Another deceased Jesuit priest accused of sex abuse in Bolivia as paedophilia scandal grows
La Paz, Bolivia AP A Spanish Jesuit priest who died in 2012 has been accused of sexually abusing a minor in Bolivia three decades ago, the latest in a string of paedophilia cases that have shaken the Catholic Church in this Andean country. Jorge Vila Despujol, who died in Barcelona in 2012, was formally accused […]
Pope sends Vatican official to Bolivia as abuse allegations escalate
La Paz, Bolivia AP Pope Francis has sent one of his top sex crimes investigators to Bolivia at a time when the Andean nation is being shaken by an escalating paedophilia scandal involving priests. Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, a leading member of the church’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, arrived in Bolivia on the […]
Top expert resigns from Vatican committee against child sex abuse
Vatican CityReuters Father Hans Zollner, one of the leading members of the Vatican committee against child sexual abuse, said on Wednesday he had resigned from the group, citing concerns over the way it was operating. Zollner was one of the founding members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which Pope Francis established […]
Pope: Church, shamed by sex abuse, must better protect kids
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis on Thursday called on all those who work with children, starting from the scandal-stained Catholic Church, to join together in an alliance to better prevent sexual and other abuse of minors. In a message to a conference in Rome about keeping children safe, Francis said the church’s own efforts are driven […]
Polish priest apologises for defence of disgraced priest
Warsaw, PolandAP A popular Polish priest apologised Tuesday for a sermon in which he defended a bishop accused of covering up for paedophile priests. His sermon, delivered to a congregation including the justice minister and other top politicians, was later condemned by government officials. Father Tadeusz Rydzyk insisted that he had not intended to hurt […]
Pope Francis attempts to tackle sexual abuse globally and in his own backyard
Vatican CityRNS Recent comments by Catholic clergy and a sex abuse trial inside the Vatican highlight Pope Francis’ uphill battle in enforcing accountability and child protection within the Catholic Church. “Which is worse, abortion or an act of paedophilia?” asked the Rev. Andrea Leonesi, the vicar of the Diocese of Macerata, Italy, during a homily […]
French cardinal is acquitted of sex abuse coverup as country faces its own legacy of paedophilia
Vatican CityRNS The French appeals court has acquitted Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon of charges that he failed to report sexual abuse cases. In 2017, Barbarin was charged and later convicted for not reporting the abuse of a minor, which resulted in a six-month prison sentence. His was the most high-profile case of a member of the […]