Vice of the Faithful Focus, Feb. 14, 2019


TOP STORIES

Pope Francis sets aside proposal on married priests
“Pope Francis has for now rejected a landmark proposal by bishops to allow the ordination of married men in remote areas, a potentially momentous change that conservatives had warned would set the Roman Catholic Church on a slippery slope toward lifting priestly celibacy and weakening church traditions. Francis’ decision, in a papal letter made public on Wednesday (Feb. 12), surprised many given the openness he had displayed on the subject and his frequently expressed desire for a more collegial and less top-down church.” By Jason Horowitz and Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times

Nonprofit created for Diocese of Fort Worth donations to avoid bishop intervention
“Those who spearheaded a petition asking for Bishop Michael Olson’s removal have formed a nonprofit organization to financially support Diocese of Fort Worth parishes, clergy and charities without the intervention of the bishop. ‘We don’t trust where the bishop is spending money, but we still want the church to exist,’ said Stephen Knobbe, a founding member of the Laity in Unity Foundation.Pat Svacina, a spokesman for the diocese, said the bishop could not comment on the foundation because he had not been made aware of it.” By Nichole Manna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about our database of credibly accused priests. Here are a few answers
“We published a database in Januaryof Catholic clergy who have been deemed ‘credibly accused’ of sexual abuse or misconduct by nearly 180 dioceses and religious orders around the country. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have searched the database.A number of those people have reached out with questions about the project. Many have shared personal stories as survivors of abuse. And although the officially released lists total more than 5,800 unique names, dozens of people have written in to suggest names of clergy who they believe have been left off. We’re glad to hear from readers, and we wanted to provide answers to several of the most common questions we’ve received.”By Ellis Simani, Pro Publica

Landmark priest abuse retrial now missing its key witness
“The first US church official ever imprisoned over priest abuse complaints will soon be retried in court without a single victim. A landmark 2011 case first began the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, 69, who was eventually convicted of ‘felony child endangerment’ for his time working as a secretary for the clergy at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.”By Allie Miller, Philly Voice

Suzanne Healy named chair of U.S. Bishops’ National Review Board
“Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has appointed Mrs. Suzanne Healy, the former Victims Assistance Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as the next chair of the National Review Board. Mrs. Healy succeeds Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., who concludes his term as chair after the bishops’ June 2020 meeting.The National Review Board advises the bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and works closely with the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection in accordance with the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People, which the bishops adopted in 2002.” By U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

States use Catholic clergy abuse lists to screen applicants
“In the wake of revelations that scores of Roman Catholic priests and religious workers credibly accused of child sexual abuse are living unsupervised in communities across the country, state officials face a quandary: Should they screen former clergy members who seek licenses for jobs that put them in contact with children? And, if so, how? An Associated Press investigation last fall found nearly 200 accused clergy members had been granted teaching, mental health or social work licenses, with roughly six dozen still holding valid licenses to work in those fields in 2019.” By Claudia Lauer and Meghan Hoyer, The Associated Press

Abuse victim advocates, laity suffer from ‘vicarious trauma’
“The past two decades have been traumatic ones for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and for the Catholic Church as whole. Waves of scandals, financial crises and closures of parishes and schools have battered the faithful, leaving many discouraged and disgusted. In particular, the ongoing clerical sexual abuse crisis has profoundly wounded scores of victims within the archdiocese, while also scarring loved ones, counselors, advocates and rank-and-file Catholics.” By Gina Christian, CatholicPhilly.com

Martinsville priest refuces to sign order to silence from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond
“That truce reached last week in a dispute between a Martinsville priest and a Richmond bishop that preserved the priest’s job now appears to have been short-lived. About 24 hours after that meeting last Wednesday (Feb.5), Father Mark White, priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Martinsville and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Rocky Mount, was visited in Rocky Mount by officials of the Diocese of Richmond and again was threatened with the loss of his position.” By Bill Wyatt, Martinsville Bulletin

ACCOUNTABILITY

Why Catholics should welcome ProPublica’s clergy sex abuse database
“On Jan. 28, the nonprofit news organization ProPublica published a report headlined ‘Catholic Leaders Promised Transparency about Child Abuse. They Haven’t Delivered.” This report contains the names of the 5,800 priests and deacons who have been publicly identified by the bishops or superiors of 174 dioceses and religious orders as having had credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor made against them in recent decades. In other words, ProPublica has created the only ‘List of Lists’ of Catholic clergy abusers in the United States.” By Kathleen McChesney, America: The Jesuit Review

Catholic investigations remain shrouded in secrecy
“Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone resignedin December 2019 after intense public criticism for his handling of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y.His departure came three months after the Vatican announced what’s called an ‘apostolic visitation’ into Malone’s diocese, or region.In my research on clergy sexual abuse, I’ve learned that these investigations are still shrouded in secrecy.” By Brian J. Clites, Case Western Reserve University, in The Salt Lake Tribune

Should clergy in Utah be required to report confessed child abuse? Catholic Church opposes bill
“In the 2019 fiscal year, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services received 42,428 reports of child abuse or neglect, according to their annual report. Of that number, 21,401 were accepted for formal assessment by Child Protective Services and 10,828 confirmed child victims were found.All of those numbers were up from 2018, according to the same report … But what if there were a way to help even more children? One lawmaker hopes to do just that by making amendments to Utah’s child abuse reporting laws, eliminating exemptions for clergy including priests, rabbis and other religious leaders from reporting child abuse.” By Holie Reina, St. George News

CARDINALS

French cardinal to offer resignation again to Pope Francis despite acquittal over sex abuse cover-up
A cardinal in France says he will again offer his resignation to Pope Francis – despite being acquitted over a sex abuse cover-up. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon, was convicted last March and given a six-month suspended sentence for failing to report an abusive priest to police.Pope Francis refused Barbarin’s first offer to quit, saying he wanted to wait until the appeals process is complete.Barbarin was acquitted on appeal on Thursday (Jan. 30).”By Euronews with Agence France-Press and Associated Press

McCARRICK INVESTIGATION

McCarrick report: questions needing answers
“The Vatican is getting ready to release a report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was found to have sexually abused minors and slept with seminarians. The report, mandated by Pope Francis, will need to be detailed and comprehensive if it is going to satisfy the public’s demand for more transparency in the church.Few scandals have rocked the Catholic Church like the story of McCarrick’s sexual abuse of minors and seminarians.”By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

Parolin: on McCarrick report release, Pope Francis has ‘final word’
“Pope Francis will make the final decision on when to publish a highly-anticipated report on former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Thursday. ‘I think that [the report] will come out soon, I cannot tell you exactly when,’ Parolin told a small group of journalists on February 6. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on holiness, the cardinal said “we are trying to speed up the time to arrive” at the publication of the report on the Vatican’s internal investigation into the disgraced former cardinal. Parolin did confirm that he expects the document to be released ‘in the near future.’” By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency in Catholic Herald

BISHOPS

Polish bishop investigated over sex abuse allegations
“The Catholic Church is investigating claims that a bishop in Poland sexually abused a young girl decades ago, the clergyman confirmed on Monday (Feb. 10). Jan Szkodon, a bishop in the southern city of Krakow, said in a statement that the Vatican had told him of the inquiry, adding that the accusations were ‘false and harmful’ — though he gave no further detail. The Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper carries claims that he molested a 15-year-old girl in 1998.” By Agence France-Presse on VOANews.com

Catholic Church orders more inquiry into Minnesota bishpop
“Roman Catholic Church leaders in Rome authorized more investigation into claims that a northern Minnesota bishop interfered with past investigations into clerical sexual misconduct with children, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Tuesday (Feb. 5).The investigation into Crookston Bishop Michael Hoeppner began in September and was the first known of its kind under a new Vatican protocol designed to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for failing to protect their flocks.” By The Associated Press on Minnesota Public Radio News

Catholic bishops’ lists of ‘credibly accused priests’ is not what it appears to be
“A fascinating story has just come out showing how deceitful and self-serving Catholic bishops are when it comes to their lists of ‘credibly accused’ child molesting clerics. In short, it shows that most bishops provide inadequate and inaccurate information about these predator priests. Why? Well, Mary Gautier, a Catholic researcher at a Catholic school, wants us to believe that one reason is that ‘smaller dioceses with limited budgets’ supposedly ‘lacking the money or staff to dig through their archives.’ That’s bunk.” By AdamHorowitzLaw.com

PRIESTS

Peace be with you
“Martinsville priest Father Mark White’s popular blog has drawn lots of readers and the scorn of leaders of the Richmond Diocese because of his criticism of the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse cases. But his voice and his words have been silenced. This week he could be out of a job … That announcement, though, was only a byproduct of a much more troubling announcement that same month that has started a process that could threaten the appointment of a third priest in Martinsville, one whose only contribution to the sex scandal were his widely consumed comments about how badly he thought the church was handling it.”By Bill Wyatt, Martinsville Bulletin

WOMEN RELIGIOUS

Presence is vital to recruit younger women for consecrated life, congregations say
“An event in a Toronto pub eventually prompted a woman in her 30s to discern a call to religious life. A vocations director describes herself as ‘a ‘talent scout’ for God and my congregation. One community hired a 33-year-old married woman as a vocation coordinator because of her theology background and her familiarity with social media.These were among the more than 50 responses to Global Sisters Report’s invitation to share how congregations are reaching out to younger womenand about new members under age 40 who have joined their community in the past five years.” By Gail DeGeorge, Global Sisters Report, National Catholic Reporter

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Professing faith: Impact of women in the Catholic Church is significant
“Today’s article takes another form. Yours truly was contacted by a young lady doing a research project on the role of women in the Catholic Church and provided a series of questions. Herewith are my replies to some of them. I hasten to say that the following are my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Diocese of San Bernardino, of which I am a part.” By Gregory Elder, Redlands Daily Facts

CHURCH FINANCES

Diocese releases audited financial statements
“In the continued practice of full transparency, the Diocese of Bridgeport has released its Consolidated Financial Statements for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2019… Hanlon (Michael Hanlon, CPA, chief financial officer of the diocese) said he was again pleased to learn that the diocese of Bridgeport ranked again near the top of a recently released Voice of the Faithful nationwide annual report on diocesan financial transparency practices and policies. The VOTF study reviewed the financial transparency and accountability of 145 dioceses and 32 archdioceses by analyzing transparency practices and policies. On a scale of 0-100, the Diocese of Bridgeport received a score of 92 for its policies and disclosures toward financial transparency.” On BridgeportDiocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo bankruptcy imminent
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo faces near certain bankruptcy after posting a $5 million loss in 2019, and with a barrage of lawsuits from the clergy misconduct scandal still pending, according to a financial report released Thursday (Jan. 30). ‘In response to the magnitude of the number of claims, lawsuits and alleged damages, the (Central Administrative Offices) has determined that a filing of a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code is imminent,’ the diocese’s 2019 financial report said.” By Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press, in The Washington Times

Woman steals more than $250,000 from Del City Catholic church, police say
“An arrest warrant has been filed for a woman after police said she embezzled $253,000 from St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Del City. According to police, personnel at the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City found discrepancies in the church’s payroll.The suspect, Darla Bralley, was an administrative assistant and bookkeeper at the church and, according to police, had been overpaying herself.”By Melissa Scavelli, FOX-TV25 News

CLERICALISM

Clericalism cited as root of sex abuse crisis
“In a Jan. 29 talk at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Jesuit Fr. Hans Zollner said that clericalism is the root cause of the damage done to the church and called out past systemic failure in reporting, punishing and stopping abuse. ‘There is general mistrust and suspicion on cardinals and bishops. This is not just happening in U.S. and Australia — the level of trust on bishops is below zero. And this has devastated an institution that is built on trust and faith,’ he said.” By Sarah Salvadore, National Catholic Reporter

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Germany’s synodal assembly draws praise, criticism from participants
“The first synodal assembly on the future of the Catholic Church in Germany drew both praise and some criticism, with many of the 230 participants lauding what they called a special atmosphere in the debates on key reforms.Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German bishops’ conference, said the spirit of the talks had been “positive and encouraging” and referred to the synodal path process as a “spiritual experiment,” reported the German Catholic news agency KNA.” By Catholic News Service on Cruxnow.com

VOICES

‘Querida Amazonia’ shows how Francis is looking for deeper change
“Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia is a multifaceted document. I would like to look at what I found the most striking aspect of the text, its ecclesiological significance. Many NCR readers will be disappointed that the pope did not move forward on either ordaining viri probati to the priesthood, older deacons who could then preside at Eucharist and absolve sins in the sacrament of penance, or ordaining women deacons. Certainly, the final document of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon last October invited him to address both these issues. Why didn’t he? I think the pope is looking for a deeper change.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

For healing, Catholic Church must open sexual-abuse scandal records
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission model recently proposed for the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle offers a path of healing in the aftermath of the sexual-abuse scandal perpetrated by clergy and officials of the church. We are part of a much broader group of concerned Catholics, abuse survivors and current and former clergy who have been meeting the last year and a half in various parishes seeking accountability and healing.” By John McKay, Terrence Carroll and Colleen Kinerk, The Seattle Times

Time for the Buffalo Diocese to confess
“The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo faces many agonizing questions, two of which are how best to handle the tsunami of sexual abuse allegations against its priests and how to reclaim the support of parishioners who have stopped giving as a result of the revelations.Both factors are leading the church toward a decision to seek protectionin federal bankruptcy court. Both factors also share a solution: Don’t hide.” By The Buffalo News Editorial Board

Catholic Church’s handling of abuse cases betrays core values
“I applaud California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for his decision to investigate the Catholic Church in California (State opens investigation into San Jose, Oakland Dioceses’ handling of sex abuse allegations). I am a clergy abuse survivor and still a practicing Catholic, but I have been fighting for this type of investigation for more than 20 years.As a child, I suffered abuse at the hands of Father Joseph Pritchard, formerly of Saint Martin of Tours Parish. My case was first reported to the San Jose diocese by Monsignor Michael McKiernan in 2000.” By John Salberg, The Mercury News

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Senate passes bill extending sex crimes statute of limitations
“A bill that would have done away with the statute of limitations for certain child sex abuse crimes is making headway in the 2020 Indiana General Assembly. But some advocates are disappointed in how the bill has panned out. Indiana Senate Bill 109, proposed by Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield, initially aimed to extend the amount of time survivors have to bring criminal charges against their abusers. Under current state law, Hoosiers who were sexually abused as children have until age 31 to criminally prosecute those who harmed them.” By Katie Stancombe, The Indiana Lawyer

Lawmakers seek to close gap in statute of limitations for sex crimes against children
“Lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that would close a gap in the statute of limitations for sex crimes against children.According to the current law, cases must be brought to a judge within six years if the victim is between the ages of 13 and 17. There is no time limit for a case to be prosecuted if the child is under the age of 13. ‘I feel really bad for the victims. I feel bad that we would set a time limit, a timer, on those crimes at all,’ said Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Doña Ana).”By Ryan Laughlin, KOB-TV4 News

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

The survival of David Clohessy
“On June 13, 2002, David Clohessy stepped into the light of history. A former altar boy in a rural Catholic church in Moberly, Missouri, he stood at a podium in a massive hotel ballroom in Dallas — and staring back at him from row up upon row of tables, packed into the room ten-deep, were some 280 Catholic bishops. Many in that audience were already familiar with Clohessy as the national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, the country’s longest-active support group for victims of clergy abuse. Clohessy had spent years trying to grab the bishops’ attention.” By Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times

Victim-survivor says affirmation, sharing his story a pathway to healing
“Michael Callaghan’s healing from clergy sexual abuse took a big step forward after he saw the movie ‘Spotlight’ in 2015. The Academy Award-winning fact-based drama detailing the clerical abuse scandal in Boston moved Callaghan deeply and continues to drive him to help the healing process in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.” By Catholic News Service in Catholic Sentinel

Church damaged by abuse, ‘but more damage done to people,’ says abuse expert
“Almost 200 people filled the Driscoll Hall Auditorium on Villanova University’s campus Jan. 29 looking to deepen their understanding about global perspectives on the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. The evening event was the third conference in the four-part series of discussions … It featured Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a licensed German psychologist and psychotherapist with a doctorate in theology and one of the church’s leading experts in the area of safeguarding minors … ‘Much damage has been done to the church’ due to clergy sexual abuse, said Zollner, ‘but more damage has been done to human beings.’” By Gia Myers, Cruxnow.com

Lawmakers push for extension of Child Victims Act window
“More than 1,300 civil suits have been filed since the one-year look-back window for the Child Victim’s Act took effect last August. Now, there is a push in Albany to extend the window for another year.The current look-back window for victims to file civil claims on old cases expires on August 14. That means as of that date, past instances of sexual abuse against a minor cannot have any civil litigation, unless it is within the statute of limitations. New instances of abuse can have civil suits brought up to the age of 55.”By Mike Baggerman, WREN-AM

Most Utahns, LDS or otherwise, support a clergy confession bill
“No matter their faith affiliation, Utahns overwhelmingly support legislation that would require clergy to report child abuse — even if the information is divulged during a religious confession, a new poll shows.Most Catholics, Protestants and members of the state’s predominant faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, back a full-reporting requirement, according to a Salt Lake Tribune survey conducted by Suffolk University.”By Kathy Stephenson, The Salt Lake Tribune

ALASKA

Sex abuse victims’ advocates call Anchorage Archdiocese’s report too little, too late
“None of the Catholic priests reported to have been involved in sexual misconduct in a 50-year review of records released last month by the Anchorage Archdiocese was ever convicted of a crime. There is also no indication the report has prompted any new criminal investigations since its release. The report, made public Jan. 16, is based on an independent commission’s review of the church’s records. It lists 14 employees of the Anchorage Archdiocese, 13 of whom it says engaged in sexual misconduct with minors or vulnerable adults and one who was caught viewing child pornography.” By Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media

CALIFORNIA

After suspending priest, Fresno Catholic diocese is sued over his 2002 abuse case
“A now-suspended priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno is the subject of a new lawsuit centering on allegations of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl in the early 2000s. Los Angeles attorney Paul Mones filed a lawsuit against the Diocese and two of its churches alleging they were negligent in supervising Father Miguel Flores and failing to warn about his potential actions, given prior knowledge.” By Alex Tavlian, The Sun

East Bay priest asked to leave school as police investigate sex-misconduct claims
“A priest already removed from an Alameda County parish and at the center of an investigation by Alameda police over possible sexual misconduct will no longer be allowed to live at a Pleasant Hill rectory, according to police and officials with the Catholic Diocese of Oakland.Rev. George Alengadan had been staying at Christ the King Catholic School in Pleasant Hill since first leaving St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda in December. He was removed from that parish after Alameda police opened an investigation into him regarding possible sexual misconduct.”By Rick Hurd, East Bay Times

Man alleging molestation by a priest says Diocese of Orange officials tried to intimidate him
“A man who has alleged in a lawsuit against the Diocese of Orange that he was molested by a Roman Catholic priest when he was 6 years old in 1994 said Monday (Feb. 3) that Diocese officials have attempted to ‘intimidate’ him.Last week, a judge cleared the way for the public identification of the priest, Father Edward Poettgen, who was most recently assigned to St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. The man suing him held a news conference Monday from the offices of his attorneys to say the Diocese has treated him ‘like an enemy of the church.’”By The Orange County Register

L.A. Archdiocese settles priest abuse case for $1.9 million
“The kids in the parish knew him only as Father Larry.That’s how he was known to one boy, referred to in court documents as John BR Doe, while he was an altar boy at San Gabriel Mission Church in 1982-84, years during which the priest sexually abused him, he said, from ages 9 to 11.As a teen, Doe told church officials what he’d suffered. Years later, he would learn that Father Larry — Lawrence Lovell — had been convicted of child molestation in 2003and sentenced to 14 years in prison. And he would find a redacted version of his own account on the internet, detailing the abuse he said Lovell enacted when he was a child.” By Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times

COLORADO

Colorado’s Catholic priest abuse reparations program received 78 claims, has already paid out more than $1 million
“Colorado’s reparations program for people abused by Catholic priests when they were children has already paid out more than $1 million to nine of the 78 people who submitted claims by Friday’s (Jan. 31) filing deadline.Another $500,000 in payments are due to four other victims and more than 60 cases still are being reviewed, said Camille Biros, one of the independent administrators of the reparations program.”By Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun

In Colorado, some Catholic clergy sexual abuse victims are excluded from reparations
“Terry Schippers has been trying to come to terms with the years of sexual abuse he allegedly experienced by a Catholic friar. Colorado’s Catholic Church has a reparations fund for abuse victims but Schippers is ineligible for compensation.Andrew Kenney of Colorado Public Radio reports.”By Andrew Kenney, Colorado Public Radio

ILLINOIS

Sexual abuse reports from Illinois’ Catholic dioceses are still missing a log of data
“While researching a bit of context to introduce this week’s newsletter, I came across a column from May 2019 written by Chicago Sun-Times journalist Laura Washington. In it, she writes about the horror she felt as she sat in the pews of her church earlier that year while a representative of the Archdiocese of Chicagoinformed the congregation that its ‘beloved pastor’ had been accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1979, when he was at another parish.”By Logan Jaffe, Pro Publica Illinois

Former Texas priest charged with sexually assaulting child arrested at St. Louis-area Catholic Facility
“A former Dallas-area priest charged with sexually assaulting a child was arrested Wednesday (Jan. 29) at a Catholic facility here housing disgraced clergy, including those accused of sexual abuse.Missouri and Dallas authorities confirmed the arrest Wednesday of Richard Thomas Brown, 78, on \ a warrant issued Tuesday by Dallas police on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child in North Texas in 1989.”By NassimBenchaabane, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

MICHIGAN

Catholic priest from Burton, Flushing parishes heading to trial on sex charges
“A former Catholic priest is facing trial on sex charges dating back to his work at parishes in Burton and Flushing in the 1980s to 2000s. Vincent DeLorenzo is facing three counts of first-degree and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct from 1995 to 2000 in one case and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct from 1987 in the second case.” By WJRT-Tv12 News

MINNESOTA

Crookston bishop faces further investigation, loses authority to handle sex abuse allegations
“The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has been cleared by Catholic Church leadership to continue its probe into the Crookston bishop’s alleged cover-ups of clerical sexual abuse. The Congregation for Bishops in Rome authorized Archbishop Bernard Hebda to proceed with further investigation into Bishop Michael Hoeppner, who has been under investigation since September, according to a Tuesday, Feb. 4, statement from the Catholic Diocese of Crookston.” By Alex Derosier, West Central Tribune

Victim-survivor says ‘ripple effects’ of clergy sex abuse ‘go on and on’
“For Frank Meuers, a victim-survivor of clergy sexual abuse, the impact is far-reaching and never-ending. ‘It’s like a stone in a pond,’ he said, ‘the hole disappears, but the ripple effects go on and on.’ The director of the southwest Minnesota chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, Meuers described the anger he lived with for years — and the help he received through therapy.”By Joe Ruff, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com

NEW JERSEY

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’: major deadline looms for victims of clergy abuse in New Jersey
“A big deadline is looming for victims of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey. Acompensation fund for victims of sexual abuse is about to close down its registration, making it one less option for victims seeking justice. ‘This priest came into my life, he was stationed in our parish,” Mark Crawford said.For most of Crawford’s teenage years, he was manipulated and sexually abused by a Catholic priest.” By Cleve Bryan, CBS-TV3 News

NEW MEXICO

Ex-Catholic priest acquitted of abuse charges in New Mexico
“A jury has acquitted a former priest of charges he sexually abused a first-grade student more than 30 years ago. Marvin Archuleta, 82, was cleared of both charges including criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 and attempting to commit kidnapping.” By Associated Press

NEW YORK

Ex-FBI director to probe sex abuse claims against Brooklyn Bishop DiMarzio
“The New York Archdiocese has hired former FBI Director Louis Freeh to probe sex abuse allegations against Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, according to a new report.

DiMarzio, 75, is accused of repeatedly molesting Mark Matzek when he was an altar boy and student at St. Nicholas Church and School in Jersey City in the 1970s, according to Matzek’s lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian.” By Sara Dorn, New York Post

Albany-area priest on administrative leave following allegations
“Albany Roman Catholic Diocese Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said Saturday (Feb. 8) he has placed a priest who retired from active ministry in 2008 on administrative leave following allegations of sexual abuse of a minor in the 1960s and 70s.” By Rick Karlin, Albany Times Union

Syracuse Diocese reinstates priest accused of abuse after review
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse has reinstated a priest who was accused of sexually abusing a boy in the early 1980s. Rev. Paul Angelicchio went on voluntary leave in November while a diocese review board investigated the person’s allegation of abuse.” By Patrick Lohmann on Syracuse.com

OHIO

Toledo Diocese quietly updates accused clergy list, includes new name
“The Diocese of Toledo quietly updated its list last year of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse amid calls for transparency in a rekindled sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.The update included a new name: Paul Knapp, a religious order priest who served as the associate pastor of St. Gerard Parish in Lima, Ohio, between 1981 and 1983.” By Nicki Gorny, The Blade

OKLAHOMA

Catholic Church is in a tough position in confronting a use scandal
“…More than 33 years later, I told Nan the stunning news: The retired Leven had been suspended from the priesthood because an Archdiocesan investigation found two ‘substantiated’ allegations of abuse against minors.My mind raced …”By Joe Hight, The Journal Record

PENNSYLVANIA

Clergy sex abuse class action lawsuit against Pittsburgh diocese seeks to add Greensburg, others
“Lawyers in a class action suit trying to force the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh to open its clergy abuse archives expanded their campaign to include the Greensburg, Harrisburg and Altoona-Johnstown dioceses as well as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The move comes one month after Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Christine Ward ruled the lawsuit could move forward with regard to the Pittsburgh diocese.” By Deb Erdley, TribLive.com

Retired priest, 89, sentenced for sexual assault of boy
“Following an emotional hearing, a judge on Thursday (Feb. 6) sentenced a retired Catholic priest to a jail term of nine to nearly 24 months over his conviction last year for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy in 2001. But the priest walked free for at least another month due to a last-minute legal plot twist, complicated by a sudden turnover in two of the key players in his November trial, his own defense lawyer and the judge.” By Peter Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In Philly, $39 million in clergy-abuse payouts so far – about $215,000 per damaged life
“At first, the number seems huge: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has paid out nearly $39 million to 181 sexual-abuse victims through the compensation fund it opened last year. Wow, you might think to yourself. Finally, the institution whose leaders allowed generations of children to be destroyed by the sexual depravity of countless priests while bishops and monsignors helped cover it up, is paying up from the treasury it so immorally had fought to protect. But don’t be fooled. This is a mammoth number only when you consider how difficult victims have found securing just compensation in one of the nation’s largest Catholic dioceses thanks to resistance by the church itself. Accountability has arrived, yes. But at discount rates.” By Maria Panaritis, The Philadelphia Inquirer

New report shows church response to abuse remains inconsistent, insufficient
“Many Roman Catholic dioceses are now releasing the names of priests who have had credible allegations of child sexual abuse brought against them.That’s the good news.The bad news is that those lists are often ‘inconsistent, incomplete and omit key details,’ according to a report out this week from ProPublica, a nonprofit watchdog news agency, and the Houston Chronicle.” By Chip Minemyer, The Tribune-Democrat

RHODE ISLAND

Attorney general to release report on clergy abuse claims
“Rhode Island’s attorney general said Feb.6 he expects to release a public report later this year with findings from his review of allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clerics in the state. Democrat Peter Neronha continues to review the allegations to figure out what happened, what the response was and whether anyone can be held responsible in Rhode Island, one of the most heavily Catholic states. ” By Jennifer McDermott, The Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter

SOUTH DAKOTA

House bill removes statute of limitations that could revive sex abuse claims
“South Dakota lawmakers will hear a bill that strips the statute of limitations for adults who bring lawsuits on sexual abuse they experienced as children. Similar bills have failed in the past. It’s been 10 years since state lawmakers placed a statute of limitations on child sex crimes. It says anyone over the age of forty can only recover damages from any person or entity that perpetrated the sexual abuse act. Since then, one group of Native women has been trying to overturn that statute of limitations. They are trying again this year.” By Lee Strubinger, South Dakota Public Radio

TEXAS

Lawsuit says Dallas diocese did not protect young girl from priest’s abuse
“Richard Thomas Brown, who in the 1980s was assigned as an assistant pastor at Holy Family of Nazareth in Irving, repeatedly sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl from the parish, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday (JaSn. 30).One day, Brown took the girl out of Sunday school class and molested her in the rectory – the priest’s residence, where most of the assaults took place, according to the lawsuit.” By Cavid Tarrant, The Dallas Morning News

State of Texas: the accused one year later
“Texas’ 15 Catholic dioceses released names of 286 clergy — priests, deacons and brothers — credibly accused of child sex abuse one year ago Friday (Feb. 1). Our extensive analysis of Catholic directories obtained through a source found that there are at least 332 Catholic clergy members, mostly priests, accused of child sex abuse in Texas.That’s almost 50 more names than what was publicly released in 2019. Moreover, the church’s list was incomplete, with some clergy members still being shuffled within the church.”By Anthony Cave, KXAN-TV News

People continue to ask Texas AG’s office to investigate clergy sexual abuse
“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is being pressed by citizens to investigate clergy sexual abuse, although his office has said it cannot began an examination on its own,KXAN reported.The TV station’s open records request shows that a dozen people have asked the AG’s office to launch an investigation since Catholic dioceses across the state released lists on Jan. 31, 2019, of priests accused of abuse.”By The Texas Monitor Staff

WASHINGTON

Longtime Seattle police victim advocate was accused of child sex abuse while he was a priest
Before Garry Boulden was a victim advocate with the Seattle Police Department — guiding victims and their families through the aftermath of tragedies — he was a Catholic priest in Spokane, where he was accused of molesting a child … Boulden is one of thousands of clergy members on dioceses’ lists across the country — that number includes 81 on Seattle’s, 30 on Spokane’s and 21 on Yakima’s — many of whom were never criminally prosecuted. An Associated Press investigation last year found that hundreds are working with vulnerable groups like children and sexual-assault survivors.” By Asia Fields, The Seattle Times

WISCONSIN

Diocese of La Crosse releases names of accused clergy
“Another Catholic Diocese in Wisconsin has released the names of clergy facing substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse. The list includes 25 clergies, nine of which at one point, served at a parish in Stevens Point … The Diocese of La Crosse, which serves nearly 200,000 Catholics and includes Portage County, released the public list on Jan. 18. The Diocese of La Crosse states that an allegation is deemed to be substantiated “if it has been sufficiently confirmed so as to believe that abuse occurred,” meaning, allegations on the list are not derived through a legal process.” By Nathan Dorn, The Pointer, University of Wisconsin

AUSTRALIA

National Redress Scheme: Sex abuse survivors say victims are dying before receiving compensation
“It has been more than 18 months since the National Redress Scheme was introduced as a way of compensating survivors of clergy child abuse. But those who were supposed to benefit from it have labelled it ‘appalling’ with some saying that many people are dying before receiving any compensation. Roy Janetzki, 74, said he spent his teenage years in four orphanages, where he endured physical, mental, and sexual abuse at the hands of four clergymen, including Catholic priests and brothers.” By Samantha Dawes, ABC Riverland

Catholic Church continues to silence alleged victims of child sexual abuse
“A Catholic priest from the Lismore diocese in Northern New South Wales is fighting the church over sexual abuse he allegedly suffered as a 12-year old altar boy.The case is believed to be the first involving a priest suing the church for historical child sexual abuse.The Catholic Church is seeking a permanent stay to stop proceedings being brought against it … But many see this as just another attempt by the Church to silence a complainant so that details of the alleged incidents are never heard, at a time the institution claims to be working towards transparency andaccountability, and doing right by those it has wronged.”By SydneyCriminalLawyers.com

CANADA

#MenToo gains support in Ontario where male sexual
“There’s a growing trend in Ontario.Men are speaking out about the sexual abuse they have suffered and demanding resources, or setting up their own groups, to access support.”We call it the MenToo movement,” said Bob McCabe, a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest.The abuse started in 1963 when McCabe was 11. He didn’t tell anyone about it for 29 years, when he finally told his mother. It took another two decades for McCabe to speak out publicly and take legal action against his perpetrator.” By Kerry McKee, CBC News

CHILE

Pope Francis fills two episcopal vacancies in Chile left by sex abuse scandal
“Pope Francis on Wednesday (Feb. 5) appointed bishops to the dioceses of Osorno and San Bartolomé de Chillán, both of which had been left vacant in 2018 amid the sex abuse scandal of the Church in Chile. On Feb. 5 Bishop Jorge Enrique Concha Cayuqueo was named Bishop of Osorno, and Father Sergio Hernán Pérez de Arce Arriagada, was named Bishop of San Bartolomé de Chillán. Both had been serving as apostolic administrators of their new respective sees.” By Catholic News Agency in National Catholic Register

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

Audit of Scottish dioceses says safeguarding vision ‘has yet to be fully realized’
“An audit of the safeguarding standards of the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh found it had ‘clearer and more transparent structures and processes,’ but noted more work is needed in ‘rebuilding trust.’ The audit was commissioned from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)/Children in Scotland (CiS) by the Catholic Church in Scotland with the aim of supporting safeguarding improvements.”By Charles Collins, Cruxnow.com

POLAND

Broken icons: abuse in Poland’s Catholic Church
“The toppling of Jankowski (’sstatue) was a step towards forcing the government and clergy to reckon with the problem of child abuse in the Church. But what really forced everyone to take notice was the 2019 documentary Tell No One. The film shows victims who are now adults confronting elderly priests about the abuse they suffered decades earlier, and details how priests accused of paedophilia were transferred to other parishes where they could continue working with children.”By Madeline Roache, NewHumanist.org.uk