Portuguese town to restore clergy sex abuse billboard after outcry
Lisbon, PortugalReuters A Portuguese town said on Thursday it would reinstall a billboard highlighting sexual abuse by clergy after facing heavy criticism for removing it on the day Pope Francis arrived in the country to attend a massive youth event. Francis landed in Lisbon on Wednesday for the week-long World Youth Day, an event devised […]
Upstate New York Catholic diocese announces $US100 million settlement for sexual abuse victims
Syracuse, New York, USAP The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse on Thursday announced a $US100 million settlement with people who say they were sexual abuse victims as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Catholic dioceses around the state are dealing with a surge of lawsuits dating to when New York temporarily suspended the statute of limitations […]
Poland’s ruling nationalists push John Paul II’s legacy to election centre stage
Wadowice, PolandReuters A controversy over John Paul II’s legacy looks set to spur some undecided voters in Polish elections due by November, political analysts say, as allegations that the late Pope concealed child abuse deepen rifts in the predominantly Catholic country. Claims in a new book and TV documentary that the late Pope, born Karol […]
Vatican ponders priesthood amid abuse research, revelations
Vatican CityAP The Vatican this week is hosting a three-day symposium on the Catholic priesthood amid renewed public attention on clergy sex abuse scandals and fresh research into the abuses of priestly power that harm both children and adults. Pope Francis opens the symposium Thursday, and no fewer than a half-dozen Vatican cardinals are scheduled […]
Italy’s Catholic Church faces pressure for independent abuse inquiry; One of first official reports on abuse published in Spain
Rome, ItalyReuters At a trial under way in Sicily, a 28-year-old Italian is seeking justice against a man he accuses of forcing him to perform sex acts before going on to become a priest. The victim says the alleged abuse, committed more than a decade ago when he was a minor and the accused was […]
Portugal’s church abuse panel gathers over 200 testimonies in one month
Lisbon, PortugalReuters A commission investigating child sexual abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church said on Thursday more than 200 alleged victims had already been in touch to share their stories since its launch a month ago. The abuse allegations have come from people born between 1933 and 2006, from various backgrounds, from every region of […]
Pope asks US bishop to resign after cover-up investigation
Rome, ItalyAP A bishop in Minnesota resigned Tuesday at the request of Pope Francis after he was investigated by the Vatican for allegedly interfering with past investigations into clergy sexual abuse, officials said. The Vatican said Francis accepted the resignation of Crookston Bishop Michael Hoeppner and named a temporary replacement to run the diocese. Hoeppner […]
Pope taps Chilean sex abuse whistleblower for Vatican panel
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis on Wednesday named a Chilean survivor of clerical sex abuse to serve on a Vatican commission that advises the pontiff on how to protect children from paedophile priests. The Vatican said Juan Carlos Cruz is the latest member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Other members of the […]
Top German bishop laments “scandalous” image of church
Berlin, GermanyAP The head of the German Bishops’ Conference said Thursday that the country’s Roman Catholic church is suffering from a “scandalous image” amid mounting anger over the Cologne Archbishop’s handling of a report on past sexual abuse by clergy, but he defended its overall record in addressing the issue. The Cologne Archbishop, Cardinal Rainer […]
Report finds flaws in US Catholic Church abuse-prevention plans
New York City, USAP Child-protection policies adopted by Roman Catholic leaders to curb clergy sex abuse in the United States are inconsistent and often worryingly incomplete, according to a thinktank’s two-year investigation encompassing all 32 of the country’s archdioceses. The analysis by Philadelphia-based CHILD USA said the inconsistencies and gaps suggest a need for more […]