East Timor’s Catholics reacted with shock as well as expressions of support for revered Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo following allegations he sexually abused boys decades ago in the Southeast Asian nation. The United Nations and advocacy groups for survivors of clergy sexual abuse are urging Pope Francis to conduct a full inquiry into who knew Read more
The Vatican said judicial inquiries directed to the pope as a head of state are “improper,” concerning a case filed by a man seeking to hold the Vatican liable for the actions of Guam’s former archbishop, Anthony Apuron. The Vatican comment followed a federal judge ordering the Holy See’s counsel to report on whether Pope Read more
A delegation of Canadian Inuits travelled to Paris earlier this month to press France to fulfil a request filed by Canada in August for the extradition of 92-year-old Joannes Rivoire, who lives in the French city of Lyon. Rivoire, who holds both French and Canadian nationality, is accused of sexually abusing young Inuit in the Read more
The Archdiocese of New York has argued that records compiled under ‘Vos estis lux mundi,’ a Vatican-ordered sexual abuse investigation of a retired bishop are protected by the First Amendment. In 2019, Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard, along with two other priests was accused of sexually abusing a female in the late 1970s when she was Read more
Pope Francis says he has taken it on himself to rid the Catholic Church of sexual abuse, telling CNN Portugal that he was “responsible that it doesn’t happen anymore”. In a wide-ranging interview in Rome last month, the Pontiff said the church had “zero tolerance” for abuse and said that “a priest cannot remain a Read more
A prominent Canadian cardinal has been accused of sexual assault in a civil suit filed against the Archdiocese of Quebec. Cardinal Marc Armand Ouellet has been named in a class action suit that targets more than 80 members of the clergy in the Quebec diocese, court documents showed. Ouellet is a prefect of the Congregation Read more
The Archdiocese of Melbourne indicated it wants to rely on the “Ellis defence” to be excused from a civil damages case involving Cardinal George Pell. The Ellis defence emerged from a 2007 NSW Court of Appeal judgement that prevented an abuse survivor from suing the Church because it was not a legal entity. Survivors have Read more
A major Australian law firm is ending its 50-year relationship with the Catholic Church amid reports some of its lawyers were uneasy with its defence of clergy accused of child sexual abuse. Melbourne-based firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, recently named Australian Law Firm of the Year in the 2022 Chambers Asia Pacific & Greater China Region Read more
A Quebec Superior Court judge has rejected a $28-million settlement in a sex-abuse lawsuit against a Catholic religious order because of the high legal fees associated with the agreement. The agreement would have awarded the Montreal law firm Arsenault, Dufresne and Wee, representing the plaintiffs, more than $8 million in fees. Justice Thomas M Davis Read more
Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter on Tuesday bringing Church law up to date on the rules for dismissal from religious institutes, in light of the updated penal law on sanctions related to clerical sexual abuse and other crimes. The letter, known as Recognitum Librum VI and issued motu proprio (on the pope’s “own impulse”) Read more