An official of Poland’s Catholic Church apologized to victims of sex abuse by priests on Friday. Prosecutors earlier said they have opened an investigation into allegations that two Polish priests, including a Vatican envoy, sexually abused boys in the Dominican Republic. Bishop Wojciech Polak, secretary of the Episcopate, told a news conference that the Church Read more
Pope Benedict XVI said he did not attempt to cover up child sexual abuse by Catholic priests. The emeritus pope made the comments in an 11-page letter to prominent Italian atheist and math professor Piergiorgio Odifreddi. Excerpts from the letter were published on Tuesday in the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica with Pope Benedict’s permission. Read more
The Vatican has removed an auxiliary bishop from his post in a Peruvian province because of allegations he sexually abused children. Gabino Miranda has been dismissed as auxiliary bishop in the dioceses of Ayacucho in southern Peru after he was accused of having sexual relations with minors. “It is what the pope said – zero Read more
Cardinal Timothy Dolan last week said the “sinful” behavior of some clergy and other high-ranking Church officials has caused some of the faithful to declare themselves former members of the Catholic Church. Dolan, former archbishop of Milwaukee, made the comments during his first appearance in the city since the archdiocese released the personnel files of Read more
The Vatican has recalled its ambassador to the Dominican Republic and relieved him of his duties pending an investigation into reports linking him to child sex abuse. A special prosecutor had been appointed to investigate Archbishop Josef Wesolowski, who has been ambassador to Santo Domingo for nearly six years. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Read more
A lawyer in the United States this week released the names of five priests, a nun and a choir director linked to clergy sex abuse cases. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian released the names on Wednesday. The lawyer periodically releases new names publicly, and is highly critical of Catholic church officials for what he says is their Read more
A report by the Guardian said a body set up by the Catholic church in Australia to oversee its dealings with the royal commission into child sexual abuse is not the predominantly lay-run organisation it has been represented as. The report noted that the Truth, Justice and Healing Council was established last January by the Read more
The Archbishop Emeritus of Glasgow, Mario Conti, said Cardinal Keith O’Brien blocked an independent investigation into clerical sex abuse files held by Scottish dioceses. Cardinal O’Brien, who resigned as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in February after unidentified priests alleged he acted inappropriately toward them, objected to a church review of abuse allegations commissioned Read more
An appeal by a former Catholic brother against a decision to extradite him to Australia to face hundreds of child sex abuse charges has been delayed. Bernard Kevin McGrath’s appeal was scheduled to be heard at the High Court in Christchurch on 15 August, but has been adjourned until 5 September. Continue reading
An American man who claimed he was sexually abused by a priest nearly 50 years ago has withdrawn his appeal of a ruling that said the Vatican did not employ the priest and is not liable for damages. Lawyer Jeff Anderson named the Vatican as one of the defendants in the 2002 lawsuit he filed Read more