Voice of the Faithful Focus, Nov. 22, 2019


TOP STORIES

Church sex-abuse boards often undermine victims, help clergy
“Facing thousands of cases of clergy sex abuse, U.S. Catholic leaders addressed their greatest crisis in the modern era with a promised reform: Mandatory review boards. These independent panels with lay people in each diocese would review allegations fairly and kindly. And they would help bishops ensure that no abusive priests stayed in ministry. But almost two decades later, an Associated Press investigation of review boards across the country shows they have broadly failed to uphold these commitments. Instead, review boards appointed by bishops and operating in secrecy have routinely undermined sex abuse claims from victims, shielded accused priests and helped the church avoid payouts.” By Reese Dunklin, Mitch Weiss and Matt Sedensky, Associated Press

Does the Church get it on sex abuse? Classic Catholic reply is, ‘sic et non’
“Since last summer’s twin eruptions of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report and the scandals surrounding ex-cardinal and ex-priest Theodore McCarrick, many Catholics have found themselves wondering if anything’s truly changed in the Church vis-à-vis the clerical abuse scandals. After decades of crisis and repeated vows of reform, they ask, is it possible the Church still doesn’t get it?” By John L. Allen, Curxnow.com

Catholic bishops’ new anti-abuse hotline to be ready soon
“A new national hotline to report sexual misconduct accusations against Catholic bishops in the U.S. could be operating by the end of February, three months ahead of the deadline set by Pope Francis. That forecast came Wednesday (Nov.13) from Anthony Picarello, general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as the bishops concluded a three-day national assembly. The early start-up date would require all of the nearly 200 dioceses to be ready; church officials sounded optimistic that would happen.” By David Crary and Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press

Cardinal Pell granted final appeal of conviction on sexual abuse charges
“Australia’s highest court has granted Cardinal George Pell leave to appeal his landmark conviction for sexually assaulting two choirboys in the 1990s, setting the stage for a new round of hearings next year to evaluate the historical conduct of the Vatican’s former No. 3 official. The High Court of Australia announced the decision to allow the cardinal a final appeal the morning of Nov. 13 in Canberra. Pell, who was sentenced to six years in prison in March, will remain in jail pending the court’s decision on his appeal, expected to come in 2020.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Catholic Church files to challenge law protecting sex abuse victims
“A Long Island Catholic diocese is suing to overturn the Child Victims Act, claiming the new law that protects sex abuse survivors, many of whom suffered at the hands of the church, is unconstitutional. The Diocese of Rockville Centre filed papers Tuesday in Nassau County Supreme Court against the act, which changed the statute of limitations for child sex crimes and opened up a year-long window where any child sex abuse victim can file a claim against their abuser, regardless of when the alleged crime happened.” By Gabrielle Fonrouge, New York Post

U.S. bishops elect L.A.’s Archbishop José Gomez as president
“Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles was elected by an overwhelming majority Tuesday (Nov. 12) to be the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Gomez, born in Mexico and a naturalized U.S. citizen, is the first Latino elected to head the conference. Bishops meeting in Baltimore this week for their annual fall gathering also elected Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit as vice president. The vice presidential election, which requires a simple majority of those bishops voting, took three ballots, with Archbishop Vigneron receiving the most votes on each ballot.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

Child sex abuse inquiry: Catholic Church ‘shocked to core by evil of clergy’
“The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has told an inquiry the Church was ‘shocked to the core’ by child sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said the community had struggled to cope with ‘the presence of evil embodied in its members.’” By BBC News

Catholic bishops’ agenda: immigrants, gun deaths, sex abuse
“US Catholic bishops received a challenging to-do list Monday (Nov. 11) as they opened their national assembly — notably to support immigrants and refugees, extend the campaign to curtail clergy sex abuse and work harder to combat gun violence. They also were urged by Pope Francis’ envoy to be more vigorous in promoting sometimes-divisive segments of the pope’s agenda. ‘The pope has emphasized certain themes: Mercy, closeness to the people… a spirit of hospitality toward migrants, and dialogue with those of other cultures and religions,’ Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio, told the bishops as they opened a three-day meeting. ‘Do you believe these are gradually becoming part of the mindset of your clergy and your people?’” By David Crary and Regina Garcia Cano

ACCOUNTABILITY

Pennsylvania moves closer to overhauling child sex crimes after Senate passes ‘historic’ reforms
“Pennsylvania on Wednesday (Nov. 20) took one step closer to joining the ranks of states that have overhauled child sex crime laws. The state Senate approved measures that would open a pathway for adults who were sexually abused as children to seek legal recourse. By an overwhelming majority vote, the Senate passed two House measures that will broadly reform the statute of limitations and address the recommendations made by the scathing 2018 grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church statewide.” By Ivey DeJesus, PennLive.com

Does Catholic Church move priests with credible accuse claims to keep them hidden?
Overview: What did WCPO I-Team find in investigation into sexual abuse in Catholic Church?

Part 1: Could priests with credible accusations of sexual abuse be walking among us – without our knowledge?

Part 2: Does Catholic Church move priests with credible accuse claims to keep them hidden? Part

Part 3: Abuse survivors say statute of limitations keeps priests and the church from taking responsibility

Part 4: These priests, credibly accused of child sexual abuse, still live quietly in the Tri-State

By Craig Cheatham, WCPO-TV9 News

Pope’s point man on abuse to U.S. Church: be prepared for new revelations
“One of Pope Francis’s closest allies in fighting clergy sex abuse praised the American church for going ‘a step further’ than the Vatican’s new global guidelines for bishop accountability by requiring a third-party reporting system, which is set to take effect next year … At the same time, in remarks at the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday (Nov. 13), (Archbishop Charles) Scicluna warned that Americans must be prepared for further revelations similar to those in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report, which chronicled decades of past abuse of minors at the hands of clergy, particularly as numerous states are undergoing their own similar investigations. By Christopher White, Cruxnow.com

Making ministry whole
“In a recent Commonweal article, my Dominican brother Michael Sweeney presented an excellent overview of the ‘paradigmatic clericalism’ that has marked Catholicism since at least the Council of Trent. This has persisted despite the theological shift that took place at Vatican II, which included such landmark developments as the emergence of ‘lay ecclesial ministry’ and the creation of the permanent diaconate. While these were important steps forward, much of the council’s promise to empower the laity remains unrealized. There are other post-conciliar developments, however, that may prove to be far more significant in declericalizing the church.” By Fr. Charles Bouchard, O.P., Commonweal

POPE FRANCIS

Pope taps fellow Jesuit as Vatican’s finance minister
“Pope Francis on Thursday (Nov. 14) appointed a fellow Jesuit to be the Vatican’s finance minister, filling a crucial position left vacant for more than two years after Cardinal George Pell left Rome to stand trial on sex abuse charges in his native Australia. The appointment of the Rev. Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, a 60-year-old Spanish economist, came one day after Australia’s Supreme Court agreed to hear Pell’s appeal of his conviction for molesting two choirboys in the 1990s. Pell denies the charges.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter

McCARRICK INVESTIGATION

O’Malley: Vatican may ‘soon’ release details of McCarrick investigation
“In a brief presentation Nov. 11 to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Boston’s Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley told the bishops gathered in Baltimore the Vatican may publish what it knows about the ascent to power of now-disgraced former U.S. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick by Christmas, or perhaps the New Year. McCarrick was dismissed by the Vatican from the clerical state in February following an investigation of accusations that he had abused children early on in his career of more than 60 years as a cleric, and that he also had abused seminarians as a bishop.” By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service

BISHOPS

French bishops back payments to sex abuse victims
“French bishops voted on Saturday (Nov. 16) in favor of a plan to offer payments to people who were sexually abused as children by members of the Catholic clergy. The French bishops conference said in a statement that each bishop would get in touch with victims they knew of to offer a ‘single lump sum of money.’ It added that neither the French legal system nor the Church required the payment of the money, and it was not intended to be a reparation.” By Reuters, in The New York Times

Bishop who investigated sex abuse accused of sex abuse
“A Roman Catholic bishop named by Pope Francis to investigate the church’s response to clergy sexual abuse in Buffalo, New York, has himself been accused of sexual abuse of a child, an attorney for the alleged victim notified the church this week. The attorney informed Catholic officials in New Jersey that he is preparing a lawsuit on behalf of a client who says he was molested by Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio in the mid-1970s, when DiMarzio was a parish priest in Jersey City. DiMarzio said there is no truth to the accusation.” By Michael Rezendes, Associated Press

U.S. bishops: consensus by bromides
“As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opened its plenary this morning (Nov. 11), and always they begin with morning prayer, the bishops had scarcely finished the Benedictus when Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, approached one of the microphones to urge the bishops to focus on the defense of the deposit of faith. Looking around the room, I did not see any posters that read ‘Down with the Nicene Creed’ nor witness any bishops whispering against the hypostatic union. What was he talking about? The poor man has bought into the nonsense emanating from LifeSiteNews and EWTN, from Cardinal Raymond Burke and Kazakhstan Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider, the idea that Pope Francis is indifferent or even hostile to orthodoxy. It is bunk, of course, but bunk with a currency in certain well-funded conservative sectors of the church in the United States.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

Bishops’ priorities and plans: a nothing burger
“The U.S. bishops seem determined to turn their conference, once the model for other countries, into a nothing burger. Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron presented the 2021-2024 ‘Priorities and Plans’ and the consultation among the bishops that led to their formulation. The first item is ‘Evangelization: Form a joyful band of missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.’ The items under this heading were not earth-shattering, and they lacked the Holy Father’s heartfelt way of discussing evangelization. They were unobjectionable but nothing more.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

Embattled Buffalo bishop in Rome next week for ad limina visit
“Buffalo’s embattled bishop, Richard Malone, will be in Rome next week (Nov. 11) as part of the New York region’s scheduled meetings with Vatican officials. Crux confirmed with Kathy Spangler, a spokesperson for the diocese, on Wednesday (Nov. 6) that Malone will be in attendance. The meetings, known as the ad limina visits, are part of the regularly scheduled meetings between bishops and officials from the Roman Curia.” By Christopher White, Cruxnow.com

Mexican prelate says bishops should admit moving predators was a mistake
“A Mexican archbishop has said it’s time for prelates to own up to the mistakes they’ve made handling clerical sexual abuse cases, including what he euphemistically called the “geographical solution” of simply moving predators from one assignment to another without addressing their behavor. “We bishops need to acknowledge the mistakes of the past: we weren’t conscious of the seriousness of the issue, and the solutions we gave weren’t the right ones,” said Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera, of Monterrey, president of the Mexican bishops’ conference.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

PRIESTS

Most priests accused of sexually abusing children were never sent to prison. Here’s why.
“The Catholic Church has been under scrutiny from survivors, victims’ advocates and, in some cases, law enforcement, since early 2002, when the sex abuse crisis that involved church administration covering for thousands of priests first became public knowledge. In the last two decades, there’s been major church reform, including the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which established guidelines for dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Meanwhile, dioceses across the country have released lists of credibly accused priests, many of whom are deceased. Most of these men have never faced criminal prosecution, often because of statute of limitation laws that advocates across the country are trying to change. And some claim they have been wrongly accused.” By Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY

VATICAN

President of Vatican’s financial watchdog agency resigns in apparent surprise
“The head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog authority will be leaving his post by the end of the month, the city-state said in an unexpected Nov. 18 announcement adding to a months-long saga that has brought to light new questions about the Vatican’s economic controls. René Brülhart, a Swiss lawyer and former head of Liechtenstein’s financial intelligence unit, has led the agency, formally known as the Financial Information Authority (AIF), since 2014.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Vatican youth seminary scandal grows with new abuse claims
“A scandal over alleged sexual molestation and abuse at the Vatican’s youth seminary is growing, with more former papal altar boys alleging inappropriate behavior by priests inside the Vatican walls. Le Iene, an Italian investigative television program, plans to air the new allegations Sunday; the show provided the broadcast to The Associated Press ahead of time. The Vatican announced in September that its criminal prosecutor was seeking to indict a former senior seminarian and the then-rector of the St. Pius X seminary on sexual abuse charges.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

CHURCH FINANCES

Four Twin Cities women charged in scheme to steal more than $680,000 meant for Catholic Charities homeless
“Federal authorities have charged four more people in an elaborate scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from Catholic Charities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday (Nov. 12) that they’ve charged four women with conspiracy to commit wire fraud to obtain more than $680,000 in charitable funds meant to help homeless people. The case is related to one that broke earlier this year when the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged five people with defrauding the nonprofit.” By Mary Lynn Smith, Star Tribune

CELIBACY& MARRIED PRIESTS

Almost nine in ten believe Catholic priests should be able to marry
“In a recent poll on IrishCentral, readers decided by an overwhelming majority that Catholic priests should be allowed to marry. In total, 320 of you voted with 87.5% saying that yes, priests should be allowed to marry within the Catholic Church. Voting against were 9.06% while 3.44% were unsure.” By IrishCentral

VOICES

Will Pennsylvania legislators leave victims of priest sex abuse out in the cold?
“And what have legislative leaders, especially Sen. Joseph Scarnati, offered to these victims? The short answer is – essentially nothing. No window to identify hidden predators, and the ruse of an unlikely constitutional amendment. Fifteen years of offensive foot dragging, especially alarming given the risk to so many children. And what do they offer? A long, narrow and crooked road to justice, one treacherous path covered in thin ice of electoral instability and legislative uncertainty. A challenging road to nowhere.” By Kathryn Robb and Marci Hamilton

Editorial: May the Church embrace true transparency
“A variety of potentially divisive issues, ranging from immigration to gun control, were discussed by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops during a national meeting in Baltimore last week. Dealing with the elephant in the room ought to be at the top of their agenda. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who is archbishop of the Galveston-Houston diocese, is ending a three-year term as head of the national Conference of Catholic Bishops. Much of his time in the post has been dominated by controversy over the church’s handling of predator priests — and those with even higher positions in the church.” By The Winchester Star Editorial Board

Synodality isn’t just an option, it’s the only way to be church
“Last week, San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy delivered the 2019 MacTaggert Lecture at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. In a manner in keeping with his typical erudite yet accessible articulation of church teaching and recognition of the pressing signs of our times, McElroy made a case for a broader embrace of what he called ‘the type of synodal pathway that the church in the Amazon has been undergoing.’ Drawing on his own experience as a participant in the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region last month and having overseen a local synodal process in the San Diego Diocese, McElroy identified four ecclesial characteristics that result from a more-synodal existence …” By Daniel P. Horan, National Catholic Reporter

The Editors: Evangelization, polarization and accountability among the most pressing issues for the U.S. church
“The bishops of the United States are wending their way to Rome in different groups over the next four months for their ad limina apostolorum visits with Pope Francis and other Vatican officials. The visits, held every five years, allow bishops the chance to voice their specific concerns about their dioceses—and to get feedback from the Vatican as well. There are myriad issues that need discussion, including the ongoing sexual abuse crisis and the continued exodus of U.S. Catholics from the church. But the visits are short, and both the bishops and the pope necessarily have to choose among the other issues they want to discuss.” By The Editors, America: The Jesuit Review

Georgetown University issues report on sex abuse, makes recommendations
“In order to best address the twin crises of clergy sexual abuse and leadership failure, a report released Nov. 4 by Georgetown University recommends placing victim-survivors at the center of the response and confronting clericalism. The report titled, ‘Lay Leadership for a Wounded Church and Divided Nation: Lessons, Directions, and Paths Forward,’ was created by Georgetown’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. It reflects and summarizes key ideas and proposals from a June 14-15 national convening here of more than 50 mostly lay Catholic leaders from across the United States.” By Jesse Remedios, National Catholic Reporter

CHURCH FINANCES

How Vermont’s Catholic Church stashed away a half-billion dollars in assets
“When Vermont’s Catholic Church recently came clean about its half-century-long history of child sex abuse claims against 10% of its clergy, many wondered how much money the state’s largest religious denomination had on hand to deal with a potential new wave of lawsuits. The statewide Diocese of Burlington’s latest public financial statement lists $16 million in unrestricted net assets. But that figure doesn’t include an estimated $500 million in property that church leaders stashed into trusts more than a decade ago to protect those assets from priest abuse settlements.” By Kevin O’Connor, VTDigger.com

Pope appoints Jesuit priest as Prefect of Secretariat for Economy
“The Holy Father has appointed Father Juan Antonio Guerrero as the Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy of the Holy See. Currently, the 60-year-old Jesuit, Father Juan Antonio Guerrero, is the Father General’s Delegate for Interprovincial Roman Houses and Works. He is also a General Councillor. ‘As a Jesuit, it is a joy to receive a mission directly from the Pope. It is a privileged way to realize my vocation,’ said Father Guerrero.” By Vatican News

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Abuse survivors say statute of limitations keeps priests and the church from taking responsibility
“Christy Miller doesn’t want the Catholic Church’s money. She just wants the church to pay. ‘It was never about the money for me. It was about justice,’ she said. ‘If it hits their pocketbook, they’re more apt to change. That’s why the money plays a role.’ Miller sued the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2003, alleging her high school religion teacher, the Rev. Thomas Brunner, sexually abused her for two years in the mid 1980s.” By Dan Monk, Paula Christian and Craig Cheatham, WCPO-TV9 News

Victims of Catholic Church sex abuse want statute of limitations to be dropped
“An attorney who represents victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests called on Colorado legislators to drop the statute of limitations on such crimes on Wednesday (Nov. 13). Jeff Anderson also presented names and photos of around 100 priests who served in Colorado who have been accused sex abuse. One name on the list was now-former Jesuit Father Patrick O’Liddy. CBS4 featured him in a news story several years ago.” By Rick Sallinger, CBS-TV4 Denver

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Catholic priest arrested after 11-year-old girl allegedly records herself being molested
“An 11-year-old Italian girl has been hailed as a hero after using her cell phone to document the alleged sexual abuse inflicted on her by a Catholic priest. Father Michele Mottola, 59, was arrested this week in Trentola Ducenta, near Naples, after audio recordings said to be of him and the girl were given to local press. The bishop of Aversa, Angello Spinillo, was made aware of the allegations as early as May 2018 and suspended Mottola at the time, as well as reporting the allegations to the Public Prosecutor of the Commissariat of Aversa. However, no further action was taken against the priest.” By Tareq Haddad, Newsweek

Sex abuse prevention expert says ‘no simple answers to complex problems’
“Last week, Father Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit who is a member of Pope Francis’s Commission for the Protection of Minors, showed an uncharacteristic moment of impatience during a Q&A when he was asked by a priest why he wasn’t focusing on homosexuality as the real cause of clerical sex abuse … In an interview following the event, he explained that he was a bit under the weather so he was off his game somewhat, however, he stood by the core of his response to the priest: ‘There are things that you can repeat over and over again and people don’t get it. As I said in my response to him, it’s the same when people repeat over and over again that it is celibacy that causes the abuse.’” By Shannon Levitt and Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Expert says some Latin American churches are doing ‘nothing’ about abuse
“When the Boston Globe released a shocking series of news stories about the clerical sexual abuse scandals in the city of Boston in 2002, Father Daniel Portillo was a seminarian. When Mexican Father Marcial Maciel, the disgraced founder of the Legionaries of Christ who was found to have abused minors, died in 2005, Portillo was in Rome and saw how some members of the order founded by the late priest still labeled him a saint.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Abuse crisis shows need for holiness, renewal in church, priests say
“Four Catholic priests who serve in various ministries and are on the front lines facing the aftershocks of the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church gave their perspective on helping the church address the problem. They participated in an Oct. 29 panel discussion sponsored by the Catholic Project, an initiative of The Catholic University of America. The event was held at the university’s Heritage Hall.” By Mark Zimmerman, Catholic News Service

LatAm activitsts aim to press beyond ‘cosmetic actions’ on sex abuse crisis
“Three years after a national congress regarding the sexual abuse of minors, the Pontifical University of Mexico in Mexico City is again hosting a conference discussing sex abuse in the continent’s Catholic communities. ‘The Latin American Church cannot expect significant change if we continue with the same things we’ve been doing,’ said conference organizer Father Daniel Portillo Trevizo, Director of the Center of Investigation and Interdisciplinary Formation for the Protection of Minors (CEPROME).” By Shannon Levitt, Chruxnow.com

COLORADO

Law firm releases report naming Colorado Catholic clerics accused of sexual abuse
“A law firm that has published more than two dozen reports about sexual abuse in the Catholic church released a report Wednesday (Nov. 13) that includes information about 102 clerics who are accused of child sexual abuse and worked within the Archdiocese of Denver, and the dioceses of Pueblo and Colorado Springs. The report from Jeff Anderson and Associates includes 95 names. Seven priests in the report are unidentified. It comes on the heels of an independent review from former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, which named 43 Catholic priests who were accused of sexually abusing children in those same three dioceses.” By Janet Oravetz and Marc Sallinger, 9News.com

KANSAS

Prosecutors: Kansas City Kansas priest in child sex case to get new trial date after jury deadlocks
“The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office intends to bring a new trial against a Kansas City, Kansas, Roman Catholic priest accused of child molestation. The trial against the Rev. Scott Kallal, 37, will likely be scheduled in April and held in May, Jonathan Carter, the office’s spokesman, told The Star on Wednesday. Kallal faces two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. His original trial, held in September, ended in mistrial after the jury could not agree on a verdict.” By Katie Bernard, The Kansas City Star

KENTUCKY

Covington Diocese to review priest files amid I-Team investigation into abuse in Catholic Church
“The Diocese of Covington hired two former FBI agents to review its records on priests over the past 59 years to determine if all allegations of child sexual abuse have been reported to authorities. A diocese spokeswoman announced the independent review on Tuesday, just days before the WCPO I-Team is scheduled to publish and air a three-month investigation into how local Catholic Church leaders handle allegations of priest sexual abuse.” By Craig Cheatham, WCPO-TV9 News

LOUISIANA

New molestation suit accuses Jesuuit of using parent, alumni donations to pay abuse settlements
“A former Jesuit High School student who says he was raped by a predator janitor on the school’s campus in the 1970s alleges in a new lawsuit that Jesuit officials have used millions of dollars in parent and alumni money to cover abuse-related settlements. The 19-page suit is the latest in a series of complaints attributing acts of sexual abuse to Peter Modica, a former minor league baseball player who got a job on Jesuit’s groundskeeping staff despite having previously pleaded guilty to molesting two teenagers.” By Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com

Catholics form new group to fight for transparency and disclosure of secret records
“They call themselves Catholics of Louisiana for Church Reform. They are convinced the future of the church depends on total transparency concerning the sexual abuse scandal and cover-up. Despite the release of lists of credibly accused clergy, victims and their advocates have challenged the completeness and accuracy of the information made public in Southwest Louisiana and beyond. Luke Jones founded Catholics of Louisiana for Church Reform.” By KPLC-TV7 News

MARYLAND

Survivors of clergy sex abuse call for Church to release names of leaders accused of abuse
“Survivors of clergy sex abuse and their supporters are outlining their requests for Catholic Church leaders ahead of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which began Monday (Nov. 11) in Baltimore. Among the changes victims want to see are archdioceses nationwide releasing the names of clergy and anyone in the church who has been accused of abuse.” By Rachel Menitoff, WJZ-TV13 News

MICHIGAN

Priest sentenced in AG’s clergy abuse investigation
“One of six Catholic priests charged in an investigation by the attorney general’s office received his sentence Wednesday (Nov. 20). Patrick Casey, 56, will serve 45 days in jail, one year of probation and have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated assault in October.” By FOX17Online.com

MINNESOTA

Sexually abused as a child, Minnesota priest feels revictimized by attorney’s disclosure
“Like any other Sunday, the Rev. Joseph Richards led Mass on Nov. 10 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fertile, a northwest Minnesota town in Polk County with almost 850 residents. But this was the first Sunday Richards would address the congregation since it was revealed he was sexually abused as a child by his great-uncle. It was also disclosed that he sought help after having sexual fantasies about children and that he admitted to inappropriately touching a 5-year-old when he was 14.” By April Baumgarten, Forum News Service, Duluth News Tribune

NEW MEXICO

Two new lawsuits accuse Jesuit priests of sexual abuse”
“Allegations of clergy sexual molestation of children struck at the heart of a Downtown Albuquerque church Friday (Nov. 15) with the filing of two lawsuits claiming abuse by three Jesuit priests who once ministered there – one as recently as 2011. In one of the two cases, the alleged victim, now 25 years old, contends he was sexually abused eight years ago at Immaculate Conception Church in Albuquerque. His lawyer says he is one of the youngest survivors to come forward in recent years.” By Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal

NEW YORK

Outspoken gay Catholic priest Bernard Lynch accused of late-’70s sexual abuse of teen student at Bronx school
“An outspoken, internationally-known gay Catholic priest renowned for his work among New York’s AIDS patients in the 1980s was accused in a Wednesday (Nov. 20) lawsuit of sexually assaulting a teen student at a Bronx school four decades ago. The anonymous plaintiff, then a 16-year-old at Mount St. Michael Academy, alleged the sexual abuse occurred in 1978-79 when Father Bernard Lynch served as the school’s campus chaplain. Lynch was tried and acquitted of abusing a different student from the same school after a 1989 Bronx trial.” By Larry McShane, New York Daily News

Victims to share stories of impacts of childhood sex abuse
“‘Enlighten & Empower: An Evening with Survivors’ will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 14) in the parish center of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse will discuss how the abuse has affected them over their lifetimes. The event is being organized by the Buffalo Survivors Group, formed by five men who said they were sexually abused as minors by priests in the Buffalo Diocese.” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

Lawsuit accuses priest of sexually abusing St. Sylvester’s student in 1960s
“A lawsuit accuses a priest who was a prominent member of the Augustinian Order on Staten Island of sexually abusing a child at St. Sylvester’s R.C. Church in Concord in the 1960s. The Child Victims Act lawsuit was filed by Jeff Anderson & Associates on Aug. 14 in state Supreme Court in Manhattan on behalf of an anonymous alleged victim identified only as ARK63 DOE. Named as defendants in the lawsuits are the Archdiocese of New York, the Augustinian Order and related entities, including the former Augustinian Academy on Grymes Hill, and St. Sylvester’s Parish.” By Maura Brunlund, SILive.com

Retired State Supreme Court judge has strong words for Bishop Malone
“Buffalo Bishop Richard J. Malone is on his way to Rome for a face-to-face meeting with Pope Francis. It’s part of a regular visit to the Vatican by New York State’s Catholic bishops, but this time the visit comes on the heels of a massive sexual abuse scandal exposed in part by the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team over the last two years. Now, a state judge is taking the rare step of speaking out against a sitting bishop.” By Charlie Specht, WKBW-TV7 News

OHIO

Covington Diocese hires ex-FBI agents to perform independent priest sex abuse review
“The Diocese of Covington has hired two former FBI agents to independently review its priest files with an eye toward any potential sex abuse, according to an article in a Diocese-run publication. In August, Rev. David Glockner was removed from his ministry within the Diocese of Covington at Holy Redeemer Parish in Vanceburg, Kentucky. The 84-year-old priest was accused of inappropriately touching two high school girls, according to an Aug. 8 Enquirer article.” By Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati Enquirer

PENNSYLVANIA

Former altar boys sue Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese over alleged sexual abuse
“Two men who were formerly altar boys at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in McDonald, filed a 28-page lawsuit on Tuesday (Nov. 19), alleging sexual abuse by a priest at the church in the 1980s. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, current bishop David Zubik and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. An attorney for the men writes the abuse began in the early 80s, with his clients joining St. Alphonsus Catholic School when they were 11 and 13 years old. Both soon became altar boys.” By Nick Matoney, WTAE-TV4 News

Lawyer for priest on trial says difference cleric abused the victim
“The trial for a retired Catholic priest on sexual abuse charges began with dramatic testimony and a contentious cross-examination Wednesday (Nov. 6) after the priest refused a prosecutor’s plea-bargain offer and his defense attorney suggested a different, now-deceased priest is to blame. The Rev. Hugh Lang, 88, a former superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, faces eight counts related to an alleged assault on an 11-year-old boy in 2001 at St. Therese Parish in Munhall, where Father Lang was a priest at the time.” By Peter Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

VERMONT

Why survivors advocates, accused ex-priest find fault with Catholic Church’s abuser list
“An ex-priest in an Upstate New York diocese left the priesthood in 2000 after serving in various parishes for nearly a decade. Eighteen years later, the Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg included the man’s name, James Larche, on a list of priests accused of sexual misconduct. Larche moved to Vermont in 2012 and got a job as a nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center where he’s worked without incident ever since.” By Isaac Fornarola, Burlington Free Press

WISCONSIN
‘I was such a little kid’: as Wisconsin Catholic clergy accused of sexual abuse grows, the trauma lingers
“When she was 7, Patty Gallagher was chosen to bring the priest who served her parish and school in Monona, Wisconsin, his daily milk. The Rev. Lawrence Trainor was practically a member of the family. He came over for dinner and visited the family cottage. Gallagher’s father and Trainor played cards and drank together. Trainor, a priest at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, ingratiated himself with her parents. And then, Gallagher said, he ‘raped me in every way possible.’” By Erica Jones, Wisconsin Watch

Sentencing concludes long road to justice
“Thomas Ericksen, a former priest of the Diocese of Superior, was sentenced Sept. 26 in Sawyer County Circuit Court to the maximum 30 years in prison for molesting boys while serving in diocesan parishes decades ago. Although the church long ago settled the question of Ericksen’s fitness for the priesthood – he was removed from ministry in 1983, began a counseling program in the Twin Cities and was permanently removed from the priesthood through laicization in 1988 – Catholics may still have questions.” By Anita Draper, Catholic Herald of the Diocese of Superior

CANADA

Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver aware of 36 cases of clergy sex abuse since 1950s, CBC learns
“The Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver was aware of 36 cases of abuse by clergy under its jurisdiction, including 26 involving children, results of an internal review of cases of clergy sexual abuse obtained by CBC’s The Fifth Estate show. The review, commissioned in 2018 by Archbishop Michael Miller, examined church files dating back to the 1950s. No Catholic entity in this country has ever made this kind of information public before. The Vancouver review also found three of their priests had fathered children.” By Laura Clementson and Gillian Findlay, CBC News

FRANCE

French bishops approve payments for church sex abuse victims
“French bishops on Saturday (Nov. 9) approved plans to financially compensate people abused sexually within the Roman Catholic Church. Any person recognized by their bishop as a victim will be eligible to receive money, they said, and the church will appeal for donations to foot the bill. Bishops also voted to allocate 5 million euros ($5.5 million) to an independent commission examining church sex abuse in France and to support prevention efforts.” By Claire Parker, The Associated Press

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

Brothers of Stain John denounce sexually abusive founder
“The Brothers of Saint John, a Catholic movement launched in France in 1975, have officially renounced their sexually abusive founder Fr Marie-Dominique Philippe and pledged to revise their rules without reference to him. A general chapter held near Lyon concluded the community could no longer recognise the Dominican priest as its inspiration.” By Tom Heneghan, The Tablet