You could be forgiven for not knowing where the buck stops in the Catholic Church these days. In any society, organization or Church community, it is important to know who is ultimately responsible in decision making; otherwise, chaos or worse would prevail. In an unprecedented (for a cardinal) cross examination in court last week, Cardinal Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said he believes victims of clergy sex abuse should be able to sue the Catholic Church in Australia. Cardinal Pell made this statement at the opening of another public hearing in Sydney by the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The commission is examining the case of abuse Read more
Sex abuse litigation and settlements have cost Los Angeles Archdiocese more than US$740 during the past decade. According to the Los Angeles Times, the latest settlement was for US$13million for 17 victims of alleged abuse by Fr Nicholas Aguilar-Riviera in the 1980s. Attorneys for the victims allege Cardinal Roger Mahoney and an aide “actively thwarted” Read more
Former residents of a home for troubled kids have launched a $500,000 lawsuit against the Government for claims of physical and sexual abuse. Father Felix Donnelly, the Catholic priest and former talkback host who founded the home, said he was surprised the historic abuse claims had been brought. Eleven former residents of The Glade in Read more
The resignations of two bishops on child sex abuse allegations in the past six weeks and the Vatican’s handling of these latest cases has again prompted questions on how the world’s oldest monarchy handles controversy: It ignores it. In both cases – a nuncio to the Dominican Republic and, most recently, an auxiliary bishop in Read more
World-famous scientist, Richard Dawkins has attracted a lot of negative attention recently by suggesting that the “mild pedophilia” he experienced as a boy wasn’t really such a big deal. In a recent interview, he recalled how one of his teachers “pulled me on his knee and put his hand inside my shorts.” Dawkins went on Read more
The reverberations can be heard nationwide. As church employees and volunteers receive notices requiring them to attend safe-environment trainings, their responses have become familiar: “Again?” “Didn’t we just do that?” “I went through this where I teach; do I need to do it in the parish too?” “I barely come in contact with kids; why Read more
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has hit out at the Catholic Church’s treatment of children after an official report trenchantly criticised three former Dublin archbishops for their mishandling of an abuse case. The report also found there was “shocking” police connivance with Church authorities in failing to investigate complaints. “The priest was looked after, people Read more
A controversial end-of-life protocol is to be abolished in Britain following an independent review that found numerous cases of abuse and suffering among dying patients. The report on the Liverpool Care Pathway echoed concerns raised by Catholic physicians and by Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth, who said doctors were being asked “to make a definitive Read more
Pope Francis has revamped the Vatican criminal code, extending it to apply to employees of the Holy See anywhere in the world. The revised code includes provisions covering the theft and publication of confidential documents and money-laundering, and provides for the freezing of financial assets. It also strengthens provisions against child abuse, specifying that Vatican Read more