Rocio Figueroa Alvear is a theologian, an abuse survivor and a consecrated woman-turned-whistle-blower on scandals in her former community. After trying unsuccessfully to raise the alarm both in her order and in the Vatican, she left, and is now a researcher and activist pushing for a change in Church structures that allow abuse and cover-up Read more
Guam’s Catholic Church says it is going to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. This chapter allows the debtor to propose a plan of reorganisation to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time. Multitudes of sexual abuse claims against clergy have driven the Church to take this step. Read more
Next season’s South Park story lines will be taking on the catholic church’s sex abuse scandal. Comedy Central has released a guide for season 22 of the satirical TV show, which includes themes encompassing sexual abuse and religion is on the agenda for a forthcoming second episode entitled A Boy and a Priest. Read more
Pope Francis has accepted Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide’s resignation. In May this year Wilson was convicted of covering up the sexual abuse of minors in the 1970s. Read more
Christa Brown of Tennessee has for years called on Baptist churches to set up an independent panel to evaluate allegations of sexual abuse by clergy — such as the youth minister who sexually assaulted her as a teenager — and to keep predators from striking again at another church. Pastor Jimmy Hinton — a Somerset Read more
The investigation by ucanews.com into the disappearance of a priest from Bangladesh that uncovered evidence of sexual abuse follows a well-trodden path. It’s one that has been traveled in country after country for 30 years — in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Australia and now on full display in Chile. It runs like this: there Read more
The Australian court has ordered Cardinal George Pell to stand trial. He will be defending historical sexual offence allegations which he denies. The Vatican has issued the following statement about the court’s decision: “The Holy See has taken note of the decision issued by judicial authorities in Australia regarding His Eminence Cardinal George Pell. “Last Read more
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says he has “learned to be ashamed again of the Church”. He made the statement while giving evidence on the second-last day of a clergy sex abuse inquiry. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is looking into the Diocese of Chichester, where dozens of clergy have been accused Read more
The Australian court has been told some of the alleged historical sexual offence charges against Cardinal George Pell will be dropped. Prosecutor Mark Gibson told the court last Friday one of Pell’s accusers is medically unfit to give evidence, so the charges cannot proceed. No other details were given. Another charge against Pell was dropped Read more
A sexual offence charge against Australian Cardinal George Pell has been withdrawn because his accuser died. Mark Gibson SC, crown prosecutor, told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday the charge following the death of key witness Damian Dignan was being withdrawn. However, Pell still faces numerous other sexual offence charges. He is denying all of Read more