The decree against Luis Fernando Figari came after Pope Francis last year ordered an investigation into the Sodalitium by the Vatican's top sex abuse experts to get to the bottom of the scandal. Previous commissions and investigations had failed to fully address the group's problems.

According to the decree by the Vatican's department for religious orders, which was posted on the website of the Peruvian bishops conference, Francis gave his explicit authorisation to expel Figari from the movement, even though canon law didn't precisely cover his alleged misconduct.

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Lacroix announced he would step back into his role as archbishop of Quebec and primate of Canada in a July 22 news release posted to the Archdiocese of Quebec's website. He will preside over Mass on July 26 at the Sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré for the feast of St Anne.

The cardinal's voluntary absence began in late January when abuse allegations surfaced as part of a class action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec surrounding alleged historical abuse cases. Lacroix has denied any wrongdoing, but the Vatican hired retired Quebec judge André Denis to investigate the claims made against Cardinal Lacroix.

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The new cases mark the latest development in the case of Rupnik, a Jesuit accused of having committed serious sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse against at least 20 women over a period of decades.

As reported by the Italian news agency Ansa, the testimonies of five alleged victims were presented at the Vatican dicastery by Italian lawyer Laura Sgrò on April 3.

The complainants include two women who shared their testimony at a press conference in February, while the other three are heretofore unknown cases.

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The cardinal has denied the claims and contended that the allegations of such "reprehensible behavior" only further defame him. He stressed the need for the judicial process to determine the truth.

The 79-year-old cardinal previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Pamela Groleau for her claims that the cardinal inappropriately kissed or touched her on four occasions, characterizing it as sexual assault.

The woman initially made these claims in an August 2021 class-action sex abuse lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec concerning many priests, including those who allegedly abused children.

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The Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, located in Arlington, Texas, is embroiled in a conflict with Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth.

Olson claims to be investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Mother Teresa Agnes of Jesus Crucified Gerlach, the monastery's superior.

According to the diocese, the nun in question has admitted to sexual misconduct.

However, the Carmelites have taken legal action against Bishop Olson, seeking a restraining order and stating that their superior was interrogated while in a state of opioid-induced delirium following surgery.

"You have to understand," a source close to the nuns, who is not authorised to speak on the record, told The Pillar, "she was in-and-out of lucidity because this was really serious medication she had taken. And in that state, she told one nun and the vicar general, that she had committed some sin against the sixth commandment."

"She was crying and upset, but she didn't give any details about any of this, and we didn't really know what she was talking about. And sometimes she said that it was a violation against chastity which she committed on the phone. So, it didn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Mother has very serious medical problems and a full-time caregiver," the source told The Pillar.

"There has been someone always by her side, for months. The notion that she committed some secret sexual sin with a priest — even on the phone — doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It is much more likely that this whole thing was a hallucination."

Money lies at the heart of the conflict

The nuns' lawyer Matthew Bobo has argued that money, rather than sexual misconduct, lies at the heart of the conflict between Olson and the monastery.

Bobo told The Pillar that he believes Olson seized the monastery's computer and other electronic devices in order to gain access to their donor database and other financial records.

"Since Olson became bishop of the diocese, he has been trying everything he can to obtain their donor list," the lawyer said.

"They have a very strong network of supporters financially who support them, and not necessarily the Diocese of Fort Worth.

"He has gone to great lengths to try to obtain that list and, because he took their devices and was able to obtain a copy of their contents, he now has that information — he has the donor databases, he has all the monastery's financial information. And that's a primary purpose of the civil suit is to get that back, because it's their private property."

The lawyer also alleged that Olson would like to see the monastery closed, so that the diocese can acquire its property, and alleged that Olson opposes the nun's traditionalist liturgical and devotional practices — though he did not provide evidence of those allegations.

A spokesman for the diocese told The Pillar that Bobo's accusations to that effect are "false and unfounded."

Sources

The Pillar

UCA News

In a personal statement, Bode said that his decision to resign had "matured in me in recent months," and he hoped that his departure would have a liberating effect on the diocese.

Abuse survivor groups have accused Bode of failing to respond appropriately to some cases of abuse, according to the German news agency dpa.

Bode explained that an interim report released in September on abuse by clergy in the diocese had revealed his mistakes.

Bode acknowledged his responsibility as a bishop and said, "Today, I can only ask all those affected again for forgiveness".

The 72-year-old bishop had been vice president of the German bishops' conference since 2017 and played a key role in the German Synodal Way.

The head of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, issued a statement noting Bode's resignation with "great regret and respect".

With his resignation, Bode "also takes responsibility for the topic of sexual abuse in the church, which has accompanied ... all of us for a long time," Bätzing said.

A church-commissioned report on sexual abuse inside the Catholic Church in Germany in 2018 said clergy abused 3,677 people between 1946 and 2014.

More than half the victims were 13 or younger, and most were boys. Every sixth case involved rape, and at least 1,670 clergy were involved.

The report said that in the first decades of his term, Bode "repeatedly" kept people accused of abuse in office or appointed them to other positions, including management tasks in youth pastoral care.

Other prominent German bishops accused

Irme Stetter-Karp, the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, expressed respect for Bode's decision.

"His resignation from office certainly marks an important step from the point of view of those affected, in order to make real progress in dealing with the abuse scandal," she said.

In a statement published on Saturday, Bode said: "In the almost 32 years of my episcopal ministry, almost 28 of them as bishop of Osnabrück, I have borne responsibility in a church that has not only brought blessings but also guilt."

He admitted that "Especially in dealing with cases of sexualised violence by clergy, for a long time I myself tended to focus more on the perpetrators and the institution than on the victims. I misjudged cases, often acted hesitantly, made many wrong decisions and failed to live up to my responsibility as a bishop".

In addition to Bode, several other prominent German bishops have been accused of mishandling cases of sexual abuse.

They include Synodal Way initiator Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Synodal Way president Bishop Georg Bätzing and Hamburg's Archbishop Heße.

All of them have so far remained in office.

The pope has not yet responded to a resignation request from Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki who also was accused of mishandling sexual abuse cases.

Sources

AP News

Catholic News Agency

The Rev Robert Cedolia, 71, was found not guilty of indecent assault and corruption of minors. He was accused of assaulting an 8-year-old boy in 1998 at Our Lady of Joy in Plum as the child prepared for his first Holy Communion.

The accusation first surfaced in 2019 when it was made to the diocese's Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Programme.

Criminal charges were filed in June 2021.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh said that Father Cedolia has always maintained his innocence. Officials said the verdict reflects the findings of the diocesan Independent Review Board, which they said found no merit to the claim.

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In a rare statement released on Saturday night, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said a Vos Estis Lux Mundi investigation was underway.

"The Holy See has initiated a canonical investigation into former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders, with Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane appointed to oversee the investigation," the statement said.

It is believed to be the first time a Vos Estis Lux Mundi inquiry has been conducted in Australia.

The accountability protocol was introduced by Pope Francis in 2019 and guides the response to allegations made against senior clerics such as bishops.

Bishop Saunders stood aside as Bishop of Broome in March 2020 after media reports that Western Australia Police had begun investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.

At the conclusion of its investigation, Western Australia Police confirmed that no charges would be brought against Bishop Saunders.

Saunders has always strongly denied the allegations. However, he tendered his resignation to Pope Francis, which was accepted in August 2021.

This weekend, a letter being read at Masses in the Diocese of Broome says the Church investigation "could not happen" until the police inquiries ended. The letter is signed by Apostolic Administrator Bishop Michael Morrisey and Archbishop Coleridge,

"The investigation is now underway," the letter states. But it indicates it is not known how long the investigation will take.

However, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith "has granted an extension beyond the normal three months for such an investigation", the letter explains.

Archbishop Coleridge has appointed a group of qualified persons to conduct the investigation.

"Their job will be to gather, as best they can, all relevant information to pursue truth and justice for everyone involved," Coleridge stated.

The archbishop also issued a decree stipulating that Bishop Saunders is to reside outside the Diocese of Broome "for the duration of the investigation".

Sources

ABC

The Catholic Leader

CathNews New Zealand

In a July 23 statement, the apostolic nunciature in the Polish capital, Warsaw, disclosed that Bishop Jan Szkodoń was the subject of an administrative penal process after he was accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

"After a thorough analysis of the evidence collected and after hearing the witnesses called, the guilt of Bishop Jan Szkodon was not proven (non constat)," the statement said.

"However, in the course of the proceedings, it was found that Bishop Jan Szkodoń acted imprudently towards the minor, by receiving her in his private apartment without the presence of her parents, who have known the bishop for years."

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Bishop Christopher Saunders will take six months leave away from his outback diocese, effective immediately.

No charges have been laid, and Bishop Saunders has strenuously denied the allegations.

The Vatican says the bishop's sabbatical will help clarify matters that have created suspicion, confusion and uncertainty within the local church.

The Vatican has launched its own, separate investigation into the bishop's administration of the Broome Diocese.

Saunders is one of the longest serving bishops and has led the diocese since 1995. The diocese which covers the vast Kimberley region of northern WA has been hit by a series of scandals.

The Vatican's initial action began in March when Kimberley priest John Purnell went public with concerns over the Catholic Church's lack of action over the allegations against Bishop Saunders.

The ABC has confirmed multiple staff contacted Catholic Professional Standards with concerns. Correspondence from as early as April 2019 revealed the church was repeatedly told by multiple individuals of the allegations. They urged the church to remove the 70-year-old bishop from his post.

The bishop maintains significant support from some local parishioners. But others suggested it was untenable for him to remain in the diocese while the investigations were ongoing.

Chris, a former Kimberley priest who resigned because of his concerns over how the allegations were handled, spoke out earlier this month. He said the bishop's continuing presence in the Kimberley sent the wrong message.

"It shows that the Church has not learnt from its mistakes of the past," said Chris, who wished to remain unidentified.

"There is something terribly wrong when it cannot deal with someone as powerful as a bishop."

Monsignor Paul Boyers will lead the Broome Diocese in Bishop Saunders' absence.

Sources

ABC