Ex-Pope Benedict accused of failing to act in Munich Church abuse report
Berlin, GermanyReuters Former Pope Benedict XVI failed to take action against clerics in four cases of alleged sexual abuse in his archdiocese when he was Archbishop of Munich, a report found on Thursday, compounding a scandal engulfing the Catholic Church. Benedict has previously denied wrongdoing over the cases. Lawyer Ulrich Wastl speaks at a news conference about a […]
American ex-priest in East Timor found guilty of sex abuse
Oecusse, East Timor AP A defrocked American priest accused of sexually abusing orphaned and disadvantaged young girls under his care in East Timor was found guilty Tuesday and sentenced to 12 years in prison, in the first case of its kind in the staunchly Catholic nation. Richard Daschbach, 84, who spent decades as a missionary […]
Pope says he’ll meet with French sex abuse commission
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis agreed Monday to meet with the commission that published a ground-breaking report into clergy sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church and, separately, expressed “sadness” over the sudden downfall of the Archbishop of Paris, according to French bishops who met with him. Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishops […]
In the US, Phil Saviano, key clergy sex abuse whistleblower, dies at 69
Updated: 11.45am (AEDT)Boston, Massachusetts, USAP Phil Saviano, a clergy sex abuse survivor and whistleblower who played a pivotal role in exposing decades of predatory assaults by Roman Catholic priests in the United States, has died. He was 69. Saviano’s story figured prominently in the 2015 Oscar-winning film Spotlight about The Boston Globe’s investigation that revealed how scores […]
France’s top bishop acknowledges that law takes precedence over confession secrecy
Paris, FranceReuters France’s top bishop said on Tuesday that the secrecy of the confession should not take precedence over French laws on sex crimes against children, reversing his previous position after he was summoned by interior minister Gerald Darmanin. Following publication of a damning report about sexual abuse of children by the clergy, Eric de […]
Europe court rejects case seeking to blame Vatican for abuse
Rome, ItalyAP A European court agreed Tuesday that the Vatican couldn’t be sued in a local court for sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests, affirming that it enjoys sovereign immunity and that the misconduct of priests and their superiors can’t be attributed to the Holy See. The European Court of Human Rights dismissed a case […]
France rebukes bishop who said sex abuse revealed at confession would stay secret
Paris, FranceReuters France’s top bishop has been summoned by the interior minister after saying that the pact of secrecy would prevent a priest from reporting sex crimes against children that were revealed during Catholic confession. Following the publication of a report this week about sexual abuse of children by the clergy, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, who […]
Merkel and Pope discuss climate change in farewell visit
Vatican CityReuters Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday the response to climate change would require a radical change in how people live as she met Pope Francis during a farewell visit to the Vatican and Italy. Francis and other religious leaders made a joint appeal on Monday for next month’s UN Climate Change […]
French Catholic Church had an estimated 3,000 paedophiles since 1950s – commission head
Paris, FranceReuters The French Catholic Church has had an estimated 3,000 paedophiles in its ranks over the past 70 years, the head of an independent commission investigating the sex abuse scandal said in an interview published on Sunday. The scandal in the French Church is the latest to hit the Roman Catholic Church, which has […]
Child sex abuse found across major UK religions – report
London, UKAP An inquiry investigating child sexual abuse in a wide range of religious organisations and settings in England on Thursday found “shocking failures” in how many religions handled abuse allegations, with victim-blaming and abuse of power by religious leaders often contributing to under-reporting. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse looked into child protection […]