In a recent statement the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said “tens of thousands of children worldwide” were abused systemically for years within the Catholic Church. In commenting on the report, the National Director of the Office for Professional Standards, Mr Bill Kilgallon told Radio New Zealand that in New Zealand all Read more
The United Nations is demanding all clergy, known or suspected to be child abusers, be immediately removed from their posts. This is one of many wide-sweeping recommendations on February 5, from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Declaring the Holy See as in breach of the Convention of the Rights of the Read more
Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi has denied a report that the Holy See refused to extradite a Vatican diplomat who has been accused of sexual abuse. Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told reporters that the Holy See had not received an extradition request and the Vatican would honour its promises to cooperate with Read more
Philadelphia Catholic archbishop, Charles Chaput, has defended his decision to use church funds to help with the bail of Church official, Monsignor William Lynn. City prosecutors had charged Lynn with felony child endangerment, but the state Superior Court ruled that the law that existed at the time did not cover people who did not directly supervise children. Philadelphia 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
Archbishop John Nienstedt of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis told parishioners and the media on Sunday that he’s sorry he overlooked issues of abuse among parish priests. He told parishioners and reporters that he was told the issue of clergy sex abuse was taken care of when he became archbishop seven years ago. Read more
A Scottish priest who says that his vocation was “destroyed” after he spoke out against sexual abuse is to claim unfair dismissal against the Catholic church at an employment tribunal. Father Patrick Lawson, who was removed from St Sophia’s parish church, in Galston, Ayrshire, in September by the Bishop of Galloway, John Cunningham, has been Read more
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the names of 30 priests it believes sexually abused children between 1950 and 2013. The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but Church officials now say those four should not have been included. Seven of Read more
An inquiry into how the Catholic Church in Australia dealt with victims of child sex abuse has heard how a flawed process re-traumatised some victims. Twelve years after being silenced by the Catholic Church, Joan Isaacs can now tell the world about the sexual and emotional abuse inflicted upon her as a schoolgirl. Ms Isaacs Read more
Pope Francis is setting up a commission to advise him about protecting children from sexually abusive priests and about helping victims who have already been harmed. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between the pope and his eight cardinal advisers. O’Malley Read more