bishop announced that Ascension would be closing," said Rev. Adamo, a priest for 35 years. "I really thought we had turned the corner as more and more Filipino families joined our parish. But it was not to be."
- Seventh-day Adventist.
Enfield Independent
By Court Reporter
UNITED KINGDOM -- A CHURCH youth leader who brutally raped a terrified 16-year-old choir girl and indecently assaulted at least five others - one just eight-years-old - has been caged for 11 years.
Yet although his behaviour was made aware to the church, they forgave him and told him to get counselling after an initial complaint, and then expelled him from the church after a second complaint, never reporting the matter to police, Wood Green Crown Court was told.
Serial sex offender Howard Zin Green, 47, befriended the "God-fearing" choir girls and their families when he met them at Seventh-day Adventist churches across London, including in Enfield and Edmonton.
The Edmonton Journal
CANADA -- The apology is long overdue.
It seems as if it's been eons since Canadians agreed about the shamefulness of the residential school system that victimized so many in this land.
Finally, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Harper will officially recognize that brutality and seek forgiveness from our fellow citizens, the men, women and children of Canada's First Nations.
Each year, thousands of students visit the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture at Edmonton's Royal Alberta Museum.
Among the exhibits designed to tell our original peoples' story is a representation of a one-room residential schoolhouse -- with ledgers, photographs and audio presentations that touchingly recall the myriad abuses of a cruel system that remains one of the darkest chapters of the national narrative.
[2003-04 Russell*] - "Acts II Church". 3 girls.
The Joplin Globe,
By Derek Spellman, dspellman@joplinglobe.com ,
NEOSHO, Mo. – A Neosho man identified as a self-anointed pastor of a fringe church will stand trial on multiple sexual-abuse charges.
Randall "Danny" Russell, 49, pastor of the Acts II Church in rural Neosho, was bound over for trial after three women testified during his preliminary hearing Monday that he raped, molested or sodomized them when they were minors.
Russell was bound over on one count of statutory rape in the second degree, two counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree, three counts of statutory sodomy in the second degree, one count of felony child abuse and two counts of child molestation in the first degree, ruled Newton County Associate Judge Gregory Stremel.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly,
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr.'s church trial on the ground that he long ago concealed his brother's sexual abuse of a teenage girl ended its first day with the victim recounting how she had hoped Bennison would report the abuse to her parents and put an end to it.
"I wanted out," the woman, now 50, told the special Court for the Trial of a Bishop yesterday in Center City. "I wanted someone to help me."
But Bennison, who was then rector of her parish in Upland, Calif., remained silent, she said, adding that there was "no doubt in my mind he knew" that his brother, John Bennison, the church's youth minister, was having sex with her.
She described how twice, when she was 15, Charles Bennison had walked in on them and found them disheveled and breathless, with John Bennison visibly aroused on one occasion.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
The Bulletin
By Bradley Vasoli, June/10/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Episcopal Bishop Charles Bennison faced his first day of ecclesiastical trial yesterday over whether he violated church rules by failing to disclose a sexual relationship between his brother and an underage parishioner.
The bishop's younger brother John allegedly had illicit sex with a girl beginning in 1971 when she was a 14-year-old member of St. Mark's Church in Upland, Calif., and he was a 24-year-old seminary student. The sexual relationship lasted until 1974, the year she departed for college.
On two occasions in the summer of 1973, according to the victim, Charles, then the rector of St. Mark's, walked in on the seminarian and the high school student but did not report what he saw either to the girl's parents or to the police.
Union-Tribune
By Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 10, 2008
LA JOLLA (CA) – A retired Roman Catholic bishop who questions whether the church's celibacy rules have played a role in sexual abuse by priests will speak in San Diego, defying church leaders.
Retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney, Australia, was asked by San Diego Bishop Robert Brom and several other U.S. bishops – and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony – to stay away.
He is banned from speaking on church property in several dioceses while on a tour sponsored by a lay Catholic group, Voice of the Faithful.
At 6:30 tonight, he will speak at the Faculty Club at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla. His talk is not sponsored by the university.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Philadelphia Daily News,
By NICOLE NORFLEET, norflen@phillynews.com , 215-854-5444
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Normally, ballrooms are reserved for festive occasions - job conventions, award banquets, wedding receptions and the like.
But yesterday, on the fifth floor of the Philadelphia Marriott, a California family testified against a family friend whom they all had once affectionately referred to as "Chuck."
Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, is on trial by the church for "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy" in his handling of a 1970s sex scandal involving his brother - now a resigned priest - and a teenage parishioner.
A panel of nine judges - five bishops, two priests and two lay members of the church - is expected to hold trial until Thursday.
[~ 2007 Ethier*] - RCC. 4yrs prison. Computer child porn.
Daily Gazette,
By Jill Bryce,
ALBANY (NY) – A priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, who served at a Troy parish after he was ordained in 1985, was sentenced in federal court on Monday to four years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Raymond Ethier, 51, of Hudson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. He also was ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release.
The judge also ordered that Ethier have no unsupervised contact with minors, that he participate in a sex offender program and register with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.
His computer equipment was turned over to the government.
"In the Catholic church you are always a priest, [but] today he was permanently removed from ministry by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard," said diocese spokesman Kenneth Goldfarb.
The Province
by Suzanne Fournier, Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
CANADA -- B.C. aboriginal leaders say Prime Minister Stephen Harper's apology tomorrow to residential-school survivors is too little, too late.
"A lot of our people are suffering and dying because of the residential schools," said Willie Blackwater, one of the pioneers in a 2005 lawsuit against the federal government and the United Church for the horrific sexual and physical abuse he and others suffered at the Alberni Indian Residential School.
"You can't just give people an apology after all this time and say all is forgiven, because it's not."
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Evening Times (Scotland)
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- An American Anglican bishop twice walked in on his brother's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl, but did nothing to stop it, a church trial heard.
The testimony came as the trial opened in Philadelphia for Bishop Charles Bennison of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. His brother became a priest after the abuse was alleged to have begun.
A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bennison, the leader of the fifth-largest Episcopal diocese in the US, may resume his duties. The Episcopal Church is the US name for the Anglican Church.
[Kinsella]
Irish Independent,
by Dearbhail McDonald, Tuesday June 10 2008
IRELAND -- A FERNS priest accused of abusing young children has been defrocked by the Vatican.
Father John Kinsella, formerly of The Ballagh, Co Wexford, becomes the sixth priest in the Ferns diocese to be dismissed by papal decree.
News of the latest Irish priest to be laicised, following a recent canonical hearing in Rome, comes as the Dublin archdiocese braces itself for a damning report on clerical sex abuse in the country's largest diocese.
The report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation, chaired by Circuit Court Judge Yvonne Murphy, is set to dwarf the Ferns inquiry in the scale of abuse of children and the failure of senior Church officials to prevent it.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:38 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue June 10, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Albany county pastor arrested on charges of public lewdness
[2008, June 7 - Loux -NEW*] - Congregational. Male.
Glens Falls Post-Star,
www. poststar. com/ articles/ 2008/06/11/ news/local/ 13661796.txt ,
By Don Lehman, dlehman@poststar.com , Wednesday, June 11, 2008
BOLTON (NY) -- State Police said the pastor of an Albany County church who also works as a prison chaplain at Washington Correctional Facility was one of two men arrested Saturday on charges they were having sexual contact at a Northway rest area in Bolton on Saturday.
Joseph A. Loux Jr., 63, of Hannacroix, and Eugene F. Barnaby, 34, of Thurman were each charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor, after trooper Edward Stannard witnessed them having sexual contact with one another at a rest area located off the southbound lanes between exits 23 and 24.
Loux told police he was pastor of Congregational Christian Church of Ravena and a chaplain in the prison system.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:51 PM]
[2008 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Tested boy's vocation (!!!). So he says.
Taranto Sera,
giovedì 22 maggio 2008
STATTE, Italia - Potrebbero spuntare altre vittime nello scandalo sessuale in sacrestia. In queste ore infatti si fanno più pressanti le indagini dei carabinieri dopo l'arresto del collaboratore di una parrocchia del paese per violenza sessuale ai danni di un minorenne. [translation]
Abuses in the sacristy, the boys speak
Thursday, May 22, 2008
STATTE, ITALY - More victims could come out in the sacristy sexual scandal. During these hours in fact the investigations by the carabinieri are more pressing after the arrest of a town parish collaborator for sexual violence against a minor.
The investigators, directed by lieutenant Vincenzo Zanfino and coordinated by the substitute prosecutor Vincenzo Petrocelli, are hearing other boys who frequented the parish.
The investigations are supported by a psychologist and other facts could be uncovered from this disconcerting story, which was denounced by the victim's parents and through the wiretapping of the church sacristy.
The man, who will have to respond of the infamous accusation of sexual violence against a minor, will be interrogated in the late morning of today by the judge for the preliminary investigations Patrizia Todisco, the magistrate who signed the order for the home arrest.
The 53-years-old man was accused after the 13-year-old boy told his parents of having been abused twice, in January and February.
The allegations are that In January the man embraced the boy simulating a sexual act and in February, in the same sacristy, the man lowered his pants and touched the minor.
It seems he had locked the sacristy door to impede his victim to fly. But the minor was able to run free and reach his home. After he got over the shock he told his brother and his parents what had happened.
It was a sordid story which went about the town and the province provoking alarm and disconcert.
The man, who is married and the father of three children, ended up being investigated after the parents of the victim reported the facts to the carabinieri (the military police) of the local barracks.
The outcome of their investigation gave ground to the public prosecutor Petrocelli to ask for the arrest of the man, which was authorized by the judge for the preliminary investigations Todisco.
An alarming episode which is more worrying because the author is a person who had the responsibility as an educator in the parish and on the contrary he is the alleged abuser of a minor who could bear psychological damage for good.
The man is now under home arrest and in these hours he is being interrogated according to the warranty procedure.
We don't know yet about the explanations he gave judge Todisco. It's seems, however, that when he was arrested he gave a disconcerting justification.
He had provoked the boy to make a test of his vocation. The 13-year-old boy, in fact, had expressed his will to become a priest. G.N.
[2000s Bp Cosas -NEW*] - Romanian Orthodox bishop. Money US $650.
The Plain Dealer,
Posted by Sarena McRae, 18:36PM, June 10, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH) -- A 51-year-old Cleveland bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Exile was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on charges of theft and forgery.
Sava Cosas is accused of forging a check for $650 in another bishop's name.
Robert Anderson, 60, bishop of the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese, moved into Cosas' home in October 2005 to take over his church while Cosas was imprisoned on a federal gambling conviction.
When Cosas completed his sentence, Anderson moved out of Cosas' house to start his own ministry. However, Anderson's mail continued to come to the house. Cosas opened a Capital One account in Anderson's name and on Aug. 16 forged a courtesy check in for $650 in Anderson's name, said Ryan Miday, spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.
- RCC.
[1980s Doherty] - Boys.
[? 2000s Miami Archdiocese -NEW*] - Dismissed truth-teller Ms Gerstner.
New Times,
By Thomas Francis, Published on June 12, 2008
FLORIDA -- Theresa Gerstner can recall how suspicion crept slowly into her mind. It was peculiar to see boys climbing into Rev. Neil Doherty's car for a trip to the movies. Then she learned the St. Vincent Catholic Church pastor took boys to his mother's house in West Palm Beach and even to his uncle's cabin in New Hampshire. It seemed downright wrong when Doherty mentioned having given a massage to a boy who he claimed was sore from playing baseball.
Rev. Neil Doherty's secretary always suspected he had a dark side. She says she was punished for talking to police."I knew about the sexual misconduct for years," says Gerstner. "But I couldn't prove it. It was only my opinion, my observation."
Shortly after Gerstner's claims about Doherty were published in the Miami Herald, the archdiocese dismissed her. Her claims seem to show the Archdiocese of Miami singled out and punished an employee who dared to expose a priest's malfeasance. "You don't go against these people," says Gerstner. "They're like the Mafia."
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
Peoria Journal-Star,
By ANDY KRAVETZ, GateHouse News Service, 02:53 PM,
Posted Jun 11, 2008
PEORIA (IL) – Parents of a former Normal boy allegedly abused years ago by a parish priest say they hope a lawsuit filed today will serve as an "alarm" for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
Dave and Joanne Ward, parents of Andrew Ward, stood outside the Peoria County Courthouse shortly after lunchtime to meet with reporters about the suit filed against the church and Monsignor Thomas Maloney whom they claim sexually abused their child in late 1995 and early 1996.
"The church that I have given my life to is now fighting against me and ruined my son's childhood," Joanne Ward said through tears.
[150yrs - 4 Churches and Government] - Indigenous children.
Opinion 250,
01:02 PM, Wednesday, June 11, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., CANADA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a historic apology today for more than a century of abuse and cultural loss involving Indian residential schools.
"The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal Peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly, we are sorry." Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. That they were to kill the Indian in the child.'" …
A 24-hour, toll-free crisis line has been set up for those who are triggered by the memories. 1-866-925-4419.
Glens Falls Post-Star,
by Ken Tingley, ~ June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- One of the less appealing parts of my job as editor is when our city editor or assistant city editor comes into my office sometime in the late afternoon and says, "You probably should read this."
It usually means they have flagged a controversial story that I should read before it is printed.
That was the case of the front page story of the pastor who was arrested for a public sex act.
These stories often make readers uncomfortable. They worry that younger children will read them as well. Sometimes we are even accused of taking on a tabloid mentality to sell more newspapers.
[? 2000s Powell] - Baptist. Girls.
Rockford Register Star,
Posted 12:58 PM, Jun 11, 2008
MACHESNEY PARK (IL) – A Machesney Park pastor accused of having sex with teenage girls has left the church, according to a posting on New Hope Baptist Church's Web site.
The message on the Web site continues to say that the church's school will remain open, although "there will be changes in the future concerning many facets of the ministry."
The message was written by Pastor Josh Rivers who identifies himself as "interim pastor."
The former pastor, Jonathon Powell, was charged in May with two counts of sexual assault for allegedly having sexual relations with a teenage girl.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:45 PM]
[2008 - Loux*] - Congregational. Public lewdness with male.
CBS 6,
CBS 6 News, 2:54PM, June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- State Police arrested two men, one of whom is an Albany County Pastor, for having sexual contact in the woods behind a rest area on I-87 in Bolton.
Joseph Loux, an Albany County Pastor and a New York State prison chaplain, and Eugene Barnaby, of Thurman, were each charged with misdemeanor public lewdness. An officer responded to a complaint just after 10am coming from a rest area between exits 23 and 24, heading southbound on the Northway.
[1995-2003 Raymond Lambert] - Independent Baptist. Ritual abuse. Teenage girl.
[Lambert (uncle)] - 17 charges.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford, 02:18 PM CDT, Wed Jun 11, 2008
PINEVILLE (MO) -- While charges have been dropped against a McDonald County pastor facing eight counts of child sexual abuse, the case against his uncle, who faces 17 such counts in Newton County, will go on.
Six felony counts of child sexual abuse against Raymond Lambert, 53, were dropped Tuesday morning. In a statement released by office of McDonald County Prosecutor Janice Durbin, the alleged victims, because of "incessant publicity" in the case, were forced to decide "that they can no longer subject themselves or their families to the ongoing scrutiny and pressures of a very public proceeding."
"Victim testimony is crucial and necessary to prosecute cases such as these," the statement read. "Therefore, after consultation and discussion with the victims, the state has agreed to dismiss the charges."
[~ 2000s Adams*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). US $83,000.
KPTM,
Associated Press, 3:35 PM ET, June 11, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Omaha priest has admitted in court that he stole more than $83,000 from a Roman Catholic church.
The 44-year-old Reverend Rodney Adams pleaded guilty today to one count of felony theft by deception.
District Judge Russell Bowie released Adams so he could begin a treatment program.
[LOOK BACK: ~ May 10, 2008]
[2008 - Loux*] - Congregational. Public lewdness with male.
Albany Times Union,
Staff reports, Last updated 6:42 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, 2008
BOLTON (NY) -- Two men, including a former Ravena minister who is now a prison chaplain, face criminal charges after they were allegedly caught in a sex act Saturday at a Northway rest stop near Exit 24.
State Police said Joseph A. Loux Jr., 62, of Hannacroix in Greene County, and Eugene F. Barnaby, 34, of Thurman in Warren County, admitted to investigators that they engaged in oral sex along a path behind the rest stop, about 15 feet from an outdoor picnic area.
Loux, a chaplain assigned to the Washington County prison, was suspended without pay Tuesday, said Linda Foglia, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Correctional Services. Loux had been employed by the state since September, 2005, and earned $59,125. Foglia said corrections officials will file a notice of discipline requesting Loux's dismissal.
[? 2000s Powell*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
WIFR,
~ June 11, 2008
[with video]
ILLINOIS -- A Machesney Park Church is going through hard times right now after its pastor is accused of sexual assault. For the first time tonight the interim pastor speaks out.
Earlier this month 40 year old Jonathon Powell plead not guilty to four counts of criminal sexual assault with two young girls.
- Lutheran retaliation.
Easy Reader,
by Danny Brown, Published June 12, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A former longstanding employee of a church-owned preschool is suing the church after its new pastor allegedly fired her last year in retaliation for exposing his criminal history.
Michelle Voeller worked at Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool for approximately 23 years and was the director of the preschool for 17 years until, she claims, she was wrongfully terminated by the church in June 2007.
As part of her administrative duties, Voeller was responsible for registering new school and church employees, who would be on campus with school children, with the Department of Social Services (DSS) for a background check.
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney*] - RCC. Boy.
Pantagraph,
By Edith Brady-Lunny, eblunny@pantagraph , ~ June 11, 2008
PEORIA (IL) -- A retired monsignor from Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal was named in a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that he sexually abused a former second grade boy at the church between 1995 and 1996.
Andrew Ward, now 20, filed the civil lawsuit against Msgr. Thomas Maloney and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria in circuit court in Peoria. Ward, who now lives in Michigan, was not with his family at a news conference outside the courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
The lawsuit alleges that Maloney sexually abused Ward when he was eight years old.
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney*] - RCC. Boy.
WEEK,
~ June 11, 2008
PEORIA (IL) -- A civil lawsuit has been filed against The Catholic Diocese of Peoria and a retired priest alleging sexual abuse.
The family of Andrew Ward is accusing Monsignor Thomas Maloney of molesting their son.
The Wards' claim Maloney raped Andrew inside Epiphany Church in Normal when he was 8-years-old.
Family members say the alleged molestation occurred in late 1995 and in early 1996.
- Indigenous children.
CNW,
COAST SALISH TRADITIONAL TERRITORY/WEST VANCOUVER, /CNW/ - June 11, 2008
CANADA -- First Nations Leaders today welcomed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's statement of apology on behalf of Canada for the government's role in the Indian Residential School System. Today the Leadership Council stands in support of residential school survivors and their families. This is also a day to remember those who died because of the residential school system.
"The full story of the residential school system's impact on our people has yet to be told," said Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit. "The responses to the apology are both individual and collective. It is extremely important that we respect the many survivors who, in their own discretion and time, will consider the Prime Minister's apology and determine how, in their own interest, each of them will deal with it. Collectively, we celebrate and stand on the dignity of who we are and celebrate our survival. Together, we will build for our individual and collective well-being. We ask Canadians to join with us in this important historical moment to talk about and understand the depths and consequences of the multi-layered and intergenerational impacts on our people."
- Indigenous.
CNW,
June 11, 2008
MONTREAL, CANADA /CNW Telbec/ - The Chiefs of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, gathered at a regular Assembly, in Montreal, took notice of the apologies pronounced by the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, for the harm caused to the victims of residential schools, commonly known as "Indian residential schools". After a minute of silence observed for the whole of concerned families and communities, the Chief of the Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), read an official declaration.
"If the government does not adopt concrete measures, especially towards our youths, its apologies would prove meaningless" stated Chief Picard, who was accompanied by several other Chiefs having attended residential schools.
- Indigenous children.
National Post,
Canwest News Service, Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
CANADA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a long-awaited apology on native residential schools. The following are apologies from notable native figures, victims and other politicians:
"Today is a long time coming for reconciliation to what has happened to over 80,000 still alive. It is a very important - new beginning for a lot of people who need to hear an apology. It has to be sincere of course, coming from the heart, that is what I am seeking."
-Residential school survivor Chief Ron Nyce, Nisga'a Nation, B.C.
- Indigenous children.
The Windsor Star,
Meagan Fitzpatrick and Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service,
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA -- Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine said the apology offered Wednesday to residential school survivors signals a "new dawn" in the relationship between Aboriginal People and the rest of Canada.
"Never again will this House consider us the Indian problem just for being who we are," said Fontaine, following Prime Minister Stephen Harper's historic apology.
During his approximately 10-minute speech, Harper told residential school survivors that Canada was wrong to set up the system and "sincerely apologizes" for separating families and for the abuses children endured.
- General community.
The Hindu (India),
~ June 11, 2008
ATHENS (GA) – A University of Georgia study that is the first to systematically examine a large sample of female child molesters finds that many of them were themselves victims of sexual abuse as children.
The finding, published in the April issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, has the potential to help break the cycle of abuse by improving treatment for offenders and their young victims.
"This study informs us about the pathway to becoming sexually deviant for females," said study author Susan Strickland, assistant professor in the UGA School of Social Work. "With that knowledge, we can improve treatment and reduce the likelihood of future sexual assaults on children."
- Bp Geoff Robinson.
City of Angels,
~ June 11, 2008
CULVER CITY (CA) -- The retired bishop from Australia whose tour through the US has caused some controversy appears in Culver City tomorrow evening.
Thursday June 12th at 7:00 PM , in the ballroom at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Culver City, 7:00 PM, admission free, $4 to park or you can take any transit to Fox Hills Mall and walk across the street to get there.
City of Angels Network will be there with laptop and camera to cover the event and hopefully ask Geoffrey Robinson some questions no one else has asked.
- Indigenous children.
The Canadian Press,
~ June 11, 2008
OTTAWA, Canada – Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a historic apology Wednesday for more than a century of abuse and cultural loss involving Indian residential schools.
Aboriginal leaders - some in traditional garb - sat in a circle in front of Harper in the House of Commons as he officially said sorry to former students on behalf of the federal government.
"The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal Peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly," Harper said. "We are sorry."
"Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant culture.
- Indigenous children.
Global TV
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized Wednesday for the tens of thousands of aboriginal men and women who were wrenched from their parents and forced to live in residential schools, where many were abused.
He was accompanied into the House of Commons by key native leaders, including Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine.
"I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools. The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history, " Harper said.
"For more than century, Indian residential schools separated more than 150,000 children from their families and communities."
- Indigenous children.
Stephen Harper (Canadian PM),
June 11, 2008
OTTAWA, CANADA -- On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an historic formal apology today to former students of Indian Residential Schools and sought forgiveness for the students' suffering and for the damaging impact the schools had on Aboriginal culture, heritage and language.
"The treatment of children in Indian Residential Schools is a sad chapter in our history," Prime Minister Harper said. "Today, we recognize this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country. The Government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly."
Today's apology reinforces numerous other government initiatives designed to address the tragic legacy of Indian Residential Schools, including the ongoing implementation of the historic Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement which includes: a Common Experience Payment; an Independent Assessment Process; Commemoration Activities; measures to support healing; and the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
Daily Camera,
June 11, 2008
GREELEY (CO) -- A priest accused of indecent exposure for running naked very early in the morning is now on trial.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, is on trial in Weld County District Court. He was arrested last June in Frederick after an officer said he was seen walking naked on a street at 4:35 a.m.
Whipkey served as pastor at St. Scholastica church in Erie, in addition to two other churches in Weld County.
Even though he is a Roman Catholic priest, the judge has approved a defense motion to exclude any references to Whipkey's profession during the trial because it has no bearing on the charge.
[LOOK BACK: August 08, 2007]
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
Denver Post,
By Monte Whaley, ~ June 11, 2008
GREELEY (CO) – Jury selection began this morning in the indecent exposure trial of a priest accused of jogging naked in June 2007 near Frederick High School.
But jurors will not hear testimony in the case against 54-year-old Rev. Robert Whipkey until Thursday because Whipkey's attorney had to attend a funeral Wednesday afternoon.
An off-duty police officer spotted Whipkey walking nude toward his home at about 4:30 a.m. He reportedly told the officer he had just finished jogging near the high school and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of the morning.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Adult.
Toledo Blade,
BLADE STAFF, June 11, 2008
TOLEDO (OH) -- A 26-year-old man told a Lucas County Common Pleas judge on Wednesday that he was sexually assaulted by a Roman Catholic priest while they were in a hot tub at the YMCA/JCC in Sylvania.
Testifying in the sexual imposition trial of the Rev. Frank Murd, the victim said the priest joined him in the hot tub about 9:30 p.m. March 18 and began fondling him.
The man told Judge James Jensen, who is hearing the case in lieu of a jury, that he was offended by the unsolicited act and informed Father Murd that it was inappropriate. He said the incident lasted no more than a minute.
"I felt like I had been violated," the victim said.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
The Tribune
David Young, dyoung@greeleytribune.com , June 11, 2008
GREELEY (CO) -- Jury selection is underway in the trial of a priest charged with indecent exposure.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, is charged with indecent exposure for jogging naked in June 2007 in Frederick, according to police.
Whipkey, whose profession will not be mentioned in the trial, appeared this morning in court wearing a light blue button down shirt and khakis.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
TheDenverChannel,
~ June 11, 2008
[with video]
GREELEY, Colo. -- Jury selection began Monday morning for a priest accused of indecent exposure for running naked very early in the morning.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, is on trial in Weld County District Court. He was arrested last June in Frederick, about 25 miles north of Denver, after an officer said he was seen walking naked on a street at 4:35 a.m.
The jury selection process is expected to last through Tuesday.
- Legion's wings clipped.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore,
~ June 11, 2008
BALTIMORE (MD) -- This links to the letter sent by Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien to Monsignor Alvaro Corcuera Martinez del Rio, superior general of the Legionaries of Christ.
Catholic World News,
Jun. 11, 2008
[with link to the letter of understanding]
BALTIMORE (MD) (CWNews.com) -- An American archbishop has placed restrictions on the work of the Legionaries of Christ in his archdiocese.
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore, Maryland, has sent a "letter of understanding" to Father Alvaro Corcuera, the superior general of the Legionaries of Christ, setting forth the conditions under which he will allow the group to be active in the Baltimore archdiocese. The archbishop's letter, written after a meeting with leaders of the Legionaries, is posted on the web site of the Baltimore archdiocese.
"Knowing that your willingess to accept the discernment of ecclesiastical authority is but a further proof of the authenticity of the charisms of the Legionaries and Regnum Christi, as pastor of the local Church in Baltimore I need the following from you," Archbishop O'Brien wrote, adding a list of stipulations.
- RCC.
The Ottawa Citizen
by Neco Cockburn, Published Wednesday, June 11, 2008
CORNWALL, CANADA -- After an alleged sexual abuse victim made a $32,000 settlement with religious officials and agreed to withdraw his criminal charges, Cornwall's police chief took the matter to a bishop and eventually jotted on a note that he was told the accused priest "admits" and would be sent away for treatment.
What was meant by former chief Claude Shaver's note became a sticking point in a public inquiry looking into the institutional response to allegations of historic sexual abuse, with lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann grilling Mr. Shaver on the issue.
- 4 Churches and Government.
Northern News Service
by Brodie Thomas, Published Monday, June 9, 2008
YELLOWKNIFE, Canada -- The Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission is now established and operational according to the commissions' website. There is no word on when the commission will be coming North, or what communities it will be visiting.
"With respect to the timeframe and venues, those details still need to be confirmed," said commission spokesperson Kimberly Phillips.
At least one Northern leader has spoken out in favour of hosting the commission. Nellie Cournoyea said she would like to see the commission come to Inuvik.
- Dep. Supt. had links with cheating supsect.
The Times of India,
~ June 11, 2008
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India: The Kerala government on Tuesday suspended a Deputy Superintendent of Police for alleged links with controversial 'godman' Santhosh Madhavan alias Amrita Chaitanya, arrested earlier in the day in a cheating case.
The action was being taken against the police official on the ground that he had behaved unbecoming of a member of the police force, official sources said.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan directed the police top brass to place Sam Christie Daniel under suspension pending inquiry, official sources said.
- RCC.
Orange County Weekly,
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra,
June 11, 2008 9:07 AM
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- …the man it should be named for: Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown.
Today, retired Australian bishop Geoffrey Robinson will speak at the Costa Mesa Community Center about his book despite Brown's whiny letter trying to ban him from Orange County. The Orange County Register asked diocesan spokesman Ryan Lilyengren why Brown threw a hissy fit. "I don't think that Bishop Brown's letter is necessarily a comment per se on (Robinson's) message, it's mostly about being in unity with other bishops."
Now wait a consarn minute, Ryan! Wasn't it Brown himself who settled the dozens of sex-abuse cases against the Orange diocese in the face of opposition against his brother bishops? Isn't it Brown who loves to brag about his pioneering efforts to combat priestly pedophilia.
- Bp Geoff Robinson says RCC leader gave no sex abuse leadership.
NBC Sandiego,
by Monica Dean, NBC 7/39 Reporter, ~ June 11, 2008
[with video]
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A controversial, retired Catholic bishop from Australia spoke in San Diego Tuesday against the wishes of the local diocese.
Geoffrey Robinson spoke to a crowd packed into the Faculty Club at the University of California at San Diego. He criticized the way the church has handled the sex abuse scandals.
For several years during his tenure as bishop, Geoffrey Robinson helped lead a church effort to respond to the sex abuse cases in Australia.
"I was constantly meeting with victims and hearing their stories. Because of that I was dealing, for the first time in my life, with the sexual abuse I too had suffered as a young person," Robinson said. "The pope of those years was giving no leadership."
Robinson is in the U.S. on a monthlong tour promoting his book, which questions Catholic celibacy rules and takes the church to task for not doing more to confront clergy sexual abuse.
[~ 2000s Adams*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). US $83,000.
Omaha World-Herald,
~ June 11, 2008
OMAHA (NE) -- The former pastor of two small south Omaha Roman Catholic parishes turned himself in to police today to answer to allegations that he embezzled more than $83,000 from one of the churches, St. Bridget.
Father Rodney Adams, 43, was arrested on suspicion of theft by deception over $1,500.
Adams resigned as pastor of St. Bridget and St. Rose Catholic Churches in May.
[~ 2000s Adams*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). US $83,000.
WOWT,
~ June 11, 2008
OMAHA (NE) -- Omaha priest Rodney Adams, suspected of stealing thousands of dollars from his parish, surrendered to police Wednesday morning.
Police Sgt. Bill Dropinski says Fr. Adams surrendered around 7 a.m. at police headquarters. Dropinski says Adams was booked into the jail on a charge of theft by deception.
Last month, the Omaha Archdiocese said that more than $83,000 had been stolen from its St. Bridget Parish.
The archdiocese said Adams, who was pastor at St. Bridget and St. Rose parishes, had been put on leave and was helping investigators.
- Callahan, lawyer for murderer Robinson, dies.
Toledo Blade,
June 11, 2008
TOLEDO (OH) -- John J. Callahan, 86, a longtime lawyer known for his eloquent defense of some of Toledo's most notorious accused, was found dead Sunday in his Sylvania home.
Cause of death is pending a ruling by the Lucas County Coroner's Office, which performed an autopsy. …
Mr. Callahan was on the team of attorneys, with Mr. Konop, representing Gerald Robinson, the Toledo priest who was convicted in 2006 of the 1980 murder of a nun.
- Romanian Orthodox Church.
Interfax (Russia)
June 11, 2008
BUCHAREST, Romania (Interfax) - Priests of the Romanian Patriarchate come from different regions of the country to join trade unions to protect their own interests from the church management.
In particular, some time ago, 20 priests filed documents to Iasi court for incorporation of the "Holy Virgin Protection" trade union. Later, 35 clerics from Oltenia province declared the official incorporation of the independent "Good Pastor" trade union and their intent to hold a strike action aimed at protecting their rights.
"There is an abyss between the church hierarchy and the priests who serve in churches. We are put under pressure, and have already lost some of our members," priest Nikolay State, vice-president of Good Pastor, said in his interview to the Gyndyl newspaper.
- FLDS.
Deseret News,
~ June 11, 2008
TEXAS -- The Washington (Utah) County Sheriff's Office sent Texas authorities dossiers of several FLDS members "who may engage in acts of intimidation or violence again law enforcement and/or potential witnesses."
The information, obtained by the Deseret News through Texas public records laws, includes intelligence compiled during Warren Jeffs' 2007 trial in St. George for performing an underage marriage.
William Roy Jessop
AKA "Willie the Thug" or "King Willie"
The most serious threat affiliated with the FLDS religion.
Reportedly has a passion for violence, weapons (legal and illegal) and explosives.
Accused of intimidating witnesses at Warren Jeffs' trial in 2007.
"If anything remotely resembling violence or intimidation occurs, you can be fairly certain that William had a hand in it."
Has acted as a spokesman for the FLDS Church after the raid on the YFZ Ranch.
Lives in Hildale, Utah.
Ruth Cooke
A "wild card" who is "blindly devoted to Warren and the FLDS religion."
"We reviewed countless letters she had sent to Warren that confirmed her unstable behavior, as she talked of disturbing visions she had received and breaking down the prison walls in the name of the prophet."
- FLDS.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By BILL HANNA, ~ June 11, 2008
TEXAS -- The attorney for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said Tuesday that the polygamist sect intends to sue state and county officials over the April 3 raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado.
Rod Parker, the Salt Lake City-based attorney for the FLDS, wouldn't say when a lawsuit will be filed but says the sect's lawyers believe that they have grounds for suit after the Texas Supreme Court ordered the return of 440 children to the compound.
He said that many of the children need extensive counseling after their two-month separation from their parents and that the 1,691-acre ranch was physically damaged during the raid.
- Baptists say autonomy reigns.
The Baptist Standard,
By Drew Nichter, Western Recorder, Published: June 11, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (IN)–Recognizing Southern Baptists' "belief in the autonomy of each local church," Morris Chapman announced that the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee would not support the creation of a database of sexual offenders in SBC churches.
"Southern Baptists believe that the local church in New Testament times was autonomous, and thus our local churches are autonomous," the president of the SBC Executive Committee said in his address to messengers at the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis.
The matter of a sex offender database was referred to the committee at last year's SBC annual meeting in San Antonio. Oklahoma pastor and former International Mission Board trustee Wade Burleson requested a feasibility study for such a registry "in order to assist in preventing any further sexual abuse or harassment" in Southern Baptist churches, as stated in the motion.
- RCC.
WHDH,
~ June 11, 2008
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- The Vatican has refused to hear appeals from eight groups of parishioners trying to force the reopening of Catholic churches shut by the Boston Archdiocese.
A group of bishops and cardinals who sit on the Apostolic Signatura said in documents written in Latin and mailed to the parishioners that challenges to the closings are "clearly lacking any basis."
The local parishioners have decided to appeal to the full tribunal for reconsideration, even though they admit there is little chance of success. John Verrengia, who is leading efforts to reopen Our Lady of Lourdes church in Revere, admitted that prospects are "dim."
[≤ 1983+ Van Dykes] - Mormon. 26 convictions so far, but Mormons kept him. Boys.
The Oregonian,
By PETER ZUCKERMAN Wednesday, June 11, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) -- Six Portland men agreed to enter talks this week to settle their $25 million lawsuit against the Mormon church and the Boy Scouts of America over alleged sexual abuse.
The lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Portland contends that in the 1980s and 1990s Timur Van Dykes molested Boy Scouts in Troop 719, which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supervised. Since 1983, Dykes, 51, has been convicted of at least 26 sex crimes.
"The amazing thing about this case is the extent to which these institutions continued to allow him access to kids, even after he had acknowledged sexually abusing boys and, indeed, after he had been convicted for doing so," said Portland attorney Kelly Clark, who represents the plaintiffs.
[1995-2003 Lambert] - Independent Baptist. Ritual abuse. Teenage girl.
Fort Mill Times,
Published June 11, 2008
PINEVILLE, Mo. – All charges have been dropped against a southwest Missouri pastor who was accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls who were members of his church.
McDonald County prosecutors said the two alleged victims decided "that they can no longer subject themselves or their families to the ongoing scrutiny and pressures of a very public proceeding," according to a statement released Tuesday by Prosecutor Janice Durbin.
"In no way does this dismissal reflect the state's opinion about the validity of the charges against the defendant," Durbin said in the statement.
- Baptists.
The Tennessean
By BOB SMIETANA, June 11, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (IN) – A top leader at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting urged fellow Baptists to drive sexual predators out of the churches.
Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive board, told more than 7,200 church representatives meeting here Tuesday that preventing sexual abuse in the church is the responsibility of local congregations.
"One sexual predator in our midst is one too many," Chapman said. "Our denomination and our local churches must condemn publicly this vile act."
The executive committee announced Tuesday it would not create a national database of Baptist ministers accused or convicted of sexual abuse. The church representatives – called messengers – asked the committee last year to consider creating such a database.
- Indigenous children.
Toronto Star,
04:30 AM, Jun 11, 2008
CANADA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper will rise this afternoon in the House of Commons to apologize on behalf of Canadians for one of the darkest chapters in our history – the forcible removal of generations of aboriginal children from their families to residential schools, which systematically sought to "kill the Indian in the child."
For many of the 90,000 living former students who are struggling to come to terms with painful memories of forced assimilation and, in some cases, horrific abuse, a sincere and unconditional apology is a necessary step toward healing the deep wounds they still carry.
But this is also an opportunity for all Canadians to face up to this disastrous policy and its devastating consequences. For too long, residential schools have widely been seen as an unfortunate historical footnote. Harper's apology ought to compel Canadians to look critically and unflinchingly at their past and help set the relationship between aboriginals and non-aboriginals on a better path.
- Indigenous children.
CBC News,
~ June 11, 2008
CANADA -- Aboriginal students who endured abuse and torment in Canada's residential schools will finally get a formal apology from the Canadian government on Wednesday, a prospect that has many feeling a mix of emotions.
Willie Blackwater, who repressed his memories of rapes and beatings for decades, said he is looking forward to being inside the House of Commons in Ottawa when Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers the apology at 3 p.m. ET. But at the same time, Blackwater said he fears the wording won't be right, or something else will be amiss.
"But I think it will be one of the humongous chapters in my life that will help bring completion of a lot of … my trauma, and the trauma I've inflicted on others, from the residential school legacy," said Blackwater, 53.
- Indigenous children.
BBC News,
By Sarah Shenker, ~ June 11, 2008
CANADA -- Mike Cachagee is not impressed by apologies.
Aged four, he was sent from his home to a series of state-run church boarding schools, where he was stripped of his language, religion and culture.
He was physically and sexually abused.
When he returned home 12 years later, his mother did not recognise him.
"To apologise for taking me away from my family, for losing my culture and the loss of my childhood and the loss of my mother's love… How does one apologise for that?" he asks.
- Baptists.
The Oklahoman,
By Carla Hinton, Religion Editor, ~ June 11, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (IN) -- Vowing that they will not turn a "blind eye" to sexual predators in their midst, Southern Baptist Convention leaders nonetheless said Tuesday they are not creating a database tracking sexually abusive ministers.
Morris Chapman, the convention's executive committee president, reported on the matter during the opening session of the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Indianapolis. Chapman's remarks came in response to Enid pastor Wade Burleson's 2007 request that the executive committee explore the possibility of developing a database of Southern Baptist ministers and staff involved in sexual abuse or harassment.
At the time, Burleson said such a database would help prevent such predators from going from church to church victimizing those in different congregations.
- Bp. Geoff Robinson continues.
The Orange County Register,
BY VIK JOLLY, ~ June 11, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- A retired Australian bishop promoting his new book about the clergy sex abuse scandal will speak in Costa Mesa Wednesday night, despite calls by several American bishops, including Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange, asking him to cancel his month-long tour of the United States.
"The scandal obviously has been tragic," said Steven J. Dzida, chairman of the Orange County affiliate of the Voice of the Faithful, a group of mainstream Catholics working for change in the church structure and policy, which is co-sponsoring the gatherings at which Most Rev. Geoffrey Robinson is speaking.
"We think Bishop Brown has taken steps to address the problems of the sexual abuse scandal, but we think that Bishop Robinson's ideas on the broader impact of the scandal are very worthy of discussion by the wider church," Dzida said.
When the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Center, which seats about 100, was booked for the event earlier this year, Dzida said he did not anticipate his group would need more room.
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
By Michael Paulson / June 11, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS -- A high-level Vatican tribunal has dealt yet another blow to Boston-area Catholics protesting parish closings, declining to hear appeals from eight groups of parishioners who are attempting to force reopenings of local parish churches.
The Apostolic Signatura declared, in dense Latin documents mailed to lay worshipers who do not speak that long-dead language, that the challenges to the closings are "clearly lacking any basis."
The dismissal came from a subset of the bishops and cardinals who sit on the tribunal; the local parishioners, meeting over the weekend, all decided to appeal to the full tribunal for reconsideration.
They acknowledged that the appeal for reconsideration has little chance of success, but said they would continue to pursue any recourse afforded them under the church's canon law, including trying to block Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley from designating the parish buildings suitable for "profane use," which is how the church describes secular uses of church buildings. …
The rulings criticize the parishioners for focusing on their own concerns, rather than those of the archdiocese as a whole, a critique the parishioners say fails to acknowledge the bonds between Catholics and their parishes. Also, in an unusual admission, the rulings attribute the decline of the parishes in part to the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Daily News,
By NICOLE NORFLEET, norflen@phillynews.com , 215-854-5444, ~ June 11, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- No Bible was used to swear in witnesses on Day 2 of the church trial for the leader of Pennsylvania's Episcopal Diocese, who is accused of turning a blind eye to his brother's alleged abuse of a young parishioner.
Instead, the holy book was referred to during questioning about Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr.'s handling of the 35-year-old sexual-abuse case.
"We look at our Lord Jesus as the model for good pastoring … he keeps away the wolves," said Bishop David E. Richards, who was in the office of pastoral development at the time of the abuse.
But Bennison did not act as a "good shepherd" when he served as rector of St. Mark's Church in Upland, Calif., Richards said in a four-hour video played yesterday for the trial, being held at the Center City Marriott.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Episcopal Life,
Episcopal News Service, By Jerry Hames, June 11, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Key witnesses for the prosecution testified during the second day of the ecclesiastical trial of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles Bennison that he failed to act responsibly 35 years ago when he was told that his 24-year-old brother, John Bennison, whom he had hired for his parish's youth ministry, was abusing a teenage girl in the youth group.
Gary Schoener, a licensed psychologist and director of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who was called as an expert witness, testified that there were four principal steps a person was to take in the 70s when there was suspicion of sexual abuse. "They were first to intervene and stop the abuse. Then provide aid to the victim. Then look to the safety of others. Then try to get some help, assessment, for the offender," he said.
"Back then, you wouldn't do anything with an {abused} kid without having a parent involved." He told the court that parents are key in providing help, or seeking psychological help. The court has heard that Bennison chose not to notify the parents, nor seek counsel from his bishop or other mental health professionals when he was told of the abuse.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Virtue Online,
By David W. Virtue, www.virtueonline.org , June/10/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Witnesses, at the ecclesiastical trial of the inhibited Bishop of Pennsylvania, say Charles E. Bennison knew about his brother's sexual abuse of a minor and acted in his own protective self interests. He also urged the abused family not to take action because it could cost him his job and pleaded confidentiality when no such case could be made under the church's canon law.
Bishop David Richards, Head of the office of Pastoral Development in the 70's, testified that Bennison violated all the ground rules by failing to inform the girl's parents, showing no concern for the girl, failing pastorally both the girl and her parents, offering no therapy or safety, healthcare or psychological counseling, and having concern only for his own reputation and that of his brother.
Sitting grim and red-faced between his two lawyers, the usually smug look on his pale face now gone, Bennison tried to put the best front on his situation as he heard witness after witness condemn him for his inaction in the face of grave sexual misconduct by his brother, John. Bishop Richards publicly declared that Bennison engaged in 'conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy.'
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, Inquirer Staff Writer, June 11, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The church trial of Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., charged with concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a teenage girl decades ago, heard again yesterday from the victim, who said Bennison did nothing to protect her after he learned of the abuse.
In response to questioning from one of Bennison's lawyers, the woman, now 50, also told the special Court for the Trial of a Bishop that she had nothing to do with initiating the proceedings against Bennison and was testifying only reluctantly. The woman has been identified as Martha Alexis, her childhood name. She is now married and does not use either name.
"I haven't wanted him removed from his job," Alexis said tearfully. "I just want him to acknowledge his role" in protecting his brother and failing to protect her.
- RCC.
Yakima Herald-Republic
By JANE GARGAS, ~ June 11, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- They concur on the goal but not on how to do it.
A national group of people abused by clerics and the Yakima diocese disagreed Tuesday over how to reach past victims.
Two members of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, traveled to Yakima to exhort Bishop Carlos Sevilla to be more aggressive about uncovering past cases of sexual abuse.
Both from Seattle, Steve Snider and John Shuster, a national board member, held a news conference on the grounds of diocese headquarters at 5301 Tieton Drive.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
The Bulletin,
By Bradley Vasoli, June/11/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Father James Armstrong Trimble, of Philadelphia, testified yesterday before an ecclesiastical court that Fr. Charles Bennison, when he was a candidate for bishop in 1996, should have disclosed the sexual violations of an underage girl committed by his brother, also a priest.
Fr. Trimble co-chaired the search committee for an Episcopal bishop in the five-county region in 1996. Fr. Bennison succeeded in getting elected bishop but now finds his position challenged amidst charges that he concealed an adulterous relationship his younger brother John had with the female parishioner in the early 1970s.
The repeated abuses, which took place over more than a three-year period, were perpetrated at St. Mark's Church in Upland, Calif., beginning when John Bennison was a 24-year-old seminary student before he was married, and continued after he was married.
The Patriot Ledger,
07:20 AM, Posted Jun 11, 2008
WEYMOUTH (MA) – One of the small group of clergy sex abuse victims chosen to meet with Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the United States has set a goal.
Olan Horne told a meeting of the Weymouth Voice of the Faithful that he will try to meet every American bishop he can, bringing the message that the church has an "extraordinary opportunity" to set things right.
"To move the pope on this issue at this time – that's light speed in Vatican time," Horne said Tuesday at St. Albert the Great Church parish hall.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:32 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed June 11, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2000s Banks -NEW*] - Baptist. Child.
The Silsbee Bee,
By GERRY L. DICKERT, 4 p.m., Thursday, June 12, 2008
SILSBEE (TX) -- Silsbee pastor Lester L. Banks has turned himself in to the Hardin County Sheriff's Office after a warrant was issued for his arrest on three counts of indecency with a child.
This Tuesday, the Hardin County Grand Jury returned three indictments against Banks, the 52-year-old pastor of Union Baptist Church in Silsbee.
The indictments accuse Banks of three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. All are second-degree felonies and each carried a $150,000 bond.
[2000s Mr Sloop -NEW*] - Baptist. Prying cameras, touching 2 minors.
WXII,
~ June 12, 2008
YADKIN COUNTY, N.C. -- The husband accused of filming his wife's friends while they used a tanning bed in the couple's basement and sexually assaulting two minors was a longtime member and youth leader at Peace Haven Baptist Church, WXII12 News has learned.
More than 100 charges were filed this week against Tony Gray Sloop, 49, of Hamptonville, including sexual abuse of two girls under the age of 13 and secret peeping.
The photos and videos, which allegedly were taken from cameras installed in pinholes in a basement and a bathroom and according to investigators, show women of a variety of ages.
- "Husbands of one wife" and wives of one husband?
Telegraph,
By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent,
Last Updated: 8:47PM BST, June 12, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- Thousands of leading Roman Catholics including Lord Patten and Baroness Williams are calling on the Church to allow women and married men into the priesthood.
Senior clergy are also among the 2,000 who have so far signed a petition demanding that action be taken to tackle the "major crisis" of dwindling numbers of Catholic priests.
They claim that there is no real barrier to married men being ordained, despite it being part of the Church's teaching throughout its history, given that married former Anglicans who convert to Catholicism are allowed to become priests.
And in a further controversial move, they also want Catholic leaders in England and Wales to discuss the possibility of women becoming priests, an issue which has already been hugely divisive in the worldwide Anglican Church.
[COMMENT: For more than 1000 years the Churches, East and West, had married clergy, including bishops of Rome. Regarding female clergy, St Paul wrote that he would not let a woman speak in the congregation, yet in another place he said that if a woman prayed or prophesied she must be veiled. Also in the New Testament St Paul praised "Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae" (see Romans 16:1-2). And, there are Latin words in Mediaeval documents meaning female bishop, "priestess" and "deaconess". But I forgot -- we have the living truth to guide us contrariwise, and it never errs?! ENDS.]
- RCC.
Catholica,
~ June 12, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- In the wake of the "disappointing" response from the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops last week, Dr Paul Collins and Frank Purcell, the organisers of a petition to the Australian Catholic Bishops last year, last night announced a new campaign to generate at least a thousand letters which they hope to have delivered to Pope Benedict during his visit to Australia next month.
The letter they are suggesting people write addresses the looming crisis in Ministry this nation faces with a lack of priests to officiate at weddings, funerals and Sunday liturgies.
- Fr Kinsella twice checked, then defrocked without notice.
Wexford People,
Wednesday June 11 2008
IRELAND -- A PRIEST defrocked by the Pope has accused the Diocese of Ferns of a serious miscarriage of justice.
Fr. John Kinsella, who served as a curate in Enniscorthy in the ealy 1970s and the Ballagh from 1991, says the first he knew of his defrocking was when he read about it in a newspaper.
Despite overhwhelming evidence against the accusers, the Diocesan Authority callously pursued the path of a kangaroo court to judge me in the harshest way possible, he claims in a letter sent to this newspaper.
The priest, who was formerly accused of child sex abuse offences against boys from the Enniscorthy area, said allegations were investigated by the Gardai in 1996, were subsequently investigated by the Garda authorities and dismissed by the DPP.
- Back to the RCC.
The Telegraph,
for June 13, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- European aristocrat, Princess Alessandra Borghese, talks to Peter Stanford about her well-documented return to Catholicism.
The reformed rake is a familiar figure in the religious canon from the parable of the prodigal son onwards.
Princess Alessandra Borghese, 44-year-old scion of one of the grandest of Italian noble families, famous for its popes, cardinals and glorious villa and park in the centre of Rome, may never quite have been a rake, but otherwise neatly fits the mould.
In the 1990s, she was one of those European aristocrats whose names we came to know only because they were forever appearing in glossy magazines, attending all the right grand weddings and openings. She even published an A-to-Z guide to good manners with her great friend, the German Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, better known in the society pages as the 'punk princess' or 'Princess TNT'. …
Her 2004 book, With New Eyes, the story of her return to the fold, was a bestseller in her home country and over much of Catholic Europe. She has followed it with four other equally successful, equally personal, devotional works, including In The Footsteps of Joseph Ratzinger, her first outing in English, published this month. …
Her distaste for such a notion is immediately apparent but is revealed in full later, when the question of women priests -banned by Catholicism - comes up. 'If you're Catholic and want to be a woman priest,' she protests, 'join the Anglicans or the Protestants. Why do you want to change the Catholic tradition according to your point of view? If you look at Holy Mary, you see that her grandeur was not because she did anything, but because she was able to stand behind something bigger.' It is not a position that sits easily with contemporary secular norms, but Borghese has a rather aristocratic disdain for conventional wisdom.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:33 PM]
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
The Tribune,
David Young, dyoung@greeleytribune.com ,
June 12, 2008
GREELEY (CO) -- It took a jury less than three hours to find a priest guilty of indecent exposure for jogging naked.
Whipkey and his defense attorney Harvey Steinberg did not comment following the verdict.
Around 6:30 p.m. today jurors reached the verdict in the trial of Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, who told Frederick police officer Zacheria Hahn in June of 2007 he was jogging nude early in the morning at the high school track because he sweats profusely.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:28 PM]
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Virtue Online
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
June/12/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Lawyers for Charles E. Bennison, the inhibited Bishop of Pennsylvania, filed a motion arguing that the trial against him should be declared null and void saying the Statute of Limitations has been violated because of "half truths and factual inaccuracies alleged in the Presentment."
James Parabue, Bennison's attorney walked across the courtroom, at the conclusion of the trial Thursday, and presented the court with a 22-page document claiming that the Presentment against Bishop Bennison for Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Clergy was "within, or continued up to, ten years immediately preceding the time of receipt of a Charge."
"This belated attempt by political forces within the Diocese of Pennsylvania to force Bishop Bennison out of his position using decades old charges should be summarily rejected on the grounds that these charges were not brought within the acceptable time period."
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- On the last day of a very unusual trial, Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. continued to defend himself against charges that he concealed his brother's sexual abuse of a minor decades ago, saying today that he acted within the standards of the times.
"As poorly as I handled it," he said, "if I had applied today's protocols then, things might have turned out worse."
In October, the Episcopal Church USA suspended him as head of the five-county Diocese of Pennsylvania on the ground that he engaged in "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy" for failing to protect the girl or report his brother's misbehavior. The church alleges that Bennison did so in order to advance his career.
The trial that resulted was just the third Court for the Trial of a Bishop in the 232-year history of the Episcopal Church USA.
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney*] - RCC. Boy.
Journal Star,
By ANDY KRAVETZ, Jun 11, 2008
PEORIA (IL) – Parents of a former Normal boy allegedly abused years ago by a parish priest say they hope a lawsuit filed today will serve as an "alarm" for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
Dave and Joanne Ward, parents of Andrew Ward, stood outside the Peoria County Courthouse shortly after lunchtime to meet with reporters about the suit filed against the church and Monsignor Thomas Maloney, who they claim sexually abused their child in late 1995 and early 1996 at Epiphany Church in Normal.
"The church that I have given my life to is now fighting against me and ruined my son's childhood," Joanne Ward said through tears.
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney*] - RCC. Boy +.
Pantagraph,
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny@pantagraph.com , ~ June 12, 2008
NORMAL (IL) -- The McLean County state's attorney's office found insufficient evidence to file criminal charges against a retired local priest accused in a civil lawsuit this week of molesting a former second-grader at Epiphany Grade School.
The civil lawsuit naming the diocese and retired Msgr. Thomas Maloney was filed Wednesday in Peoria by Andrew Ward, a 20-year-old Michigan man who attended the school in Normal. Ward has accused Maloney of molesting him when he was 8 years old, between 1995 and 1996, in the church sanctuary.
The allegations involving Maloney were investigated by the Normal Police Department after the Ward family filed a report in January 2007. Assistant Police Chief Kirk Ijams confirmed Thursday that investigators interviewed two individuals who were alleged victims of molestation by Maloney.
- RC Bp. Geoff Robinson will continue.
The Tidings,
Catholic News Service, ~ June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Ten U.S. bishops called on Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, retired auxiliary bishop of Sydney, Australia to cancel his controversial U.S. book tour so as not to promote disunity and confusion in the church. However, Bishop Robinson said he would continue his speaking engagements about his 2007 book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus."
In their letter to Bishop Robinson, dated May 9, the U.S. bishops noted that the Australian Bishops Conference Committee on Doctrine and Morals called attention to the "problematic positions" Bishop Robinson has taken on women's ordination, celibacy and conscience formation. They also pointed out that the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops wrote to the bishop asking him to cancel his U.S. visit.
"Lest your visit and talks be a source of disunity and cause of confusion among the faithful of the particular Churches we serve, we ask you to abide by the request of the Congregation for Bishops and cancel your speaking tour in the United States," wrote the U.S. prelates.
The letter was signed by Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle, Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center, Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, and Bishop Robert Brom of San Diego.
- RCC.
AFP,
~ June 12, 2008
ORLANDO, Florida (AFP) – US Catholic officials told families the outcome of their probes into accusations of sexual abuse by priests in less than one-third of the cases, a study said Thursday.
Unveiled during a Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Orlando, Florida, the preliminary study into the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the church showed that 40 percent of cases were reported between 1988-1998.
During that decade, nine out of 10 US dioceses received reports of sexual abuse by priests, said the study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York.
Families of alleged victims had to make more than one effort to contact the diocese in 60 percent of the cases, it said.
Voice from the Desert,
~ June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- I received the following information in an email from Professor Marci Hamilton today, 6.12.2008.
C-Span2 will air its Booknotes book event for Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children at the following times and dates. The focus of the event (and the book) is on statutes of limitations reform for all childhood sexual abuse survivors.
http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=9480&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No
Saturday, June 28, at 11:00 PM;
Sunday, June 29, at 8:00 AM;
Monday, June 30, at 4:45 AM
[2008 Cortez*] - RCC. Schoolgirl.
Queens Ledger
~ June 12, 2008
BROOKLYN (NY) -- Father Augusto Cortez, a priest who interacts with students at a Bushwick Catholic school has been arrested on suspicion of committing a sex crime.
The 44-year-old priest, who worked at St. John the Baptist School, is charged with groping a 12-year-old student's breast on May 29.
The Diocese of Brooklyn was the first to hear of the student's accusations, and, following a previous agreement with the Kings County district attorney, notified that office.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
The Tribune,
by David Young, dyoung@greeleytribune.com , June 12, 2008
GREELEY (CO) -- The jury is deliberating in the trial of a priest charged with indecent exposure for jogging naked.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, told Frederick police officer Zacheria Hahn he was jogging nude at the high school track because he sweats profusely.
In closing statements Whipkey's defense attorney Harvey Steinberg argued Whipkey did not intend to show his genitals to anyone and covered up when Hahn spotted him.
Christian Newswire (WASHINGTON),
June 10, 2008
ORLANDO (FL) -- On Friday, June 13 (10 a.m. -- 4 p.m.), and Saturday, June 14, (10 a.m. -- 1 p.m.), Catholic pro-life activists will hold a vigil in front of the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress during the bi-annual meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Address: 1 Grand Cypress Blvd, Orlando FL, 32836.
Also on June 13, the following newspaper ad, In Search of 12 Apostles, will run in the Orlando Sentinel. See ad at www. ahumbleplea. com/Orlando Ad.htm The ad shows the photos of prominent "pro-choice" politicians, and compares them to Herod - the King who ordered the death of the infants in Bethlehem. The ad begins:
"Bishops: Should we vote for Herod after he slaughtered the Holy Innocents?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Tim Townsend
June/11/2008
UNITED STATES -- From as long ago as he can remember, Josey Baker's mom took him to Mass each Sunday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Columbia, Ill. From kindergarten through fifth grade, he went to Mass with his classmates every day at Immaculate Conception's school. From first grade through his senior year at Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, Baker took religious education classes alongside math and English.
But as he grew into adulthood, the church became less important to his faith. "A lot of people say, 'You're not Catholic because you don't abide by the pope's every rule,'" said Baker, who is now 27. "But I don't feel like just because I don't go to church I'm going to hell. I can have my own relationship with God without going to church every week."
Baker said "the majority" of his friends from grade school and high school feel the same way.
- RCC.
The Huffington Post
by Chris Korzen, ~ June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- A radical arm of the pro-life movement attacked the Catholic Church this week. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered in Orlando for its bi-annual meeting, a group called the "Society for Truth and Justice" launched an ad campaign encouraging the bishops to deny Communion to "pro-abortion politicians," and even to condemn Catholics who vote for those same politicians. Others planned a protest outside the bishops' meeting on Friday.
The far right's attempt to use Catholic teaching to malign progressive candidates and drive wedges between voters is nothing new. In 2004, right wing "Catholic" groups worked hand in hand with the Republican Party on a well-funded and well-organized campaign to cast Kerry as a bad Catholic - an effort that may in fact have made the difference in Ohio. Contrary to conventional wisdom, only a handful of the hundreds of U.S. Catholic bishops subscribed to this theologically inaccurate mode of political engagement.
- RCC.
Catholic News Agency,
01:56 pm (CNA), Jun 12, 2008
ORLANDO (FL) -- Today the U.S. bishops are gathering to discuss current issues relating to the American Catholic Church at the spring meeting of the United States Conference of Bishops. In addition, CARA, a Georgetown-based research center will present findings from its study, "Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics."
Over the course of their two day meeting in Orlando, the bishops will discuss a variety of pertinent topics to the American Catholic Church such as embryonic stem cell research, updates on the sexual abuse scandal, and the new translation of the Proper of the Seasons of the Roman Missal.
Not to be overlooked amidst the high profile issues are two presentations from the well-known research groups Pew and CARA, which will help the bishops take the pulse of the Catholic Church in the U.S.
[COMMENT: But is the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, and torturing prisoners, on the agenda? ENDS]
- RCC.
Catholic News Service
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien, ~ June 12, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- Opening their spring general meeting in Orlando, members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops got an interim report on the causes and context of child sexual abuse by priests and made quick work of proposals to revisit the ethical guidelines on feeding tubes and to declare a National Catholic Charities Sunday in 2010.
In the first morning session of the June 12-14 assembly at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, the bishops also took a preliminary look at two documents they will vote on later in the meeting. The first was a 700-page draft translation of the proper prayers in the Roman Missal for each Sunday and feast day during the liturgical year.
The other was a seven-page policy statement from the Committee on Pro-Life Activities that calls embryonic stem-cell research "a gravely immoral act" that crosses a "fundamental moral line" by treating human beings as mere objects of research.
- RCC.
The Associated Press,
By RACHEL ZOLL, ~ June 12, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Meeting for the first time since Pope Benedict XVI visited the U.S. and spoke of the deep shame he felt over clergy sex abuse, America's Roman Catholic bishops Thursday began discussing how they can repair relations with priests after six years of scandal.
A small group of bishops and clerics, over a private lunch, started talks about the pain and trauma clergy have suffered since the crisis erupted in 2002. Embarrassment ran so deep that many priests stopped wearing their Roman collars in public at the height of the scandal.
Archbishop Roger Schweitz of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, said bishops are trying to learn directly from clergymen what church leaders should do to improve morale.
[COMMENT: Improve their MORALS, then their morale will improve! ENDS. ]
[Decades - Maciel Degollado] - RCC. Many seminarians. Abp: Maybe sinful.
National Catholic Reporter,
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR., ~ June 12, 2008
ORLANDO (FL) -- Demanding what he calls greater "transparency and accountability" from the controversial religious order known as Legionaries of Christ and their associated lay movement, Regnum Christi, Archbishop Edward O'Brien of Baltimore has directed both groups to disclose all activities within his archdiocese, and to refrain from one-on-one spiritual direction with anyone under 18.
The ban on counseling minors, O'Brien said in an interview with NCR on Wednesday, is related to concerns that the Legionaries and Regnum Christi practice "heavily persuasive methods on young people, especially high schoolers, regarding vocations."
Both the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order of priests, and the lay-led Regnum Christi are typically seen as part of a galaxy of "new movements" within Catholicism. Both are known for missionary zeal, as well as staunch traditionalism in faith and practice.
In a June 11 interview on the margins of the spring meeting of the U.S. bishops in Orlando, Florida, O'Brien said he's prepared to take the "next step" of barring the Legionaries and Regnum Christi from the archdiocese entirely if they do not comply. …
In the NCR interview, O'Brien also expressed skepticism that the Legionaries will be able to implement needed reforms until they come to terms with seemingly persuasive evidence that Maciel, the founder, engaged in activity that was "less than honorable, and maybe even sinful."
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
Denver Post,
By Monte Whaleyn, Last Updated 02:31:37 PM MDT, June/12/2008
GREELEY (CO) -- A Frederick priest had a habit of walking around nude, according to testimony at an indecent exposure trial today.
Robert Whipkey, 53, was arrested when he was seen heading home on June 22 last year after a pre-dawn jog in the buff.
A police officer today testified he was stunned to see a large nude man walking down the street near his home that morning.
"I have seen lots of things in my line of work," said Officer Zachariah Hahn. "But I was shocked to see a man walking completely nude down the street."
[Fushek]
KVOA,
Associated Press 3:14 PM ET, June 12, 2008
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) - An Oct. 27 trial date has been set for a suspended well-known Phoenix-area Catholic priest who faces misdemeanor sex charges.
Dale Fushek's (FYOO'-shekz) case has been interrupted by two years of pretrial appeals, in which Fushek ultimately won his fight to have a jury trial.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
Daily Camera
By Vanessa Miller
June 12, 2008
GREELEY (CO)
-- A seven-person jury this morning heard testimony that a Catholic priest arrested for jogging nude thought he was alone and "didn't mean to expose himself."
The Rev. Robert Whipkey was serving at three parishes in Erie, Mead and Frederick at the time of his arrest on suspicion of indecent exposure early June 22, 2007.
His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said during Whipkey's trial -- which began today in Weld County District Court -- that when a police officer spotted him walking down a main street in the Frederick at about 4:30 a.m., he covered himself up.
"At 4:30 a.m., when no one else is out, he's walking naked, and as soon as someone sees him, he covers up,"
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
City News
Thursday June 12, 2008
GREELEY (CO) -- The Reverend Robert Whipkey will be facing a much different audience than he's used to Thursday. Instead of a prayerful congregation, the priest will be facing a courtroom after a few police officers got an eyeful at a high school track.
It seems the Reverend gets a little hot under his (clerical) collar when he goes for his pre-dawn run. His solution? Jogging nude.
And his explanation, according to Colorado officers? He runs naked because he gets "too sweaty" otherwise.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
KSWT,
PA, ~ June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA), (AP) - A church lawyer suggests an Episcopal bishop is experiencing selective amnesia in his recall of his brother's alleged sexual abuse.
Bishop Charles Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is the subject of a church trial. He is accused of hiding abuse by his brother, a fellow priest, in Upland (California) in the 1970s.
The victim, now 50, says Bennison knew firsthand of their relationship. But Bennison says he only heard rumors.
Under cross-examination Thursday, Bennison was asked about his 1997 writings on abuse and memory. Bennison had written that people who harbor secrets about clergy sexual abuse sometimes confuse reality.
[Fushek]
3TV
June 12, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) - After years of being held up in pre-trial appeals the case of a Phoenix priest is heading back to court this morning.
Monsignor Dale Fushek is charged with indecent exposure, assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The claims date back more than 20 years and came to light in a 2004 civil suit.
[Bokulich (Franciscan)] - RCC. 7yrs prison. 4 boys.
The Journal News,
By Louis Buccheri, June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- A Yonkers monk who sexually abused four boys from the same family was sentenced yesterday to seven years in state prison, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
Dominic Bokulich, 35, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree sex abuse and course of sexual conduct, felonies, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
Bokulich sexually abused the boys at their home and at a retreat operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Roman Catholic congregation of which he was a member.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Episcopal Life,
By Jerry Hames, June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- [Episcopal News Service] On the third day of his ecclesiastical trial for conduct unbecoming a clergy person, Bishop Charles E. Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania testified that he acted in a way he thought was sufficient 35 years ago when he realized that his brother, a 24-year-old deacon in the parish, might be engaged in sexual abuse with a teenage girl in the youth group.
Bennison was rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Upland, in the Diocese of Los Angeles at the time. Secrets kept over 30 years are emerging at the trial of the 62-year-old bishop being conducted at the Marriott hotel in downtown Philadelphia.
The court has been told that beginning in 1973, John Bennison began making sexual advances to Martha Alexis, then 14. A sexual relationship between the two continued until Martha's first year of college.
- RCC.
The Arizona Republic
by Jim Walsh, 12:10 PM, Jun. 12, 2008
ARIZONA -- A suspended Roman Catholic priest is scheduled to go on trial Oct. 27, nearly three years after a he was charged in a criminal complaint with a series of misdemeanor sex crimes that could result in jail time or registration as a sex offender.
San Tan Justice of the Peace Sam Goodman set the trial date Thursday at a pre-trial conference. The hearing's purpose was to get the case back on track after two years of delays from pre-trial appeals.
Monsignor Dale Fushek won a key victory when the Supreme Court ruled that he is entitled to jury trial, rather than a bench trial, on all charges.
Jury selection is scheduled for two weeks before the trial, which is expected to last three weeks, court spokeswoman J.W. Brown said.
News Hounds,
~ June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Rudolph Giuliani was the sole guest for a "fair and balanced" discussion about last night's (6/11/08) top story on Hannity & Colmes, that a member of Barack Obama's VP search team had resigned. It was obvious that Giuliani, a former GOP candidate now campaigning for John McCain, knew very little about the issue. Instead, Giuliani criticized Obama for not having enough experience. Giuliani repeatedly talked about the importance of executive experience as a critical qualification for being president. It seems he forgot that McCain had none, either. With video.
Despite Sean Hannity's ceaseless and melodramatic Hanctimony over Obama's associations, Hannity remains curiously unconcerned about Giuliani's. Alan Colmes laudably mentioned Bernard Kerik, but it was in passing. "You had to defend yourself against Bernie Kerik," Colmes said to Giuliani (though not on Hannity & Colmes did he have to). But neither the extent of Kerik's wrongdoings nor the extent of Giuliani's relationship were given to the "we report, you decide" network's audience. So while we viewers have been endlessly subjected to speculation about the implications of Obama's casual association with "unrepentant terrorist" William Ayers, Hannity & Colmes viewers have yet to hear about how Giuliani appointed a crook as police commissioner, recommended him to head the Department of Homeland Security, and was in business with him and a priest accused of sexually abusing children and helping to cover up other abuses.
[~ 2000s Rodney Adams*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). US $83,000.
Action 3 News,
Posted 06:36 PM EDT, June 11, 2008
[with video]
OMAHA (NE) A Catholic priest accused of stealing from his parish turns himself in to police. Last month Father Rodney Adams, an Omaha priest, resigned from the church accused of taking thousands of dollars. This morning, he walked into the Omaha police station and within a few hours stood before the courts.
From a Roman collar, to an orange colored jump suit. Father Rodney Adams walked into court today admitting he stole money from his church. When Father Adams came to St. Bridgets he told the bookkeeper to cut him a check for both churches he was serving. That included St. Rose, but St. Rose was still paying him. That went on for nearly five years. Plus, he wrote about 32,000 dollars in bad checks from the church's bazaar fund.
But while he pleaded guilty to the courts he had nothing to say to us. He did tell the judge he was diagnosed as bi-polar three weeks ago. As for if this is the defenses strategy? "The only strategy at this point was for Father Adams to accept responsibility for what he did and that's what he's wanted to do for the last month month and a half," says his attorney, Jim Schafer.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Adult.
WTOL,
~ June 12, 2008
[with video]
SYLVANIA (OH) -- The trial of the former pastor of Maumee St. Joseph Parish got underway on Wednesday, reports News 11's Jonathan Walsh. Fr. Frank Murd has been charged with sexual imposition.
The prosecution said Murd would hang out in YMCA locker rooms and that on March 18 of this year, he had a plan.
"This defendant used the JCC as a playground, a hunting ground to look for his next victim," one prosecuting attorney said of Murd.
- Legion of Christ.
Catholic News Agency,
05:34 am, Jun 12, 2008
BALTIMORE (MD), (CNA).- Edwin F. O'Brien, the Archbishop of Baltimore, has written to the Superior General of the Legionaries of Christ, Monsignor Alvaro Corcuera Martinez del Rio, asking the leader of the prominent religious order to identify all Legionary-associated clergy, ministries, apostolates and youth programs in the archdiocese. The archbishop also asked Father Alvaro to impose certain restrictions on vocations promotion in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Some critics of the Legionaries of Christ have said that the order recruits people under age 18 for vocations and doesn't explicitly identifying [? identify]groups and apostolates associated with the order.
In his June 6 letter to Father Alvaro, Archbishop O'Brien noted the importance of ecclesial movements and communities and the calling of bishops to "reach out to those groups with love." He then made several specific requests from Father Alvaro.
[[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Adult.
"Fascinating path to a conviction,"Toledo Blade,
By MARK REITER, June 12, 2008
OHIO -- The Roman Catholic priest and former pastor of a Maumee church accused of sexually assaulting a man in a hot tub at a recreational facility in Sylvania Township confessed to police that he fondled the victim, according to testimony yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
In an interview three weeks after the March 18 incident, the Rev. Frank Murd apologized for touching the 27-year-old man at the JCC/YMCA, 6465 Sylvania Ave., and assured a Sylvania Township police detective that he would tell Bishop Leonard Blair about the incident.
"I did touch him. … I want to apologize. It is inappropriate. It is wrong," the 66-year-old priest told Detective Jim Rettig in an audio recording played before Judge James Jensen, who will decide whether Father Murd is guilty of misdemeanor sexual imposition.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. Nude jog.
Longmont Times-Call,
By Kacia Munshaw, ~ June 12, 2008
GREELEY (CO) – The defense attorney for a Frederick priest facing an indecent exposure charge on Wednesday questioned a witness's claim that seeing the priest naked caused alarm.
The trial for the Rev. Robert Whipkey, 54 – who police said they discovered jogging in the nude at 4:30 a.m. June 22, 2007, near Frederick High School – started slowly at the Weld County Courthouse on Wednesday.
Because police said a witness felt alarmed when they saw Whipkey nude, the priest faces the misdemeanor indecent exposure charge. Defense attorney Harvey Steinberg questioned that criteria at the start of the hearing.
- Book. RCC.
Clerical Whispers
~ June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Though matters of liturgy, stem-cell research, and language will dominate the upcoming U.S. bishops meeting June 12 -14 in Orlando, continued discussion about clergy sex abuse will be priority -- especially its causes, context, and recommendations for communication between priests, bishops and Catholic laity.
And so, the root of the problem will be further exposed -- despite much of the three-day meeting being closed to media, as has been the case for many years.
"The very worst scandal of the Catholic Church isn't just the clergy sex-abuse crisis, but the catalyst behind it," says Russell Shaw, author of the newly released Nothing To Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and Communion in the Catholic Church (Ignatius, 174 p.).
Shaw, a former insider privy to the workings of the Catholic Church's hierarchy and bureaucracy, discusses in the book "the very worst scandal of our times" and what can be done to turn it around for good.
[1995-96 Mons. Maloney*] - RCC. Boy.
WMBD/WYZZ,
Reported by News Staff, 11:02pm CST, Wednesday, Jun 11, 2008
PEORIA (IL) -- The Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, is calling attention to a new lawsuit filed against a retired clergyman for abuse that allegedly occurred almost a decade ago. Jeff Anderson, the attorney for the alleged victim says the boy was sexually abused twice by Monsignor Thomas Maloney at Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal. The alleged victim would have been nine-years-old at the time.
According to the lawsuit, Maloney also allegedly abused at least one other child in the late 1970s, and a third child reportedly told the diocese that Maloney molested her, too, and that the diocese did nothing.
Anderson said: "That's really the sad and disturbing thing - not just that a child was raped by a priest, but that the priest was a known offender."
- RCC.
Press of Atlantic City,
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN, 609-463-6716, Thursday, June 12, 2008
WILDWOOD CREST (NJ) -- Hundreds of parishioners from the Church of the Assumption gathered at the church Wednesday night to let Bishop Joseph A. Galante know that they opposed what one church member called "this half-baked idea of merger."
The parish is slated to merge with St. Ann's Church in Wildwood under a plan announced April 3 by Galante.
Since then, parishioners have pleaded for their parish to continue running as is, and on Wednesday many of them spoke passionately about the effect of the merger.
They pointed to the church's strong and growing attendance, its many cherished programs such as the annual Christmas concert and the logistical problems that would arise if the church's more than 1,200 families tried to attend church at St. Ann's, given its lack of parking.
- Indigenous children.
Montreal Gazette,
By HUBERT BAUCH, The Gazette, ~ June 12, 2008
CANADA -- The better part of a lifetime later, Kakaionstha Deer is still haunted by the shattering experience of being packed off to an Indian residential school when she was 6 years old.
She's 70 now, but still bears the scars of the three years she spent there.
"It's bothered me every day of my life," she said yesterday as she prepared to watch the prime minister's apology at her Kahnawake home with a group of fellow residential school survivors.
She and her sister, who was a year older, were sent to a school for native girls in Spanish, Ont., run by the Catholic church, where she was sexually abused by one of the nuns who she said was a predatory pedophile.
- Indigenous children.
Standard-Freeholder,
Staff, ~ June 12, 2008
CANADA -- An apology to former students of the Indian Residential School program from PM Stephen Harper was greeted with guarded optimism by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
"It was an apology long overdue to the people of First Nations and survivors of the residential school system," said Grand Chief Tim Thompson. "Was it sincere? Only time will tell. The government has to back its apology with action."
Roughly 150,000 native children were forcibly taken from their families starting in the 1840s through to the 1970s and often subjected to physical, mental and sexual abuse at the hands of their keepers.
[1995-2003 Raymond Lambert] - Independent Baptist. Ritual abuse. Teenage girl.
[Lambert (uncle)] - 17 charges.
The Kansas City Star,
By KEVIN MURPHY, ~ June 12, 2008
MISSOURI -- Prosecutors have dropped charges against a southwest Missouri pastor accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls at a rural church community.
The case against Raymond Lambert, filed in 2006, drew wide attention but was dropped because the alleged victims didn't want to endure the "scrutiny and pressures" of a trial, McDonald County prosecutor Janice Durbin said in a statement released this week.
"This has been a long and difficult case for everyone involved," Durbin said. She said the dismissal doesn't mean the charges were not valid.
- Anglican speaks (a century or so late). Indigenous children.
Anglican Journal,
by Art Babych, Jun 11, 2008
CANADA -- Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, today said he was moved by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's apology to victims of residential schools and is optimistic that the historic apology – made on behalf of the Canadian government – will be followed by action.
"I was equally grateful for the apologies – and that's what they were – offered on behalf of the other political parties," he said in an interview with the Anglican Journal on Parliament Hill after Mr. Harper delivered the apology in the House of Commons June 11, followed by apologies from the other party leaders. "I was very encouraged by their determination to make sure that this apology is seen as a beginning, and that it will be accompanied by actions that will significantly improve the quality of life for First Nations people in this land," the primate said. The government's apology was directed at the generations of victims of what Mr. Harper called "a sad chapter in our history" and asked for forgiveness for the students' suffering and for the damaging impact the schools had on aboriginal culture, heritage and language.
- Not a religion-owned school, but State denies responsibility.
Irish Independent,
By Tim Healy, Thursday, June 12, 2008
IRELAND -- A WOMAN who was sexually assaulted by a national school principal at the age of eight has asked the Supreme Court to rule that the Minister for Education and the State are liable for the assaults.
More than 200 cases are awaiting the outcome of the test action by Louise O'Keeffe which, the State says, could lead to it being held liable, not just for past abuse, but for "a whole host" of events occurring daily in more than 3,000 national schools.
The five judge court yesterday began hearing the appeal by Ms O'Keeffe (43), of Thoam, Dunmanway, Co Cork, against a High Court decision that the State is not vicariously liable for 20 assaults inflicted on her by Leo Hickey at Dunderrow National School, Co Cork, from January to September 1973. The State and the Minister for Education deny any liability on grounds that national schools are not State-run but are controlled on a daily basis by church appointees.
- Bp Geoff Robinson gets overflow crowd.
Los Angeles Times,
June 12, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Considering that they had come to hear a forbidden Roman Catholic speaker, the people at the UC San Diego faculty club didn't look like rebels. They were mostly older, conservative in dress, sedate in manner. At a reception before the speech Tuesday evening, as they sipped French roast coffee and nibbled cheese cubes, they professed their continuing love of the Catholic religion -- but also deep turmoil and anger about sexual abuse by priests. Or to be more exact, about church leaders who put protecting predator priests and the church's image over protecting children.
And when they settled in for the speech, there were so many of them that people stood, lining the walls of the room and spilling onto the patio beyond it.
They had brought their troubled hearts and disturbing questions to retired Australian auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, whose work with abuse victims led him to believe that the celibacy rule for priests, their status as authority figures "above" others and the church's emphasis on appearances contributed to the molestation scandal. Four Roman Catholic bishops in California told him to stay out of the state on his nationwide speaking tour, saying he could be a source of disunity and confusion for Catholics. "I hereby deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles," Cardinal Roger M. Mahony wrote to Robinson, whose U.S. tour is scheduled to end tonight with a talk in Culver City.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Daily News,
By NICOLE NORFLEET, norflen@phillynews.com , 215-854-5444, ~ June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Wearing his clerical collar and ring, suspended Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. tried to explain why he had not told anyone that his brother was sexually abusing a high-school student in the 1970s.
"People would not have seen it as abuse," Bennison, 64, said yesterday in a deep voice. "They would have seen it as immoral behavior on [the victim's] part."
It was the first time Bennison had taken the microphone in his ecclesiastical trial, which began Monday and will determine his fate as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Until yesterday, he had quietly listened to witnesses testify about his handling of his brother's affair with a teenage parishioner.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Daily News,
By Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist, June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- SOMETHING extraordinary is going on at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel: A bishop is being called on the carpet for not alerting church authorities, parents or police that a church youth-group leader at his church was having sex with a teenage member.
More extraordinary still is that the proceedings are public. Anyone can enter the Marriott ballroom and see the robed, nine-member jury of Episcopal leaders presiding over the church trial of Bishop Charles Bennison.
They can wince as the victim, now 50, haltingly describes her childhood abuse as "degrading."
They can hear her abuser's ex-wife describe the horror she felt when she realized her former spouse was actually a sexual abuser, not a philanderer.
They can watch as a distraught Bennison explains why he didn't help the young victim. …
How ironic that it's unfolding in a city where Catholic bishops responsible for covering up past sex abuse in the Philly Archdiocese have yet to be held publicly accountable by name, by their church, for the pain their complicity perpetuated.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Virtue Online,
By David W. Virtue, www.virtueonline.org , June/11/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- A witness for Charles E. Bennison turned on the inhibited Bishop of Pennsylvania by telling the court that based on what he knows now, he would never have voted for Bennison's elevation to bishop.
The Rt. Rev. Harold A. Hopkins, former Bishop of North Dakota and Executive Director of The Office of Pastoral Development during the reign of Presiding Bishop Ed Browning, said that consecrating Charles Bennison was a mistake because of his handling or non-handling of his brother's situation which reflected poorly on his judgment.
When pressed by Bennison attorney James Parabue as to why he would not vote for Charles Bennison, Hopkins replied "(for) not taking immediate steps to -- not separating physically somehow John from the roles that he had in the Church and not reaching out to the family as well."
- RCC. "Unhealthy psychology, living conditions."
The Orange County Register
BY VIK JOLLY, ~ June 12, 2008
COSTA MESA (CA) -- In a standing-room only community hall Wednesday night, a retired Australian bishop asked not to speak about the Catholic clergy sexual abuse by some American bishops outlined his theory on its causes and how to move forward.
The Most Rev. Geoffrey Robinson said his own experience of being abused at a young age – not at the hands of a priest – and listening to hundreds of sexual-abuse victims for about nine years starting in 1994 when he was put in charge of a task force to develop guidelines for dealing with clerical sex abuse cases in Australia, convinced him that the issues needed to be dealt with head on.
He grew certain that there must be a study of immediate causes of abuse, including what he termed the unhealthy psychology, unhealthy ideas on power and sex and unhealthy living conditions among priests, Robinson told the more than 100 gathered at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Center.
"I am suggesting that when these three things come together, we're most likely to find the murky world out of which abuse arises," said the silver-haired Robinson, who is on a monthlong tour of the United States to promote his book "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus."
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, ~ June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., on trial within his church for concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a minor, testified yesterday that he learned about the abuse only when the girl was 17 and at the time believed he had "acted appropriately."
"I never thought my conduct was problematic," Bennison, 64, said during direct examination by his attorney.
Bennison was the young rector of St. Mark's Parish in Upland, Calif., in 1973 when his brother John, a parish youth minister, began having sex with a 15-year-old girl, Martha Alexis.
[~ 1993 MacDonald]
The Ottawa Citizen,
by Neco Cockburn, Thursday, June 12, 2008
CORNWALL, CANADA -- After an alleged sexual abuse victim made a $32,000 settlement with religious officials and agreed to withdraw a criminal complaint, Cornwall's police chief says he took the matter to a bishop who told him the accused priest admitted to a sexual incident and would be sent away for treatment.
What former chief Claude Shaver jotted down after that discussion in October 1993 became a sticking point in a public inquiry yesterday, with lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann grilling Mr. Shaver on the issue.
The former police chief was adamant his note, "Charlie admits," described what the bishop said -- that Rev. Charles MacDonald had admitted to having a same-sex encounter, not that he had assaulted the alleged victim, David Silmser.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
The Morning Call,
By Joann Loviglio | Of The Associated Press | June 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- An Episcopal bishop accused of covering up abuse in the 1970s testified Wednesday that he never saw anything inappropriate between his brother and the teenage victim.
Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. is accused of concealing sexual abuse by his brother, John Bennison, then a lay minister at a California church where Bennison was rector.
Bennison, who now leads the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, testified at his church trial that he immediately confronted his brother after hearing a rumor about the impropriety. His brother, who was about to leave the California parish where he worked as a youth counselor, denied having sexual contact with the girl.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
The Bulletin,
By Bradley Vasoli, June/12/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Episcopal Bishop Charles Bennison, of Pennsylvania, took the witness stand yesterday in his ecclesiastical trial and asserted he did not initially know that his brother, a priest, had sex with a minor.
Bp. Bennison's trial will determine whether he can remain as the presiding clergyman in the five-county region. It concerns whether he violated the canons of the church by failing to report alleged knowledge of his brother John's adulterous affair with an underage female parishioner at St. Mark's Church in Upland, Calif., in the early 1970s.
Charles was rector of St. Mark's at the time, and he hired his younger brother, a seminary student, to train Sunday school teachers and head the parish youth group. In 1971, the 24-year-old seminarian began his sexual advances toward Martha Alexis, a 14-year-old high school student, and intercourse eventually became frequent. She succeeded in ending the relationship after strenuous effort in 1974, before leaving Upland for college in Los Angeles.
- Indigenous children.
The Edmonton Journal,
by Elise Stolte, ~ June 12, 2008
EDMONTON, CANADA -- If tears came, few made it down the cheeks of those gathered in a downtown drop-in centre to watch Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologize for the residential school system.
Most were dry-eyed and quiet.
"It's not a very good environment to be vulnerable in," said Jane Slessor, an outreach worker at Boyle Street Community Services. "This is a tricky, tricky thing for people."
Harper apologized from the floor of the House of Commons for a century of residential schools that tore children from their families and culture, and made them vulnerable to abuse.
[~ 1990s MacDonald]
Standard-Freeholder
Posted By TREVOR PRITCHARD, ~ June 12, 2008
CANADA -- The one-time bishop of the local Roman Catholic diocese blurted out to former top cop Claude Shaver that a priest suspected of sexual abuse admitted to an "assault," the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Wednesday.
But Eugene LaRocque immediately backtracked, said Shaver, and explained that Rev. Charles MacDonald was only referring to being homosexual -- not sexually abusing David Silmser.
"He was flustered when he phoned me," said Shaver, who ran the Cornwall Police Service from 1984 to 1994.
"He was absolutely flustered. I could hear it in his voice."
On Oct. 7, 1993, Shaver and another officer paid visits to both LaRocque and Archbishop Carlo Curis, the pope's representative in Canada, to discuss what should happen with MacDonald, a former city priest.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:27 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu June 12, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Fr Mangalath -NEW*] - Christian. girl.
Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates),
By our correspondent, for 14 June 2008
TRIVANDRUM, INDIA – Three persons, including a priest and a film director, were arrested in connection with the sensational Thoppumpady sex racket case, involving the sexual exploitation of a minor girl.
A special police investigation team constituted on the orders of the high court attested the priest Fr Kuriakose Mangalath and a Congress worker Shibhu from Kottayam and the filmmaker Mohan Sithara from Trichur.
With this the number of persons arrested in the case has gone up to 16. The court had directed the Director General of Police to constitute a special team, headed by a senior police officer with integrity and efficiency, to probe the case on a writ petition filed by Visalam, mother of the victim.
[COMMENT: As this and other news from India, etc., show, the eyes of other religions are on how Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Animists, etc., misbehave. Cover-ups, secrecy, and pretending it is not happening are not the way to cure systemic failure. ENDS.]
[2001 Bp Loverde -NEW*] - RCC. Failed to hold Church courts. Brave Frs Haley and Clark.
The Washington Times,
~ June 13, 2008
ARLINGTON (VA) -- Every priest in the Diocese of Arlington knows of Father James Haley. And the Rev. Joseph Clark.
What both priests have in common is that their careers have been destroyed by one man - Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde.
Bishop Loverde was not amused when, starting in 1999, Father Haley began supplying him with names of adulterous priests, homosexual clergy and priests with a predilection for child porn.
Instead of immediately removing these clergymen, the bishop on Oct. 23, 2001, gave Father Haley four hours to move out of his rectory and suspended him from all priestly functions.
A lawyer who got wind of this compelled Father Haley to testify in 2002 in a lawsuit involving a priest who had run off with a female parishioner.
Father Haley's 233-page deposition, filed in Arlington County Circuit Court, was filled with salacious details about his fellow clergy.
[? 2000s Unnamed priest - NEW*] - RCC. 3 charges.
IOL,
by Anna Cox, 09:37AM, June 13, 2008
SOUTH AFRICA -- A Catholic priest charged with three cases of sexual assault has appeared in court.
He was not asked to plead.
Most of the day in the Brits magistrate's court on Thursday was taken up with the priest's advocate, Graham Kerr-Phillips, trying to get the state to release the full Child Protection Unit's docket to him.
Only the first section, known as "A" was released.
[1990+ Lawrence Smith - NEW*] - Christian. Girl.
WBTV,
Associated Press, 5:05 PM ET, June 13, 2008
AIKEN, S.C. (AP) - A North Augusta pastor has been accused of sexual assaults on a teenage girl that started 18 years ago.
Sheriff Michael Hunt says 69-year-old Rev. Lawrence Smith is charged with three counts each of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree; performing a lewd act on a child; and aggravated assault and battery.
The State newspaper of Columbia reported investigators arrested Smith at his home Thursday.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:24 PM]
[? 2000s Deacon Carr -NEW*] - Baptist. 32 charges.
News 14,
By: Jonathan Lowe, 05:06 PM, June/13/2008
HIGH POINT (NC) -- A local businessman and deacon is facing numerous sex charges.
Detectives arrested 65-year-old Guy Ellis Carr Jr. Thursday at his business. While the number of sex charges – 32 – may be surprising to some, Carr's employees say they're even more shocked he's the suspect. …
Carr is a deacon at Emerywood Baptist Church. While police officials won't say if Carr committed any crimes there, Emerywood senior pastor Bob Ferguson told News 14 Carolina Friday the church is not involved in the investigation.
- RCC. Lithuanians fight on.
The Catholic Free Press
By Tanya Connor, June 13, 2008
WORCESTER (MA) – Written decrees of suppression and merger will be sent to the pastors of closing and welcoming parishes next week, Msgr. F. Stephen Pedone, diocesan judicial vicar/vicar for canonical affairs, told The Catholic Free Press Wednesday.
He explained this process, and the process of petitioning the Vatican, when asked about statements by members of St. Casimir Parish who oppose Bishop McManus' decision to suppress their parish and merge it with St. John Parish.
The "Friends of St. Casimir's Lithuanian Parish" committee, which is trying to keep the parish open, is waiting for the bishop to respond to its May 27 letter and is planning to take its plea to the Vatican, Frank P. Statkus, chairman, said Tuesday. He was talking about their next steps after Bishop McManus reiterated his decision Sunday.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Not Guilty. Adult.
WTVG,
~ June 13, 2008
[with video]
OHIO -- A judge found Catholic priest Father Frank Murd not guilty of sexual imposition today.
A judge found catholic priest Father Frank Murd not guilty of sexual imposition today. The diocese removed Murd from Saint joseph's in Maumee in April. That's when Murd was first accused of improperly fondling another man in a hot tub.
Lawyers for both sides agree Father Frank Murd fondled another man in a JCC hottub.
Prosecutors could not convince judge James Jensen that the accuser clearly objected to Murd's actions. "We disagree with the judge's decision," says Mike Loisel of the Lucas County Prosecutor's office.
- RCC. More scepticism, please.
GetReligion,
Posted by Mark Stricherz, ~ June 13, 2008
ARLINGTON (VA) -- On Monday, I criticized a Los Angeles Times story for failing to provide essential details to readers. Today, I criticize a Washington Times column for … failing to provide essential details to readers.
Like the LAT's Duke Helfand, the WT's Julia Duin began her column with a bang and a flourish:
Every priest in the Diocese of Arlington knows of Father James Haley. And the Rev. Joseph Clark.
What both priests have in common is that their careers have been destroyed by one man - Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde.
But like the early dance scene in Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," the music stopped. Or at least the story had no more than one or two notes in it. Duin told the column almost entirely from the perspective of the two priests and presented their claims with insufficient skepticism.
[1990-05 Lawrence Smith*] - Christian. Girl/s.
NBC Augusta
By NBC Augusta Staff, ~ June 13, 2008
NORTH AUGUSTA (SC) -- North Augusta pastor Lawrence Smith is charged with several counts of sexual assault.
Deputies say some of the assaults involve a teenage girl and date back to 1990.
The Aiken County Sheriff's Office says one victim was assaulted several times between 1990 and 1995.
Sheriff Michael Hunt says the sheriff's office knows for a fact there are more victims. He says some victims have moved and others don't want to cooperate.
- RCC.
Total Catholic,
21:21, Friday, June 13, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- Priests who say they have been wrongly accused of child abuse will be allowed a right of appeal against any alleged mistreatment by their bishops.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales will introduce review panels in September to examine complaints made by priests who insist they are innocent but say they have been sacrificed to save their superiors.
The measure was announced at a June 12 press conference in London. It was recommended after a review of child protection procedures last year.
- Bp Geoff Robinson won't be hushed about celibacy.
KCBS,
~ June 13, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KCBS) -- An Australian bishop with controversial ideas about the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal is scheduled to speak in San Francisco Friday night, in defiance of the local Archbishop.
The Vatican had actually pressured the priest to cancel his American tour. But, the bishop intends to speak out anyway.
The defiant bishop thinks the Catholic Church needs to reconsider celibacy for priests.
Retired Auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robison of Sydney is making international waves with his book "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church," in which he argues that forcing Catholic priests to remain celibate may contribute to abuse of young parishioners by clergy.
"This is the first time a bishop has written a book that dares to question some of the institutional problems in the church that have contributed to the crisis," argues Bob Rowden with Voice of the Faithful, the Catholic reform group that invited Robinson to America for a speaking tour.
[COMMENT: Is it "the first time a bishop has …" ? Bishops have been fighting the killjoys in both Eastern and Western Christianity for centuries, as is documented on this Website. ENDS.]
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Episcopal Life,
By Jerry Hames, June 13, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) [Episcopal News Service] -- The ecclesiastical trial of Bishop Charles Bennison concluded June 12 with the bishop saying he would do nothing different than what he did 35 years ago when he learned that his younger brother, John Bennison, who he had hired as a youth group supervisor, seduced a 14-year-old girl in his parish.
Charles Bennison, now bishop in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, said he was made aware of the situation shortly before John's ordination as priest. He said he confronted him in a field outside St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Upland, California, but John denied repeatedly any improper conduct. The bishop said he ordered John to leave the church, but it was two more months before his brother departed, while continuing his abuse of the girl.
Under cross-examination, when he was asked if he believed that his brother's manner of life was suitable for a person to be ordained, Charles Bennsion said he felt "a little bit" uncomfortable, but maintained that he knew of no impediment or criminal action to prevent John's ordination. As a result, he testified, he presented his brother for ordination by his father, Bishop Charles Bennsion Sr., at a service in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
[Mons. O'Brien, Bro. (Capuchin)] - RCC. Minors.
KCUR,
Dan Verbeck, KCUR News, June 13, 2008
Barbara Dorris outlines molestation claims outside Kansas City Catholic Chancery -- kcur photo by Dan Verbeck KANSAS CITY, MO -- Two more lawsuits are being filed against current and former Roman Catholic clergy and the Kansas city-St. Joseph diocese, alleging child sex molestation and coverup.
Neither plaintiff is named. One Jackson County Circuit Court case accuses Msgr Thomas O'Brien in the case of a 12 year old boy allegedly abused at that age, and then over years, from the rectory at St Elizabeths Parish.The purported victim died in a car crash 9 years ago.
The suit asks damages for his 5 surviving children.
Barbara Dorris of the support group known as survivors network of those abused by priests says the other accused was a Capuchin Order Brother.
[Cantini] - RCC. Alleged bribe Lire 3m. 20 women.
Corriere della Sera,
~ June 13, 2008
FIRENZE, Italia – La sentenza di condanna del tribunale della Chiesa sembrava aver chiuso la vicenda. E invece l'inchiesta penale su don Lelio Cantini, il parroco di Firenze di 82 anni riconosciuto colpevole dai suoi superiori di abusi sessuali nei confronti di alcune ragazze, adesso entra nelle stanze della curia. Esplora i rapporti tra il prete e quello che era il suo allievo prediletto, il vescovo ausiliare del capoluogo toscano Claudio Maniago. Verifica alcune denunce che lo coinvolgono in festini a luci rosse e tentativi di plagio di alcuni fedeli per costringerli a cedere le loro proprietà. L'alto prelato non risulta iscritto nel registro degli indagati, ma nei suoi confronti sono già stati disposti accertamenti e controlli. I magistrati hanno acquisito i tabulati delle sue telefonate e ora si concentrano sui conti correnti bancari proprio per stabilire la fondatezza delle accuse. [translation]
Five witnesses accuse bishop Maniago;
Parties and menaces in Florence;
The investigation leads to the Curia.
The Rev. Cantini, the parish priest who is now being investigated, was already condemned by the Church's tribunal. He is accused by twenty women.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
FLORENCE, ITALY – The sentence issued by the Church's tribunal seemed to have ended the story. Instead the ongoing crime investigation about the Rev. Lelio Cantini, the 82-year-old parish priest in Florence who was found guilty by his superiors of sexual abuses against some girls, is just entering the Curia's rooms. It's going deep into the relationship between the priest and his once favorite pupil, the auxiliary bishop of the Tuscan capital, Claudio Maniago, who allegedely participated to the so called "red-light-parties" (sex parties) and attempted to plagiarize some faithful in order to force them to donate their properties. The high prelate's name isn't yet formally listed in the register of those to be investigated, but a preliminary search and some controls are going on. The magistrates have now the data about his telephone calls and are checking the bank current accounts in order to ascertain if the allegations were founded.
Last spring, three years before the first accusations were made, the Rev. Cantini and his "perpetua" (the caretaker of the parish), Rosanna Saveri, took refuge in a convent to avoid the clamor arisen by the fact that more than twenty women were accusing the priest of having raped them when they were minors. Numerous parishioners reported of having been brainwashed and forced to donate money and real estate. The Rev. Lelio's declared objective was to create a new "uncorrupted" Church and to find "boys to send to the seminaries in order to colonize the ecclesiastical structure". The alleged victims went to the curia and then they wrote a letter to the Pope soliciting the sanctions set by the ecclesiastical tribunals, pending the decisions of the ordinary magistrates. The facts had occurred many years before and they were afraid some crimes couldn't be tried due to the statute of limitations. Meanwhile the Church decided to intervene. On April 2 the bishop of Florence Ennio Antonelli and his auxiliary Maniago were received in the Vatican by Benedict XVI just to deal with that problem and eventually decide some disciplinary actions. The penal administrative process authorized by the Congregation for the doctrine and the faith had already been going on.
Its conclusions came some weeks after with a ruling the same Antonelli defined «exemplary»: the Rev. Cantini is guilty not only of sexual abuses, but of "false mysticism and conscience control". That meant brain washing. The parish priest won't be allowed to perform any activity, in short he was interdicted. The cardinal's ruling ended in defense of the seriousness, dedication and loyalty of bishop Maniago". But in the prosecutor's office some witnesses reported a different truth. Two Curia employees and two priests accused Maniago of having always known about the Rev. Cantini's real activity, being the latter his spiritual father, and of having "protected" him. Above all they accused him of having participated to the administration of the real estate patrimony taken away from the parishioners. Then they went on saying that the bishop, too, had participated to the "red-light-parties". They referred to a number of episodes, the last one occurring in 2003. "In more than one occasion - they affirmed - he menaced us in order to force us to be silent, but now we can't go on".
The magistrates deemed the accusations were founded and organized some verifications. They came in possession of the data regarding the the curia's cell phone in Florence, which was used by bishop Maniago. They checked the calls made and received between January and June last. They found out many calls were made between him and the "perpetua" and they discovered that at least twice the high prelate contacted the convent where the Rev. Cantini had fled to. They tried to understand the reason for those conversations. That's if the calls were made in connection with the ongoing process or if instead there was the will to make an accord between the two. On April 21 a man, whose name is Paolo C., went to the prosecutor, saying he had decided to speak after having read the newspapers and learned what was happening. And he reported what had occurred ten years before. On August 1996 - he told the prosecutor – being a gay, I put a notice on a newspaper, in the section 'sado-maso encounters' ". Through my post office mail-box I was contacted by a person who asked to meet me at the Certosa. When he arrived there I saw he was a priest. He led me near Cecina where there was a summer dormitory. He told me he was the Rev. Andrea. There we met another priest and two boys, who were from southern Italy. I had sexual intercourse with the Rev. Andrea, and I spent the night there. The day after they told me a person they called "the boss" would arrive. In the evening we had a sex party. I recognized the priest when I saw him in the photo. He was Claudio Maniago".
The man entered into the details. "At a certain point I said I had enough, I couldn't go on like that". Paolo C. recalled his flight, his crisis. He said he spoke of the matter with the Rev. Andrea "who later contacted me a certain number of times". He added: "They offered me money, then they transferred it into my bank account. I was afraid that could seem to be a kind of extortion to buy my silence, but they said they only wanted to make an offer to me". It consisted of a little more than three million lires. The witness gave the data to ascertain the bank operation, the prosecutors asked the police to make the due checks. The passage of money appeared on the records of the Banca delle Marche. Now other patrimonial checks are going on to find out if similar transactions were made in the past. When the picture will be completed a decision will be taken for an indictment. Before the formal registration of the bishop's name in the list of those to be investigated, the magistrates want to make some cross-references of the data at their disposal and make other research.
Fiorenza Sarzanini
[~ 2000s Ms Lee] - Christian. Money > US $2500.
Home News Tribune,
By BRANDON LAUSCH, June 13, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Somerset County authorities today announced that the president of St. Joseph School's Home and School Association in North Plainfield has been arrested and charged with theft following an investigation that revealed more than $2,500 in cash donations were stolen from four school-sponsored events, including an entertainment book fund-raiser and a theater field trip.
Gretchen Lee, 37, of Malcolm Avenue in North Plainfield, turned herself into authorities this morning, police said. She was charged with third-degree theft, processed and released, according to authorities.
- RCC. Too hard to meet Presidential candidate.
Palm Beach Post,
By George Bennett | 01:28 PM | Friday, June 13, 2008,
ORLANDO (FL) -- A meeting in Orlando between presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Catholic bishops has been scrubbed because of logistical problems, an organizer said.
McCain planned to meet tonight at a private reception with bishops who are in Orlando for the semiannual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. But an official with the Catholic Citizens Committee, which was organizing the meeting, said his group ran into trouble putting the event together on relatively short notice.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Phillyist,
~ June 13, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Some topics just automatically lend themselves to generating Assholes of the Week, and this week, it's the topic of clergy abuse scandals that provides our dishonoree. Charles E. Bennison, the suspended Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Philadelphia, testified in his church tiral. Bennison is accused of helping to cover up abuse his brother, John, committed 35 years ago against a 14-year-old girl.
Now, we're some of the first people to jump in line to make clergy molestation jokes. But to some extent, we can understand covering for your brother, no matter how awful the acts committed were. It's human instinct to not throw a family member under the bus. (We're not in any way saying that we condone the cover-up–only that we can understand how Bennison would be reluctant to report his brother's crimes.) But it's not what Bennison actually did by participating in the cover-up, deplorable though that is in and of itself. No, rather, what's landed Charles Bennison on these pages is the asinine things he said in his testimony. We realize that 35 years is a long time, and that memories fade, but one would think you'd remember some of the details of your brother molesting a teenage girl. Apparently, we're wrong:
I can't remember what I've forgotten…. I do think I have an amnesia problem. I don't remember a lot of this.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint alleges 1962-65.
The News Journal,
By BETH MILLER, June 13, 2008
WILMINGTON (DE) -- A third anonymous lawsuit charging sexual abuse by the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca was filed today against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and St. John the Beloved Church.
In the suit, the 56-year-old plaintiff alleges more than 100 acts of sexual abuse by DeLuca, from 1962 10 1965, starting when the alleged victim was 10 years old.
The suit is the third anonymous DeLuca-related complaint filed this year and the fourth since Delaware's Child Victim's Act went into effect last July. The law eliminated the civil statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse and opened a two-year "window" during which previously time-barred complaints could be filed.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Admitted it, but Not Guilty. Adult.
Advertiser-Tribune,
~ June 13, 2008
OHIO -- A Roman Catholic priest was found not guilty in Lucas County Common Pleas Court of a misdemeanor charge of sexual imposition.
Father Frank Murd, a former priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tiffin, was found not guilty Friday morning by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James Jensen, a spokeswoman in Jensen's court confirmed.
- RCC.
The Pilot,
By Christine Williams, Posted: June/13/2008
BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- The Apostolic Signature, the Catholic Church's supreme court, has rejected appeals of eight parish suppressions, the Archdiocese of Boston confirmed June 10.
The former parishes are: Infant Jesus-St. Lawrence in Brookline, Our Lady of Lourdes in Revere, St. Anselm in Sudbury, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in Scituate, St. James the Great in Wellesley, St. Jeremiah in Framingham, St. Mary Star of the Sea in the Squantum section of Quincy and St. Michael in Lynn.
A ninth appeal for St. Jeanne d'Arc Parish in Lowell was rejected by the Apostolic Signature in February. Representatives from all the former parishes will ask the court to reconsider their appeals, according to Brother James Peterson, assistant to the moderator of the curia for canonical affairs.
[Curran]
Kennebec Journal,
12:02 PM, June 13, 2008
AUGUSTA, MAINE – The University of Maine at Augusta has changed the name of a scholarship it has offered in honor of the Rev. John J. Curran.
The change follows a push by advocates for victims of sexual abuse by priests to remove the late priest's name from scholarship awards offered by UMA and the Calumet Educational and Literary Foundation.
UMA will continue to offer the scholarship award and is now calling it the Leadership and Service Scholarship. The scholarship's name has already been changed on the university's Web site.
"We think this is a good resolution and outcome," UMA President Allyson Hughes Handley said.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint alleges 1962-65.
WDEL
By Peter MacArthur, ~ June 13, 2008
WILMINGTON (DE) -- Another person is coming forward, suing the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington for being the target of more than a hundred incidents of sexual abuse he says were forced on him by a former priest.
The man, known as John Doe #3 in the suit, claims he was molested by the Reverend Francis DeLuca between 1962 and 1965 when the victim was a 10 to 13 year old altar boy.
The suit claims, as two previous ones have, that the Diocese was aware of what DeLuca was doing but let him remain a practicing priest.
- RCC.
Catholic Explorer
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien (Catholic News Service)
Published Jun 13, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- In the aftermath of the clergy sex abuse crisis, the U.S. bishops are working to rebuild relations with some unanticipated victims: their priests.
Bishop Gregory M. Aymond of Austin, Texas, and other members of the bishops' Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People, met June 12 in Orlando with representatives of half of the nation's priests to begin a dialogue on issues that arose during and after the sex abuse scandal.
"Some felt guilty by association," while others felt their fellow priests who were accused of wrongdoing were not treated fairly or with pastoral concern, Bishop Aymond told Catholic News Service after the closed-door listening session at the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Admitted fondling, but Not Guilty. Adult.
"Fascinating path to a conviction,"Toledo Blade,
June 13, 2008
OHIO -- A Roman Catholic priest accused of fondling a man in a hot tub in a Sylvania Township YMCA facility was acquitted on Friday of misdemeanor sexual imposition.
Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James Jensen issued his decision in the case of the Rev. Frank Murd after hearing testimony during a bench trial earlier this week.
Father Murd, 66, resigned as pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Maumee about a month after a 27-year-old man reported the incident that occurred at the JCC/YMCA, 6465 Sylvania Ave.
[2008 Unnamed priest* and others] - Interfering in presidential campaign.
America (RC Magazine),
~ June 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Doug Kmiec is a former appointee of the Reagan and Bush I administrations, a former dean of Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America, currently a professor of law at the conservative Pepperdine University and a longtime pro-life activist. In February, to the surprise of his colleagues, he announced his support of Barack Obama for president. Professor Kmiec reasons that after more than three decades seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, it is time to look at alternative approaches to preventing abortions. Among these is Obama's recommendation for community education of pregnant mothers. "Good, evenhanded information and genuine empathy and love," Kmiec has said, "save more children than hypothetical legal limits–which, as best as I can tell, have saved: well, zero." For that political offense a priest whom he will not identify denied Kmiec Communion at a private Mass celebrated in advance of an event at which the lawyer was to speak.
The denial of Communion to a committed pro-life activist who, after firsthand experience of the political wars, judges new options must be tried demonstrates the absurd and uncharitable extremes to which the pastoral practice of excluding Catholics from Communion on political grounds can descend. Furthermore, after three professedly anti-abortion administrations since 1981 have failed to end abortion, one must in all honesty ask whether a hard-line pro-life position within the church serves as a Trojan horse for other, more partisan political goals. The church must continue to form the consciences of politicians, and anything-goes, pro-abortion politicians should not expect the church's blessing. Nonetheless, such a denial of the sacrament in the election season remains both politically inept and pastorally offensive.
- RCC. Catholic League says "only" 5 accused, is progress.
New Oxford Review
~ June 13, 2008
UNITED STATES -- "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."
So begins an April 16 news release from the Catholic League. William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, comments, "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."
Donohue says, "SNAP's ideological basis stems from the fact that it positively refuses to recognize the incredible progress that has been made -- exactly five priests out of more than 40,000 had accusations made against them for abusing a minor in 2007 -- yet for SNAP it's never enough. Financially, it derives much of its funding from the steeple-chasing lawyers who have fleeced the 'deep-pocket' Catholic Church. It's time we dismiss these professional victims' advocates for what they are -- activists whose goal is to discredit the Church."
Leon J. Podles, a former federal investigator, senior editor of Touchstone magazine, and a former Catholic seminarian, has written a new book titled Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church (2008 [sic], Crossland Press, PO Box 26290, Baltimore MD 21210, www.CrosslandFoundation.org). He tells the now-familiar story of how the U.S. bishops stonewalled, threatened, and ignored the victims of clerical sexual abuse and their families, while protecting predatory priests with impunity. But he tells the story in graphic detail. "Bishops," he writes, "knew about the abuse and sometimes took part in it…. Most bishops were not interested in protecting children." Podles quotes Frank Keating, one-time head of the U.S. bishops' National Review Board (fired by the bishops), as saying that the bishops "cared more for the…reputation of the Church than for the ravaged and frightened souls of children." This is the mentality on display in Donohue's press release. "Meanwhile," writes Podles, "the children were left with their secrets, without help, in the darkness of their souls."
[Kozlowski] - RCC. Money < US $400,000. Gambling.
The Buffalo News,
By Matt Gryta, June 13, 2008
NEW YORK -- Randall Kozlowski stole nearly $400,000 from his church, a crime that could have put him in prison for 15 years.
Instead, a judge Thursday sent him to a local jail cell for no more than a year and ordered him to repay about 15 percent of what he took.
A tearful Kozlowski, 49, told State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski he was "very sorry" that, because of his "gambling addiction," he took the money while he kept the books for Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Cheektowaga.
Kozlowski's lawyers turned over a bank check for $10,000 to begin the court-ordered restitution. Michalski ordered Kozlowski, the church's former business manager, to pay $400 a month for the next 120 months, the amount that John C. Doscher, chief of the Erie County district attorney's White-Collar Crime Bureau, sought.
- RCC. Money problems.
Star Tribune,
~ June 13, 2008
ST. PAUL (MN) -- St. Paul police are investigating the possible embezzlement of tens of thousands of dollars from St. Bernard's Catholic Church in the North End neighborhood, police spokesman Peter Panos said.
He said that church officials, including the Rev. Mike Anderson, its pastor, contacted police Wednesday after the money was discovered missing from church accounts.
The church also identified a possible suspect, Panos said, but no arrest has been made.
Officials were alerted to the possible theft after the church's bank called a trustee, saying, "You don't have enough money to pay your bills," Panos said.
WWLTV,
~ June 13, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (LA) -- Drastic measures that have succeeded in keeping some Boston Catholic churches from closing could be used here in similar situations, an advocate for the Boston Council of Parishes told interested parishioners of churches slated to be shuttered here.
Peter Borre of the Boston Council said parishioners of some Boston churches filed lawsuits and even occupied and stayed inside some of the buildings around the clock to prevent their closure.
"We learned something, which I think a lot of you good people in this city learned the last few years," he said.
Borre said the decision on four of the churches slated for closure has been reversed.
- The Faithful are to blame !!!
National Catholic Register,
By The Editors, for June 15-21, 2008 Issue | Posted 10:09 AM, June/10/08
According to conventional wisdom, the biggest sexual-abuse scandal of our time is clergy abuse. Those who have studied it will add, "And it wasn't just the relatively small percentage of abusers that was the problem. It was the bishops who did nothing to stop it."
As Pope Benedict XVI pointed out when he visited the United States in April, that conventional wisdom speaks truth.
But there's a much deeper and wider scandal that this conventional wisdom misses entirely.
Said Benedict on April 16: "What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?"
The deepest, widest sexual scandal in the Church has nothing to do with priests. It's the scandal of laypeople who themselves indulge in the sexual excesses so prevalent in our day, or who train their children to, whether by example, timidity or a blind eye.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. GUILTY. Street nakedness.
The Denver Post,
Article Last Updated 12:32:12 AM MDT, June/13/2008
GREELEY (CO) -- The Rev. Robert Whipkey, whom a police officer found walking in the nude, was convicted Thursday of indecent exposure. The jury deliberated for about two hours before returning the verdict.
Whipkey, 53, could be sentenced to anywhere from probation to 18 months in jail and could be fined from $500 to $5,000. He will be sentenced Aug. 14.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. GUILTY. Street nakedness.
Longmont Times-Call
By Eric Barendsen and Victoria A.F. Camron
~ June 13, 2008
GREELEY (CO) – The Rev. Robert Whipkey was convicted of indecent exposure Thursday evening after a one-day trial.
The jury of four women and two men found the former pastor guilty after about two hours of deliberations, following a trial that lasted about five hours.
Whipkey, 54, did not show any reaction when the verdict was read, and he left the courtroom stone-faced with his eyes lowered. He faces between six and 18 months in prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 11.
- RCC.
Independent Catholic News
~ June 13, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- The sixth annual report from COPCA was released today, providing details relating to the work of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults within the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
The annual report of 2007 further demonstrates the progress being achieved in safeguarding vulnerable people, work central to the Church's ministry.
It shows that: The number of parishes with at least one Local Child Protection Representative is at its highest point ever at 2494. This is a vital volunteer role which raises awareness about safeguarding and advises and assists with parish activities to ensure that the activities for Children and Vulnerable Adults are safe.
[Burr]
Home News Tribune
By KEN SERRANO, June 11, 2008
MIDDLESEX COUNTY (NJ) –The state Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling that gives a new trial to an Edison piano teacher accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl, saying a jury should have heard testimony that the defendant suffers from Asperger's disorder, a mild form of autism.
Franklin "Jack" Burr II, 62, was convicted in October 2004 of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Assaults were alleged to have taken place in Edison when the girl took lessons with Burr at East Coast Piano and later at the Jewish Community Center, where Burr rented space to conduct his classes. Burr was accused of inappropriately touching the girl.
- RCC.
Vatican Radio,
June 13, 2008
[with audio]
ORLANDO (FL) -- The U.S. Catholic bishops spring conference began yesterday in Orlando, Florida. During the meeting which will continue until tomorrow bishops will vote on a proposed statement concerning embryonic stem cell research. But they will also look at issues including medically assisted nutrition and hydration, and clergy sex abuse.
Irish Independent,
By Tim Healy, Friday June 13, 2008
IRELAND -- It is "grossly utilitarian" to argue that the State should have no liability for the sexual abuse of children in national schools because this would lead to many other claims relating to events in such places, the Supreme Court was told yesterday.
The claim came on day two of a case taken by a woman sexually assaulted by a national school principal as a child.
Louise O'Keeffe has asked the Supreme Court to rule that the Minister for Education and the State are liable for the assaults.
The State and taxpayer benefited from the national school system of education which was a public project and it was "just and proper" that the State should pay the cost of the few children sexually abused while attending those schools, counsel for Ms O'Keeffe argued.
- Small Christian sects.
Abilene Reporter-News,
By Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service,
Thursday, June 12, 2008
UNITED STATES -- What is it with sects and sex?
The Texas probe into alleged child abuse at a polygamous compound started with an anonymous phone call about underage girls having sex with adult men. Reports circulated of rumpled bed linens inside the sect's glistening temple.
Its imprisoned leader, Warren Jeffs, reportedly has dozens of wives and would grant and deny wives to his male followers depending on their perceived worthiness. Without multiple wives, he taught, they could never achieve salvation.
Yet Jeffs isn't the first sect figure to come under legal scrutiny for sexual practices that outsiders might consider unusual, immoral or even abhorrent. Indeed, many new religious movements -- NRMs in scholar-speak -- are distinguished not only by their unconventional beliefs but also by the sexual proclivities of their male leaders.
All of which raises the question: Why do people join or remain members of a group that practices unusual sexual behaviors? And what's more, what kind of sexual power do the leaders of NRMs hold over their followers?
[COMMENT: According to author Christopher Hitchens, nearly ALL religions interfere with people's sexual practices. ENDS.]
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
The Bulletin,
By Bradley Vasoli, June/13/2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Ecclesiastical Court proceedings to determine whether Charles Bennison may remain Episcopalian bishop in the five-county region concluded yesterday.
Two counts against Bp. Bennison concern whether he committed "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy." Church prosecutors allege that he failed to protect underage parishioner Martha Alexis from sexual predation by John Bennison, his younger brother, and kept the matter a secret from the girl's parents.
The abuse continued nearly throughout Ms. Alexis's high school years in the early 1970s when John served as youth group leader in St. Mark's Church in Upland, Calif. The elder Bennison, then rector of the church, hired his brother for the job as he worked on his seminary studies.
If the panel of nine priests and bishops finds that Bp. Bennison failed in his priestly duties, he could lose his standing as bishop and face further sentencing. They will issue their ruling within 30 days.
- Baptist.
The Record,
By Steve Gonzalez 6:10 AM
June/12/2008
MADISON COUNTY (IL) -- The mother of a 13-year-old boy claims her son suffers from permanent emotional injuries after having been sexually abused by his youth pastor, according to a lawsuit filed June 4 in Madison County Circuit Court.
Jane Doe claims Anthony Muzzarelli was a youth pastor at Mt. Zion General Baptist Church in Granite City and worked directly with her son. The child had been invited him to Muzzarelli's home as part of the ministry, the lawsuit claims.
Doe claims her son was sleeping at Muzzarelli's home on Feb. 25, 2006, and was awakened when Muzzarelli allegedly started to fondle him.
She claims the alleged incident occurred during the course of Muzzarelli's employment with Mt. Zion.
[Shrimplin]
News-Press,
BY PAT GILLESPIE, pgillespie@news-press.com , June 13, 2008
BONITA SPRINGS (FL) -- An Ohio man dropped a lawsuit against a former Catholic deacon living in Bonita Springs because the statute of limitations ran out.
Tom Ferguson, 48, filed a lawsuit in February against Glen Shrimplin, alleging Shrimplin molested him as a teenager on a trip to Florida in 1975 or 1976. He was seeking damages in excess of $15,000.
"My lawyer advised me that because of the statute of limitations, it wasn't going to be feasible," Ferguson said Thursday from Ohio. According to Florida law, the statute of limitations for most civil lawsuits is four to seven years.
Efforts to reach Shrimplin on Thursday were unsuccessful. In 2003, when a different lawsuit alleging abuse was filed in Ohio, Shrimplin, 74, told The News-Press he was "shocked" and "at a loss" and denied the allegations.
- Indigenous children.
Winnipeg Free Press,
~ June 13, 2008
CANADA -- Thank you Mr. Speaker
As a survivor of a Canadian policy designed to strip my people of our collective identity, it is with mixed emotion that I rise today to respond to the apology delivered by the Prime Minister yesterday in the House of Commons.
I would like to first acknowledge our honoured guests in the gallery. Grand Chief Ron Evans, Treaty Commissioner Dennis Whitebird, Manitoba Metis Federation President David Chartrand, Keewatin Tribal Council Grand Chief Arnold Ouskan, respected elder and Order of Manitoba recipient Ed Wood, and all First Nations Chiefs in attendance.
Most importantly, I want and convey my deepest and heartfelt respect to the elders and survivors who have joined us in the public gallery here today, and honour those who sadly never lived to see this day. Also I must acknowledge the children of survivors for their courage and commitment to a brighter future. I would like to also mention some old buddies whose friendship helped me survive my time at residential school, Elijah Joseph Harper, who is here today, also Robert Paynter and David Menow who still live in Norway House.
- Indigenous children.
Vancouver Sun,
by Grand Chief Edward John, Vancouver Sun,
Published: Thursday, June 12, 2008
CANADA -- I am Akile Ch'oh, Dene Zah (hereditary chief) and I proudly acknowledge that I am from Tl'azt'en Nation, Dakelh Territory. Many of you will know me as Edward John, Grand Chief, Tl'azt'en Nation and an elected member of the First Nations Summit. In days gone by I was #34 at Lejac Indian Residential School where I was sent at a very young age.
I wish to acknowledge the people and Council of Squamish Nation on whose territory we gather today. Over the years they have been the gracious hosts of our many important deliberations and we are very grateful for their generosity. Today we gather again at the Chief Joe Mathias Centre at this defining moment in our collective history and of our relationship with Canada.
We have a destiny with Canada and Canada has a destiny with its historic treatment of our peoples. Already Canada has extended much welcomed apologies to the Chinese for the head tax, to the Japanese for their wartime internment and to the East Indians for the Komagata Maru incident. As well, we acknowledge our Indigenous brothers and sisters in Australia, particularly the members of the Stolen Generations and their families, to whom Prime Minister Rudd apologized on February 13, 2008. We understand their situation deeply.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Philadelphia Daily News,
By NICOLE NORFLEET, norfleen@phillynews.com , 215-854-5444, June 13, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- For much of the 32 hours of witness testimony and lawyer statements this week, the audience's view of suspended Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. was restricted to the shiny bald spot in the back of his head.
Yesterday, the last day of his church trial, spectators got a glimpse of the 64-year-old bishop's perspective on his brother John's sexual abuse of a teen-age girl as he testified - sometimes forgetting the order of critical points of the case.
"I can't remember what I've forgotten," he answered during questioning by church attorney Ralph A. Jacobs.
His response elicited a few soft chuckles from the crowd inside the Center City Marriott.
- RCC.
Orlando Sentinel,
by Victor Manuel Ramos | Sentinel Staff Writer
June 13, 2008
ORLANDO (FL) -- A small but vocal group of protesters stood in the midday sun Thursday outside a meeting of Catholic bishops to remind them that sexual-predator priests are still claiming victims.
Just four demonstrators showed up outside the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is convening in Orlando for its semiannual meeting through Saturday. David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said he made the trip from St. Louis to let the bishops know that the problem of sexual abuse has not gone away. He carried a sign that read: "Bishops: supervise predators."
Clohessy's organization has been following a trail of cases of suspended priests who, they say, continue to commit sexual crimes in other communities. The activists want to see the establishment of a priests' offender registry and supervised treatment facilities.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:07 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri June 13, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2000s Caccioppoli - NEW*] - Mormon. Boys.
Sunday Star-Times,
by Karen Arnold | Sunday, June 15, 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- THE CHURCH of Latter-day Saints knew its Sunday School teacher Raphael Caccioppoli had a history of sexual offending against boys but didn't tell police because it did not think it legally had to.
Neither did the Mormon hierarchy tell the parents of the children he was left to supervise on his own.
Instead, it excommunicated the Justice Ministry judicial officer following a church court hearing in June last year.
Police become aware of his offending only after a tip-off from one of his associates in September.
[1990-95 Lawrence Smith*] - Christian. Girl.
Aiken Standard,
By KAREN DAILY, ~ June 14, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA -- A North Augusta pastor has been accused of sexual assaults a teenage girl for approximately five years, dating back to 1990, but investigators with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office say they suspect there are more victims who have yet to come forward, according to officials.
Lawrence Smith Jr., 69, of Bradleyville Road in North Augusta, is charged with three counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, three counts of lewd act upon a child and three counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Aiken County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested Smith at his home Thursday, said Lt. Michael Frank, a sheriff's office spokesperson.
[Campobello]
CTL NYC,
~ June 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- This links to a trailer for a movie called
Forsaken, which discusses clergy sexual abuse. According to writer Matt C. Abbott, who appears in the trailer along with several others, the still-in-production documentary focuses on events involving St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, Ill. QuickTime player is needed to view the film preview.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:33 PM]
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WCCB-TV Charlotte,
~ June 14, 2008
[with video]
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- The Charlotte Diocese has to do more. That's what SNAP, the Survivors Network, of those Abuse by Priest is saying after a former Charlotte priest is charged with having sex with a child. The group brought a letter to the Charlotte office for the Bishop today. Bishop Jugis was not in town.
Father Robert Yurgel is facing multiple charges for taking indecent liberties with a child and rape. Yurgel was at Saint Matthew Church in South Charlotte in the late 1990's. The victim just recently came forward.
SNAP's national director came to Charlotte Wednesday. David Clohessy feels confident there are more victims out there, "It would be extraordinarily unusual if Father Yurgel molested one child, one child only and did it in complete secrecy and no one had a clue."
[LOOK BACK: April 2008]
La Stampa,
Di GIUSEPPE SALVAGGIULO, INVIATO A SIENA, ~ June 14, 2008
ITALIA -- Come nella favola di Andersen, in cui tutti vedono il re nudo ma nessuno lo dice tranne un bambino, a Siena c'è voluto un «bambino» di 38 anni per mettere nero su bianco quello che tanti sanno ma nessuno dice. Raffaele Ascheri, insegnante di italiano-storia-geografia nella scuola media Cecco Angiolieri, ha messo a nudo il re uno e trino (Partito democratico, Montepaschi, Chiesa) che governa questa città-Stato opulenta e permalosa. This is translation of two paragraphs from a long article in which journalist Giuseppe Salvaggiulo describes content of a new book written by writer Raffaele Ascheri regarding dealings of those who retain real power in the city of Siena.
[translation]
ITALY -- "Ascheri " I stripped naked the privileged caste in Siena"
The secrets about the Church, the financiers and the PD (Democratic Party). A professor discombobulates the city.
by GIUSEPPE SALVAGGIULO
Correspondent from Siena
As in the Andersen tale, where everyone can see the king is naked but nobody, except a child, has the courage to say it, there was the need of a 38-year-old "child" to put in black and white what everybody knows but doesn't dare to say. Raffaele Ascheri, teacher of Italian-history-geography in the middle school Cecco Angiolieri, stripped naked the king, in its trinity (PD, Montepaschi (the powerful bank), the Church, which are the three entities governing this opulent and touchy city-state.
He did that with a book titled "La casta di Siena", which in five months has became a big success: he printed it using his money because no publisher was found, now the book has been reprinted four times for 5000 copies were sold in a city with 54 thousand inhabitants. The local mass media ignore it. The powerful pretend not to mind about it: "Those are things already known". Yet the citizens buy it and present it to their friends. As a "forbidden book".
The three faces dwelling in the Palace
The book is forbidden because it describes the story of the powerful in the city as the manifestation of an oligarchy founded on mutual help. There is an ample chapter about the environment, describing the paving over with cement of the Siena's agricultural land (from the town of Monticchiello to the town of Casole d'Elsa) decided by both the city and provincial administrators. There is the criticized enlarging of the airport decided by the politicians and supported by the Montepaschi (the local powerful bank). There are the judicial misadventures of Monsignor Giuseppe Acampa (treasurer of the Curia and archbishop Antonio Buoncristiani's pupil) now being tried for the fraudulent administration of the ecclesiastical patrimony, for having put on fire the Curia's documents (arson) and accusing the archivist for that (calumny). Moreover there are described the privileges and the waste of money, the "home made" contractors, the monthly 15.000 euros given under the formula of "expenses as a representative" to the President of the Province, Fabio Ceccherini.
The place where all the dealings are made is the Foundation which controls the Montepaschi, the third Italian bank group. Since 2001, the Foundation is run by the City and the Province (in the hands of the former communist party (DS) which has now changed into PD, Partito Democratico, after a merger with a part of the former Christian Democratic Party), The Curia , too, has its own representative. Each year the Foundation distributes about 200 million euros of contributions: it's unavoidable that there reigns an absolute accord. The PD appointed the President of the Montepaschi, Giuseppe Mussari. The Curia "flirts" with the former communists. And Mussari, who is also a criminal lawyer, is defending the Curia now under trial.
- RCC getting special treatment.
La Stampa,
Di CARLO FEDERICO GROSSO, ~ June 14, 2008
ITALIA -- Almeno sui tempi Berlusconi è stato anche questa volta di parola. Aveva promesso che il primo Consiglio dei ministri avrebbe approvato il disegno di legge sulle intercettazioni ed è riuscito a realizzare questo suo proposito. Non è invece riuscito a fare approvare lo specifico testo che aveva in un primo tempo prospettato.
Quantomeno alcuni reati gravi di criminalità comune e la corruzione sono stati, infatti, specificamente esclusi dal divieto di intercettare. Lo hanno imposto la Lega e, forse, un po' di sopravvenuto buon senso. [translation]
First, don't publish
ITALY -- In this editorial by journalist Carlo Federico Grosso there are the comments relative to the pros and cons of a new emergency bill Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wants urgently to be approved by the Italian Parliament, meant to restrict the wiretapping of conversations ordered by the magistrates only to those crimes which are punished for more than ten years of jail. In the bill there is the following proposal, which is reported in the next to last paragraph of the article:
"È, per altro verso, assolutamente peculiare che il governo nella nuova normativa sulle intercettazioni, pensando forse ai reati di pedofilia ed alle relative, frequenti, indagini penali, si sia specificamente preoccupato di dettagliare che, quando emerge un reato nei confronti di un sacerdote, dev'essere immediatamente avvertito il vescovo, e quando emerge un reato a carico di un vescovo dev'essere avvertito il Vaticano." [translation]
"It's on the other end absolutely peculiar that the government, in addition to the new rules about the wiretappings, thinking perhaps to clergy pedophilia and to the related frequent criminal investigations, was preoccupied to make it clear that when a crime is allegedly committed by a priest, then the bishop must be informed and in case the crime is allegedly committed by a bishop then the Vatican must be informed."
[2007 Cuevas*] - RCC. Public masturbation, groped male.
Adobe Press,
By Samantha Yale, June 14, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- A former assistant priest at Nipomo's St. Joseph Catholic Church has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of engaging in lewd conduct and a misdemeanor count of soliciting another person to engage in lewd conduct in connection with an incident almost a year ago in which he allegedly fondled an undercover sheriff's deputy at Pirates Cove.
Geronimo Cuevas, 52, entered the plea Monday in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, said the case prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Craig VanRooyen.
A count of sexual battery was dismissed, VanRooyen said.
Cuevas was sentenced to three years' probation, was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and attend an AIDS education class. He was also banned from Pirates Cove.
- Bp Geoff Robinson speaks.
The Age (Australia),
Gerard Wright, Los Angeles, June 15, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- AFTER he was introduced to the crowd of nearly 200 in the conference room of the motel, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson stood up and took off his jacket.
In other times and other circumstances, this would be a signal among gentlemen that fisticuffs would soon begin.
But Bishop Robinson, a retired auxiliary of the Catholic archdiocese of Sydney, is 70, and the only violence he does now is to the golf ball. But he also gives the impression of someone who would not only seek trouble, but meet it head on.
This explains why the mainstream Catholic Church is treating him as a troublesome priest.
[2008 Murd*] - RCC. Fondled, acquitted.
Toledo Blade,
By MARK REITER, June 14, 2008
OHIO -- A Roman Catholic priest who confessed to fondling a man in a public hot tub in Sylvania Township was found not guilty yesterday on a misdemeanor sexual imposition charge.
The Rev. Frank Murd was acquitted by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James Jensen of any wrongdoing in the incident, saying the prosecution failed to prove the priest's actions were offensive to the man.
The verdict followed a bench trial on Wednesday on an accusation stemming from a March 18 incident at the JCC/YMCA, 6465 Sylvania Ave., involving the 27-year-old Sylvania man.
- RCC.
Standard-Speaker,
By JIM DINO, Saturday, June 14, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Parishioners at St. Kunegunda's Church in McAdoo and both churches in Tresckow have appealed closings ordered by the Diocese of Allentown.
Appeals have been filed from about a dozen churches in Carbon and Schuylkill counties, Matt Kerr, communications director for the diocese, confirmed Friday.
Among them is St. Kunegunda's, which under the diocese plan would merge with St. Patrick's and St. Mary's Slovak in McAdoo and St. Bartholomew's and St. Michael's in Tresckow as the new All Saints parish.
"We are still a vibrant parish, We still financially support our parish," said Vicki Gennaro, a parishioner of St. Kunegunda's who noted that many civic groups, including Boy Scouts, use the church hall for meetings.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. GUILTY. Street nakedness.
Daily Camera,
By Vanessa Miller, Saturday, June 14, 2008
COLORADO -- lthough the Vatican is the only entity with power to take away a priest's title, a former Catholic leader of parishes in Erie, Mead and Frederick won't lead any more Masses after being convicted this week for jogging nude in public, church officials said.
Robert Whipkey, 53, was placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Denver in August after he was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure for jogging nude around a high school track in the town of Frederick early one morning last summer.
A Frederick police officer saw a naked Whipkey walking home from the high school about 4:35 a.m. June 22, and Whipkey eventually admitted to the officer that he runs nude because he "sweats profusely."
- Community.
Standard-Freeholder,
Posted By TREVOR PRITCHARD, ~ June 14, 2008
CANADA -- After four days of emotional speeches, impassioned denials, and surprising admissions, former police chief Claude Shaver's final day on the stand at the Cornwall Public Inquiry was a muted affair.
Lawyers cross-examine Shaver, who served with the Cornwall Police Service from 1983 to 1994, about his role in a number of historical sexual abuse investigations the force undertook during his tenure.
But there were no moments as shocking as Shaver's revelation Thursday that he had paid for his own lie detector test - the results of which were never made public - before arriving at the inquiry.
Nor did the emotional former chief come close to tears, as he appeared to be Wednesday while denying online rumours he was part of a pedophile clan that allegedly operated in the Cornwall area.
- Baptists.
The Dallas Morning News,
~ June 14, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Close observers of the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis know that a key reason Catholics have been hit so hard by lawsuits has to do with the church's bureaucratic structure.
Officials of the church kept meticulous records, so they knew
– or should have known – they were assigning people accused of being sexual predators to run parishes. Many Protestant denominations lack such records. Some reformers in the Southern Baptist Convention proposed creating a database that congregations could check for potential ministers or church employees.
But this week, the SBC's executive committee shot that down, saying it would compromise the autonomy of congregations – a key Baptist principle.
Too bad. Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson got it right when he said: "A database is only information. What a church does with that information is their decision."
[1994-2002 Mr Kelly Grant*] - Christian. Admitted. 3 girls.
Calgary Herald,
by Daryl Slade and Michelle Butterfield, Published: Saturday, June 14, 2008
CANADA -- A former youth ministry volunteer has admitted to sexually abusing three teenage girls over an eight-year period starting in 1994.
Kelly Malcolm Grant pleaded guilty on Friday in Court of Queen's Bench to three counts of sexual touching of the girls under 14 years old and two counts of sexual exploitation while being in a position of trust.
The charges against Grant, which were laid last October, stem from allegations of abuse against the girls, two of them sisters, at Centre Street Church between 1994 and 2002.
[? 2000s Banks*] - Baptist. 2 boys.
The Beaumont Enterprise,
By AMY COLLINS, Updated 11:36:43 PM CDT, June/13/2008;
for June/14/2008
KOUNTZE (TX) -- The children that Silsbee minister Lester L. Banks is accused of molesting were two males under the age of 17, according to the three indictment papers the Hardin County District Court released Friday.
Banks is accused of engaging in oral sex with one of the youths and touching the genitals of the other, according to court documents.
Because the youths are between the ages of 5 and 17, Banks was indicted on three second-degree felonies, according to the Texas Penal Code.
If convicted, Banks faces up to 60 years, with each charge carrying a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.
[~ 1970s Mons. O'Brien; Fr Johnson (Capuchin)] - RCC. 12 or more males.
The Kansas City Star,
By MARK MORRIS, ~ June 14, 2008
MISSOURI -- Two people Friday sued the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, alleging clergy sexual abuse at a local parish.
In one case, the mother of a man who died in 1999 makes accusations against Monsignor Thomas O'Brien, who has been named by at least a dozen other men in similar suits. In the other case, a man accuses Earl Johnson, a member of the Capuchin order, of sexually abusing him 30 years ago.
According to the suits, both clergymen worked at St. Elizabeth Parish in Kansas City during the 1970s.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint alleges 1962-65.
The News Journal,
By BETH MILLER, June 14, 2008
DELAWARE -- A third anonymous lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse by the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca was filed Friday in Delaware Superior Court against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
In the suit, the 56-year-old plaintiff alleges more than 100 acts of sexual abuse by DeLuca from 1962 to 1965, starting when the alleged victim was 10 years old. According to the suit, the victim was an altar boy supervised by DeLuca at St. John the Beloved Church.
The suit, filed in Kent County, is the third anonymous DeLuca-related complaint filed this year and the fourth since Delaware's Child Victim's Act went into effect last July. The law eliminated the civil statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse and opened a two-year "window" during which previously time-barred complaints could be filed.
[LOOK BACK: Feb 15, 2008]
- RCC. Psychiatrist deemed the paedophile cured.
Burlington Free Press,
By Kelly Bartlett, June 14, 2008
VERMONT -- Recently some of my children helped out at the local food shelf. One had volunteered in order to fulfill community service hours for the Confirmation program at St. Thomas parish in Underhill. Two others went because community service is for people of all ages. In fact, my daughter considered this work so important that she asked if they could volunteer next month as well.
During a recent Sunday Mass, we listened to Bishop Matano's letter about the sexual abuse case in Burlington. This issue is disturbing to all. We mourn the plaintiff's lost innocence. We are appalled to hear the nature of the abuse reported in the papers. We pray not only for this plaintiff, but also for all victims of sexual abuse, especially children. …
I urge Judge Katz, the jury and the plaintiff to let the punishment fit the crime. Which persons are responsible for this crime? The perpetrator in the abuse that occurred 30 years ago is no longer a practicing priest and no longer lives in Vermont. The bishop of 30 years ago is now deceased. And who knows where the psychiatrist who deemed the pedophile cured is?
[1967-70 Mons. Prince] - RCC. Guilty. 4yrs prison. 13 boys.
The Ottawa Citizen,
by Andrew Seymour, Saturday, June 14, 2008
CANADA -- The lawyer for nearly a dozen victims of pedophile priest Msgr. Bernard Prince is hoping to meet with the former private secretary for Pope John Paul II to learn what the Vatican knew about the now disgraced former priest and his sexual abuse of young boys.
Lawyer Rob Talach said yesterday he is seeking to interview the Archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz, about what, if anything, he knew about Msgr. Prince, a former Vatican official and friend of Pope John Paul II who was convicted in January of 13 charges of indecent and sexual assault.
… and helped arrange personal meetings with the Pope for Msgr. Prince's friends, is conducting mass in St. Mary's Parish in Wilno today and will be in Canada until next Saturday. Cardinal Dziwisz was the private secretary to Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II, for 40 years.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:28 AM]
[LOOK BACK: ~ February 03, 2008]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat June 14, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[≤ 1980s to 2005 - Bertagna -NEW*] - RCC. 8yrs prison. 39 victims.
Corriere Fiorentino,
June 13, 2008
ITALIA -- Chi lo conosce dice che ha accolto la condanna come fosse una liberazione. Sacerdote accusato di aver abusato di un bambino di 13 anni. Confessati altri 38 casi
Chi lo conosce dice che ha accolto la condanna come fosse una liberazione. La seconda dopo l'arresto, nel 2005, con l'accusa di aver abusato di un suo parrocchiano, un bambino di 13 anni. «Finalmente qualcuno mi ha aiutato» disse il sacerdote quando i carabinieri andarono a prenderlo. Dopo anni di buio, ieri l'ex parroco di Farneta, una frazione di Cortona (Arezzo), Pierangelo Bertagna, 46 anni, è stato condannato, con rito abbreviato, a otto anni di reclusione. Era accusato di violenza sessuale su 16 minori, abusi che lo stesso sacerdote confessò al magistrato. [translation]
The ruling
PRIEST GUILTY OF PEDOPHILIA
"Only now I feel to be free"
ITALY -- Those who know him say he accepted the verdict as if it was a liberation. The priest was accused of having abused a 13-year-old boy. He confessed to be the author of other 38 similar cases.
Those who know him say he accepted the guilty verdict as if it was a liberation. The second one after he was arrested, in 2005, with the charge of having abused a parishioner, a 13-year-old boy. "Finally someone helped me" said the priest when the carabinieri (the military police) went to arrest him.
After years of dark, yesterday the former parish priest of Farneta, near Cortona (province of Arezzo), Pierangelo Bertagna, 46-years-old, was sentenced to 8 years in jail, with the abbreviated procedure.
He committed sexual violence against 16 minors, as the same priest confessed in front of the judge. According to the report of a psychologist, deposited by the defense lawyers Francesca Mafucci and Annelise Anania, it emerged that in the '80s the priest had confided his attraction towards children to some people he trusted and who like himself belonged to the community "Ricostruttori nella preghiera", led by Gian Vittorio Cappelletto,
4 OUT OF THE 16 CASES CONFESSED REGARD 10 -YEAR- OLD MINORS.
Most of the episodes happened near Cortona and in the Lazio region. When in 2005 the facts were discovered and the priest was arrested by the carabinieri, the town residents reacted harshly against him. Afterwards it was found out the 13-year-old boy had told his mother about his having been abused sexually and the parish priest admitted his responsibility and apologized. Later he confessed to the magistrate Ersilia Spena.
"It was a kind of liberation -his defense lawyers said - for the priest had always looked for someone who could help him, but until then, those who had listened to his outbursts never moved a finger". It's being told that 38 were the cases confessed by the priest, not always against minors, not always using violence.
The violence consisted of very profound caresses or some deeper contact; never, it seems, they consisted of a full intercourse.
After the arrest, the bishop of Arezzo, Gualtiero Bassetti, suspended him "a divinis". Afterwards the priest asked the Pope to be reduced to the lay state and Benedict XVI dispensed him from all the obligations pertaining the priesthood.
Bertagna was born at Gardone Val Trompia (Brescia) and his childhood was very difficult because he had also been sexually abused. Before entering the seminary (he became a priest when he was 39 years old) he had some odd jobs as a carpenter. Later he was appointed as a parish priest at Farneta.
"Since he was arrested - concluded defense lawyer Maffucci - he spent his time in hermitages and doing volunteer activity. He never went back to Farneta. Paradoxically, now that he is under control and living in a protected place, Bretagna feels himself really free".
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:08 AM]
- RCC. Victim chose between Victims, or head of the victimisers.
CathNews,
~ June 15, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- Concluding his US tour, retired Sydney priest Bishop Geoffrey Robinson says that he was forced to choose between loyalty to abuse victims and loyalty to the pope.
The Age reports Bishop Robinson told a US audience last week that as a bishop, he took an oath of loyalty to the Pope.
But he was a victim of abuse himself, and during the nine years that he investigated clerical sex abuse cases in Australia, as a member and then chairman of a Church-appointed committee, he found himself trying to choose his side.
"I had to choose between loyalty to the Pope, or loyalty to the victims," he said. "The victims of abuse were on one side, and on the other, total silence from Rome. Nothing. John Paul II simply gave no support. He had done nothing with this."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 15, 2008
8:07 PM]
- Judaists.
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speak Out
by Vicki Polin - CEO, The Awareness Center, Inc.
It saddens me a great deal to read the posting on Daas Torah's blog. With all the information and education that is available to our rabbonim it appears that they are still refusing to learn from their past mistakes. I'll admit that I have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail with the link to this blog. (Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, senior member of the Jerusalem Beit Din Tzedek (Jewish Religious Court)
My hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.
It's obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as children. The most important message that needs to get out is that each of us should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means if you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT." We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law enforcement and not our rabbonim.
- 5 babies in a trunk.
Foster's Daily Democrat
By MARK GOSZTYLA
Special to the Citizen,
Article Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Over the past 25 years, Pat Boyle, Jim Boulanger and his sister, Ann Boulanger, have spent too much time wondering about the circumstances surrounding Shirley Thomas, the owner of a trunk discovered in 1983 containing the remains of five infants, as well as Irene Copeland, a Somersworth District Nurse rumored to be somehow connected to the performing of abortions in the late 1940s, and the possibility of a connection between the two.
The three agree the truth has never been told. They believe Copeland's death was a murder and that powerful people in the communities of Dover and Somersworth secreted that truth away.
Banished and forgotten
In 1997, Mike Milotte, a senior current affairs reporter for the Irish TV network RTE, unraveled the story of more than 2,000 Irish-born children who were illegally adopted by U.S. citizens between the 1950s and 1970s. The book he wrote about this story, "Banished Babies: The Secret History of Ireland's Baby Export Business," detailed how the Irish-Catholic church facilitated the birth and adoption of these children using "mother and baby homes" run by nuns in Ireland, and the United States Catholic Charities organization to select "proper" parents.
In a 1998 NPR interview, Milotte said about his book, "it's a bit too easy and perhaps unfair to criticize Ireland's Catholic leaders for running this baby trade … I think, in justice, I do try to show their side of the story as well. And there is always a danger in writing historical works of this nature that, you know, one is judging the past with the benefit of hindsight. They had a problem on their hands that in a society where birth outside marriage was frowned upon, they were the only ones providing facilities for these women. Now I would say that the answer to that is not that one applauds what they're doing, but that one criticizes the society that failed to provide alternative solutions."
- RCC.
Republican & Herald,
BY BRIAN K. SMITH, CITY EDITOR, bsmith@republicanherald.com ,
Published 4:27 AM EDT, Sunday, June 15, 2008
Editor's note: On Thursday, City Editor Brian K. Smith traveled to Allentown with Photo Editor Nick Meyer to interview the Most Rev. Edward P. Cullen, bishop of the Allentown Diocese, about a plan announced two weeks ago to close 32 Roman Catholic churches in Schuylkill County by July 15. The text of the hour-and-15-minute interview has been edited for space and content.
ALLENTOWN (PA)
– The Most Rev. Edward P. Cullen, bishop of Allentown, seldom gives personal interviews.
But due to the gravity of the parish reconfiguration, he made an exception.
"This is really a historical period in the history of the diocese and certainly for Schuylkill County and anything that can assist in our endeavor to carry out our mission there … this will be helpful, this information," he said Thursday in his office in the Diocesan Chancery.
[Carlin] - Christian. Admits. Girl.
Deseret News
ST. GEORGE (UT) – Gabriel Carlin, a St. George pastor who is charged with sexually abusing an 11-year-old female student at a Christian school where he worked, has pleaded guilty to two felonies.
Carlin, 34, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 3 before 5th District Judge Eric Ludlow.
Carlin pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sex abuse of a child, both third-degree felonies, as part of a plea bargain. Originally, he was charged with four counts of first-degree felony aggravated sex abuse of a child.
KMBC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two more lawsuits have been filed accusing the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph of covering up sexual abuse by two priests nearly three decades ago.
The lawsuits, filed Friday, accuse two priests who worked at St. Elizabeth Parish in Kansas City during the 1970s.
One lawsuit was filed by the mother of man who allegedly was abused by Monsignor Thomas O'Brien, who has been named in at least a dozen similar cases.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:29 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun June 15, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
ABC 6,
by John Eagan
[with video]
PROVIDENCE (RI) -- Standing outside Providence Superior Court, 47-year old Massachusetts resident Jeff Thomas with his wife Deb by his side, filed suit, saying he was molested 40 years ago by a Catholic priest.
Thomas says Father Brendan Smyth, a priest visiting from Ireland, sexually assaulted him at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich, throughout 1968 he was in the 2nd grade.
The lawsuit is aimed at holding the Bishop of Providence accountable for allowing this Norbertine father into a local parish.
[Rankin] - Baptist.
Pensacola News Journal,
by Kris Wernowsky, kwernowsky@pnj.com , June 16, 2008
PENSACOLA (FL) -- Circuit Judge Nick Geeker sentenced Pastor Leon Rankins III today to five years in state prison and 10 years probation.
Rankins, 36, of the Restoration Full Gospel Baptist Church in the 900 block of West Cervantes Street, is also required to register as a sexual predator.
Rankins pleaded no contest in April to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim over the age of 12.
[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. ≥ US$1m gone. Mail fraud, money laundering. Has wife and children too.
WVEC,
Associated Press, June/16/2008
LOUISA (VA) -- A court hearing for a former Roman Catholic priest convicted on federal charges of embezzling from two Louisa County churches has been postponed.
Rodney Rodis was to appear in Louisa Circuit Court on Monday to be arraigned on 13 state charges, but it was rescheduled for July 21.
His appearance was postponed because the 52-year-old defendant was not brought from a federal prison in North Carolina for the hearing.
- In 1950s Fr Gerald Fitzgerald told RCC there was no cure.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ June 16, 2008
[PARACLETES DOCUMENTS will live at http://cityofangels11.blogspot.com/ for continued reference. See June 16 post]
UNITED STATES -- The documents scanned in below prove the Catholic Church hierarchy knew pedophile priests were a problem as far back as the 1950s. Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, director of Via Coeli in New Mexico, (pictured at right) realized after years of treating sexually deviant priests that there was no "cure" and wanted to put the predator priests on a remote island where they could do no damage. He pled his case to bishops all over the country with personal visits and correspondence back and forth, some of which is scanned in below. But a growing belief in 12-step programs and surprisingly secular treatment concepts defeated Fitzgerald. Via Coeli instead in the sixties began treating pedophile priests as men with "issues" in need of talk therapy.
Not only did the church know there were pedophiles among the priests, but Catholic Church hierarchy had been well educated in pedophilia by Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald. Documents here show that bishops kept Via Coeli and its work with problem priests secret from the parishes. Meanwhile bishops were touring the Northern New Mexico treatment center and sending pedophile priests to Via Coeli, beginning in the 1950s, as these documents prove.
This is a long post with only a sampling of the documents from a lawsuit against the Paracletes in the 1990s in New Mexico, which were released to the public in June 2007, see the court order insert at right. (Click to enlarge.)
[Rymer] - Greek Orthodox. Man (mental).
Orthodox Reform,
Publication: Pokrov, June/10/2008
CALIFORNIA -- Subject to court approval, the lawsuit against the former Archimandrite Michael Rymer and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco has been settled. The complaint in this case had alleged that Fr. Michael sexually abused a mentally incompetent man.
Since the plaintiff in this case is an adult with a disability, any compromise of the claim must be reviewed by a judge. A hearing for this purpose has been scheduled for August 5, 2008.
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
WPRI,
~ June 16, 2008
[with video]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Massachusetts man has filed a lawsuit alleging he was molested by a late Roman Catholic priest who caused a scandal that brought down an Irish government.
Jeffrey Thomas filed the lawsuit Monday in Providence Superior Court against the Diocese of Providence and others. He claims he was abused at an East Greenwich parish school by the Rev. Brendan Smyth.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 16, 2008
9:18 PM]
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
Turn to 10,
June 16, 2008
[with video]
PROVIDENCE (RI) -- A Massachusetts man has filed a lawsuit alleging he was molested by a late Roman Catholic priest who caused a scandal that brought down an Irish government.
Jeffrey Thomas filed the lawsuit Monday in Providence Superior Court against the Diocese of Providence and others.
He claims he was abused when he was a second-grader at an East Greenwich parish school by the Rev. Brendan Smyth.
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
The Boston Globe,
June 16, 2008
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Massachusetts man has filed a lawsuit alleging he was molested by a late Roman Catholic priest who caused a scandal that brought down an Irish government.
Jeffrey Thomas filed the lawsuit Monday in Providence Superior Court against the Diocese of Providence and others. He claims he was abused at an East Greenwich parish school by the Rev. Brendan Smyth.
A diocesan spokesman said church lawyers had not yet reviewed the claims.
[Decades - Maciel Degollado] - RCC. Many seminarians. "Vows of Silence" documovie.
The Daily Dish,
by Andrew Sullivan, ~ June 16, 2008
[with video]
If you want to know how the current Pope handled very credible, very well-documented and overwhelming evidence that a very powerful associate had long been a child-abuser, check this clip out:
The abuse-case that caused the Pope to lose his temper - to the point of a prissy smack - was Father Marcial Maciel. Until his death earlier this year, Maciel ran a large, far-right Catholic cult called the Legionaries of Christ. The Legionaries and their lay counterpart, Regnum Christi, are very powerful entities in the new Catholicism, given special protection by Pope John Paul II and much favor under his successor. And at the core of the Legionaries, like many religious cults, was a sexual abuse ring designed to please the founder. Secrecy was maintained by indoctrinating many members at a young age, and enforcing vows of silence on all topics related to Maciel. This cult-like stricture is still causing grief and suspicion in many parts of the Catholic world, most recently in the Baltimore archdiocese.
The reason I bring this up today is because journalist Jason Berry, of the Hartford Courant, has a new and gripping documentary on Maciel and the abusive cult-like practices he pioneered. It's called "Vows Of Silence" and it carefully exposes the appalling facts of the enmeshment of the last two Popes in covering up sexual abuse and protecting a serial predator.
[~ 1990s-2000s Rodis] - RCC. ≥ US$1m gone. Mail fraud, money laundering. Has wife and children too.
Richmond Times-Dispatch,
06:07 AM, Updated: 07:02 AM, Monday, Jun 16, 2008
LOUISA (VA) -- Former Catholic priest Rodney Rodis, convicted in federal court of defrauding two local churches of hundreds of thousands of dollars, is due back in court Monday June 16, 2008 on 13 more charges.
However, he was not brought to Louisa County from federal prison in North Carolina today, so another court date must be set.
Rodney L. Rodis, 51, was sentenced in February to five years in federal prison for diverting for personal use money donated to the two county parishes he headed.
- 4 Churches and Government. Indigenous children.
The Edmonton Journal
by Paula Simons, Monday, June 16, 2008
CANADA -- By now, the story of the damages done by the residential schools is all too well-known. Over decades, thousands of children were taken from their parents and communities and raised in church-run boarding schools. The avowed intent of the schools was to prepare Indian children for life in a white world, to teach them English, to give them an education, to provide them with a marketable trade, and, of course, to convert them to Christianity.
In many cases, let it be said, the people who oversaw the schools had the best of intentions. But their actions were often disastrous. Children were ripped from their families, their culture and their language, thrust headlong into a terrifying, disorienting foreign world. And frequently, the schools themselves were anything but idyllic centres of learning.
Children were beaten for speaking their native languages. They were often malnourished. Epidemics such as measles and tuberculosis killed many. Others -- a disturbing number -- were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of the very people who were supposed to be their trusted mentors.
- Indigenous children.
The Barrie Examiner,
OUR OPINION, ~ June 16, 2008
CANADA -- The treatment of Canadian aboriginals at residential schools is a black mark on our history that we all have to bear. The concept of the schools was wrong, the placement of native children in the schools was wrong and the treatment of the students was reprehensible.
It is something we can't hide from.
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper, showing uncharacteristic humility last week, at least did something in this sad saga right when he delivered a sincere and heartfelt apology to the people who endured years of physical, mental, emotional and sexual torture and abuse -- and to the memory of those children killed while at tending the schools.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 16, 2008
7:20 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon June 16, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1976+ Mons. Kurz -NEW*] - RCC. Boy+.
KRDO,
By Jenn DeHaan, j.dehaan@krdo.com , ~ June 17, 2008
PUEBLO (CO) -- More than 30 years after his alleged molestation by a Pueblo Diocese priest, a victim is stepping forward to file a lawsuit. The victim, who is remaining anonymous, claims beginning in 1976, then-Father Michael A. Kurz repeatedly sodomized and abused him at the age of 13.
At the time, Kurz was a priest at Christ the King Catholic Church in Pueblo. Currently, Kurz is a Judicial Vicar in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois and has recently been promoted to monsignor.
According to the lawsuit, the sexual abuse took place on outings with Kurz and continued until the victim was in high school. It also claims Kurz "abused other minors at his church in the same or similar manner.
[Bp James Jones - NEW*] - Church of England. Allegedly told a lie.
The Times,
Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, ~ June 17, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A former vicar and Church of England communications officer who branded his bishop "a liar" won a claim for wrongful dismissal and was awarded more than £14,500 at an employment tribunal yesterday.
The Rev David Johnston, 56, immediately called for the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev James Jones, to resign.
Mr Johnston also claimed the Bishop did not like being in Liverpool and was "unhappy" that he was not appointed Archbishop of York. Dr John Sentamu was appointed to the second-highest post in the Church of England instead.
Bishop Jones became involved after a Sunday newspaper published an article in which it was claimed that Mr Johnston had been unfaithful to his wife Margaret and was having an affair with his personal assistant, the unmarried Diane Pendleton.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 17, 2008
4:23 PM]
[1930s+ Churches and State - 1733 perpetrators] - Inquiry says hundreds of children abused.
News 24,
~ June 17, 2008
ADELAIDE (SA), AUSTRALIA -- An Australian state government and several churches issued a joint apology on Tuesday to children who were sexually abused while in their care.
South Australia Premier Mike Rann told state parliament in Adelaide the findings of a three-year inquiry into claims of abuse involving hundreds of children from the 1930s to the present were "shocking".
The inquiry heard from 792 children who said they had been sexually abused while in state or church care by 1 733 alleged perpetrators from the 1930s onwards.
[1977-88 Paul Evans] - RCC. 20 charges. Boys' Town. 7 boys.
The Manly Daily,
by Rebecca Woolley, June 18, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- A FORMER Collaroy Plateau priest engaged in sex acts with seven teenage pupils while he was a teacher at a school for troubled boys, a court has heard.
Paul Raymond Evans, who was a priest at St Rose of Lima church at Collaroy Plateau, has pleaded not guilty to 20 serious child sex charges allegedly committed while he worked at Boys' Town at Engadine, in Sydney's south, between 1977 and 1988.
Yesterday the Sydney District Court heard Mr Evans gave special treatment to several pupils taking one on a trip to Queensland, allowing others to drink alcohol and drive a school vehicle around a national park who he molested, abused and sexually assaulted.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 17, 2008
8:37 PM]
- 8000 signatures.
Voice of the Faithful,
~ June 17, 2008
NORTH AMERICA --
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) has sent a petition to Pope Benedict XVI signed by nearly 8,000 North American Catholics that asks the Pope to:
1. Treat survivors of sexual abuse with the justice and compassion our faith demands.
2. Hold bishops accountable to the people they serve.
3. Embrace full participation of Catholic men and women in Church decision-making.
4. Require full transparency and accountability in all governance matters.
[COMMENT: If there were 1,000,000 signatures, the Vatican might be shaken out of its self-satisfied belief in its infallibility. ENDS.]
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
The Irish Times,
by Fiona Gartland, June 17, 2008
IRELAND -- Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he was surprised when Manchester-based businessman Michael Wall gave him £30,000 in a briefcase.
Mr Ahern told counsel for the tribunal Henry Murphy SC he was not surprised that Mr Wall was going to make a contribution toward the work required on the house he was to buy at Beresford, but he was surprised by the size of the contribution. …
He also said that he expected to become Taoiseach that weekend, but that was "blown out of the water" on the following Monday morning when Geraldine Kennedy wrote a "lovely article" and "Dick Spring ran".
Mr Ahern was referring to the November 1994 decision by former tánaiste and Labour Party leader Dick Spring to pull out of an agreement to support Fianna Fáil in government, after a breakdown in trust surrounding the appointment of Harry Whelehan as attorney general and the handling of critical information surrounding the extradition of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[3-4yrs to 1973 Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
TFDL,
~ June 17, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Last week I happened to find myself sitting in the audience listening to the closing arguments in the case involving Charles Bennison, the Episcopal bishop who is before a tribunal investigating allegations that he did nothing to intervene when his brother (a youth minister at the time) was sexually involved with a fourteen-year old girl. I decided to attend because I was intrigued to see what it is like for a bishop, rather than a priest, to be in this situation. Curiosity perhaps. To see what it is like for one with so much power to be humbled. At least that is what I thought as I sat there waiting for the tribunal to begin the afternoon session.
The judges processed in - all in purple robes - and walked up the steps of the dais at the front of the room. They sat in their assigned seats and settled themselves, as the one presiding called on the church's attorney to begin his closing arguments. It occurred to me that the bishop was probably more accustomed to that view from above than he was from his seat at the defense table. I tried to get a good look at him, but he only allowed a partial view of his face as he sat with his gaze fixed a bit to one side. I did get a clear enough view to see a rather unremarkable face. Grandfatherly perhaps. Not a particularly wise face. Ordinary actually.
[Decades - Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. Dissipating assets 2008. Child seductions.
Catholic Sentinel,
~ June 17, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) -- Archdiocese of Portland officials have been meeting with parish leaders across western Oregon, helping them learn what needs to happen now that the parishes are separately incorporated.
"We are here this evening not to change church order," Msgr. Dennis O'Donovan told one group. Vicar general of the archdiocese, Msgr. O'Donovan explained that parishes will still be connected to their bishop and to the pope and will operate according to church "doctrines, teachings, traditions and polity." The new corporate status simply puts the parishes' civil structure in line with long-standing church law, he said.
Separate incorporation was one part of the bankruptcy settlement reached last year. It clarifies that parish assets belong to the parishes, not the archdiocese.
- RCC. 3 victims.
Charlotte Observer,
From David Hains, director of communication, Diocese of Charlotte, ~ June 17, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- Returning from lunch on Wednesday, I was surprised to find a group of reporters and photo journalists on the lawn of the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Charlotte. Obviously something was going on.
The journalists were there at the invitation of three men, victims of sexual abuse, who were making demands of Bishop Peter Jugis. They hadn't given Bishop Jugis, or anyone else from the Diocese, a heads-up and didn't look online to see if the bishop was even in town, which he wasn't. Given the past trauma of these gentlemen, the oversights are understandable.
The reporters listened to the demands and dutifully sought to balance their stories by obtaining comments from me. One television reporter told me that the story wouldn't get much play because it lacked dramatic visuals. Thank goodness for that.
- FLDS.
Deseret News,
By Ben Winslow, Published 3:10 p.m. MDT. Tuesday, June 17, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY (UT) -- An attorney for the Fundamentalist LDS Church says Utah authorities are preading "slanderous statements" and jeopardizing public trust by profiling members of the polygamous sect.
Reacting to a Deseret News report about dossiers of FLDS members deemed a potential threat, FLDS spokesman Rod Parker sent a letter to Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap and Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith. Copies of the letter were also sent to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., St. George's mayor and police chief, the Washington County Commission and the director of the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training, which certifies and disciplines police officers.
Parker said he wrote the letter on behalf of FLDS member Willie Jessop and others who were identified in the profiles given to Texas authorities by Utah law enforcement.
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams,
Posted: 5:55 PM, ~ June 17, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY (UT) -- A Salt Lake City attorney has asked three Utah officials to "immediately correct" misstatements about FLDS members in profiles provided to Texas authorities.
The profiles, given to Texas law enforcement prior to custody hearings for some 450 children from the polygamous sect's YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, were based on "unsubstantiated or from unreliable sources," said Rod Parker, an FLDS spokesman, in a letter distributed today.
"As public servants, sworn to serve and protect the citizens, the spreading of slanderous statements such as these jeopardizes the trust of county officials, state officials, law enforcement and government officials of neighboring states, and private citizens," the letter states.
- FLDS.
The Mercury News,
By JENNIFER DOBNER Associated Press Writer
Article Launched 12:24:27 PM PDT
June/17/2008
SALT LAKE CITY (UT) – An attorney for a polygamous sect is accusing Utah police and prosecutors of abusing their authority and slandering sect members by passing on bad information about them to Texas authorities.
Authorities in Utah sent Texas officials dossiers that described 16 members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as threatening religious fanatics who may be willing to die for their cause.
- RCC.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks,
~ June 17, 2008
[with links to various documents need for filing a claim]
ALASKA -- Sexual and Non-Sexual Claim Filing Deadline:
ALL CLAIMS MUST BE FILED BY DECEMBER 2, 2008
Use the following documents and forms to file a claim (either sexual or non-sexual) against the Diocese of Fairbanks (also known as Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska). Please read and carefully follow the instructions and filing directions by December 2, 2008, as per court order.
- RCC.
Alaska Public Radio Network
~ June 17, 2008
[with audio and podcast]
ALASKA -- The Fairbanks Catholic Diocese is beginning a massive outreach effort as it moves forward with the settlement of sexual abuse claims against it.
- RCC.
Anchorage Daily News,
~ June 17, 2008
ALASKA -- KUAC in Fairbanks reports that the diocese, which has declared bankruptcy, wants the word out on a deadline for victims of sexual abuse to bring forward their case. That date is Dec. 2. To that end, it has placed notices in newspapers and electronic media across the state and into the Pacific Northwest.
- Seduction victims are time-barred.
Fairfield Weekly,
By Daniel D'Ambrosio, ~ June 17, 2008
CONNECTICUT -- John Conran and Jennifer Aparicio appear to have little in common. Aparicio, 35, is a stay-at-home mom in Manchester. She watches over not only for her own two boys, but also the entire neighborhood.
"I'm the fill-in, part-time babysitter because day care is so gosh-darn expensive," said Aparicio. "I get a lot of, 'What would we do without you?'"
Conran, 49, still lives at home with his 77-year-old mother in Avon, and readily admits he's led a solitary life.
"I just haven't made a go of things," he says, his downcast, bookish features fixed with a permanent look of mild shock.
Aparicio, by contrast, has an open, sunny face, big hazel eyes and a forthright manner.
But beneath the surface, Conran and Aparicio share a terrible secret and a gut-wrenching frustration. Both say they were sexually abused as children, and both say they are unable to seek justice because the state statute of limitations ran out.
[2006-07 Bent, aka Travesser, aka The Messiah] - "Righteousness Church." 3 girls.
4 charges.
KOB,
~ June 17, 2008
CLAYTON, N.M. (AP) - The leader of an apocalyptic sect who fasted to force the state to release a teenager taken from the group's compound near Clayton says the state has released the girl to her parents.
Wayne Bent - who is accused of sex crimes against underage female followers - posted a note on the group's Web site saying the girl, whom he identified as Willow, was released Tuesday.
- RCC.
ABC News,
with Tony Smith, ~ June 17, 2008
[with audio]
AUSTRALIA -- Who said: 'I love the smell of incense in the morning. It's the smell of power'?
As World Youth Day draws closer, the nature of the celebration is taking firmer shape. Hopefully, visitors will have a safe and fulfilling time in Sydney and locals will enjoy the vibrancy of the period. There are however, very mixed signs about the possible long term impact on the Australian Catholic community. World Youth Day has similarities to the Olympic Games in that it could create opportunities for understanding and cultural development, or it could be exploited as a propaganda tool. …
Recently Sydney Bishop Geoffrey Robinson wrote a book called Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church. Other bishops have been so alarmed at the prospect of a demand for a Papal apology that they have distanced themselves from Robinson. It is interesting that Robinson has been criticised for being 'uncertain'. In an age when ideological fanaticism threatens peace and well-being, a degree of uncertainty does not seem a bad thing. Besides, those who criticise Robinson have more to fear from his certainties and the undeniable truths behind his charges that the Church culture has failed to deal adequately with abuse.
The attack on Robinson might well be a pre-emptive strike. If so, then the retreat to exclusive authority could dominate Youth Day and undermine its liberating potential. If the hierarchy emphasises its claims to exclusive authority, then it appears that the Church cannot justify its existence in any other way. Authority so easily deteriorates into pragmatic power.
[1976+ Mons. Kurz*] - RCC. Boy+.
Rockford Register Star,
RRSTAR.COM STAFF REPORTS, Posted 08:11 AM, Jun 17, 2008
ROCKFORD (IL) – Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will conduct a news conference today outside the Rockford Diocese to announce new allegations of child sexual abuse against a priest who now works in the Rockford area.
The media event will be at 11:15 a.m. at the diocese, 555 Colman Center Drive.
In a statement released by SNAP this morning, the priest sexually abused a 13-year-old boy in Colorado in 1976. SNAP reports that the man now is a judicial vicar in the Rockford diocese and has been promoted to monsignor.
- RCC.
Blackpool Gazette,
By Jacqueline Morley, Published June 17, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- OUR church is NOT closing.
Fighting talk as up to 60 parishioners meet for Mass at one of 14 local catholic churches likely to shut on Sundays under a mission review.
St John Southworth, North Drive, Cleveleys, was built in the 1970s as an optimistic church responded to new housing.
[? 2000s Bp James Jones*] - Church of England. Allegedly told a lie.
The Bolton News,
By Staff Reporter, ~ June 17, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A VICAR was sacked from his job after church bosses believed rumours he was having an affair with his secretary, a tribunal heard.
The Rev David Johnston, of Chorley New Road, Horwich, was working as director of communications for the Liverpool diocese when he was fired.
He claimed yesterday he was made to "feel a leper" by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones.
- RCC leader insists he knows best.
The Oregonian,
By NANCY HAUGHT, Tuesday, June 17, 2008
PORTLAND (OR) -- Background: In July 2007, Toni Tortorilla of Portland became -- in the eyes of many -- Oregon's first woman Roman Catholic priest. In a ceremony not recognized by the official church, she was ordained by a woman bishop active in Roman Catholic Womenpriests. The ceremony was in front of 200 friends and supporters in a Gresham United Church of Christ.
Update: In late May, the Vatican decreed that women who attempt to be ordained as priests, and those who try to ordain them, are automatically excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. The church believes that only men may become priests. …
What's next: Tortorilla, who works as a counselor and spiritual director, ministers to about 90 people in Portland and in Eugene who call themselves the Sophia Christi Catholic Community. They meet monthly in borrowed sanctuaries.
- Baptist.
The Baptist Standard,
~ June 17, 2008
UNITED STATES -- The Southern Baptist Convention missed a great opportunity to protect its members when the SBC Executive Committee declined to create a sexual-offender database.
Executive Committee President Morris Chapman cited "belief in the autonomy of each local church" as the rationale against creating a system to help churches identify sexual predators. Chapman made the announcement during the Executive Committee's report to the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis last week.
But the Executive Committee's logic is faulty. The Baptist General Convention of Texas operates a similar database that not only honors church autonomy but also aids churches in their quest to weed out people who pose as ministers while preying on the weak, vulnerable, young, gullible and simply innocent.
[Rankins] - Baptist.
WWSB
~ June 17, 2008
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Pensacola pastor who authorities say molested a 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to five years in state prison and 10 years probation.
The judge also ordered Monday that Pastor Leon Rankins III of the Restoration Full Gospel Baptist Church is required to register as a sexual predator.
- RC Bp Geoff Robinson shines light on doctrines.
NewsBusters
By Dave Pierre | 23:57 ET, June 16, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Using the sexual abuse scandal as a backdrop, a dissident former bishop from Australia, Geoffrey Robinson, has penned a book on the Catholic Church. As a Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference clearly articulates, Robinson's book is riddled with serious theological and doctrinal concerns. The Conference also concluded that Robinson's book ultimately questions a number of Catholic fundamentals, including:
the nature of Tradition;
the inspiration of the Holy Scripture;
the infallibility of the Councils and the Pope;
the authority of the Creeds;
the teaching authority of the Church;
the nature of the ministerial priesthood; and
central elements of the Church's teaching of faith and morals.
[COMMENT: Well, it's all been said before, but for centuries anyone who questioned anything risked life and limb. But hope springs eternal in the human breast! As a quick introduction, the Holy Scripture could be checked out at a new web page, "Difficult parts of Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Scriptures," and follow a link to "Spurious changes to the Bible."
ENDS.]
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Boy.
Providence Journal
By Tom Mooney, ~ June 17, 2008
PROVIDENCE (RI) – A Massachusetts man yesterday filed suit against the Catholic Diocese of Providence, alleging he was molested as a second grader in the late 1960s by an Irish priest who served as pastor at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich.
The accused priest, the Rev. Brendan Smyth, became a notorious figure in the annals of clergy abuse before his death in prison in 1997. His admissions to assaulting numerous children in Ireland are said to have figured prominently in the collapse of the coalition government there in the 1990s.
Smyth's cases in Ireland also included an extraordinary written acknowledgment on the part of one of his supervisors that he and others had known for decades about Father Smyth's "problem" with children.
[Curran]
Kennebec Journal,
~ June 17, 2008
AUGUSTA (ME) -- Leaders at the University of Maine at Augusta acted decisively and appropriately after they were approached in May by advocates for the victims of sexual abuse by clergy. Those advocates asked UMA officials to remove the Rev. John J. Curran's name from a scholarship granted by the university and last week, they did. That move now paves the way for other public institutions named after Curran to be changed.
Curran, who died in 1976, had been accused by at least two people of sexual abuse while he was the priest at St. Augustine Church in Augusta. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine corroborated one of the accusations against Curran and says that were Curran alive today, it would ask the Vatican to remove him from the priesthood.
Victims' advocates say that in light of Curran's deeds, naming a student scholarship after him was not only wrong, it was an insult to Curran's victim and other victims of clergy sexual abuse. That's a compelling argument that applies similarly in other cases where Curran's name has been given to a public institution.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 17, 2008
7:37 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue June 17, 2008
• 20 child sex charges.
[1977-88 Paul Evans] - RCC. 20 charges. Boys' Town. 7 boys.
20 child sex charges
The Manly Daily,
www.manly daily.com. au/article/ 2008/06/18/ 10672_ news.html ,
by Rebecca Woolley, June 18, 2008
SYDNEY –
A FORMER Collaroy Plateau priest engaged in sex acts with seven teenage pupils while he was a teacher at a school for troubled boys, a court has heard.
Paul Raymond Evans, who was a priest at St Rose of Lima church at Collaroy Plateau, has pleaded not guilty to 20 serious child sex charges allegedly committed while he worked at Boys' Town at Engadine, in Sydney's south, between 1977 and 1988.
Yesterday the Sydney District Court heard Mr Evans gave special treatment to several pupils taking one on a trip to Queensland, allowing others to drink alcohol and drive a school vehicle around a national park who he molested, abused and sexually assaulted.
Crown prosecutor Priscilla Adey said one victim, then aged 15, claimed Mr Evans took off his clothes in front him and said: "It's natural, we both have the same things."
One of the victims claims he was abused once a week by Mr Evans, who was in charge of after school activities.
Father Chris Riley, from the Youth Off The Streets program, yesterday told the court he came to Boys' Town as school principal in 1986 and it was "out of control".
"It was a culture shock for me," he said. "Boundaries were being crossed on so many levels."
He said there were many examples of "inappropriate touching" between teachers and pupils while Mr Evans allowed teenage boys to sit on his knee, pull his beard and give him piggy backs in the school yard.
"Any child that's attached to one person puts up red signals for me," Father Riley said. "I find that bizarre."
He said certain students would be difficult, rude and arrogant with other teachers but displayed "loyalty" to Mr Evans.
Father Riley said he raised concerns with the school director about teachers taking a sole student away for the weekend but nothing changed. He said he fired Mr Evans from the school in 1988 after a complaint was made by a student.
The case continues. #
[COMMENT: A Catholic priest, Father Paul Raymond Evans, is currently before the Sydney District Court on charges involving offences against teenage boys while he was working as a Salesian Brother at Boys Town, Engadine, NSW, between 1977 and 1988.
In the late 1980s, this Brother left the Salesian order and became ordained as a priest and has been ministering since then in the Broken Bay diocese (in Sydney's north). Above is a report today from the Manly Daily in northern Sydney.
The detective in charge of the Paul Evans case is: Detective Senior Constable Megan Mark, phone Sydney 02 9542 0759.
Broken Rites has been following the progress of this case before the case reached the District Court.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Broken Rites - Australia
ENDS.]
[Unnamed minister - NEW*] - Baptist. 2 boys.
Florida Baptist Witness,
By JAMES A. SMITH SR., Executive Editor, Published June 19, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Just three days after the Executive Committee reported on June 10 in Indianapolis its response to the Southern Baptist Convention concerning a motion seeking creation of a database of Southern Baptist ministers guilty or accused of sexual abuse, a Baptist minister in southeast Texas was indicted on three charges of allegedly molesting two boys.
The arrest of a minister who allegedly took advantage of his sacred duties to satisfy his basest desires is just the latest case of sexual abuse by a minister. It was Texas, but it could have been (and, tragically, has been) Florida–and every other state.
Although the minister is not a Southern Baptist, his arrest is a fresh reminder of the importance of the Executive Committee's exhaustive report and recommendations that churches take seriously the matter of sexual predators in our midst.
- General laws.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ June 18, 2008
MEXICO -- Joaquin and I are working with a group of Senators and Federal Deputies in updating the criminal statues as they relate to child sexual abuse, pedophilia and child pornography. Our hopes are to introduce some legislation along with 300 other Community Based Organizations by the beginning of summer.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are looking for:
1) Laws written in different states/countries that address the elimination of the Statute of Limitations on child sex abuse, pedophilia and child pornography (I heard something about the statute work in Ireland/Australia/Canada?)
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 18, 2008
6:54 PM]
- FLDS.
John McKiggan's Sexual Abuse Claims Blog,
~ June 18, 2008
CANADA -- The special prosecutor who has been asked to investigate the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints community in Bountiful, British Columbia plans to ask the RCMP to reopen their criminal investigation into the polygamous religious community.
The Globe and Mail reported that Vancouver lawyer, Terry Robertson says that:
"The law says it is an offence for a person in a position of authority over another to sexually touch someone if they are under 18."
Women who have left the community of Bountiful have said that girls as young as 14 have been married to men more than 20 years older, who are elders in the religious community.
Robertson also intends to look at whether the law against polygamy breaches the freedom-of-religion provision of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Churches.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ June 18, 2008
[with link to the music video]
CALIFORNIA -- Time for a mid-week music break from reading all these documents. Click the video box above the headline to watch the music video of a song written by an LA musician after seeing the movie Deliver Us From Evil.
The song is "Roger Mahony Hymn (aka Help Us Jesus)" and the band is The Wrynkles.
"We are musicians from the seventies now in our fifties," said, Ron Frederick, band leader and vocalist, "and we spell the band's name that way instead of other people making jokes about old men playing music."
What inspired the song? "About six months ago, I was going to write a sarcastic song about Jerry Falwell, around the time he died. I was sitting at work and coincidentally that day Deliver Us From Evil came in the mail from NetFlix.
[Mr Andrade] - RCC. Mater Dei invited him back.
Manly & Stewart,
June 18, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- Attorneys for an alleged victim of childhood sexual molestation filed a second sex abuse lawsuit against a former Mater Dei High School basketball coach, the school and the Diocese of Orange.
The suit, which alleges that former coach and admitted molester Jeffrey Andrade sexually abused the victim while she was a young teenager and student at the school, was filed in Orange County Superior Court in May. The last multi-million dollar case against Andrade settled in October 2007.
"Andrade was a serial predator," said John C. Manly, the Newport Beach attorney for the alleged victim. "What's even more appalling is that Mater Dei officials knew that Andrade was a threat, and did nothing to stop him. In fact, they invited him back on campus."
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams Posted 2:19 PM
Article Last Updated
03:14:48 PM MDT
June/18/2008
UTAH -- Utah birth certificates may be playing a significant role in an investigation into possible sexual abuse at a polygamous sect's Texas ranch, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.
An Arizona investigator requested copies of birth certificates for approximately 25 FLDS couples from the YFZ Ranch - about 50 people in all - to confirm their dates of birth, according to Jeff Duncan, director of the Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics.
Gary Engles, a special investigator for Mohave County, Ariz., made the request for information first to the Utah Attorney General's Office, which referred him to the vital statistics office.
"I never heard anything directly from the state of Texas," Duncan said.
- Baptists.
Nashville Scene,
by Elizabeth Ulrich, for June 19, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Last week, Southern Baptist officials stood before a sea of church members and representatives more than 7,000 strong and announced a plan to confront the recurring threat of pastoral sexual abuse within the denomination's churches: They would do nothing at all.
Charged with studying the feasibility of creating a database of known abusers and credibly accused ministers, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) executive committee dropped the responsibility of protecting the denomination's most vulnerable into the laps of local churches themselves. Morris Chapman, president of the executive committee, recycled the old excuse that the autonomous nature of Southern Baptist churches prevents the convention from stepping in.
"Baptists do not recognize any ecclesiastical authority outside the local church," read a report issued by Southern Baptist leaders. "This precludes the convention from having any authority to require local churches to report instances of alleged sexual abuse…."
It was roughly one year ago that 8,600 church representatives, men and women from around the country who bear the name "messengers," asked the executive committee to look into creating a denomination-wide database of "Southern Baptist ministers who have been credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse."
- RCC closings protest sign.
Press of Atlantic City,
By JULIET FLETCHER, 856-237-9020, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
VINELAND (NJ) -- As Anthony Mecca watched the head of the Camden Diocese begin his slow walk across the field next to Our Lady of Pompeii Church, he held aloft his hand-drawn sign, written in Latin.
"Pater, dimitte Galante," it began. Underneath, the translation read, "Father, forgive Galante."
Mecca, a 40-year parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Pitman, Gloucester County, had driven in to catch Bishop Joseph Galante before a special outdoor Mass in St. Padre Pio parish.
"It's the parish mergers," he said, when asked what had brought him cross-county. The church was slated to be merged with Our Lady of Lourdes in neighboring Glassboro, under diocese plans that reduce 124 parishes to 66. Most rankling to Mecca and his fellow protesters, they said, was that the bishop had been invited to come to address the parish following that announcement and had declined.
- Indigenous children. 90,000 claims already.
Globe and Mail,
By JACQUIE MCNISH, jmcnish@globeandmail.com , June 18, 2008
CANADA -- The social healing began almost immediately after Stephen Harper made his historic apology last week for abuses suffered by former students of residential schools.
It will take more than words, however, to mend the cracks revealed in Canada's class action system after some of the country's smartest and most devoted legal champions struck a legal settlement last year to compensate aboriginals for cruelties endured in isolated boarding schools.
Late last year, provincial and territorial judges approved Canada's largest and most intricate class action settlement by agreeing to a plan that would give lump sums of cash to every surviving native relocated to residential schools.
An estimated 90,000 people have applied for claims and so far more than $1.3-billion has been paid. Over the next few years, the governments' bill could swell by another billion or two.
The problem with directing such a large river of money to Canada's most remote corners is that few of the beneficiaries have the financial or legal expertise to shield windfall payments, averaging about $25,000 a person, from abuse by individuals and organizations.
[1971-77 + 2006 Br. Roger Moloney* (St John of God Order)] - RCC. 2006 fought extradition. NZ $300,000 so far. 11 boys.
Stuff,
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- High Court jury has heard evidence about the "pastoral gesture" process carried out by the Order of St John of God, in which boys alleging sexual abuse at Marylands School were interviewed and received payments from the church.
The process itself has been raised during the three-week trial of the former prior of the order at Marylands, Rodger William Moloney, 71, who denies 28 charges of sexual abuse of boys at the school near Christchurch in the 1970s.
Michelle Mulvihill, an Australian psychologist who was employed as an adviser and complaints manager by the order when the abuse claims arose, gave evidence before Justice Graham Panckhurst and the jury on the seventh day of the trial, Christchurch Court News website reports.
She was asked about the amount she had been paid for her work for the order over a seven-year period. She gave figures, which had been said early in the trial to add up to nearly $1 million.
- Baptist.
Florida Baptist Witness
~ June 18, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee passed a recommendation June 9 urging churches to screen prospective volunteers and employees with the U.S. Department of Justice's national sex offender database and said it believes the "potential threat of sex abuse" on the local church level "is tragically underappreciated."
At six pages, the Executive Committee's report on child sexual abuse–adopted after two years of study–also said it is "strongly persuaded that no church or Baptist entity should employ a known sex offender."
[1950s-80s] - Bankrupt RCC dicocese seeks to recompense victims.
Fort Mill Times,
June 17, 2008
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is launching a multistate search for possible sexual assault victims as it moves forward with the settlement of abuse claims against it.
The Diocese filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year. It is working with attorneys representing clients who claim sexual abuse by clergy between the 1950s and 1980s.
About 150 people have filed claims, seeking millions in compensation.
- Anglicans.
The Daily,
~ June 18, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- Australian Anglican leader Archbishop Philip Aspinall has backed a cut in the budget of the body charged with handling sexual abuse matters in his own diocese.
The Brisbane diocese's annual parliament, or synod, will meet this weekend to approve the church's budget for 2009.
Budget papers show the diocese's professional standards unit will take a 30 per cent cut, from $195,000 to $135,000, in 2009 despite ongoing public concern over the church's handling of sexual abuse.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 18, 2008
7:40 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed June 18, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2008 Brumit -NEW*] - 25yrs prison. Porn and Internet "boy."
Aiken Standard,
www.aiken standard. com/0619 Brumit , By MIKE GELLATLY, June 19, 2008
AIKEN (SC) -- An Aiken native and former school teacher and pastor was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison Wednesday on child pornography and child sex charges.
Timothy Lynn Brumit, 48, was sentenced for attempting to entice a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy to engage in illicit sexual conduct and for transporting child pornography via the Internet.
According to information presented in court, Brumit, who was arrested Jan. 24, used "Hello.com," a website operated by Google, Inc., to communicate with a person whom he believed to be a 13-year-old boy located in Stafford, Va. [***]
When arrested, Brumit was employed as a high school English teacher at Batesburg-Leesville High School. He also had served as a minister in various churches. #
[2007 Fulgham -NEW*] - "Church of God". Girl.
Tuscaloosa News,
www. tuscaloosa news.com/ article/ 20080619/ NEWS/3341 71062/-1/ entertain ment4 ;
By Stephanie Taylor, stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com , 205-722-0210,
June 19, 2008
TUSCALOOSA (AL) | A former Bibb County pastor accused of having sex with an underage girl faces additional charges in Tuscaloosa.
Timothy Fulgham, 40, waived a preliminary hearing in Bibb County District Court on Tuesday on charges of second-degree rape, second-degree sexual abuse and enticing a child for immoral purposes, said Bibb County Assistant District Attorney Tim Evans.
Fulgham was arrested in March on those charges, which stem from events that are alleged to have occurred last year. [***]
Fulgham, of Randolph, was pastor at River of Life Church of God in Centreville for about four years before he resigned in August 2007. #
- RCC.
[Years - Unnamed priests] - Sexual acts.
[2008 Bp Okogie -NEW*] - Wants AIDS preventives banned.
The PM News,
By Kazeem Ugbodaga, ~ June 19, 2008
LAGOS -- His eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, is very angry with priests engaging in sexual perversion in the Catholic Church, and has vowed to expel any priest henceforth caught in the immoral act.
Okogie, at a news conference to mark his 72nd birthday in Lagos yesterday, lamented that the newspapers were replete with stories of priests engaging in sex scandals. "There have been reports of priests engaged in sexual abuse. The law of celibacy is there to correct these happenings. The law is not force, the priests are well aware of it before their ordination.
"Priests involved in such act lack self-control, they lack discipline. But any of our priests involved in such acts would be shown the way out," he warned.
"We admonish our priests to keep to the vows of poverty, chastity and loyalty to the church. People should refrain from tempting priests; after all they are human beings. But the onus is on the priests to prove that they are thoroughly disciplined, chaste and virtuous," he stated.
Okogie also called on the Federal Government to ban the use of condom nationwide as well as condom advertisements in the media.
[Pardillada -NEW*] - RCC.
Tempo,
~ June 19, 2008
PHILIPPINES -- Dipolog City Bishop Jose R. Manguiran has revoked the faculties earlier bestowed on a New Jersey-based priest due to allegations of abuses and misconduct.
In his report submitted to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Manguiran saidhe has sanctioned 37-year-old Fr. Reynaldo M. Pardillada and restricted him to the Catholic convent of his local church over the priest's alleged abuses and misconduct while serving at the Epiphany Church, in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.
KPSC Radio Manila in Southern California first broke the news over Catholic-run Veritas 846 last June 9 after the Archdiocese of Newark suspended the concerned clergyman from is ministry on a complaint from a 32-year old woman who also hails from Dipolog City.
- RC leader says "not the right time."
AOL News
Source: CBC News, 6:40PM, June/19/08
CANADA -- Cardinal Marc Ouellet said the Roman Catholic Church is not prepared to apologize publicly for sexual abuse committed by priests because it's not the right time.
The archbishop of Quebec City made the statement Thursday at the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City after a small group of people protested outside the gathering, demanding the church acknowledge past abuses toward aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples.
The week-long congress is not the proper venue for such discussions, Ouellet said at a news conference. "We are in spiritual reflection and renewal. I think that from what we are living, there will be concrete actions afterwards with other people, with other initiatives," he said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 19, 2008
11:58 PM]
- FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams
Article Last Updated 03:47:20 PM MDT, June/19/2008
ELDORADO (TX) -- A grand jury will meet next week in Eldorado to hear testimony that could lead to indictments of members of a polygamous sect.
A Schleicher County clerk confirmed the grand jury has been called in but would not say why or when it would meet. But The Salt Lake Tribune has learned the hearings are related to the investigation of residents of the YFZ Ranch, all members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Expected to be subpoenaed as witnesses are mothers who conceived or gave birth when they were minors.
- RCC.
Voice of the Faithful,
By Susan Vogt, June 19, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Periodically, Popes call Vatican Councils and Bishops call Diocesan Synods. Sometimes the voices of lay people are heard through these forums but too often it is a gathering of church professionals and clerics with a tightly orchestrated agenda and predetermined outcomes. It is a breath of fresh air when this doesn't happen (like Vatican Council II) but that was over 40 years ago. The time has come for a different kind of council – a people's synod. This is consistent with VOTF's philosophy of being a vehicle for the voices of the faithful and working toward common ground together.
A national gathering of Catholics has also been on the minds of many Catholic organizations for a while and VOTF has taken the role of midwife. Thus, a National People's Synod – a potentially transformative project for the Church in the U.S. – is ready to launch. Although we are walking into an unknown future, one thing we do know is that a synod will happen best if it is not solely a VOTF project but rather a collaborative partnership with the support of a wide spectrum of Catholic leaders and organizations.
- Movie.
Record-Eagle,
FROM STAFF REPORTS, ~ June 19, 2008
TRAVERSE CITY (MI) -- "Deliver Us From Evil," an Oscar-nominated documentary about the Rev. Oliver O'Grady, an abusive Catholic priest, will be screened at the June 30 Community Film Night at the State Theatre.
The film is sponsored by SASATEAM, Survivors Against Sexual Abuse.
Barb Russell, director of the group, said she saw the film during last summer's Traverse City Film Festival. She was later inspired to form SASATEAM after hearing festival founder Michael Moore tell a group of film festival volunteers, "We either stand for something, or we stand for nothing."
[Robinson] - Baptist. Girl.
KWTX,
June 19, 2008
FORT WORTH (TX) -- A Fort Worth pastor was free on bond Thursday after he was charged in connection with the sexual assault of a girl who attends his church.
James "Jay" Virtue Robinson IV, pastor of Southwood Baptist Church, surrendered at the Tarrant County Jail Wednesday after an arrest warrant charging sexual assault of a child was issued.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Robinson was freed after he posted a $20,000 bond.
My Fox Kansas City,
~ June 19, 2008
[with video]
[with link to statement of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City and St. Joseph]
KANSAS CITY, MO. -- The Kansas City Catholic Diocese is facing more lawsuits in the priest abuse scandal. And, victim advocates said since the Papal Visit to the U.S. in April, more people have come forward with cases. Advocates said these latest cases make four new ones in the past two weeks in the metro. FOX 4's Paul Herdtner reports.
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). "Rabbi." Torture regime. 2 children.
Ynet News,
Israel News, by Efrat Weiss, June.19.08,
ISRAEL -- 'The Rabbi' Elior Chen, who is accused of being responsible for the abuse of two young boys in Jerusalem, announced on Thursday that he would not turn himself over to Israeli authorities.
Chen was arrested in the streets of Sao Paulo by Brazilian police, ending the extensive manhunt that spanned several weeks.
His lawyer, Ariel Atari, traveled to Brazil for a week-long visit to confer with Chen. Atari confirmed his client has retained a team of local attorneys to combat his extradition.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[Years - Rev. John Bennison] - Females.
Stand Firm,
8:18 am, Tuesday, June 17, 2008
UNITED STATES -- We posted this recently as part of a stack of links about the John Bennison case, but given yesterday's events we thought it deserved a second look:
Church documents show that even though he was married, Bennison had sexual relationships with other vulnerable women at St. Mark's, including a 35-year-old mother of three going through a divorce.
The behavior continued at All Saints By The Sea in Santa Barbara with a 21-year-old who went to Bennison for marriage counseling. The documents also show he paid for an abortion for an 18-year-old girl with church money.
- RCC.
Santa Barbara Independent,
By Nick Welsh, Thursday, June 19, 2008
SANTA BARBARA (CA) -- Olan Horne does not mince words. "I've dealt with a lot of bishops, liars, and bullsh*tters in my time," said the burly ex-Catholic who has spent the last eight years butting heads with the Boston Archdiocese over pedophile priests. But reigning Pope Benedict XVI, Horne said, does not fall within their ranks. Horne enjoys the rare, if painful, distinction of being one of the few sexual abuse victims to have met the new pope during his April visit to the United States. "You know what's PR and what's not. He seemed sincere," Horne said. "He was heavy. It was sitting on his shoulders. I mean, how do you come to terms with what these priests and the church have done and look us in the face?"
Likewise, the question confronting Horne and many victims of priestly pedophilia is how exactly they should look back at their tormentors and the church out of which they sprang?–?in anger or forgiveness? In rage or reconciliation? "I'm not saying there isn't reason here for bitterness and rage," said Horne, who will be speaking in Santa Barbara on June 20 and 21, "but if you're a survivor and you don't want to be angry, then you forgive."
Washington Times
by Jay Lindsay, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, June 19, 2008
METHUEN, Mass. -- The Rev. John McLaughlin never served in the military, but he's faced unexpected, violent death in the way troops do. Decades ago, Father McLaughlin lay bleeding on a Boston street after being stabbed from behind.
The prayer-filled moments that followed, when Father McLaughlin believed he might die, changed his life and ultimately led him to God. Now, in a newly created job, he'll be trying to recruit military personnel to the Roman Catholic priesthood.
- RCC shrinking.
Standard-Speaker,
By DUSTIN PANGONIS, Thursday, June 19, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- Schuylkill County priests affected by the Diocese of Allentown's consolidation plan met with diocese officials Wednesday in Kutztown to discuss a Parish Restructuring Manual intended to help priests during the transition.
The Rev. Edward B. Connolly, pastor of St. Joseph, Pottsville, and St. Francis de Sales, Mount Carbon, said several diocese officials reviewed the manual and a new packet containing information on the final Masses for those churches that are closing.
Connolly will become pastor of St. Joseph and St. Vincent de Paul, Girardville, on July 15.
The 59-page document details the consolidation process, ranging from personal matters, like dealing with pastor and parishioner grief, to the logistics of parish property, finances and employees.
[2007 Whipkey*] - RCC. GUILTY. Street nakedness.
Brighton Standard-Blade,
By Allen Messick, June/19/2008
GREELEY (CO) -– If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to witness it, does it make a noise?
That was the defense Father Robert Whipkey, 54, of Frederick, used last week as he stood trial on charges of indecent exposure stemming from a June 22, 2007, incident when he was seen by Frederick off-duty police officer Zach Hahn.
His reasoning: Walking naked in the middle of the night can't hurt anyone because no one would be out to see him.
- RCC offering compensation.
KTUU,
by Channel 2 News staff, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is looking for additional sexual assault victims as it moves forward with the settlement of abuse claims.
The diocese is working with attorneys representing clients who claim sexual abuse by clergy between 1950 and 1980.
- RCC. 150 claimants so far.
Anchorage Daily News
The Associated Press, June 19, 2008
FAIRBANKS (AK) -- The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is launching a multistate search for possible sexual assault victims as it moves forward with the settlement of abuse claims against it.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year. It is working with attorneys representing clients who claim sexual abuse by clergy between the 1950s and 1980s.
About 150 people have filed claims, seeking millions in compensation.
[1975-76 Deacon Shrimplin*] - RCC. Time-barred. Boy.
"Fascinating path to a conviction,"Toledo Blade,
By DAVID YONKE, BLADE RELIGION EDITOR, June 19, 2008
TOLEDO (OH) -- A Cleveland man has dropped a sexual abuse lawsuit against a former Toledo Catholic deacon because the statute of limitations has expired.
Tom Ferguson, 48, a former Toledoan living in Cleveland, filed the lawsuit Feb. 11 in Lee County Common Pleas Court in Florida against Dr. Glen Shrimplin, a retired dentist and former ordained deacon in the Toledo Catholic Diocese.
In his lawsuit, Mr. Ferguson stated that he was repeatedly sexually abused at age 15 when Dr. Shrimplin took him to Florida for Christmas vacation.
[LOOK BACK: February 12, 2008]
[1988-95 Oswald*] - RCC. Sexual abuse. Altar boy.
Lake County News,
Written by Saint Mary's Pastoral Advisory Council
Thursday, June 19, 2008
LAKE COUNTY (CA) -- Father Ted,
In discussions with the Pastoral Advisory Council, the Council decided it was appropriate to provide you with a strong indication of our support and commitment to you through this current time.
Some of the quotes from the members of the Council are:
"Let father know he can count on my support unconditionally."
- RCC.
Courier Mail,
by Marcus Kuczynski, June 19, 2008 12:00am
AUSTRALIA -- THE Catholic Church is seeking forgiveness for past hurts as part of its biggest initiative to attract lapsed members back to its fold.
Comparing the church with any family which has its differences, the nation's Catholic bishops have embarked on a national outreach to non-practising members ahead of World Youth Day, which will bring 250,000 young followers to Sydney from July 15 to 20. …
While it is still unknown whether the Pope will make a formal apology to victims of sexual abuse during his visit, the bishops have sought forgiveness for any unspecified past hurts which may have been caused through the church.
[1970s Paquette] - RCC. (US$8.7m already). Altar boy.
Contra Costa Times,
By John Curran
Associated Press,
Article Launched 04:07:07 PM PDT
June/18/2008
BURLINGTON, VERMONT – Many Roman Catholics believe that the worst of the clergy sex-abuse scandal is over. But in the Diocese of Burlington, it's deepening.
The case of one cleric, assigned to Vermont parishes in the 1970s despite warnings from an Indiana bishop that the priest was suspected of molesting boys, is battering the local church.
Last month, a former altar boy who said the Rev. Edward Paquette molested him repeatedly three decades ago won an $8.7 million jury verdict in a negligence lawsuit against the diocese.
- RCC.
Total Catholic,
09:09, Thursday, June 19, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- The latest report detailing safeguarding work within the Catholic Church of England and Wales has been released.
Highlights in the COPCA Report for 2007 include the fact that the number of parishes with at least one local child protection representative is at its highest point ever at 2,494.
In addition, nearly 19,500 further Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks have been made throughout the year to ensure the Church's recruitment procedures are consistent with government guidance and good practice in secular organisations.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 19, 2008
8:06 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu June 19, 2008
• Youth Day suits a new kind of 'sorry'.
Youth Day suits a new kind of ‘sorry’.
Brisbane Times,
www.brisbane times.com.au/ news/national/ youth-day- suits-a- new-kind-of- sorry/ 2008/06/19/ 1213770 827365.html ; by Linda Morris, Religious Affairs Writer, June 20, 2008
AUSTRALIA –
PRESSURE is mounting on the Pope to offer an apology during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day, with leading specialists saying that the Pope's unequivocal condemnation of abuse would aid healing and that the children of the most devout church followers remained at risk.
A conference into religious-based sexual abuse, organised by the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, will be told today that churches have failed to learn the lessons from massive compensation payouts.
Professor Freda Briggs, emeritus professor of child development and a lecturer at the University of South Australia, said churches were disregarding the habitual nature of sex offenders and were welcoming back convicted clergy.
Perpetrators had been able to groom children for sexual abuse partly because naive and trusting parents had allowed priests to share the same room and even the same bed as their sons, and had been easily flattered when priests chose their sons as altar boys.
"Some church leaders don't seem to realise that pedophilia is not akin to a traffic offence or even robbing a bank; he may have paid his debt to society according to law but that doesn't mean that he won't reoffend.
"There is no evidence to show that religion cures pedophilia - to the contrary - and the church's eagerness to following the teachings of Jesus and forgive offenders could prove to be yet another costly exercise placing it, and further children, at risk."
Peter Jonkers, professor of philosophy at the faculty of Catholic theology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, told the Herald it was appropriate that the Pope use the international forum of World Youth Day to strongly condemn sexual abuse.
"It is important that the Pope does it. On a local level, the bishops or cardinals some way or another need to make contact with victims and survivors to recognise them."
But Professor Jonkers, an advocate of forgiveness as a useful tool for personal recovery, cautions that for the Pope to repeat apologies wherever he next visits would be to eventually devalue the nature of an apology.
Broken Rites, the Australian victim support group, wrote to the Vatican's representative in Canberra, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, on June 7, requesting a private papal audience in Australia for a small group of victims.
The Papal Nuncio has since assured the group in writing that the issue of an apology had been "presented to the attention and consideration of the competent office of the Holy See".
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Broken Rites - Australia. Broken Rites representatives are at present in Sydney, attending a conference about sexual abuse in religious denominatons.
ENDS.]
[2008 McGill -NEW*] - New Hope Outreach Centre. Violence. Daughter.
Sun-Sentinel,
By Keona Gardner | Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, June 20, 2008
SEWALL'S POINT (FL) -- A local pastor and civic activist in St. Lucie and Martin counties is facing an allegation of child abuse for the second time in three months.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office arrested Rodney McGill, 41, pastor of New Hope Outreach Center in Jensen Beach, on Thursday and charged him with aggravated child abuse. He originally was arrested in April in St. Lucie County after being accused of beating his daughter, 16, with an extension cord. He denied the allegation, and prosecutors dropped the charges May 20.
Two days after the charges were dropped, according to a Sewall's Point Police report, the daughter was asked to leave the home after she did not put away milk. The girl was returned to the home by a deputy. After the deputy left, McGill grabbed the teenager, choked her and pushed her into the house, causing an abrasion on her back to reopen, according to the report.
[~ 2008 Jump -NEW*] - Christian. "Prostitute."
The Chattanoogan,
posted June 20, 2008
TENNESSEE -- A charge of patronizing prostitution against a local minister was bound to the Grand Jury without a hearing on Friday morning.
The Rev. Frank Jump of Signal Mountain appeared before General Sessions Court Judge Christie Sell.
He was one of those arrested last November in a prostitution sting.
[1970s Wise -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
The Kansas City Star,
By MARK MORRIS, ~ June 20, 2008
KANSAS CITY (MO) -- New allegations of clergy sexual abuse emerged in lawsuits filed Thursday against the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
One lawsuit alleged that Stephen Wise, a Lee's Summit man who left the clergy in 1986, molested a boy at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the late 1970s.
A second lawsuit accused Monsignor Thomas O'Brien and Father Thomas Reardon of propositioning and sexually abusing a boy for several years beginning in the late 1970s. Both O'Brien and Reardon have been the targets of numerous similar lawsuits in recent years.
[~ 2000s Gilroy -NEW*] - "Syon Mission." Prison. Boys.
Epsom Guardian,
By Paul Teed, ~ June 20, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- The minister of Brentford Free Church has said the "thoughts and prayers" of the church community are with those involved in the case of pastor Andrew Gilroy, who was jailed for child sex offences last Friday.
Rev David Beazley said the paedophile pastor of the Syon Mission had been a "colleague and friend".
He said: "We share the sadness of the whole situation, and our hope is that there will now be opportunity for all those directly and indirectly affected to move on."
Gilroy abused his position to befriend teenage boys and invite them to his home for photographic sessions.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint alleges 1962-65.
The News Journal,
By SEAN O'SULLIVAN, June 20, 2008
WILMINGTON (DE) – Another former altar boy, now a middle-aged man, stepped forward today to file suit against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington over acts allegedly committed by convicted child sexual abuser the Rev. Francis DeLuca.
John Michael Vai, 56, stood silently alongside his attorney Stephen J. Neuberger, who detailed crimes Vai said DeLuca committed against him between ages 13 and 17.
Neuberger said Vai had repressed memories of what happened when he was living in Wilmington and was an altar boy at St. Elizabeth's Church from 1966 to 1970.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 20, 2008
10:19 PM]
[Jessop] - FLDS.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Posted: 7:20 PM, ~ June 20, 2008
TEXAS -- A Texas judge has temporarily barred an FLDS spokesman accused of intimidation from contacting a daughter of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs.
Attorney Natalie Malonis, joined by guardian ad litem Connie Gauwain, filed a motion Friday asking for a restraining order against Willie Jessop.
Fifty-first District Judge Barbara Walther granted the request just before court closed. The judge also ordered Annette Jeffs, the girl's mother, to notify law enforcement if Jessop attempts to contact her. Walther set a hearing on the matter for next week.
- St Teresa's keeps battling.
The Berkshire Eagle,
By Derek Gentile, Friday, June 20, 2008
PITTSFIELD (MA) – Although the decision to close six city churches in the next few weeks appears inexorable, a small group of parishioners at one of the churches facing deletion says it still is brainstorming ways to avoid that finale.
"I don't know if we can stop this," conceded Gerard Miller of Velma Avenue, a member of St. Teresa's Church. "It's a very uphill battle."
Miller is one of a seven-member Parish Closing Committee that has been lobbying the Diocese of Springfield to keep its 1,000-member church.
- RCC.
Catholica
for June 21, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- Geoffrey Robinson, the author of Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus, delivered 16 presentations across the United States; mostly at non-Roman Catholic venues because of instructions from Rome and local Ordinaries forbidding him to speak on church grounds, but people came in droves to hear him, an estimated 3,500 in all. A consortium of Catholic lay groups sponsored his lecture in San Diego: The local chapters of Call to Action; Dignity; VOTF; and SNAP.
Reporters in Philadelphia and Toronto, Canada, articulated Robinson's demeanor throughout the tour, "the intent and praxis of Bishop Robinson does not to seek to harm the church, but to create a better church. Bishop Robinson responded to a variety of questions in a quiet, thoughtful way, never once showing disrespect to his fellow bishops, but always keeping in mind the dictate that we are a church semper reformanda." [~ = always reforming]
[Mr Smith] - RCC. US $784,000.
The Plain Dealer
Posted by Damian G. Guevara
16:25PM
June 20, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH) -- Federal prosecutors said Friday that Joseph Smith violated the trust of Cleveland's top Catholic clergy, including former Bishop Anthony Pilla, when he devised a kickback scheme to steal $784,000 from the church's coffers.
"He breached that trust…all in the name of wanting more," federal prosecutor Jerrod Patterson said during closing arguments at the U.S. District Courthouse downtown.
A jury is now deciding the fate of Smith, 51, of Avon Lake following a five-week trial. He is charged with several counts of fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion.
- RCC.
The Tidings,
Reviewed by Jerry Filteau, June 20, 2008
Before Dallas: The U.S. Bishops' Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children By Nicholas P. Cafardi. Paulist Press (Mahwah, N.J., 2008). 272 pp., $27.95.
UNITED STATES -- When Nicholas P. Cafardi was named to the National Review Board that the U.S. Catholic bishops formed at their landmark June 2002 meeting in Dallas to stem the crisis of American priests' sexual abuse of children, he brought a unique perspective.
The bishops established the all-lay board to monitor their compliance with unprecedented national church policies they had just approved to protect children from sexual abuse by priests, to respond pastorally to those abused by church personnel and to remove any abusive priest from ministry. …
He notes that just as the bishops began to recognize the issue as a national problem in the mid-1980s, one of their most effective practical tools for dealing with it under church law was removed.
"Under the 1917 Code of Canon Law, when a diocesan bishop was aware that a priest had sexually abused a minor, he had the ability to suspend that priest 'ex informata conscientia'" --- out of an informed conscience, without undertaking a formal penal process, Cafardi writes. When the new Code of Canon Law was issued in 1983, that option was no longer available, and the penal process for removing a priest was (and remains) difficult and cumbersome.
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). "Rabbi." Torture regime. 2 children.
JTA,
June/20/2008
ISRAEL -- An Israeli rabbi who fled to Brazil amid child-abuse allegations is fighting extradition.
Ha'aretz on Friday quoted Elior Chen's Israeli lawyer, Ariel Atari, as saying that Chen denies the charges. Atari returned this week from visiting Chen, 29, in Brazil.
Earlier this year, Israel issued an international arrest warrant for Chen, who fled the country after he was alleged to have counseled his followers to severely beat and burn children in order to rid them of the devil. Other children allegedly were forced to drink alcohol and turpentine until they vomited.
[Jessop] - FLDS.
Houston Chronicle,
By TERRI LANGFORD and LISA SANDBERG, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, ~ June 20, 2008
TEXAS -- A lawyer for the 16-year-old daughter of polygamist group leader Warren Jeffs is requesting a restraining order to prevent a spokesman for the group from intimidating and harassing the girl.
The request for a restraining order against Willie Jessop was filed in San Angelo today by Natalie Malonis.
- RCC.
Otago Daily Times,
By Hamish McNeilly, Sat, Jun 21, 2008
NEW ZEALAND -- The Otago-Southland Roman Catholic diocese is not in financial crisis despite being several million dollars in debt, a spokesman says.
"We are asset rich, cash poor - and in debt," diocese general manager Stuart Young said.
The situation may force the diocese to borrow money from other regional counterparts to pay off debt, he said.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint alleges 1962-65.
WCAX,
Associated Press,
11:45 AM ET
June 20, 2008
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (AP) -- A Pennsylvania man has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was sexually abused by a former Syracuse priest who worked for the Diocese of Wilmington.
Fifty-6-year-old John Michael Vai alleges that as a teenage altar boy, he was abused by the Reverend Francis DeLuca more than 100 times.
Defendants in the lawsuit filed Friday are the diocese and Saint Elizabeth's Church.
- Romanian Orthodox Church.
Ecumenical News International (Warsaw),
by Jonathan Luxmoore, ~ June 20, 2008
ROMANIA (ENI)-- The Romanian Orthodox Church has condemned the formation of a trade union among its clergy, and has said that priests should follow church procedures in making demands and airing grievances.
"Certainly, some Orthodox priests have trouble making ends meet, especially those with families," said Constantin Stoica, a spokesperson for the Bucharest patriarchate, which governs the church, "but we have ways of solving their problems inside our church."
- RCC in Italy pretends it is American problem.
Tradtion in Action,
by Atila S. Guimarães, ~ June 20, 2008
[with list of accused priests in Italy]
ITALY -- Due to a quite busy schedule, I have collected a pile of books and articles to read when spare time appears. In that mound was a long article published two years ago by the well-informed Rome bulletin Adista reporting on the pedophilia crisis in the Italian clergy. Recently I found time to read it.
It was, in my opinion, very revealing of the duplicity of the Italian Episcopate, the Vatican included. They pretend that pedophilia does not exist around them: it is an American problem…
It seems useful to portray a sampling of the Italian reality for the TIA American audience. I am basing myself on the information presented in a report by Emilio Carnevali entitled "Pedophile Priests in Italy: The Hierarchy Minimizes the Problem, but It Exists - Data from the Last Years" (Adista, May 13, 2006, pp. 11-14).
We are all aware of the extreme complacency of the Vatican in dealing with the pedophilia crisis in the U.S. It has always covered for the priests and blamed the critics, as if they were trying to destroy the Church. I mention just two facts to refresh my reader's memory.
- RCC.
National Catholic Reporter,
by John L. Allen Jr., ~ June 20, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Last week I published a lengthy, and remarkably candid, interview with Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore about a set of directives he's issued for the Legionaries of Christ and their lay movement, Regnum Christi. Specifically, O'Brien demanded an accounting of all personnel and activities in his archdiocese from both groups, and he barred Legionaries and Regnum Christi members from one-on-one spiritual counseling with anyone under 18. …
In the meantime, the Legionaries have issued a statement on O'Brien's directives. Here is the full text of the statement, which comes from Communications Director Jim Fair:
"Father Alvaro Corcuera [Superior of the Legion of Christ] met June 6 with Archbishop Edwin O'Brien. They had a fruitful and substantive discussion that laid down the groundwork for the Legion's continued ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. They were able to clarify issues and came up with concrete points that we will work on. We would hope that all Regnum Christi members will also see this as an occasion to love and serve the Church.
"We look forward to supporting the Archbishop's efforts to spread the Gospel in this great and historic Archdiocese. We pray for Archbishop O'Brien and Fr Alvaro that the Lord may bless them abundantly for the tremendous leadership they give to us. As you can see from the archbishop's published letter, there have been serious issues regarding the Legion's work. We are grateful for the opportunity to address these matters."
[~ 2000s Gilroy*] - "Syon Mission." Prison. 3000 images. Boys.
The Hounslow Chronicle
By Robert Cumber
Jun 20 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A minister at a Brentford church has expressed his sadness after a former pastor was jailed for taking thousands of indecent photos.
Andrew Gilroy, who spent more than a decade at Syon Mission Church in Beech Avenue, Brentford, abused his position to befriend teenage boys and invite them home for photo sessions.
By the time police caught up with him, the 46-year-old had amassed more than 3,000 images of the boys, who were aged 16 and 17 at the time.
- RCC.
Catholic News Service,
June 18, 2008
MIAMI (FL), (CNS) -- The days of Catholics who "pay, pray and obey" are gone and likely never coming back, according to a sociologist who has studied the beliefs and practices of American Catholics for more than two decades.
As a result, the church must find ways to reach new generations of Catholics who "don't think church leaders are any wiser or any holier than they are," said Purdue University's James Davidson, who spoke at the opening session of the annual gathering of the Catholic Theological Society of America.
Book TV on C-Span 2,
Author: Marci Hamilton, ~ June 20, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, June 28, at 11:00 PM
Sunday, June 29, at 8:00 AM
Monday, June 30, at 4:45 AM
- RCC was trying to cure seducers in the 1960s.
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ June 20, 2008
CALIFORNIA -- The bishops claim times were different back then, how could they know about pedophile priests? Truth is in the 1960s Timothy Manning, Archbishop of Los Angeles, was sending so many priests to Via Coeli in New Mexico, (in photo below right), he was talking with center director Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald about opening a branch of the rehab center near Los Angeles.
Fitzgerald's assistant, Fr. Joseph McNamara, even made a trip to San Bernardino to meet with Bishop Phillip Straling about opening up such a branch.
Below, McNamara testifies for the LA Clergy Cases about the relationship between the LA Archdiocese and Via Coeli in a June 2007 deposition. He confirms he and Father Gerald took bishops from all over the country on tours of the rehab center. Also below, Letters from 1959 and 1960 reveal a regular conversation between hierarchy "padres" about the pedophile priest problem in the LA Archdiocese and at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo Ca. (A young McNamara is pictured at right.)
Click the docs here to enlarge, read them, print them, there are more to come next week from this Paracletes Collection. You should be able to print a copy of the enlarged docs for yourself from your screen.
[Mr Truska] - 15-20yrs prison. Child.
KPTM,
Associated Press, 4:15 PM ET, June 19, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 28-year-old former Lincoln Public Schools employee and church choir director has been sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for first-degree sexual assault of a child.
Benjamin Truksa also was sentenced to five years Thursday on a child abuse conviction.
- RCC.
Abilene Reporter-News,
By Nicole Neroulias, Thursday, June 19, 2008
UNITED STATES -- During his recent trip to America, Pope Benedict XVI attended a youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. -- the same school where enrollment has dwindled to the point that no new prospective priests are enrolled next fall.
As the U.S. church ordains its crop of some 400 new priests in the coming weeks, church leaders hope Benedict's words of encouragement will inspire more men to consider the priesthood. The Rev. Donald Cozzens of John Carroll University, however, believes it will take a major change in Vatican policy on celibacy to revitalize the priesthood.
Cozzens, 69, has tracked the decline in vocations for more than a decade, including as rector of Cleveland's St. Mary Seminary from 1995 to 2000. In his 2006 book, "Freeing Celibacy," and in lectures all over the country, he argues celibacy should be optional for Catholic priests.
- Episcopalians.
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother.
[~ 1970s Rev. John Bennison] - Females.
[~2007 Ms Alton] - Allegedly changed Wikipedia entry, so banned by Wikipedia.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O'Reilly, ~ June 20, 2008
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- A special committee of the Episcopal Church USA has found no basis to try Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. on charges of misappropriating assets of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
In November 2006, the diocesan standing committee filed a formal complaint with the presiding bishop's office in New York alleging that since 2000 Bennison had used millions of dollars without canonical authority or the required consent of the standing committee. It asked for a church trial to remove Bennison as head of the five-county diocese.
However, the attorney for the review committee concluded that "Bishop Bennison committed no offense in these matters" and the committee voted at its May 21 meeting not to issue any indictment. That decision was announced today.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 20, 2008
12:01 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri June 20, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont149.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2001-08 Bp Doran -NEW*] - RCC. Evicted whistleblower, no justice.
Spero News,
By Mary Ann Kreitzer, ~ June 21, 2008
ARLINGTON (VA) -- Dear Friends:
Check out Julia Duin's new column at The Washington Times particularly her article about Fr. Haley and Fr. Clark. See: Washington Times
She's the catalyst for this column. All three words in the title, Speedy - Church - Justice, are significant. First, speedy: It's been almost seven years since Fr. Haley was booted from the St. Mary's rectory in Fredericksburg and forced into a nomadic life on the road for giving Bishop Loverde unwanted evidence of rampant sexual immorality in several Church rectories.
It's almost four and a half years since the tribunal, headed by Bishop Thomas Doran, met in Philadelphia to decide Fr. Haley's fate. There is something seriously wrong when a bishop can throw out a faithful priest on a trumped up charge and leave him in limbo for seven years. Justice delayed is justice denied. Such a delay is incomprehensible. (Unless, as one individual suggested, it ensures the statute of limitations will prevent any action in civil court.)
[? 2000s Mr Kiger -NEW*] - Christian. Girl
Northwest Arkansas Times
BY SCOTT F. DAVIS, Posted on Saturday, June 21, 2008
ARKANSAS -- A former youth pastor was sentenced on Friday to six years - three years in prison and three years suspended - for his sexual involvement with a 14-year old girl.
Keith Daniel Kiger, 31, of Winslow entered a negotiated plea of guilty to reduced charges of sexual indecency with a child before 4th Judicial Circuit Judge William Storey. He was initially charged with second-degree sexual assault.
Kiger was a youth minister at a church the victim had attended only a few times, so it would have been hard to prove he committed the act while being in a position of trust, said Fourth Judicial District deputy prosecutor David Harris.
[2000 Reed -NEW*] - Christian. Girl.
The Roanoke Times,
By Shawna Morrison, 381-1665, ~ June 21, 2008
RADFORD (VA) -- After a trial that lasted late into the night Friday, a jury found a minister from Radford guilty of sexually abusing a girl in 2000 when she was 8 years old.
Hawthorne Reed Jr., 63, was found guilty on two counts of forcible sodomy and one of aggravated sexual battery. The girl said the events happened in 2000, but she didn't tell anyone until six years later.
The Roanoke Times is not identifying the girl because of the nature of the case. She doesn't live in Virginia.
[1962-92 St William's Community Home -NEW*] - RCC. 143 children.
Yorkshire Post,
By Rob Waugh, EXCLUSIVE, Published Date: June 21, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- The Roman Catholic Church has been accused of "prolonging the agony" of 163 alleged abuse victims by attempting to block the biggest compensation claim of its kind the country has seen.
The claim, which could total up to £4m, focuses on the systematic, largely sexual abuse of deprived and damaged children at a former children's home in East Yorkshire spanning a 30-year period up to 1992, when it closed.
But the two Catholic organisations held principally responsible for running the St Williams Community Home in Market Weighton have so far refused to accept liability and the specialist solicitor running the claim believes the Church, which has been the focus of a series of abuse scandals in the United States and Ireland, is merely paying lip service to institutional expressions of sorrow.
[1970s+ Green*] - RCC. 38 charges. Boys.
Manchester Evening News,
June 21, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A PRIEST has appeared in court accused of sexually abusing a young boy 31 years ago.
William Green, 67, of Lyme Clough Way, Middleton, faces six counts of indecent assault and gross indecency between 1977-81.
- RCC global leader is asked to apologise.
Brisbane Times,
www. brisbanet imes.com.au/ news/ national/ youth-day- suits-a- new-kind- of-sorry/ 2008/06/19/ 121377082 7365.html ;
by Linda Morris, Religious Affairs Writer | June 20, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- PRESSURE is mounting on the Pope to offer an apology during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day, with leading specialists saying that the Pope's unequivocal condemnation of abuse would aid healing and that the children of the most devout church followers remained at risk.
A conference into religious-based sexual abuse, organised by the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, will be told today that churches have failed to learn the lessons from massive compensation payouts.
Professor Freda Briggs, emeritus professor of child development and a lecturer at the University of South Australia, said churches were disregarding the habitual nature of sex offenders and were welcoming back convicted clergy. …
Broken Rites, the Australian victim support group, wrote to the Vatican's representative in Canberra, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, on June 7, requesting a private papal audience in Australia for a small group of victims.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 21, 2008
6:10 PM]
[McKeirnan] - RCC.
Brisbane Times,
by Kate Dennehy | 7:10AM | June 22, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- THE Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane - in defiance of the Pope - continues to allow a convicted pedophile to remain a priest and celebrate Mass next to a school.
The Sun-Herald has learnt the priest - Father Ronald John McKeirnan, 69, of Toowong, in Brisbane's inner-west - enjoys the support and protection of high-ranking church officials, including Archbishop John Bathersby, despite having served a year in prison in 1998-99 for the sexual abuse of children.
Their decision to support Mr McKeirnan conflicts with a statement by Pope Benedict XVI in April that the church "would absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry … who is guilty of pedophilia cannot be a priest".
["Godman"*] - Tantric practitioner.
Thaindian News,
IANS, 10:41 pm ICT, June 21, 2008
NOIDA, India, (IANS) -- A 22-year-old woman was gang raped by a 'godman' practising occult and his associates but the Uttar Pradesh Police registered a complaint of molestation, the victim's family alleged here Saturday. Om Prakash, the victim's husband, said his wife had gone to Jhulla, a neighbour in village Sirsa Khanpur of Greater Noida district, to get medicines for him Thursday night.
"The 'tantric' (occult practioner) asked me to accompany him to a forested area to collect herbs for the medicines to cure my husband," the 22-year-old victim told IANS.
"On reaching the spot I found two men already there. Both were drunk. The three then raped me."
[1960s-70s McKeirnan] - RCC. 9 boys.
Brisbane Times,
by Kate Dennehy | June 22, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- THE Australian Catholic Church has been embroiled in controversy, three weeks before the Pope makes his historic visit to Australia, over a convicted pedophile who is still serving as a priest.
In defiance of the Pope, the Archdiocese of Brisbane continues to allow a convicted pedophile to remain a priest and celebrate Mass next to a school.
The Sun-Herald has learnt that the priest - Ronald John McKeirnan, 69, of Toowong in Brisbane's west - enjoys the support and protection of high-ranking church officials, including Archbishop John Bathersby, despite serving a year in prison in 1999 for molesting nine boys in the 1960s and 1970s.
- VOTF.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer, June 21, 2008
BOSTON (MA) – Long gone are the founder's dreams of millions of members, but gone too are the infighting and financial woes that shook the lay Catholic group Voice of the Faithful just a year ago.
The group founded in the worst days of the church's clergy sex abuse scandal to give laity a greater role has come through some bad times of its own, including financial problems and confusion over its future.
Its finances are sound and the spring visit by Pope Benedict allowed the group to reassert its relevance in a media campaign that it says drew hundreds of new members.
- RCC.
Thedocpodcast,
~ June 21, 2008
[podcast]
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- SNAP delivers a letter to the Diocese of Charlotte, an interview about the "Choose Life" license plates and a Scripture reading from Cheryl Corallo.
[Mr Joseph Smith] - RCC. Money.
The Plain Dealer,
by Damian G. Guevara, Saturday, June 21, 2008
CLEVELAND (OH) -- Joseph Smith violated the trust of Cleveland's top Catholic clergy, including former Bishop Anthony Pilla, when he devised a kickback scheme to steal $784,000 from the church's coffers, prosecutors said Friday.
"He breached that trust … all in the name of wanting more," federal prosecutor Jerrod Patterson said during closing arguments at the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Cleveland.
A jury is now deciding the fate of Smith, 51, of Avon Lake, following a five-week trial. He is charged with fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion.
[Mr de Araujo] - ? Christian. Settlement. 5 males.
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA),
By Karen Nugent, June 21, 2008
LANCASTER (MA) – A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit against a former Atlantic Union College choir director and music professor alleging sexual misconduct with four students and a consultant.
In a letter released yesterday to students, faculty and staff, College President Norman L. Wendth said the lawsuit against Francisco de Araujo was resolved through mediation. The terms and conditions of the agreement, he said, are confidential and would not be made public by mutual consent among the five male plaintiffs and Mr. de Araujo.
"I personally believe the agreement is as fair as these things can be, and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of all involved," Mr. Wendth said in the letter.
Nance Lyons, a Boston lawyer representing the five plaintiffs, who all used the last name "Doe" in the lawsuit, confirmed yesterday afternoon that a settlement was reached through mediation June 12. She declined to release details, referring to the no-public-disclosure agreement, but said the agreement was satisfactory to all five plaintiffs. She declined to say if cash was part of the agreement.
- Investment brokers to be sued.
Los Angeles Times,
By Victoria Kim, June 21, 2008
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- They thought the years of painful legal battles were over.
Instead, three men who received a combined $11.5 million as part of last year's historic settlement of clergy sex abuse cases involving the Los Angeles Archdiocese find themselves preparing to go to court once again.
This time, Salvador Tenerelli and brothers Stephen and Michael Trerotola have filed a lawsuit alleging that they were defrauded by the financial brokers who invested their settlement money.
The suit names as defendants the Swiss financial services firm UBS and several individual brokers who worked for the firm.
- RCC clergy talks.
The Tidings,
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien, June 20, 2008
UNITED STATES -- In the aftermath of the clergy sex abuse crisis, the U.S. bishops are working to rebuild relations with some unanticipated victims: their priests.
Bishop Gregory M. Aymond of Austin, Texas, and other members of the bishops' Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People, met June 12 in Orlando with representatives of half of the nation's priests to begin a dialogue on issues that arose during and after the sex abuse scandal.
"Some felt guilty by association," while others felt their fellow priests who were accused of wrongdoing were not treated fairly or with pastoral concern, Bishop Aymond told Catholic News Service after the closed-door listening session at the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Anglicans.
ABC Brisbane,
June 21, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The Anglican church in Brisbane is expected to vote today on major changes to the way it deals with clergy convicted of child sex abuse.
The Diocese of Brisbane is holding its annual Synnod this weekend and a vote is to be taken on amending church law on professional standards.
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall says currently in Queensland if a priest is convicted of child abuse there is a separate church process to decide if they should be expelled from the clergy.
[Tu] - Christian. 2 girls.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By DARREN BARBEE, dbarbee@star-telegram.com , ~ June 21, 2008
FORT WORTH (TX) -- Confidential files containing allegations that a priest who served in Arlington and Bedford sexually abused two sisters should be opened to the public, the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth ruled this week.
"Protection of children from abuse is of the utmost importance in Texas," the state court wrote. "We, therefore, conclude that the [priest's] .?.?. files are of legitimate public concern."
The court also wrote that the Rev. Joseph Tu Ngoc Nguyen's conduct, which Tu conceded was "inappropriate and unacceptable," falls within the Texas Family Code's definition of child abuse.
[1960s DeLuca] - RCC. Settlement reached for 1 case. 3rd complaint. Altar boys.
The News Journal,
By SEAN O'SULLIVAN, June 21, 2008
WILMINGTON (DE) -- Another former altar boy, now a middle-aged man, stepped forward Friday to file suit against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington over acts allegedly committed by convicted child sexual abuser the Rev. Francis DeLuca.
John Michael Vai, 56, stood silently alongside his attorney Stephen J. Neuberger, who detailed crimes Vai said DeLuca committed against him between ages 13 and 17.
Neuberger said Vai had repressed memories of what happened when he was living in Wilmington and was an altar boy at St. Elizabeth's Church from 1966 to 1970.
[2008, March - Murd*] - RCC. Admitted fondling, but Not Guilty. Adult.
"Fascinating path to a conviction,"Toledo Blade,
~ June 21, 2008
OHIO -- SEXUAL-abuse cases are usually highly emotionally charged. When a verdict is announced, it is very rare to have it accepted as fair by all sides. So it is no wonder that past victims of sexual abuse and their families find themselves distressed that a Roman Catholic priest was acquitted on a misdemeanor charge of sexual imposition. However, Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge James Jensen found that the prosecution failed to prove that the actions of the Rev. Frank Murd offended the victim. The judge then found the priest not guilty in a bench trial.
The accusation stemmed from a March incident involving a 27-year-old man at the JCC-YMCA in Sylvania Township. During a police interview, Father Murd, former pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Maumee, initially denied that he inappropriately touched the man, but then admitted that he did and apologized. When the victim explained during the trial why he didn't immediately rebuff the priest, he said he was shocked by his actions and froze before objecting. The man asked a facility attendant for the identity of the priest. He went home and called his psychologist, who instructed him to notify police.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 21, 2008
7:37 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat June 21, 2008
• Bad news for Pope's visit: Br Best, Fr McKeirnan, Fr Evans.
Bad news for Pope’s visit: Br Best, Fr McKeirnan, Fr Evans
Broken Rites - Australia,
http:// brokenrites. alphalink. com.au ,
e-mail of June 22, 2008
AUSTRALIA –
With only three weeks to go before the Pope arrives in Australia (July13), the issue of church sexual abuse is still prominent.
The Melbourne "Sunday Herald Sun", on page 30 today, reports that Christian Brother Robert Charles Best (who was convicted in Victoria in 1996) has been charged with additional child-abuse offences. For the Broken Rites research about Best, see the comprehensive article about him on the Broken Rites website at:
http://broken rites.alphalink. com.au/ nletter/ page27.html .
The Sydney Sunday "Sun Herald" today reports that Father Ronald John McKeirnan (who was jailed in 1998) is still being harbored in the Brisbane archdiocese. For the Broken Rites research about McKeirnan, see the comprehensive article about him on the Broken Rites website at:
http:// brokenrites. alphalink. com.au/ nletter/ page2.html .
Meanwhile, Father Paul Raymond Evans (who was originally a priest in the Salesian order but later ministered in parishes in the Broken Bay diocese, north of Sydney) is currently before the
Sydney District Court on child-sex charges. See the Broken Rites website at:
http:// brokenrites. alphalink. com.au/ nletter/ page163- evans.html .
[June 22, 2008]
• Christian Brother Robert Best touched boys indecently, a court was told.
[1960s &?+ - Bro. Best (Christian Brother)] - RCC. Boys.
Christian Brother Robert Best touched boys indecently, a court was told.
Broken Rites - Australia,
http:// brokenrites. alphalink. com.au/ nletter/ page27.html ,
e-mail of June 22, 2008
MELBOURNE (Vic), Australia –
Christian Brother Robert Best was convicted in the Melbourne County Court in June 1996 for child-sex offences. After this, more former students contacted the police, so Best was brought back to the same court again in March 1998 on additional counts. In both years, the charges involved putting his hands inside the pants of boys aged from 10 to 12 and interfering with their private parts – that is, the crime of indecent assault.
Brother Best's background The court was told that Robert Charles Best was born on 1 January 1941. He was educated in Catholic schools at Warrnambool (western Victoria) and Bundoora (Melbourne) to matriculation level. In 1960 he entered a Christian Brothers novitiate (training college) to become a Brother. He began teaching (as "Brother" Best) in 1963 in Fremantle (Western Australia) in 1963 and in Launceston (Tasmania) in 1967, teaching up to Grades 6 and 7. He was active in sport and in choir practice, the court was told.
From 1968 to 1973 (inclusive), Best taught at St Alipius parish primary school for boys in Ballarat East, where he also acted as the headmaster. While working at this school, he resided at St Patrick's College (a secondary boarding school in Ballarat), where he was also supervised a dormitory. (The name of the school is pronounced as "Saint Al-LEEP-ee-us".)
The court was told that in 1974 Best was taken off teaching and was based for a year at a Catholic house in Melbourne (then called the "National Pastoral Institute", which has since been abolished).
From 1975 to 1985 (inclusive), he taught at St Leo's College (Christian Brothers) in Box Hill (in Melbourne's East), teaching Grade 6 for three years and junior secondary classes after that, the court was told. He was the superior of the ten Christian Brothers living at Box Hill. He attended school camps at Shoreham on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne.
In 1985-89, he taught at St Joseph's College, Geelong, where he was the Year 8 co-ordinator, the court was told.
In 1989-94, he taught (specialising in Year 9) at Warrnambool Christian Brothers College (also called St Joseph's) in south-western Victoria. He was the superior of the Warrnambool Christian Brothers Community, the court was told. (This school later evolved into Emmanuel College, a co-ed school).
In December 1994, when Brother Bob Best was aged 53, detectives from Ballarat interviewed him at Warrnambool, regarding certain complaints relating to St Alipius school, Ballarat East.
The 1996 case When Robert Charles Best was principal of the St Alipius boys' primary school in Ballarat East in 1968-73, he was aged from 27 to 32. Around this time, the school usually had only four teachers, and complaints about sexual abuse have been made about three of these: Brother Edward Dowlan (who was later jailed), Brother Stephen Farrell (given a two-year suspended jail sentence) and Brother Fitzgerald (now dead, therefore it is too late now to prosecute him). The school chaplain was Father Gerald Ridsdale (who was later jailed).
In the 1996 case, Best was charged with eight counts of indecent assault involving five boys, aged 11 or 12, while they were at St Alipius. Judge Michael Mclnerney allowed Best to have a separate jury for each complainant. (Therefore, each jury believed that there was only one complainant and that the offence was an isolated occurrence.) Best was found guilty concerning one of the complainants and not guilty concerning the other four. Judge McInerney gave Best a nine-months suspended jail sentence.
The 1998 case After the 1996 case, five more complainants from St Alipius came forward. This time, in March 1998, Judge James Duggan refused to allow Best five separate juries. Therefore the jury members knew that there were multiple complainants.
The jury found him guilty on six counts involving two of the boys, one aged 9 and one aged 11. The offences involved manipulating the boys' genitals.
Judge James Duggan sentenced Best to 24 months' jail (with a minimum of 12 months before becoming eligigle for parole). The judge said Best had molested a Grade 4 boy four times as he sat next to the pupil in class pretending to take an interest in his work. He also twice abused a Grade 6 boy in the school's sick bay.
The judge commented about the hypocrisy involved in breaching "celibacy". He said Best's position of trust, in a religious order, made his offences worse. The judge said the victims had been unable, at the time, to lodge a complaint because Best was not only a Christian Brother but was also the school principal. He said the publicity surrounding the 1996 trial had finally given the victims the opportunity to come forward.
On 23 July 1998, after three months in jail, Best won an appeal against the March 1998 convictions and received the right to be given a new trial.
At great expense, the Christian Brothers hired a Queens Counsel to represent Best in both 1996 and 1998.
After his convictions, the Christian Brothers retained Brother Bobby Best in their order – that is, he continued to be "Brother" Best. After his convictions he was given an administrative role, working at a hostel for elderly Christian Brothers in The Avenue in Parkville, inner-Melbourne.
The police investigations of Brother Robert Best have been conducted by the Ballarat Criminal Investigation Unit, telephone 03 5336 6080.
The 1996 and 1998 convictions were reported in the media: Herald Sun, 24-7-1996 (on pages 1 and 4), 25-7-96, 28-3-98; The Australian, 26-7-96 (page 11); and The Age, 25-7-96, 28-3-98.
For an article about another Christian Brother, Edward Dowlan, who was also convicted in 1996, see our article entitled Catholic religious Brothers accept sex-offenders as members
[- 2008 Baba -NEW*] - ? Hindu. Girl/s.
NDTV,
Press Trust of India, Sunday, June 22, 2008
KATHMANDU, NEPAL -- A 30-year-old priest, residing in Pashupatinath Temple area, has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a minor girl, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Baba Bisnu Das, had molested the six-year-old girl after locking her inside his ashram on Saturday, they said. …
Police records show that the Baba had been arrested for at least three times previously on charge of making similar attempts. Each time he had been released after promising not to repeat such acts in the future.
- RCC.
Blip.tv ,
~ June 22, 2008
[video presentation]
TEXAS -- Authors Patrick Fleming and Sue Lauber-Fleming give a talk on the issue of the priest sexual abuse crises of the Catholic Church in a presentation at the Oblate Seminary in San Antonio Tx, March 2008.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 22, 2008
8:20 PM]
- RCC priests dwindling.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
By TOM HEINEN, theinen@journalsentinel.com , Posted: June 22, 2008
WISCONSIN -- With 77 diocesan priests reaching the optional retirement age of 68 within the next five years, change isn't just in the wind for more Catholics in southeastern Wisconsin.
It's percolating in parish offices as the region's largest denomination strives to invigorate its flock while creatively countering the priest shortage, declining Mass attendance counts, the impact of the sexual abuse crisis and the deficit-driven downsizing of its central offices.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 22, 2008
8:23 PM]
- RCC.
St. John's Valdosta Blog
from Catholic Replies
by James J. Drummey
The Wanderer, ~ June 22, 2008
Q. A friend of mine who had been a faithful Catholic all his life was so upset by the sex abuse scandal and the failure of the bishops to deal with it properly that he has stopped going to Mass. What can I say to get him back to church?
A.First of all, you can agree with him that the immoral and criminal actions of some priests and the bishops' failure to rid the Church of these predators, were disgraceful, not only because children were not protected form sexual abuse, but also because the abuse was allowed to continue and to become widespread. No faithful Catholic can be anything but ashamed and angry at the way in which some bishops facilitated this tragedy.
Having said that, we must distinguish between the Church herself, which is always holy, and members of the Church, who have on many occasions over the centuries besmirched her good name and cause people to stay away fomr her life-giving sacraments. Turning one's back on the Church that Jesus founded to help us get to Heaven because some members of the Church have failed in their duty would be like rejecting one's own family because one or more members of the family had done something terrible.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 22, 2008
8:17 PM]
[RECAPITULATION: … the Church herself, which is always holy …
ENDS.]
[COMMENT: Mama mia! ENDS.]
- Celibacy too late to be a Jesus teaching.
The Other I,
June 22, 2008
Since the documentary last week about Father Cleary, I have been re-evaluating my thoughts about clerical celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church.
Despite the fact that recent popes have adamantly refused to consider a married clergy, it is worth remembering that even in the RC Church, clerical celibacy did not become a requirement until the 13th century, when it was imposed in an attempt to control wide-spread abuse.
Additionally, it is a practice which has never been introduced by the Orthodox Catholic Church, and a requirement which is not being universally imposed on some converts from among the Anglican clergy who are already married.
So clerical celibacy is not in that circle of doctrinal beliefs like the divinity of Christ, for instance, or the Trinity of God, which Rome believes could not be changed.
- RCC's secrecy Instruction.
Minor Heresies,
June 22, 2008
By now, the concept of a pedophile priest is not surprising.
Articles about complaints, prosecutions and lawsuits related to priestly sexual misconduct appear in the news media every week.
Back in 2006, the British television news program Panorama broadcast a special program on the way the Catholic Church handled abusive priests, a program that resulted in the resignation of an Irish Bishop.
They provided a copy of a secret church document, the Crimen Sollicitationis (Crime of Solicitation), which outlined Vatican policy on dealing with priests who commit sexual crimes.
The document, written and distributed in 1962, was updated in 2001 by none other than Cardinal Thomas Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict. (If you can handle the Latin, here's the now-public update, I believe)
The document lays out an entire formalized judicial process for prosecuting priests who solicited and/or engaged in sexual acts.
The penalties are entirely canonical, ranging from a rebuke to removal from office.
This document is significant, not only in how it defines the relationships within the church, but also between church and state. (There is evidence of a previous version of the document from 1922, "De modo procedendi in causis sollicitationis.")
- Brisbane Anglicans to eject child sex abusers.
ABC News,
Posted 07:23:00, June 23, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane says a decision to automatically defrock priests convicted of child sex abuse will not be retrospective.
Over the weekend, 600 church members met in Brisbane for their annual synod.
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall says taking immediate action against offenders will ensure victims are not subjected to further stress and pain.
[Ms Jeffs] - FLDS.
Houston Chronicle,
By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer, ~ June 22, 2008
TEXAS – A daughter of convicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs says she doesn't need protection from church leaders and wants her court-appointed attorney to step down for asking for it.
"I have asked her many times to please step aside," Teresa Jeffs told The Associated Press by telephone on Sunday from Texas. "I need more help. I want my attorney to listen to me."
Jeffs, 16, is one of hundreds of West Texas children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with an attorney appointed by a state judge as part of a child welfare investigation into alleged abuse. Her father is Warren Jeffs, the church's imprisoned president and prophet.
- RCC.
Courier-Post,
By JIM WALSH, June 22, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Over the next year, South Jersey's Catholics will experience a wave of dramatic -- and sometimes traumatic -- change.
Long-beloved churches will close. Parishes that helped define a spiritual community will disappear. And parochial schools that once rang with the sounds of children will sit silent.
Those losses -- which some observers compare to a death in the family -- will be controversial casualties in an ongoing campaign by the Diocese of Camden.
- RCC.
The Berkshire Eagle,
Editorial, Saturday, June 21, 2008
PITTSFIELD (MA) -- The closing of six of Pittsfield's 10 Catholic churches has been accompanied by remarkably little drama, for which the Springfield Diocese should be grateful. The Boston Archdiocese wishes it had been so fortunate. Given the relative ease in which the process has gone forward, it shouldn't be too much to ask of the Springfield Diocese to give a full hearing to a committee from St. Teresa's Church that still hopes the church will remain open.
There are a variety of reasons why attendance at Pittsfield's Catholic churches has dropped dramatically, among them the decline of the city's population and the fewer number of Catholics who attend church regularly. While the diocese seems reconciled to this situation, Walter Doerle, one of seven members of the Parish Closing Committee, takes a more optimistic approach, pointing out in yesterday's Eagle that closing six churches leaves no room for future growth. Even with the status quo, having only four churches could lead to overcrowding and a lessening of the religious experience for parishioners.
[2000s Chen*] - Judaist (Ultra-Orthodox). "Rabbi." Torture regime. 2 children.
The Jerusalem Post,
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS, ~ June 22, 2008
ISRAEL -- Rabbi Elior Chen, the suspected ringleader and spiritual mentor in one of the worst child abuse cases in Israeli history, will fight his extradition from Brazil, his Israeli attorney said Sunday.
Chen, 28, was arrested in Sao Paolo on June 3 after his local lawyer called Brazilian police with information about his whereabouts.
"We do not agree to the extradition," his Israeli lawyer, Ariel Atari, said in an interview after returning from a visit to Chen in Brazil.
- Religions.
Voice from the Desert,
~ June 22, 2008
UNITED STATES -- It's impossible for me to recommend more highly Marci Hamilton's new book, Justice Denied. Along with her previous work, God v the Gavel, and her many columns at Findlaw.com and numerous op ed pieces and essays published across the United States, Professor Hamilton has set the agenda for urgently needed legal reform of child sex abuse laws in the United States.
Marci has virtually become a Wisconsin resident over the past several years, three times arguing for clergy abuse victims before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. You know she's persuasive because even Justice Prosser (and Crooks and Wilcox) agreed with her to open WI courts to clergy abuse victims to file fraud case against religious leaders who covered up child sex crimes. That was a landmark, unanimous decision and as Churchill would say, not the end or even the beginning of the end, but maybe, for Wisconsin's long suffering survivors, the end of the beginning.
[≤ 2007 Dr Stukenholtz*] - Christian. Child.
The Montage,
by Carlos Restrepo, ~ June 22, 2008
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- Within the next 30 days, the fate of Dr. Larry Stukenholtz, former choir director at STLCC-Meramec, will be decided, said Roy Shanenberg, senior manager of employee relations at STLCC.
Six months ago, Stukenholtz was terminated shortly after being suspended with pay when a student from Stukenholtz's former school in California raised allegations of sexual abuse. Stukenholtz filed a grievance in January 2008 and he is still being paid his full salary and benefits during the grievance process.
Stukenholtz's annual salary is $60,700. As of May 2008, he had received approximately $25,000.
[LOOK BACK: May 15, 2007]
[2007 Bishop Pelotte] - RCC. Says fell downstairs.
Gallup Independent,
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola, June 21, 2008
GALLUP (NM) – The civil lawsuit concerning the release of Gallup Police photographs of former Bishop Donald E. Pelotte continues to lurch along in stop-and-go fashion.
Attorneys for Albuquerque television news reporter Larry Barker had requested a change of venue, and a hearing on that motion had been set for Thursday, June 19.
On Wednesday, however, Barker's attorneys, Martin R. Esquivel and Denise M. Chanez, faxed a motion to vacate and reset the hearing. District Judge Grant L. Foutz then granted the motion to vacate.
[LOOK BACK: ~ August 05 2007 and further back.]
[~ 2006 Bp James Jones*] - Church of England. Allegedly told a lie.
Religious Intelligence,
By Toby Cohen, 6:43am, Sunday, June 22, 2008.
UNITED KINGDOM -- THE Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, has been called on to resign by his former communications officer who has been awarded over £14,500 at an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal by the diocese.
The Rev David Johnston exposed the Bishop as a liar and revealed his chagrin at not being appointed Archbishop of York and his subsequent dislike for Liverpool.
Mr Johnston was initially suspended after the Sunday People wrote in November 2006 that he was having an affair with his assistant Diane Pendleton despite still being married to his wife Margaret.
The lawyers for the diocese admitted that it "may or may not have been written by the Bishop". In fact, the Johnstons' marriage had irretrievably broken down sometime before the relationship with Ms Pendleton began, and Mr Johnston had kept his employers informed.
[1968 Smyth (Norbertine)] - RCC. Superior knew he was seducer. Boy.
Irish Independent,
By Jerome Reilly, Sunday June 22, 2008
IRELAND -- WHEN Fr Brendan Smyth left America in 1968, the local paper praised his pastoral works and the "hour after hour of unofficial attention to the girl scouts".
Now 40 years on, another wave of litigation against his Order has begun in Providence, Rhode Island, where Smyth was sent from Ireland -- despite his previously known prediliction for sexually abusing children. …
Rev Smith stated in a letter to UTV television about Smyth's time in America: "On neither occasion was the bishop of the diocese to which he was sent notified of [Smyth's] propensity to molest children."
"On both occasions, Fr Smyth offended against young parishioners," the abbot said. "I acknowledge that I, as his religious superior, committed a grave error in sending him abroad without warning the bishop to whom I sent him."
[2004-06 Szydlik*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
Madison County Record,
By Steve Gonzalez, 11:17 AM, June/20/2008
PEORIA (IL) -- The Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Bishop Daniel Jenky filed a Section 2-619.1 motion to dismiss from a civil suit filed by an Edwardsville woman who claims her priest impregnated her and then coerced her into an abortion.
Represented by Joseph Feehan of Heyl Royster of Peoria, Jenky argues the the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution.
Holly Force filed suit March 31, and 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.
[LOOK BACK: Apr 3, 2008]
- RC parishes resist closure of ~ 50%.
Gloucester County Times,
By Stephanie Brown, sbrown@sjnewsco.com , Sunday, June 22, 2008
NEW JERSEY -- Leah Vassallo's great-grandparents helped build St. Mary's Church in Malaga more than 80 years ago. Her parents and sisters were all married there, and it was St. Mary's where the family held funeral Mass for her grandparents.
So when the Malaga resident first found out the church that has held so many memories for her and her family was to close as part of diocesan plans to consolidate parishes, she said she knew she had to fight it.
Not just for her, but for others parishioners in other churches also slated to merge as part of Camden Bishop Joseph A. Galante's plans to cut the number of parishes from 124 to 66.
- Anglicans to eject child molesters. Sharwood now free. Women bishops approved.
ABC News,
June 22, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The Anglican Church in Brisbane has voted to automatically de-frock priests who are jailed for child sex offences.
The unanimous decision was made at the Annual Synod in Brisbane this afternoon, along with the passing of a law which paves the way for women to become Bishops in the Brisbane diocese if a position becomes available.
The change on sex offences only applies to future convictions and does not affect the case of paedophile priest Robert Sharwood who has been released from jail.
- FLDS.
Deseret News
By Ben Winslow
12:10 a.m. MDT
Sunday, June 22, 2008
UTAH -- The legal web surrounding the Fundamentalist LDS Church's real-estate holdings arm continues to grow, with subpoenas, filings, counterfilings and depositions under way.
Lawyers for a former child bride who testified against FLDS leader Warren Jeffs want to keep the United Effort Plan Trust on the hook for any potential damages arising from her multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit against the polygamous sect. In a motion opposing the UEP Trust's request for summary judgment, attorneys for Elissa Wall argue the UEP was intertwined with the FLDS Church and leadership.
"The Church and the Trust were always administered by the same person to achieve the same purpose: to preserve and advance the religious doctrines and goals of the (church)," said a declaration by ex-FLDS leader Winston Blackmore included in the court papers.
- RCC. Reformer Bp Buswell dies.
Denver Post
http://origin. denverpost .com/news/ci_ 9654673 ,
By Virginia Culver
Article Launched 12:30:00 AM MDT,
June/22/2008
PUEBLO (CO) -- Charles Buswell was not a predictable Catholic bishop: He believed women should be ordained, was arrested for protesting the Vietnam War and often volunteered in soup kitchens.
Buswell, who was bishop of the Pueblo Diocese from 1959 until 1979, died June 14. He was 94. …
In 1994, when Pope John Paul II said there would be no further discussions about women in the priesthood, Buswell said, "I really think we're guilty of some sort of sexism if we refuse to allow women to be priests."
In 1995 he signed a statement, along with 39 other Catholic bishops throughout the country, that said the Vatican and U.S. bishops "have a credibility problem," alleging that church leaders refused to discuss some of the church's most pressing issues: pedophile priests, rights of women, abortion and contraception.
[Decades] - Government and Churches.
Religous Intelligence (United Kingdom),
By George Conger, 1:24pm, Saturday, June 21, 2008.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA: The premier of South Australia has offered a formal apology on behalf of the government and the Anglican, Roman Catholic and other churches to children in foster care who suffered abuse at the hands of sexual predators.
On June 17 Premier Mike Rann read the joint apology before the state parliament saying the government and churches acknowledged that "that some children and young people who were placed in our care suffered abuse that has impacted their lives. This should never have happened."
"We are sorry and we express deep regret for the pain and the hurt that they experienced through no fault of their own. To all those who experienced abuse in state care, we are sorry. To those who witnessed these abuses, we say sorry. To those who were not believed, when trying to report these abuses, we say sorry," Mr. Rann said.
- RC diocese seeks to compensate.
News-Miner,
By Mary Beth Smetzer, Published Sunday, June 22, 2008
FAIRBANKS (AK) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is undertaking a massive advertising campaign looking for more potential sexual assault victims as it moves forward in settling abuse claims as part of its Chapter 11 reorganization case in the federal bankruptcy court.
Robert Hannon, special assistant to the Fairbanks bishop, said the diocese is putting notices in newspapers across the state and the Pacific Northwest, including USA Today, and is contracting with some in-state radio and TV stations to run ads.
"Beyond that, we are sending mailings out to all the Native corporations, regional and village, and AC stores and post offices in the diocese," Hannon said. "We are trying to reach out to as many people as possible and working with the court to that end," Hannon said.
- Anglicans tighten rules.
The Australian,
June 22, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- THE Anglican Diocese of Brisbane has toughened its policy on sex offenders, banning priests from the church as soon as they are convicted.
The synod of the diocese, sitting in Brisbane this weekend, amended the professional standards to strengthen current protocols for dealing with sex offenders.
Brisbane Archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall said the changes meant a clergy person convicted of a criminal offence by a court would be removed as a priest much faster.
- 20% of children are molested.
Lake County News,
Written by Janet Clark, Sunday, 22 June 2008
LAKE COUNTY (CA) -- An open letter to the St. Mary's Parish Board:
I learned of the situation regarding the priest at St. Mary's who is accused of sexually abusing a child (now grown) through an article on the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Web site.
There are many things I could say to you: I could tell you of my own struggles as the survivor of sexual assault by a priest, or I could refer you to the SNAP Web site, where you would find an article that could help you deal with your feelings when your priest is accused of sexual assault, or I could tell you how I felt when I read the glowing eulogy for the priest who raped me, a eulogy written by an archdiocese that knew the priest had sexually assaulted at least seven girls.
But instead I will just offer you this fact: One of every four girls and one of every six boys sitting in your church is the victim of sexual abuse. One in five children.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 22, 2008
7:28 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun June 22, 2008
• Row over convicted Brisbane priest.
[1960s-70s McKeirnan] - RCC. Overlooks school pool. Boys.
Row over convicted Brisbane priest
CathNews (from the RCC Church Resources, Australia),
www. cathnews. com/article. aspx?aeid= 7778#hys ,
Published: June 23, 2008
BRISBANE (Qld), Australia –
A row has broken out in Brisbane over the role of a priest convicted of abuse who continues to say Mass privately in conflict with a papal directive to exclude pedophile priests from the ministry.
The Brisbane Times reports the Archdiocese of Brisbane continues to allow a convicted pedophile to remain a priest and celebrate Mass next to a school in defiance of a papal directive.
It quotes the Sydney Sun-Herald as saying the priest, Fr Ronald John McKeirnan, 69, of Toowong, in Brisbane's inner west, enjoys the support and protection of high ranking Church officials, including Archbishop John Bathersby, despite having served a year in prison in 1998-99 for the sexual abuse of children.
The paper says the Church officials' decision conflicts with a statement by Pope Benedict in April that the Church "would absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry … who is guilty of pedophilia cannot be a priest."
Fr McKeirnan, a former deputy director of Brisbane Catholic Education, now works on Catholic Church websites and conducts private Masses for religious brothers.
He pleaded guilty on two separate occasions in Brisbane to abusing children. He was jailed in 1998 for molesting nine boys in the 1960's and 1970's.
In sentencing Mr McKeirnan, the judge cited a "gross breach of trust" and said the impact of the abuse on the victims was "catastrophic". In Brisbane District Court in 2003, Mr McKeirnan also pleaded guilty to three further charges of indecent treatment of a boy during the 1960's and 1970's. He was given a suspended sentence.
Last week the Sun-Herald tracked him down to Marist Brothers' House, a Catholic accommodation centre, in inner-city Paddington.
The paper says it has learnt that Mr McKeirnan is a regular visitor to the house, and on Thursdays celebrates weekly Mass there. The house adjoins Marist College Rosalie and overlooks its pool.
A parent at the school, Jan Menzies, told the paper she was "very uneasy" about Mr McKeirnan being so near the school when her son did swimming training.
Archbishop Bathersby has said through a spokesman that under canon law he had "a responsibility to care for priests, active or retired, in his archdiocese … [when] penalties are imposed on a cleric, provision must always be made so that he does not lack those things necessary for his decent support."
Fr McKeirnan's lawyer, Terry O'Gorman, said his client "had done his time and he's entitled to get on with his life and that includes celebrating Mass."
Meanwhile, the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane has toughened its policy on sex offenders, banning priests from the church as soon as they are convicted, the Brisbane Times says.
SOURCE:Unholy row: Bishop defies Pope (Brisbane Times, 23/6/08);
Convicted priest still serving (Brisbane Times, 22/6/08);
Anglicans ban sex fiend priests (Brisbane Times, 21/6/08)
LINKS:Archdiocese of Brisbane HAVE YOUR SAY (Visit originating website). #
[RECAPITULATION: Pope: [anyone] "… who is guilty of pedophilia cannot be a priest."
Fr McKeirnan's lawyer, Terry O'Gorman, said his client "had done his time and he's entitled to get on with his life and that includes celebrating Mass." ENDS.]
[COMMENT: Is this the same Terry O'Gorman who "forgot" to tell parents when he got a report about an underage teenage girl who had disappeared, and was hiding in her boyfriend's house, and was thought to have been murdered, so a criminal was charged with her murder? If so, isn't this latest statement evidence to help the Council for Civil Liberties to choose another leader?
COMMENT ENDS.]
[2006 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - ? RCC. School child.
Ealing Times,
By Alex Hayes, ~ June 23, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A PRIEST arrested in January after claims of sexual assault from a pupil of a top school in Ealing has been rebailed.
Police swooped on Ealing Abbey in Charlbury Grove and arrested the 66-year-old man, after accusations were made by someone about offences dating back to 2006.
[1981-89 Bro. Chute, aka Bro. Kostka (Marist)] - RCC. 2yrs prison. 6 boys.
ABC News,
June 23, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- The Marist religious order has apologised to the victims of sexual abuse by a former teacher of Canberra's Marist College.
John William Chute will spend two years in jail for molesting six students in the 1980s.
The 76-year-old, who taught under the name of Brother Kostka, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court today for sexually assaulting students of his religion class who were aged between 12 and 16.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 23, 2008
6:54 AM]
[LOOK BACK: May 10, 2008]
[≤ Feb 11, 2004 - P.D. - NEW*] - RCC. 32mos prison. Boys.
Cronacaqui,
di Annibale Carenzo, June 19, 2008
MILANO, Italia 19/06/2008 - Molestava i ragazzi che frequentavano l'oratorio che gestiva. Ieri la prima sezione della Corte d'Appello, quella specializzata sugli abusi sessuali, ha confermato la condanna inflitta in primo grado a due anni e 8 mesi per un sacerdote, F.C., del varesotto.
I fatti sarebbero avvenuti fino all'11 febbraio 2004 nei confronti di 4 ragazzi, tutti sotto i 14 anni. Non ci sarebbero stati episodi di vera e propria violenza sessuale, ma toccamenti e situazioni che la legge, fino a qualche tempo fa, qualificava come molestie o atti di libidine. A carico del religioso, che ha ammesso l'illecito comportamento, anche l'accusa di pedopornografia per la detenzione di immagini trovate nella su abitazione che ritraevano minorenni.
[translation]
Sentenced to 2 years and 8 months: the priest admitted the sexual abuses.
He abused the boys in the oratory: another pedophile priest convicted.
MILAN, Italy - June/19/2008 – He molested the boys frequenting the oratory he was running.
Yesterday, the first section of the Appeal Court, specializing in sexual abuse, confirmed the lower court's 2 –year-8-month sentence to a priest, F.C., in the Varese province.
The alleged abuse took place before Feb. 11, 2004.
The victims were four boys, all under 14 years. There weren't episodes of a real sexual violence, but situations which the law, until the recent past, considered as molestation and lewd acts. The priest, who admitted his illicit behavior, was also charged with "pedopornography" for the retention in his home of compromising photos of minors .
Yesterday, the substitute Prosecutor General Armando Perrone, underlining the foundation of the charges and deeming the jail sentence was at the lowest level set by the law, confirmed the ruling of the Varese Tribunal against which the priest had appealed, there being no ground for a further reduction of jail time. The Court, which through judge Bellerio had reconstructed the facts in the minutest details, ruled the Varese Tribunal's previous decision was well-grounded. In addition, the Court ruled the defendant had to pay for the additional expenses related to the appeal.
The defense lawyers will decide if to proceed for a further appeal to the "Cassazione" (The highest level of justice which only controls if the formal procedure was correct) or give up, being the conviction under three years, a circumstance which could allow the priest to avoid jail.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 23, 2008
5:37 PM]
[Haggard]
San Francisco Chronicle
By COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press Writer
17:59 PDT
Sunday, June 22, 2008
DENVER COLORADO (AP) -- The evangelist forced out of his job after being caught up in a sex scandal involving a male prostitute has left a "spiritual restoration program" and no longer has any ties to the megachurch he founded, the congregation's new pastor said Sunday.
Under a severance deal that Ted Haggard reached with the church in 2006, he agreed to leave Colorado Springs and not talk about the scandal publicly. The deal expired at the end of 2007. New pastor Brady Boyd said Haggard was now free to live where he wanted and has returned to Colorado Springs. …
Haggard then moved to Phoenix with his family to begin what church leaders called a spiritual restoration program, which was expected to include counseling and prayer and last five years or longer. Boyd said Haggard asked to released from the restoration program in January and is no longer connected with New Life.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 23, 2008
6:12 PM]
[Sguotti]
La Repubblica
di FILIPPO TOSATTO, June 23, 2008
PADOVA, ITALY - Vade retro, stampa. L'arcivescovo di Padova, Antonio Mattiazzo, ha cacciato platealmente dalla chiesa il giornalista autore dello scoop sulla vicenda di don Sante Sguotti, l'ex "parroco innamorato", padre di un bambino, ora ridotto dal Papa allo stato laicale.
[translation]
Padua, expelled from the church. "Here I'm the boss". The journalist: "he humiliated me"
Many protest against the decision of the monsignor: "An intolerable and unacceptable act"
Priest in love, the bishop expels the journalist who made the scoop
By FILIPPO TOSATTO, June 23, 2008
PADUA, Italy -- Vade retro, press (Go away, press). In a theatrical move the archbishop of Padua, Antonio Mattiazzo, expelled from the church the journalist who first made the scoop about the Rev. Sante Sguotti's story, the former "parish priest in love" and father of a child, now reduced to the lay state by the Pope.
It happened yesterday morning in the Saint Bartolomeo chapel at Monterosso on the Euganei's Hills, where Sguotti had been the parish priest until a year ago. The bishop, entering the church, asked aloud if among the people there there was Gianni Miasetto, the "Mattino di Padova" correspondent, and after having seen him he took his arms and brought him outside, intimidating him by saying: "You can't stay here. I'm the boss and now you must go". A scene which ended with the raised finger of the prelate, who admonished the newsman not to come back and with the embarrassed silence of the faithful.
"I felt offended and humiliated - commented journalist Biasetto - evidently the bishop thinks I, too, am an emissary of the "prince of darkness", an epithet the bishop had used in a letter sent to the Rev. Sante. I'm a Catholic faithful and what has happened is much embarrassing, for I was finger-pointed as unworthy to be inside the church in front of all the community. My only fault, provided it's to be considered as such, which I don't believe so, is to have done my job and to have reported the simple truth".
The behavior of the bishop (which in the Curia they define "exasperated" by the prolonged attention the media gave to the "priest-father" case) provoked a storm of protests: "A very grave attack to the free and correct information in a lay state where a dialogue and a discussion between citizens, bishops included, must be based upon the reciprocal respect and tolerance", that's was the condemnation expressed by the committee of journalists Finegil (the group for which Biasetto is working), the union of journalists of the Veneto region and the Unione Italiana Cronisti (Union of the Italian newsmen)".
"Intolerable and unacceptable.There are no other adjectives to define what happened in the church of San Bartolomeo at Monterosso of Abano" affirmed Guido Columba, the leader of the Unione Italiana Cronisti. "The only charge made against the journalist is to have done his job reporting the evolution of a story which was in all the national and international newspapers".
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on June 23, 2008
5:56 PM]
[1973 + Bp Charles Bennison] - US$11.6m. 1973 onwards - Did not report brother. [≤ 1973 ?+ Rev. John Bennison] - Girl (14).
Religious Intelligence (United Kingdom)
By George Conger, 4:40pm, Monday, June 23, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA -- The trial of the Bishop of Pennsylvania for conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy has concluded, with a plea from the defendant's lawyer not to judge the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison Jr., for the crimes of his brother, the Rev. John Bennison.
Bishop Bennison was accused of failing to discipline his brother John, who as a seminarian served as his youth minister in the 1970's at St Mark's Episcopal Church in Upland, California. John Bennison, who resigned from the priesthood in 2006, was accused of having seduced a teenage member of his parish youth group---and that his brother, Charles, had knowledge of the affair, but took no action.
In testimony before the nine-judge court in Philadelphia, the victim–now in her 50's recounted the abuse at the hands of John Bennison. John Bennison's former wife also gave testimony confirming the former priest's sybaritic lifestyle that included serial adultery, an "open marriage", while one document alleged John, while serving as an assistant at a second Los Angeles area parish, procured the abortion of a young women whom he had seduced.
- RCC.
WSOC,
~ June 23, 2008
Video presentation.
CHARLOTTE (NC) -- Clergy sexual abuse survivors speak about what the diocese could do to better protect children.
[Kurz]
The Pueblo Chieftain,
June 19, 2008
PUEBLO (CO) -- A new lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, alleging sexual abuse by a former diocesan priest in the late 1970s.
The suit was filed by a Pueblo man known as "John Doe," who claims he was abused by Rev. Michael Kurz. Kurz now serves as a vicar in Rockford, Ill.
The alleged victim says the abuse initially occurred in 1976 when he was in his early teens and continued through his first two years in high school.
[≤ 2008 Unnamed priest] - Buddhist. Jewellery.
The Bihar Times,
June 23, 2008
PATNA, India: Missing precious ornaments and jewellery donated by devotees to the Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi temple, among the holiest Buddhist sites in the world, have been recovered from the room of a former chief priest. He was earlier indicted for chopping a branch of the revered Bodhi tree.
Gaya district administration officials recovered the missing items, including a heavy gold crown, after they opened a locked wooden box in the room of Bhadant Bodhipal at Bodh Gaya, about 110 km from here, two days ago.
- RCC.
The Age,
by Barney Zwartz, June 24, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- Some changes to church doctrines would make it more appealing.
IN LESS than a month, Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass in Sydney before an expected congregation of 500,000 – the high point of the week-long World Youth Day celebration that the Catholic Church in Australia hopes will revitalise church attendance and religious commitment.
Secular critics fear that – helped by an ever-rising injection of Government funds, so far about $130 million – it may. Many Catholics are sceptical. Yes, there will be a media-fuelled surge of interest. Devout young Catholics will find their faith affirmed, and some less-committed will be reached. But many young people will attend in the same spirit as a concert
– an interesting event, but not life-changing. …
The issues today are as serious as any in the past: plummeting Mass attendance, the dramatic decline in priests and religious orders, the advance of secularism, the challenge of Islam, and especially the alienation of ordinary Catholics from the institutional church. Disenchantment over such issues as contraception, the place of women, authoritarianism and the sexual abuse crisis have left millions still believing in Jesus but not the church.
[COMMENT: Read on, to find out why they do not beleive in the Church. ENDS. ]
[1960s-70s McKeirnan] - RCC. Overlooks school pool. Boys.
CathNews
~ June 23, 2008
AUSTRALIA -- A row has broken out in Brisbane over the role of a priest convicted of abuse who continues to say Mass privately in conflict with a papal directive to exclude pedophile priests from the ministry.
The Brisbane Times reports the Archdiocese of Brisbane continues to allow a convicted pedophile to remain a priest and celebrate Mass next to a school in defiance of a papal directive.
It quotes the Sydney Sun-Herald as saying the priest, Fr Ronald John McKeirnan, 69, of Toowong, in Brisbane's inner west, enjoys the support and protection of high ranking Cchurch officials, including Archbishop John Bathersby, despite having served a year in prison in 1998-99 for the sexual abuse of children.
[Haggard]
KVOA
Associated Press 3:53 AM ET June 23, 2008
DENVER, COLORADO (AP) - The megachurch pastor forced out of his job after being caught up in a sex scandal involving a former male prostitute has returned to Colorado.
Ted Haggard, the former leader of New Life Church, answered the phone at his Colorado Springs telephone number yesterday. He confirmed he was in the city but said he couldn't talk to reporters.
BBC News
~ June 23, 2008
ITALY -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's hopes of seeing communion extended to divorcees like himself have been quashed by Pope Benedict XVI.
Newspapers reported on Sunday that while attending a ceremony in Sardinia Mr Berlusconi had asked a bishop when the Church planned to change the rules.
[~ 2000s Madangeng*] - RCC. 3 girls.
GMA News,
~ June 23, 2008
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - Seventen-year-old "Twinkle" (not her real name) filed five counts of rape and seven counts of acts of lasciviousness against Fr. Gabriel Madangeng Jr, the second complaint to be filed against the priest.
Madangeng earlier face rape charges filed by 15-year-old "Crystal" (not her real name). He filed a petition for review before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in relation to Crystal's complaint.
"I want him to be imprisoned because if he will only be suspended he will do it again to (somebody else)," Twinkle said in her statement.
- FLDS.
Deseret News
By Ben Winslow
Monday, June 23, 2008
TEXAS -- A 16-year-old girl at the center of a legal fight has finally been subpoenaed to testify before a Texas grand jury investigating members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
The girl's mother was given a subpoena on Saturday, the girl's court-appointed attorney told the Deseret News. It orders the girl to show up this week to testify in Eldorado before a grand jury considering criminal charges stemming from the raid on the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch.
In an e-mail forwarded to the Deseret News and posted on pro-FLDS Web sites, the girl demands that her court-appointed attorney step aside.
"It feels like you are trying to restrict me from every person in my life that I want to talk to or have anything to do with and you want to be the decider of what I do and who I have to do with," she wrote to Natalie Malonis.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon June 23, 2008
