A former Church official jailed for his handling of abuse complaints is no longer housed at a US prison Pope Francis will visit later this year. Msgr William Lynn is serving a minimum three year sentence for endangering children in Philadelphia archdiocese. He had been held at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center, while he appealed his 2012 Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Sexual abuse’
Aussie Church insurer ordered to produce abuse files
Tuesday, July 14th, 2015
The Catholic Church’s insurance company in Australia has been given until July 17 to produce almost 2000 files relating to child abuse. On July, 10, Australia’s Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse ordered Catholic Church Insurance (CCI) to produce the files. CCI was ordered to provide a list of relevant material by Read more
Former nuncio’s Vatican trial suspended because of illness
Tuesday, July 14th, 2015Former Vatican diplomat Józef Wesołowski has been taken to hospital with an “unexpected illness” on the first day of his trial for alleged child sex abuse. His is the first trial in the Holy See’s criminal court of a senior official on charges of paedophilia and possession of child pornography. Wesołowski, a former archbishop, was Read more
Abuse onslaught getting to Pell: Fisher
Tuesday, July 7th, 2015
The Archbishop of Sydney has said the hammering Cardinal George Pell is taking over the handling of abuse cases is starting to take its toll. Archbishop Anthony Fisher told Crux that the cardinal has responded to most of these most recent charges several times before. “People think he’s indestructible, but I’ve sensed seeing him this Read more
Gregorian to offer diploma in safeguarding minors
Tuesday, July 7th, 2015Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University is to offer a diploma programme on the safeguarding of minors and the prevention of sex abuse by clergy. Starting next year, the one semester course will be offered by the Center for Child Protection at the university. The diploma will be awarded at the close of a residential course. The Read more
Theologian: Church must be more than fortress of guidelines
Friday, July 3rd, 2015
The Church has to be more than just a fortress of guidelines and norms keeping abusers out and those not abused safe within, a theologian has said. Jesuit Fr James Corkery, a theology professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, said the Church also must be an open, welcoming home for those who have been wounded Read more
Pell gives passport copy to newspaper to refute abuse claim
Friday, July 3rd, 2015Cardinal George Pell has provided a newspaper with a copy of his passport details to disprove an abuse-related accusation. Paul Lyons, 55, was raped by Christian Brother Robert Best in 1969 and, a few weeks later, appealed to priests at St Alipius presbytery in Ballarat. Mr Lyons had claimed Cardinal Pell, who was then a young Read more
Inquiry confirms NSW police ‘arrangement’ with Church
Friday, June 26th, 2015
An Australian inquiry has found an arrangement between police and the Catholic Church resulted in complaints of child sex abuse not being investigated. A Police Integrity Commission has recommended that New South Wales police reconsider the practice of “blind reporting”. This involves the names of alleged victims of child abuse and other details being deleted Read more
Abuse fiasco in Minneapolis sees two prelates resign
Friday, June 19th, 2015
An archbishop and an auxiliary bishop of the same US archdiocese have both resigned after the archdiocese became mired in sex abuse controversy. The resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt, 68, and Bishop Lee Piché, 57, of St Paul-Minneapolis were announced by the Vatican on Monday. The move came 10 days after prosecutors brought criminal charges Read more
Years until Vatican tribunal investigates Aussie bishops
Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
A Vatican tribunal to judge bishops in connection with child abuse wouldn’t investigate any Australian bishops until a royal commission has concluded. Last week, the Vatican announced a new tribunal within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith “to judge bishops with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the Read more