A group representing US Catholic priests has developed guidelines for informing priests of their canonical rights when they are accused of misconduct – including sexual abuse. Survivor advocates are critical of the move, saying providing guidance could help cast accused priests in an overly sympathetic light. The Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP) say the Read more
A photograph of former St Patrick’s College Silverstream rector, the late Father Patrick Minto remains on display at St Patrick’s College Silverstream, despite a survivors’ support group’s wish for it to be removed. “Unless someone comes to us or police with a credible accusation … Fr Minto is entitled to his good name,” Fr Tim Read more
Indigenous leaders say Pope Francis must be ready to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools if he visits Canada. “An apology is the beginning,” said Cowessess First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme. “An apology is required, and the rebuilding of a relationship would follow the apology.” The Saskatchewan First Nation made Read more
Early Tuesday morning, I opened my laptop to work. But first, I meandered over to Twitter, expecting to read a few comments on Krysten Sinema before diving into my Persian presentation. Instead, I started crying. I don’t cry easily. And these were not tears borne of sadness but of frustration. On Tuesday morning, an independent Read more
Around three thousand paedophiles have operated inside the French Catholic Church since 1950. The numbers were released, Sunday by Jean-Marc Sauvé, the head of an independent commission examining church sex abuse. The commission has been investigating for 2 1/2 years. 22 cases of alleged crimes have been forwarded to prosecutors and more than 40 cases Read more
Voluntary lifelong detention in church-run houses could be the best way of dealing with priest abusers, says child protection expert, Fr Hans Zollner SJ. Zollner, who is the president of the Centre for Child Protection (CCP) at the Gregorian University says it’s all-important to control and guide sex abusers and “to define exactly what they Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have welcomed Pope Francis’ approval of changes to the Church’s Code of Canon Law which toughens and extends sanctions against sexual abuse. Bishop Stephen Lowe, secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, says the new code makes it clear that bishops must take decisive action when abuse is reported to them. Read more
With clergy abuse lawsuits seemingly on the rise across the United States, new reporting uncovers a growing number of priests who are fighting back against their accusers by suing them, investigators, and even other church officials, reports Deena Yellin, as republished by USA Today. The list includes the Reverend Roy Herberger of the Catholic Diocese Read more
An independent investigation into the way Dunedin Catholic Bishop John Kavanagh handled sexual abuse complaints has begun. The New Zealand bishops’ conference (NZBC) says these concerns involved a number of victims of abuse in the Dunedin Diocese who had complained that Kavanagh had not properly dealt with their complaints of sexual abuse by priests. The Read more
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care recently announced it will investigate The Catholic and Anglican churches. It is also going to be carrying out a separate inquiry into Marylands a residential school for boys, many with learning disabilities. But other investigations into faith-based institutions are also going to be set up, as Read more