The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has accepted resignations from Bishop Alejandro Goic Karmelic of Rancagua and Bishop Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca of Talca. The Chilean bishops failed to protect children from paedophile priests. Goic has served as head of the Chilean church’s child protection commission. The extent of clerical paedophilia in Chile Read more
Canada’s London, Ontario Diocese has cut funds earmarked for victims of clerical abuse wanting proof of evidence-based counselling from their psychological sessions. At least 21 priests have been convicted, charged or sued for sexual offences in the diocese. The diocese has paid counselling bills for years because, when it first started settling lawsuits against its Read more
Gay men who “practice homosexual acts,” or who have “deeply rooted” homosexual tendencies shouldn’t be allowed into the seminary. Pope Francis is alleged to have told Italian bishops: “If you have even the slightest doubt, it’s better not to let them enter because these acts or deep-seated tendencies can lead to scandals and can compromise Read more
A former Catholic priest has been extradited from New Zealand to Sydney and charged with historic child sex offences. Detectives travelled to New Zealand on Wednesday to bring the 58-year-old man back to Mascot Police Station where he was charged with sexual and indecent assaults in the late 1980s against seven teenage boys aged between Read more
False accusations of child abuse have led a priest to ask why Catholic Church authorities give any credence to anonymous allegations such as were presented against him. Fr Tim Hazelwood, parish priest at Killeagh in east Cork, explained how “in May of this year I was successful in securing an apology and an admission that Read more
Survivors and supporters of church sex abuse victims are renewing calls for a Royal Commission into sex abuse throughout New Zealand. They say Australia is facing up to its past by having an inquiry, and New Zealand should too. Bill Kilgallon, who handles the Catholic Church’s sex abuse claims, says if we do have one Read more
A Blenheim priest who has admitted an indecent assault has surprised the head of a sexual-abuse charity. In Blenheim, New Zealand, last Tuesday, Father Aidan Kay pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault on a male over 16. “It is very unusual, especially from a priest. I was very surprised,” says Male Survivors of Read more
A Blenheim-based priest is expected to be in court today (Tuesday). The priest has been removed from duties after being charged with indecent assault. The vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Wellington, Monsignor Gerry Burns told parishioners at mass last Sunday that police had charged the priest who had been at St Mary’s Parish since last Read more
Mr Bill Kilgallon, the executive officer of the New Zealand Catholic Church’s National Office for Professional Standards, says he expects more people will come forward with allegations as Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse gets under way. He says that since June the church has received five new claims of abuse Read more
A former Catholic brother will remain on bail while a judge considers an appeal on his extradition. Bernard Kevin McGrath faces 252 charges of alleged offending against boys in New South Wales over several decades. McGrath’s appeal case was heard on Thursday morning in the High Court in Christchurch by Justice Christian Whata. All of Read more