Pope Francis has approved a new system of accountability for bishops who don’t appropriately handle accusations of clergy sex abuse. Power will be given to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to judge bishops “with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors”. A new office Read more
Australia’s 60 Minutes current affairs programme has described senior Catholic churchmen as “out of touch” for supporting Cardinal George Pell. Journalist Tara Brown opened the programme on Sunday with an editorial stating Church leaders had alienating victims of abuse by issuing statements supportive of the cardinal. “The Catholic Church in Australia stands in crisis,” Ms Read more
A member of the Pope’s commission to protect minors has expressed concern that Cardinal George Pell is in charge of the body’s finances. Peter Saunders had previously called on the Pope to sack the cardinal, following accusations that resurfaced at a royal commission hearing in Ballarat. Cardinal Pell has repeatedly denied claims that he moved Read more
A University of Notre Dame professor dubbed the father of US Latino religious thought has been accused of sexually abusing a boy more than 30 years ago. A lawsuit has been filed against Fr Virgilio Elizondo, a theology professor at Notre Dame, as well as against a former priest and San Antonio archdiocese. The lawsuit Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said he is willing to travel to Ballarat to give evidence at a royal commission that is hearing horrendous accounts of child abuse. Abuse victims have called on Cardinal Pell to give evidence to the inquiry to answer questions about the Church’s response to the abuse. “So far I have not Read more
Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied being involved in an alleged sex abuse cover-up and trying to bribe a victim to be quiet. In a statement, Cardinal Pell renewed his rejection of claims that he helped move paedophile Fr Gerald Ridsdale between parishes and tried to pay one of the victims to remain quiet. He Read more
Ten victims of a paedophile Australian priest have started proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court against the retired Bishop of Ballarat. They accuse Bishop Ronal Mulkearns and the Diocese of Ballarat of negligence for allegedly failing to protect them and other victims, despite being aware of complaints against Fr Gerard Ridsdale. Ridsdale was convicted in Read more
Dublin archdiocese is banning photographs being taken during religious ceremonies, in order to protect children from potential abusers. Each diocese in Ireland has been directed to have guidelines governing the filming and photography of children while they are on church grounds. The move derives from standards issued by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in Read more
A former priest in Ireland has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl during her first Confession. John Calnan, 76, was sentenced in Cork to three years in jail, with the final year suspended. He had pleaded guilty to the offending which happened in 1989. Police told the court the girl was preparing for Read more
A court has ordered Belgium’s most senior Catholic prelate to pay $US10,900 in damages for failing to act on allegations of abuse in the 1990s. An appeals court in Liege ruled that Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard had to pay following a civil case. The case was brought by Joel Devillet who was raped by a priest Read more