New Zealand appeared to have made reasonable progress in its work to address sexual abuse within the church and to stop it happening in the future says Fr Hans Zollner. However he said there are still challenges to be faced such as unifying the church’s approach and dealing with complex migration issues. Zollner, who has Read more
Wednesday night’s ABC 7.30 program [aired in Australia] carried allegations against Cardinal George Pell. If true, the allegations are devastating: life ruining for victims like Damian Dignan and Lyndon Monument; confronting for all citizens committed to the wellbeing of children; and earth shattering for Catholics who still have faith in their church. The ABC report Read more
A Facebook reminder from 2008 popped up in my husband’s newsfeed last week. It was a photo from World Youth Day in Sydney. He sent me the link with a note, “Hard to believe that this was just eight years ago.” Just eight years ago, Australia’s Cardinal George Pell walked the streets of Sydney unencumbered, Read more
When a Muslim kills in the name of Islam, only the most bigoted among us would condemn all Muslims. When a mother kills her child, only the most misogynist among us would condemn all women. When a black man rapes a white woman, only the most racist among us would blame all black men. When Read more
A controversial American preacher who has faced allegations he sexually abused young men during a previous trip to New Zealand urged Destiny Church followers to “repent, repent, repent” at their annual conference. American evangelist Eddie Long was the guest of honour at Destiny’s annual get together at the “City of God” in Manukau, south Auckland, Read more
Genevieve, 33, was sexually abused by men when she was between the ages of 2 and 16 in New South Wales. Bred by her father specifically to be abused, she has suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dissociation, flashbacks, and an eating disorder. Many times she wanted to end her life. Last year she almost Read more
Peter Loy Chong, the Archbishop of Suva, Fiji, has urged church leaders to adopt strict policies and guidelines on disciplining church pastors involved in sexual offences. Chong made the comment after the Fiji’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions released sexual offence statistics for last month. The statistics revealed there were 46 sexual offence Read more
Vatican spokesman, Frederico Lombardi commented that last week’s focus on the film ‘Spotlight’ and Cardinal Pell’s testimony before the Royal Commission “would help in the long march in the battle against abuse of minors in the universal Catholic Church and in today’s world”. St Peter Damian understood this battle and is a strategist and tactician Read more
The Catholic church is an easy target. A socially conservative agenda stands in broad opposition to mainstream thought in liberal Western democracies. The church’s stance on homosexuality, contraception, abortion, transgender issues, the ordination of women and euthanasia is no longer that of the majority. Its history is full of examples of failing to live up Read more
Recent media coverage of Cardinal George Pell’s recall to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has ignited public debate on whether churches are willing to face up to child sexual abuse. Tim Minchin’s “musical attack” on Cardinal Pell has been a lightning rod for debate on social media. Against a background Read more