The Vatican has refused a royal commission request that it hand over all information relating to child sex abuse committed by priests in Australia. The head of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Justice Peter McClellan, told a victims’ group he had written to the Vatican on the matter. He sought Read more
The confidentiality of the confessional will no longer stop Australian Anglican priests reporting serious crimes they hear in confession to police. Representatives of the Anglican Church of Australia approved this on July 2 at the church’s General Synod in Adelaide. The ruling covers serious offences that would attract a jail term of five years or more, Read more
I would venture to say that Pope Francis and the comic genius Groucho Marx could agree on one of Groucho’s famous one liners: “I would never join a club that would have me as a member.” Though the pope may never have heard the line, he would know what Groucho meant. Groucho’s humour had an instinctive Read more
As Brazil counts down to the opening of the World Cup on June 12, churches in cities hosting the international soccer tournament are not content to sit on the sidelines and cheer. They’ve launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the hundreds of vulnerable children at risk of sexual exploitation during the monthlong competition. Read more
When she was 13 years old in 1960, Marie Collins underwent treatment for a bone infection in a Dublin hospital. In the privacy of a ward cubicle, she was raped by the hospital chaplain, Father Paul McGennis. She did not report the priest until 1995, some 35 years later. When she went public, she says, Read more
Archbishop Francesco Panfilo says the Catholic Bishops’ conference will be looking at ways it handles cases of sexual abuse. Panfilo is the Archbishop of the Rabaul archdiocese in Papua New Guinea. He speaking after, a now laicised priest, Philip Kelerea, was last month found guilty in the National Court in Kokopo of sexually abusing boys. Read more
The Irish Times newspaper has described as “a regrettable editorial lapse” a cartoon it published suggesting that no priests can be trusted with children. The cartoon by Martyn Turner showed three priests, with one holding a paper stating “Children First Bill” and “Mandatory Reporting”. The three priests were singing “I’d do anything for children (but Read more
Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for the damage that abusive priests have inflicted on children. He was speaking on April 11 to the International Catholic Child Bureau, a French Catholic network that works to promote the rights of children. The Pope’s remarks, which were unscripted, appear to be his strongest yet on the subject Read more
Scotland’s Catholic Church must change its culture and theology to protect children in its care, says the Protestant minister asked to review its safeguards. Dr Andrew McLellan announced the remit and membership of a new commission to investigate how the Catholic Church handles abuse. The former Moderator of the Church of Scotland believes his own Read more
A final decision on the extradition of a former Catholic brother Bernard McGrath to Australia to face 252 child sex abuse charges has been reserved. Judge Farish heard submissions from both sides before reserving her decision to a hearing on January 17. She also suppressed all details of Tuesday’s submissions. Continue reading