• McArdle's abuse let slide by Church, only uncovered by newspaper's undercover sleuthing. [1965-87 Michael Joseph McArdle] -- Roman Catholic Church. Girls and boys.
The Courier-Mail, "Priest could be freed from jail in two years,"
www.couriermail.news.com.au ,
by Tony Keim, Oct 9 03
BRISBANE (Queensland) Australia: A Catholic priest jailed who admitted to abusing 16 children over 22 years, including molesting a brother and sister in a confessional, could be free in two years.
Michael Joseph McArdle, 68, was simply transferred to another parish each time he confessed to preying on children, the Brisbane District Court was told yesterday.
"Unfortunately a very cynical view with great currency in the community that this sort of thing happened (transferring child-abusing priests) was borne out here," Judge Warren Howell said in sentencing McArdle to six years jail.
But he could serve just two years after Judge Howell recommended he be eligible for parole after serving a third of his sentence.
Judge Howell said he would have imposed a tougher sentence but for McArdle's early plea, the length of time since he had committed an offence and ill health which included a heart attack in August.
McArdle pleaded guilty to 62 counts of indecently dealing with two girls and 14 boys, aged eight to 13, between January 1965 and June 1987. Judge Howell was told McArdle's abuse was only uncovered after an investigation by The Courier-Mail last year which involved covertly videotaping interviews with McArdle. (Picture caption: JAILED ... molesting priest Michael Joseph McArdle.)
[See also Catholic News, "Rockhampton priest molested children in confessional,"
www.cathnews.com , Oct 9, 2003]
• Church transferred abuse priest McArdle, 16 victims, 22 years.BRISBANE, Queensland, AUSTRALIA: Catholic Church authorities in Queensland twice transferred a priest to other parishes after he confessed to sexually abusing altar boys and girls.
Michael Joseph McArdle, 68, pleaded guilty in the District Court in Brisbane to 62 charges involving 14 boys and two girls aged under 14 years.
He had molested children in the presbyteries, vestries and in confessionals as well as on church and school camps in nine parishes around Queensland over a 22-year period.
McArdle, who was jailed for six years, told the court that when the Church hierarchy discovered the abuse, it simply transferred him.
-- The West Australian, "Church twice transferred abuse priest," p 6, Thur Oct 9 2003
[COMMENT: The paper's heading probably understates the number of times he was caught and transferred, judging by other news media reports. COMMENT ENDS.]
Oct 9 03
• Tourist child sex control urged.
AUSTRALIA: National child welfare group ECPAT has called for tighter travel controls on known paedophiles after the arrest of two Australians on child sex charges in Samoa and East Timor.
End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking [ www.ecpat.org ] national director Bernadette McMenamin said the arrests were the tip of iceberg.
Convicted Australian paedophile Walter Mentink was arrested in East Timor this month for contravening a deportation order. Pornographic images of East Timorese children were found on Mentink's yacht.
WA man Gary John Wright was jailed last week for sexually assaulting a Samoan boy under 16.
-- The West Australian,
"Child sex control urged,"
p 33, Oct 9 03
• Settlement brings some closure for abuse victims; Chicago Archdiocese pays $8 million for 15 sexual abuse claims. [up to 1992]
CHICAGO (IL): The Chicago Archdiocese has settled 15 clergy sexual abuse claims for $8 million.
The mediated settlements, announced October 2, included an agreement that the Archdiocese would take several new initiatives to promote reconciliation and healing for victims of child sexual abuse by priests.
. . .
In July the Archdiocese settled five other claims for a total of $5.9 million. All those involved alleged abuse by former priest Vincent McCaffrey, now in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
The new settlements involve claims against 11 other priests, . . . occurred before 1992. . . .
--The Record (CNS), Perth, W. Australia, p 12, Oct 9 03
The Church there will also put names of abusing priests on the Internet and on an Inquiry Telephone service, and will hold five annual conferences for victims. See Chicago Sun-Times,
"Archdiocese settles 15 sex abuse claims for $8 million,"
www.suntimes.com ,
By Cathleen Falsani, listed at Oct 3 2003
[Main item: Oct 9, 03]
########## Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Friday, October 10, 2003 edition follows:- • Church needs major orthopedic surgery: VOTF chief.
ARLINGTON (VA): Trying to "heal" his church in the wake of a devastating scandal, the president of an international Catholic Lay organization addressed the
local Northern Virginia chapter for the first time on Monday night.
They came from all over the region to hear Jim Post speak. From Arlington
to Annandale and Rockville to Reston, more than 120 devoted but frustrated
Catholics, including many survivors of clergy sexual abuse, came to listen
to the leader of the Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) during his Oct. 6 talk
at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria.
Post implored his audience to become involved in actively healing the church. "The Church does not need Band-Aids, it needs major orthopedic surgery," Post said.
In September of this year, the Northern Virginia chapter of VOTF, about
100 members strong, moved their meetings from the basement of the McLean
Public Library to the Our Lady Queen of Peace, a South Arlington parish,
the same parish that sponsored a "healing mass" earlier this summer, the
only such mass in any parish in the Arlington Diocese.
-- The Connection, "Speaking Up for Survivors,"
http://www.arlingtonconnection.com/article.asp?article=26425&cat=104 ,
(Posted by Kathy Shaw 10:31:05 AM)
• Norfolk man files abuse suit against priest.
NORFOLK (VA): A Norfolk man who says he was sexually assaulted by the Rev. John E.
Leonard in the 1970s filed a lawsuit against the Catholic priest on
Thursday in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
William Bruce Jeter, 45, first went public with his allegations against
Leonard on Aug. 11, 2002. Days later, Goochland County Commonwealth's
Attorney Edward Carpenter launched an investigation into whether Leonard
committed sexual abuse. That case remains open.
-- The Virginian-Pilot,
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=60864&ran=174397 ,
By Steven G. Vegh,
October 10, 2003
• Differing Impressions of Priest Charged in Obscene-Call Case [CURRENT].
NEW YORK: Students remember the Rev. John F. Johnston as a precise, almost severe
teacher who introduced them to Flannery O'Connor and Kurt Vonnegut, lent a
supportive ear and talked about owning guns. Staff members remember him as
an aloof colleague. Many fellow priests barely remember him at all.
Law enforcement officials and those who know Father Johnston shed some
light yesterday on the personality of a man described as both cranky and
friendly, offering clues as to why, the police say, he called Bishop
Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in the summer and
early fall and spewed obscene invective.
Father Johnston was arrested on Wednesday after investigators went to his
apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens, where they said they also found an
unlicensed gun, Nazi paraphernalia and $83,000 that he was accused of
skimming from collections.
He was arraigned yesterday at Criminal Court in Brooklyn. Judge William
McGuire set bail at $1,000 for the eight counts of second-degree
aggravated harassment and one count of second-degree harassment, all
misdemeanors.
He was held because he still has to be arraigned in Queens today on
charges of having an unlicensed .38-caliber pistol and of criminal
possession of stolen property, the cash. He would face more than 15 years
in prison if convicted on all charges.
-- The New York Times,
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/10/nyregion/10PRIE.html?ex=1066449600&en=60be52ec5feb3efa&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE ,
By Daniel J. Wakin, October 10, 2003
• Priest's arrest stuns Summit school [CURRENT].
SUMMIT (NJ): The Rev. John Johnston was a strange personality at Oratory Preparatory
School in Summit -- a fine instructor, but also a grump who always left as
soon as possible after the final bell, former students said yesterday.
Still, reports that he is facing criminal charges of possession of stolen
property, harassment and possession of a weapon, and that police found
pornography, Nazi paraphernalia and about $88,000 in cash in his Queens
apartment Tuesday night have shocked alumni and faculty of the close-knit
boys school in Union County.
Johnston, 64, who taught religion and English at Oratory for 23 years
before leaving in June, was being held last night at the Brooklyn
Detention Center pending his scheduled arraignment today, said Patrick
Clark, spokesman for Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
"The charges are serious and disturbing and will be vigorously
prosecuted," Brown said.
Yesterday, John Horan, Oratory's associate headmaster, was preparing a
letter to students' parents saying that Johnston, who began teaching at
the school in 1980, "never exhibited any problematic behavior toward our
students," and that guidance counselors will talk to students who need
help handling the news.
-- Star-Ledger,
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1065764150131070.xml ,
By Jeff Diamant and Gabriel H. Gluck, Friday, October 10, 2003
• Priest's Pillage $hocker. [CURRENT]
QUEENS (NY): Some of the $88,000 in cash a Queens priest allegedly
skimmed from the collection boxes of a Long Island church was still
stuffed in donor envelopes marked with the names of parishioners, police
sources said yesterday.
Cops who counted the ungodly haul found in the Rev. John Johnston's
Jackson Heights apartment said most of it was in small bills - all swiped
from St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Bethpage, where the priest has
celebrated Sunday Mass for the past 25 years.
When cops asked Johnston, 64, about the loot, they said he told them,
"That's my 401(k) plan."
The priest's alleged plundering, which went undetected for 25 years, is
now under investigation by Nassau County police.
Also found in Johnston's apartment was an unlicensed gun, gay porn, and a
large collection of Nazi relics, including helmets, daggers, medals, and
busts of Hitler and his henchmen, sources said.
-- New York Post,
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/7824.htm ,
By Philip Messing, Denise Buffa and Marsha Kranes,
October 10, 2003
• Priest arraigned on harassment charges.
NEW YORK: A priest accused of making threatening phone calls to a
Catholic school was arraigned on harassment charges in Brooklyn and was
expected to be arraigned on other charges in Queens on Friday.
The priest, John Johnston, 64, is suspected of making a series of
harassing calls to Bishop Laughlin High School, in the Fort Greene section
of Brooklyn, police said.
Authorities searching Johnston's Queens home found an unlicensed pistol,
pornography, and Nazi paraphernalia, police said.
He allegedly told detectives he had been stealing $60 to $100 per mass
from the counting room of the Church of St. Martin of Tours, in Bethpage,
N.Y., where he had been working for 25 years.
Johnston was arraigned Thursday in Criminal Court in Brooklyn on eight
counts of second-degree aggravated harassment and one count of
second-degree harassment. Bail was set at $1,000.
-- Newsday (AP),
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--priestarrested1010oct10,0,729173.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire ,
5:26 AM EDT, October 10, 2003
• Cops Link More Cash to Priest.
QUEENS (NY): Police searching the Queens apartment of a priest who has admitted
skimming nearly $90,000 from a Long Island church yesterday found unopened
collection envelopes containing approximately $600 from Sunday's Mass as
well as more than $700,000 in his bank accounts.
The Rev. John Johnston, 64, was arraigned on charges of aggravated
harassment and harassment yesterday in Brooklyn Criminal Court and
released on $1,000 bail. He is expected to be arraigned today in Queens on
charges of criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession
of a weapon. Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon's office and the
Nassau County Police Department have also started an investigation,
according to Nassau Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone.
The landslide of investigations started Tuesday when Brooklyn detectives
traced repeated vulgar calls made to the principal of Brooklyn's Bishop
Loughlin Memorial High School to Johnston's home on 35th Avenue in Jackson
Heights.
While arresting Johnston on those charges, detectives spotted three
handguns - one of which turned out to be unlicensed - as well as pictures
of Hitler, Nazi paraphernalia such as uniforms, helmets and daggers, and
stacks of pornographic videos and magazines. Detectives also found more
than $87,000 in cash.
Police said that Johnston, who police sources said was most embarrassed
about the pornography, admitted that he had stolen the cash - taking $60
to $100 per Mass from the collection donations at St. Martin of Tours
church in Bethpage. Officials at St. Martin, where Johnston has said Mass,
possibly for as long as 30 years, were unaware of the theft, police said.
-- Newsday,
(http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/queens/nyc-nypries10q3489711oct10,0,5068186.story?coll=nyc-topheadlines-left),
By Sean Gardiner,
STAFF WRITER; Staff writers Chau Lam and Rita Ciolli contributed to this
story. October 10, 2003
• Bishop meets with members of reeling church.
WOODS HOLE (Mass.): Bishop George W. Coleman of the Fall River
Diocese met with parishioners St. Joseph's Church, a congregation reeling
from allegations their pastor befriended and hired as a church handyman a
convicted rapist who now faces murder charges.
Some parishioners who attended the meeting said they were disappointed
they didn't get more answers from Coleman about the connection of the
priest, the Rev. Bernard R. Kelly, to Paul R. Nolin Jr., who is charged
with killing Jonathan Wessner.
"Nothing happened there. Nothing was explained. No truth was shared," said
Karen Perry after leaving the closed, 90-minute meeting. "Why bring us all
out here?"
Coleman placed Kelly on indefinite administrative leave this week after
police notified the diocese they had questioned Kelly in the case. Coleman
said Kelly was suspended due to "the seriousness of the inquiry."
-- Providence Journal, The Associated Press,
http://www.projo.com/ap/ma/1065790075.htm ,
• In separate lawsuits, man and woman accuse retired priest of abuse.
KANSAS CITY (MO): A woman and man alleged in separate lawsuits Thursday that retired priest
Francis E. McGlynn of Kansas City sexually abused them three decades ago
at Independence's St. Mary's Church.
Teresa White and Francis Scheuring filed suits in Jackson County Circuit
Court against McGlynn, 76, and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph,
which they said did nothing to stop his abuse.
White said she was abused while taking catechism classes from McGlynn when
she was 17 and preparing to be married in the church. Scheuring said he
was a young student at St. Mary's School when McGlynn abused him.
"Until I have this thing (lawsuit) in my hands, I have no official
comment," McGlynn said Thursday. Later, after getting a copy of the
lawsuit, he again said he had no comment.
In a press statement issued Thursday, diocese vicar general Patrick Rush
said the diocese first learned of allegations against McGlynn in April
2000, when White came forward.
-- The Kansas City Star,
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/6976502.htm ,
By Kevin Murphy
• Priest set predator free: Recommendation led to release.
FALMOUTH (MA): A sexual predator accused of slaying a Falmouth golf course worker
fantasized about rape but was released from prison based on the
recommendation of a priest who also counseled two other convicts who later
killed.
"He was paranoid and not doing well at all," former inmate counselor
Paula Erickson said of Paul Nolin. "He was having rape and violent
fantasies. He was very hostile in the treatment center, and he clearly
needed a lot more treatment."
Erickson said he should not have been released from the treatment center
as the Rev. Donald Turlick recommended.
Nolin, who is charged with the Sept. 20 murder of 20-year-old Jonathan
Wessner, served 18 years in prison for viciously raping a 10-year-old
Lowell boy he snatched from a playground. Court papers show Nolin lured
the boy by promising to show him snakes in the woods before binding his
hands behind his back with the boy's belt and raping him.
-- Boston Herald,
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/falm10102003.htm ,
by Jessica Heslam, Friday, October 10, 2003
• Church sells Cape retreat.
POCASSET (MA): The Boston Archdiocese sold the summer residence of former
archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law for $2.55 million, with the proceeds going
to a fund for retired priests.
The two-story colonial overlooks Buzzards Bay in the exclusive
neighborhood of Wings Neck. It was sold to a blind trust Aug. 29.
"It was to be used as a kind of summer vacation residence for retired
priests," the Rev. Christopher Coyne, an archdiocese spokesman, told the
Standard-Times. "But it was used mainly by Cardinal Law in his time as
archbishop."
The property was sold before a tentative $85 million settlement with 550
clergy sex-abuse victims was reached. Proceeds will not be used for the
settlement, Coyne said.
-- Cape Cod Times,
http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/churchsells10.htm ,
by Kevin Dennehy
• 'No truth was shared'
WOODS HOLE (MA): Reeling from allegations that their pastor befriended a
convicted rapist later suspected of kidnapping and killing a Falmouth man,
St. Joseph's parishioners gathered last night at the small church on
Millfield Street looking for reassurance and answers from the Rev. George
Coleman, bishop of the Fall River Diocese
But at least several of the parishioners came away from the meeting angry
that they didn't get answers about the Rev. Bernard Kelly's alleged
connection to Paul Nolin, who has been charged in the murder of Jonathan
Wessner.
"Nothing happened there. Nothing was explained. No truth was shared. Why
bring us all out here?," said Karen Perry moments after leaving the
meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes.
Perry said she came looking for "moral answers" but felt unsatisfied with
Coleman's exhortation to pray.
Although the meeting was not open to those outside of the 180-family
congregation, Coleman spoke briefly with Times reporters as he left.
"St. Joseph's parish is a family. It's good for the members to come
together to put themselves in the presence of God," Coleman said. "In
this, the church family can withstand the challenges that we face."
-- Cape Cod Times,
http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/noxz10.htm ,
By Amanda Lehmert and Sean Gonsalves
• Notorious pedophile guilty; Michael Glennon. [1986-91]AUSTRALIA:: Notorious pedophile Michael Charles Glennon was found guilty today of
molesting three Aboriginal children between 1986 and 1991.
A Victorian County Court jury found Glennon, 59, guilty of 23 counts
including rape, indecent assault, gross indecency, sexually penetrating a
child aged between 10 and 16 and sexually penetrating a child under 10.
He was acquitted of one count of indecent assault.
Glennon, who was wearing a green jumper, black pants and sneakers, shook
his head in disbelief as the jury delivered its verdicts.
The former Roman Catholic priest has now been convicted of sexually
abusing 15 children in the past 25 years. [NOTE: Read items from 1978. NOTE ENDS.]
-- Herald Sun, "Notorious pedophile guilty,"
(http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7517899%5E1702,00.html)
By Jewel Topsfield, Oct 10 03
• Grand jury eyes church leaders.
CINCINNATI (OH): Hamilton County prosecutors are preparing to convene a special grand jury
to investigate how Archdiocese of Cincinnati officials responded to
allegations of sexual abuse involving Catholic priests.
Prosecutors have been investigating clergy abuse in Greater Cincinnati for
more than a year and have already presented evidence to a previous grand
jury, which indicted two priests on criminal charges in March.
The new grand jury is expected to focus more on church officials who
supervised abusive priests than on the priests themselves. The scope of
the investigation, including who may be called to testify, is unknown
because grand jury proceedings are secret.
Church officials said Thursday that they knew the investigation was
continuing but were unaware of a move to convene a new grand jury.
-- The Cincinnati Enquirer,
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/10/10/loc_archhead.html ,
By Dan Horn
• Catholic Diocese: 'We will protect children'.
UNITED STATES: Syracuse's Bishop James Moynihan on Thursday reiterated his invitation to victims of clergy sexual abuse.
"Report it to the diocese, to the authorities, or both," he said.
That invitation reflects the Syracuse Diocese's commitment to eliminating sexual abuse, Moynihan said during a news conference at which he and other officials outlined the diocese's new Child & Youth Protection Policy.
"It has been difficult to learn the diocese has not been immune to incidents of child sexual abuse," Moynihan said.
Beginning today, up to 12,000 diocesan employees and volunteers who work with minors will undergo training and background checks and must follow a code of conduct.
-- [Publication name to be obtained],
(http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1065776
293154210.xml)
By Renee K. Gadoua, October 10, 2003
• O'Brien 'traumatized,' archbishop says.
PHOENIX (AZ): The grand opening of the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix
could have been one of the highlights of Thomas J. O'Brien's 22-year
career as bishop of the Phoenix Diocese.
Instead, O'Brien will attend Saturday's festivities with a heavy heart
because he is no longer the leader of the diocese's 500,000 Catholic
faithful and is facing trial for his role in a fatal hit-and-run accident
on June 14.
It will be the bishop's most public outing since he resigned three days
after the accident, under pressure from the Vatican, and church officials
are hoping the day will go well.
"God willing," said the Rev. Charles Kieffer, pastor of St. Theresa parish
in Phoenix and one of O'Brien's closest friends.
O'Brien has declined to speak to the media until his appearance Saturday.
The bishop is scheduled to spend the day greeting the public with
Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, temporary administrator of the
diocese. It will be O'Brien's second visit to the center since he
resigned.
-- The Arizona Republic,
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1010obrien10.html ,
by Michael Clancy, Oct. 10, 2003
• Pair Accuses Priest of Sex Abuse.
KANSAS CITY (MO): Two people filed lawsuits Thursday accusing a
former Roman Catholic priest of sexually abusing them in the early 1970s,
and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph of covering up abuse.
The civil suits filed in Jackson County Circuit Court accuse Father
Francis McGlynn of sexually abusing Francis V. Scheuring and Theresa White
while he was a priest at St. Mary's Church in Independence. Both Scheuring
and White were minors at the time.
The lawsuits also accuse the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Bishop
Raymond J. Boland and Father Patrick Rush, vicar general of the diocese,
of covering up abuse.
Scheuring was an altar boy when the alleged abuse took place from 1971 to
1974. White said the alleged abuse occurred when she was 17 and engaged to
marry a Catholic. She was attending classes to become a Catholic in the
early 1970s when she claims McGlynn tried to rape hear.
-- KCTV5,
http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=1476731&nav=1PuZISB4 ,
By Amy Shafer,
Associated Press Writer
• 2 People Come Forward With Allegations Of Sexual Abuse By Local Priest.
KANSAS CITY (Mo.): Two sexual abuse cases were filed Thursday against a
retired Catholic priest from the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, KMBC's
Emily Aylward reported.
The lawsuits name long-time Catholic priest Francis McGlynn (pictured,
left) as the alleged abuser. Also named in the suit are the diocese bishop
and the vicar general for their alleged failure to provide counseling and
other assistance to the victims.
McGlynn was ordained in 1954. He spent most of his priesthood in Missouri,
at more than 12 Catholic churches. One of those churches was St. Mary's in
Independence, from where the latest allegations originate.
Frank Scheuring, one of the alleged victims, says he was abused as a young boy
by McGlynn while attending grade school at St. Mary's.
Scheuring suggests he was misled throughout his childhood by McGlynn, who allegedly told the
boy their sexual activity was God's love and not wrong, Aylward reported.
The other plaintiff, Theresa White, was an 18-year-old bride who wanted to
become a Catholic when she said Glynn threatened to fail her unless she
performed sexual favors.
-- TheKansasCityChannel.com ,
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/2544785/detail.html ,
• Covington diocese suspends priest.
COVINGTON (KY): The Catholic Diocese of Covington has suspended a
priest, once the director of a home for troubled boys, over allegations of
sexual abuse of a minor.
The Rev. George J. Schuhmacher served as head of the Campbell Lodge Boys
Home in Cold Spring before coming to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in rural
Gallatin County in 1996.
In a brief statement issued Wednesday, the diocese announced it had
permanently suspended Schuhmacher from ministry in January. That means he
cannot publicly present himself as a priest, hold Mass, or wear clerical
garb. He is one of 17 priests removed by the diocese since the Roman
Catholic Church's sexual-abuse scandal broke last year.
-- The Gleaner (AP),
(http://www.myinky.com/ecp/gleaner_news/article/0,1626,ECP_4476_2335886,00.html)
October 10, 2003
• Durban Catholic priest accused of sex abuse.SOUTH AFRICA:: A popular Durban Roman Catholic priest, charged with the molestation of a
former altar server, is being investigated for sexual misconduct by the
church.
The former altar server from KwaMashu, now 35, has lodged a complaint with
the church's provincial professional conduct committee relating to the
abuse 10 years ago. This was confirmed by Bishop Themba Mngoma and the
communications officer for the conduct committee, Friar Christopher
Hlengwa.
"This matter will go through the right procedures and channels before any
decision is taken," said Hlengwa.
The commission has also urged anyone who has similar complaints to come
forward in order to broaden the investigation.
-- IOL,
www.iol.co.za ,
By Wendy Nzama,
Oct 10 03
• Victims seek quick division of money.
LOUISVILLE (KY): Several plaintiffs in a $25.7million settlement with the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Louisville over sex-abuse claims begged a judge yesterday
to quickly decide on a plan for dividing the money.
"This really has to end soon," plaintiff Martin Robertson told Jefferson
Circuit Judge James M. Shake, adding that the memory of abuse "eats at"
the victims.
"I understand that," Shake replied.
Although he did not say when his ruling would come, Shake added that he
would not "create a new plan."
Rather, the judge said, he would decide whether the plan proposed is fair.
"I don't see the court's role as micromanaging" the settlement, he said.
-- The Courier-Journal
(http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/10/10ky/met-front-abuse1010-7747.html)
By Gregory A. Hall,
ghall@courier-journal.com ,
Oct 10 03
• Advocates admonish Loyola not to forget alleged victim.
NEW ORLEANS (LA): Two survivors of child sexual abuse asked Loyola's new president Thursday
to help temper an outpouring of campus sympathy for the ousted university
president, the Rev. Bernard Knoth, with a sharper concern for an anonymous
former high school student whom Knoth's Jesuit superiors think he sexually
abused 17 years ago.
In recent days, the university leadership has requested prayers for Knoth
by name, while asking vaguely for prayers for all victims of sexual abuse,
and usually not specifically for the unidentified person Knoth allegedly
abused, the advocates said.
That demonstrates the kind of natural sympathy for popular priests that
convinces victims of sexual abuse that they will not be believed if they
tell their stories, said Lyn Hill Hayward, founder of the Louisiana
chapter of SNAP, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
Hayward and David Clohessy, SNAP's national director, both asked the
interim president, the Rev. William Byron, to help the Loyola community
keep Knoth's alleged victim in mind. SNAP's Louisiana chapter asked Byron
to help create a climate in New Orleans sympathetic to victims.
-- Times-Picayune,
(http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1065769072128170.xml)
By Bruce Nolan,
Friday October 10, 2003
• Charges dismissed against ex-priest.
CINCINNATI (OH): A judge threw out criminal charges of sexual abuse against former
Cincinnati priest George Cooley Thursday, saying police should have
pursued the case years ago if they believed the allegations were true.
The charges against Cooley were filed earlier this year after a man told
prosecutors that Cooley molested him when he was 8 years old in 1984.
In his ruling, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Richard Niehaus said
Ohio's statute of limitations bars prosecution of Cooley because the
allegations are so old.
The judge noted that police investigated Cooley in 1990 and charged him a
year later with abusing four boys. Cooley admitted molesting the boys as
part of a plea deal and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
The man who now claims he was abused in 1984 was not part of the plea deal
because he denied being abused when police questioned him in 1990.
-- The Cincinnati Enquirer,
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/10/10/loc_cooley10.html ,
By Dan Horn, Oct 10 03
• Priest quits in porn case. [CURRENT]
PENNSYLVANIA, USA: A former Cambria County priest resigned yesterday after being charged by the FBI with Internet pornography involving young boys.
The Rev. Elwood R. Figurelle, 70, pastor of St. Michael's Roman Catholic
Church from 1979 to 1995, officially stepped down from his parish in
Huntingdon County, Bishop Joseph Adamec of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese
said in a statement.
Figurelle had been on leave from St. Catherine of Siena Church in Mount
Union since March.
He signed an agreement to plead guilty to downloading computer images of
men and boys, some younger than 12, engaged in sexual activities.
The charges and Figurelle's plea were filed Wednesday in federal court in
Williamsport by federal attorneys.
"It is truly tragic that sexual and physical abuse of minors continues to
occur. It is deplorable when that occurs at the hands of priests within
the Roman Catholic Church," Adamec said in his statement.
"As far as we know, there are no victims involved in this case, other than
those victimized by the Internet itself," Adamec added.
-- The Tribune-Democrat,
(http://www.tribune-democrat.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10297530&BRD=2332&PAG=461&dept_id=484742&rfi=6)
By Susan Evans
• Pope condemns 'scandal' priests.VATICAN CITY:: Pope John Paul II spoke out on Thursday against the "scandalous behaviour"
of Roman Catholic priests who break the vow of chastity, in remarks
recalling the sex scandals that have embroiled the church.
"The scandalous behaviour of a few has undermined the credibility of
many," the pontiff told a group of visiting bishops from the Philippines,
where more than 30 priests were suspended last month for sexual abuse.
The ailing 83-year-old pope has faced a clamour this year over alleged
sexual misconduct by Catholic clergy in several parts of the world,
including the United States.
"Sadly, the lifestyle of some clergy has been a countersign to the spirit
of the evangelical counsels which should be a part of the spirituality of
every priest," the pope lamented.
-- iafrica.com ,
http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/276966.htm ,
Posted Fri, 10 Oct 2003
• New Syracuse diocese policy to address sexual abuse.
SYRACUSE (NY): The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse will conduct criminal
background checks on at least 12,000 priests, employees and lay volunteers
as part of a new policy announced Thursday for guarding against sexual
abuse of minors.
The new policy also requires diocese personnel and volunteers who have
contact with children to undergo training and sign a 10-element code of
conduct.
"Our goal is to make this community a safe haven for children," said
Bishop James M. Moynihan, head of the 350,000-member diocese. "Our success
will be measured by how strong and how wide our safety net will reach."
The new policy was developed over a year and a half and was mandated by
the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was
adopted in November by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address
clergy sexual abuse in the church.
-- Ithaca Journal
(http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20031010/localnews/424070.html)
By William Kates,
The Associated Press, Oct 10 03
• Child abuse allegations.MALTA: Paedophilia is a dirty word that provokes in most of us strong feelings of
shock and revulsion. This is quite understandable. Children are the
untainted jewels in our crown and society should go to great lengths to
ensure there is no violation of their innocence and vulnerability.
When allegations of child sexual abuse are made against any person, they
arouse interest. When that person happens to be a priest, the level of
attention is magnified to such an extent that many people find it
difficult to contain their anger.
This outrage has manifested itself in many parts of the world in recent
years as one allegation has followed another and the Church has been
forced to bear the brunt of harsh criticism for its actions and extreme
scrutiny which has, at times, bordered on vilification. It is now Malta's
turn.
As the bishops themselves said in a statement on Wednesday, the abuse of
children wherever it happens is wrong and should be condemned. Immediate
action must be taken, first, to ensure that the perpetrator cannot have
access to children and, second, so that he or she is brought to justice.
-- The Times of Malta,
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=137290
Fri Oct 10 03
• Paedophile priest guilty on 23 counts. [1986-91]AUSTRALIA:: Notorious paedophile and former Catholic priest Michael Charles Glennon
has been found guilty of molesting three Aboriginal children between 1986
and 1991.
A Victorian County Court jury found Glennon, 59, guilty of 23 counts
including rape, indecent assault, gross indecency, sexually penetrating a
child aged between 10 and 16 and sexually penetrating a child under 10.
He was acquitted of one count of indecent assault.
Glennon, who has now been convicted of sexually abusing 15 children over
the past 25 years, shook his head in disbelief as the jury delivered its
verdict.
Friday's guilty verdict saw the lifting of suppression orders on two
earlier trials, one held in 1999 and the other earlier this year, in which
Glennon was convicted of 27 counts of sexually abusing young children.
-- Ninemsn,
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_52280.asp ,
18:44 AEST Fri 10 Oct 2003
• Pope urges bishops to be just, merciful on sex abuse questions.VATICAN CITY:: In dealing with accusations that priests are guilty
of sexual misconduct, bishops must "always be just and always be
merciful," Pope John Paul II told Philippine prelates.
"True discipleship calls for love, compassion and, at times, strict
discipline in order to serve the common good," the pope said Oct. 9 in a
message to bishops making their "ad limina" visits to Rome, required of
heads of dioceses every five years.
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has been rocked by a handful of
well-publicized accusations of sexual abuse or misconduct against priests
and two bishops.
In July, the national bishops' conference moved to finalize procedures for
dealing with sexual misconduct by clergy. Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of
Lipa, chairman of the bishops' Commission on Clergy, said the procedures
emphasize the healing of victims and offending priests.
-- Catholic News Service,
(http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20031009.htm)
By Cindy Wooden, Oct 9 03
• Catholic pastor resigns over Internet pornography charges. [CURRENT]
PITTSBURGH (PA): A Roman Catholic priest has resigned as pastor of a
Huntingdon County parish and has agreed to plead guilty to a federal
charge that he downloaded child pornography from the Internet, according
to church officials and federal court records.
The Rev. Elwood F. Figurelle, 70, pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena
Church in Mount Union since 1995, resigned effective Wednesday, according
to a statement released Thursday by Bishop Joseph V. Adamec, who heads the
Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
Adamec said that no youths from Figurelle's church or the diocese were
victimized by Figurelle's actions.
"As far as we know, there are no victims involved in this case, other than
those victimized by the Internet itself," Adamec said.
Figurelle has been on leave since March 20, according to Adamec. That's
when the FBI searched Figurelle's rectory and seized a computer on which
the obscene images were found, officials said.
-- PennLive.com ,
(http://pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1065734349113560.xml)
By Joe Mandak,
The Associated Press, 5:13 p.m. ET, Oct 9 2003
• Cops: Priest Had Illegal Guns, Nazi Items, Gay Porn.
NEW YORK (New York): A Queens priest has been arrested for
allegedly harassing staff at a Catholic school. When police went to the
Reverend John Johnston's apartment they found an unlicensed pistol in his
Queens home, along with thousands of dollars that allegedly were stolen
from collection plates, as well as Nazi material and gay pornography.
The Reverend Johnston will be arraigned in Queens on charges of aggravated
harassment, weapon possession and possession of stolen property.
Police say Johnston was suspected of making harassing calls to Bishop
Laughlin High School in Brooklyn.
Church officials don't know of any link between Johnston and the school.
When detectives spotted a pile of money in the living room, the priest
told them he had been stealing as much as 100 dollars a week from the
counting room of the Church of Saint Martin of Tours, in Bethpage, Long
Island where he had been working for 25 years.
Law enforcement officials said Johnston allegedly called the money his
401-k.
-- 1010 Wins,
(http://1010wins.com/topstories/winstopstories_story_281141703.html)
7:50 am US/Eastern, Oct 9, 2003
• New Bishop Inducted As Diocese Faces Yet More Claims Of Abuse.
NEW YORK: At least in the short term, it doesn't look like things are going to be
much easier for the newly installed bishop of the Catholic Diocese of
Brooklyn and Queens than they were for his predecessor.
Just two days before Bishop Nicholas Dimarzio was installed at the helm
of the diocese, 27 Catholics who grew up in Brooklyn and Queens filed a
sex abuse lawsuit against parish priests, also accusing retiring Bishop
Thomas Daily of helping to sweep the scandals under the rug.
The allegations are contained in a $300-million lawsuit filed
Wednesday, October 1st, by attorney Michael Dowd in State Supreme Court in
Queens.
The suit claims that 24 priests, including three who still work in the
diocese, raped, sodomized and molested the plaintiffs as children in the '
50s, '60s, '70s and '80s.
The abuse has manifested itself in their adult lives as depression,
sexual confusion, loss of faith in the church, and, in some cases, alcohol
and drug abuse, the alleged victims say. Five of the plaintiffs are women
and 22 are men.
-- Queens Chronicle,
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1863&dept_id=152670&newsid=10293066&PAG=461&rfi=9 ,
by Keach Hagey, Oct 9 03
• Brothers accuse priest of abuse.
RICHMOND (IN): Two brothers who were altar boys at St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond half a century ago are accusing a priest at the time of sexual assault.
A suit has been filed in Wayne Superior Court 1 naming the Archdiocese of
Indianapolis and St. Mary Parish as defendants.
The complaint alleges Father William O'Brien "repeatedly" abused the
brothers between 1951 and 1957.
O'Brien came to Richmond as assistant pastor in 1951. He left in 1958 to
become pastor of St. Elizabeth's Church in Cambridge City. He left
Cambridge City for Indianapolis in 1960.
Father Todd Riebe, pastor to the Richmond Catholic Community, said, "I was
aware of the suit, but it happened so long ago I know little or nothing
about the case."
The legal matters will be handled by the archdiocese.
"It's a difficult thing," Riebe said. "If people are hurting, we want to
help, but it's so far in the past it's difficult to know what to do."
While in Richmond, O'Brien taught Latin at St. Mary School and coached
basketball. He died in 1967.
-- Palladium Item,
http://www.pal-item.com/news/stories/20031009/localnews/421724.html ,
By Don Fasnacht, Oct 9 03
• Don't worry about the Epistles, celibacy is the "sacred cow" no matter what.
ARLINGTON (VA): About 40 people gathered at St. Agnes Church parish hall in Arlington last
week to discuss the recent sex abuse scandal in the Church and how the
laity should react. The Brent Society invited Sim Johnston, freelance
writer and frequent contributor to CRISIS magazine to be the guest
speaker. Johnston made suggestions on what caused the scandal and what the
role of the laity should be in the Church.
Concerning the sexual abuse scandals, Johnston began by saying the crisis
was misrepresented in the media. According to the media, Johnston said,
the root of the problem causing the sex abuse crisis was Church teaching
itself. "The scandals have naturally provoked a great deal of discussion
of what is wrong with the Catholic Church," Johnston said. "The chief
target, priestly celibacy."
Johnston indicated the three main problems with ordaining married men to
the priesthood. First and most importantly, he mentioned, priests are
called to devote their lives and all their energies to God. Married men
are called to be devoted to their wives and children. Obviously, there is
some conflict there.
Also, Johnston said, if priests are married and have families, they are
going to want to live in good neighborhoods and send their children to
good schools. They will not be as willing or able as unmarried priests to
move from parish to parish or reside in lower-class neighborhoods or
third-world missions.
-- Catholic Herald, "Brent Society Discusses Role of the Laity,"
(http://www.catholicherald.com/articles/03articles/brent1009.htm)
By Mary Frances McCarthy,
From the issue of Oct 9 03
• Another "new policy" instead of the old 10 Commandments and Gospels.
SYRACUSE (NY): The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse will conduct
criminal background checks on at least 12,000 priests, employees and lay
volunteers as part of a new policy announced Thursday for guarding against
sexual abuse of minors.
The new policy also requires diocese personnel and volunteers who have
contact with children to undergo training and sign a 10-element code of
conduct.
"Our goal is to make this community a safe haven for children," said
Bishop James M. Moynihan, head of the 350,000-member diocese. "Our
success will be measured by how strong and how wide our safety net will
reach."
The new policy was developed over a year and a half and was mandated by
the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was
adopted in November by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address
clergy sexual abuse in the church.
The Diocesan Safe Environment Program will include clergy, teachers,
coaches and volunteers who work full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid, in
schools, parishes, Catholic Charities and youth ministry programs, said
the Rev. James P. Lang, who will oversee the diocese's program.
-- WSTM,
"Catholic Diocese Announces New Sex Abuse Policy,"
http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=1476287&nav=2aKDIRpe
• Pope denounces abusing priests; 30 dismissed last month in Philippines.VATICAN CITY:: Pope John Paul II spoke out against the "scandalous
behaviour" of Roman Catholic priests who break the vow of chastity, in
remarks recalling the sex scandals that have embroiled the church.
"The scandalous behaviour of a few has undermined the credibility of
many," the pontiff told a group of visiting bishops from the Philippines,
where more than 30 priests were suspended last month for sexual abuse.
The ailing 83-year-old pope has faced a clamour this year over alleged
sexual misconduct by Catholic clergy in several parts of the world,
including the United States.
"Sadly, the lifestyle of some clergy has been a countersign to the spirit
of the evangelical counsels which should be a part of the spirituality of
every priest," the pope lamented.
Preparing to mark his 25th anniversary as leader of the Roman Catholic
Church, John Paul II said the priesthood could not be regarded as a job
like any other but was a vocation that required spiritual training and
doctrinal instruction.
-- Channelnewsasia.com , "Pope denounces 'scandalous behaviour' of unchaste priests,"
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/51516/1/.html ,
Posted: 0102 hrs 10 October 2003
• Two priests questioned as friends of slaying suspect.
FALMOUTH (Mass).: Investigators in the killing of a Falmouth man are
examining the relationships two priests had with the convicted sex
offender accused in the murder, according to published reports.
Paul Nolin, 39, a convicted child rapist, is charged in the Sept. 20
slaying of Jonathan Wessner, 20, an aspiring golf pro from Falmouth.
Earlier this week, the Fall River Diocese suspended the Rev. Bernard
Kelly, a priest who gave Nolin a job as a handyman at St. Joseph's Church.
John Kearns, a spokesman for the diocese, said Kelly was suspended after
the district attorney's office sought to question him.
In a statement, the diocese said the investigation by District Attorney
Michael O'Keefe includes "an inquiry into what (Kelly) knows of the
matter."
The Cape Cod Times reported last week that another priest, the Rev. Donald
Turlick, of the Bridgeport, Conn., diocese, was also being questioned.
Turlick, a clinical psychologist, treated Nolin at the state's treatment
center for the sexually dangerous in Bridgewater and later rented an
apartment in his home in Mashpee to Nolin.
Nolin's record dates back to 1982, when he pleaded guilty to rape and
kidnapping charges and was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison. Nolin,
then 18, lured a 10-year-old Lowell boy into the woods, where he molested
and raped him, according to court documents.
-- Providence Journal,
http://www.projo.com/ap/ma/1065713063.htm ,
The Associated Press,
11:25 A.M. Oct 9 2003
• Priest From Hell.
NEW YORK: Cops found more than they expected when they went to
arrest a Queens priest on harassment charges - guns, gay porn and Nazi
paraphernalia, officials said.
The Rev. John Johnston, 64, also told cops more than they expected.
Sources said he confessed he had swiped $80,000 from a Long Island church
where he has celebrated Sunday Mass for the past 25 years.
Johnston's arrest late Tuesday night on aggravated harassment charges
shocked officials in three Catholic dioceses:
In the Brooklyn Diocese - his home base for almost 40 years - where cops
claim he made "threatening and harassing" obscene calls to staffers at
Bishop Loughlin Memorial HS in Fort Greene.
In the Rockville Centre Diocese, where he helped celebrate mass at St.
Martin of Tours Church in Bethpage while he allegedly embezzled $80,000
that parish officials never missed.
And in the Newark Archdiocese, where he taught at the all-boys Oratory
Preparatory School in Summit for 23 years, until his retirement last June.
-- New York Post,
(http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/7703.htm)
By Philip Messing
October 9, 2003
• Police: Queens priest had porn, gun, Nazi paraphernalia.
NEW YORK: Investigators arrested a priest on suspicion of harassing
staff at a Catholic school and found at his home an unlicensed pistol,
pornography, Nazi paraphernalia and thousands of dollars that may have
been stolen from collection plates, police said.
John Johnston, 64, was awaiting arraignment in Queens on Wednesday on
charges of aggravated harassment, weapon possession and possession of
stolen property, a spokesman for District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
The priest was suspected of making a series of harassing calls to Bishop
Laughlin High School, in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, police said.
A police official described the calls to the high school as "threatening
and alarming" but did not provide details about their content. Church
officials said they did not know of any connection between Johnston and
the school.
Johnston was wearing a kimono when he opened the door to detectives at his
Queens apartment, law enforcement officials said. The investigators found
an unlicensed .38-caliber pistol in the ground-floor apartment, along with
items such as Nazi uniform hats and gay pornographic magazines and videos,
officials said.
-- Newsday,
(http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--priestarrested1008oct08,0,4726883.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire)
By Michael Weissenstein,
Associated Press Writer, October 8, 2003
• Judge favors releasing files of sex-abuse allegations.
AUGUSTA (ME): A judge said Wednesday that he will probably order the Maine
attorney general to release details of sex-abuse allegations made against
Roman Catholic clergy who are now dead.
After hearing oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Blethen Maine
Newspapers, the owner of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram,
Superior Court Justice Kirk Studstrup said the public's right to know the
information may outweigh the privacy rights of people named in the files
and their families.
"I'm beginning to come around to the idea that the balance is probably
with the public interest in disclosure," Studstrup said after hearing
lawyers from the newspaper and the Attorney General's Office.
He said his decision would be written soon, though release of the
documents probably would be delayed to give Attorney General Steven Rowe
an opportunity to appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
At issue are the records in possession of the AG's office, including files
turned over to prosecutors by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland on
May 1, 2002. Those files contain allegations of sexual abuse of children
by priests and other employees over the previous 75 years. Reportedly
included in the files are allegations against 18 priests who are no longer
living.
On June 4, 2002, the newspapers requested information from those files as
well as summaries and notes that resulted from the state's investigation
of the charges. The AG's office denied the request, prompting the lawsuit.
-- Portland Press Herald,
(http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/031009hearing.shtml)
By Gregory D. Kesich
(Posted by Kathy Shaw)
Oct 9 03
########## End of Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Friday, October 10, 2003
• Cardinal Sodano says US sex scandals exaggerated by media; still localising, and downplaying the contrast between holiness theories and reality.VATICAN CITY:, Oct. 10 (CWNews.com): The second-highest ranking bishop at the Vatican said on Friday that the clergy sex-abuse scandal in the United States had been exaggerated by the media and unfairly tainted thousands of priests. (The full text of this story is available to subscribers only.)
-- Catholic World News, "Cardinal Sodano says US scandals exaggerated; speaks about Pope's health," http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=25244 , Oct 10 03
[COMMENT: Your Eminence, the problem is WORLD-WIDE, not just in the U.S. Current hotspots include the Philippines, Malta and Ireland. If anything the problem is NOT BEING FULLY REPORTED by the mass media, possibly because wars, terrorism, and other calamities plus happy newsitems keep filling up the available space. But YOU ought to know the clergy abuse's full extent, and make more correct remarks. COMMENT ENDS.]
Oct 10 03
THE INTENTION is to PROTECT CHILDREN by RELIGIONS IMPROVING
If the original heading or name of an article or newsitem is not used at the start of an entry, the original heading or name will be found elsewhere in the entry.
Some clickable links are for network access only, so might not work for you.
AUSTRALIA, CANADA, U.S.A. STATE / PROVINCE ABBREVIATIONS
** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is available here without profit to people who want to read it for research and educational purposes. If you quote from this, please check (if possible) and acknowledge the ORIGINAL source. **
