Pope Francis has ordered a Polish bishop to leave his diocese and let someone else run it. Bishop of Kalisz, Edward Janiak must stay away while he is being investigated for covering up sexual abuse cases. He will retain the title of bishop for the meantime, however. The cases Janiak allegedly covered up featured in Read more
Following a decision by prosecutors not to charge retired Wyoming bishop Joseph Hart for sexual abuse against minors, his alleged victims are looking to the Church’s canonical process as a last chance for the 88-year-old prelate to be brought to justice. As first reported by the Kansas City Star on Tuesday, and confirmed by Crux Read more
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry is appealing for information from survivors who reported the abuse they suffered while in faith-based care and sought redress either directly from the Church or other Faith-based Institution or by filing civil proceedings in Court or the Human Rights Review Tribunal. In a recent press release, the Read more
Many Australian publishers and journalists will be tried in November for breaking court suppression orders about Cardinal George Pell, when he was convicted of child sex abuse in December 2018. Prosecutors in the state of Victoria say 19 journalists and 21 publications aided and abetted contempt of court by overseas media and breached the trial Read more
Four Mexican bishops are among many clergy in Mexico suspected of sex crimes. The crimes are currently being investigated by two of the Vatican’s top sex crimes investigators. The investigators are on a fact-finding and assistance mission as the world’s second-largest Catholic country begins to reckon with decades of clergy sex abuse and cover-up. Nuncio Read more
Acquitted Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France has admitted to errors in governance for not denouncing former priest Bernard Preynat’s sexual abuse of minors. A week after the Court of Appeal in Lyon acquitted him Barbarin spoke of his “errors of governance” and discussed the “media tsunami” that has surrounded him in the past four Read more
The Catholic Church is beginning its first-ever survey in New Zealand to get to grips with just how many priests abused how many children. The Catholic liaison group Te Rōpū Tautoko chair Catherine Fyfe said the church “wanted to be prepared to respond quickly to requests when and if the Royal Commission requested information from Read more
The Catholic Church is in its most challenging condition since the Reformation. The claim is made by in Abuse and Cover-Up Refounding the Catholic Church in Trauma, a new book by New Zealand born anthropologist, theologian and international scholar, Fr Gerald Arbuckle SM. Using the psalmist’s image, Arbuckle says the Church was once a “strong Read more
A Vatican congregation says an allegation of abuse made against a bishop from Texas is ‘manifestly unfounded’. The bishop concerned, Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz (73) of Galveston-Houston has returned to public ministry. He had stepped aside from public priestly duties after being accused with a “false allegation” of sexual abuse from 1971. The Texas Read more
George Pell’s legal team has applied to Australia’s High Court for special leave to appeal the jailed cardinal’s child sex abuse conviction. Although special leave cases are not usually granted by the High Court, it’s possible Pell’s could be accepted. This is because judges at his appeal could not agree about Pell’s guilt or innocence. Read more