Highlighting issues we face working together
to Keep the Faith, Change the Church
TOP STORIES
George Pell criticized by Catholic bishop as ‘destroyer of unity’ on child sex abuse
“Cardinal George Pell ‘destroyed the unity’ of the Catholic church’s response to child sex abuse, an Australian bishop has told the royal commission. Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who played a key role in developing the Australian church’s response to child sex abuse, also said Pope Francis was yet to show strong leadership on the issue and one of his predecessors, John Paul II, responded ‘poorly’ to revelations of child abuse.” By Bridie Jabour, The Guardian
— Australian bishop faults papal leadership on clerical abuse, By Scottish Catholic Observer
Activists urge Pope Francis to address sex abuse by clergy during U.S. visit
“John Salveson didn’t give up his obsession with the Catholic Church easily … Prompted by Pope Francis’s trip to Philadelphia this fall, Salveson has renewed his activism toward the church, calling for the pontiff and other participants in a global Catholic meeting on family issues to discuss child sex abuse by clergy members and wear black ribbons to represent ‘the darkness that infects the souls of survivors,’ he said.” By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post
Victim advocates decry Milwaukee archdiocese settlement plan
“The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee would pay $21 million to more than 300 victims of clergy abuse in a settlement plan decried by advocates for those abused by clergy as paltry, but praised by the archbishop as a ‘rebirth.’” By Scott Bauer, Associated Press, on Cruxnow.com
— Questions and answers about the archdiocese (of Milwaukee) abuse settlement, By Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
LCWR president: a new era of communion with Vatican closes ‘cultural chasm’
“The controversial investigations of U.S. women religious by the Vatican — and resulting tensions — stemmed largely from a ‘cultural chasm,’ the group’s president said Wednesday (Aug. 12). But that chasm is closing, she said, and a new era of communion seems to have begun.” By Dan Stockman, Global Sisters Report
Scottish Church needs to start over
“If anybody ever doubted the necessity for an independent review into child protection procedures inside the Catholic Church in Scotland, every page of the McLellan Report published this week (week of Aug. 17) will correct that impression. The report is, in effect, a vote of no confidence in the Scottish bishops’ safeguarding procedures … The Scottish Catholic Church for years paid lip service to the need for child protection while the manner in which it treated survivors amounted to further abuse.” Editorial in The Tablet
Silence in the Catholic church may be its weapon of self-destruction
“In a day of remarkable evidence before the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson offered damning assessments of the most senior Catholic clerics on the planet … But his most chilling and telling statement about the Catholic church was the one he made about the church hierarchy’s response to revelations about child sexual abuse: ‘What we got was silence, so bishops were loyal to the silence.’” Commentary by Kristina Keneally in The Guardian
CELIBACY
Loyola chancellor says Catholic Church should let priests marry
“Father Michael Garanzini, the chancellor of Loyola University and newly-named board member for the Chicago Board of Education, says it’s time Catholic priests be allowed to marry. ‘I think it would be healthy. I used to say ‘well, it will change but probably not in my lifetime.’ And then Pope Francis came along, and what I see him doing is opening the avenues for discussion’ … Garanzini says the issue is likely to come up during an October bishops’ conference in Rome.” By Shia Kapos, Crain’s Chicago Business
— High-ranking U.S. Jesuit: Married priests would be healthy for the Church, By Michael O’Loughlin, Cruxnow.com
SYNOD OF BISHOPS ON THE FAMILY
Students’ synod questionnaire meets with surprisingly wide response
“Deeply disappointed by the complicated language and low level of distribution of the official Vatican questionnaire issued before the Synod of Bishops on the family, three German Catholic theology students decided to prepare their own. More than 12,000 Catholics of all ages from 42 countries and different backgrounds, most of whom regularly attend Mass, responded to the questionnaire on marriage and the family circulated by Anna Roth and Tobias Roth from Münster University and Sarah Delere from the Free University of Berlin between September 2014 and March 2015.” By Christa Pongratz-Lippitt, National Catholic Reporter
At pallium Mass, Cupich calls for mercy toward nontraditional families
“Catholics must avoid being rigid, embrace change, and show mercy, not harsh judgment, toward nontraditional families. That was the message from Chicago’s Archbishop Blase Cupich Sunday (Aug. 23) afternoon after receiving his pallium, a wool stole that is a piece of liturgical regalia symbolizing his connection to the pope, from the papal ambassador to the United.” By Michael O’Loughlin, National Catholic Reporter
African theologians, bishops cry out for more expansive synod discussions
“A number of prominent theologians and bishops from across the African continent have sharply called for more expansive discussions at this fall’s global meeting of Catholic bishops on family issues, saying last year’s event focused too heavily on subjects mainly of concern to Europeans and North Americans.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
— Cardinal predicts Synod will allow bishops to make cultural adaptation to church teaching, By CNS on Patheos.com
Pope Francis to name Chicago Archbishop Cupich, top U.S. ally, to Vatican summit on family
“Pope Francis is set to name Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich, viewed as one of his top allies in the American hierarchy, as a special delegate to a Vatican summit on family issues in October that is shaping up as a key test of the pontiff’s efforts to reform the Catholic Church.” By David Gibson, Religion News Service
VOICES
Working for change within the Roman Catholic Church
“Cathy Califano is a Philadelphia resident and a parent of Waldron Mercy Academy students … The parallels between being caught in that crossfire (drive-by shooting the night her daughter was born) and last month’s firing of Margie Winters from my children’s school, Waldron Mercy Academy, are painfully acute. Families and kids are trapped between polarizing and too-often vitriolic forces in the Catholic Church.” On Philly.com
LGBT groups continue valuable work, despite losing space during World Meeting
“In the lead up to next month’s World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in Philadelphia, progressive Catholic corners of the Internet have lit up with news about the presence (or not) of LGBT voices at the meeting. The news has usually been disheartening, if unsurprising. This week’s news was no exception.” By Kelly Stewart, National Catholic Reporter
Insights and outbursts: the Catholic Church’s unsung heroes
“After the Boston Globe revealed extensive cases of clergy abuse in the Boston Archdiocese under Cardinal Bernard Law in 2002, I joined other Catholics in the “Voice of the Faithful,” standing with survivors and advocates in Boston and Manchester, N.H., calling on bishops to release the names of priests they transferred to other dioceses.” By Eileen Ford, Gloucester Times
Pope: Keep door open to divorced Catholics who remarry
“Pope Francis declared on Wednesday (Aug. 5) that divorced Catholics who remarry, as well as their children, deserve better treatment from the church, warning pastors against treating these couples as if they were excommunicated. Catholic teaching considers divorced Catholics who remarry are living in sin and are not allowed to receive Communion, leaving many of these people feeling shunned by their church.” By Frances D’Emilio, Associated Press
— Pope Francis urges priests to welcome remarried Catholics, By Gaia Pianigiani, The New York Times
FUTURE OF THE CHURCH
Lack of priests in Irish Catholic Church: The problem is becoming more acute
“At a time when the shortage of Catholic priests in the western world, not least in Ireland, has become acute it is hardly critical to wonder at a model of priesthood which no longer meets the needs of the faithful through lack of personnel. Not least when, as is widely believed, the matter could be helped greatly were adjustment to be made to a discipline rather than a teaching of the church.” Editorial in The Irish Times
— Clerical celibacy and the Catholic Church, Letter to the Editor, The Irish Times
Vigneron softens tone on Communion for Catholic gay supporters
“On the eve of hosting an international conference for priests and educators about outreach to gay Catholics, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron has backed away from controversial comments that suggested Catholics who support gay unions and marriage should refrain from receiving the sacrament of Communion.” By Patricia Montemurri, Detroit Free Press
Catholics wrestle with teachings as gay employees dismissed
“Pope Francis refined his vision for the Church last week when he said long-spurned divorced and remarried Catholics should be welcomed with ‘open doors.’ And he has famously parsed centuries of thought on homosexuality into a five-word soundbite: ‘Who am I to judge?’ Yet the Archdiocese of Philadelphia opened its door only briefly when married gay teacher Margie Winters, trailed by supporters, arrived with 23,000 petitions seeking reinstatement to her job at a Catholic elementary school.” By Maryclaire Dale, Associated Press on Cruxnow.com
POPE FRANCIS VISITS THE U.S.
Pope Francis is coming! Part 1
“Today (Aug. 19), I kick off a series of columns that will set the table for the pope’s visit. Today (Aug. 19), I explore what I think is the over-arching theme of this pontificate, and tomorrow, I will examine how that one large theme plays out in six, smaller sub-themes. Friday (Aug. 21), we will dig down on what we can expect specifically from his talks – and more than the talks, from the gestures – in the U.S. Next week (week of Aug. 24) I will examine how the pope challenges both the Catholic Left and the Catholic Right.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
— Pope Francis is coming! Part 2, By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
— How Pope Francis challenges the Catholic left, By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
— How Pope Francis challenges the Catholic right, By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
Is Pope Francis really going to the United States?
“In all his nearly seventy-nine years on God’s green earth, Pope Francis has never once been to the United States of America. And he’ll see only a tiny patch of it when he makes his first and very brief visit there later next month … But, then again, this ‘commuter’ papal visit was never meant to introduce Francis to the vast and multi-textured reality of a country that stretches nearly 2,800 miles across the entire width of the North American continent.” By Robert Mickens, National Catholic Reporter
— Ideals worth sacrificing for: Pope to challenge U.S. Congress, U.N., By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
What to expect when Pope Francis gets to the United States
“Pope Francis will visit the United States from September 22-27. He spoke about the trip during the flight back from Paraguay in July, and said he needs to spend more time looking at issues which affect the middle class. Kishore Jayabalan is the Director of the Rome office for the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. He spoke to Vatican Radio about what both Pope Francis and the United States will encounter during the Papal trip.” By Vatican Radio
Pope and Congress: Francis is certain to challenge lawmakers
“A political pope is sure to seize his opportunity when he addresses a political body. So both Democrats and Republicans are looking forward to Pope Francis’ remarks to Congress next month — and bracing for them, too. The pope thrills Democrats with his teachings on climate change, social justice and immigration. At the same time, his message on life and the Catholic Church’s traditional opposition to abortion comfort Republicans.” By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press
POPE FRANCIS & THE CHURCH
Catholics lover their celebrity pope – and most of his priorities
“Americans are gung-ho for Pope Francis’ U.S. visit — if they know he’s coming. They really, really like him, too, particularly Catholics — even if they’re sometimes confused about what he believes. But most Americans (52%) and nearly a third of Catholics (31%) say they hadn’t heard about the pope’s September visit to Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, according to a new survey released Tuesday (Aug. 25) by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in partnership with Religion News Service.” By Cathy Lynn Grossman, Religion News Service, in Detroit Free Press
— Americans really like the pope, but most don’t know he’s visiting, By Michael O’Loughlin, Cruxnow.com
Francis: a prophet who gets things done
“Our pope is an unusually pastoral man who is passionate about the marginalized and wants us to use ecclesiastical wealth on their behalf. But he is more than a pastor. Francis is a remarkable combination of prophet and shrewd administrator — characteristics seldom seen in one person — let alone in one pope.” By Christine Schenk, National Catholic Reporter
Most U.S. Catholics don’t know about the pope’s climate views
“A new survey has found fewer than half of US Roman Catholics said they knew of Pope Francis’ bombshell encyclical on curbing climate change — and only a fraction of those heard about it from the pulpit — in the month after he released the document with an unprecedented call for the Church to take up his message.” By Rachel Zoll and Emily Swanson, Associated Press, on Cruxnow.com
What do the Pope’s words mean for the Communion debate?
“Parsing the words of Pope Francis is a notoriously hazardous undertaking, as he tends sometimes to say things that seem almost deliberately open to multiple interpretations — remember ‘Who am I to judge?’—and then play his cards close to the vest in terms of what policy implications, if any, may ensue. That’s a caution worth reiterating as his words at Wednesday’s (Aug. 5) general audience on divorced and remarried Catholics make the rounds. The bottom line is that while what the pope said was interesting, it didn’t signal any specific policy choice.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com
— Beware of unintended consequences on the divorced and remarried, By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com
The ‘Francis agenda’ is making inroads in the U.S.
“Since his election, Pope Francis has become one of the world’s most influential moral leaders, and despite a drop in a recent opinion poll, he is wildly popular in the United States. With a little more than a month until Francis lands in Washington for an eight-day tour of the I-95 corridor, how are his priorities influencing the Church in the United States?” By Michael O’Loughlin, Cruxnow.com
NUNS
New ‘Nuns on the Bus’ tour to highlight Pope Francis’ U.S. visit and agenda
“Pope Francis is set to arrive in Washington on Sept. 22 by plane. The nuns are coming on a bus. But Sister Simone Campbell, once again the driving force behind the newest iteration of the “Nuns on the Bus” phenomenon, thinks whatever their modes of travel, both the pope and the Catholic sisters are united in their core themes: a faith-based promotion of economic justice and political consensus for the common good.” By David Gibson, Religion News Service
Editorial: LCWR and the Vatican: relations were fixed, not transformed
“The U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious, meeting for the first time since the Vatican put an end to an investigation of the organization, had much to celebrate. It had survived intact, apparently free for the time being from further Vatican interference … So we dare to note, amid the celebration and despite the salutary outcome of the LCWR investigation and the earlier investigation of U.S. women religious generally, that a number of institutional realities regarding the Vatican’s attitudes toward women remain unchanged.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff
Former LCWR head speaks candidly about Vatican assessment
“The former executive director of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Sister Janet Mock, has made some of her most pointed public remarks on the Vatican’s now-concluded LCWR doctrinal assessment and mandate.” By CathNews.com
— Changing reality of religious life takes stage at LCWR conference, By Cawn Cherie Araujo, Globe Sisters Report
— LCWR speaker: quench the thirsts of the world by focusing on the Holy Spirit, By Dan Stockman, Global Sisters Report
— U.S. women religious look forward to annual assembly, By Dan Stockman, Global Sisters Report
— LCWR reviews its own steadiness, finds ability to build relationships where trust could grow, By Dawn Cherie Araujo, Global Sisters Report
— In latest justice resolution, U.S. sisters recommit to ending family detention, By Dawn Cherie Araujo, Global Sisters Report
Nuns of a new generation forge their own path
“In 2009, at age 28 and then known as Virginia Cotter, she joined the Sisters of Life. Young women joining religious orders have become increasingly rare over the years. The number of ‘women religious’ in the United States is about 50,000, less than a third of that in 1966. According to a Georgetown University study, ‘there are more Catholic sisters in the United States over age 90 than under age 60.’ By Mark Oppenheimer, The New York Times
Two ways to speak the truth in love
“Think of a conflict that’s painful to you. What do you do? How do you choose? Imagine being publicly chastised by the Vatican. Now what? … Sister of Loretto Jeannine Gramick suffered more than a decade of Vatican investigation because of the ground-breaking, heroic ministry she co-founded. She chose to share her experiences publicly, believing that, ‘Through the media, we in the Catholic community can become informed and learn how to deal with conflict in an adult and Christian way.’ She found that, ‘Openness about the discussions during my own investigative process gave me an immense sense of freedom and a loss of fear that have enabled me to be more honest than I have ever been.’ By Betty D. Thompson, Global Sisters Report
CHURCH FINANCES
Can Pope Francis clean up God’s bank?
“Untraceable cash transfers and a culture of secrecy made the Vatican bank one of the world’s most notorious financial institutions. But Pope Francis’ attempts at reform are meeting ferocious resistance―At 6.30 on the morning of 28 June 2013–just three months into the reign of Pope Francis–officials of the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian law enforcement agency for financial crime, pulled up in front of a rectory in Palidoro, a quiet seaside town west of Rome. When they rang the bell, the cleric who came sleepily to the door was informed that he was under arrest. A few hours later, wearing a well-cut grey suit, Monsignor Nunzio Scarano was shown into a cell in the Regina Coeli, Rome’s most overcrowded prison.” By Paul Vallely, The Guardian
WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
Women of the Church national conference planned for 2016
“Responding to Pope Francis’ call for a more incisive presence of women in the Church, two Indiana Benedictine institutions are co-hosting Women of the Church: Strength of the Past. Hope for Tomorrow. A Catholic Leadership Conference (Oct. 7-9, 2016). The conference seeks to recognize and support the many ways that women participate in the mission of the Catholic Church. Although the conference is more than a year away, the planning committee has already prepared a program of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, liturgies and cultural events.” By Dubois County Free Press
CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
“Spotlight” breaks the story in exclusive first poster
“In early 2002, Boston was transfixed by the trial of John Geoghan, a Roman-Catholic priest accused of molesting more than 100 young boys over several decades … ‘Spotlight,’ then, seems like an awfully benign title for an investigative drama based on such a sordid betrayal, but writer/director Tom McCarthy’s movie’s name refers to the (The Boston) Globe’s courageous special-reporting group that chipped away and ultimately published hundreds of stories that exposed multiple layers of negligence and greed.” By Jeff Labrecque, Entertainment Weekly
Locked in cells of silence by disbelief and shame
“The tragic reality is all too often victims of sexual abuse remain silent about the horrors they have endured. Many live their entire lives in silence. Studies have found that approximately sixty-three percent of adult sexual assaults and eighty-eight percent of child sexual abuse is never reported.” By Boz Tchividjian, Religion News Service
America’s leading cardinal rounds on accusers
“The Cardinal Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, has accused opponents of quoting out of context his 2007 statement to the Vatican that he was strengthening a diocese’s protection against litigation by sex abuse victims by putting most of its assets into a Cemetery Trust Fund.” By Joe Little, RTE News
Marie Collins wary but glad to be helping Vatican protect minors
“Less than 20 years ago, Marie Collins’s parish priest in Dublin warned the congregation at Mass that her story of abuse by a priest was not to be believed. Now she advises Pope Francis on child protection and is a member of the only Vatican commission with direct access to him. This Dublin abuse survivor got the invitation to join the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors last year. She believes it arose from a 2012 Vatican symposium on child protection she went to.” By Patsy McGarry, Irish Times
Ray Rice and Redemption Narratives
“The co-founders of A Call to Men, an organization that works with boys and men to end violence against girls and women, apologized July 31 for comments they made about Ray Rice in an ESPN interview … Though (Tony) Porter and (Ted) Bunch did not use religious language, their initial comments about Rice were reminiscent of the troubling ways in which many Christians, especially clergy, talk about abuse—if they talk about it at all.” By Kelly Stewart, National Catholic Reporter
KENTUCKY
Fr. Stephen Pohl, priest targeted in FBI kiddie porn probe placed on leave
“Louisville, Kentucky, priest Father Stephen A. Pohl was placed on leave by his archdiocese this week (Aug. 16) after reports surfaced that he has become the target of an FBI probe looking into the creation and distribution of child pornography. The investigation is reportedly being conducted by the Bureau’s task force on cyber crimes.” By Inquistir.com
MASSACHUSETTS
Former priest already serving time for rape admits to abuse of another boy
“Richard McCormick, a former Roman Catholic priest, was convicted last November and sentenced to eight to ten years in prison for raping a boy multiple times at a summer camp in Ipswich in the early 1980s. On Monday (Aug. 10), the 74-year old McCormick plead guilty to indecently assaulting another boy during the same years, according to a report by The Boston Globe.” By Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com
— Convicted rapist admits assaulting another boy, By Peter Schworm, The Boston Globe
MICHIGAN
Another allegation of abuse by retired Grand Rapids priest
“Retired Grand Rapids Roman Catholic priest Father Charles Antekeier may no longer call himself a priest. After investigating allegations of sexual abuse, the Vatican says Antekeier, is officially removed from the ministry. The Grand Rapids Diocese says the accusation dates back to the mid 1980’s. But at least one Grand Rapids parent says he believes his son was molested by Father Antekeier years earlier in the 1970’s when he was an altar boy at St. James Parish.” By Phil Dawson, WZZM-TV
— Retired Grand Rapids priest removed from ministry after sex abuse claims, By John Tunison, MLive.com
Advocate: survivors of abuse by clergy ‘not alone’
“The most traumatic moment of Bill McAlary’s life happened in 1958. Nearly 60 years later, he’s still visibly shaken just talking about it. McAlary says a Catholic priest molested him when he was a 12-year-old altar boy in Ionia.” By Marlee Ginter, WOOD-TV
MINNESOTA
Two sue Catholic diocese of St. Cloud, accuse priest of abuse
Two women have sued the Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud and two parishes, saying they were sexually abused by a priest in the 1960s. The St. Cloud Times reports the women say they were abused by Donald Rieder at parishes in Randall and Kimball when they were between the ages of 11 and 15. The lawsuits accuse the diocese of negligence and common law nuisance.” By Associated Press in LaCrosse Tribune
Ex-priest faces Wisconsin time after Minnesota sentence is up
“A former priest, currently in prison in Minnesota for sexually abusing two boys, has been sentenced to three years in prison in Wisconsin for sexually abusing a third boy. Curtis Wehmeyer, 51, pleaded guilty Friday to third degree criminal sexual assault, according to Chippewa County, Wis., court records. He was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision.” By Peter Cox, Minnesota Public Radio
MISSOURI
K.C. diocese apologizes to priest sexual abuse victims, invites them to ‘prayer and healing’ services
“The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is apologizing to victims of priest sexual abuse and inviting them to a series of prayer and healing services that starts Wednesday (Aug. 12). The move drew mixed reviews from those abused by clergy, some saying it was too little, too late.” By Judy L. Thomas, The Kansas City Star
— Victims skeptical about Catholic church’s invitation to healing service for past abuses, By Brendaliss Gonzalez, KSHB-TV
NEW JERSEY
Priest admits sex with minor, says teen ‘wanted it’
“In an extraordinary admission of wrongdoing, a priest sought by authorities in New Jersey has acknowledged engaging in a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old boy, but he deflected blame for the incident by saying the teen ‘wanted’ it and had ‘evil in his mind.’” By Mark Mueller, The Star-Ledger
OREGON
Arrest warrant issued for priest
“Police now say Father Ysrael Bien, on administrative leave from his role as pastor of St. Francis Parish in Sherwood, purchased a spy camera later found in a church bathroom.” By Ed Langlois, Catholic Sentinel
— Archdiocese: Sherwood priest left U.S. in June, By Amy Frazier, KOIN-TV
WASHINGTON
Federal judge: Ex-Yakima priest must pay sex-abuse victim $5M
“A federal district court judge has issued a $5 million judgment against a priest who served in the Catholic Diocese of Yakima in the 1970s and ’80s. The civil lawsuit, brought by a man known as C.S. in court documents, alleged that the Rev. Dale Calhoun sexually abused him beginning in 1977 when he was 12 and ending when he was 17.” By Jane Gargas, Yakima Herald
WISCONSIN
Victim group seeks independent review of clergy abuse claims
A group of clergy sexual abuse victims called Tuesday(Aug. 25) for an independent commission to investigate molestation accusations sealed in a bankruptcy case involving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The move comes a day after church lawyers formalized a $21 million settlement between nearly 400 abuse victims and the archdiocese. It advances a position the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has held for years: that church officials shouldn’t be the first authorities to review clergy abuse reports.” By Greg Moore, Associated Press, in The Washington Post
Archdiocese of Milwaukee plan would pay more sexual abuse victims
“The Archdiocese of Milwaukee would compensate more sexual abuse victims than it originally stated as part of a $21 million settlement announced earlier this month, under the reorganization plan it filed Monday (Aug. 24) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Members of the bankruptcy creditors committee raised concerns about the archdiocese’s announcement, saying it had excluded 72 survivors they believed were to be compensated when they agreed to the settlement in July. Thirty-three of those would now be eligible for compensation, according to the revised plan.” By Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
— Creditors committee chair for Milwaukee archdiocese bankruptcy disputes settlement outline, By Marie Rohde, National Catholic Reporter
AUSTRALIA
Child abuse royal commission: Former pope John Paul II handled allegations ‘poorly,’ inquiry hears
“Former pope John Paul II handled sex abuse claims within the church ‘poorly’ because he simply could not grasp the scale of the problem, a retired senior Bishop in Sydney says.” By Paul Donoughue, ABC News Australia
— Pope not leading on abuse reform: bishop, by Agence France-Presse on SBS.com.au
Australian diplomat’s son in Tokyo St. Mary’s child sexual abuse story
“Jacob was 11 years old when he was raped, in a Catholic school chapel, by two Brothers who threatened to do the same to his younger brother if he spoke out. It took 48 years to break his silence. He tells Simon Scott his story.” By Simon Scott, The Sydney Morning Herald
Flawed report denies justice to clergy-sex victims
“Survivors of clergy sex in Ballarat are unhappy with the unexpected announcement last week by the royal commission that hearings scheduled for November will be held in Melbourne, instead of their home city. This is not the only reason, though, for despondency, hurt and exasperation in the Ballarat survivor community.” By Judy Courtin, The Age
GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES
Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims
“The Scottish Catholic church has offered a ‘profound apology’ to victims of child abuse and the church’s failure to investigate and punish the culprits, after a damning independent report into its conduct. Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the official head of the Scottish church, told a congregation in Glasgow on Tuesday that their bishops were ‘shamed and pained’ by the abuse suffered by children and adults over recent decades. ‘We say sorry. We ask forgiveness.’” By Severin Carrell, The Guardian
— Roman Catholic Church in Scotland issues apology for child abuse, By BBC News Scotland
— Response to the McLellan Commission, By Scottish Catholic Media Office
Vast scale of child sex abuse inquiries revealed
“The size and scope of the unprecedented number of inquiries into historical child abuse in the UK can be revealed for the first time today (Aug. 8) following a Sunday Herald investigation. The Sunday Herald has learned that there are currently 14 major police operations, four public inquiries and six other investigations – including probes by the BBC, the police watchdog, and two government departments – are either ongoing or have been carried out to date.” By Judith Duffy, The Sunday Herald Scotland