Clergy Child Molesters (168) — References/Archive/Blog

• City centre park to be renamed in abuse fall-out

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue January 05, 2010 edition:

• Norwalk pastor issued protective order for assault

  [2009 Nov - Rev. Phillip Joubert* (48)] - Baptist. Rape, violence, incest, child sex abuse.  
   Stamford Advocate, By John Nickerson, Published: 10:05 p.m., Monday, January 4, 2010
   NORWALK (CT) -- A local pastor charged in Queens, N.Y., with rape was issued a protective order at the Norwalk courthouse Monday following his arrest Thursday for allegedly beating his teenaged daughter.
   Philip Joubert, 48, of 21 Lexington Ave., Norwalk, who was released on $350,000 bond in the New York City case, turned himself over to Norwalk police Thursday on charges of third-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor and was released after posting $5,000 bond.
   At his appearance at state Superior Court in Norwalk, Judge Bruce Hudock issued Joubert, pastor of the New Light Missionary Baptist Church, 22 Lexington Ave., Norwalk, a protective order which prohibits him from contacting, assaulting or intimidating five people whose names have been marked out of his court file. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 8:42 AM

• On eve of installation, more worrisome comments on sex abuse

  [2009 Dec - Bishop Jerome Listecki -NEW*] - RCC. 18-y-o, OK to resume. Holiday season so permitted offenders to continue in ministry.  
   Voice from the Desert, Statement by Michael Sneesby, SNAP Milwaukee Co-Director, ~ January 5, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- It's hard to make much sense these days of the comments from leaders, old and new, of the Milwaukee archdiocese concerning clergy sex crimes and cover up.
   First, there was the testimony in Madison last month before the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Children and Families by the archbishop designee of Milwaukee, Jerome Listecki, indicating that if a sex offender assaults an eighteen year old then, apparently, remaining or returning to ministry is still a legitimate option.
   Then, there were his press comments in La Crosse stating that he couldn't explain or address concerns about his record of keeping a greater percentage of priests reported to have assaulted children in ministry than any other diocese in the United States because it was the holiday season and he didn't have the time. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 10:38 AM

• Priest Convicted of Indecent Assault on a Minor

  [≤ 2008 Archpriest Neal Carrigan -NEW*] - Orthodox Church of America. 5yrs probation. 4 charges. Minors.
   Pokrov, Publication: Pokrov.org , Jan/4/2010
   UNITED STATES -- On November 10, 2009, Archpriest Neal James Carrigan of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) pleaded nolo contendre (no contest) to 2 counts of indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age, and 1 count of corruption of minors. Another count of corruption of minors was withdrawn by the prosecution.
   Carrigan was sentenced to 5 years of probation. He was also required to register as a sex offender and has done so in the state of Pennsylvania.
   The retired clergyman was arrested on July 2, 2008. He was suspended from the priesthood by the OCA shortly thereafter, on July 10, 2008, and was granted retirement on September 1, 2008, with his suspension still in effect. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 5:10 PM

• Sex abuse extradition farce

  [Mr Kenneth Abrook -NEW*] - RCC. Minister promised extradition - of dead suspect. Girl (13-18).      
   Adelaide Now, By ANDREW DOWDELL, January 06, 2010
   AUSTRALIA -- POLICE Minister Michael Wright sent a letter assuring that every effort would be made to extradite an alleged paedophile from Western Australia - more than a month after the man died.
   While the State Government blamed the bungle on a "clerical error", the victim of alleged paedophile Kenneth Abrook says it is the final insult in her failed six-year quest for justice.
   "I feel quite ripped off actually, because I have tried so hard to get him convicted for what he did and now he's dead," she said. …
   The woman says she was abused in a Catholic Church orphanage then repeatedly abused by Abrook from the age of 13 to 18, resulting in two children and an abortion. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:34 AM

• Vicar to face trial on child sex charges

  [1973-80 Rev. Canon James Wilson (61) -? NEW*] - ? Church of England. Boys, girls.  
   The Herald, http://www. thisisplymouth. co.uk/news/ Vicar-face- trial-child- sex-charges/ article-1673736- detail/ article.html ; Tuesday, January 05, 2010
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A VICAR and former primary school teacher has been sent to Crown court to face 11 charges of indecently assaulting children.
   The Rev Canon James Andrew Christopher Wilson, the Rector and Rural Dean of Calstock, faced a district judge at Plymouth Magistrates' Court accused of indecently assaulting boys and girls between 1973 and 1980.
   District judge Paul Farmer committed Wilson, aged 61, to stand trial at Plymouth Crown Court. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 8:10 AM

• Killer's priest dies in shame

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent, dies] - RCC. Sex with woman.    
   Sun, By ANNABELLE LOVE, ~ January 5, 2010
   SCOTLAND -- DISGRACED priest Father Gerry Nugent has died less than three years after he was publicly shamed in the Angelika Kluk murder trial.
   The body of the troubled 66-year-old clergyman was found at his home yesterday following a suspected heart attack.
   Alcoholic Fr Nugent was forced to retire after claiming during a murder trial that he had sex with Angelika, before she was slain by monster Peter Tobin and dumped under his church.
   Last night Catholic leaders told of their shock at the priest's death as they admitted he had been "forever" tainted by his sleazy past. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:41 PM

• Catholic leaders row over Medjugorje shrine visit

  [1976-2008 Vlasic* / Vlašić / Vladic (Franciscan)] - RCC. > 40,000 visions since 1981! Messages from Mary. Priest had child with nun sent to Germany.           
   The Telegraph (United Kingdom), http://www. telegraph.co. uk/news/ newstopics/ religion/ 6937002/ Catholic- leaders- row-over- Medjugorje- shrine- visit.html ; By Simon Caldwell, Published: 4:38PM GMT Jan 05, 2010
   BOSNIA – Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, was subjected to unprecedented public criticism by Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar for spending Christmas in the town in his Bosnian diocese where the Virgin is said to have appeared more than 40,000 times since 1981.
   Bishop Peric is insistent that the claims are false and is furious that the cardinal has appeared to lend credibility to them. …
   Pope Benedict XVI defrocked Father Tomislav Vlasic, the priest said to be the "creator" of Medjugorje, last summer. [Posted by Kathy Shaw http://www. bishop-accountability. org/Abuse Tracker Archive/ 2010/01/# 027642 , on January 5, 2010 1:09 PM]
   [LOOK BACK: Bishop bans publication of alleged Marian messages Oct 3, 2009, Aug. 1, 6, 2009, West Belfast man Reggie Donnelly (70) vows to continue bringing pilgrims to Medjugorje July 31, 2009; Vlašić has been living in Italy more than 20yrs July 29, 2009, Confined to Italian monastery in Feb. 2008 reported July 28, 2009; Withdrew from priesthood reported July various dates 2009, Told pregnant nun (mother of his child) to go to Germany ~ July 28, 2009; Tried to bully nun mother of his baby, yet 5 million pilgrims go annually ~ April 26, 2009; February 4, 2009, January 17 2009, October 1, 2008, Pope's crackdown on illicit shrine Sep 3, 2008; Vlašić broke away from the "seers" September 10, 2008; September other dates 2008, Blind devotee molested ~ April 07, 2008]

• Priest shamed in Tobin murder case dies at 66

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent] - RCC. Sex with woman.    
   The Scotsman, By CRAIG BROWN, Published Date: January 06 2010
   SCOTLAND – A SHAMED parish priest whose reputation was ruined during serial killer Peter Tobin's first murder trial has been found dead.
   The body of Father Gerry Nugent, the former priest of St Patrick's RC Church in Anderston, Glasgow, was found at his home in Govan yesterday morning by the occasional housekeeper who dropped by to collect washing.
   According to a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, the 66-year-old appeared to have suffered a heart attack.
   Fr Nugent came to prominence in October 2006 during the hunt for the killer of the Polish student Angelika Kluk. The 23-year-old had spent working holidays as a cleaner at St Patrick's, living in the church's chapel house. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:39 PM]

• Finally, 'godman' in police custody

  [2007 → "Godman" Dr Easwar Srikumar*] - Self-organised temple religion. Woman.  
   Express Buzz, ~ January 5, 2010
   CHENNAI, India: Fake godman Dr Easwar Srikumar, who was playing hide and seek with the police for the last one month, was taken into custody in Bangalore on Tuesday and brought here. "He is being kept at an undisclosed destination and questioned," police sources said.
   The saffron-robed priest, who runs Shakti Vilas Mission in Nungambakkam, was charged with rape and criminal intimidation following a complaint from 37-year-old S Hemalatha, who alleged that he sedated and raped her when she appeared for an interview at his house for the post of housekeeper in January 2007. She said the priest videographed and photographed her and threatened to publish them on the Internet if she exposed him.
   Hemalatha claimed that she was sexually exploited by him for the last two years. She submitted a petition to City Police Commissioner T Rajendran on November 25, 2009, who directed the T Nagar police to file a first information report (FIR) and begin enquiry. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:27 PM] [LOOK BACK: ~ December 14, 2009]

• Sinead O'Connor: Pope should visit Ireland and apologise to child abuse victims

  - RCC.      
   Belfast Telegraph, Monday, January 4, 2010
   IRELAND – Singer Sinead O'Connor has said that the Pope should come to Ireland to personally apologise to the Irish people for the litany of crimes against children outlined in the Ryan and Murphy reports.
   "In 1987, the Church in Ireland took out an insurance policy to protect themselves from claims they foresaw would be brought against them from survivors of clerical abuse and their families. If they knew as far back as 1987, why did they not deal with the issue then?" she said.
   "In all this time and with the Ryan report and now the Murphy report, why did neither Pope John Paul II or Pope Benedict get on a plane and come to Ireland to meet the survivors, to personally apologise and thank them for their bravery in coming forward? [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:18 PM]

• New archbishop gets down to business

  [La Crosse Diocese] - RCC. 18 out of 28 accused priests remained working.  
   OnMilwaukee, By Andrew Wagner, January 5, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) – With the pomp and circumstance associated with his installation out of the way, the Most Rev. Jerome Listecki now must get to work as archbishop of the Milwaukee Archdiocese.
   Listecki will have his work cut out for him, as he faces a number of daunting challenges, namely dwindling enrollment in area parishes and Catholic schools, and the effects of the priest abuse scandal. …
   Listecki's record in handling accused priests has drawn fire from survivors' groups, like SNAP.
   In 2004, 18 of 28 priests in the La Crosse Diocese accused of assaulting children were left in ministry. The 64 percent retention rate represents the highest clearance rate in the country. The national average is around 10 percent.
   Eau Claire Police Chief Jerry Matyski penned an open letter to Listecki in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram last April, urging the diocese to change its abuse notification policy. At the time, all reports and investigations were handled internally, by a diocese-appointed panel. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:21 PM]

• Angelika murder priest dies in disgrace

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent] - RCC. Sex with woman.    
   The Herald, By GERRY BRAIDEN, ~ January 5, 2010
   SCOTLAND – The shamed priest at the centre of the murder of Polish student Angelika Kluk by serial killer Peter Tobin has been found dead in his Glasgow home.
   Father Gerry Nugent, the former priest at St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in the city where Ms Kluk's body was found hidden beneath the floor in September 2006, was discovered yesterday morning by his housekeeper who had come to collect washing at his home in Govan.
   Fr Nugent, who was 66, had no major previous health problems but the Catholic Church said it appeared he had suffered a heart attack.
   Police confirmed last night there were no suspicious circumstances. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:36 PM

• Religion News Service Advocates say abusive Irish priests assigned to U.S. churches

     
   The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, by G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Religion News Service, ~ January 5, 2010
   UNITED STATES (RNS) – Roman Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse in Ireland have for decades been getting re-assigned to ministry positions in the United States, according to a church reform group with a new database of names.
   BishopAccountability.org, which documents allegations of abuse, last week (Dec. 28) released the names of 70 accused Irish priests who at some point served in the United States. Many on the list ( viewable at http://www.bishop-accountability.org/irish--priests--in--us/ ) are said to have died or no longer serve in the priesthood.
   The group acknowledged that its database of accused Irish priests is likely not comprehensive and may not include any priests currently serving in U.S. parishes. Co-director Anne Barrett Doyle called on all U.S. bishops to release names of priests accused in Ireland, where an unfolding clergy sexual abuse crisis has led four bishops to resign in the past month. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:15 PM]

• Preacher Pleads Guilty

  [2005-06 Pastor Craig Johnson] - Christian. Failed to report seductions. Already serving 4-20yrs prison. 4 children.  
   WDTV, with video, ~ January 5, 2010
   WEST VIRGINIA -- The Pastor from Taylor County who knew about sexual abuse, but didn't report it, had his day in court.
   Craig Johnson pleaded guilty to failure to report child abuse.
   Bradley Barrett told Johnson about sexually abusing four kids under the age of 11 from 2005 to 2006.
   Judge Alan Moats already sentenced Barrett to 4-20 years in prison back in November and he has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 9:10 PM]

• Wis. justices seem skeptical of ex-priest's appeal

  [Fr Donald McGuire* (~ 78) (Jesuit)] - RCC. 25yrs prison. Former global star. Mother Teresa's chaplain. Victim after victim.    
   Belleville News-Democrat, By RYAN J. FOLEY - Associated Press Writer, ~ January 5, 2010
   MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Supreme Court justices appeared unlikely Tuesday to overturn the sexual assault conviction of a former Jesuit priest even as his attorney insisted he was falsely accused.
   During oral arguments, attorney Robert Henak said the two alleged victims were lying about being assaulted by his client, Donald McGuire, a former spiritual adviser to Mother Teresa and her religious order of nuns. But a prosecutor responded Henak was unfairly attacking the victims.
   McGuire, who once commanded a worldwide following as a preacher and philosopher, is considered one of the most influential religious figures convicted in the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 5:14 PM
   [LOOK BACK: Sentenced Feb 11, 2009]

• Judge: Why no restitution in child porn cases?

  - RCC.
   Minnesota Public Radio, by Elizabeth Dunbar, January 5, 2010
   ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal judge in Minnesota wants prosecutors to explain why they haven't requested that a man convicted of possessing child pornography pay restitution to one of his victims who had requested it.
   U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz on Monday also ordered the U.S. Attorney's Office to indicate in a memorandum whether the victim, who had requested nearly $3.5 million in restitution, had received any restitution. …
   At least one victims' group has applauded Schiltz's order. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said it hopes the judge's order will lead to victims being compensated more often.
   "The courts should, whenever possible, make child pornographers pay for the suffering they inflict on innocent kids and for the years of therapy these victims will need," SNAP Outreach Director Barbara Dorris said in a statement. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 5:07 PM

• Hingham speech focuses on clergy sexual abuse

 
   The Boston Globe,
   HINGHAM (MA) -- Glastonbury Abbey, in conjunction with the Scituate affiliate of Voice of the Faithful, is hosting a talk entitled, "The Enduring Psychological and Spiritual Effects of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse". The event will take place at the Abbey Center at the Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham on Tuesday, January 26 at 7:15 pm.
   The presenters of the talk are Barbara Thorp, LICSW and Robert McMackin, EdD. Barbara Thorp is the Director of the Boston Archdiocesan Office for Pastoral Support and Outreach (OPSO). Robert McMackin is a Psychologist Consultant for OPSO and co-editor of the book Understanding the Impact of Clergy Sexual Abuse, Routledge Press, 2009.
   OPSO, established in 2002, assists those who have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, or other church personnel of the Archdiocese of Boston. OPSO's mission is to provide assistance, pastoral/spiritual care, support, counseling referrals, and other resources to survivors, family members of survivors, and parishes. Barbara, Cardinal Séan O'Malley, and survivors of clergy sexual abuse met with Pope Benedict in Washington DC in April 2008. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 3:32 PM

• Priest charged in child porn case to be back in court later this month

  [2009 Rev. Robin Barrett*] - Anglican. Distribution of child pornography.  
   The Telegram, ~ Jan 5, 2010
   CANADA -- An Anglican priest charged with possession and distribution of child pornography will next appear in provincial court in St. John's on Jan. 26.
   Rev. Robin Barrett's lawyer appeared in court on his behalf today.
   He was released from custody on two $25,000 sureties and a number of conditions on Dec. 11.
   Conditions of Barrett's release include that he have no access to the Internet, not be within 25 metres of a school or recreation facilities and he report to the RCMP in Harbour Grace three times a week. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 1:21 PM [LOOK BACK: ~ Dec 8, 2009]

• Wis. justices appear unlikely to rule in favor of former Jesuit priest in abuse case

  [Fr Donald McGuire* (~ 78) (Jesuit)] - RCC. 25yrs prison. Former global star. Mother Teresa's chaplain. Victim after victim.    
   WQAD, Associated Press, 11:40 AM CST, January 5, 2010
   MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court appears unlikely to throw out the conviction of a former Jesuit priest accused of sexually assaulting two students in the 1960s.
   During oral arguments Tuesday, a lawyer for Donald McGuire said his client's right to a fair trial was violated because of a 35-year delay between the alleged assaults and the victims reporting them to police. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 1:19 PM

• Self-styled godman held

  [2007 → "Godman" Easwar Srikumar*] - Self-organised temple religion. Woman.  
   Central Chronicle, United News of India, Jan 5, 2010
   CHENAI, INDIA -- A self-styled godman, who had been eluding the police dragnet on charges of sexually abusing women, was arrested by a special police team at Bangalore today.
   Police sources said acting on an information from his driver that he was staying in his relative's house at Bangalore, the team went to the Garden city and arrested the Godman Eswara Srikumar.
   He had been on the run for the last few weeks eversince a woman, Hemalatha, lodged a complaint with the police that she was sexually abused by the godman when she visited him seeking a job. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 1:17 PM

• Priest who admitted affair with Tobin murder victim Angelika Kluk is found dead

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent] - RCC. Sex with woman.    
   Daily Record, Jan 5 2010
   SCOTLAND -- A SHAMED parish priest who committed contempt of court during serial killer Peter Tobin's first murder trial was found dead today.
   The body of Father Gerry Nugent, the former priest of the Glasgow church where student Angelika Kluk was murdered, was discovered by a housekeeper this morning.
   He was 66 and appeared to have suffered a heart attack. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 1:14 PM

• Catholic protest group urges boycott of collection basket over Cleveland-area church closings

  - RCC.  
   The Plain Dealer By Michael O'Malley, December 16, 2009
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A grassroots group fighting the ongoing closing of churches in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, is urging parishioners to boycott Sunday collections.
   The group, Endangered Catholics, has begun circulating forms that parishioners can fill out, saying they are withholding their money until Bishop Richard Lennon reconsiders some of the closings.
   The form, to be signed by a parishioner and placed in a Sunday collection basket, reads in part:
   "I will withhold any further financial contributions to any Roman Catholic Church until Bishop Richard Lennon agrees to mediation with each parish protesting its closing." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 1:06 PM]

• Child pornography case against N.L. priest Robin Barrett back in court Jan. 26

  [2009 Rev. Robin Barrett*] - Anglican. Distribution of child pornography.  
   Winnipeg Free Press, THE CANADIAN PRESS,
   ST. JOHN'S, N.L., CANADA -- The case against an Anglican priest in Newfoundland and Labrador facing child pornography charges will be back in court Jan. 26.
   Provincial court heard Tuesday that more time is needed to process and disclose materials that could be used as evidence.
   Robin Barrett, 52, was released from custody last month on $50,000 bail and a number of conditions. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 10:42 AM

• Machiavelli and the Irish Clergy Abuse Scandal

  - RCC.  
   Voice from the Desert By Vinnie Nauheimer
   Four bishops is a good start, but its right out of the Machiavelli playbook. In chapter XIX: Essential to Avoid being Hated or Despised, Machiavelli advising the prince on how to maintain power, he says, "thus if it was in those days necessary to satisfy the soldiers (bishops) rather the people, this was because the soldiers (bishops) were more powerful than the people. Nowadays, princes must satisfy the people, for they are more powerful than the soldiers (bishops).Consider the following passage: "To this end he (the Prince) appointed Messer Remiro d'Orco, a cruel and energetic man, as governor giving him full powers. This official, to his own great renown, soon made the province peaceful and united" The Duke fully aware of the hatred that Messer d'Orco was inspiring rode in and promptly executed him, which brought the Duke instant acclaim from all the people.
   The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is feudal in nature. Every bishop and cardinal has to swear a most sacred oath of fealty to the Holy Father including his life if necessary. So what if four bishops have fallen on their crosiers? Does a department store change its culture by replacing the dummies in their windows? There are hundreds of Irish priests standing in line with bated breath ready to assume the title and power that goes with being appointed bishop. Is Diarmuid Martin the pope's version of d'Orco? Was Martin given the authority to chop heads? If so he is using that authority well.
   The danger is, as pointed out in The Prince, that it is in the best interest of both the pope and the church to have a man like Martin in place. Will the abrupt forced resignation of a few bishops after the obligatory protests of innocence appease the masses or will the laity demand more? How far is Martin and his Prince prepared to go to appease the masses? Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 10:35 AM

• Bullied or not bullied? That's just one of the questions

   
   The Times by Ruth Gledhill
   UNITED KINGDOM -- We report today in The Times that a bishop is among the clergy who have sought job protection after joining the trade union Unite. He is one of four bishops in the faith workers' branch, who apparently include one prominent bishop. Rachael Maskell, the branch national officer and herself a committed Christian, told me yesterday that she believed 'evil' was at work in the Church. I asked precisely what she meant, and she cited the example of a cleric bullied by parishioners after he refused to carry out pagan blessing ceremonies.
   Certainly I know not enough of the facts of any of the cases Unite is working on to judge who is at fault. I do know that when my father was alive and working in parishes he had a difficult time with some parishioners. Difficulot people are in many professions, including my own, a part of life that you just have to deal with. I suppose what makes it a 'story' in the Church is that we still, against all the evidence, expect better behaviour of Christians. When a country farmer calls a rector a 'baddie, a real rotten b*gger,' then journalists know there is a story there somewhere. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 10:32 AM

• Two dozen U.S. bishops could retire for age reasons in 2010

  - RCC.  
   Catholic News Service,
   WASHINGTON (CNS) UNITED STATES -- Up to 24 U.S. bishops, including two cardinals, could retire because of age this year. There are 11 active U.S. bishops, including one cardinal, who have already turned 75. Thirteen more will celebrate their 75th birthday in 2010. At age 75 bishops are requested to submit their resignation to the pope. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 8:30 AM

• INDIA Catholics riot over priest defamation

  - RCC.  
   Union of Catholic Asian News
   PANAJI, India (UCAN) -- Catholics from a Goa parish have staged a violent protest, blocking roads and ransacking the home of a village leader who they say had circulated a CD defaming their priest.
   The parishioners of the Church of Our Lady of Merces in Colva ended their protest on Dec. 29, after Goa's state officials, including the chief minister, pledged to arrest the alleged culprit.
   Parishioners staged their protest after an audio CD was circulated, allegedly by Calvert Gonsalves, a member of the village council. The CD accused Father Diogo Fernandes of embezzling funds for a school building and living with a woman. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 8:15 AM

• "Just looking for money"

   
   California Catholic Daily, ~ January 5, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- A San Luis Obispo County sheriff's deputy involved in the 2007 lewd conduct arrest of a Catholic priest has filed a civil claim for unspecified damages, alleging he was emotionally traumatized by the circumstances leading up to the arrest and should be compensated by both the priest and the Catholic Church.
   The lawsuit was filed by Deputy John Franklin, who on July 18, 2007, was working undercover at the area around Pirate's Cove, a nude beach with a reputation as a hook-up spot for homosexuals. Franklin allegedly spotted the priest, Fr. Geronimo Cuevas, then 52, standing in the brush rubbing his genitals through his shorts. "I asked him (Cuevas), 'What have you got over there," Franklin said in the arrest report. "With his right hand he motioned for me to come towards me and he stated, 'Touch me.' I took two steps towards him asking him, 'What did you say?' He reached out with his right hand and touched my genitals," Franklin said in the report. Franklin then informed Cuevas, who claimed he was unemployed and living in Las Vegas, that he was under arrest for sexual battery and lewd acts.
   "I think John Franklin is just looking for money," Thomas Riordan, vicar for temporalities for the Diocese of Monterey told CalCoastNews. "We continue to be surprised by his actions." CalCoastNews says it is "San Luis Obispo County's only on-line independent news source producing in-depth investigative news in the public interest." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:50 AM

• Reject secularism, Listecki says

 
   Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel, Posted: Jan. 4, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- In his first remarks as archbishop Monday, the Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki called on Milwaukee-area Catholics to reject secularism and recommit themselves with him in devotion to Jesus Christ and service to the Catholic Church. …
   In his homily, Listecki appeared to acknowledge the clergy sex abuse scandal, saying, "As a church we have experienced the devastation of sin and its effect on us personally and as a community."
   However, in a news conference after the Mass, he said he has not yet decided whether to meet with the Milwaukee chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a victims' advocacy group that has been critical of his handling of sex abuse cases in his previous assignment in La Crosse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:45 AM

• Ireland: sex crime nation

   
   Global Comment, January 4, 2010
   IRELAND -- 2009 was a watershed year for Irish sexual politics – but not in the sense that we usually understand the term. What we have seen is the intense politicisation of sex.
   Ireland has never had a particularly healthy relationship with sexuality. The fact that it was long a staunchly Catholic country saw to that – and the fact that the main opposition to Catholicism came from even more conservative ultra-Protestantism didn't do much to help matters. Still, the past two decades saw a booming economy finally bring about the kind of social change that Ireland, long a so-called 'Second World' nation, needed.
   The problem is, today's ideology-free Ireland has little to replace conservative Catholic morals with – and the country badly needs something to guide it. The growth of Ireland's much-vaunted liberalism was an unconscious development that stemmed from rapid economic growth rather than a hard-fought battle of ideas. The danger now is that as Ireland's economy contracts the public mood will shift away from the fragile libertarianism that blossomed while we were all too busy enjoying relative wealth for the first time in history to be much bothered with what other people did. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:37 AM

• Legal guardian for church children

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   Sowetan, Jan 5, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- Dr Ann Skelton has been appointed as the legal guardian of 56 unaccompanied Zimbabwean minors at the Central Methodist Church in central Johannesburg.
   The Democratic Alliance's Jack Bloom welcomed the appointment this morning by the South Gauteng High Court, saying: "I hope that this helps to resolve the problems that have bedeviled a solution to the plight of these children".
   "Dr Skelton needs to restore trust between all the parties so that the children can be relocated to more suitable premises without fear that their rights will be neglected or that they will be deported. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:32 AM

• Joubert faces felony charges

  [2009 Nov - Rev. Phillip Joubert* (48)] - Baptist. Rape, violence, incest, child sex abuse.
   The Hour, By CHASE WRIGHT, Hour Staff Writer, Jan 5, 2010
   NORWALK (CT) -- A local minister arrested by New York City police on rape charges, stood confidently before a Norwalk judge on Monday to defend allegations that he beat a 13-year-old girl at his home on Lexington Avenue.
   The Rev. Phillip Joubert, 48, of 21 Lexington Ave., now faces charges in Norwalk of risk of injury to a minor, a felony, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
   Joubert kept his chin to the ceiling as Judge Bruce Hudock issued a protective order over the alleged victim, which bars Joubert from having any contact with the girl until the order is lifted.
   Joubert will appear back in court on Jan. 13, at which point he intends to plead not guilty to the charges, according to his Greenwich-based attorney Philip Russell. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:28 AM

• New petition seeks Church resignations

  - RCC. Butler moving on the "enabling" bishops.  
   Fingal Independent, By John MANNING, Wednesday January 06 2010
   IRELAND -- THE former deputy principal of a Swords school with a long record in fighting for human rights around the world and at home has said the Catholic Church has to transform itself if it is to recover from the impact of the Murphy Report into clerical child abuse in the Dublin diocese.
   Brendan Butler is the former deputy principal of Swords Loreto. He is a committed Catholic who has fought for reforms in the church 'from within' and has a record of human rights campaigning stretching back to El Salvador solidarity movement of the 1970s. Mr Butler has become deeply involved in the campaign to see the resignations members of the hierarchy who failed to stop the catalogue of abuses in the Dublin diocese and has set up an internet petition to further that campaign.
   'I can't be concerned with human rights abroad if I don't have the same concern for people at home,' Mr Butler told the Fingal Independent. Now living in Malahide, Mr Butler was ready to confront auxillary bishop, Ray Field at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve if the bishop, who was criticised in the Murphy Report, failed to announce his resignation. 'Had he not announced his resignation, I would have stood up and confronted him and called for his resignation,' Mr Butler said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:26 AM

• Milwaukee's 11th Archbishop Installed

  - RCC.  
   WISN, Jan 5, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The installation of Milwaukee's 11th archbishop is complete.
   Jerome Listecki was installed Monday afternoon during a ceremony at Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Milwaukee. …
   Listecki faces some big issues as head of the Milwaukee archdiocese.
   One concern comes from victims of clergy abuse.
   However, Peter Isely, director of the Midwest chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priest, said that when it comes to the Milwaukee Archdiocese concerning clergy sex crimes and cover up, nothing has changed.
   "I work with these people everyday, I'm a victim myself, it's sad, it's a sad day for those families to see these men continue to be held in places of honor and esteem in our church," Isely said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:23 AM

• Reflection - Towards a humble Church

  - Christians.  
   Anglican Media (Australia), by Fr Timothy Radcliffe, Tuesday, Jan 5, 2010
   Friendship with Jesus – intimacy – means learning to be gentle and lowly of heart. Then we shall find rest for our souls. But if one thinks of the Catholic Church, the first word that springs to mind might not be "humble".
   I have given retreats for dioceses in 15 countries since I finished my term as Master of the Dominican Order in 2001. The vast majority of priests and bishops whom I have met are simple and unpretentious people who just wish to serve the people of God. But this personal humility has to be sustained in the teeth of a clerical culture, common to all Christian denominations, which stresses rank and power.
   This terrible crisis of sexual abuse is deeply linked to the way that power can corrupt human relationships, which is why it touches all the Churches, even if the Catholic Church happens to have been more in the spotlight recently. Celibacy is not, I believe, the source of the crisis, otherwise it would be the case that Catholic priests have a higher rate of offence, which, it seems, we do not. We shall only really address this crisis if we learn from Jesus who is "gentle and lowly of heart", and find ways of embodying authority which honour the equal dignity of all the baptised, and cherish the weak and vulnerable. Careful vetting of candidates for the priesthood and child-safety procedures are necessary, but they will not get to the root of the problem. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:20 AM

• 'Niece' sues diocese over alleged sex abuse

  [~1970s-80s Fr Raoul Deveau -NEW*] - RCC. Girl.  
   The Chronicle-Herald, By EVA HOARE, Tue. Jan 5, 2010
   CANADA -- Father Raoul Deveau is dead, but Linda Deschamp wants his church held to account for the years she claims she was forced to live as the priest's "niece," calling him "uncle" and enduring repeated sexual assaults.
   Ms. Deschamp, now in her 50s, filed suit Dec. 24 against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth and Archbishop Anthony Mancini, who now presides over the diocese.
   The lawsuit in Nova Scotia Supreme Court alleges Father Deveau started sexually abusing her at the St. Thomas parish in Shelburne. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:18 AM

• Bishop adamant he should not quit

  - RCC.  
   The Connaught Sentinel, January 5, 2010
   IRELAND -- THE Bishop of Galway, Rev Martin Drennan remains adamant that he doesn't need to resign following the publication of the Murphy Report into clerical abuses in the Dublin Diocese, where he was an Auxillary Bishop from 1997 to 2005.
   In fact, Bishop Drennan's continued resistance to all calls on him to resign has in turn put pressure on Cardinal Desmond Connell to take full responsibility for mishandling allegations of sexual abuse against priests in the Dublin Diocese.
   In the past few days, Bishop Drennan has reiterated that his role of Auxillary Bishop before he came to Galway meant he had not been fully informed of cases involving allegations against priests and that it was the then Archbishop Des Connell who made all major decisions. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:15 AM

• Former Cleveland Catholic Diocese priest begins jail sentence for sexual offense

  [1997 Fr Patrick O'Connor* (52)] - RCC. 90 days prison. Boy (14)  
   The Plain Dealer, By Michael O'Malley, January 05, 2010,
   ELYRIA, Ohio -- A former priest of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese reported Monday to Lorain County Jail where he began a 90-day sentence for having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy in 1997.
   The Rev. Patrick O'Connor, 52, who had ministered at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid, St. Jude in Elyria and St. Joseph in Cuyahoga Falls, pleaded guilty in September to corruption of a minor.
   He was originally charged with sexual battery, which carries a five-year prison sentence, but a plea bargain reduced the crime. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 5, 2010 7:10 AM [LOOK BACK: September 2000]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue January 05, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed January 06, 2010 edition:

• Bishop: Accused priest leaps from church balcony

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores -NEW*, today (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.     
   Bolingbroke Sun, http://www. suburban chicagonews. com/ bolingbrooksun/ news/1977976, Bishop- Accused- priest- leaps_ JO010610. article ; By BRIAN STANLEY, bstanley § scn1 com , January 6, 2010
   JOLIET (IL) – A priest who has been accused of sexual abuse reportedly tried to take his own life by jumping from the balcony of a downtown church Wednesday.
   The Rev. Alejandro (Alex) Flores, 37, was found unresponsive but breathing at 12:38 p.m. Wednesday, after apparently crashing between pews on the main floor at the former St. Mary's Carmelite Church, 113 N. Ottawa St, according to reports.
   Flores was ordained in June and served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Shorewood, but was removed from his position Monday. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:04 PM

• 4 Mexican Priests Resign After Caught Breaking Celibacy Vows

  [~ 2010: 4 unnamed priests -NEW*]- RCC. Not celibate.  
   Fox News, ~ January 6, 2010
   PUEBLA, Mexico – Four Roman Catholic priests in central Mexico have resigned after they were caught breaking their celibacy vows, church officials said Wednesday.
   The priests will no longer be allowed to celebrate Mass or perform sacraments, the Rev. Eugenio Lira, spokesman for the archdiocese in the central state of Puebla, announced in a statement.
   The clerics were either caught in a romantic relationship or discovered to have fathered children, Lira said. He did not identify the priests or provide details of their alleged indiscretions. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 5:49 PM

• Catholic priest in Chile charged with sexually abusing 3 girls, having child with 1

  [? - 2010 Fr Ricardo Muñoz / Munoz Quinteros (54/55) -NEW*] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.  
   Baltimore Sun, 3:21 p.m. EST, January 6, 2010
   SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – A Catholic priest and his girlfriend are accused of soliciting sex from young girls, including one who later bore his child, investigators said Wednesday.
   The Rev. Ricardo Munoz Quinteros, 55, found the youths with the help of his girlfriend, Pamela Ampuero, who photographed the minors and sent him the pictures over the Internet, investigator Jaime Graffigna said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:35 PM]

• Jury selection begins in trial of ex- St. Rose coach accused of child endangerment

  [2001-07 Bart McInerney - ? NEW*] - ? RCC. Sex texting. ~ 12 boys (15-17).  
   Asbury Park Press, By CHARLES WEBSTER, January 5, 2010
   FREEHOLD (NJ) – Jury selection began Tuesday morning in the trial of a former St. Rose High School baseball coach facing a dozen charges of child endangerment alleging he engaged in a series of sexually explicit conversations with his players.
   Bartholomew "Coach Bart" McInerney, 43, of Spring Lake Heights, arrived at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold dressed in a suit for the first day of jury selection.
   McInerney, a well-known, longtime head coach of the St. Rose High School baseball team, is accused of carrying on sexually explicit conversations with about a dozen teenage boys, between the ages of 15 and 17. Prosecutors say the sexually explicit conversations took place in person, on a cell phone and through text messages beginning in 2001 and extending through November 2007 when he was arrested by investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Belmar Police Department. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 9:48 AM

• PRIEST'S CASE ADJOURNED

  [1977-93 Fr Robert Borne -? NEW*] - RCC. Male/s.  
   The Daily Observer, Posted By SEAN CHASE, schase § thedailyobserver ca , ~ January 6, 2010
   CANADA -- A Pembroke priest facing a number of sex-related charges in relation to five alleged victims will next appear in court in April 2010.
   Robert Borne, 61, a Roman Catholic priest, is facing 19 charges including gross indecency, sexual exploitation, indecent assault male and breach of trust, in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred between 1977 and 1993. In provincial court in Pembroke Tuesday, Justice Robert Selkirk agreed to a defense request to proceed by way Examination for Discovery instead of a preliminary inquiry. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 8:38 AM

• Priest who served in Stanislaus County removed over sexual misconduct

  [1980s Fr Leo Suarez -NEW*] - RCC. Child.    
   The Modesto Bee, By Sue Nowicki, snowicki@modbee.com , ~ Jan 06, 2010
   MODESTO (CA) -- The Rev. Leo Suarez, a priest who most recently served at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Modesto, has been removed due to sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago, the Stockton Diocese revealed today.
   Under the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, established by the nation's bishops in 2002, Suarez will never again be allowed to serve as a priest.
   It is not known how old the minor was – whether a child or teen – or if the victim was a boy or a girl. But the timing shows that Suarez, born in Mexico and ordained in the diocese in 1988, was serving at St. Anthony's in Hughson as an associate priest at the time of the misconduct. It was his first parish assignment. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:28 PM

• Return Conversion to the Rabbis

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.    
   Forward, By Marc D. Angel, issue of January 15, 2010, Published January 06, 2010,
   UNITED STATES -- For centuries, rabbis steeped in Torah and Halacha have served as the gatekeepers of the Jewish people. They have determined which non-Jews may join the Jewish people as converts.
   Halachic literature provides a wide array of opinions and attitudes relating to conversion. In recent years, however, the more extreme views espoused by the Haredi rabbinic establishment have gained predominance – and those Orthodox rabbis who do not share these views have been increasingly marginalized.
   In 2006, Israel's chief rabbinate announced that it would no longer accept conversions performed by Orthodox rabbis in the Diaspora, unless these rabbis were on a pre-approved list (i.e., they were deemed sufficiently Haredi in their approach). The mainstream Orthodox rabbinic group in the United States, the Rabbinical Council of America, essentially went along with the dictates of the chief rabbinate. The RCA set up regional rabbinic courts to oversee conversions. The individual Orthodox rabbi – even if a member in good standing of the RCA – generally will not have his conversions accepted by the rabbinate in Israel, unless the convert has gone through the RCA's conversion bureaucracy. …
   In recent months, we have witnessed scandal after scandal involving Haredi rabbis. In a particularly notorious case, Rabbi Leib Tropper – who set himself up as the head of an influential Haredi conversion authority, the Eternal Jewish Family – has resigned his position due to allegations of particularly heinous and repulsive behavior, reportedly involving sexual coercion of a prospective convert. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:17 PM

• Irish Catholicism at 'defining moment

  - RCC.    
   Irish Examiner, By Michael McHugh, Wednesday, January 06, 2010
   IRELAND -- THE Catholic Church in Ireland is at a defining moment in its history and recent child sex abuse scandals have damaged public trust in its leaders, according to Cardinal Seán Brady.
   Speaking at the funeral Mass of the former Catholic Primate of all Ireland Cahal Daly, Cardinal Brady said the next steps for the Catholic Church in Ireland will be among the most critical and challenging.
   "The abuse of children and its shameful mismanagement by those charged by God to protect his little ones have wrought such damage on those who were abused. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:34 PM

• Homily of Cardinal Seán Brady

 
   RTE News
  IRELAND -- Homily of Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh at the Requiem Mass for His Eminence Cahal B. Cardinal Daly Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh, St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh: …
   Cardinal Daly would have been well aware that the next steps on that pilgrim journey for the Catholic Church in Ireland will be among the most critical and most challenging of its history. The abuse of children and its shameful mismanagement by those charged by God to protect his 'little ones', have wrought such damage on those who were abused. It has caused such justified anger and outrage on the part of the faithful and damaged trust so profoundly in the integrity of the leaders of the Church.
   No-one can doubt the Catholic Church in Ireland is now at a defining moment in its history. The only way to authentic renewal is that of humble service to God's people. The rebuilding of trust will entail making sure that children are safe at every moment and in every Church setting.
   It will require complete commitment to the path initiated by Cardinal Daly, of working with the civil authorities and whole parish communities to ensure best practice, cooperation and accountability in safeguarding children in all Church activities. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:32 PM

• Stockton Diocese Priest Makes Child Sex Admission

  [1980s Fr Leo Suarez*] - RCC. Child.    
   News 10, ~ January 6, 2010
   STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA -- A longtime priest in the San Joaquin Valley has been relieved of duties following an admission of child sex 20 years ago, according to the Diocese of Stockton.
   In a prepared statement, Bishop Stephen Blaire said no allegations of sexual misconduct had been made against Father Leo Suarez.
   Suarez was ordained in 1988. He was assigned to the following parishes: St. Anthony in Hughson (1988-1991); St. Stanislaus in Modesto (1991-1992); St. George in Stockton (1992-1997); St. Edward's in Stockton (1997-2006); Sacred Heart in Turlock (2008-2009); and Our Lady of Fatima in Modesto (2009). Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:26 PM

• Sex Abuse Survivors Group Calls For Removal Of Cathedral Artwork

 
   WISN,
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The archdiocese of Milwaukee is facing a new controversy just days after the installation of Jerome Listecki as the new archbishop.
   The "Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests," or SNAP, is calling for the removal of cathedral artwork depicting former Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
   Though the artwork has been there since the cathedral was renovated in 2002, SNAP just learned of it -- and said it presents a test for archbishop Listecki. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:23 PM

• Statue of Former Archbishop Weakland stirs new debate

 
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- Fox 6
   [with video]
   Myra Sanchick FOX 6 Reporter January 6, 2010
   WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE - A statue and visit by a controversial former religious leader in Milwaukee are causing quite a stir. The former Archbishop Rembert Weakland is the focus of new criticism.
   "I couldn't believe it. That this was a practical joke that this was someone joking about this.", says SNAP Rep Peter Isley. The joke Isley is talking about is this statue. It has an image of former Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
   Isley, a member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests(SNAP), says Weakland's image should not be the Cathedral of St. John. The statue, as well as a bust of Weakland stands in the Cathedral of St. John. Weakland left his position in 2002 after admitting to a sexual relationship with a seminary student decades earlier. Isley says,"this is an individual responsible for transferring, concealing and moving dozens of priests who sexually assaulted raped young children and immortalized himself in bronze." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 10:10 PM

• McGuire ruling could open doors for appeals

  [Fr Donald McGuire* (~ 78) (Jesuit)] - RCC. 25yrs prison. Former global star. Mother Teresa's chaplain. Victim after victim.    
   Janesville Gazette, By PEDRO OLIVEIRA JR.,
   MADISON (WI) – Wisconsin Supreme Court justices could open the door for more high-profile defendants to appeal their convictions if they rule in favor of a priest found guilty of sexual assault, Walworth County's top prosecutor said Tuesday.
   The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in the appeal of the 2006 conviction of Donald J. McGuire, a former Jesuit priest found guilty in Walworth County of molesting two boys in the 1960s.
   McGuire, who once commanded a worldwide following as a preacher and philosopher, is considered one of the most influential religious figures convicted in the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 5:46 PM

• Iglesia pide perdón y abre investigación por caso de sacerdote de Melipilla

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros*] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.  
   Emol, ~ January 6, 2010
   SANTIAGO, CHILE - Junto con expresar su "estupor" y "desconcierto" tras conocer el caso del sacerdote de Melipilla Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros, detenido ayer por abuso sexual de menores, el Obispo de Melipilla, Monseñor Enrique Troncoso, anunció que el religioso fue suspendido de sus funciones y que la Iglesia abrirá una investigación propia, paralela a la que realice la justicia.
   "El sacerdote Muñoz queda suspendido de sus funciones ministeriales para facilitar la pronta acción de la justicia. Sin perjuicio de lo anterior, y dada la gravedad de las situaciones que se han divulgado públicamente, abriremos una investigación causa canónica conforme al ordenamiento jurídico particular de la Iglesia", señaló.
   El Obispo garantizó que la Iglesia "prestará toda su colaboración con las instancias judiciales a las que corresponde esclarecer la verdad de los hechos" y sostuvo que respetarán sus dictámenes. Aclaró además en la institución no hay "antecedentes de denuncias o acusaciones formales" en contra del sacerdote. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:53 PM

• Detenido en Chile un cura que pagaba a menores a cambio de servicios sexuales

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros* (54/55)] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.
   EFE, January 6, 2010
   SANTIAGO DE CHILE, 6 ene (EFE).- Un cura católico fue detenido en una localidad cercana a Santiago de Chile, acusado de haber abusado de varias menores, a las que pagaba a cambio de sexo y con una de las cuales al parecer tuvo un hijo, informaron hoy fuentes policiales y judiciales.
   También fue detenida una mujer que, según las fuentes, es la pareja del párroco y se encargaba presuntamente de reclutar a las niñas, de entre 15 y 16 años.
   Las personas detenidas el martes en la localidad de Melipilla, a 70 kilómetros al suroeste de Santiago, fueron identificadas como Ricardo Alberto Muñoz Quintero, de 54 años, y Pamela Ampuero, quienes deben comparecer hoy ante un tribunal de Garantía de esa ciudad. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:51 PM

• Iglesia investigará en caso de sacerdote imputado de abusos sexuales de menores

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros*] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.  
   Noticias, January 6, 2010
   CHILE -- El obispo de Melipilla, monseñor Enrique Troncoso, anunció que la iglesia realizará una indagación canónica paralela a la de los tribunales sobre los presuntos abusos cometidos por Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros.
   Al mismo tiempo el prelado expresó su "estupor" y "desconcierto" y manifestó que "el sacerdote Muñoz queda suspendido de sus funciones ministeriales para facilitar la pronta acción de la justicia. Sin perjuicio de lo anterior, y dada la gravedad de las situaciones que se han divulgado públicamente, abriremos una investigación causa canónica conforme al ordenamiento jurídico particular de la Iglesia".
   La autoridad eclesiástica aseveró que la Iglesia "prestará toda su colaboración con las instancias judiciales a las que corresponde esclarecer la verdad de los hechos". Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:49 PM

• When Richard Blumenthal stuck up for the Catholic Church

   
   The Examiner, By Timothy P. Carney Examiner Columnist Jan/06/10
   CONNECTICUT -- The smart early money right now is on Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal, D., winning Chris Dodd's Senate seat next year. As a free-market conservative, there are plenty of things I don't like about Blumenthal's record, which other conservative bloggers will rightly document and excoriate. But lobbying is my beat, and on that topic, Blumenthal made a smart and fair move.
   Back over the summer, the Connecticut government declared war on the Catholic Church. First, some lawmakers wanted to regulate Church finances. When the Bridgeport diocese organized a rally against such an interference with the free exercise of religion, the Office of State Ethics came calling, accusing the Church of illegally lobbying, and threatening to further regulate the diocese as a lobbying organization. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:41 PM

• STATE v. BOOTHE

 
   NORTH CAROLINA Leagle
   STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. RODNEY KEITH BOOTHE
   Rodney Keith Boothe (defendant) was convicted by a jury of the following crimes: twelve counts of sexual activity by a substitute parent (07 CRS 00053551-3, 07 CRS 00770451-3, 07 CRS 05603351-3, 07 CRS 05603451-3), eight counts of indecent liberties with a child (07 CRS 00770553, 07 CRS 00768953, 07 CRS 05603751-3, 07 CRS 05603852, 07 CRS 05604252-3), second degree sexual exploitation of a minor (07 CRS 00768952), attempted statutory sex offense of a fourteen-year-old (07 CRS 05603853), and four counts of statutory sex offense of a fourteen-year-old by a person six years or older (07 CRS 05604051-3, 07 CRS 05604251). He was sentenced to a minimum of 2,241 months and a maximum of 2,940 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections. For each of the convictions, defendant was also ordered to enroll in satellite-based monitoring program for five years following the date of his release from prison. Defendant now appeals.
   Background When Brian[ 1 ] was thirteen, his aunt introduced him to defendant, who was a pastor at a church in Wilmington that Brian attended. Brian liked defendant's wife and children and would sometimes accompany defendant when he preached at other churches. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 3:24 PM

• Preacher charged with sending sex video to minor

 
   TEXAS Lubbock Online
   BY ROBIN PYLE / AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Wednesday, January 06, 2010
   A Lubbock pastor was arrested last week on federal charges after authorities say he sent a lewd sexual video of himself to a 16-year-old girl in Louisiana.
   Dean Richard Tarkington, 57, was pastor at Word of Faith Christian Center, in a shopping center in the 7300 block of 82nd Street, when he was arrested, Lubbock police said.
   Louisiana authorities contacted local police in early December. The FBI is now investigating the case. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 1:59 PM

• "We have been aware …"

 
   ODESSA (TX) Stop Baptist Predators
   In Odessa, Texas, a grand jury has indicted a Southern Baptist youth pastor on nine counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
   Robert John Weber, 44, was youth pastor at Second Baptist Church of Odessa, and allegedly, he had been counseling the girl at the church. The indictment details three sexual encounters Weber reportedly had with the girl in August and October.
   It's another case that shows the typical Baptist pattern: So long as a Baptist minister isn't in jail, he can remain in ministry. It's an appallingly low standard for people who occupy positions of high trust. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 1:28 PM

• Former OATS director sentenced

  [Mr Mike Landy] - 120 days prison. Sodomy 2nd degree.
   The News-Press, by R.J. Cooper, Wednesday, January 6, 2010
   MISSOURI -- Mike Landy stood from the pew-like bench to greet each new person who walked through the swinging doors with a firm handshake and pat on the shoulder.
   And when they left about an hour later, Mr. Landy, wearing a navy sweater, khakis and brown shoes, waved goodbye to each like this was another Sunday morning in church.
   Except it was Tuesday afternoon in Buchanan County Circuit Court. And in between the familiar pleasantries, Judge Dan Kellogg sentenced Mr. Landy, 57, to at least 120 days of shock detention for committing statutory sodomy in the second-degree. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 1:23 PM

• Senate Debate Part 2

 
   BishopAccountability.org
   By Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, moderating a debate between Martha Coakley, Scott Brown, and Joseph Kennedy Boston Talks 96.9 FM January 5, 2010
   http://www.969bostontalks.com/podcast/Episodes.aspx?PID=1466
   MASSACHUSETTS -- {This excerpt was transcribed from the "Senate Debate Part 2" podcast available at the above link. The excerpt begins at 22:52 on 96.9 FM's streaming audio of the debate on that page. See also In Debate, Senate Candidates Seek to Define Differences, by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe, January 6, 2010.}
   Margery Eagan: Last week BishopAccountability, a sex abuse watchdog group, released the names of about 70 Irish priests credibly accused of child abuse in the United States. [Note that the webpage identifies "Irish Priests Who Have Worked in the United States and Are Accused of Sexual Misconduct"; no statement is made regarding the credibility of the allegations, and some of the allegations involve sexual misconduct with adults.] The group demanded – again – that Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston immediately release the names of such priests here, so the public can know where these potentially very dangerous priests and child sex offenders live. At least 20 other bishops and some district attorneys have already released names of such priests. As attorney general, why haven't you asked for that, and demanded that release from Cardinal O'Malley?
   Martha Coakley: Well, first of all, those cases get handled by the district attorneys, as I did as district attorney and dealt with many of those cases. I know that that process is under way here, I think he should release them. And if he doesn't do it, and if it's not done appropriately, and the DAs aren't effective or successful in doing it, I'll be happy to ask him to release them. …
   Brown: Yeah, of course, if they're sex offenders, they should be listed on the sex offender registry, number one. And it's interesting that Martha talks about that, I think we need to look very seriously about some of the cases she's worked on, in particular, we recently tried to strengthen Jessica's Law, and we tried to get mandatory sentencing, mandatory time, for people that are raping and hurting our children, and Martha's office …
   Joseph Kennedy: Absolutely, you have to use the bully pulpit, every single time you have the opportunity to, when you can influence the right thing to happen. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 1:08 PM

• Nil nisi verum

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent] - RCC. Sex with Angelika Kluk.    
   Catholic Culture,
   SCOTLAND -- Glasgow priest Fr. Gerry Nugent died earlier this week. Nugent became notorious in 2006 when the body of a 23-year-old woman, murdered by a handyman, was discovered in his church. This from yesterday's UK Daily Record:
   During the trial, [Fr. Nugent] claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Angelika Kluk, a languages student who was working in Scotland and lived at the church's chapel house. … Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 11:45 AM

• Woman claims abuse by priest she lived with

  - RCC.  
   CBC News,
   CANADA -- A Halifax woman is suing a Roman Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia, claiming she was sexually abused for years by a priest she lived with while posing as his niece.
   Linda Deschamp, now in her 50s, says she was repeatedly abused from the age of 12 to 21.
   Decades later, she decided she couldn't remain silent any longer. She filed her lawsuit against the Roman Catholic diocese of Yarmouth and Archbishop Anthony Mancini, the current leader, in Nova Scotia Supreme Court just before Christmas.
   "This is so wrong. You're tired of hiding the secrets. They need to come out and people need to be made aware of that," Deschamp told CBC. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 9:56 AM

• Lawsuit filed against Diocese of Yarmouth alleging sexual abuse by priest

  [~1970s-80s Fr Raoul Deveau*] - RCC. Girl.  
   The Vanguard, By Tina Comeau, NovaNewsNow.com ,
   CANADA -- Another lawsuit has been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese in Yarmouth involving allegations of sexual abuse involving a former priest, but it's not the same priest named in lawsuits that were filed a year ago.
   These allegations involve Father Raoul Deveau, who is deceased. The allegations are that over a period of nearly 10 years starting in the early 1970s, he routinely sexually abused a girl named Linda Deschamp. He took the girl into his home to live with him when she was just 12. She came from a large family, a poor family that didn't have much, and a family that was devoutly Catholic. But the priest's intentions, the lawsuit alleges, were anything but noble.
   Over the years Deschamp was told not to share "their secret." If anyone asked, she was to tell people that Father Deveau was her uncle. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 9:52 AM

• Upcoming papal visit to UK is disclosed; Sex abuse victims respond

         
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A reputable Catholic newspaper reports today that the Pope will travel to the UK in September. http://thetablet.co.uk/article/14100
   A prominent Catholic blogger speculates that he may tack on a stop in Ireland because of the on-going clergy sex abuse and cover up crisis in that country. http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/
   We in SNAP repeat our earlier plea that the Pope should NOT visit Ireland, at least not until he has taken strong, proven steps to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded in that country. Absent clear reforms, a papal visit to Ireland will give the false impression that the crisis has been 'fixed' when, in fact, it has not been. Vulnerable Irish children and wounded Irish adults need and deserve tangible action, not mere symbolism. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 9:17 AM

• Judge seeks financial restitution for child porn victim

 
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
   ST. PAUL (MN) – WHAT -- Holding large graphs and photos at a news conference, an expert, a therapist, an attorney and an abuse victim will

praise a St. Paul judge for his unprecedented move to try and get financial restitution for a child porn victim from a man who downloaded her image,

explain a rarely-used federal law that opens the door for child porn victims to get help by bringing federal civil lawsuits,

urge judicial and law enforcement professionals to educate the public about this new legal avenue to help deter future child sex crimes and help those suffering because of child porn, and

describe the widespread and growing problem of child pornography.
   WHEN -- Wednesday, Jan. 6, 11:00 a.m. (Central time)
   WHERE -- At the law office of Jeff Anderson, 366 Jackson (corner of Fifth) in downtown St. Paul MN Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 9:15 AM

• The Rosary of Compassion: Epilogue

   
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing;
   UNITED STATES -- I am a little late with this given that we offered the Rosary of Compassion a month ago. OK I am very late. Well that is what happens when you try to start a not-for-profit on a shoestring. I meant to post this on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. No time. Hey, I am a single mother of two active children. They need me, and I have to put them first.
   Our retreat was small -- six members of our mixed group of survivors and other Catholics praying and meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary and how they relate to the sufferings of individual and communities from the wounds of abuse. We were were welcomed to Ascension Catholic Church by Franciscan Friar Fr. Ben Innes, who joined us to bless the room and pray with us for our hearts to be filled with compassion. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 8:22 AM

• Probe report into Ruchika's school on Thursday

  - Christian, of RC persuasion.  
   Express Buzz, ~ Jan 6, 2010
   CHANDIGARH, India: The inquiry report into the expulsion of Ruchika Girhotra, who was molested by former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore in 1990 and committed suicide three years later, from the Sacred Heart school here would be submitted Thursday evening.
   The probe is being conducted by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prerna Puri, whose report will subsequently be sent to the administration of the union territory of Chandigarh, said Chandigarh's home and education secretary Ram Niwas.
   "The inquiry officer will submit the report by tomorrow evening and subsequently we will send it to the UT administrator. The investigation has reached its last stages and right now I am not in a position to divulge any details about the findings," Niwas told reporters. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 8:03 AM

• Youth Pastor Indicted on Felony Charges

  [2009 Aug, Oct - Pastor Robert Weber*] - Baptist. Counselee. Girl (15).  
   NewsWest9, Staff Report, ~ Jan 6, 2010
   ODESSA (TX) -- A local youth pastor has been indicted on felony charges of sexual abuse of a child.
   44-year-old Robert Weber is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl he counseled at Second Baptist Church of Odessa.
   The indictment details three sexual encounters Weber allegedly had with the teen in August and October of last year. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:52 AM

• In debate, Senate candidates seek to define differences

  - RCC.      
   The Boston Globe, By Andrea Estes / January 6, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- The three candidates for US Senate clashed yesterday over health care, abortion, and terrorism in one of their final three debates before the Jan. 19 special election to succeed Edward M. Kennedy.
   But they agreed on one thing: Cardinal Sean O'Malley should release the names of any Irish priests accused of sexually abusing children in the Boston area.
   A Waltham-based group, BishopAccountability.org, demanded last month that O'Malley, of Boston, and Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence immediately make public the names of any such priests, in the wake of revelations of a coverup of abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:48 AM

• Woman alleges decade of abuse by N.S. priest

  [~1970s-80s Fr Raoul Deveau*] - RCC. Girl (11yrs onwards).  
   The Globe and Mail, by Alison Auld, The Canadian Press, ~ Jan 6, 2010
   HALIFAX, Canada – A Halifax woman has filed a lawsuit against a Roman Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia, alleging that she endured nearly a decade of sexual assaults by a priest who took her in as a little girl and forced her to call him uncle.
   Linda Deschamp states in the suit filed in the province's Supreme Court that the cycle of abuse began after Rev. Raoul Deveau offered her a job cleaning the rectory in the small community of Shelburne when she was 11 years old.
   Ms. Deschamp alleges in the statement of claim that when she went to the rectory she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by the priest, who died in the early 1980s. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:43 AM

• Scandals must kickstart new era for Church

  - RCC.  
   Irish Independent, By John Cooney, Wednesday January 06 2010
   IRELAND -- A CHILLING sense of witnessing the end of an era was as sharp as the cold Armagh air yesterday as the body of Cahal Daly was laid to rest. It was articulated by his successor, Cardinal Sean Brady, who said that the clerical child abuse scandals had brought the Catholic Church in Ireland to a defining moment in its history.
   A notable absentee, Cardinal Desmond Connell, would have winced on hearing his fellow Prince of the Church castigate not only the horrific rapes by paedophile priests of the little ones in their care, but also "the shameful mismanagement" of church leaders in covering-up the litany of abuse chronicled in the damning reports into the diocese of Ferns, industrial schools run by religious orders and the Archdiocese of Dublin.
   The revelations of these scandals have wrought such damage on those who were abused, Cardinal Brady readily acknowledged, adding in his quivering Cavan accent, that they caused "justified anger and outrage on the part of the faithful and damaged trust profoundly in the integrity of the leaders of the Church". Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:41 AM

• Woman sues diocese over sex abuse

  [~1970s-80s Fr Raoul Deveau*] - RCC. Girl.  
   Winnipeg Free Press, ~ Jan 6, 2010
   HALIFAX, CANADA -- A Halifax woman has filed a lawsuit against a Roman Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia, alleging that she endured nearly a decade of sexual assaults by a priest who took her in as a little girl and forced her to call him uncle.
   Linda Deschamp claims in the suit filed in the province's Supreme Court that the cycle of abuse began after Rev. Raoul Deveau offered her a job cleaning the rectory in the small community of Shelburne when she was 11 years old.
   Deschamp alleges in the statement of claim that when she went to the rectory she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by the priest, who died in the early 1980s.
   John McKiggan, Deschamp's lawyer, said Tuesday that the now middle-aged woman then moved in with the priest to help her impoverished, devout parents. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:38 AM

• Second suit against priest is revealed

  [~1970s-80s Fr Raoul Deveau*] - RCC. Girl.
   The Chronicle-Herald, By EVA HOARE, Wed. Jan 6, 2010
   CANADA --A second lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Church alleging sexual abuse by Father Raoul Deveau has surfaced.
   Joanne Muron-Sullivan says the priest, now dead, sexually abused and battered her while he served as a parish priest for Plympton in Digby County.
   The allegations were made in a legal action filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in September 2006. She claims the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth and Terrence Prendergast, the former archbishop of Halifax who presided over Yarmouth, are liable for the alleged actions of the priest, court documents allege. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 6, 2010 7:34 AM
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed January 06, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu January 07, 2010 edition:

• Former church leader arrested for having sex with teens

  [~ 2009-10 - Mr Jordan Vernon (20) - NEW*] - Real Life Ministries. 3 girls (12, 14, 17).  
   KTVB, http://www. ktvb.com/ news/Former- church-leader- arrested-for- having-sex- with-teens- 80807032.html ; with video, by KREM.com , ~ January 7, 2010
   POST FALLS, Idaho -- According to Post Falls Police, a 20-year-old North Idaho man has been arrested for having sex with minors.
   Detectives say Jordan Clint Vernon, 20, is a former student leader at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls. Vernon was arrested last week, and is specifically accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl, a 17-year-old girl, and inappropriately touching another 12-year-old.
   Police say Vernon met all three girls at Real Life Ministries. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:12 AM]

• Rabbi suspected of making 1,200 obscene calls to children

  [2000s Unnamed rabbi -NEW*] - Judaist. Obscene phone calls.  
   Haaretz, Haaretz Service, January 7, 2010
   ISRAEL -- A Modi'in Ilit rabbi was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of making 1,200 obscene phone calls to children, Channel 10 news reported.
   The rabbi, 36, who is also a school teacher, is suspected of impersonating an Education Ministry official and calling children in the afternoon when he believed their parents not to be at home.
   Police began investigating after four children complained about a man who had called them in the afternoon and asked them frank sexual questions. The children's parents then alerted police. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:25 AM

• Sexual abuse investigation at daycare

  [~ 2010 Unnamed employee -NEW*] - Grace Christian Church. Child.
   WKYT, with video, Jan 7, 2010
   GEORGETOWN (KY) -- Sources tell 27 Newsfirst an investigation is underway surrounding allegations of sexual abuse of a child at Grace Christian Church's Early Learning Center.
   The investigation surrounds claims of sexual abuse against a daycare employee, involving a student.
   Georgetown Police along with the Office of the Inspector General confirm there is an investigation into alleged misconduct at the daycare. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 7:59 AM

• Crescent pastor faces abuse charge

  [~ 2000s Pastor Edwin House -NEW*, Mrs Lovenia House -NEW*] - Christian. Lewd molestation of 2 girls (14).
   The Oklahoman, BY VALLERY BROWN, Published: January 7, 2010
   CRESCENT (OK) – A pastor charged with sexually abusing children said his congregation is supporting him and he has no plans to leave the church.
   Edwin House, 71, was charged last week in Logan County District Court with five counts of lewd molestation. House and his wife, Lovenia, 64, ran a foster home for 25 years. She is charged with child neglect.
   Both were arrested at home Dec. 30 and were released on bail Dec. 31.
   Edwin House is accused of sexually abusing two 14-year-old girls in his home. Lovenia House is accused of not doing enough to protect the children. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 11:15 AM

• Former Pastor to Stand Trial for Allegedly Abusing His Own Daughters

  [~ 2000s Pastor Paul Meeks -NEW*] - Christian. Young daughters.
   NewsWest9, ~ January 07, 2010
   NEW MEXICO -- A former Tatum, New Mexico pastor will stand trial for the alleged sexual abuse of his own daughters.
   According to court documents, Paul Meeks told investigators in a videotaped interview that he had in-appropriately touched his young girls. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:07 PM, January 07, 2010]

• Priest removed over past misconduct with minor

  [1980s Fr Leo Suarez -NEW*] - RCC. Child.    
   Stockton Record, By Joe Goldeen, January 07, 2010
   STOCKTON (CA) -- The Rev. Leo Suarez, a 22-year Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Stockton, has been relieved of his duties after admitting to engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago, according to a brief statement issued Wednesday by the diocese.
   Suarez was ordained as a priest in 1988 and was assigned to work at St. Anthony's parish in Hughson through 1991, during the time the single reported incident took place. He later worked at St. Stanislaus in Modesto (1991-92), St. George's in Stockton (1992-97), was pastor at St. Edward's in Stockton (1997-2006), Sacred Heart in Turlock (2008-09) and most recently, Our Lady of Fatima in Modesto.
   Bishop Stephen Blaire, head of the Diocese of Stockton, said in the statement:
   "It is with sadness that I announce that Father Leo Suarez, a priest of the Diocese of Stockton, engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago. The diocese has received no other allegation against him in regard to minors." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:59 AM

• European rabbis attack American conversion group

  [2009 Dec - Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Judaism. Sexual telephone call.      
   The JC, By Simon Rocker, January 7, 2010
   LONDON -- Members of the London Beth Din have attacked a controversial conversion organisation with which their former head, Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, is involved.
   The LBD judges signed a statement from the Conference of European Rabbis, protesting at the American-based Eternal Jewish Family setting up in Europe and calling for the cancellation on its seminar in Munich this week.
   Dayan Ehrentreu, who retired as LBD head three years ago, is listed as chairman of the EJF's halachic committee for Europe. He is also a trustee of the CER and head of its travelling Beth Din, supervising conversions for the Conference on the continent.
   Scandal erupted over EJF last month when its founder Rabbi Leib Tropper of New Jersey resigned after recordings emerged of a sexually explicit telephone conversation, apparently between him and a prospective woman convert. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:19 PM

• Review: Pigs in the Pulpit!

  - Various Christian groups exposed. Book.  
   Blogger News Network, Posted by Hugh McNichol, January 7th, 2010
   Recently, I had the opportunity to read the book, Pigs in the Pulpit, by J. Michael Wittman. The book is written as an expose of Christian religious groups and their abuses with the lives of faithful and often spiritually needy individuals and groups. Initially, while reading the book, I thought there was some underlying hidden agenda for the author in writing such a treatise that exposes the manipulating and controlling aspects of some fundamentalist sects within the Christian world. However, as I continued the reading, it was clearly not the case. The author is recounting the potential warning signs of trouble when there is a dysfunctional individual in an authoritative and influential position within a faith community.
   As an author that mainly focuses on Catholic subjects and issues, I was concerned that the book was just another revealing list of predatory crimes of a sensual and sexual nature by ministers of all denominations. As a Catholic, I feel there has been an extremely inordinate amount of negative reporting on the Catholic Church's sex scandals. The book by Mr. Wittman however offers insights and refreshing points that illustrate that abuse exists within all sects of religious belief. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 2:02 PM

• Chilean bishop suspends priest accused of pedophilia

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz / Munoz Quinteros* (54/55)] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.  
   Catholic News Agency, http://www. catholicnews agency.com/ news/chilean_ bishop_ suspends_ priest_ accused_of_ pedophilia ; 01:18 pm, Jan 7, 2010
   SANTIAGO, Chile / (CNA).-- Bishop Enrique Troncoso of Melipilla in Chile has suspended Father Ricardo Munoz Quinteros from priestly ministry after he was accused of sexual abuse and detained by police. "In the Church there is no room for those who sexually abuse minors," the bishop said.
   In a statement released Wednesday, Bishop Troncoso said he was shocked over the accusations made against the priest and pledged to collaborate with law enforcement officials to uncover the truth about the case. "We trust in the actions of the court and we will respect its findings," he said.
   Bishop Troncoso also explained that the Church would open its own canonical investigation and that Fr. Munoz would be immediately suspended from priestly ministry. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 2:40 PM]

• Tackling the culture of abuse

   
   The Irish Times, January 8, 2010
   IRELAND -- Madam, – I personally reject the argument being made by Fr Tony Flannery (Home News, December 31st), that the auxiliary bishops in Dublin had little power or control over the culture that was allowed to prevail in the archdiocese of Dublin. There is a moral imperative on all of us to act in a responsible way to protect the weak and vulnerable in our community and society. How can anyone justify turning a deaf ear to the defenceless children who were systematically abused by the "pillar of the church" over such a prolonged period of time?
   Upon reflection, Bishop James Moriarty came to the realisation that he should have challenged the prevailing culture that was allowed to exist in Dublin when he served there as auxiliary bishop. What was fundamentally lacking in Dublin and elsewhere was credible leadership and direction.
   What facilitated the child sexual abuse culture in the archdiocese of Dublin was an overriding emphasis on silence and secrecy. There was no whistleblowing mechanism in place or allowed to operate within the system. Innocent children were groomed and alienated from their peers so as to satisfy the needs of their paedophile abusers. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:31 PM, Jan 07, 2010]

• Bishop refuses to clarify his response to 'Irish Times'

  - RCC.
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent, January 08, 2010
   IRELAND -- THE BISHOP of Galway Martin Drennan has declined to answer queries from The Irish Times arising from his response to four questions posed by this newspaper, to which he replied last Friday.
   The fourth of those questions asked: "Was he aware of the legal stance adopted by the archdiocese against (clerical child sex abuse victims) Martha and Mary after they initiated legal action in 2001? If so, did he do anything about it?"
   He responded "I was not aware of the legal stance taken." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:27 PM, January 07, 2010

• La justicia chilena dicta prisión preventiva para un sacerdote acusado de pedofilia

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz / Munoz Quinteros* (54/55)] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.  
   EFE, January 06, 2010
   SANTIAGO DE CHILE, 6 ene (EFE).- La justicia chilena decretó hoy la detención preventiva para el sacerdote que fue detenido este martes en una localidad vecina a Santiago, acusado de haber abusado de varias menores, a las que les pagaba a cambio de sexo.
   Según fuentes judiciales, el Tribunal de Garantía de Curacaví, unos 60 kilómetros al noroeste de Santiago, determinó la prisión para el sacerdote Ricardo Muñoz Quintero, acusado también del abuso de una hija de cinco años.
   La misma medida se dispuso para su pareja Pamela Ampuero Escobar, quien enfrenta cargos por facilitar la prostitución infantil, ya que presuntamente contactaba a las adolescentes a cambio de dinero.
   [partial translation]
   Santiago de Chile, Jan. 6 (EFE) .- A Chilean court today ordered preventive detention for the priest who was arrested Tuesday in the neighboring city to Santiago, accused of abusing several minors, who were paid in exchange for sex.
   According to judicial sources, the priest, Ricardo Muñoz Quintero, is also accused of abusing a five-year-old daughter.
   The same measure was available for partner Pamela Ampuero Escobar, who faces charges for facilitating child prostitution. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:19 PM, January 07, 2010

• Sename anunció querella contra sacerdote acusado de pedofilia

  [2000s Fr Ricardo Muñoz / Munoz Quinteros* (54/55)] - RCC. Soliciting, photographing, girls.
   Cooperativa, January 07, 2010
   CHILE -- El Servicio Nacional de Menores (Sename) anunció que presentará este jueves una querella contra el sacerdote Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros y su pareja Pamela Ampuero luego que se develaran los abusos sexuales cometidos por el religioso contra menores de edad.
   El director del organismo, Eugenio San Martín, señaló que la medida tiene por objetivo conseguir que se aplique el máximo rigor de la ley frente a la conducta del suspendido párroco y su conviviente.
   "Primero (queremos) perseguir las responsabilidades que él ha cometido los delitos y vamos a pedir la máximas de las penas que correspondan, porque estos hechos son graves y requieren la mayor sanción posible", enfatizó tras reunirse con la diputada PS Denisse Pascal.
   [partial translation]
   The National Youth Service (Sename) Thursday announced it will present a lawsuit against the priest Ricardo Muñoz Quinteros and his partner Pamela Ampuero after they were accused of sexual abuse against minors.
   The agency's director, Eugenio San Martín, said the measure aims at ensuring the application of the full extent of the law against the conduct of the suspended priest and his partner. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:14 PM, January 07, 2010

• Landmark Case Against US Government is Settled

  - Military recruiter had sex with Sioux teenager (19). US $650,000 reimbursement.  
   Mermelstein & Horowitz, ~ January 07, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- Adam Horowitz, an attorney with Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A., announced today that a settlement of $650,000 was reached in a landmark case filed against the United States government. The U.S. government appealed a federal court order to pay nearly $600,000 to Lavetta Elk, an Oglala Sioux teenager sexually assaulted by her military recruiter in early 2003. (Elk v. United States, Court of Federal Claims, Case No. 05-186L)
   Sgt. Joseph Kopf, a U.S. military recruiter, sexually assaulted Elk, a 19-year-old Oglala Sioux woman, on a remote part of the Pine Ridge reservation. Prior to the assault, Sgt. Kopf had been working with Lavetta to assist her in achieving her lifelong dream of joining the U.S. Army.
   Elk's attorneys brought suit in the Court of Federal Claims on her behalf pursuant to the seldom-used "Bad Man" clause of the Treaty of April 29, 1868 between the United States and the Sioux Tribe, which provides:
   "If bad men among the whites … shall commit any wrong upon the person or property of the Indians, the United States will … reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:11 PM, January 07, 2010

• So where is Modesto pedo-priest Leo Suarez (just defrocked) going to be living free and easy now?

  [Fr Leo Suarez] - RCC. Child/ren.
   City of Angels, by Kay Ebeling, ~ January 07, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- Once again the Church removes a priest after credible pedophile allegations. He ends up with no criminal record, no monitoring. The Stockton Diocese says he is in "treatment." For how long? Where will he go next? What community will Leo Suarez be free to roam after he goes unmonitored off the Diocese Payroll and onto Social Security to be supported by taxpayers this week? [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:05 PM, January 7, 2010]

• Joliet bishop apologizes for priest's actions

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Plainfield Sun, By Brian Stanley / bstanley § scn1 com , January 7, 2010
   JOLIET (IL) -- A priest accused of sexual abuse remains hospitalized in intensive care after reportedly attempting suicide by jumping from a church balcony Wednesday.
   "Our diocese has suffered some tragedies this week which have saddened many people within the diocese and the entire community," Bishop J. Peter Sartain said Thursday.
   Late Sunday night, the family of a 13-year-old boy contacted a priest regarding alleged sexual abuse by the Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37. On Monday morning, the priest reportedly contacted Sartain, who removed Flores from his position as parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Shorewood. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 6:21 PM

• American nun rallies resistance to Vatican's apostolic visitation

  - RCC.    
   Catholic Culture, January 07, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- Sister Sandra Schneiders, who last year called for "non-violent resistance" to a Vatican investigation of American women's religious orders, has renewed that argument, with a series of five essays in the National Catholic Reporter claiming that the apostolic visitation will interfere with the "prophetic life style" of American sisters. She characterizes the Vatican's approach to religious life as "a pernicious appeal for blind obedience." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 6:19 PM

• THE CAUSES AND CONTEXT STUDY of the JOHN JAY COLLEGE

   
   Voice from the Desert, More Reflections by Thomas Doyle, J.C.D.; January 6, 2010
   {Comment from Marci Hamilton}
   UNITED STATES --I share the skepticism of many who have questioned the effectiveness of the work of the John Jay College research team. I understand that when they started their work in 2003 they did so with the expected presuppositions about the bishops' motivation. As they began to perceive things they became perplexed, as has happened to all of us who were taught to trust the institution and to trust and respect the bishops.
   Two years ago I was asked to spend time with the research team at the John Jay College in New York. I spent an entire day giving them my recollections of the history of the abuse issue in the US and explaining the inner workings of the institution and what I had perceived to be the real attitude and motivation of the bishops. They listened avidly because they had no prior loyalties or deference to the Catholic hierarchy who had hired them.
   As the second phase proceeded the JJC people continued to collect and analyze data … and that data would be substance for the added and essential research into the bottom-line question: Why did all this happen? I believe that all along most of us who have been in this from the start … and there are a few other than I who have been around and involved since 1984 … knew what it was about just as surely as we knew the difference between day and night.
   The bishops as a group do not want outside experts delving into the various aspects of the abuse crisis because they have realistic fears of what the experts will come up with….in fact they not only have no desire, they have an aversion to the possibility of outsiders finding out what really has been happening …much as a vampire has an aversion to sunlight. This fear of opening the files should be obvious. Bishops have fought tooth and nail to prevent disclosure of their files either to the press or to attorneys. They have created one bogus excuse after another as a roadblock.
   Cardinal Mahony and Bishop Lori each took the issue all the way to the Supreme Court of the U.S. and both lost. The opposition isn't about the protecting privacy of victims or the reputations of innocent priests. It is all about keeping the secrets hidden. Who gains? No one. Who loses? Everyone, especially the laity who donate their hard earned dollars because tens of millions of these dollars are spent by the bishops, through their lawyers, in the fight against disclosure. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 6:13 PM
   [RECAPITULATION: The bishops as a group … have an aversion to the possibility of outsiders finding out what really has been happening … much as a vampire has an aversion to sunlight.

• Priest Leaps from Church Balcony

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   NBC Chicago, ~ January 7, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A suburban priest accused of sexual abuse was found with severe head trauma on the floor of a church Wednesday after apparently jumping from a balcony in an attempt to take his own life.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores was removed of his priestly faculties and placed on administrative leave two days earlier by Bishop J. Peter Sartain, who had received information from a family that their 13-year-old son had reported being abused by Flores.
   Flores was found on the floor of the former St. Mary's Carmelite Church, at 113 N. Ottawa St., in Joliet, after not being seen for several hours. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 2:36 PM

• Cardinal Calls for Renewal of Church in Ireland

  - RCC.    
   Zenit, JAN. 7, 2010
   ARMAGH, Ireland, (Zenit.org).- The Church in Ireland is experiencing a decisive moment in the aftermath of reports exposing various cases of child abuse by priests, says the primate of Ireland.
   Cardinal Sean Brady, archbishop of Armagh and primate of Ireland, affirmed this Tuesday in his homily during the funeral Mass of Cardinal Cahal Brendan Daly.
   Cardinal Daly, a former archbishop of Armagh, passed away Dec. 31 in Belfast at age 92. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 2:32 PM
   [COMMENT: Didn't a Dr Martin Luther call for "renewal" (or reform) a few hundred years ago, yet he was so bound by his training that it took him some years to wake up to the harmful anti-sex teachings and RC clergy celibacy rules of his day?  How come the RCC didn't adopt that and other reforms then? ENDS.]

• Priest accused of abuse plunges from church balcony

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Breaking News, January 7, 2010
   SHOREWOOD (IL) -- A Shorewood Catholic priest who parishioners described as a "very holy man" apparently tried to kill himself by jumping from the balcony of a shuttered downtown Joliet church Wednesday as Kane county investigators began looking into allegations he molested a 13-year-old boy, authorities said.
   Alejandro Flores, 37, parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish in Shorewood, was found unconscious between the pews of St. Mary's Carmelite Church, 113 N. Ottawa, Wednesday afternoon, said Joliet police deputy chief Mike Trafton.
   Police went to the boarded-up church after receiving a missing persons report from the Joliet archdiocese around noon Wednesday. Archdiocese officials told police that Flores, who was ordained in June, had keys and spent time in the church. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:57 PM

• Willich/Kreis Viersen: Vorwürfe eines 20-Jährigen

  - RCC.  
   West Deutsche Zeitung, von Peter Korall, ~ January 7, 2010
   Im Fall des Pfarrers Georg Kerkhoff melden sich nun auch deutsche Stimmen zu Wort.
   GERMANY -- Willich/Kreis Viersen. Über Monate, manche sagen über Jahre, hatte sie den Kopf eingezogen, war auf Tauchstation gegangen. Die Rede ist von der Katholischen Kirche, die zum Fall des Pfarrers Georg Kerkhoff keine Stellungnahme abgeben wollte. Bekanntlich sitzt der gebürtige Willicher derzeit in Südafrika fest, er darf wegen Ermittlungen gegen ihn (sexueller Missbrauch von Kindern) das Land nicht verlassen. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:48 PM

• Pfarrer unter Missbrauchsverdacht

     
   Aachener Zeitung, Von Peter Korall | Jan. 04. 2010
   GERMANY / SOUTH AFRICA -- Willich/Aachen. Dem Pfarrer Georg K. aus Willich soll in Südafrika der Prozess gemacht werden. Nach Angaben der Ermittler hat er sich im Februar 2008 mehreren Jungen unsittlich genähert.
   Nach Informationen des «Spiegel» soll er sich bei einem Vorbereitungscamp zur Kinderkommunion unter die Bettdecke der Kinder gedrängt haben. «Ich wollte die Kinder nur zur Ruhe und zum Schlafen bringen», habe K. sich verteidigt.
   Nach unseren Informationen musste er seinen Ausweis abgeben und darf das Land nicht verlassen. 2008 hatte er den Leiter der Ermittlungen gebeten, ihm seinen Reisepass auszuhändigen. Er wolle zur Hochzeit seines Bruders nach Deutschland reisen. Das wurde ihm mit Hinweis auf die Fluchtgefahr verwehrt. Die Kirche suspendierte ihn von allen Ämtern. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:44 PM

• Bistum schützt Kerkhoff

   
   West Deutsche Zeitung, von Peter Korall, ~ Jan 7, 2010
   Hat der aus Willich stammende Geistliche Kinder missbraucht? In Aachen liegen dazu keine Erkenntnisse vor.
   GERMANY -- Willich/Kreis Viersen. Der Fall des Pfarrers Georg Kerkhoff zieht Kreise. Und wirft Fragen auf, drängende Fragen. Was wusste die Kirche? Warum reagierte das zuständige Bistum Aachen so spät? Wie sahen betroffene Eltern das Verhältnis des Geistlichen zu ihren Kindern?
   „Ich fand, dass er ein ganz moderner Geistlicher war", sagt der Vater des heute 20-jährigen Moritz. Der junge Mann aus einer Kleinstadt im Kreis Viersen hatte über eine ganze Weile näheren Kontakt zu Kerkhoff, hatte sich allerdings nach eigenem Bekunden Annäherungsversuchen konsequent widersetzt. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:41 PM

• Pfarrer Kerkhoff im Visier

     
   RP Online, VON CHRISTIAN HEIDRICH - zuletzt aktualisiert: Jan. 05. 2010
   GERMANY / SOUTH AFRICA -- Stadt Willich (RP) Im Fall des in Südafrika mit dem Vorwurf eines missbräuchlichen Umgangs mit Kindern konfrontierten Pfarrers Georg Kerkhoff, der aus Willich stammt, werden in Deutschland Strafanträge vorbereitet.
   In Südafrika lebende deutsche Eltern hatten sich an den Verein Initiative gegen Gewalt und sexuellen Missbrauch an Kindern und Jugendlichen gewandt und um Hilfe gebeten. Das bestätigt der Vorsitzende der in Siershahn im Westerwald sitzenden Initiative, Johannes Heibel. Die Initiative helfe von Deutschland aus, lasse aber auch hier Strafanträge gegen Pfarrer Georg Kerkhoff vorbereiten. 2007 hatte er die Seelsorge in der deutschsprachigen Katholischen Gemeinde St. Bonifatius in Johannesburg übernommen. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:37 PM

• Staatsanwalt ermittelt gegen Georg Kerkhoff

 
   West Deutsche Zeitung, von Peter Korall, ~ Jan 7, 2010
   GERMANY / SOUTH AFRICA -- Willich/Johannesburg. Es herrscht einiges Rätselraten und am Niederrhein schießen die Gerüchte bereits ins Kraut: Wo hält sich Pfarrer Georg Kerkhoff auf? Der gebürtige Willicher Geistliche hatte bekanntlich vor rund zwei Jahren seine Pfarre in Lobberich verlassen, um in der deutschen Gemeinde St.Bonifatius im südafrikanischen Johannesburg Missionsarbeit zu leisten. Das tat er bis vor einigen Wochen, seither ist er seiner Pflichten als Geistlicher enthoben, die Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt gegen ihn.
   Das bestätigte Matthias Kopp, Sprecher der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, auf Nachfrage der Westdeutschen Zeitung. „Die Vorwürfe werden rechtlich geprüft, danach wird entschieden, ob es ein Verfahren gibt." Welcher Art die Vorwürfe sind und wieso konkret die Staatsanwaltschaft in Johannesburg ermittelt, wollte Kopp nicht sagen. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:29 PM

• An Interview with Joelle Casteix

  - RCC.  
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo, January 7, 2010
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) -- Joelle Casteix is a survivor turned advocate and mentor. She was one of the first people to bring public attention to the Southern California clergy abuse problem, and has served on local and national boards to promote understanding and healing among those impacted by religious authority sexual abuse. JR = Jaime Romo; JC = Joelle Casteix.
   JR: We first met around seven years ago in the early days of the Los Angeles/ Orange awareness raising and survivor support meetings. What was your life of advocacy like in those days?
   JC: I will always remember the first time we met – it was at the Anaheim Convention Center, and some lady – who had just slammed us for leafleting – tried to steal your umbrella. Her actions were such a profound statement as to the general attitude of many high-ranking Catholics. They will curse you for exposing the truth, yet continue to cover many ugly truths of their own. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 1:22 PM

• Pastor, Wife, Charged With Abuse, Neglect

  [~ 2000s Pastor Edwin House*, Mrs Lovenia House*] - Christian. Lewd molestation of 2 girls (14).
   KTUL, Jan 7, 2010
   CRESCENT (OK) -- A church pastor has been charged in Logan County with five counts of lewd molestation of foster children and his wife is charged with child neglect.
   Prosecutors say 71-year-old Edwin House sexually abused two 14-year-old girls when he and his wife were foster parents. His wife -- 64-year-old Lovenia House -- is accused of not protecting the girls.
   Defense attorney Warren Plunk says the House's are innocent. Edwin House says his congregation supports him and he has no plans to leave. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 11:11 AM

• Former Anglican priest Gibbs pleads guilty to two more sex offences

  [~ 1966-71 Rev. Kenneth Gibbs*] - Anglican. More: Girls (~ 6, ~ 12).  
   The Sault Star Posted By Linda Richardson
   CANADA -- Former Anglican priest Kenneth Gibbs, imprisoned last month for molesting five young girls decades ago, has been convicted of two more dated sexual offences.
   Gibbs, 77, pleaded guilty earlier this week to two counts of indecent assault in a Timmins courtroom.
   The offences occurred in Chapleau where he served as minister of St. John's Anglican Church from 1966 to 1971.
   Assistant Crown attorney Gerrit Verbeek told The Star the offences involved a girl who was five or six and another who was 11 or 12. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 11:02 AM

• New Spokane Priest Abuse Trial To Start Soon

  [Morning Star Boys' Ranch. Fr Joseph Weitensteiner] - RCC. Boys.  
   KPLU, with audio, By DOUG NADVORNICK,
   A new era of clergy sex abuse cases is about to begin in Spokane. Preliminary hearings are underway in a case of a man who claims he was molested at a Catholic group home for boys. It's the first of what could be as many as 20 trials to be held during the next two years. KPLU's Doug Nadvornick reports.
   Full story: WASHINGTON -- The Catholic Church set up the Morning Star Boys Ranch about 50 years ago to help straighten out wayward young people, mostly boys.
   The facility had a sterling reputation in the community. But that started to crumble several years ago, when some former residents alleged that they were molested. Many accused the former director, Father Joseph Weitensteiner. He's now retired and has denied wrongdoing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 11:00 AM

• Anger Over Milwaukee Cathedral Image

  - Abp Weakland's sculpture.
   Today's WTMJ, with video, By Elizabeth Braun, Shelley Walcott;
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests wants something done about a bronze relief in St. John Cathedral downtown.
   The sculpture features the likeness of former Archbishop Rembert Weakland. SNAP believes the image depicts him as the protector of children, which they call inappropriate since Weakland retired amidst a sex abuse scandal in 2002.
   Father Carl Last says SNAP's got it wrong. The image actually represents diversity. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 9:11 AM

• No More Jeanettes, Please

 
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing, by Virginia Jones
   OREGON -- I sat down in Barnes and Noble Cafe with my laptop, green tea and something chocolate to eat. I thought I'd peruse The Oregonian and The New York Times online before working on a blog. Well, I worked on a blog, this blog, but not the one I intended to work on.
   As I scrolled down through the "Opinion" section of The Oregonian, I found a piece on Jeanette Maples. She is the 15 year old girl who died at her home in Eugene, Oregon, on December 9, apparently tortured to death by her mother and step-father. …
   We can't wait for the government or the Church to fix these deeper societal problems. We have to do the work on ourselves. We have to become more aware of the abuse happening around us, more sensitive to those being abused, and more vigilant in reporting these abuses. We have to become more compassionate and kind in caring for the wounded. We have to take risks that frighten us, whatever these risks may be. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 9:08 AM

• Victims group questions visits by 2 retired archbishops

 
   MILWAUKEE (WI) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
   By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
   Posted: Jan. 6, 2010
   Victims of clergy sex abuse on Wednesday called on newly installed Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki to explain why two retired archbishops who've played prominently in the sex abuse scandal nationally - Rembert G. Weakland of Milwaukee and Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati - will lead liturgies next week at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
   At the same time, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests are asking the archdiocese to remove from the historic church a bronze image in bas relief that depicts Weakland alongside children. He has admitted in a memoir and court depositions that he shielded abusive priests.
   "This individual is responsible for transferring and concealing dozens of priests who molested and raped children," SNAP Midwest Director Peter Isely said of Weakland in a news conference Wednesday with other victims and family members outside the Milwaukee cathedral. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 9:04 AM

• Anger in Milwaukee at Archbishop Weakland cathedral appearance, bronze image

 
   Catholic Culture January 07, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is expressing anger at the appearance of Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk as keynote speakers at the 7th National Cathedral Ministry Conference at Milwaukee's cathedral from January 11 to 14. The retired archbishops of Milwaukee and Cincinnati have admitted that they failed to report the clerical abuse of children to civil authorities.
   SNAP is also objecting to the presence of Archbishop Weakland in a bronze image of the Nativity that has been in Milwaukee's cathedral since its renovation in 2002. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:51 AM

• Marci Hamilton on Tom Doyle's response to John Jay College study

     
   UNITED STATES -- Voice from the Desert
   I would offer one observation as a legal scholar in response to one aspect of Tom Doyle's elegant and thoughtful response to the John Jay Report and the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy's incapacity to change in response to child sex abuse or to take full, honest, sincere responsibility for the hierarchy's crimes and torts against children and society. The problem, from the perspective of someone who studies government, is accountability. Historically, institutions built on top-down control and hierarchy have suffered seriously from lack of accountability. If the bishops are right because they are bishops (and that is the message being telegraphed to the world except in Ireland where the publication of the truth and the law created such accountability demands that 4 bishops have had to resign in shame), they are going to do all they can to hang onto their power without reference to accountability or to higher principles.
   When institutions cannot change themselves, they have to be altered from outside. When they act in morally and socially degrading ways, the law is there to shift them toward the higher ground. The only answer to the long-embedded cultural corruption of child abuse in the Catholic Church (and many other religious institutions) is a legal system that mandates accountability to protect the vulnerable. The John Jay Study, therefore, is nothing more than a side show on the way to true justice. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:42 AM

• Restitution for child porn victims is growing issue

 
   ST. PAUL (MN) KARE
   By Joe Fryer
   ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota is part of a nationwide debate on how much victims of child pornography can be compensated.
   In a court order issued Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz wanted to know why federal prosecutors did not seek restitution for a victim after Brandon Anthony Buchanan, 28, was convicted last year of possessing child porn.
   The victim was seeking nearly $3.5 million in restitution, according to the judge's order.
   Schiltz said there is a clear Congressional mandate that offenders in these cases should pay restitution to their victims. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:33 AM

• Archbishop Listecki wants to get Catholics back in pews

 
   MILWAUKEE (WI) Wisconsin Public Radio
   [audio presentation]
   The newly-installed Catholic Archbishop of Milwaukee says he plans to try to boost membership in the church. A group concerned about clergy abuse says it would help if the new leader reached out to abuse victims. Chuck Quirmbach reports… Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:30 AM

• Victim says passage of time since assault shouldn't lessen perpetrator's punishment

 
   WISCONSIN Wisconsin Public Radio
   [audio presentation]
   The victim of sexual assault by a former Jesuit priest says he hopes the state Supreme Court won't throw out his assailant's conviction. The high court heard oral arguments in the case yesterday. Gil Halsted reports… Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:28 AM

• Mother seeks divorce from 'abusive rabbi'

  [~ 2000s "Rabbi" Chen/Hen*] - Judaist. Cruelty to "correct children's souls."       
   YNet News, by Kobi Nahshoni, Published Jan.07.10
   ISRAEL -- The Jerusalem Rabbinical Court discussed Thursday for the first time a divorce claim filed against "abusive rabbi" Elior Chen by the mother of the children he abused, according to an indictment filed against him last year.
   A source involved in the matter told Ynet, "We hope he'll agree to give her a divorce without causing any problems. He is a strange man who also calls himself a rabbi and is also married to more than one woman – against today's decided Jewish Law."
   Chen married the children's mother not through the Rabbinate and therefore is not recognized by the State as her spouse. A source at the court said the religious judges were forced to base their decisions on the Halacha and would discuss the case with the hopes of getting the woman a divorce. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:22 AM

• Mother of victims files for divorce from 'Rabbi' Elior Chen

  [~ 2000s "Rabbi" Chen/Hen*] - Judaist. Cruelty to "correct children's souls." 
   The Jerusalem Post,
   ISRAEL -- The Jerusalem District Rabbinical Court on Thursday held a first hearing in [sic] to discuss a request by the mother of the children that were allegedly victimized by Elior Chen, who filed for a divorce.
   Chen married the childrens' mother in a non-rabbinical wedding and therefore, is not recognized by the state of Israel as the woman's spouse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:20 AM

• Leib Tropper Victim Converts to Judaism

  [2009 Dec - Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Judaism. Trying to take advantage of woman during conversion process.      
   5 Towns Jewish Times, By Avi Meir, Published on Thursday, January 07, 2010
   NEW YORK -- Shannon Orand, the woman who was taken advantage of by Leib Tropper, the former head of the Eternal Jewish Family, has successfully converted to Judaism in Eretz Yisroel as reported by Jewish Israel.
   Members of the Beit Din were the highly respected Chief Rabbi Dov Lior of Hevron, Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu of Safed, and Rabbi Rafi Ostroff. Another highly respected Rav officiated over the conversion.
   Shannon withstood an extremely challenging test over these past few weeks, as news of Leib Tropper's compromising behavior hit the press and blogosphere. Shannon is a valued member of Jewish Israel. She actively participates in their interactive forums and talkbacks, and provides them with invaluable information. Jewish Israel was in touch with her and very much aware of the disturbing circumstances involving Leib Tropper. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:17 AM

• N.C. Court Upholds Sex Offenders' Right to Worship

  - Offenders attending Baptist church.
   Christianity Today, by Katelyn Beaty
   NORTH CAROLINA -- For evangelicals who uphold both the boundlessness of redemption and the care and protection of "little ones" (Matt. 19:14), having sex offenders in church makes it hard to apply both beliefs at the same time.
   In mid-December a Superior Court in North Carolina upheld the case of two registered sex offenders who had been attending Moncure Baptist Church, which offers childcare for Sunday worshipers and other children's programs. James Nichols and Frank DeMaio were indicted in March under a year-old state law that orders offenders to stay 300 feet away from facilities primarily intended for use by or care of children. Nichols's story was highlighted in "Modern-Day Lepers," a reported piece in the December issue of Christianity Today.
   Judge Allen Baddour determined that the state law was too vague to enforce, and violated the men's First Amendment rights to worship. "There are less drastic means for achieving the same purpose," Baddour ruled, noting that to meet constitutional requirements, the law should specify whether or not an offender has the intent to be in the presence of minors. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:08 AM

• Another alleged victim comes forward in Post Falls sex abuse case

  [~ 2009-10 - Mr Jordan Vernon* (20)] - Real Life Ministries. 4 girls.  
   The Spokesman-Review, January 06, 2010
   IDAHO -- Another teenager has come forward claiming to have been victimized by a former Post Falls church volunteer, police confirmed Wednesday.
   Jordan Vernon, 20, arrested last week on suspicion he had sexual and inappropriate contact with several minor girls he met while serving as a youth group volunteer at Real Life Ministries, may face additional charges, Post Falls Police said.
   "If anything, it would be one more count of statutory rape," said Detective Sgt. Dave Beck. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:06 AM

• At least 100 Montanans file claims against Jesuits for abuse

  [Decades - ~ 24 Jesuits] - RCC. ~ 500 claimants.
   Missoulian, By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian | Posted: Wednesday, January 6, 2010
   MONTANA -- The search for victims is over, though many likely remain undiscovered.
   Now comes the painstaking, laborious process of legal discovery by both sides in the mammoth bankruptcy case filed by the Oregon Province of Society of Jesus, the Jesuit organization that covers Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Montana.
   "At last count, there are some 500 claims filed in the case, and of that, somewhere north of 100 came from Montana," said Seattle attorney Tim Kosnoff, who is part of a group of law firms representing victims. "Many of the cases involved only a couple of priests, but we probably have two dozen different priests or brothers who were implicated." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 8:04 AM

• Priest Out Of Church After Sex Abuse Allegations

  [1980s Fr Leo Suarez*] - RCC. Child.    
   CBS 13, Jan 07, 2010
   MODESTO (CA), (CBS13) A priest accused of sexually assaulting a minor will never be allowed to serve in a church again, but he is not facing any criminal charges.
   The Stockton Diocese announced Wednesday that they have kicked out Father Leo Suarez, who spent more than 20 years serving Catholic Churches in the San Joaquin valley.
   Suarez has been accused of sexually molesting a minor two decades ago, but the allegations only came to light recently and a criminal investigation was apparently never launched. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 7:55 AM

• Former Fatima priest removed for sexual misconduct

  [1980s Fr Leo Suarez*] - RCC. Child.
   The Modesto Bee, By Sue Nowicki, snowicki § modbee com , Jan 07, 2010
   MODESTO (CA) -- The Rev. Leo Suarez, a priest who served last year at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Modesto, has been removed because of sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago, the Stockton Diocese revealed Wednesday.
   "Father Suarez (voluntarily) came forward with this information," said Sister Terry Davis, spokeswoman for the diocese. "It is a proven, credible fact."
   Under the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, established by the nation's bishops in 2002, Suarez never again will be allowed to serve as a priest. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 7:53 AM

• Bishop: Accused priest leaps from church balcony

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Sun-Times By BRIAN STANLEY, bstanley § scn1 com , January 7, 2010
   JOLIET (IL) – A priest who has been accused of sexual abuse reportedly tried to take his own life by jumping from the balcony of a downtown church Wednesday.
   The Rev. Alejandro (Alex) Flores, 37, was found unresponsive but breathing at 12:38 p.m. Wednesday, after apparently crashing between pews on the main floor at the former St. Mary's Carmelite Church, 113 N. Ottawa St., according to reports.
   Flores was ordained in June and served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Shorewood, but was removed from his position Monday. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 7, 2010 7:49 AM
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu January 07, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri January 08, 2010 edition:

• Chilean Priest, Girlfriend, Charged with Abuse of Minors

  [2010 Jan - Fr Ricardo Munoz Quintera and Ms Pamela Ampuero Escobar -NEW*, very new] - RCC.
   The Santiago Times, Written by Paul Herbert, 05:03, Friday, January 08 2010
   CHILE -- A Catholic priest and his girlfriend were accused of soliciting sex from young teenage girls this weekend. Reverend Ricardo Muñoz, 55, was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexually abusing three girls aged 14, 16, and 17, one of whom later bore his child, investigators said on Wednesday.
   Pamela Ampuero Escobar, 33, the mother of two children previously fathered by Muñoz, has also been charged with soliciting the sexual services of the minors.
   Muñoz found the youths with the help of Ampuero in August, 2008, who was then caring for them at their home in town of Curacavi near Santiago. Muñoz visited the house of his victims up to three times a week, offering the girls as much as US $90 in exchange for sexual favors, taking them to a series of motels located in the West of the city. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:07 AM, Jan 08, 2010]

• Priest arrested in Brunswick County, charged with sexual offenses

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda (47) -NEW*] - RCC. Young male.  
   The Sun News, by Monique Newton - mnewton@thesunnews.com , ~ January 08, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- Authorities with the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office have arrested a 47-year-old priest for sexual offenses, said Marty Folding, public affairs officer with the department.
   Father Edgar Sepulveda was charged with one count of second degree sexual offense and one count of sexual battery. The victim is a juvenile male, Folding said.
   Sepulveda, who is part of the Raleigh Diocese of North Carolina and a St. Beulaville, N.C., resident, was visiting church members in Brunswick County in May when the offenses occurred, Folding said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:29 PM, Jan 08, 2010]

• Pastor of Boynton Beach church charged with sexually molesting teen

  [2007 May 12-16 - Rev. Dieugrand Jacques - NEW*] - "New Alliance Haitian Church." Girl (15).    
   Palm Beach Post, By Eliot Kleinberg, ~ Jan 08, 2010
   BOYNTON BEACH (FL) --The pastor of a Boynton Beach church is charged with sexually molesting a 15-year-old girl who'd gone to him for counseling.
   Dieugrand Jacques, 39, of suburban Lake Worth, the pastor of New Alliance Haitian Church, was booked Thursday morning.
   He is charged with lewd molestation of a victim between 12 and 16 in the alleged May 2007 incident. The charge is a second-degree felony.
   This morning, with about 15 supporters of Jacques standing in the benches of the courtroom, Palm Beach Circuit Judge Ted S. Booras ordered the pastor held in lieu of $7,500 bail. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:57 PM, Jan 08, 2010

• Priest Temporarily Suspended for Alleged Sex Crime

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner -NEW*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   KOMU, ~ January 08, 2010
   JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI -- The Jefferson City Archdiocese has removed Father Thomas Seifner from his position in Osage County while they review the case.
   Ron Vessell with the diocese had no comment about the case, but did say that they are reviewing allegations that Father Seifner had inappropriate electronic communication with the minor. Vessell, who did not want to go on camera, added that the review process may take a while. The communication in question occured five years ago. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:26 PM, January 08, 2010]

• Former mayor charged with raping child

  [Rev. Wm Howden -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Girl (7).
   KRQE Reporter: Alex Tomlin, Web Producer: Bill Diven; ~ Jan 08, 2010
   ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (KRQE) - The man elected the first mayor when Rio Rancho became a city nearly 30 years ago has been charged with kidnapping and raping a 7-year-old girl whose family knew and trusted him.
   William Howden, 70, is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
   According to a criminal complaint the girl told her mother Howden locked her in a storage shed behind his home in Albuquerque's North Valley on Thanksgiving. There he pulled down his pants and made her touch him, and he also fondled her, the girl alleged. …
   Howden, a former Episcopal priest, owns Marriage-Makers, a company that plans and officiates weddings. He served one year as mayor of Rio Rancho after the community incorporated as a city in 1981. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:48 PM, Jan 08, 2010

• Man tells of abuse by priest-uncle

  [~ 1950s Fr Robert Gaghan -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.  
   Philadelphia Daily News, By DAFNEY TALES, talesd@phillynews.com , 215-854-5084, January 08, 2010
   PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- It was the middle of the night when a young John Katubi was roused by someone who slipped into bed with him.
   It was his uncle, the Rev. Robert Gaghan, a parish priest and teacher, who Katubi said fondled him under the covers and then performed oral sex on him.
   Katubi said it happened that one time, but since then, his life had been wrought with emotional distress, an overwhelming sense of guilt and substance abuse. Now, Katubi, 64, a divorced father who lives in Florida, is trying to pick up the pieces.
   "I realized I had problems, but the cause [for them] I realized about a year ago," he said yesterday at a demonstration outside Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School, in South Philadelphia. He had attended Neumann years after his abuse, where Gaghan taught. Neumann and Goretti merged in 2004. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:22 AM, January 08, 2010

• Priest facing sexual offense charges in Brunswick County

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   Star News, By Veronica Gonzalez, Veronica.Gonzalez@StarNewsOnline.com , January 08, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- A 47-year-old Catholic priest from Duplin County who visited Brunswick County in May was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree sexual offense and sexual battery of a male juvenile, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office announced.
   Edgar Sepulveda of 208 Cavenaugh St., Beulaville, has been placed in the Brunswick County jail under a $100,000 secured bond, according to a news release sent by the sheriff's office.
   The news release did not have any other details on the victim other than to say Sepulveda was visiting church members in the county when the offenses are alleged to have occurred. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:26 PM, January 08, 2010

• Priest from North Carolina is behind bars, accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile boy.

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Boy.
   SCNow, WBTW Staff Reports, Published: January 8, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- A priest from North Carolina is behind bars, accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile boy.
   Brunswick County Sheriff Detectives say Father Edgar Sepulveda from Beulaville, NC is charged with one count of 2nd degree sexual offense and one count of sexual battery.
   Investigators say Sepulveda was visiting church members in Brunswick County when these offenses occurred in May of 2009. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:23 PM, January 08, 2010

• Mt. Angel Abbey gets sued 50 years after alleged incident

  [~ 1960s Fr Louis Charvet*] - RCC. Masturbated under his robe.
   Woodburn Independent, By: Lindsay Keefer, Published: Jan/8/2010
   MT. ANGEL (OR) – A 2002 case against the Mt. Angel Abbey has been resurrected after the Oregon Supreme Court determined on Dec. 24 that masturbating in front of a child is indeed child cruelty.
   Plaintiff David Schmidt initially brought the case to Multnomah County Court in 2002 against the abbey and Father Louis Charvet, seeking $4 million in damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress and for breach of fiduciary duty. He also sought $150,000 for costs of counseling and psychological treatment.
   Schmidt claimed that as a 14-year-old student at the Mt. Angel Seminary in 1958, his adviser, Charvet, brought the teen into his office and masturbated under his robe in front of him. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:20 PM, January 08, 2010 [COMMENT: Well, even this Webmaster thinks that case is rather thin.  Surely the courts have better things to do with their time. ENDS.]

• Bishop Burbidge Suspends Charged Priest

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, ~ January 08, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh, announced today that he has suspended the priestly faculty at the present time of the Reverend Edgar Sepulveda, Pastor of Maria Reina Parish in Mount Olive, Santa Teresa Mission in Beulaville and Santa Clara Mission in Magnolia. The action comes following the Diocese being informed that charges of a second degree sexual offense and misdemeanor sexual battery were made by the Brunswick County authorities today against Fr. Sepulveda.  Fr. Sepulveda has been on administrative leave since September 9, after an allegation was made accusing Fr. Sepulveda of alleged sexual misconduct with a minor.
   When the information was received by the Diocese on September 9, 2009, the Diocese immediately reported the allegation to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys as outlined in its Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Children and Young People. The notification was made on the day the allegation was received.
   Dr. John Pendergrass, Diocesan Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection, and Ms. Kathleen Walsh, Diocesan Victim's Assistance Coordinator, met with the individual and the individual's parents on September 10, 2009. Arrangements to provide counseling for the individual and the individual's parents were made. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:17 PM, January 08, 2010

• Priest charged with sex crime in Brunswick County

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   WECT, Reported by Scott Saxton, ~ January 08, 2010
   BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, (WECT) - Detectives in Brunswick County arrested a priest with the Raleigh Diocese of North Carolina Friday and charged him with sex crimes against a juvenile.
   Father Edgar Sepulveda, 47 years old, faces one count of 2nd degree Sexual Offense and one count of Sexual Battery.
   A spokesperson for the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department says Father Sepulveda was visiting church members in this area, when he was accused of committing the crimes against a juvenile male. This allegedly happened in May this past year. According to the Diocese, Sepulveda is the Pastor of Maria Reina Parish in Mt. Olive, Santa Teresa Mission in Beulaville and Santa Clara Mission in Magnolia. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:14 PM, January 08, 2010

• Bishop criticised for failing to answer victims

  - RCC.  
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent, January 09, 2010
   IRELAND -- BISHOP OF Galway Martin Drennan has been criticised by abuse victim Andrew Madden for not responding to a request from him to meet people from Dublin's Catholic archdiocese who were sexually abused by priests there.
   Bishop Drennan was an auxiliary bishop of Dublin from 1997 to 2005. Mr Madden also accused the bishop of "arrogance" and of "being out of touch with reality" because of his refusal to answer any further questions on the Murphy report.
   Meanwhile, moral theologian Fr Seán Fagan has said "it is not enough for Church leaders who discussed these problems in their monthly meetings for years to claim that they were not criticised by the Murphy report." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:09 PM

• Priest Accused of Abuse Under Investigation

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores*, today (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Public Radio, with audio, Produced by Lynette Kalsnes on Friday, January 08, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A Joliet area priest accused of abuse remains hospitalized after jumping off the balcony of a boarded-up church.
   The priest attempted suicide when investigators were on their way to interview him about allegations that he had abused a boy. Bishop J. Peter Sartain publicly apologized to the boy and his family for their pain.
   Diocesan spokesman Doug Delaney says the priest is a Bolivian native who had just been ordained last summer.
   DELANEY: Priests go through an extensive psychological backgrounds, and it was just shock and amazement is what I guess I could say, we've been in shock here for the whole week. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:23 PM]
   [COMMENT: The Webmaster, with only one year's psychology training, can tell you that most candidates for Roman Catholic priesthood are not keen on women.  They are, he thinks, not balanced male personalities. ENDS]

• Public Appearances by Sex Abuse Scandal Bishops Spark Uproar in Milwaukee

  - RC leaders let disgraced homosexual Weakland and Pilarczyk officiate.  
   Lifesite News By Kathleen Gilbert
   MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, January 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is facing outrage from a victim advocacy group after it allowed retired Archbishops Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee and Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, both prominent figures in the priest sex abuse scandal, to speak at a prayer service and concelebrate Mass at St. John's Basilica.
   Weakland was invited to give the keynote address at the seventh biennial Cathedral Ministry Conference concerning the building's renovation, and concelebrate alongside Pilarczyk at Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki's installation Mass. Weakland was also expected to lead a prayer service at the conference, where Pilarczyk was also scheduled to speak.
   Weakland, who admitted praciticing homosexuality in a recent memoir, said in a video deposition in May that he transferred priests with a history of sexual misconduct back into churches without alerting parishioners because "no parish would have accepted a priest unless you could say that he has gone through the kind of psychological examination and that he's not a risk to the parish." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:20 PM

• Statement: Former Pilot Grove priest on leave amid investigation

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   BOONVILLE (MO) -- Boonville Daily News By Nate Birt 04:42 PM CST Fri Jan 08, 2010
   A priest who once worked in Pilot Grove has been put on leave pending investigation of an "allegation of inappropriate electronic communication with a minor" five years ago, a news release from the Diocese of Jefferson City states.
   Father Thomas Seifner was removed Dec. 18 from his positions as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Loose Creek and St. Louis Church in Bonnots Mill, according to the Dec. 20 news release. Both of those churches are located in Osage County. The Diocesan Review Board is investigating the claim, the release states.
   "The case is under review," said Mark Saucier, spokesman for the diocese, in an interview Friday morning. He said he didn't know whether a prosecutor's office is looking into the case. Saucier said he was not able to comment further because the investigation is ongoing. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:18 PM

• Priest Temporarily Suspended for Alleged Sex Crime

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   KOMU, ~ January 08, 2010
   JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI -- The Jefferson City Archdiocese has removed Father Thomas Seifner from his position in Osage County while they review the case.
   Ron Vessell with the diocese had no comment about the case, but did say that they are reviewing allegations that Father Seifner had inappropriate electronic communication with the minor. Vessell, who did not want to go on camera, added that the review process may take a while. The communication in question occured five years ago. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:26 PM, January 08, 2010]

• Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, SSS, Passes Away

  - First Amerindian RC bishop dies.
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010
   Vigil and Funeral Mass to be held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup, New Mexico.
   GALLUP, NEW MEXICO – Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, SSS, (age 64)–bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Gallup–peacefully passed away this morning at 7:45 a.m. (Mountain Time). On December 27, 2009, he was admitted to a critical care unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and never recovered from his illness.
   Nation's First Native American Bishop
   Bishop Pelotte–the first Native American bishop in the United States–was born on April 13, 1945, in Waterville, Maine, and professed religious vows in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament on August 22, 1967. He was ordained a priest on September 2, 1972, by Bishop Edward O'Leary of the Diocese of Portland, Maine. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:15 PM

• Illness claims former Gallup bishop

 
   KRQE, with video, Reporter: Jessica Garate, Web Producer: Bill Diven,
   GALLUP, NEW MEXICO, (KRQE) -- The nation's first Native American Roman Catholic bishop who left Gallup after suffering serious injuries in a still-mysterious incident has died in Florida.
   Bishop-emeritus Donald Pelotte died Thursday morning in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 64.
   Pelotte had been admitted to the cardiac-care unit of Holy Cross Hospital on Dec. 27, according to the Diocese of Gallup. The nature of his illness has not been disclosed. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:11 PM

• Bishop Pelotte dead at 64; may have suffered assault in 2007

  [Bp Pelotte]
   NEW MEXICO -- Catholic Culture
   Retired Bishop Donald Pelotte of Gallup, who may have suffered a severe assault in 2007, has died of an undisclosed illness at the age of 64. Following his severe injuries, the bishop insisted he had fallen down stairs, and police did not pursue the case. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:07 PM [COMMENT: Probably attacked by a homosexual "lover". ENDS.]

• Priest suspended by Jefferson City diocese

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   ConnectMidMissouri
   JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI -- The Jefferson City diocese bishop has temporarily ousted a priest who has been accused of "inappropriate electronic communication" with a minor.
   Father Thomas Seifner pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Loose Creek and St. Louis Church in Bonnots Mill was placed in temporary administrative leave by Bishop Gaydos in late December.
   The incident took place five years ago and the indiviual is no longer a minor. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:13 PM

• Gay marriage in Latin America, and a breakaway church in Uganda

  - Five million have joined in the "married clergy Catholic" Church.      
   National Catholic Reporter (USA), All Things Catholic, by John L Allen Jr, Jan. 08, 2010
   UGANDA and BRAZIL -- * * * Speaking of the world church, various media outlets reported recently that 20 renegade priests in Uganda, fed up with the church's discipline on celibacy, have broken away to found a new "Catholic Apostolic National Church."  Given Uganda's rapidly growing Catholic population (projected to be 56 million by mid-century, making it the sixth largest Catholic country in the world), it's poised to be a powerhouse of the 21st century church, and its affairs are therefore worth tracking.
   Founders of the breakaway church said they were inspired by former Zambian Archbishop Emmauel Milingo, who defected from the Catholic church in 2001 to marry in the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, then briefly returned, only to break with Rome definitively in 2006 by ordaining four married men as bishops without papal permission.
   Structurally speaking, the new Ugandan church is affiliated with a communion of small "Catholic Apostolic Churches" founded by the late Brazilian Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa, who served as the Catholic bishop of Botucatu in Brazil from 1924 to 1937. Costa was excommunicated by Pope Pius XII in 1945 for a host of doctrinal and canonical reasons, including his objection to priestly celibacy. The communion today claims a following of five million in 17 countries, and has become something of a destination of choice for Catholic dissidents who want to maintain apostolic succession but not submission to Rome. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:59 PM

• A Jewish Blogger Finds a Following by Digging in the Dirt

  - Ultra-Orthodox Judaists criticised.  
   The New York Times, By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN, Published: January 8, 2010
   ST. PAUL, Minn. – Decades ago on a characteristically arctic day here, a boy named Scott Rosenberg waited with his neighborhood pals as a certain Chevy Impala glided into view. It contained the city's archbishop, and the boys, all of them Catholic except for Scott, pelted the car with snowballs.
   The archbishop braked and emerged to chastise his assailants. To Scott, whom he correctly identified as Jewish, the prelate said simply, "You call your rabbi."
   Consider this a parable or a metaphor or just a piquant coincidence. Consider it revealing that Shmarya Rosenberg, as Scott is now known, recalled the incident in a recent interview as one of his most enduring memories. Because lo, these years later, Mr. Rosenberg has made his name and earned equal measures of admiration and opprobrium for lobbing the digital version of snowballs at a great many rabbis.
   Blogging on the site FailedMessiah.com, Mr. Rosenberg, 51, has transmuted a combination of muckraking reporting and personal grudge into a must-read digest of the actual and alleged misdeeds of the ultra-Orthodox world. He has broken news about sexual misconduct, smear campaigns and dubious business practices conducted by or on behalf of stringently religious Jews. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:11 PM

• Well-known criminal defense attorney to join State Attorney's Office as chief counsel

   
   Palm Beach Post, Palm Beach Post Staff Report
   WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Well known criminal defense attorney Scott Richardson is joining the State Attorney's Office as chief counsel to the state attorney, State Attorney Michael McAuliffe announced today. …
   In private practice, Richardson was highly regarded as a defense attorney. His long list of clients include, most recently, the Rev. John Skehan, the former longtime pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer in Delray Beach who was charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the church, and Patrick P.J. Melehan, convicted in the death of Carlos Lopez, who was found with a steel rod impaled through his skull. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:00 PM, Jan 08, 2010

• Pastor arrested for sexual battery

  [2007 May 12-16 - Rev. Dieugrand Jacques*] - "New Alliance Haitian Church." Girl (15).    
   WPTV, with video, Reported by: Eric Glasser, Email: eglasser § wptv com
   BOYNTON BEACH, FL, (PBSO) -- A Boynton Beach pastor has been arrested for sexual battery on a teenaged girl.
   The case dates back to May of 2007 when the alleged victim would have been just 15 years old. But she didn't tell police about it until more than a year later - August of 2008.
   The case was filed about a year ago and a warrant was issued about a month ago. Why it took so long to process remains unclear but the suspect was arrested Thursday night. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:55 PM, Jan 08, 2010

• Accused Joliet priest remains in ICU

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Sun-Times SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRES
   ILLINOIS -- Detectives investigating sex-abuse allegations against a Shorewood priest were on their way to interview him when he left a Joliet home where he was being monitored, went to a boarded-up church and apparently plunged from a 20-foot-high balcony.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, survived Wednesday's fall into the church pews below, but he suffered serious head injuries. He remained hospitalized in intensive care at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet on Thursday.
   "Our diocese has suffered some tragedies this week which have saddened many people within the diocese and the entire community," Bishop J. Peter Sartain said Thursday. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:00 AM

• Defense lawyers for Salinas priest argue that laptop, hard drive illegally seized

  [Cortes]  
   The Californian, BY SUNITA VIJAYAN, svijayan@thecalifornian.com , January 8, 2010
   SALINAS (CA) -- A hearing began Thursday to determine whether police illegally seized a computer hard drive they say contains child pornography and belongs to a Salinas priest.
   Defense lawyers for the Rev. Antonio Cortes, accused of sexually assaulting a minor, allege that Salinas police had no right taking a silver laptop and external hard drive on April 16 from the St. Mary of the Nativity Church office at 1702 Second Ave.
   Though Cortes was present at the office, his lawyers say, the officers did not have a search warrant for that location. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:55 AM

• Priests and justice

     
   Sydney Morning Herald, By DAVID MARR, January 9, 2010
   After two years of investigation, charges of pedophilia at St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, are moving to trial. David Marr reports.
   AUSTRALIA -- One winter day a couple of years ago, a troubled man walked the streets of Bathurst, handing out leaflets accusing a priest of sexual abuse. Tor Steven Nielsen's life was a mess. A few weeks before this dash to Bathurst he had posted on his website a grim résumé of his 35 years: "As it stands now I am a convicted criminal who has been certified as delusional.
   "I have no education, no house, no job, no job references, no licence, no car, no super, no savings. To this day, they are putting Drugs in my food and I find it very distressing … my life has been completely destroyed." [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:51 AM]

• Judge tosses ex-pastor's deal

   
   Centre Daily Times, by Sara Ganim
   BELLEFONTE (PA) – A former pastor from Philipsburg accused of two sex-related offenses against children will take his case before a jury after a judge threw out the plea agreement that would have allowed him to spend about six months in jail.
   At Dennis Reedy's scheduled sentencing Thursday, Judge Bradley P. Lunsford informed prosecutor Yvette Willson and Reedy's attorney Dave Mason that he was rejecting the deal.
   From the bench, Lunsford did not give a reason, but told the attorneys to "keep negotiating." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:39 AM

• Salinas priest asks court to suppress evidence

 
   SALINAS (CA) -- The Herald By VIRGINIA HENNESSEY Herald Salinas Bureau Updated: Jan/08/2010
   A Salinas priest accused of molesting a teenage parishioner was in court Thursday, where his attorney began an effort to suppress child-pornography evidence in the case.
   Lawyer Eugene Martinez maintains Salinas police illegally seized an external hard drive from the Rev. Antonio Cortes' church office when their search warrant was written for his home.
   Cortes, who is suspended from his duties as pastor of St. Mary of the Nativity Church in Salinas, is accused of engaging in sodomy with a 16-year-old boy in the rectory of the church April 14, then providing him alcohol. The boy told police that Cortes was giving him "spiritual massages" and alcohol for a few years, beginning at Holy Trinity Church in Greenfield, where Cortes was previously assigned. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:35 AM

• Gibbs guilty of 2 more sex offences

  [1966-71 REv Kenneth Gibbs*] - Anglican. ~ 7 girls.  
   The Sault Star, Posted By LINDA RICHARDSON,
   CANADA -- Former Anglican priest Kenneth Gibbs, imprisoned last month for molesting five young girls decades ago, has been convicted of two more dated sexual offences.
   Gibbs, 77, pleaded guilty earlier this week to two counts of indecent assault in a Timmins courtroom.
   The offences occurred in Chapleau where he served as minister of St. John's Anglican Church from 1966 to 1971. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:32 AM

• Catholic priest in Loose Creek removed pending investigation

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.  
   News Tribune, By Gerry Tritz, gtritz@newstribune.com ,
   MISSOURI -- The pastor of the Catholic churches in Loose Creek and Bonnots Mill has been accused of "inappropriate electronic communication" with a minor and removed from his duties while an investigation takes place.
   Bishop John Gaydos placed Father Thomas Seifner on temporary administrative leave Dec. 18.
   Gaydos, along with Monsignor Gregory Higley, the diocesan vicar general, personally informed both congregations during Masses on Dec. 19 and 20.
   The reported incident took place five years ago, and the minor is now an adult, according to a statement from Mark Saucier, a spokesman for the Jefferson City Diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:28 AM

• Houston woman in sex scandal undergoes conversion in Israel

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.    
   The Jerusalem Post, By MATTHEW WAGNER,
   ISRAEL -- A woman from Houston who got mixed up in a sex scandal with a prominent haredi rabbi from Monsey, New York, arrived in Israel clandestinely and was converted to Judaism on Sunday in Alon Shvut by Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Hebron-Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior and a third rabbi who preferred to remain anonymous.
   Shannon Orand, 32, whose new Jewish name is Rachel, received massive media coverage in religious circles in America in recent weeks after it became known that Rabbi Leib Tropper, the chairman of the Rabbinic Committee of Eternal Jewish Family, had allegedly forced Orand to conduct phone sex with him and purportedly encouraged her to have sexual relations with other men. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:08 AM

• The Church is the People

   
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing by Virginia Jones
   We have a problem in that Church leadership is too afraid of lawsuits and too insular to do the right thing by survivors of clergy abuse. On the other end of the spectrum, there are many survivors who are so wounded and so caught in their wounds that they are not able to move forward, We lay people of the Catholic Church have a valuable place of standing in between, independent of the Church and yet of the Church, recognizing that Church leadership is human and afraid of criticism and negative consequences no matter what they do. And because they are acting from their fears, they are not able to do the right thing. But we, the people of the Church, can still do the right thing.
   When I converted to Catholicism, I converted because I was inspired by Catholic saints not because I was inspired by Pope John Paul ii or Archbishop Vlazny. The Archbishop is a big cipher to me. From my perspective working with survivors, I'd say that he hasn't done nearly enough for healing. However, when he came to Ascension a month ago for the rededication of the Church he spoke Spanish and had a good sense of humor. Nice, but not enough to inspire me to be Catholic. I have much more positive things to say about Pope John Paul II, who was pope when I converted to Catholicism. He did some really good things. I think apologizing for the Church's sins such as the Inquisition and the Crusades was wonderful. On clergy abuse he made some not very smart moves such as protecting the head of a religious order -- Fr. Maciel-- who had many accusations of child sex abuse against him. I need to note that Pope Benedict removed Fr. Maciel shortly after becoming Pope because of these accusations. And Pope Benedict moved to apologize to some survivors in person. One of those survivors was Olan Horne. I've never met Olan in person, but I have spoken to him on the phone. I trust Olan when he says that he felt that the Pope's apology was sincere. I also trust Olan Horne when he said after the Pope's apology that lay people had to carry the work forward because the bishops were not following in Pope Benedict's lead. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:01 AM

• Interview with Conference of European Rabbis

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.        
   5 Towns Jewish Times, By 5TJT Staff, Published on Thursday, January 07, 2010
   NEW YORK -- The Conference of European Rabbis is the primary Orthodox Rabbinic organization in Europe. It was founded in 1956 on the initiative of British Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie, and its current executive director is Rabbi Aba Dunner. All the chief Rabbis across Europe joined the organization, and attended its first conference in Amsterdam.
   It is now run by a standing committee of 25 members which meets twice a year, and just met in Moscow. The Five Towns Jewish Times and VINNEWS spoke with Rabbi Dunner in an exclusive interview concerning the recent statement by the Conference of European Rabbis about the EJF (the Eternal Jewish Family). …
   INT: One would think that there would be worldwide condemnation against Leib Tropper, the former leader of the EJF, and its organization - yet there is virtually nothing. Why is that?
   RD: We are amazed why it is. We unmasked this organization and the chap who ran it, I would not call him Rabbi - before this scandal.. We found him to be a control freak and a megalo-maniac, we found him to be so disrespectful of Rabbanim that there was a unanimous vote of the standing committee to make sure that he and his organization do not enter Europe. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:57 AM

• Another teen comes forward in sex abuse case

  [Mr Jordan Vernon (20)] - Real Life Ministries.  
   KNDO/KNDU, with video,
   POST FALLS, Idaho. - Detectives in Post Falls say another Idaho teenager has come forward claiming to have been abused by a former youth leader at a Post Falls church.
   Jordan Vernon, 20, is already accused of having sex with at least two girls and having inappropriate contact with others. The age of the girls ranged from 12 to 17, according to Police detective Sgt. Dave Beck.
   Beck says Vernon served as a volunteer student leader at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:47 AM

• New rape charge to be filed against former church volunteer

 
   KTVB,
   POST FALLS, Idaho -- Post Falls Police confirm they will seek an additional felony charge against a former church youth leader, already accused of having sex with teens.
   Officers say Jordan Vernon, 20, will face a second statutory rape charge for an alleged encounter with a 16-year-old.
   Vernon already faces felony charges including Infamous Crimes Against Nature, Lewd Conduct with a Child Under 16, Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 16, and Statutory Rape-Sex with a Child Under 18. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:45 AM

• OMG, you can learn of new Springfield bishop via text : )

 
   News-Democrat,
   SPRINGFIELD (IL) -- Want to be among the first to know who Pope Benedict XVI appoints as bishop of Springfield?
   There's a text for that.
   The Catholic Diocese of Springfield is taking advantage of the Internet and cell technologies to spread the word when the new bishop is announced. The diocese covers 131 parishes in Madison County and 27 other counties in central Illinois. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:41 AM

• U.S. attorney names key lieutenants

 
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Boston Business Journal,
   United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz has appointed James F. Lang as the chief of the Criminal Division, John T. McNeil as the deputy chief of the Criminal Division and Nadine Pellegrini as the chief of the Major Crimes Unit. …
   McNeil also brought the first federal investigation of clergy sexual abuse of children, and reached the first criminal settlement in the nation with a Catholic diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:38 AM

• Delaware courts: Judge lifts stay on sexual abuse suits

  - RCC.  
   The News Journal, By SEAN O'SULLIVAN, January 8, 2010
   WILMINGTON (DE) -- A Superior Court judge has officially lifted a stay on all abuse lawsuits filed under the Delaware Child Victim's Act of 2007 that do not directly involve the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
   Judge Calvin L. Scott Jr. had ordered the hold in October to allow for possible group settlement talks -- but after the diocese sought bankruptcy protection later that same month, effectively freezing many of the lawsuits -- Scott concluded that his earlier order was "no longer meaningful."
   Scott signed the new order changing course in late December and it means dozens of lawsuits against church religious orders, churches outside the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington -- and likely private schools, groups or individuals -- can now move forward toward a trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:35 AM

• Four Mexican Priests Leave Church over Celibacy Rule

  [~ 2010: 4 unnamed priests*]- RCC. Not celibate.  
   Latin American Herald Tribune,
   MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – Four priests assigned to the archdiocese of the central Mexican state of Puebla have decided to leave the Catholic Church because they have girlfriends and children, a situation that is incompatible with the celibacy rule.
   Archdiocese spokesman Eugenio Lira told Efe on Thursday that the priests made their decision after individual conversations with Archbishop Victor Sanchez Espinoza, who explained to them the incompatibility of their positions with the family situations.
   Lira said that the archbishop, who assumed that office last April, knew that some of the priests had girlfriends and children, and so he ordered an investigation. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:32 AM

• Joliet priest attempts suicide after abuse allegation, officials say

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Tribune, By Steve Schmadeke, January 8, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- Parishioners called their newly minted, Bolivian-born priest "Father Alex" and spoke of him as a "holy man" whom churchgoers at Holy Family Parish in Shorewood had quickly grown to love.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores told them that his experiences in a Bolivian orphanage after his mother died inspired him to become a priest, according to a church magazine article.
   But a vastly different side of Flores, 37, emerged Monday, when he was put on leave by the Diocese of Joliet, accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy. Kane County authorities launched an investigation. Church officials moved the parochial vicar from his post to a Joliet residence for priests in training and took "very, very serious precautions to monitor him," said Joliet Bishop J. Peter Sartain. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:29 AM

• Details emerge after priest removed

  [Suarez]
   Stockton Record By Joe Goldeen January 08, 2010
   STOCKTON (CA)-- A day after the Diocese of Stockton revealed that Roman Catholic priest Leo Suarez was relieved of duties for admitting to sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago, it was learned that the child was a girl, a police report was first filed in Hughson in September and that no one has contacted the diocese indicating there might be more than one victim.
   Revelations of yet another priest in the diocese caught up in a sex-abuse case did spark strong reaction from SNAP, the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and led one Oakdale woman to conduct a protest Thursday afternoon outside the Modesto Catholic church where Suarez last worked.
   It was learned Thursday from a diocesan official that Suarez's victim was a girl, but that official immediately regretted revealing that information, citing the victim's desire to remain anonymous. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:19 AM

• Checking diocesan action against priest

  [Suarez]
   The Modesto Bee By Sue Nowicki snowicki@modbee.com
   MODESTO (CA) -- Two women protested Thursday afternoon outside Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Modesto, where a priest recently was banished after admitting sexual misconduct with a minor.
   The Stockton Diocese announced Wednesday that the Rev. Leo Suarez had been removed from the priesthood for inappropriate behavior with a minor 20 years ago when he was serving at St. Anthony's parish in Hughson. The Mexican-born priest most recently served at Fatima, for about seven months in 2009.
   Thursday, diocese spokeswoman Sister Terry Davis confirmed that after Suarez's revelations, law enforcement was informed and the victim has been contacted by the diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:16 AM

• Daily News Brief: January 7th

  [Munoz Quintero]  
   CHILE -- The Pulse
   A priest accused of sexual abuse and child exploitation was taken into protective custody on Wednesday. The Criminal Court of Curacaví placed priest Ricardo Muñoz Quintero in protective custody after he was accused of sexual abuse against minors, including his five-year-old daughter. Quintero's wife, Pamela Ampuero Escobar, was also placed in protective custody after amid accusations of child prostitution. The Court set a 90-day deadline to investigate the case. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:14 AM
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri January 08, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat January 09, 2010 edition:

• Priest accused of abusing STC child

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   The Chronicle By KATE THAYER - kthayer@kcchronicle.com
   ST. CHARLES (IL) – A Joliet priest that appeared to attempt suicide by jumping off a church balcony is accused of sexually abusing a St. Charles child.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, on Wednesday, jumped off the 20-foot choir balcony St. Mary's Carmelite Church in Joliet, which is no longer in use, police said.
   Two days earlier, St. Charles police received reports that Flores sexually abused a St. Charles child and referred the information to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office, according to St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:37 PM, Jan 09, 2010]

• Monks slated by Charity Commission after they allowed a known paedophile access to teenager

  [- 2008 David Pearce (monk) - ? NEW*] - RCC. Children.  
   National Secular Society, ~ January 09, 2010
   {Inquiry Report: The Trust of St. Benedict's Abbey Ealing}
   UNITED KINGDOM -- The Charity Commission has issued an unusually strongly-worded criticism of the monks of Ealing Abbey in west London, when one of their number, who was known to have abused children, was allowed to have contact with a teenager at the abbey, who he then sexually assaulted.
   "Father" David Pearce, a former head teacher at St Benedict's Junior School, was jailed in October after he belatedly admitted 10 indecent assaults and one sexual assault. Complaints of abuse against Pearce had already been heard in a civil court and damages were awarded against him. He was allowed to return to the Abbey, but was arrested in 2008 for sexually assaulting a sixth-form pupil who was employed to wash up for the monks. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:37 AM, January 09, 2010

• A Clergy Abuse Survivor's Commentary on Tom Doyle's Reflections on John Jay Study

  - RCC.  
   Voice from the Desert By Joey Piscitelli,
   UNITED STATES -- Regarding the arguments about the John Jay Study that I call "nonsense," Tom Doyle reflects on the core of the issue of the Catholic Church as a monarchical government structure, and points out wisely its many major flaws.
   This is true. And Tom Doyle asks "Why did this all happen?" Among the answers I perceived from his essay are fear, unaccountability, a monarchy unchecked, reputation, protection, and denial. I think we can all see this.
   Tom Doyle even mentions the historic Inquisition. (The Catholic Church's persecution of innocent Witches). [sic]  He mentions the Churches unaccountability then. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:32 PM

• Priest charged with molesting boy

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.  
   WRAL,
   BOLIVIA, North Carolina – A priest at Catholic churches in Wayne and Duplin counties has been arrested and suspended from his job on allegations that he molested a boy in Brunswick County.
   Rev. Edgar Sepulveda, 47, of 208 Cavenaugh St. in Beulaville, was arrested Friday on one count each of second-degree sexual offense and sexual battery. He was released on a $100,000 secured bond.
   Sepulveda has been suspended from his pastoral duties at Maria Reina Parish in Mount Olive, Santa Teresa Mission in Beulaville and Santa Clara Mission in Magnolia, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh also announced Friday. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:50 PM

• The panel has been set for the United States premiere of the clergy sexual abuse movie, "Beyond the Fire"

  -- New MOVIE "Beyond the Fire"  
   Voice from the Desert,
   DEDHAM (MA) -- The USA premiere of Maeve Murphy's award winning film (best feature, London Independent Film Festival), BEYOND THE FIRE, will be held on Sunday evening, January 24, 2010, at 9:00 P.M. at the DEDHAM [MA] COMMUNITY THEATER, HIGH STREET, downtown DEDHAM, just off Route 1 (Providence Highway). Following the 77 minute film, a panel of clergy abuse experts/survivors and movie principals will share in a question and answer period.
   A donation of $10.00 would be appreciated but MUST not prevent anyone from attending the premiere. All proceeds will benefit the work of Road to Recovery, a non-profit organization founded and directed by Fathers Ken Lasch (a Voice of the Faithful priest of integrity) and Bob Hoatson that assists clergy abuse survivors with their recoveries. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:48 PM

• Archdiocese defends controversial sculpture of Archbishop Weakland

  - RCC relaxed attitude to statue of homosexual and perv-enabling archbishop ?
   Catholic News Agency, 10:03 am, Jan 9, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) / (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has defended itself against the recent uproar caused by a sculpture in the diocese cathedral which bears the image of a controversial former archbishop, saying the piece was "commissioned to represent the archdiocese" at an earlier time than now.
   Former Archbishop Rembert Weakland, whose resignation Pope John Paul II accepted in 2002 when he reached the age of 75, was found to have had a homosexual relationship with an adult male seminarian who he paid to keep quiet about their involvement. The former archbishop has also admitted to moving pedophile priests around to different parishes, FOX 6 TV reports.
   Although his misdeeds took place years ago, a new bronze relief pedastal that portrays the former archbishop alongside images of the Virgin Mary, St. John and various other figures including children is now causing a stir. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:16 PM

• My Top 10 Scandals of 2009

  - RCC.
   Living water in an empty desert,
   UNITED STATES – 10) For their lack of cooperation in the Apostolic Visitation of the Vatican which seeks to analyze the condition of religious life in the United States --- the women religious of the United States.
   9) For writing a book revealing pathological narcissism and blame for everyone besides himself --- Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
   8) For fathering a child and costing the Franciscans much money over the years for the support of mother and son --- Father Henry Willenborg. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:43 AM

• Essence of the Problem

  - Baptists.
   Stop Baptist Predators, by Christa Brown
   UNITED STATES -- Last week on the BaptistLife forum, a bare handful of comments captured the essence of the Baptist clergy abuse problem … and the essence of a partial solution.
   Too bad no one paid much attention.
   Timothy Bonney got the ball rolling. He's a pastor with the American Baptists, not the Southern Baptists. American Baptists are a much smaller group, but like all Baptists, local church autonomy is central to their polity. However, for American Baptists, autonomy doesn't automatically displace accountability. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:39 AM

• We've moved on from the days when Rome ruled our Republic

  - RCC leader got "filial loyalty" message in 1948.      
   Irish Examiner, By Ryle Dwyer, Saturday, January 09, 2010
   IRELAND -- THERE was an amazing interview during the week on RTÉ in relation to the final decommissioning of weapons by the UDA. It seemed strange to hear Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group speak in such complimentary terms about the help received in Dublin. …
   There has been a tendency in recent years to depict de Valera's Ireland as a priest-ridden bog, but while the Long Fellow may have been almost physically blind, he had more vision than the leaders of the coalition which ousted him in 1948.
   One of the first acts of that government was to send a telegram to the Pope desiring "to repose at the feet of Your Holiness the assurance of our filial loyalty and our devotion to your August Person, as well as our firm resolve to be guided in all our work by the teaching of Christ and to strive for the attainment of social order in Ireland based on Christian principles."
   Maurice Moynihan, the cabinet secretary, strongly advised against the telegram on the grounds that "no civil power should declare that it reposed at the feet of the Pope," but he was overruled and promptly banned from future cabinet meetings. That was the government that formally proclaimed the Republic in 1949. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:09 AM

• Fr. Rodino supported by parishoners

  [Fr Sam Rodino]  
   The Record By Danielle Sanzone
   WYNANTSKILL (NY) – It's been more than two months since Rev. Salvatore "Sam" Rodino was suspended from his position at St. Jude the Apostle parish for alleged sexual impropriety, but his flock of loyal parishioners still support him and have been conducting its own investigation into the matter.
   "I think they thought people would get over this after a couple of weeks, but that is not the case at all," said Denise Ryan, a member of the Wynantskill parish. "We will never leave him. The support will not stop. They did this to him, so they did it to us as well."
   The St. Jude parish has contacted all of Rodino's old positions and they have not found anything negative in his past, said Ryan. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:01 AM

• N.C. priest suspended after an arrest in S.C.

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   News-Observer staff reports
   RALEIGH (NC) -- A North Carolina priest has been suspended by the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh after he was arrested in South Carolina and charged with committing sexual offenses on a juvenile.
   The Rev. Edgar Sepulveda, 47, is charged with one count of second-degree sexual offense and one count of sexual battery, according to Marty Folding, public affairs officer with the Brunswick County, S.C., Sheriff's Office.
   Sepulveda was visiting church members in Brunswick County in May when the offenses occurred, Folding said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:56 AM

• Collegiality Made Visible

  - RCC.  
   America Magazine by Michael Sean Winters | JANUARY 18, 2010
   In the 40 years since the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, observers and journalists have highlighted the changes the council wrought. It is easy to see why: Change is news and captures the media's attention in a way that continuity does not. Pope Benedict XVI has tried to correct this interpretation by arguing that the council should also be seen in terms of how it carried on the early traditions of the church. In the words of the pope, a "hermeneutics of discontinuity" must be countered with a "hermeneutics of reform."
   This hermeneutic of reform is advisable for both theological and historical reasons. Vatican II's reforms were not plucked out of thin air. The ressourcement theology that informed much of the council's texts looked back to the first centuries of Christendom to reclaim insights that had been lost. We can now see that the liturgical reforms begun by Pope Pius X and the biblical scholarship blessed by Pope Pius XII also prepared the way for Vatican II in essential and meaningful ways.
   One of the more contentious issues at the council was that of episcopal collegiality, the idea that all the bishops, united with the pope, are responsible for the governance of the universal church. This, too, was an idea the council fathers sought to rescue from the practices of the early church–and they succeeded, despite significant curial opposition. The council's doctrine of collegiality presented bishops less as branch managers for the Vatican and more as successors of the Apostles in their own right. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:35 AM

• Woman determined to testify in priest sex-abuse lawsuit

  [2yrs Fr Raoul Deveau] - RCC. Girl (10-11).  
   The Chronicle-Herald, By EVA HOARE, Sat. Jan 9, 2010
   CANADA -- Joanne Muron-Sullivan says she's prepared to go to court to recount how Father Raoul Deveau sexually assaulted her over a two-year period, starting when she was 10.
   And even if she is the only person "strong enough" to sue the Catholic Church over Father Deveau's alleged actions, "so be it," the South Shore woman said.
   "When I started this suit, I was alone," Ms. Muron-Sullivan said in a telephone interview Thursday. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:32 AM, Jan 09, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sat January 09, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun January 10, 2010 edition:

• Roman Catholic priest mired in sex allegations

  [2008-10 Fr Cephas Gumbo (36) -NEW*] - RCC. Romance with woman.  
   Sunday News, By Dumisani Sibanda, ~ January 10, 2010
   ZIMBABWE -- A 35-YEAR-OLD woman from Bulawayo's Nkulumane suburb has spilled the beans on a romance that has lasted almost two years that she purports to have had with a Roman Catholic Priest based at St Bernard's Church in Pumula, Father Cephas Gumbo (36), who is sworn to celibacy.
   Clerical celibacy is a vow that Roman Catholic priests take to abstain from sexual intercourse.
   The woman, who declined to be named, said she had decided to end the relationship as she suspects that the clergyman might be cheating on her.
   She told Sunday News that when she fell in love with the priest – who initially identified himself to her as Dingilizwe Msipa – in May 2008, she was not aware that he was a Roman Catholic priest. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:48 AM, January 10, 2010

• Pastor removed over abuse, misconduct allegations

  [1980s-90s Fr John Wielebski - NEW*] - RCC. Minor + 2 young males.  
   Baltimore Sun, ~ Jan 10, 2010
   BALTIMORE (MD) -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore has removed a Laurel pastor from ministry while it investigates allegations against him of sexual misconduct during the 1980s, the archdiocese said on Sunday.
   The Rev. John Wielebski, 62, pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Church, has denied all of the allegations, the archdiocese said. The archdiocese revoked his faculties to function as a priest in December.
   The misconduct is alleged to have occurred while Wielebski at St. Dominic Church in Baltimore, where he was assigned from 1985 to 1988, and Monsignor Clare J. O'Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, where he was assigned from 1988 to 1991.
   The archdiocese was investigating an allegation Wielebski had sexually abused a minor when it learned of additional allegations of sexual misconduct involving two young men, the archdiocese said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:19 PM, Jan 10, 2010]

• Archdiocese Removes Priest Over Allegations of Sexual Misconduct from 1980s

  [1980s-90s Fr John Wielebski* (62)] - RCC. Minor + 2 young males.
   Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Jan/10/2010
   BALTIMORE (MD) -- The Archdiocese of Baltimore has learned of three allegations of sexual misconduct against Father John Wielebski, 62, pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Church in Laurel. All of the allegations are related to acts which allegedly occurred in the mid-late 1980s while he was serving at St. Dominic Church, Baltimore, and the Monsignor Clare J. O'Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, Maryland.
   While investigating the initial allegation of sexual abuse of a minor made against Father Wielebski, the Archdiocese also learned of additional allegations of sexual misconduct involving Father Wielebski and two young men.
   The Archdiocese has been cooperating and sharing information with the civil authorities and on December 18, after receiving permission from civil authorities to make contact with Father Wielebski, representatives of the Archdiocese met with him to discuss the allegations. He denied all the allegations against him. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Archdiocese removed Father Wielebski from ministry and revoked his faculties to function as a priest, pending the outcome of its investigation. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:40 PM

• Baltimore archdiocese removes accused priest

  [1980s-90s Fr John Wielebski* (62)] - RCC. Minor + 2 young males.
   The Examiner,
   BALTIMORE (MD) – The Archdiocese of Baltimore says it has removed a priest from church duties following allegations of sexual misconduct.
   The archdiocese says the abuse allegedly occurred in the mid- to late-1980s while 62-year-old Father John Wielebski was serving at St. Dominic Church in Baltimore and the Monsignor Clare J. O'Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:36 PM

• Sinead's crusade on abuse and Polanski

  [1977 Mr Polanski]- No religion link given. Girl (13).          
   Irish Independent, By Emily Hourican, Sunday January 10 2010
   IRELAND -- WHEN Sinead O'Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II, staring into camera and chanting "fight the real enemy!" on Saturday Night Live in 1992, she derailed her career, and caused most of us to conclude she was a bit mad. The gesture seemed extreme, showy, unnecessary, and by it and many others, Sinead seemed to wilfully chuck away the stellar career that could have been hers. That graceful child with huge eyes and breath-catching talent, she could have conquered the world by staying quiet and using her clear, pure voice to sing the songs people wanted from her.
   Instead, she spoke up, spoke out, blundering frequently, sometimes retracting controversial statements, other times refusing to do so, but incapable of staying silent and keeping the status quo. She lost fans, friends and probably contracts too, but still she voiced her opinions on all the issues that mattered to her, making up for the lack of tact with blistering conviction. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:50 AM

• Alice B. Younger: Child Victims Act deserves support

   
   LaCrosse Tribune, By Alice B. Younger / Stratford, Wis. | Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010
   MADISON (WI) -- There is a public hearing set for the Child Victims Act, Assembly Bill and Senate Bill 319 12, at
   10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Room 411 South at the Capitol in Madison. This bill would repeal the state's civil statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse cases involving clergy and incest - under existing law victims can sue until they reach age 35 - and open a three-year window for victims who had been barred previously from suing. It is modeled after legislation passed in California and Delaware. The California law resulted in identification of 300 previously unknown sex offenders, and we hope it would have a similar effect here.
   Victims and child safety advocates have said that only a small percentage of these cases involved clergy, so church concerns should not derail the bill. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:47 AM

• ‘Aye, those be slighting words against the Lord:' Ireland's blasphemy law

   
   National Post (Canada) by Stephen Marche, Weekend Post
   IRELAND -- On the first day of 2010 (note: not 1310), Ireland's new blasphemy law came into effect, making statements about the folly of religion punishable by a 25,000 euro fine. Specifically, the law forbids "publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion." Ireland, yet again, has shown the world the toxic result of religious influence on the state. Fortunately, the Irish specialize in blasphemers as well as zealots; a group called Atheist Ireland is flouting the law by posting on its website 25 quotations selected intentionally to outrage religious sensibilities and daring the authorities to prosecute them. They chose a wide range of blasphemy, which was smart, because the new laws, ironically, are intended to promote tolerance. Blasphemy was already a crime in Irish law; the new legislation merely extends the right not to be offended to people of any faith at all. …
   Another problem with the new Irish law is that the truth itself is blasphemous. It's hard to report the events of the past two decades without "intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents." The Irish government reported that the Dublin diocese of the Catholic Church tolerated "endemic sexual abuse" and sheltered more than 170 pedophile priests from justice for decades. Could you make a more damning statement about any religious group? The Pope goes to AIDS-ravaged Africa and tells people not to use condoms. He welcomes Holocaust-deniers into the priesthood. He commences the process for turning Hitler's Pope into a saint. No atheist needs to make stuff up. What's more blasphemous to the Catholic Church than the newspaper?
   Religion is trying to make a comeback into the public sphere through the back door, not by insisting on intolerance, but by demanding a respect that it's done nothing to earn. Fortunately, there will always be blasphemers to stand in the way. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:40 AM, Jan 10, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun January 10, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon January 11, 2010 edition:

• Diocese school superintendent is the subject of sex abuse review by DA's office

  [? 2000s Mr Joseph G. Casciano -NEW*] - RCC. Touching.
   The Times-Tribune, By Joe McDonald (Staff Writer), Published: January 11, 2010
   SCRANTON (PA) – The superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Scranton, who has taken a leave of absence, is the subject of a sexual abuse allegation under review by the Lackawanna County district attorney's office, District Attorney Andy Jarbola said Monday.
   In a letter, the diocese asked Mr. Jarbola's office to look into "alleged inappropriate touching."
   Although the statue of limitations has expired, Mr. Jarbola said, "We are reviewing the information that was presented to us."
   The superintendent of schools, Joseph G. Casciano, has been granted a leave of absence but diocesean officials have not given a reason for the leave. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:37 PM

• Rabbi admits ‘inappropriate physical contact' with boys, telling one to lie to mother and police

  [2007 Rabbi Yaakov Weiss - ? NEW*] - Judaist. Admitted. 2 boys.
   Albany Times Union, by Robert Gavin, 6:00 pm, January 11, 2010
   LOUDONVILLE (NY) -- A Loudonville rabbi admitted Monday he had "inappropriate physical contact" with two naked boys – and that he told one of them to lie about it to police and his mother.
   Yaakov Weiss, 29, founder of the Chabad of Colonie and the Chabad Hebrew School, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment for telling a 14-year-old boy on June 30, 2008 to "just say nothing happened" about an incident in 2007.
   He faces up to 60 days in the Albany County jail and three years probation in a plea deal. It was reached just as his trial was set to begin in Albany County Court. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:19 PM, January 11, 2010

• Pastor's trial on sex-abuse allegations underway today

  [2006-07 Pastor Frederick Hanson -? NEW*] - Christian. Minor/s.  
   The Daily Gleaner, By BRYAN TAIT, The Bugle-Observer, ~ January 11, 2010
   WOODSTOCK, CANADA - Jury selection will take place this morning in the first of two trials for a former pastor in Carleton and Victoria counties.
   Frederick Douglas Hanson, 59, is charged with three counts of sexually touching a person under the age of 14 and one count of sexually touching the body of a person under the age of 14 while in a position of trust.
   The crimes are alleged to have occurred in the Plaster Rock area between May 1 and 29, 2006; May 29, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2007; Sept. 1 and 30, 2007; and between Nov. 1 and 30, 2007. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:09 AM, January 11, 2010]

• Pedophile scandal in Pietarsaari in Finnish Ostrobothnia

  [- 1980s Unnamed - NEW*] - State Church. > 10 victims.  
   RIL News, ~ Jan 11, 2010
   FINLAND -- A pedophile scandal with more than ten victims is now being rolled up in a revivalist movement within the state church in Pietarsaari in Finnish Ostrobothnia. Years of covering-up keeps the total number of victims unknown.
   A number of people who are now in their forties have suffered for years from serious abuse of a pedophile in Pietarsaari in Finnish Ostrobothnia. Some of the victims are feeling very poor and has started to share their experiences to others, including undersigned.
   The abuses, which lasted until the eighties, have been known to the victims' relatives and the leadership of the pedophile's home congregation. The abuses were quieted down, however, and covered-up for decades. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:49 PM, Jan 11, 2010

• Diocese of Scranton has new acting head of schools

  [? 2000s Mr Joseph G. Casciano*] - RCC. Touching.  
   Times Leader, January 06, 2010
   SCRANTON (PA) – The Diocese of Scranton has a new acting head of Catholic schools.
   Joseph G. Casciano had requested a leave of absence from the secretary for Catholic schools/superintendent of schools and acting secretary for parish life and evangelization positions, diocese spokesman Bill Genello said in an e-mailed announcement Tuesday night.
   Cardinal Justin Rigali, apostolic administrator of the diocese, responded to Casciano's request and granted the leave. It became effective Dec. 28. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:44 PM, Jan 11, 2010]

• Scranton diocese school superintendent granted leave

  [? 2000s Mr Joseph G. Casciano*] - RCC. Touching.
   The Times-Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL (STAFF WRITER), Published: January 8, 2010
   SCRANTON (PA) -- The superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Scranton has been granted a leave of absence.
   Diocesan officials did not give a reason for the leave of Joseph G. Casciano, who has overseen schools in the 11-county diocese since 2005.
   Mr. Casciano is also taking a leave of absence from his job as acting secretary for parish life and evangelization. When reached Thursday at his West Scranton home, Mr. Casciano said he had no comment and referred all questions to the diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:41 PM

• Suicidal priest suspected of assaulting St. Charles boy

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Daily Herald, By Josh Stockinger | Daily Herald Staff |
   ILLINOIS -- Two days before he apparently attempted suicide by leaping off a church balcony last week, a Joliet priest had been accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old St. Charles boy, police said Monday.
   Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti also has confirmed authorities were investigating the Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, who survived the fall from a 20-foot choir balcony Wednesday at St. Mary's Carmelite Church in Joliet.
   The boy's family had reported the accusations to police Jan. 4, just two days before Flores' suicide attempt, according to St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain. The matter was then turned over to the Kane County Child Advocacy Center, St. Charles Police spokesman Paul McCurtain said, declining further comment. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:34 PM

• Broadcast of Prop 8 Trial Could Open Avenue for Legislative Money Knowledge for Catholics

  - RCC.  
   National Survivor Advocates Coalition,
   CALIFORNIA -- The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) urged Ninth Circuit District Court Judge Alex Kosinki to approve the decision of Northern California District Judge Vaughan Walter to allow a delayed daily broadcast of the Proposition 8 trial on YouTube from the outset of the trial on Monday.
   The coalition, a United States based organization that was founded to support victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy and religious women, also urged both federal judges to allow live television in the courtroom during the trial.
   Citing Roman Catholic bishops' direct involvement in this issue and the "bitter lessons" learned about these same bishops; secrecy in the clergy sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church, the coalition called upon the judges to act in the interest of openness and transparency in the search for truth. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:31 PM

• Councillor denies call to rename Archbishop Ryan Park

   
   The Irish Times By PATSY McGARRY Religious Affairs Correspondent
   IRELAND -- LABOUR DUBLIN City councillor Mary Freehill has insisted that she has not called for the name of Archbishop Ryan Park, better known as Merrion Square in Dublin, to be changed.
   She said yesterday that she had proposed a motion at a meeting of the city council on December 7th last inviting comments from people on the name of the park. Her motion was agreed and the council is to place advertisements in the media inviting such comments. She agreed she was prompted to propose the motion following findings of the Murphy report about Archbishop Dermot Ryan.
   Archbishop of Dublin from 1972 to 1984, he transferred ownership of Merrion Square to the city in 1974. At one time the Catholic Church in Dublin had hoped to build a cathedral there. The issue of name change for Archbishop Ryan Park was discussed on Joe Duffy's Spirit Level programme on RTÉ 1 last Sunday. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:27 PM

• Family welcomed in N.C. priest accused in sexual assault

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.  
   The Sun News
   NORTH CAROLINA -- [? words missing] County said Monday that a priest charged with sexually assaulting a boy in that county was invited to the home of a parrish member, where the incident was reported to have occurred.
   The Rev. Edgar Sepulveda was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree sexual offense and sexual battery.
   Lt. Marty Folding, public affairs officer for Brunswick County Sheriff's officer said 47-year-old Sepulveda a mission priest from Beulaville, in Duplin County, was in Brunswick County to serve mass at a local church in June or July, when the alleged incident occurred. While in the area a local family offered to house Sepulveda, Folding said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:24 PM

• Newspaper survey finds staggering losses for Church in France

  - French abandoning the practice of Roman Catholicism. 4.5% go to Mass.  
   Catholic Culture, January 11, 2010
   FRANCE -- A survey for the French daily La Croix has found a stunning secularizing trend in France in the past generation. The number of French respondents identifying themselves as Catholic dropped form 81% in 1965 to 64% last year; weekly Mass attendance plummeted from 27% to 4.5%.
   The survey data is available in a PowerPoint presentation, through a link on the French-edition site of L'Osservatore Romano. The Rorate Caeli sites summarizes the most salient points for English readers. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:17 PM

• Delayed justice

 
   Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
   WISCONSIN -- On Tuesday, a state Senate committee is slated to hold a public hearing on a bill aimed at helping victims of childhood sexual abuse. Senators should make sure they listen closely to the testimony of victims - much of which will be uncomfortable and heartbreaking - and in the end vow to support the measure when it comes up for a vote.
   They should pay just as close attention to those who oppose the measure and consider adjusting it where necessary. But in the end, as a simple matter of justice, this measure deserves to become law.
   Senate Bill 319 would repeal the state's civil statute of limitations in childhood sexual abuse cases involving adults or adult clergy and open a three-year window for victims who had been barred previously from suing. Currently, victims can sue until they reach age 35. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:12 PM

• Catholic sect leaders were Orthodox priests

  - Orthodox archbishop ordained 2 for Catholic Apostolic National Church. Five million have joined.      
   The New Vision, By Jude Kafuuma, Monday, January 11, 2010
   UGANDA -- ORTHODOX Archbishop Jonah Lwanga has said he ordained the two priests who recently started a branch of the US-based Catholic Apostolic National Church in Uganda.
   The New Vision recently reported the emergence of the religious sect, which is based in Jinja.
   Its leaders claimed to be linked to the Catholic Church. One of the leaders, the Rev. Leonard Lubega, said he was ordained in 2002 by Archbishop Cyril Tonye in Florida. The other priest is Paul Matovu Sseguya. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:12 PM, Jan 11, 2010

• Unsettled

  [60yrs Church people] - RCC. CAN $15m settled, unsettled. Hundreds of boys.  
   Canadian Lawyer Magazine, By Richard Foot, ~ Jan 11, 2010
   {John McKiggan's Sexual Abuse Claims Blog}
   CANADA -- A priest's child porn charges and the opposition of some victims are casting a pall over a groundbreaking agreement between the Diocese of Antigonish and sexual abuse victims.
   Practising law can bring weird and unwanted surprises. Even so, John McKiggan never imagined he might have a day like the one that unfolded on Oct. 1, 2009.
   Two months earlier McKiggan – a partner in the small Halifax law firm Arnold Pizzo McKiggan – had secured an extraordinary, $15-million settlement in the class action lawsuit that he and his client, representative plaintiff Ron Martin, had filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish.
   There had been weeks of difficult bargaining, yet the church had taken the rare step of accepting responsibility for the sins of its past and agreeing to compensate hundreds of men allegedly abused as boys by priests in northern Nova Scotia over the past six decades. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:33 PM

• Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before…

   
   Chicago Reader, Posted by Cliff Doerksen on Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 9:30 AM
   {includes what appears to be a newspaper clipping about clergy abuse dating from the early 20th century}
   UNITED STATES -- Conservative culture warriors sometimes argue that present-day clerical sex abuse is driven by the surrounding conditions of unprecedented sexual license that infect our holy men–who are only human, after all. The argument is rubbish. More pious diddlers get busted nowadays because we permit ourselves to talk about sex and sexual abuse, is all.
   What's especially interesting about this particular article is that there seems to have been a local news blackout on two of the three scandals addressed. I can't find reference to them in any Chicago or Midwestern papers. I call cover-up! Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:13 PM

• A farewell, to beat and blog

 
   The Boston Globe, Posted by Michael Paulson, January 10, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- This is my last blog post as religion reporter for the Boston Globe.
   Today marked exactly ten years since I started work on the religion beat. But I didn't quite make it to the decade mark – last Monday, the Globe named me the paper's new city editor, and I started that job immediately.
   I leave the religion beat with considerable misgivings, because this has been, without question, the best assignment of my career. Of course, it's been ugly and difficult and adversarial at multiple moments. Covering religion, sadly, has often meant writing about abuse and violence and division. But the beat has also been remarkably gratifying. Some of those tough stories – and I am thinking primarily about our coverage of clergy sexual abuse – have made the world a better place. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:07 PM

• Priest charged with sexual abuse to appear in court

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   Star News, By Veronica Gonzalez, Veronica.Gonzalez § StarNewsOnline com ,
   NORTH CAROLINA -- A 47-year-old Duplin County priest is expected to make his first appearance at the Brunswick County courthouse today after being charged over the weekend with sexually abusing a minor.
   Edgar Sepulveda, of 208 Cavenaugh St., Beulaville, is charged with second-degree sexual offense and sexual battery, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office reported. Sepulveda posted a $100,000 secured bond on Saturday and was released.
   A news release from the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office on Friday did not have any details on the victim other than to say Sepulveda was visiting church members in the county when the offenses are alleged to have occurred. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:04 PM

• SNAP Needs Our Help!

 
   The Open Tabernacle: Here Comes Everybody, by Frank Cocozzelli
   UNITED STATES -- For the last 21 years SNAP has been a voice for Catholics seeking answers and reform from the hierarchy on pedophilia. In that time it has bravely demanded an end to the shell game of moving predatory priests as well as the seemingly endless series of cover-ups of incidents of sexual abuse.
   In its mission statement the group tells us that it is "…a volunteer self-help organization of survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their supporters." And it does so by "By supporting one another in personal healing" as well as "By pursuing justice and institutional change by holding individual perpetrators responsible and the church accountable." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:36 AM

• Call to kick bishop from park, replace him with Wilde

  - RCC.  
   Herald, By Andrew Phelan, Monday January 11 2010
   IRELAND -- A CAMPAIGN has been launched to dedicate Dublin's Merrion Square park to Oscar Wilde -- after councillors voted to ditch the current name of Archbishop Ryan Park.
   Hundreds of people have signed up to the internet campaign, which is being supported by the gay community.
   Councillors voted to change the name of the park in the wake of the Murphy Report into child sexual abuse in the Dublin diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:02 AM

• Priest charged with sex crimes shocks neighbors

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.  
   WECT, Reported by Tim Pulliam,
   DUPLIN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, (WECT)- People who know Edgar Sepulveda, a priest at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, are shocked and disappointed to learn that he is charged with sex crimes with a minor.
   Sepulveda's neighbor, Clarence Featherson, cannot believe that Sepulveda was arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with a young boy.
   "I've watched television about these priests," says Featherson. "But it's still hard to believe with him, you know, just such a nice gentleman. He just didn't appear to be that way." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:32 AM

• Laurel priest suspended over sex charges

  [1980s-90s Fr John Wielebski* (62)] - RCC. Minor + 2 young males.
   Baltimore Sun, By Matthew Hay Brown | matthew.brown@baltsun.com | January 11, 2010
   BALTIMORE (MD) -- The Archdiocese of Baltimore has removed a Laurel priest from the ministry while it investigates allegations against him of sexual misconduct during the 1980s, the archdiocese said on Sunday. The Rev. John Wielebski, 62, pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Church, has denied all of the allegations, the archdiocese said. The archdiocese revoked his authority to function as a priest in December. The misconduct is alleged to have occurred while Wielebski was at St. Dominic Church in Baltimore, where he was assigned from 1985 to 1988, and Monsignor Clare J. O'Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, where he was assigned from 1988 to 1991. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:27 AM

• Spiritual, not Religious

 
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo, jromo2008, January 11, 2010
   I heard the other day that the third largest religious group behind Catholic and Baptist in the United States was 'spiritual, but not religious.' It makes sense from the context of clergy abuse. Religious authority sexual abuse (RASA) victims were victimized because they were deeply religious. I was once one of those religious people who worked hard to be the perfect follower, and later a super-priest at that.
   Given the ongoing reports of religious authority sexual abuse and cover up, why would why would anyone continue to be religious? In my December 10 interview with Sue Griffith, I referenced Thomas Doyle and Marianne Benkert's article about Religious Duress, which makes that intuitively obvious point clearer.
   On the other hand, I recently saw the documentary, One, which I recommend, about many people's views of spirituality. Fr. Thomas Keating beautifully answered a question about the spiritual path (not the religious path). He said that there were three stages in the spiritual path. First, a person realizes that there is an Other, a higher power, God, or whatever we discover and call it. Then, a person tries to become that Other. Then, the person realizes that there is no Other. In other words, we are the Other. We are One. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:22 AM

• Complaints allege sex discrimination at Rock County Coroner's office

  - Discussion about RCC hiding sex abusers leads to discrimination complaints.
   Janesville Gazette, By TED SULLIVAN, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010
   JANESVILLE (WI) – Two complaints have been filed against Rock County Coroner Jenifer Keach, alleging sexual discrimination, a hostile work environment and inappropriate behavior, according to county documents obtained by the Gazette.
   Keach has mistreated male employees, made inappropriate sexual comments, instilled fear in her staff and insulted Catholics, according to county documents. …
   Keach demeaned Catholics in the office, according to the complaint. Her comments upset a Catholic employee. …
   In her written response, Keach had an explanation for the allegations.
   She said the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic priests was being discussed in the office.
   Keach said she voiced her disagreement with the church's handling of the priests' indiscretions. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:12 AM
   [COMMENT: Do we believe in Free Speech, or Political Correctness?  Or are the RCs trying to sabotage the Sword and Scales of Justice which, at long last, are exposing this and other hypocritical religions? ENDS.]

• D'Arcy cheered during last Mass

  - RCC.  
   The Journal Gazette, by Rosa Salter Rodriguez, January 11, 2010
   FORT WAYNE (IN) -- His Fort Wayne flock gave a rousing send-off Sunday, filling the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for the Rev. John M. D'Arcy's last Mass as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and saluting him with two rounds of standing applause.
   The retiring bishop steps down Wednesday when the Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., is installed as the ninth bishop in the diocese's 152-year history. …
   Steve Kohrman, 48, of Fort Wayne, credited D'Arcy with largely sparing the diocese from the priestly sexual abuse scandals of the past three past decades. "He's very instrumental in our diocese not having the problems of other dioceses. … I think quite highly of him and wanted to be here," said Kohrman, also a member of Our Lady of Good Hope. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:03 AM, January 11, 2010

• Clarksvillians fighting for closure from alleged abuse at German orphanages

     
   The Leaf Chronicle, By TAVIA D. GREEN, January 11, 2010
   CLARKSVILLE (TN) -- Ziska Murphy poured herself a steaming cup of peppermint tea and sat it next to a plate of Sandies cookies.
   Murphy, a west Clarksville resident, spoke loudly in her thick German accent as she told her husband, Charles "Bart" Murphy, where to look to find an old photograph and waited at the kitchen table.
   Charles Murphy, 65, a 100 percent disabled Vietnam veteran, made his way to the kitchen and handed her the photo.
   In silence, Ziska's denim blue eyes stared at the faded black and white picture as if she'd slipped back to the moment the photo was snapped.
   She was 4 years old and with her brother, Rudolph, 12, wearing nice dress clothes and holding hands as they stood in the court of an Euskirchen, Germany, Catholic orphanage waiting to visit their "opa," or grandfather. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:58 AM, Jan 11, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Mon January 11, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue January 12, 2010 edition:

• Priest caught with his pants down

  [2010 Jan 6 - Unnamed clergyman (35) -NEW*, very] - Zion Christian Church. Woman (30).  
   IOL, By Nontobeko Mtshali, Jan 12, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- A priest has been arrested yesterday for allegedly raping a congregant while "treating" her infertility problem.
   According to police spokesman, Inspector Solomon Sibiya,the couple had approached the 55-year-old priest from the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) in Rietvallei on the West Rand, when they were having trouble conceiving.
   "The woman and her husband decided to approach the pastor for help. After speaking to him, the pastor told the husband to leave while he treats the wife," said Sibiya. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:32 AM

• Catholic Diocese Says it Owes Nothing to Authorities

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.  
   KOMU, ~ January 12, 2010
   JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI - The statement comes in reaction to the investigation of a Mid-Missouri priest accused of improper communication with a child.
   The diocese acknowledges a report of a minor allegedly abused by Father Thomas Seifner in 2004. However, that minor was an adult by the time the abuse was reported in 2009. The diocese says that as an adult, that individual can contact the proper authorities on his own time.
   In a statement released Tuesday, the Diocese of Jefferson City said: "The Diocese follows the requirements of Missouri law relating to reporting allegations of abuse. If the diocese receives information involving a person who is currently a minor, then the appropriate civil authorities are notified. If the diocese receives information involving a person who is an adult, the person is reminded of his or her right to contact civil authorities." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:18 PM]

• Tackling the culture of abuse

  - RCC.    
   The Irish Times, January 13, 2010
   IRELAND – Madam, -- With reference to Bishop Murray and the other bishops criticised in the Murphy report, could I ask if and when the archdioceses of Tuam and Armagh are to be investigated? Surely the former bishop of Raphoe, who several times moved a paedophile priest around his diocese, would have a lot to answer for, unless he had retired or possibly gone to meet his maker.
   As a Protestant observer, I cannot understand why there is no move afoot to try to persuade Cardinal Connell to return his red hat, as he was archbishop of Dublin under whom those auxiliary bishops served. Nor can I get my head round the attitude of the present Bishop of Derry to all the sex scandals. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:15 PM]

• Listecki pressed about Weakland's status

  - RCC. Homosexual Abp Weakland allowed to take part in installation.  
   Wisconsin Public Radio, by Bob Hague on January 12, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- A public hearing on legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations on civil actions against child sexual abusers turned into something more Tuesday at the Capitol. Milwaukee's new Archbishop, Jerome Listecki, found himself on the hot seat, regarding one of his predecessors.
   State Senator Glenn Grothman referred to former Archbishop Rembert Weakland as "a piece of work," and pressed Listecki about why Weakland was allowed to attend Listecki's recent installation Mass. "Isn't it really a poke in the eye to all these people who've suffered so horribly, to continue, after the actions of this man, to give him a place of honor in ceremonies?" Grothman referred to church officials who allowed Weakland to attend the installation as "screwballs."
   Listecki admitted that Weakland is "a lightning rod" within the Archdiocese. "Having said that, you know you do talk to some people who talk about some of the good things that he has done. Now, certainly, those good things, a pall is cast upon them because of the direction and leadership he's given in this area." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:11 PM

• Lawmakers consider bill allowing child abuse victims to sue after age 35

  - RC opposes right to sue for compensation. Agrees predecessor's tenure was flawed.
   Fox 6, with video, by Myra Sanchick, January 12, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI), (WITI-TV).- Milwaukee's new Archbishop Jerome Listecki speaks out against a bill allowing more victims of child sex abuse to sue. Listecki takes some hard questions about the actions of a former Archbishop.
   Archbishop Jerome Listecki told lawmakers the proposed bill, could bankrupt a diocese. He says, "Bankruptcy will matter to the homeless families in Green Bay, where the diocese saved a shelter that was about to close. It will matter to children in the central city schools who rely on food pantries."
   Past settlements have been costly to the Catholic Archdiocese. One lawmaker Glen Grothman questioned Listecki about a past Archbishop.
   Grothman: Do you feel the Milwaukee Arch diocese under the time of Rembert Weakland was seriously flawed, horribly flawed in this regard?
   Listecki: I think his tenure was flawed. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:08 PM

• Listecki Against Removing Abuse Statute of Limitations

  - RCC.
   WTMJ, with video, By Mick Trevey, ~ January 12, 2010
   MADISON, Wis - Lawmakers are considering a temporary elimination on time limits for child sex abuse victims to sue their perpetrators. However, the bill is controversial and Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said the Catholic church is being "targeted."
   Numerous victims of child sexual assault packed a hearing room at the state capitol to tell their painful stories. Frank Fanara, who was abused as a child by Catholic priest Father Lawrence Murphy said, "I didn't really realize how it affected me and my suffering for over 47 years." He described the abuse saying, "when I was sleeping in the middle of the night - I was sleeping and he would come and abuse me."
   Under current law, victims must file a lawsuit against their abuser before the victim turns 35 years old. The bill would eliminate that provision for a three year period and allow victims to file suits. When California passed a similar law, victims say about 300 lawsuits were filed. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:06 PM

• Wis. senator insults former archbishop

 
   WKOW, ~ January 12, 2010
   MADISON (WI), (WKOW) -- A state senator hurled insults in the direction of a former Milwaukee archbishop Tuesday.
   Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) called former Archbishop Rembert Weakland "just a piece of work. Unbelievable." Grothman made the comments during a hearing on a bill to eliminate limitations on civil actions against child sex abusers. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:03 PM

• Archbishop: Proposed Bill Would Bankrupt Dioceses

 
   WCCO By TODD RICHMOND, Associated Press Writer, ~ January 12, 2010 MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A bill that would erase the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits against child sex abusers could drive Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin bankrupt, Milwaukee's new archbishop told lawmakers Tuesday.
   Archbishop Jerome Listecki said the bill would open the church up to lawsuits from people still hurting from sexual abuse from priests and others who believe the church has deep coffers. That would drain resources from charitable causes and could drive dioceses under, he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:01 PM
   [COMMENT: Abp Listecki talking about draining resources from charitable causes seems to be wilfully blind to the fact that compensating sexual seduction victims of clergymen etc are at the same time both a CHARITABLE and JUSTICE payment.  The money ought to come from the pension payments made to retired priests and their supervisors, even if this leaves them in severe poverty.  As Jesus said, "The poor you have always with you." (John 12:8, and in two other gospels)  And He also said "Blessed are ye poor ; for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6:20). 
   The thus-impoverished retired bishops and clergy, whose pension funds would be contributing to the compensation, could console themselves with these scriptures: "Give to him that asketh thee ; and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away." (Matthew 5:42)  "It is a more blessed thing to give rather than to receive." (Acts 20:35) ENDS.]

• Archbishop Opposes Bill To Remove Time Limits On Sex Abuse Cases

 
   WISN, ~ January 12, 2010
   MADISON, Wis. -- At a hearing on Tuesday in Madison, Archbishop Jerome Listecki said changing Wisconsin's law to remove time limits for sex abuse victims to come forward could be detrimental to the church.
   The bill would lift those time restrictions for civil cases or lawsuits, but not for criminal charges.
   It could resurrect decades old cases of child sexual abuse, and the debate has the new leader of Milwaukee's Catholic Church at odds with Milwaukee County's top law enforcement officer. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:57 PM

• Priest's health an issue in sex abuse case

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   The Beacon-News, By DAN CAMPANA, dcampana@scn1.com , January 12, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A week after Shorewood priest Alejandro Flores apparently jumped from a church balcony amid sex abuse allegations, Kane County prosecutors said uncertainty over Flores' condition has played a role in the investigation.
   State's Attorney John Barsanti said Tuesday the probe is ongoing into claims against Flores brought by the family of a St. Charles boy.
   But, Barsanti said, the timing of any arrest is tied to the shape Flores is in. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 6:03 PM

• Priest investigation ongoing in Kane County

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.
   Daily Herald, ~ January 12, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- Kane County prosecutors are working to "solidify statements" involving a Joliet priest who attempted suicide last week after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy, the state's attorney said Tuesday.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, tried to kill himself by leaping from a church balcony last Wednesday, two days after a St. Charles family lodged the complaint, according to police and the Diocese of Joliet.
   On Tuesday, State's Attorney John Barsanti said Flores was apparently recovering in the hospital, but authorities know little about his condition. He declined to say whether criminal charges are imminent, but indicated that Flores' health could be a factor. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 6:01 PM

• Priest for trial on sex charges

  [~ 1982 Fr Peter Dwyer - ? NEW*] - RCC. Boy (13).    
   The Armidale Express, 09:39 AM, Jan 13, 2010
   AUSTRALIA -- A FORMER Armidale Catholic priest will go to trial in April on charges of sexual misconduct.
   Peter William Dwyer, 67, now of Bellingen, faces 12 charges of abuse, most with a 13-year-old boy in 1982.
   His trial at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court will begin on April 27. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 5:55 PM

• Former Palmyra priest under scrutiny

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   Hannibal Courier-Post, Staff reports , Posted 04:24 PM, Jan 12, 2010
   PALMYRA, MISSOURI – .The Diocese of Jefferson City said it has placed a priest who formerly served Palmyra on leave while it investigates allegations of what it calls inappropriate electronic communication with a minor five years ago.
   Bishop John Gaydos read a statement about the investigation involving The Rev. Thomas Seifner at weekend Masses.
   The Boonville Daily News reported that Seifner was removed Dec. 18 from his positions as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Loose Creek and St. Louis Church in Bonnots Mill. Both of the churches are in Osage County. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 5:52 PM

• Delaware Catholic Diocese Must Face Bankruptcy Trial

  [Decades - Wilmington Diocese]- RCC platefillers losing US $76m. Boys.
   Bloomberg, By Steven Church, Jan. 12, 2010
   DELAWARE (Bloomberg) -- Delaware's Roman Catholic churches may be forced to share $76 million with victims of sexual abuse, depending on a ruling by the judge overseeing the bankruptcy of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
   U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Sontchi today ordered a trial to take place in June on whether diocese officials can shield the $76 million from creditors. The biggest creditors are men who claim they were sexually abused as boys by Catholic priests in Delaware.
   Sontchi, in a hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, called the debate over the $76 million a "gateway issue" that must be decided before the diocese can develop a reorganization plan and exit bankruptcy. Attorneys for both sides said Sontchi's ruling will affect how much money the diocese has to pay creditors. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 5:48 PM

• SNAP Protests Weakland Speech at Cathedral Convention

  - "Enabler" and promise-breaker Weakland not suitable to be conference speaker.
   WTMJ with video By Tom Murray ~ January 12, 2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- Having admitted to a homosexual affair, and accused of covering up decades of church sex abuse, former Milwaukee Catholic Archbishop Rembert Weakland is again in the spotlight.
   A group representing victims of clergy abuse is upset with Weakland's apperance at the National Cathedral Ministry Conference, hosted by the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
   Weakland is a keynote speaker at the conference which is being held at the Pfister Hotel, and critics say that's not right.
   In a speech open only to those with tickets, Weakland is talking to the national conference about cathedral building and renovation. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:53 PM

• Rabbi pleads guilty to endangering child

  [2007 Rabbi Yaakov Weiss*] - Judaist. Admitted. 2 boys.
   JTA, January 12, 2010
   NEW YORK (JTA) -- An upstate New York rabbi in a plea bargain admitted to inappropriate "inappropriate physical contact" with an underage boy.
   Yaakov Weiss, 29, the founder of the Chabad of Colonie and the Chabad Hebrew School, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment for telling a 14-year-old boy not to "just say nothing happened" if asked about a 2007 incident, according to the Times Union of Albany.
   Weiss was facing four counts of child endangerment and sexual abuse stemming from incidents with two boys in 2007. He allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with the boys in a mikvah, or ritual bath. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:50 PM

• Ex-White Plains pastor gets no jail time for gambling-fueled theft from church

  [~ 2000s Fr Patrick Dunne - ? NEW*] - RCC. Stole US $432k.
   The Journal News, By Rebecca Baker, rebaker@lohud.com , January 12, 2010
   WHITE PLAINS (NY) -- The former pastor of a city church was sentenced today to time served and given five years probation for stealing $432,000 from his parish to feed his gambling habit.
   The Rev. Patrick Dunne of Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church apologized for his actions, admitted to a gambling "addiction" and said he had hoped to raise money for the church through gambling.
   Some 250 parishioners through letters, as well as the Westchester County Department of Probation, asked that he serve no more time behind bars. State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Cohen, a county judge when he presided over Dunne's case, returned from Orange County Court to pronounce sentence. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:47 PM
   [COMMENT: That 250 parishioners, whose money had been thieved by this man, would seek to have him turned loose on the community, says a lot about human gullibility.  And perhaps they unwittingly follow these scriptures: "We are fools for Christ's sake." (1 Corinthians 4:10), and "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) ENDS]

• Priest gets conditional discharge in Mamaroneck fondling incident

  [2004, Jan 12-23 - Ordonez* / Ordoñez] - RCC had kept it quiet 4mos. Tried to flee to Ecuador. Woman.    
   The Journal News, By Rebecca Baker, rebaker@lohud.com , January 12, 2010
   WHITE PLAINS (NY) – The Rev. Richard Ordonez offered no apology in court today as he was given a conditional discharge for fondling a female parishioner at a Mamaroneck church.
   The 38-year-old Ecuadorean cleric was sentenced in Westchester County Court two months after pleading guilty to forcible touching, a misdemeanor.
   State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Cohen, a county judge when he presided over Ordonez' case, returned from Orange County Court to pronounce sentence Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:45 PM
   [LOOK BACK: May 1, 2009]

• 2 NY priests avoid jail time for separate crimes

  [2004, Jan 12-23 - Ordonez* / Ordoñez] - RCC had kept it quiet 4mos. Tried to flee to Ecuador. Woman.      [Dunne]
   WCAX, January 12, 2010
   WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Two Catholic priests have avoided jail time, one for stealing from his parish and one for groping a female parishioner.
   The Rev. Patrick Dunne was sentenced Tuesday to five years probation and 250 hours of community service for grand larceny. He had admitted taking $432,000 from Our Lady of Sorrows Church in White Plains, where he was pastor. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:42 PM

• Plan to address Inquiry recommendations set out by Cornwall police

   
   Standard-Freeholder, Posted By Staff, news@standard-freeholder.com
   CORNWALL, CANADA -- A plan to update local police policy has been laid out based on the Cornwall Public Inquiry report.
   Less than one month after the release of the report by Justice G. Normand Glaude, which examined the responses by institutions to allegations of historical sexual abuse, the Cornwall Community Police Service and its Board have finished devising a service improvement plan. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:38 PM

• Los Angeles priests add support to U.S. women religious

   
   National Catholic Reporter (USA), by Thomas C. Fox, on Jan. 12, 2010
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has issued a statement of support for U.S. women religious, who are facing a Vatican Apostolic Visitation.
   The statement follows another one of support by the California bishops last November.
   Here's what the LA priests wrote:
   During this Year for Priests we, the Council of Priests in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, have become more aware of our dept of gratitude to those who support and work with us in ministry. We wish to join our voices with our people and fellow priests throughout the country in expressing gratitude to Women Religious in America for their lives of service to the Church. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 3:35 PM
   [COMMENT: The ONE Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church hierarchy seemingly disputing Christ's Vicar on Earth? ENDS.]

• The Irish people should help choose Catholic bishops

     
   Irish Central By TIM PAT COOGAN, Special to IrishCentral.com
   IRELAND -- Given the scale of what is happening in the Irish Catholic Church, the only meaningful departure would be that of the Pope himself.
   As Cardinal Ratzinger he was probably the best informed man in the Vatican, being both Prefect of the powerful Congregation of the Faith and Dean of the College of Cardinals. These offices mean that he was privy to the ever swelling tide of reports on clerical sex abuse which poured into the Vatican during his tenure in office from every diocese in the world.
   Even non-Catholics are free to access the vast accounts of clerical abuse, available on the web, like a vast open sewer.
   But apparently the Pontiff has no intention of resigning. Instead, he intends to send Ireland a letter. Presumably it will be prepared by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, as were Pope John Paul II's Irish speeches prepared by the then Bishop Daly. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 1:06 PM

• Ian Paisley an inspiration in Irish Catholic Church sex scandals

     
   IRELAND -- Irish Central by Niall O'Dowd
   The most compassionate words I have heard in Ireland on the Catholic Church child sex abuse scandal came from the Rev. Ian Paisley.
   That may sound utterly absurd, given Paisley's history of anti-Catholic fulminating, but while in Ireland I listened to an interview he gave on Newstalk radio last night, and it left me with an entirely new opinion of the man.
   In Ireland, the Church abuse scandal has been reduced to legalistic maneuvers and predictable moral outrage comments. The children who were most affected seem strangely absent from the debate. …
   When he was asked about the Irish incidents he did not embark on a rant about the Catholic Church, which I had fully expected.
   Rather, he said, and I paraphrase, that he put aside a quiet moment to pray for all those children whose lives were destroyed, who were unable to understand what had happened to them and to pray for their eventual recovery from their horrific mistreatment. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 1:03 PM

• Preview of Pope Benedict XVI's message to Ireland

       
   IRELAND -- Irish Central By PATRICK ROBERTS, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
   In a preview of Pope Benedict' s letter to the Irish people, expected on Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 17, the Pope will "acknowledge the tremendous contribution of the Irish to the church worldwide from the time of the golden age of monasticism to the modern missionary movement.
   "The Pope will express his complete abhorrence at clerical child sexual abuse. There may well be a call for a proper understanding of proper sexual health among clergy but also in society, and a re-statement of the church's position on healthy sexual morality." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 1:00 PM

• Protecting children: Truth Alliance Foundation; BabyMemorial.org

   
   UNITED STATES -- Renew America (a robust RC-supporting publication), By Matt C. Abbott
   Stephen Brady, president of the now-almost-defunct Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc., along with Catholic attorney and RCF board member Jim Bendell, have been asked to sit on the board of a newly-formed not-for-profit corporation called the Truth Alliance Foundation.
   TAF was founded by Thomas Hampson, a lifelong investigator with a passion for justice. What he learned while directing a five-year State of Illinois investigation into the sexual exploitation of children during the late 1970s troubles him to this day.
   Writes Brady: 'The sexual abuse scandal that erupted in the Catholic Church in 2002 made Hampson realize that little had changed in the efforts to identify and prosecute child molesters. Politicians give lip service to the problem. Law enforcement agencies frequently fail to prosecute these cases because of the difficulty in obtaining convictions when children are victims. Religious groups and private organizations try to cover up details about, and the extent of, the offenses committed by their own people. Some cover up the offenses altogether, and a few facilitate the crimes. With the exception of some sensational headlines now and then, little notice is given to the true magnitude of the problem or to the failure of our institutions to keep our children safe. …
   One of the cases the group will look into is the 1998 unsolved murder of Father Alfred Kunz, who was working with Brady on sexual abuse cases at the time of his murder. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:08 AM

• Child Porn Initiative

 
   Pokrov, Pokrov.org , Date Published: Jan/10/2010
   Related Document: Child Pornography Initiative
   UNITED STATES -- Jeff Anderson and his legal associates have launched a "Child Pornography Initiative." Anderson is a Minnesota Attorney who has represented countless victims of child sexual abuse.
   Anderson explains why the firm is making this effort in the introduction to the Child Pornography Initiative:
   "Through our work with survivors of sexual abuse, we have come in contact with child pornography in a number of ways. Some like Fr. Michael McGrath in St. Louis, filmed children performing sex acts as an extension of the sexual abuse that he perpetrated. Others like Fr. Harry Monroe in Indianapolis, used sexually explicit images of children in grooming and manipulation of children to normalize the sexual behavior. Clearly, the production and consumption of child pornography by pedophiles directly relates to and even intensifies their sexual misconduct with children. Given the state of technology and the related trends in child abuse, no child protection effort can be complete without embracing child pornography. That is why we are launching a child pornography initiative – to protect children." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 9:00 AM

• ZCC priest orders hubby to leave then rapes wife

  [2009 Dec 23 - Unnamed pastor -NEW*] - "Christian." Woman.  
   Sowetan, Palesa Lebitse and Penwell Dlamini, 12 January 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- The pastor, of Rietvallie in Kagiso, was arrested yesterday morning after a 30-year-old woman had laid a charge of rape against him.
   Police spokesperson Inspector Solomon Sibiya said the incident happened on December 23 last year.
   "The woman alleges that she was not able to conceive, so she and her husband went to the pastor for assistance," said Sibiya. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:38 AM

• Roman Catholic priest in sex allegations

  [2008-10 Fr Cephas Gumbo* (36)] - RCC. Romance with woman (35).  
   The zimGossip, By MEMORY KHOZA, January 12, 2010
   ZIMBABWE -- A 35-YEAR-OLD woman from Bulawayo's Nkulumane suburb has spilled the beans on a romance that has lasted almost two years that she purports to have had with a Roman Catholic Priest based at St Bernard's Church in Pumula, Father Cephas Gumbo (36), who is sworn to celibacy.
   Clerical celibacy is a vow that Roman Catholic priests take to abstain from sexual intercourse.
   The woman, who declined to be named, said she had decided to end the relationship as she suspects that the clergyman might be cheating on her. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:34 AM

• Pastor in court for rape

  [2010 Jan 6 - Unnamed clergyman* (35)] - Zion Christian Church. Woman (30).
   IAfrica, Tue, Jan 12, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- A Zion Christian Church pastor who allegedly raped a woman churchgoer appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Johannesburg police said.
   The pastor was arrested on Monday in connection with the rape of a 30-year-old woman who, with her husband, had came to him for help with their marital problems, Inspector Solomon Sibiya said.
   The pastor asked the husband to leave before he could start "healing" the woman on Wednesday afternoon. He allegedly told he to undress so he could rub ointment on her. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:29 AM

• Funeral tributes for shamed priest

  [2000s Fr Gerry Nugent] - RCC. Sex with woman.    
   Evening Times, Published on Jan 12, 2010
   SCOTLAND -- Tributes were paid today to shamed priest Father Gerry Nugent at a Requiem Mass in Glasgow.
   The former priest, 66, of St Patrick's Church, Anderston, died of a heart attack at the weekend. He hit the headlines after admitting a sexual relationship with Angelina Kluk, who was murdered by Peter Tobin.
   But today friends and colleagues recalled the priest's compassion and unfailing readiness to help those in need. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 8:26 AM

• Selling Vatican jewels

     
   Washington Post, by Anthony Stevens-Arroyo,
   UNITED STATES -- Comedian Sarah Silverman suggested that we "Sell the Vatican. Feed the world." Speaking on the eve of the October 2009 UN-sponsored World Food Day, Silverman was with TV talk show host Bill Maher, another celebrity often making uninvited recommendations to religion. But despite the fireworks about selling off church treasures to feed the poor, the idea is not new and not restricted to outspoken non-Catholics.
   I have found that most of us in Catholic America are quite aware of contradictions in the public image of the Church. What we find objectionable is a dismissive and flippant attitude towards issues we Catholics take seriously. The other tendency that sticks in our craw is singling out the Catholic Church for defects that are shared by many others. Matters like sexual abuse by clergy, extortion of funds, DUI violations, etc. are not restricted to Catholic priests, but you wouldn't know it sometimes from reading many commentators. Double standards have been called "Foul Ball!" by Archbishop Dolan of New York and much of Catholic America agrees. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:57 AM

• Ex-church leader gets 10 years in teen abuse

  [2000s Mr Dale Tucker* (57)] - Methodist.  
   The Journal Gazette, Rebecca S. Green,
   INDIANA -- With the gallery largely filled with his supporters, the former music director at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy.
   Dale K. Tucker, 57, pleaded guilty in November in Allen Superior Court to sexual misconduct with a minor – admitting to giving a boy alcohol and performing sex acts on him.
   In exchange for his guilty plea, seven additional charges including sexual misconduct with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor were dismissed. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:53 AM

• Orphanage survivors confront German leadership

     
   The Leaf-Chronicle, By TAVIA D. GREEN, January 12, 2010
  
   CLARKSVILLE (TN) -- The fight spans across the North Atlantic for Ziska Murphy of Clarksville, Christa Morse of Oklahoma, Jeanette Lankre of Florida and thousands of other German natives who say they endured physical, sexual and mental abuse while growing up in orphanages in Germany.
   It is estimated more than half a million children brought up in German church and state institutions between 1945 and 1975 suffered such abuse, according to an article from DW-World DE, a German-based multimedia company.
   Many who have tried to bring this abuse to light have been met with roadblocks in getting the government and churches to pay attention to their plea, said Morse, one of the United States directors and representative for the German-based organization, Verein Ehemaliger Heimkinder, which is spearheading the movement. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:50 AM

• Dublin archdiocese well positioned to lead on child protection

   
   The Irish Times By GARRY O'SULLIVAN
   RITE AND REASON: Archdiocese has better structures in place than civil institutions
   IRELAND -- THE DUBLIN archdiocese got child protection spectacularly wrong as the Murphy report and the tsunami of outrage and disgust that followed it demonstrated.
   However, there is an opportunity to position the archdiocese by this time next year, January 2011, as a national champion for children and propose that every other civil institution would be held to its standard. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:46 AM

• Clearing the air on abuse

   
   The Boston Globe, By Kevin Cullen, Globe Columnist / January 12, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Last week, during a radio debate on WTKK, Martha Coakley and Scott Brown said they would call on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to release the names of all priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who were credibly accused of sexual abuse.
   A week later, the candidates have yet to send a letter or make a phone call to the cardinal.
   So I spoke to the Rev. John Connolly, one of O'Malley's aides, and he said the cardinal is committed to the principle of releasing the names. Although there are some remaining questions about due process, he said, the goal is to release them sometime this year.
   Coakley and Brown were asked the question after a group called BishopAccountability.org recently repeated its demand that O'Malley release the names, including those of Irish priests who were stashed in Boston. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:43 AM

• Diocese Keeping Quiet About Priest Investigation

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication. RC don't seem to have told police.
   KOMU,
   [Media release from the Diocese of Jefferson City]
   JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI -- More details about Father Thomas Seifner allegedly sending sexual electronic messages to a child back in 2004.
   The diocese in Jefferson City has set up a review board to handle the report but is keeping matters quiet.
   The diocese won't say if it has talked to law enforcement or where the alleged abuse happened. KOMU 8 contacted the prosecuting attorneys in the five Mid-Missouri counties where Seifner served since he was ordained in 1992. What we discovered; the diocese has yet to contact any of them in Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Marion or Osage County. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:38 AM

• Martha Coakley Faces Brown In Debate

  - Every seducer ought to be named by archbishop - candidates.
   Puggal,
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Today in an hour long appearance on radio, the three candidates for US Senate met hands with each other at a debate in the special election to succeed Edward M. Kennedy and topics were abortion, healthcare and terrorism. In his debate, Scott Brown, Republican state's Senator, accused Martha Coakley of supporting higher taxes and polices that are too kind to criminals. He criticized her for higher spending and for supporting terrorism in the country. …
   All three candidates admitted that Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley should tell the names of each and every priest involved in sexual abuse along with 70 Irish priests.
   Brown proposed that the name of those priests should be entered in the state's sex offender registry while Coackley said that she would step in and demanded those names if O'Malley refuses to announce the names. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:36 AM

• Priest's lawsuit over family's sexual abuse claims dismissed

 
   NEW YORK Watertown Daily Times
   By DAVID WINTERS TIMES STAFF WRITER TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2010
   A Montgomery County judge dismissed a lawsuit last week brought by a suspended Roman Catholic priest against a family that accused him of sexually abusing their three children.
   The Rev. John W. Broderick, 48, had been seeking $500,000, alleging the family made several "defamatory statements" about him. The suit was filed in November 2008.
   Judge Felix J. Catena ruled Jan. 4 that the priest's lawsuit was "defective" because it was vague in mentioning specifics, according to court records. The suit, which names the alleged young victims, described several statements made by members of the family but didn't specify when or where they were made. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 12, 2010 7:33 AM
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue January 12, 2010
• Three more Irish Bishops resign; Dublin abuse report claims more prelates, prompts apologies for Church cover-ups   [Bishops Walsh, Field, Moriarty, Murray] - RCC. Put children at risk of further sexual abuse.      

Three more Irish Bishops resign

Dublin abuse report claims more prelates, prompts apologies for Church cover-ups
   The Record (R.C. Perth, W. Australia, weekly), cathrec § iinet net au , BY CIAN MOLLOY, Catholic News Service, Page 14, Wednesday, January 13, 2010
   DUBLIN, Ireland - Three more Irish Bishops have announced their resignations, bringing the total to four who have resigned as a result of a recent report on how the Dublin Archdiocese covered up clerical sex abuse allegations and put children at risk of further abuse.
   On Christmas Eve Dublin Auxiliary Bishops Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field announced they were offering their resignations to Pope Benedict XVI. "As we celebrate the feast of Christmas, the birth of our saviour, the prince of peace, it is our hope that our action may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims/survivors of child sexual abuse," the Bishops said in a joint statement.
   "We again apologise to them. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have so bravely spoken out and those who continue to suffer in silence. We will not be saying anything further at this time."
   The previous day, 23 December, Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare and Leighlin announced his resignation, saying that he should have challenged the prevailing culture in Dublin's Archdiocesan administration.
   The independent inquiry into the Archdiocesan actions, known as the Murphy Report, was published in November. At that time, the three Bishops said that the report did not find them individually at fault in failing to report child abuse and that the most serious charge against any of them was a failure to consult diocesan records when complaints of abuse were made against priests.
   In his 23 December resignation statement, Bishop Moriarty said: "I fully accept the overall conclusion of the Commission - that the attempts by Church authorities to 'protect the Church' and to 'avoid scandal' had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong. It does not serve the truth to overstate my responsibility and authority within the Archdiocese.
   "Nor does it serve the truth to overlook the fact that the system of management and communications was seriously flawed.
   "However, with the benefit of hindsight, I accept that, from the time I became an auxiliary Bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture."
   Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick announced his resignation on 17 December.
   The only other serving Bishop named in the report, Bishop Martin Drennan of Galway, said he does not believe the report finds him at fault and does not believe he should resign.
   In 2002, Bishop Brendan Comiskey resigned as head of the Ferns diocese after a television documentary showed that he had covered up child abuse allegations there.
   He served as an Auxiliary in Dublin from 1980 to 1984; Bishop Walsh administered the Ferns diocese for several years until a successor was appointed. #

---

   [COMMENT: Not a word about how the RC sacrament of Holy Order, and the ceremonies consecrating them as bishops, was supposed to give them enough grace to do the right thing, but didn't work. COMMENT ENDS.] http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm#three_more_irish [Jan 13, 2010]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed January 13, 2010 edition:

• Irish clerical abuse not typical of church, says Vatican prefect

       
   Irish Times PADDY AGNEW in Rome, January 14, 2010
   VATICAN CITY -- THE CLERICAL sex abuse scandals in Ireland are not representative of the behaviour of the vast majority of priests in the Catholic Church, a senior Vatican figure has said.
   Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, said the abuse by priests in Ireland constituted "painful" and "criminal" behaviour.
   However, in an interview yesterday in the Vatican daily, L'Osservatore Romano, he said it would be wrong to "make generalisations" as a result of the Irish experience. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 9:34 PM]
   [COMMENT: Isn't there a Commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"?  And don't some Churches, including the RCC, teach that it forbids telling lies?  Why do Vatican officials tell such untruths? ENDS.]

• Roza Weiss: Rubashkin Daughter, Wife of Accused Molester

  [2007 Rabbi Yaakov Weiss*] - Judaist. Admitted. 2 boys.  
   Forward, By Debra Nussbaum Cohen,
   NEW YORK -- It was hard not to feel sympathy for Roza Hinda Weiss as she stood before some 700 Lubavitch women last Sunday night and asked them for money.
   At an "Emergency Rally for Pidyon Shvuyim," or Redeeming a Captive, she was trying to raise $1.5 million for her father's legal appeal. In November her father, Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, was convicted on 86 counts of financial fraud relating to Agriprocessors, the country's biggest kosher meat processing plant, which he ran and was owned by his family.
   Weiss, a tiny young woman in her 20s wearing glasses, a simple sweater and skirt and a dark sheitel, seemed fragile, as she stood on stage in the Crown Heights girls' school. Her voice broke slightly as she related the trials of going door to door in Monsey, N.Y., after her father's arrest in October 2008, asking Hasidic Jews there for money on cold fall nights as her husband and three very young daughters waited in the car.
   Little did most at the rally know that the very next morning Roza would be by her husband's side in an Albany courthouse as Rabbi Yaakov Weiss pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in a plea bargain relating to charges rooted in his sexual molestation of two 13-year-old boys in 2007.
   One of his victims is the son of another Chabad family that lives in a nearby town.
   Weiss was found guilty of one count of child endangerment, but admitted his guilt under oath, acknowledging that he "touched his penis to the buttocks" of two different boys in the Albany community mikvah, and on the phone urged one of his victims to lie to his mother and police about it. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 9:28 PM

• Mass exodus from Catholic Church in Austria

  - RCC.  
   Catholic Culture, January 13, 2010
   AUSTRIA -- Austrian Catholics left the Church in record numbers in 2009, Deutsche Press agency reports. The dissident group We Are Church claims that the exodus was motivated by "self-defense," and claims that the departures began when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of the controversial Bishop Richard Williamson. A spokesman for the Vienna archdiocese offers a different explanation, saying that tough economic times make people reluctant to pay the "church tax" that is required for registered believers. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 6:59 PM
   [COMMENT: No, the Austrian departures began when news media reported that one of the Austrian seminaries was actually training the young would-be-priests in homosexual sex!  The constant stream of child sex abuse newsitems from around the world is telling Austrians, and the rest of us, that the Sacrament of Ordination does NOT stop "women-shy" priests from wanting some kind of sex, and misusing their position to get it. 
   If the Roman Catholic leaders want the population to return, they ought to become a Bible Church.  That is, give up man-made doctrines such as celibacy, the hierarchy system, the ban on contraception, and repetitive prayers such as the Rosary.  As for the would-be reformers, if they think that Latin Masses can save them, why not check some scholarly books, which would tell them that GREEK was the main language of the Christian communities in and around Palestine at the beginning, and was being spoken freely in parts of Italy too.  But going back to dead languages is unlikely to paper over the crisis of faith brought about by reports of thousands of priests and others being allowed to deceive children into taking part in sexual acts. COMMENT ENDS.]

• Catholics, Mormons back synagogue in suit

  - Two Christian sects join Judaists in trying to shield predatory clergy.  
   United Press International, Jan. 13, 2010
   LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (UPI) -- Roman Catholics and Mormons are providing legal support to a Nevada synagogue sued by a woman who says she was molested by a cantor.
   The religious groups argue the First Amendment shields them from lawsuits over misconduct by employees, the Las Vegas Sun reported Wednesday. While the Nevada Supreme Court is dealing with the issue for the first time, other state courts have ruled the U.S. Constitution does not protect religious organizations from being sued by victims of sexual misconduct.
   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Catholic bishops of Reno and Nevada are supporting the position of Chabad of Summerlin and Chabad of Southern Nevada. Other organizations, including the Jewish Board of Advocates for Children and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP, have lined up on the other side. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 6:47 PM

• Saving Our Children From Abuse

 
   The Jewish Press
   David Morris Posted Jan 13 2010 In separate incidents on the same night two weeks ago, two children in Israel were murdered by adults. A seven-year-old boy in the town of Bnei Ayish was found dead under a bed and a Jerusalem resident allegedly murdered his baby daughter by smashing her head repeatedly on the floor following an argument with his wife. Reportedly, members of their chassidic community were aware the father was a risk but said this was being "managed" within the community. Meanwhile, in the U.S., as Rabbi Yakov Horowitz and Dr. Benzion Twerski noted in a Jewish Press op-ed article ("Abuse Survivors: Please Don't Suffer Alone," Nov. 27), "the recent tragic passing of yet another young person in [Brooklyn] may have stemmed at least in part from the trauma of childhood abuse." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 5:05 PM

• Retired Chatham Minister Charged with Sexual Assault

  [1970s Rev. Meurig Lloyd -NEW*] - Anglican. Girl (8-14).  
   CJBK, by Miranda Chant,
   CANADA -- Police in Chatham have filed charges against a retired Anglican minister over an alleged sexual assault dating back about 40 years.
   A woman claims she was assaulted inside St. Paul's Anglican Church, Holy Trinity Church and in a private home when she was between eight and 15.
   The suspect, 79-year-old Meurig Pari Lloyd, is charged with two counts each of rape, gross indecency, and intercourse with a female under the age of 14. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 3:03 PM

• Retired Anglican minister facing sex charges

 
   CANADA -- Chatham Daily News
   A 79-year-old Chatham man and retired Anglican minister is charged with historic sexual offences.
   Chatham-Kent police said Meurig Pari Lloyd is charged with two counts of rape, two counts of gross indecency, two counts of intercourse with a girl under 14 and indecent assault on a female.
   Police said the alleged incidents occurred more than 40 years ago inside St. Paul's Anglican Church, Holy Trinity Church and a private residence. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 2:56 PM

• Judge orders $500K for each of preacher's victims

   
   The Seattle Times, By JILL ZEMAN BLEED, Associated Press Writer
   TEXARKANA, Ark. – Five young women who testified last year that evangelist Tony Alamo took them as "wives" and sexually assaulted them when they were minors are entitled to $500,000 each from his multi-million-dollar ministry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
   U.S. District Judge Harry F. Barnes ordered restitution after a government witness said the women suffered physical and mental pain at Alamo's hands. Prosecutors said they were confident Alamo could afford the $2.5 million judgment even though most of his assets are held in his followers' names. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 2:52 PM

• In Sex Case, Rubashkin Relative Pleads Guilty to Child Endangerment

  [2007 Rabbi Yaakov Weiss*] - Judaist. Admitted. 2 boys.
   NEW YORK Forward By Debra Nussbaum Cohen Published January 13, 2010.
   A son-in-law of Sholom Rubashkin, the kosher meat mogul convicted of financial fraud in November, has pleaded guilty to child endangerment in a case related to the sexual molestation of a 13-year-old boy at a mikveh. Under a plea bargain agreement, he faces up to 60 days in jail.
   Under oath, Rabbi Yaakov Weiss admitted to: "While naked, knowingly having inappropriate physical contact with a child, who was also naked at the time," according to the prosecutor in the case. On January 11, Weiss pleaded guilty in an Albany, N.Y, court to endangering the welfare of a child. Under the plea bargain, Weiss will not be required to be listed in a registry of sex offenders.
   Prosecutors said they agreed to the deal to spare the boy and another child victim from the rigors of testifying at trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 2:49 PM

• Priest charged with rape in Chatham, Ont.

  [Rev Meurig Lloyd -NEW*] - Anglican. Girl (8-15).  
   CBC News,
   CANADA -- A priest in Chatham, Ont., has been charged with several sex offences dating back more than 40 years.
   Chatham-Kent police arrested Meurig Pari Lloyd, 79, on Tuesday at his home in Chatham.
   Police said a woman recently contacted them and made allegations the priest abused her when she was between the ages of eight and 15, beginning in 1967. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 2:45 PM

• Day One in Haiti

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   Fairfield Mirror, By Paul Kendrick '73, January 13, 2010
   [Tracker note: This was written before the earthquake struck yesterday. According to an email sent to Frank Douglas at Voice from the Desert blog, Mr. Kendrick is safe but noted things are at a "standstill." Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot was killed in the earthquake, according to the Catholic News Agency and other news agencies.]
   Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of diary entries written by Fairfield alumnus Paul Kendrick ‘73, who is currently spending a week in Haiti. Kendrick is an advocate for sex abuse victims and member of the organization Voice of the Faithful, which formed in response to the Roman Catholic sex abuse cases. He had visited Project Pierre Touissant, which was run by fellow Fairfield alumnus Doug Perlitz ‘92 in 2003. Last year, Perlitz was indicted by a Bridgeport grand jury on ten counts of abusing Haitian children. His trial is scheduled to start in April.
   CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti – For me, it was a highly emotional day. Here I was, sitting in a small office at Justinian Hospital, face to face with two of the many former students who have reported to law enforcement officials that they were sexually abused by Douglas Perlitz, former executive director of Project Pierre Toussaint and Fairfield University alumnus.
   Also in the room was Margaret, a compassionate and loving Haitian social worker who has devoted her time and energy to helping the boys by being available to listen to their problems and Cyrus Sibert, a Haitian journalist who first broke the story about the allegations of abuse against Perlitz in late 2007. Margaret was previously employed as the social worker at the Project's daytime "drop-in" center. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:44 PM [LOOK BACK: Indicted in September 2009]

• Response to Joey Piscitelli's Reflection on the John Jay Study

  - RCC. ~ 1700 years of psychological dysfunction.  
   Voice from the Desert, By Dr. Jim Jenkins,
   UNITED STATES -- Joey Piscitelli, writing in the Voice of the Desert (January 9, 2010), has it dead-on right about the church hierarchy's 1700 year history of betrayal of the charismatic beginnings of the Christian movement started by Jesus, John the Baptist, and their immediate followers.
   Joey is also right about the sordid and bloody historical connection between the persecution of women and children as "witches," epitomized by the blood-thirsty Inquisition, and the serial criminal rape and sodomy of thousands of children and vulnerable adults by bishops and priests in the modern era.
   In my opinion, this centuries-long tradition of criminal cruelty and abuse is a clinical symptom of an endemic of deep emotional and psychological dysfunction, which has both personal and social pathological dimensions. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:39 PM

• bronzed and fit

 
   Catholic Culture,
   WISCONSIN -- A Wisconsin lawmaker had the effrontery to question Archbishop Jerome Listecki as to how the Milwaukee archdiocese regards its disgraced former Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
   Grothman asked Listecki about Weakland's current status. "Does he have any position of honor still in the church? Is he still over anybody or have any authority at all?" Listecki said no, that Weakland is "totally retired." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:35 PM

• Former Milwaukee bishop: I did my best

 
   Boston Herald, Associated Press, Wednesday, January 13, 2010
   MADISON, Wis. - Former Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland says he handled sex abuse cases as best he could.
   Weakland sent an e-mail to The Associated Press responding to state Sen. Glenn Grothman's remarks at a hearing Tuesday. The West Bend Republican called Weakland a "piece of work" and church officials "screwballs" for allowing Weakland to attend new Archbishop Jerome Listecki's installation Mass last week. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:33 PM

• Lahey Child Porn Case Put off until February

  [1983 and 2009 Sep 15 - Bp Raymond Lahey* (69)] - RCC. 1983 - Child porn. 2009 Sep 15 - Importing child pornography.                  
   CFRA, by Kate Yule, Wednesday, January 13, 2010
   CANADA -- A Roman Catholic bishop facing child porn charges is expected to enter a plea in February.
   Raymond Lahey was detained at the Ottawa airport in September after arriving on a flight from Britain. Hundreds of videos and files, many depicting young men engaged in sex acts, were allegedly found on his laptop.
   Lawyers from both sides are set to meet privately with a judge to map out a hearing process on January 26. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:30 PM

• Legislators hold hearing on bill that would permit civil suits against child abusers

   
   Superior Telegram with video By Gil Halsted, Wisconsin Public Radio, Superior Telegram
   MADISON (WI) – Victims of child sexual abuse turned out in force Tuesday at the state capitol to testify in favor of a bill that would allow them to bring civil suits against their abusers. It would change the statute of limitations that prevents adults over 35 years old from seeking damages from abusers if the abuse took place before they turned 20.
   Only California and Delaware have passed similar laws.
   Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki urged legislators to reject the bill, arguing that in Delaware, the law led to the bankruptcy of the state's largest Catholic charities agency. He says the same could happen in Wisconsin. Listecki says it's an "injustice" targeting the Catholic Church and a similar outcome could affect services, whether it's for a person with disabilities in Superior, or a homeless family in Green Bay, which rely on help from Catholic Charities. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 12:24 PM

• Baptist leaders silent at start of murder trial

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker -? NEW*] - Baptist. Wife dead. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   Stop Baptist Predators,
   WACO (TX) -- The murder trial of former Southern Baptist pastor Matt Baker began today, January 12, in Waco, Texas.
   Baker is accused of having killed his wife, allegedly so that he could more easily pursue "his latest conquest" -- a young woman in his church.
   In anticipation of trial, prosecutors recently gave notice that they intend to present evidence that, during the course of his career, Matt Baker made sexual "advances," "assaults," and "approaches" on at least 13 young females, including 4 minors. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 10:39 AM

• Accused predator still rosh yeshiva

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.    
   The Jewish Star, by Michael Orbach, Issue of 29 Tevet 5770 / January 18, 2010
   NEW YORK -- It's been several weeks since Leib Tropper's recorded voice was made public discussing an illicit physical relationship. Tropper, founder of Eternal Jewish Family (EJF), which advocates a universal conversion standard under its strict control, hasn't disputed that the voice on the recordings is his, or that he was speaking with a woman whose conversion he was facilitating. Yet he remains a rosh yeshiva in Monsey, of Yeshiva Kol Yaakov, and the head of Horizons, an outreach organization based out of the yeshiva.
   Receptionists at the Yeshiva Kol Yaakov number listed on the Horizons website confirmed that the number belongs to the yeshiva. The Jewish Star made multiple attempts to reach Tropper, and was informed that he would be in for "seder" (scheduled Torah study) on Sunday morning. On later calls to the yeshiva, The Jewish Star was told that Tropper either was out or was unable to come to the phone.
   Tropper has resigned from Eternal Jewish Family and all mention of him has been scrubbed from its website. However, he is still featured prominently on the Horizons site, which calls him, "a dynamic and inspiring figure." Offering a message some could find ironic, the website continues, "R' Tropper's passion for the importance of character development is contagious, and the centrality of menschlichkeit to Torah observance is both an attractive and authentic recurrent message." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 10:36 AM

• Child porn case involving bishop put off to February

  [1983 and 2009 Sep 15 - Bp Raymond Lahey* (69)] - RCC. 1983 - Child porn. 2009 Sep 15 - Importing child pornography.                  
   CTV, The Canadian Press, Wednesday Jan. 13, 2010
   OTTAWA, CANADA – The case of a former Roman Catholic bishop facing child pornography charges has been put off again until Feb. 3, when he's expected to enter a plea.
   Raymond Lahey was charged in September with possessing and importing child pornography -- 10 days after being detained by customs officers at the Ottawa airport after arriving on a flight from Britain.
   He did not appear in court on Wednesday morning. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 10:34 AM

• Women religious visitations to begin in April

  - RCC.    
   National Catholic Reporter (USA), NCR Today by Thomas C. Fox on Jan. 12, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- In remarks made on the Apostolic Visitation Web site, the Vatican appointed Apostolic Visitator, Mother Mary Clare Millea, has offered a few more details about the process of the ongoing Vatican look at women religious congregations.
   Millea says that a core team from her office is currently analyzing information culled from questionnaires returned to her office by women religious congregations. After examining that information she said she will decide which congregations will receive personal visitations from teams of women and men religious. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:38 AM

• Pastor on rape charge

  [2010 Jan 6 - Unnamed clergyman* (35)] - Zion Christian Church. Woman (30).  
   Pretoria News, January 13, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- A Zion Christian Church pastor who allegedly raped a woman churchgoer appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court yesterday, Johannesburg police said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:34 AM

• Diocese head of schools on leave

  [? 2000s Mr Joseph G. Casciano] - RCC. Touching.  
   Times Leader, By Mark Guydish, mguydish@timesleader.com , Education Reporter,
   SCRANTON (PA) -- The Diocese of Scranton has remained mum about an investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct by Superintendent of Schools Joe Casciano.
   The diocese confirmed Jan. 6 that Casciano had "requested a leave of absence" from his multirole position as "secretary for Catholic schools/superintendent of schools and acting secretary for parish life and evangelization."
   Diocesan Apostolic Administrator Cardinal Justin Rigali, head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, had granted the leave, effective Dec. 28, and appointed Kathleen P. Hanlon as acting secretary for Catholic schools/superintendent. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:31 AM

• Priest who fondled Mamaroneck parishioner avoids jail - but 'shame on you,' judge says

  [2004, Jan 12-23 - Ordonez* / Ordoñez] - RCC had kept it quiet 4mos. Tried to flee to Ecuador. Woman.     
   The Journal News, By Rebecca Baker, rebaker@lohud.com , January 13, 2010
   MAMARONECK (NY) -- A judge told the Rev. Richard Ordonez that he should be ashamed of himself for fondling a parishioner at a Mamaroneck church after she went to him for marriage counseling.
   "As a priest, shame on you," state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Cohen said Tuesday. "As a counselor, shame on you. As a human being, shame on you."
   Ordonez, a 38-year-old Ecuadorean cleric, offered no apology as he was given a conditional discharge as part of a negotiated agreement with Westchester County prosecutors. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:28 AM

• Preview: Mahony let another pedo-priest into L.A. from overseas in 2002, Diocese of Rome, Italy, named as defendant

 
   City of Angels, includes a copy of the lawsuit, by Kay Ebeling
   CALIFORNIA -- John Doe Versus "Diocese of Rome, a business entity of form unknown." Complaint filed April 2009 names Defendants 1 through 100, including Diocese of Rome, Italy. First Complaint alleges Cardinal Roger Mahony allowed yet another known pedophile priest from overseas into Los Angeles in 2001-2, where the perpetrator then preyed on Los Angeles children. Page one of first complaint Scanned below. We will publish 22 pages of the 56-page Complaint when we return from hiatus January 15th. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:20 AM

• New archbishop answers tough questions

 
   MADISON (WI) CBS 58
   [with video]
   Milwaukee's new archbishop found himself on the hot seat in Madison today, answering tough questions about clergy abuse.
   Archbishop Jerome Listecki came face to face with victims of clergy abuse over a bill in the state legislature. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:09 AM

• 01.12.10 | Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing

 
   MADISON (WI) Wisconsin Eye
   [video presentation]
   ….Senate Bill 319 relating to the statute of limitations for sexual contact with a child. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 8:03 AM

• SNAP members in Jefferson City to question diocese

  [2005 Fr Thomas Seifner*] - RCC. Electronic communication.
   ConnectMidMissouri
   MISSOURI -- Members of the Abuse Survivors Network, "SNAP", want a better accounting of the situation surrounding Fr. Thomas Seifner.
   SNAP officers showed up at the Jefferson City diocese yesterday with a letter for Bishop John Gaydos.
   They want to know exactly what's been done to investigate allegations that Seifner had inappropriate electronic contact with a minor five years ago. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:55 AM

• Con Game

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.  
   Tablet (A New Read on Jewish Life), By Allison Hoffman | 7:00 AM Jan 13, 2010
   NEW YORK -- December was a very bad month for Rabbi Leib Tropper, a powerful ultra-Orthodox rabbi who has been seeking to determine the standards for conversion in Israel and throughout the world through his little-known yet influential organization, Eternal Jewish Family. First, black-and-white posters appeared on walls in Jerusalem and other Israeli cities threatening public disgrace if the rabbi refused to "cease his filth." While the definition of "filth" was left up to readers' imagination, photos and video were prominently mentioned in the text, which demanded that Tropper suspend his involvement in performing religious conversions.
   On December 14, Eternal Jewish Family–which is based in the ultra-Orthodox enclave of Monsey, New York, and backed by the billionaire board president of New York's 92nd Street Y, and his nephew, who owns one of Israel's most famous soccer clubs–suddenly announced that its founder was resigning his post to "pursue a variety of other interests," the details of which were again were left to readers' imaginations.
   Two days later, the filth appeared online: audio tapes, allegedly of the rabbi, trying to coerce a single mother from Houston into having sex with other men for money–and as the price of her conversion to Judaism. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:45 AM

• 2nd prison term for sex with minor

  [2008-09 Mr Tucker]  
   The Journal Gazette
   INDIANA -- With a 10-year prison sentence handed down in Allen County on Monday, former church organist Dale Tucker was sentenced to an additional 10 years Tuesday in Wells Circuit Court for sexual misconduct with a minor.
   But the sentences will be served at the same time, so Tucker could be out of prison in as little as five years.
   The 57-year-old musician was charged in both counties with sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy over about six months from December 2008 until the abuse came to light last spring. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:42 AM

• UPDATE: "Child Victims Act" Receives Committee Hearing

 
   MADISON (WI) WKOW
   MADISON (WKOW) -- A proposal by lawmakers could resurrect decades old cases of child sexual abuse.
   The debate has the new leader of Milwaukee's Catholic Church at odds with Milwaukee County's top law enforcement officer.
   "The process should be open for those who've suffered abuse to seek justice in the proper form," said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, "That's what this bill would allow them to do." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:37 AM

• Church liability at issue in abuse suit

 
   Las Vegas Sun, By Steve Kanigher, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010
   NEVADA -- A national debate over the extent to which a religious group can be held liable for sexual misconduct by its clergy or its volunteers has made its way to the doorstep of the Nevada Supreme Court.
   Because lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by clerics have typically been settled before trials could take place, the state's courts have not delved very far into the issue of religious groups' liability for sexual abuse. That's about to change as the high court considers a case involving a Las Vegas woman who claims she was sexually assaulted nine years ago by a man she described as a cantor at a synagogue.
   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Roman Catholic bishops of Las Vegas and Reno have lined up with the synagogue to argue that the First Amendment shields religions from lawsuits of this type. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:34 AM

• Priest investigation ongoing, medical condition an issue

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   The Chronicle By KATE THAYER kthayer@kcchronicle.com ,
   ST. CHARLES (IL) – Kane County prosecutors continue to investigate allegations that a Joliet priest that attempted to kill himself last week molested a St. Charles child.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, jumped from a 20-foot church balcony Jan. 6 in an apparent suicide attempt, according to police and Joliet Diocese officials. Two days prior, a St. Charles family filed a report with St. Charles police, alleging Flores sexually abused their child.
   State's Attorney John Barsanti said Tuesday Flores remains hospitalized, but his condition is unclear. That uncertainty could affect the investigation in terms of when officials might arrest Flores. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:30 AM

• Diocese, victims' network at odds

  [Seifner] - RCC.  
   News Tribune, By Gerry Tritz, gtritz@newstribune.com , Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
   MISSOURI -- The Catholic Church is required by law and by its own charter to report priest abuse cases involving minors to civil authorities. But what if the alleged victim, a minor at the time, is now an adult?
   That turned into a main point of contention Tuesday when two members of a victims' advocacy group confronted Jefferson City Diocese officials about their handling of a Mid-Missouri priest under investigation by the church.
   Bishop John Gaydos put Father Tom Seifner, pastor of churches in Loose Creek and Bonnots Mill, on administrative leave Dec. 18, after the diocese received a report of an inappropriate electronic communication between Seifner and a minor. The alleged incident took place five years ago, and the minor is now an adult. After a church investigation, Gaydos will decide what action to take regarding Seifner. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 13, 2010 7:26 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed January 13, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu January 14, 2010 edition:

• Civil suit against priest is dismissed

  [~ 1970s-80s Fr G. Robinson] - RCC. Satanic rituals. Girl.  
   Toledo Blade, BLADE STAFF, Jan 14, 2010
   TOLEDO (OH) -- A civil lawsuit against Toledo priest Gerald Robinson, convicted in 2006 of murdering a nun, has been thrown out of court for being filed too late.
   Judge Ruth Ann Franks of Lucas County Common Pleas Court said a Toledo woman's suit alleging she was abused by Robinson and others in satanic rituals when she was a child was not filed within Ohio's statute of limitations, which in most cases is 12 years after the person turns 18.
   The woman, who filed anonymously as Survivor Doe with her husband Spouse Doe, claimed she could not have sued Robinson because she did not know his identity until she saw him on television in 2004 after his arrest for murder. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 9:18 PM]

• Group calls for investigation into Berwyn employee

  [1980s Fr Frank Paduch - ? NEW*] - RCC. 5 boys.
   Berwyn Life, By Adam Rosen, arosen@mysuburbanlife.com ,
   BERWYN (IL) – The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is calling for the City of Berwyn to investigate an employee after the network learned he allegedly sexually abused five boys in the 1980s.
   Barbara Blaine, SNAP's founder and president, submitted a letter to the Berwyn City Hall Thursday asking for an investigation into Senior Advocate Frank Paduch's past.
   Blaine said a civil lawsuit was filed against a man named Frank Paduch in 1997 alleging Brother Frank Paduch sexually abused a student while at St. Rita High School in Chicago during the 1980-81 school year. The lawsuit settled for an undisclosed amount two years later. Blaine said two of the additional four alleged victims have come forward through an attorney, but none have filed a lawsuit against Paduch. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 9:12 PM

• Editor clarifies ‘Catholic bishop' news item

  [1993, ~ 2000s: "Bishop" Anthony Martinez Garduno* (51)] - Ex-RCC, now "Our Lady of Tepeyac Church". 1993 asked RC adherent to strip. 2000s drug-selling, pistol, sex with boy/s.
   Valley News,
   CALIFORNIA -- A 16-paragraph story that was written by a regional news service and published in the Jan. 8 edition of the Valley News requires clarification on its use of the words "Catholic bishop."
   The story and headline described 51-year-old Anthony Martinez Garduno, who recently pleaded guilty to four drug-related charges, as a Catholic bishop. The story also alleged other wrongdoings at his church, Our Lady of Tepeyac, at 13462 Magnolia Ave. in the unincorporated Home Gardens area west of the city of Riverside.
   Garduno made headlines at the same church in September when he was shot there during a robbery attempt. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 9:10 PM

• Why rabbis sin

  - Orthodox Judaists.  
   Haaretz, by Jeremy Rosen,
   ISRAEL -- One could be forgiven for thinking that this past year was a very bad one for Orthodox Judaism. Across the Jewish world, one scandal followed another: corrupt and criminal activity among kosher slaughterers and kashrut supervisors, drug smuggling, theft and other illegal financial practices, racial discrimination, sexual abuse, some rabbis recorded demanding sex for conversions and others taking drugs and employing prostitutes. One after another, the headlines have reiterated a sad litany of corruption among Orthodox Jews, in many cases among their rabbinical leaders.
   None of this is new; it has been going on for a very long time. But for someone as committed to Torah as I am, this phenomenon represents, far more than theological issues, the most serious of challenges to faith.
   I am tired of making excuses. Once I would argue that 2,000 years of oppression, hatred and exclusion had taught the Jews to do whatever they needed to survive. Or, I would note that much of Orthodox Jewry nowadays is barely a generation removed from life in an Eastern Europe where the state was an enemy and everyone had to break the rules in order to evade the discriminatory regimes. In Israel, one could put the blame on David Ben-Gurion, for not having separated religion and state, which in effect encouraged the Orthodox to indulge in all the temptations that accompany political power. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 4:31 PM [COMMENT: A shallow "scholar," who talks of 2000 years of oppression, when Hebrew and other old writings show us that Israelites and Judeans were invaded and deported etc. for about 2500 or more years.  And ask how many Hindu temples and Jewish synagogues there are in Saudi Arabia today. ENDS.]

• Former Orlando-area priest accused of sex abuse

  [1970s Fr Jos&eacyte; / Jose Mena -? NEW*] - RCC. Altar boy and another.  
   Orlando Sentinel By Walter Pacheco, 1:49 p.m. EST, January 14, 2010
   FLORIDA -- A former Orlando-area priest faces a second lawsuit alleging he sexually abused an underage altar boy more than 30 years ago.
   The lawsuit filed in Orange County Court in December accuses former Diocese of Orlando priest José Mena of performing sex acts on an altar boy he had befriended in the mid-1970s while serving the congregation at Resurrection Church in Winter Garden.
   The victim's attorneys claim diocese officials failed to "ensure his safety, care, health and well-being" and that the alleged pedophile priest was transferred to other churches "to prevent church members from learning of his pattern of abuse." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 2:18 PM]

• Lawsuit against killer priest is dismissed

  [Fr Robinson] - Nun dead.
   Columbus Dispatch, WTVG-TV VIA AP, 1:40 PM, Thursday, January 14, 2010
   TOLEDO (OH) -- A judge in northern Ohio has tossed out a lawsuit against a priest who was convicted of killing a nun.
   The lawsuit was brought by a woman who says she was sexually abused by the priest from Toledo and was unrelated to the case that put him in prison.
   In throwing out the lawsuit against the Rev. Gerald Robinson, the judge said this week that the claims are too old to be brought to court. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 2:14 PM

• Preaching to Bishops

 
   Commonweal, AN UNDERTAKER'S VIEW, by Thomas Lynch
   UNITED STATES -- "Preaching to bishops," a long-dead churchman told me years ago, "is like f*rting at skunks. You'll win some battles, but lose the war." All the more so, no doubt, the higher you go. His Holiness, Their Eminences and Excellencies–"Don't cross 'em," the curate cautioned; "those boyos aren't to be tampered with."
   Among the blessings of my work as a funeral director is that it has put me in earshot of the reverend clergy trying to make sense of senseless things: the man who kills his wife, their poodle, and then himself; a mother who drowns her baby then does her nails; the teenager with the broken heart and loaded pistol; the tumors and emboli, flus and tsunamis, deadly contagions and misadventures – the endless renditions of the Book of Job. When someone shows up – priest or pastor, rabbi or imam, venerable master or fellow traveler – to stand with the living and the dead and speak into the gaping maw of the unspeakable, I know I am witnessing uncommon courage and my perennially shaken faith is emboldened by theirs.
   "Behold, I show you a mystery," they always say. They are balm and anointing, these men and women of God, frontline infantry and holy corpsmen in the wars long waged between faith and fear.
   Which is why the recent ecclesiastical mischief by rear- and upper-echelon sorts seems cartoonish, unseemly, so lacking in gravitas by comparison. The papal poaching of "traditionalist" Anglicans (to wit: those put off by female clerics and homosexuals) is but one sup of thin gruel boiled up lately by the hierarchies. Another is the carping of Archbishop Raymond Burke (late of St. Louis, latterly installed in the Vatican) at Cardinal Sean O'Malley's generous opening of the church's arms to the corpse and people of the late Edward Kennedy – an epic senator and sinner, self-confessed. Then there is its decidedly downsized version (for mid-careerists): the Right Rev. Thomas Tobin's harangue on the sacramental options open to the late senator's son, Patrick, who votes with his caucus on matters of civil law. "Erratic" is the word His Excellency used to describe the congressman's conduct – twisting the prick of insinuation, as we Irish-American Catholics so deftly do. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 2:09 PM

• The Furor Over Weakland's Bronze

 
   Milwaukee Magazine, by Bruce Murphy | Tuesday Jan/12/2010
   MILWAUKEE (WI) -- Is there any organization in town that is more clueless about public relations than the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese?
   In the midst of what should have been a celebration, the installation of new Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, the archdiocese is instead engulfed in controversy over whether it should have involved former Archbishop Rembert Weakland in the ceremony and whether a bronze image celebrating his tenure is inappropriate.
   The criticism has been led by Peter Isely, the implacable director of the Midwest chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. You could argue that Isely always sees the negative about the archdiocese, but he is a smart, savvy strategist who seizes on any chance to dramatize the plight of those he represents against an archdiocese he portrays as uncaring. And time and again the actions of the archdiocese reinforce his arguments. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 12:43 PM

• We can't name city park after Wilde who 'hunted young boys' for sex

   
   Herald, By Andrew Phelan, Thursday January 14 2010
   IRELAND -- A liberature professor has voiced "amazement" at a campaign to rename a Dublin park after Oscar Wilde, saying the author "hunted" underage boys "without scruple".
   Joseph O'Leary, who lectures at a Japanese university, criticised proposals for the ditching of Archbishop Dermot Ryan's name from the park at Merrion Square.
   Dublin City councillors voted to drop the name out of respect for those who suffered sexual abuse by priests during Archbishop Ryan's time in charge of the Dublin diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 10:19 AM

• An Interview with Eric Large

   
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo, January 14, 2010
   CANADA -- I first met Eric Large almost two years ago, when I visited Blue Quills College, in Alberta, Canada. I met many survivors of abuse from the Indian Residential Schools and learned about a history previously unknown to me. More info on the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement is at: www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca and for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at: www.trc.ca
   JR: You are a member of the Cree nation. I understand that you attended an Indian Residential School. For those readers who are unfamiliar with the Canadian experience, would you say a little about the First Nations involvement with sexual abuse and IRS?
   EL: Yes, I am a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and I resided at the Blue Quills Indian Residential School from the 1952-53 school year to the 1964-65 school year consecutively. In my area, the first Blue Quills Residential School was located on the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve from about 1898. The federal government and clergy from a Roman Catholic entity had firm control over the education of the children. The federal government policy was to assimilate the Indian children through industrial/agricultural training and very basic education. This policy was pronounced in the 1920's as "to kill the Indian in the child". Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 10:10 AM

• 10 from 10: The defining stories at Seattle University in the last decade

   
   SEATTLE (WA) Seattle University Spectator
   9. Jesuit sexual abuse litigation
   Seattle University became entangled in three separate sexual abuse scandals in the last decade, one of which has yet to be resolved.
   Tony Harris, S.J., who served as vice president of Mission and Ministry, resigned in October 2006 after allegations that he sexually harassed a trainee priest in the 1990s surfaced.
   That week Seattle U also announced that a former professor who was already deceased, Englebert Axer, S.J., had molested a boy in California in 1956.
   In 2007, several men filed a lawsuit against Seattle U and the Jesuit order claiming sexual abuse by Michael Toulouse, S.J., who taught at the school from 1950 to 1976. The suit also claimed officials within the order and at Seattle U knew of the abuse but failed to stop it. One victim said Toulouse had molested him in the Jesuit residence on campus in 1968. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 8:09 AM

• Holy Cross Hits Half-Century Mark

 
   CALIFORNIA The Santa Barbara Independent
   Tuesday, January 12, 2010 By Lyz Hoffman
   With a bullfighter, a banquet, and a bilingual bishop, all signs pointed to beguiling. From its very onset, the 50th anniversary of Holy Cross Catholic Church on January 10, 2010 promised to be, at the very least, interesting, and, at the very most, controversial. Come the celebration's conclusion, however, it was clear that the two extremes met somewhere in the middle.
   At its most basic level, the ceremony was a celebration of the church's 50-year history. On a deeper level, the ceremony was a testament to the church's 50-year resiliency amid struggle, strife, and scandal.
   On January 10, 1960, Holy Cross Catholic Church (nee Our Lady of Guadalupe Church) became official, with Father Matthew Kelly officially the priest. Although still a mission church at the time – Holy Cross would not go on to be a parish until 1973 – the occasion was nevertheless momentous, with the dedication ceremony officiated by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre. Little did the parishioners know then that Holy Cross would play host to many more momentous occasions in the future.
   Most infamous of occasions, of course, were the past allegations against Father Matthew Kelly. Accused of molesting seven boys – six of whom were Latino – until his priesthood ended in 1970, Father Kelly's acts left an impermeable mark upon Holy Cross. Despite reaching a settlement in 2007 – a settlement that involved the entire Los Angeles Archdiocese – and subsequently awarding each of Father Kelly's seven victims approximately $1.1 million each, the archdiocese never officially acknowledged Father Kelly's wrongdoing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 8:04 AM

• Why Don't People Care?

 
   UNITED STATES The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing
   Virginia Jones
   Catholic clergy abuse survivors feel wounded that the people and leadership of the Catholic Church are indifferent and sometimes hostile to their sufferings.
   "Why don't they care?" I've been asked over and over.
   This lack of compassion causes many survivors to conclude that the Catholic Church is evil.
   I know what alienated clergy abuse survivors are talking about. I've experienced it myself.
   When I was thrown out of my parish for advocating for survivors of clergy abuse, I was co-teaching a catechism class with another woman. She seemed sympathetic to my cause because her brother-in-law had been abused by a priest when he was a boy. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 8:00 AM

• Brownell 'proud' of inquiry

   
   Standard-Freeholder Posted By KEVIN LAJOIE KLAJOIE@STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM
   CANADA -- Several years ago, MPP Jim Brownell supported the call for a public inquiry into allegations of historical sexual abuse in the Cornwall area because he believed the "air needed to be cleared."
   With the final report of the Cornwall Inquiry now released, Brownell believes that has happened.
   "I think so… I'm satisfied, and I think the people who wanted the inquiry got their chance," said the MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:47 AM

• Magnificent in its entirety

  [Decades - Fr Maciel Degollado*] - RCC. US $10-15m, male seminarians, mistress had daughter.      
   Life-after-RC ~ Jan 14, 2010
   I am begging prayer for this heroic man whom I truly admire (letter is dated 9 Jan 2010):
   Dear Regnum Christi Friends,
   With my greetings for a very happy New Year for 2010 and assurance of my continued prayers and Masses for you and your families, I have some news to pass on to you.
   I'm writing to inform you that after 29 years, I will be leaving the Legionaries of Christ and will apply to become a priest of the Archdiocese of New York. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:43 AM

• Another Prominent American Priest, Fr. Richard Gill, Leaves the Legionaries of Christ

  [Decades - Fr Maciel Degollado*] - RCC. US $10-15m, male seminarians, mistress had daughter.
   Patrick Madrid, ~ Jan 14, 2010
   This news is being reported on various blogs, including Genevieve Kineke's "Life After RC" site, which contains the text of Father Gill's January 9th letter announcing his departure from the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ.
   I am not surprised to hear of this development, as there has been a significant, though quiet, exodus of LC priests and seminarians from the order in the past year (my friend Father Thomas Berg, for example). I am aware of other priests who, not having left the order quite yet, are definitely moving toward the exits, and I am happy to see that at least some of the departures are being publicized this way.
   Historically, the Legion has been very intent on preventing the news of defections from the order by its priests and seminarians from becoming known among the rank and file membership of the Legion and its lay affiliate, Regnum Christ. The euphemism that "Father So and So has been reassigned to a different front" has long been a standard opaque response given when someone inquires as to why a certain LC priest is suddenly no longer around. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:40 AM

• Tale of the Tapes

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.
   Tablet, {includes audio portions from the tapes},
   NEW YORK -- It's not clear when Shannon Orand–a mother of two from Houston–began having an alleged sexual relationship with Leib Tropper, the ultra-Orthodox rabbi from the upstate New York enclave of Monsey who was helping her work toward her conversion to Judaism. But last year, when the rabbi encouraged her to engage in phone sex with other men in exchange for money, she says, she began recording their conversations.
  In an interview last month with Failed Messiah blogger Shmarya Rosenberg, Orand said she made the recordings for her own protection, to ensure that other rabbis would believe her allegations against Tropper. But the audio files, perhaps inevitably, began circulating around ultra-Orthodox samizdat networks and eventually surfaced on blogs and on YouTube, where the audio was set to a photograph of the rabbi. (Tropper's lawyer, Howard Karasik, told Tablet Magazine his client would have no further comment on the tapes beyond a statement issued in December, in which Tropper expressed his regret "for what has appeared to be conduct not within our significant laws of modesty" without denying their legitimacy.) Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:32 AM

• Alamo must pay victims half million each

  [Tony Alamo]
   Texarkana Gazette By Lynn LaRowe, Published: Jan/13/2010
   ARKANSAS Tony Alamo was ordered to pay $500,000 to each of five women listed as victims in his federal indictment who testified they were forced to wed their pastor as children.
   U.S. District Judge Harry Barnes lamented that "no amount of money could compensate," Alamo's victims for the suffering they've endured and the impact the physical and sexual abuse they've suffered will have on their futures. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:27 AM

• SNAP petitions church over members' actions

 
   MISSOURI The News-Press
   by Jennifer Hall Thursday, January 14, 2010 A survivors' support group is worried that recent actions of a few local church members is sending the wrong message to sexual abuse victims.
   Barbara Dorris of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) went to the New Life Bible Church Wednesday to deliver a letter to the church's leaders. The letter is intended as a peace offering to work with members to be supportive of possible victims.
   Ms. Dorris said SNAP's members believe that the recent sentencing of a former pastor of the church was too lenient and that the congregation that attended the hearing acted inappropriately in supporting the man. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:24 AM

• Protecting our kids from religious predators

   
   IRELAND -- Hudson Valley Press (United States) By Chris Stevenson
   Part I of II
   There are a lot of people out there who believe in religion but don't believe in God. These are the churchgoers and church-leaders that are the least criticized and least taken to task in most religions. One reason is, they have most of you fooled.
   Recently the Irish Catholic Church have been revealed as having covered up cases of child sexual molestation from 1975-2004. Given the far-famed and infamous history of the Irish as a bunch of drunken brawlers just looking for a reason to fight, I am mystified as to how they could pass this up. Is there any better reason for Danny Boy to smash his way into his Church's office and take Bishop O'Reilly to task? A lot of you look upon that guy seen carrying little Shaniya Davis away as being despicable, but will remain silent when this happens in your very building of worship. What's going on here is, the churches are the original promoters of "Image is Everything" and the direct result of that is something I call RSM (religiously sanctioned molestation). Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:20 AM

• Laurel priest removed from duties among allegations of sexual abuse

   
   LAUREL (MD) -- Gazette,
   A Laurel priest has been removed from the ministry while the Archdiocese of Baltimore investigates allegations he sexually abused three boys during the 1980s.
   The archdiocese issued a news release Monday stating that the Rev. John T. Wielebski, 62, pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Church in Laurel, had been accused by three individuals of sexual abuse during the 1980s while he was serving at St. Dominic Church in Baltimore City and the Monsignor Clare J. O'Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, Md.
   The news release stated that Wielebski denied all wrongdoing. His attorney information was not immediately available, and a call to the church's rectory was not returned by press time. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:16 AM

• Retired priest faces sex abuse charges

   
   Chatham Daily News, Posted By ERICA BAJER,
   CANADA -- A former Anglican minister is facing historical sexual offences after a woman came forward and reported alleged abuse.
   Meurig Pari Lloyd, a 79-year-old Chatham man, is charged with two counts of rape, two counts of gross indecency, two counts of intercourse with a girl under 14 and indecent assault on a female.
   Det. Jim Niven, of the Chatham-Kent Police Service's major crime unit, said the alleged incidents happened more than 40 years ago. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 14, 2010 7:13 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu January 14, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri January 15, 2010 edition:

• Plainville parish shocked by death of its priest

  [Fr J. Garret Thomson -NEW*] - RCC. Sex-assault allegations. 2010 Jan 06 found dead. The Boston Globe, By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff / January 15, 2010
   PLAINVILLE (MA) -- The Rev. J. Garret Thomson, a jovial, down-to-earth priest, seemed in great spirits Jan. 3 when he said Sunday Mass at St. Martha's Church here.
   "It was a wonderful Mass," said Michael Lewicki, who served as lector that morning. "I was glad to be a part of it."
   The next day, with no notice to the parish, Thomson was placed on administrative leave by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston because of sexual-assault allegations. Thomson was found dead two days later on the bedroom floor of his home in Jaffrey, N.H. …
   A question-and-answer session about the leave is scheduled Wednesday at St. Martha's. But the two-week delay between Thomson's leave and that meeting, particularly after the secrecy that cloaked the archdiocese's sexual-abuse scandal, has infuriated many parishioners, Denson said. "We thought, my gosh, what happened to the transparency?" Denson said. "Why wasn't the rest of the parish told what was going on, so people could have a dialogue?" Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 4:25 AM

• Ex-priest convicted of sexually assaulting boys

  [1970s-1980s James Blume (Brothers of the Holy Cross) - ? NEW*] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.
   Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel, Posted: Jan. 15, 2010
   WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN -- A former member of the Brothers of the Holy Cross religious order who later became a Catholic priest pleaded guilty Friday and was convicted of sexually assaulting two boys in the Elm Grove area, one in the late 1970s and the other in the early 1980s.
   Prosecutor Debra L. Blasius said the state will argue that James R. Blume receive a 10-year prison term when he is sentenced on March 26.
   Blume, 64, was charged with two counts of sexual assault against a child. He decided to enter guilty pleas on Friday rather than take the case to trial, and was found guilty by Waukesha County Reserve Judge Patrick L. Snyder. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:55 PM

• Day Two in Haiti (Pre-Earthquake)

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   Fairfield Mirror (United States), By Paul Kendrick '72, January 15, 2010
   Warning: This article contains some graphic language and content that may be upsetting.
   Editor's Note – This is the second in a five part series of diary entries written by Fairfield alumnus Paul Kendrick ‘72, who is currently spending a week in Haiti. Kendrick is a long time advocate for sex abuse victims and a co-founder of Voice of the Faithful in Maine, which formed in response to the Roman Catholic sex abuse cases. He had visited Project Pierre Touissant, which was run by fellow Fairfield alumnus Doug Perlitz ‘92 in 2003. Last year, Perlitz was indicted by a Bridgeport grand jury on ten counts of abusing Haitian children. His trial is scheduled to start in April.
   CAP-HAITIEN, HAITI -- Forty percent of the Haitian population is under 15 years old. Kids are everywhere. In the early morning, one can see them in multitudes as they walk to school all dressed up in their crisp uniforms. They hold hands and giggle with each other. They walk on streets full of pot holes, many of which are strewn with garbage.
   On a previous visit to Port Margot, located north of Cap-Haitien, I was standing in the town square at 6:00 a.m. when a little boy came walking by in his checkered brown school uniform. He was walking backwards, staring at me, obviously infatuated by the color of my skin. He was so intent upon looking at me that he didn't pay attention to where he was going and the poor little guy tripped over himself and fell. When I went to help, he quickly got up and ran away as fast as he could.
   I am reporting that more former Project Pierre Toussaint students came to speak with me today. I listened quietly as they told me what Doug Perlitz did to their bodies and souls. In yesterday's diary, I referred to the two boys I spoke with on Monday as "alleged" victims. I did that to be politically correct, to satisfy Doug's supporters who believe that people like me are on some kind of a "witch hunt." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 9:22 PM] [COMMENT: It would seem that some family planning ought to have been practised over the past 50 years or so.  Perhaps the percentage of people under 15, and horribly poor and neglected, would not be 40% if certain religions had NOT received secret information that modern family planning was against Heaven. ENDS.]

• President tells envoys child abuse affects us all

  - RCC and Irish State.  
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent,
   IRELAND -- "THE PROBLEMS addressed by the Ryan and Murphy reports, as well as the vulnerability of children to abuse in the home, are peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Catholic Church," President McAleese said yesterday.
   In a seeming retort to comments by Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, in the Vatican earlier this week, President McAleese said: "These are global problems and to assume otherwise is to offer abusers the same dishonourable secret veil which gave them protection and immunity for far too long.
   "I hope the world's children will benefit from the greater scepticism and vigilance that our experience rightly demands in order to better protect our children." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 9:19 PM

• Rubashkin Son-In-Law Yaakov Weiss Pleads Guilty in Boy-Molest Case, But Avoids Sex-Offender Registry

  [2007 Rabbi Yaakov Weiss*] - Judaist. Admitted. 2 boys.  
   The Village Voice By Ward Harkavy, ~ January 15, 2010
   NEW YORK -- Yaakov Weiss, a son-in-law of crooked Kosher-meat-mogul Sholom Rubashkin, has pleaded guilty to child endangerment in a boy-sex case in Albany. Weiss admitted that he got naked with a 13-year-old boy and had "inappropriate physical contact" with the child.
   But the goniff worked out a plea deal and miraculously won't wind up on the sex-offender registry. Which means he can resume his career of working with children.
   This despite the fact that he was indicted for full-on molestation: trying to hide his salami in (or at least rub it on) the butts of two boys while they were all taking a mikveh – a ritual bath that's supposed to purify one's soul but clearly didn't have the desired effect.
   And Weiss skated despite the fact that he admitted telling one of the two boys he was charged with molesting to lie to his mother and to police. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 9:15 PM

• Bishop says priest's charges should not taint whole church

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   WWAY, Submitted by Joe Mauceri, January 15, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- The Bishop of Raleigh says a Duplin County priest and his parishioners are in his prayers. Bishop Michael Burbidge asked people not to jump to conclusions while Fr. Edgar Sepulveda faces charges of sexual misconduct. Brunswick County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Sepulveda a week ago. Bishop Burbidge asked to let the entire judicial process play out and pray for everyone involved.
   Sepulveda is charged with sexual offense and sexual battery. Deputies say the priest was ministering for a youth group in Brunswick County, but had no place to stay. One of the youth group member's parents offered their home -- that's where deputies say the incident happened. Duplin County, has an open case also involving a separate allegation about Sepulveda, but Bishop Burbidge says the cases should not reflect on the entire catholic church.
   "One act of sexual abuse of a child is horrific and unacceptable," Burbidge said. "And I understand that it devastates everyone involved. Ninety-nine percent of the priests that the faithful had met throughout their whole life have been true and faithful to everything they have promised." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 6:01 PM]
   [COMMENT: Another bishop telling a lie !  The U.S. figure for paedophile priests was given as 4% when a big audit was done, but new ones are found each month, so the figure now is nearer 5%, and rising.&nbps; So it is a lie to say "Ninety-nine percent of the priests that the faithful had met throughout their whole life have been true and faithful to everything they have promised."  Cardinal Ratzinger (now called Pope Benedict XVI) had said that the figure of child-abusing priests was less than 1%.  He too was a liar. ENDS.]

• Former priest denied request for new trial

  [Fr Paul Shanley]
   WHDH, with video, ~ January 15, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- A former Boston priest convicted of raping a child was denied his request for a new trial.
   Today, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the victim's claim of recovering repressed memories.
   Paul Shanley said the judge at his 2005 trial should not have allowed prosecutors to present evidence of repressed and recovered memories, and he questioned why the victim waited 20 years to report the sexual abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 5:57 PM

• DECISIVE ACTION

  - Too important to be left to leaders.
   Word from WEORC, ~ January 15, 2010
   On Christmas day over Detroit, a Nigerian suicide bomber's attempt to blow up a commercial jetliner was foiled because of his own ineptitude coupled with the decisive action of his fellow passengers. Whatever the challenges or foibles of the security officials on the ground, these ordinary travelers recognized the danger in the air and responded immediately and vigorously, thus saving their lives, as well as possible victims of falling debris.
   Something similar seems to be happening in the Catholic church as some hyper-conservative bishops, priests and laity attempt to blow up Vatican II Catholicism by their attempts to "reform the reform" as they call it. However, many Catholics are no longer willing to act as compliant sheep being led to an ideological slaughter. The old idea that "Father, or Bishop, or Pope knows best" has been profoundly eroded by the hierarchy's miserable performance in the clergy sex abuse scandals here in America and around the world, most recently in Ireland. Just as airline security is too serious to be left to authorities alone, so too one's authentic relationship with God is too important to be left to the ebb and flow of ecclesiastical politics on all levels. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 5:52 PM

• Bishop speaks out about recent allegations of sex crimes

  [2009 May - Fr Edgar Sepulveda* (47)] - RCC. Young male.
   WECT, Posted by Debra Worley, ~ January 15, 2010
   BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Bishop Burbridge of the Diocese of Raleigh is speaking out about the allegations involving a priest having sexual relations with a minor.
   Father Edgar Sepulveda, 47, is facing one count of 2nd degree Sexual Offense and one count of Sexual Battery.
   According to the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, Father Sepulveda was visiting church members in Brunswick County when he was accused of committing the crimes against a juvenile male in May 2009. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 4:02 PM

• The Strange Case of the Nephew of the Board Chair of the 92nd Street Y

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.    
   Gawker,
   NEW YORK -- Thomas Kaplan is the chair of the 92nd Street Y's board of directors. He is devoted to gaining control of the Orthodox conversion process and saving panthers. His 32-year-old nephew Guma has gone crazy, and he's tangled up in it.
   It's a super-complicated story, but what you need to know is this: Kaplan and his 32-year-old, multimillinaire Israeli nephew, Gumo Aguiar, had been funding the efforts of a shady ultra-Orthodox rabbi named Leib Tropper as he attempted to gain control of the Orthodox conversion process. Except Tropper's plans were derailed when a tape was discovered showing him trying to "sexually coerce" (yeah, we don't know what that means either. Rape? BJs?) a prospective convert. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:51 PM

• COMMONWEALTH vs. Paul SHANLEY

  - RCC.  
   BishopAccountability.org ,
   MASSACHUSETTS -- This links to the complete decision rendered today by the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court in former priest Paul Shanley's request for a new trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:42 PM

• SJC denies ex-priest Paul Shanley's bid for new trial

 
   Boston Herald By Rachelle Cohen, Friday, January 15, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- The state's highest court today affirmed the 2005 conviction of pedophile priest Paul Shanley and along with it the introduction of so-called "repressed memory" of victims in prosecuting cases of sexual abuse.
   In denying Shanley's appeal, the unanimous Supreme Judicial Court decision rejected a laundry list of grounds raised by his legal team, including whether his conviction raised statute of limitations issues (it didn't, the court said) or an abuse of judicial discretion (again, no).
   "There was no abuse of discretion in the admission of expert testimony on the subject of dissociative amnesia," the court found, using the term used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association – the virtual bible of psychiatry and psychology. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:39 PM

• Mass. court denies ex-priest's bid for new trial

 
   MASSACHUSETTS Washington Post
   By DENISE LAVOIE The Associated Press Friday, January 15, 2010
   BOSTON -- A key figure in the Boston clergy sex-abuse scandal who claims his rape conviction was based on "junk science" lost his bid for a new trial Friday when the state's highest court validated his victim's claim of recovering repressed memories.
   Paul Shanley said the judge at his 2005 trial should not have allowed prosecutors to present evidence about the theory of repressed-recovered memories to explain why the victim waited 20 years to report the abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:37 PM

• Cowichan Valley man who blew whistle in alleged sex abuse scandal says battle goes on

 
   CANADA Times-Colonist
   By Lexi Bainas, Canwest News Service January 15, 2010
   Helen and Perry Dunlop are still waiting to read an English copy of the extensive report from the inquiry into events in Cornwall, Ontario when he was a police officer there. They said this week their decades-long battle against those who prey upon children is far from over.
   The government of Ontario spent years and $60 million dollars for an inquiry into an alleged sex abuse scandal in the community of Cornwall but the only person who's gone to jail is the former cop who blew the whistle on it all: Cowichan Valley resident Perry Dunlop.
   He now lives in Duncan with his wife, Helen, and three daughters but was dragged back to Ontario in early 2008 to testify at the inquiry headed by Commissioner Normand Glaude. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:35 PM

• Sexual Abuse Victims' Support Group Calls for Berwyn Investigation of Former Priest

  [1980s Fr Frank Paduch*] - RCC. 5 boys.
   Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog, ~ Jan 15, 2010
   BERWYN (IL) -- The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has asked the City of Berwyn to investigate an employee of the Berwyn Cultural Center located at 6420 W. 16th St. Former priest Frank Paduch, who was accused of sexually abusing five boys in the 1980s, has come under fire for his failure to disclose certain information when he was hired by the city. According to reports, a 1997 civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court alleges that Paduch sexually abused a St. Rita High School student while he was working for the school. The lawsuit settled for an undisclosed amount two years later. SNAP further reports that an additional four alleged victims have come forward through an attorney, but none have filed a lawsuit against Paduch.
   SNAP submitted a letter to the Berwyn City Hall on Thursday asking the village to investigate the circumstances surrounding Paduch's hiring. SNAP was reportedly made aware of Paduch's current employment situation as a result of citizen reports. The Berwyn Cultural Center is located across the street from Lincoln Middle School. Berwyn has said that it will respond to the letter today. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:29 PM

• Paul Shanley, convicted abuser and ex-priest, denied a new trial by highest court in Massachusetts

  [Fr Paul Shanley]
   Voice from the Desert ~ Jan 15, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, president of SNAP the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests 312 399 4747
   Kids are safer with Shanley behind bars. We hope this news will bring some comfort to the dozens he has victimized, many of whom are no doubt still struggling with the devastating, life-long effects of sexual abuse.
   The court is right: repressed memories are well documented and widely accepted in the scientific and therapeutic community, despite a small but loud handful of nay-sayers.
   Let's hope this ruling will encourage others who were hurt by sex offenders to come forward, get help, expose predators, protect others and start healing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 3:25 PM

• SJC confirms Shanley conviction

 
   MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
   By David E. Frank
   Published: January 18, 2010
   In a closely watched case that impacts repressed-memory trials in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the rape and indecent assault convictions of defrocked priest Paul Shanley.
   Shanley, who is serving a 12- to 15-year prison sentence, appealed the rape conviction on grounds that Superior Court Judge Stephen A. Neel improperly allowed a jury to consider his victim's claim of repressed memories.The victim testified at a 2005 trial that more than 20 years had passed before he remembered what had happened to him. He said his memory came back in 2002 after seeing widespread media coverage about the church abuse scandal.
   Shanley's appellate lawyer, Robert F. Shaw Jr. of Cambridge, argued that trial attorney Frank Mondano provided ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to properly challenge the repressed-memory evidence.
   But the SJC disagreed. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 12:23 PM

• Priest is suspended after arrest

  [1970s Fr Ian Dickie -NEW*] - RCC. Young person.    
   Mercury, By Gemma Gardner,
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A CATHOLIC priest serving Buntingford has been suspended following his arrest by the Metropolitan Police.
   Father Ian Dickie, who has served in the parish of the St Richard of Chichester Church in Station Road, pictured, for four years, has been temporarily withdrawn from public ministry, the Diocese of Westminster confirmed this week.
   A diocese spokeswoman said: "This follows an allegation made against him involving a young person, which is said to have taken place more than 30 years ago." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 12:13 PM

• State high court denies pedophile priest a new trial

  [Fr Paul Shanley] - RCC.  
   Enterprise The Patriot Ledger
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – The state supreme court has rejected defrocked priest Paul Shanley's appeal for a new trial.
   In a ruling issued Friday, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld a lower court judge's ruling denying Shanley a new trial.
   Shanley, one of the central figures in the clergy sex abuse scandal within the Boston Archdiocese, had challenged his conviction for repeatedly raping a boy based on an ongoing debate in the psychiatric community over the validity and reliability of repressed memories. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 12:09 PM

• Priest dies after allegation; Sex abuse victims respond

  [Fr J. Garret Thomson*] - RCC. Now dead. Sex-assault allegations.
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, Jan 15, 2010
   PLAINFIELD (MA) -- Our hearts ache for everyone here - the alleged victim or victims and their families, as well as for Fr. Thomson's loved ones, his Plainville MA flock and his Jaffrey NH neighbors. Everyone involved deserves more honesty and caring from Boston's Catholic hierarchy.
   It's outrageous that, even now, Catholic officials can't be honest and forthcoming about clergy sex abuse reports - either with the public, the press or their parishioners. When a child sex abuse report is deemed credible, it is reckless to delay disclosing it for almost any reason, even for one day (especially if the accused is alive and in a parish). Each day a bishop keeps quiet about a credible accusation, he's doing a potential felon a huge favor. Such delays give possible criminals ample time to destroy evidence, fabricate alibis, intimidate witnesses, threaten victims, and even flee the country. Such delays are also hurtful and callous to those who report these alleged crimes. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 12:06 PM

• Diocese of Worcester Releases Annual Report for FY2009

  - RCC.
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester, JANUARY 15, 2010
   {links to financial reports}
   WORCESTER, MA -- Following a complete audit of its financial accounting, the Diocese of Worcester has issued an online and printed edition of the annual report detailing activities for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2009.
   Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, noted in his letter that despite the significant economic challenges, the report demonstrated many strengths. "The Annual Partners in Charity Appeal raised $4,822,180, the second highest amount ever." He also noted that "for the most part, our Diocesan departments and agencies were able to operate with balanced budgets last year."
   Many of the reported deficits were attributed to unrealized losses on investments, not deficit spending in operational budgets. For example, Central Administration reported $665,150 in expenses over revenue after accounting for an unrealized investment loss of $682,244. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 11:12 AM

• Annual report details budgets

 
   The Catholic Free Press, By William T. Clew,
   WORCESTER (MA) -- The 2009 diocesan Annual Report issued this week shows that, "for the most part, our diocesan departments and agencies were able to operate with balanced budgets last year," Bishop McManus said in a letter accompanying the report.
   Bishop McManus also noted in his letter that despite significant economic challenges the Partners in Charity Appeal raised the second highest amount; $4,822,180.
   "This would not have been possible without the extraordinary generosity of our priests and people," he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 11:09 AM

• SJC upholds Shanley child abuse convictions

 
   The Boston Globe, By John R. Ellement and Jonathan Saltzman, January 15, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Defrocked Roman Catholic priest Paul Shanley today lost his appeal before the state's high court, ensuing that a key figure in the priest abuse scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese will remain behind bars.
   The Supreme Judicial Court upheld Shanley's convictions for two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery obtained by Middlesex prosecutors in 2005. The victim first made his accusations against Shanley in 2002, some 20 years after the abuse took place at St. Jean's Church in Newton when the boy was between the ages of 6 and 11.
   The SJC rejected defense attorney Robert F. Shaw Jr.'s contention that Shanley's trial was flawed because the "junk science" of "repressed memory" was used by prosecutors to explain that long gap. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 10:50 AM

• Cornwall sex abuse victims lose funding

   
   CBC News, The Canadian Press,
   CANADA -- Survivors of sexual abuse in Cornwall risk being left without the counselling they need to recover when government funding runs out Friday, a victims' rights group warns.
   The Ontario government plans to begin placing victims into alternate support programs over the next six months. Meanwhile, the attorney general will examine and respond to recommendations made in a report from a lengthy inquiry into rumours of a pedophile ring in the community.
   Rick Goodwin of The Men's Project, a non-profit men's counselling agency, says the government's plan to move people into other community services will do little to help those who have been relying on counsellors they suddenly can no longer afford. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 10:47 AM

• Mass. high court denies ex-priest's bid for new trial based on challenge to repressed memories

  [Fr Paul Shanley]  
   Fox 59 By DENISE LAVOIE, AP Legal Affairs Writer, 10:35 AM EST, January 15, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, (AP) – The highest court in Massachusetts has denied a request for a new trial by a former Roman Catholic priest who was a key figure in the Boston clergy sex abuse scandal.
   Paul Shanley claims he was wrongly convicted based in part on a victim's repressed memories. His lawyer calls the theory of repressed memory "junk science."
   The Supreme Judicial Court said Friday that while the repressed memory theory is controversial, it's generally accepted in the scientific community. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 10:45 AM

• Former Priest Accused Of Molestation To Enter Plea

  [1970s-1980s James Blume* (Brothers of the Holy Cross)] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.
   WISN,
   BROOKFIELD, WISCONSIN -- A former Waukesha County priest accused of molesting boys will be in court Friday.
   James Blume will enter a plea. Blume taught classes at St. Luke's parish in Brookfield in the 1970s.
   He currently lives in Florida and was brought back to Wisconsin under the state's "fleeing sex offender" law. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 10:08 AM

• Mystery surrounds death of Plainville pastor

  [Fr J. Garret Thomson*] - RCC. Now dead. Sex-assault allegations.
   The Sun Chronicle, Jan 15, 2010
   PLAINVILLE (MA) -- The pastor of St. Martha's Church died earlier this month in New Hampshire under mysterious circumstances, and parishioners are hoping to learn more about it this week.
   The Rev. J. Garret Thomson, 55, was found dead Jan. 6 on the bedroom floor of his home in Jaffrey, N.H.
   The New Hampshire medical examiner's office ruled that Thomson died of natural causes and that high blood pressure and diabetes contributed to his death. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 10:06 AM

• Row over conversion organisation EJF 'sex scandal'

  - Judaists.
   The JC, By Simon Rocker, January 15, 2010
   NEW YORK -- An extraordinary war of words has broken out over the scandal-racked conversion organisation Eternal Jewish Family, whose founder quit last month over sex allegations.
   Rabbi Aba Dunner, the London-based executive director of the Conference of European Rabbis, rounded on the EJF this week, telling the VosIzNeias news site that he would continue to try to stop the organisation's "nefarious activities".
   But EJF hit back, accusing Rabbi Dunner of not refunding money that it had given to the CER. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 9:54 AM

• It has been almost a year

  [Decades - Fr Maciel Degollado*] - RCC. US $10-15m, male seminarians, mistress had daughter.      
   Red Cardigan, and sometimes tea, ~ Jan 15, 2010
   I know I'm late to this, but I was encouraged to read about Father Richard Gill's decision to leave the Legion of Christ. Patrick Madrid posts here, and the Life-after-RC blog has Father Gill's letter announcing his decision.
   I especially liked this part of Father Gill's letter: The news of the various scandals regarding Fr. Maciel was truly shocking and horrendous for us and the whole the Church. In dealing with them I have tried my best to be honest and candid whenever I have spoken to you all about them and never knowingly misled anyone. I have believed that a rigorously honest approach to this terrible series of events was the only way to proceed. Furthermore, I felt that if done so, and counting on the help of the Holy See, it could even lead to true healing and renewal for the Legion and the Movement, even in spite of the truly serious questions it raises about the charism of the congregation. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 9:22 AM

• National Survivor Advocates Coalition Regrets US Supreme Court Decision

   
   National Survivor Advocates Coalition,
   CALIFORNIA -- National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) expressed its regret that the United States Supreme Court banned televising the Proposition 8 trial either by delayed posting on YouTube or live broadcast because of a technicality.
   The court ruled that the Ninth District court had not allowed enough time for comments on whether the trial should be televised and therefore the US Supreme Court would not allow the delayed posting or live broadcast.
   NSAC reiterated its call for as wide a distribution of the trial proceedings as possible.
   The coalition said televising the trial would provide an avenue of knowledge for Catholics about the use of Catholic money by bishops to support or defeat legislation. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 8:24 AM

• Defiant bishop focuses on protecting children

  - RC Bishop Drennan.  
   Irish Independent, By John Cooney, Religion Correspondent, Friday January 15 2010
   IRELAND -- THE defiant Bishop of Galway, Martin Drennan, has summoned an emergency meeting of his clergy next week to undertake a comprehensive review of child protection procedures in the diocese.
   The gathering of priests will take place at St Mary's College in Galway on Tuesday.
   The initiative aims to bolster Bishop Drennan's shaky position after he resisted repeated calls before Christmas for his resignation because he was named in the Murphy report into cover-ups of paedophile priests in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 8:14 AM

• Suspected sex offender escapes extradition to US

  [≤ 1985; Mondrowitz] - "Orthodox" Judaist.    
   YNet News, Published: Jan.14.10
   ISRAEL -- The Supreme Court determined Thursday that Abraham Mondrowitz, who is accused of committing severe sex crimes against minors in the US up to 25 years ago, will not be extradited.
   Mondrowitz, a psychologist by trade, resided in the US until 1984, when he immigrated to Israel. A few months after his arrival he was indicted in his home country on charges of sexual abuse of minors.
   In 1985 the US asked Israel to extradite Mondrowitz, but the appeal was denied because at the time the crimes with which he was charged were not part of the extradition agreement between the two countries. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 8:11 AM

• Cornwall sexual abuse victims will continue to get aid

   
   CTV, The Canadian Press,
   TORONTO, CANADA – The Ontario government says it will begin placing survivors of sexual abuse in Cornwall in alternate support programs over the next six months when funding for counselling services runs out Friday.
   The Ministry of the Attorney General says the transition will take place while the government examines all the recommendations made in a $53-million report released last month and works on a fuller response.
   Attorney General Chris Bentley had promised more money to help victims when the report was released, but has yet to specify the amount. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 8:09 AM

• Prodigal Son

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraging woman to have sex for cash.    
   Tablet, By Allison Hoffman | 7:00 AM, Jan 15, 2010
   ISRAEL -- Guma Aguiar, the 32-year-old multimillionaire who helped precipitate the downfall of the ultra-Orthodox rabbi Leib Tropper, was committed by court order to a mental hospital near Tel Aviv yesterday, according to Israeli news reports. Aguiar and his billionaire uncle, Thomas Kaplan, have bankrolled Tropper's efforts to gain control of the stringently regulated process of conversion to Judaism–an initiative that came to a halt last month, when tapes surfaced of the rabbi attempting to sexually coerce a prospective convert, Shannon Orand. According to a statement released by Aguiar's family, which initiated the court proceedings, the move came after Aguiar granted an interview to the Jerusalem weekly Kol Ha'ir, due to be published today, in which he claimed he had gone into Gaza and either visited or rescued the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. "He's at one of my properties," Aguiar, who owns apartments throughout Jerusalem, told the weekly, according to a report in Haaretz. "I wanted to prove that I can go into Gaza and walk out alive, which would mean that Shalit could come out alive as well." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 7:56 AM

• Standing Firm

  - RCC.  
   Warwick Beacon, by Russell J. Moore,
   Be sure to see the video of the Tobin interview on our homepage.
   RHODE ISLAND -- Bishop Thomas J. Tobin is done playing defense.
   "It strikes me that the Church, for some time now, has been on the defensive," said Bishop Tobin. "I think it's time to change that trend a bit and to become a little bit more proactive or high profile."
   In a wide-ranging interview with the Warwick Beacon Tuesday, Bishop Tobin said declining church participation, Catholic parish and Catholic school consolidations and closings, and the lingering fallout from the sexual abuse crisis, have all negatively affected the Church's image.
   As part of a plan to increase participation, the Diocese of Providence has embarked on a "Year of Evangelization" campaign that, thanks to an anonymous $200,000 donation, will use advertisements to invite Catholics and non-Catholics to turn to the Church. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 15, 2010 7:40 AM [COMMENTS: "By their fruits you shall know them." ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri January 15, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat January 16, 2010 edition:

• 6000 is number of Pedophile Priests in U.S. Catholic Church since 1950. Found so far. And still counting

  [Decades - Parishes and Religious Orders] - RCC will have 6000 exposed priest-sinners. ~ 10% of working clergy accused.  
   City of Angels, with video, By Kay Ebeling, ~ January 16, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- "This year the number will go over 6,000," Terry McKiernan, president of Bishop Accountability in Boston, emailed early this month. After we posted The Public Has a Right to Know how Six Thousand Priests Got Away with Pedophilia Jan. 2, people questioned me as to where I got the number.
   "Counted, not identified," McKiernan clarified. "Last year the bishops released a count for 2008 that, added to previous counts, totals 5,600 accused:
   McKiernan continued: "Dioceses with fuller disclosure seem to show that about 10% of priests working after 1950 have been accused of abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 12:57 PM]

• Catholic diocese lost $1 million

 
   Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), By Bronislaus B. Kush, bkush § telegram com ,
   WORCESTER (MA) – The Diocese of Worcester experienced unrealized losses in its master investment portfolio totaling $1,056,759 – generating an operating loss of $1,091,127 last fiscal year, an annual audit of the local Roman Catholic diocese shows.
   However, despite the struggling economy, the diocese's departments and agencies, for the most part, were able to operate with balanced budgets last fiscal year.
   Chancery officials stressed that many of the reported department deficits were attributed to those unrealized losses and not on deficit spending. For example, the Central Administration budget reported $655,150 in expenses over revenue, after taking into account an unrealized investment loss of $682,244. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 8:26 AM

• Abuse not just Irish issue -- McAleese

     
   Irish Independent, By Grainne Cunningham, Saturday January 16 2010
   IRELAND -- PRESIDENT Mary McAleese insisted yesterday that child abuse scandals are not "peculiar" to Ireland.
   Mrs McAleese stressed the fact that child abuse was a global issue, just two days after a senior Vatican figure suggested the clerical sex abuse scandals here were not representative of the vast majority of Catholic priests.
   Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, said, in the Vatican daily 'L'Osservatore Romano', that it would be wrong to "make generalisations" as a result of the Irish experience.
   Asked if events "in certain parts of the world" suggested something had gone wrong between bishops and their priests, the cardinal said: "The painful Irish happenings -- which, by the way, have seen some bishops assume their responsibilities and resign -- simply do not relate to the entire episcopal ministry." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 8:02 AM [COMMENT: The Webmaster does not believe you, Cardinal Hummes! ENDS.]

• Late teen's mom a reminder at coach's trial

  [2001-07 Bart McInerney*] - ? RCC. Sex texting. ~ 12 boys (15-17).  
   Asbury Park Press, By CHARLES WEBSTER, January 15, 2010
   FREEHOLD (NJ) – As a dozen young men paraded to a witness stand in the last two weeks to tell jurors of sexually explicit conversations with former St. Rose High School baseball coach Bartholomew McInerney, a face in the front row of the courtroom served as a reminder of another alleged victim.
   "I'll be here every day – as long as the trial takes. It's all about these boys who had the courage to come forward to tell the truth," explained Jackie Clark. Jackie Clark is the mother of Andrew Clark, an alleged 13th victim of the man known as "Coach Bart."
   She believes alleged abuse committed by McInerney played a role in her son's untimely death on June 20, 2008. Andrew Clark, 18, died after he was struck by a train near the Wall Road crossing in Spring Lake, just hours after attending a graduation ceremony at Manasquan High School. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:41 AM

• One man loses, another gains religion through reporting

 
   Bakersfield Express, By Louis Medina,
   CALIFORNIA -- Consider this scenario: A reporter who is a committed born-again Christian takes on the religion beat at his newspaper because he feels a calling from God to tell the positive stories about Christians that are being ignored by his editors. But he ends up finding story after story–Catholic priest sex scandals, Christian televangelist sex and money scandals, Mormon excommunication scandals–that shake his Christian convictions, and in a matter of just a few years he ends up walking away from both his beat and his faith.
   Now consider this scenario: A reporter who once was a born-again Christian but now sees himself as more spiritual than religious takes on the faith beat at a newspaper because he thinks it will be a stimulating and enriching experience. He is fascinated as he discovers untold story after untold story–local Muslim communities thriving despite post-9/11 distrust and prejudice; exhaustive Mormon genealogical resources that enable people to feel close to ancestors several centuries removed; Philippine girls who dress up as prom queens in an effort to represent the beauty and grace of the holy women of the Bible. He finds God again and again in places he wouldn't have thought to look for him before, and his faith and curiosity in spiritual things continue to grow even after he leaves his full-time job as a journalist because of economic uncertainties in the industry. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:36 AM

• COMMONWEALTH vs. Paul SHANLEY

  [Fr Paul Shanley]
   BishopAccountability.org Jan 15, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- This links to the complete decision rendered today by the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court in Paul Shanley's request for a new trial. The court said it was permissible for repressed memory to be admitted in the former priest's trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:33 AM

• Former Catholic priest's bid for new trial rejected

  [Fr Paul Shanley]
   The Boston Globe, By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff / January 16, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- The state's high court yesterday upheld the sexual assault convictions of former Roman Catholic priest Paul M. Shanley, who claimed he was wrongly accused by a man who fabricated memories of being abused as a child.
   Shanley was a key figure in the clergy abuse scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese beginning in 2002, and his appeal drew national attention by experts who view "recovered memories" as a valid psychiatric condition and those who see it as "junk science."
   In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court said a Superior Court judge made the right decision when he allowed repressed memory evidence to be used against Shanley during his 2005 trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:31 AM

• Questions in death of area priest

  [Fr J. Garret Thomson*] - RCC. Now dead. Sex-assault allegations.  
   The Sun Chronicle, BY RICK FOSTER, Jan 16, 2010
   PLAINVILLE (MA) -- The pastor of St. Martha's Church died earlier this month in New Hampshire under mysterious circumstances, and parishioners are hoping to learn more about it next week.
   The Rev. J. Garret Thomson, 55, was found dead Jan. 6 on the bedroom floor of his home in Jaffrey, N.H. The appointment of a temporary church administrator for the parish was announced Friday by the Boston Archdiocese.
   The New Hampshire Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Thomson died of natural causes and that high blood pressure and diabetes contributed to his death. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:28 AM

• From a priest's perspective

  - Book A View from the Trenches by Dennis Murphy.  
   Telegraph-Journal, review by Michael W. Higgins,
   A View from the Trenches; by Monsignor Dennis Murphy
   CANADA -- This book could not be more timely. It arrives at a moment when once again the Canadian Roman Catholic Church is reeling from another scandal. This time it involves the former Bishop of Antigonish, Raymond Lahey. The controversy surrounding his arrest and charges ensures that the aftershocks of the Lahey affair continue for some time to come.
   Author Msgr. Dennis Murphy is a seasoned communicator, educator (he holds a doctorate in education), sometime ecclesiastical bureaucrat, founder of ICE (Institute of Catholic Education - an Ontario think-tank), retreat master, teacher and diocesan priest. He has been in more than a few trenches in his life. He has the admirable characteristics of being forthright and not skirting an issue. Both qualities are in evidence in A View from the Trenches, although a dollop of prelatical timidity can be on occasion detected.
   Murphy notes at the outset: "One of the great paradoxes in the Catholic Church these days is that while survey results tell us that priests are still among the most satisfied and happy men in the land, most of the priests I know often feel somewhat battered and beleaguered in the exercise of their ministry. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 7:22 AM

• Archdiocese of Boston Announces Status of Investigation into Abuse Allegation against Reverend J. Garret Thomson

  [~ 1995 Fr J. Garret Thomson*] - RCC. Now dead. Sex-assault allegations.  
   Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, January 15, 2010
   BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS … The Archdiocese of Boston today announced that it has closed an investigation into a complaint of alleged sexual abuse of a minor made against Rev. J. Garret Thomson, a priest of the Archdiocese who died on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Fr. Thomson most recently served as pastor of St. Martha's Church in Plainville.
   On Monday, January 4, 2010, the Archdiocese placed Fr. Thomson on administrative leave as a result of a single allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. The allegation concerns conduct alleged to have taken place approximately fifteen years ago. The Archdiocese notified law enforcement of the allegation and initiated a preliminary investigation into the complaint. The decision to place Fr. Thomson on administrative leave represented the Archdiocese's commitment to the safety of all parties and did not represent a determination of Fr. Thomson's guilt or innocence as it pertained to this allegation. As a result of Fr. Thomson's death, the Archdiocese has closed its investigation into the allegation.
   Since learning of Fr. Thomson's death on January 6, the Archdiocese's focus has been on laying Fr. Thomson to rest and the important work of supporting the parish as the community mourns the loss of its pastor. At the weekend Masses celebrated on January 9 and January 10, Auxiliary Bishop John Dooher informed the parishioners of St. Martha's Parish of Fr. Thomson's death and notified them that Fr. Thomson had been placed on administrative leave. Bishop Dooher was also present to the parish to express the sympathy and concern of Cardinal O'Malley and the entire Archdiocese. In addition, Bishop Dooher announced that a meeting with the Parish would be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 to discuss the details surrounding Fr. Thomson's status. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 16, 2010 12:36 AM] [COMMENT: The RCC ought to continue its investigations, as best it can. ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sat January 16, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun January 17, 2010 edition:

• Barrister suggests open-ended jail terms for rapists

  - General society.  
   The Irish Times, By CAROL COULTER, Legal Affairs Editor, January 18, 2010
   IRELAND -- THE IDEA of open-ended jail terms for rapists considered most likely to reoffend was suggested by barrister and legal academic Tom O'Malley at a conference in Dublin at the weekend.
   As well as the length of sentences, the conference also discussed sensitive issues such as cross-examination of victims about their sexual history.
   Prof Tom O'Malley of NUI Galway said sentences for rape in Ireland were among the highest in Europe. He said an acquittal by a jury of one's peers should not be regarded as "attrition". [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:37 PM, Jan 17, 2010]

• Focus on ritual not children wrong, writes 'Reality' editor

 
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent, Jan 18, 2010
   A PROMINENT Catholic priest/commentator has criticised "restorationists" in his church who appear more concerned with vestments, Latin Mass, and orthodoxy than the protection of children.
   "Something seems wrong when the Vatican conducts an apostolic visitation of religious sisters in the United States to make sure they are fully obedient to the Holy See . . . but conducts no visitation of dioceses worldwide to ensure children are safeguarded," Fr Gerard Moloney has said.
   Writing in the current issue of the Redemptorist magazine Reality , which he edits, he said: "Something seems wrong when some church people appear more interested in silk robes and the Latin Mass and east-facing altars than in examining why our church has not been a safe environment for its most vulnerable members." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:34 PM, Jan 17, 2010

• Madden leaves Church over failure of bishops to resign

  [Fr Ivan Payne] - Madden leaves RCC formally. Defiled as altar boy.  
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent,
   IRELAND -- THE FIRST person in Ireland to have gone public - in 1995 - about his abuse by a Catholic priest has formally left the Catholic Church.
   Andrew Madden, who was abused when an altar boy in Cabra parish in Dublin by Ivan Payne, wrote to the Dublin archdiocese before Christmas saying he wished to leave the Church. He received notice of his "cessation of church membership by formal act of defection. . ." from church authorities last week.
   He also received a letter, dated January 11th, from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin expressing sadness at the decision to leave and saying it made him wonder whether the church could learn from it. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:30 PM

• Cop at centre of Cornwall inquiry appeals contempt convictions

  - Mr Dunlop to clog the court system, still.  
   The Canadian Press, By Allison Jones (CP),
   TORONTO, CANADA -- – The seven months a former police officer served in jail for refusing to testify at a public inquiry, largely of his own making, amounted to "cruel and unusual punishment," the man writes in appealing his contempt convictions.
   Perry Dunlop led a crusade for years in Cornwall, Ont., to root out pedophiles and his work sparked calls for a public inquiry.
   The Cornwall inquiry's official mandate was to examine institutional responses to historical claims of sexual abuse, but many were looking to the report, released in December, to once and for all debunk rumours of a pedophile ring. Commissioner G. Normand Glaude declined to do so in his more than 1600-page report. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:50 PM

• The Paul Shanley Case and Repressed Memory Recovery: Not Such Thin Partitions

  [1990s Fr Paul Shanley] - RCC.  
   Psychology Today by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.;
   MASSACHUSETTS -- A few days ago, the Boston Globe reported that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the conviction of Paul Shanley, a former priest accused of sexual abuse occurring about twenty years ago.
   The appeal of Shanley's conviction was based on objections to the lower court's acceptance of testimony based on recovered memories of the event, which were said to have been repressed by the victim.
   In upholding the conviction, the higher court said: "… the judge's finding that the lack of scientific testing did not make unreliable the theory that an individual may experience dissociative amnesia was supported in the record, not only by expert testimony but by a wide collection of clinical observations and a survey of academic literature".
   This was in spite of the submission of comments rejecting the idea of repressed memories by experts such as Richard McNally. However, the opinion went on to say, the Supreme Judicial Court may decide in the future to throw out a conviction where the only evidence is recovered memories.
   Repugnant as is the idea of sexual abuse of children, especially by figures of authority, it is also repugnant to think that misinformation may have trumped good evidence in this and similar cases.
   It is always a problem to translate scientific standards of evidence into legal standards, because legal standards are based on concepts like "what a reasonable man would think" or on the preponderance of evidence, and scientific standards have traditionally been based on probabilities.
   Recently scientific standards, especially in medical and psychological areas, have also considered the quality or level of evidence supporting a claim. This perspective seems to be difficult for courts to handle. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:25 PM [COMMENT: "Repressed memories" is highly unlikely.  The lawmakers ought to get rid of their statutes of limitations, in order to let all these hidden seductions come out into the open. ENDS.]

• L.A. Archdiocese allowed another pedophile priest to operate in 2003. Lawsuit docs scanned here.

  - RCC still hiding crimes in 2003.
   City of Angels, includes court documents, By Kay Ebeling
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- With reckless disregard, the Catholic Church was covering up crimes of pedophile priests as recently as 2003, alleges an April 2009 lawsuit (Complaint scanned in part below with outstanding quotes.) As I read this yet another set of documented charges, I can't help thinking, these lawsuits are no longer about one plaintiff or even individual victims.
   The general public suffered damages as well, because anywhere these priests went, children were at risk, and considering how hard it's been for the few victims, now adults, who have come forward with charges, and how often children repress memories and never recover them, there is no way to know how many Americans got sexually molested by predator priests. How can so much pedophilia take place in an institution as influential as the Roman Catholic Church, without repercussions?
   Read the documents below and see if, about halfway through, you don't start feeling outrage, wanting to shout, Enough. Where is law enforcement. How can thousands of sex crimes against children not only go unprosecuted, but the major perpetrators are still influencing American government and culture. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:21 PM

• What Can We Learn from the John Jay Studies?

 
   Virtus, By Monica Applewhite, Ph.D., Expert in standards of care and the dynamics of abuse in educational and religious environments;
   Editor's Note: We are pleased to welcome Monica Applewhite, Ph.D as a contributing author. Dr. Applewhite is an expert in standards of care and the dynamics of abuse in educational and religious environments. She has worked extensively with schools, churches, religious communities, and residential treatment facilities both nationally and abroad.
   UNITED STATES -- By now, most of us have long since realized that sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is not a simple story. We have had no shortage of theories, perspectives, personal accounts, or opinions with respect to how and why the sexual abuse crisis occurred in 2002. This story has generated an enormously rich, deep discussion about our beliefs, our formation, and personal human pathways. None of this, however, replaces or renders irrelevant the role of concrete research into the problem.
   In 2006, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice asked for and was granted permission by the United States Bishops to conduct further analysis on the data generated during the Nature and Scope study. This additional analysis yielded a number of interesting findings with broad implications for Church Safe Environments as well as for the understanding of sexual abuse and sexual abusers in society as a whole. Some of the significant findings from the further analysis are presented below.
   Generalists versus Specialists–The majority (56%) of clergy accused of sexual abuse from 1950 to 2002 had one allegation against them, leaving 1,548 with at least two allegations of abuse. Contrary to the prevailing belief that clergy sexual offenders normally have a very specific "type" of victim, the study showed that more than half of the clergy with more than one allegation were "generalists." That is, 855 (55%) of those who abused more than one child, also abused more than one type of child, a significant portion of which abused both girls and boys. Of all clergy who abused more than one child, 693 (45%) only abused children of the same age (plus or minus two years) and gender. Only 2.2% of all clergy who had allegations of abuse fit the profile of a pedophile, which is the sexual preference of prepubescent children. An additional 10.8% fit the profile of an ephebophile, which is the sexual preference for mid-to-late adolescent youths. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:31 AM

• My Take

 
   Voice from the Desert, By Thomas Doyle, J.C.D.
   UNITED STATES -- I believe the best way to describe this short article is thus: it is a "puff piece" that contributes nothing substantial to an understanding of the clergy sex abuse issue. The author's conclusions from the statistics mean….what? It comes across as a spin, using the John Jay findings in an attempt to minimize the problem. The author may be an expert "in standards of care and the dynamics of abuse in educational and religious environments." She is clearly not an expert in the dynamics of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.
   The first paragraph is the tip-off. She states flat-out that the "crisis" occurred in 2002. Even casual observers with only a rudimentary knowledge of the phenomenon in the Catholic Church know two things that Dr. Applewhite apparently does not.
   First, this is far more than a "crisis." A crisis happens, is confronted and is either resolved or morphs into something worse than when it stated. The clergy sexual abuse reality is not a crisis but the horrific result of a deeply flawed institutional Church that is run by a clerical elite that is socially and morally distorted. This is really the revelation of a destructive trait that is deeply embedded in the institution. [COMMENT: "Deeply embedded" -- correct! ENDS.] Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:28 AM

• Predator is ousted; Cop says dumb thing; abuse victims blast him

  [1980s Bro. or Fr Frank Paduch*] - RCC. 5 boys.
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
   BERWYN (IL) -- We are glad that another child molesting Chicago Catholic cleric has been tracked down, publicly exposed and ousted from his job yesterday. At the same time, however, we're very upset that a police chief is minimizing the situation.
   Late Friday afternoon, Frank Paduch was suspended from his post as a Berwyn city official. (At least five men have accused Paduch of molesting them when he was a Catholic brother/school teacher.) Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:24 AM

• City employee placed on leave pending police investigation

  [1980s Bro. or Fr Frank Paduch] - RCC. 5 boys.
   Berwyn Life, By Adam Rosen, arosen@mysuburbanlife.com ,
   BERWYN (IL) – An employee for the City of Berwyn has been placed on administrative leave pending a police investigation into allegations that the employee allegedly sexually abused five boys in the 1980s.
   Barbara Blaine, founder and president of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, submitted a letter to Berwyn City Hall on Thursday asking for an investigation into Senior Advocate Frank Paduch's past and why he allegedly failed to disclose information about his past when he was hired.
   A civil lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court against Paduch in 1997 alleging that Paduch, while serving as a theology teacher and soccer coach at St. Rita High School in Chicago, sexually abused a student during the 1980-81 school year. The lawsuit claims the victim, a freshman at St. Rita during the 1980-81 school year, was sexually assaulted by Paduch. It sought monetary damages for physical and mental anguish. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:21 AM

• Ousted deacon resurfaces here

  [Deacon Joseph Levine]  
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
   OREGON -- A Catholic deacon who was refused ordination two years ago by a New Jersey bishop and was ousted by a Pennsylvania bishop now works at a parish in Oregon. A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is urging an Oregon bishop to publicly explain why he's given a job to the controversial deacon and to reconsider that decision.
   Deacon Joseph Levine is the former head of a troubled group called the Society of St. John, which was shut down by Scranton's bishop in 2004 after charges of financial misdealing and after two of the group's priests were sued for alleged child sexual abuse. Levine was accused by Jeffrey Bond, Ph.D., of concealing clergy sex crimes.
   In 2007, Levine was within a week of becoming a priest in the Paterson NJ diocese. But the diocese suddenly announced that it was refusing to ordain him and admit it had received "questions about Levine's suitability for the priesthood," according to the Scranton Times-Leader. …
   "Levine's never been charged or convicted in any criminal, civil or church proceeding," admits David Clohessy, national director of a self help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "But two bishops have rejected Levine, both of whom no doubt know him better than Oregon church officials do. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:34 AM

• Catholic Church can still inspire us to be of service

  - RCC.  
   Irish Independent, By Colum Kenny, Sunday January 17 2010
   IRELAND -- Benedict XVI is writing a special Lenten letter to Irish Catholics. What can he say that will make a difference? Who is informing him about Ireland?
   It is a sign of the times that Dublin councillors are to consider changing the official name of Merrion Square, currently Archbishop Ryan Park. Not many people know the park as anything other than Merrion Square, but it is officially named in honour of the late Catholic archbishop of Dublin who transferred ownership of it to the city in 1974. The park previously belonged to the church and had been earmarked for a new cathedral.
   A suggestion by one councillor that Merrion Square might now be renamed in honour of Oscar Wilde, who lived opposite it as a young child, seems strange. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:27 AM

• Pope Quiz: Is Every Pontiff a Saint?

  - RCC.      
   The New York Times, By DAVID GIBSON, Published: January 16, 2010
   When Pope Benedict XVI approved a decree last month that nudged nearer to sainthood his controversial wartime predecessor, Pius XII, he sparked another round of the sort of Jewish-Catholic disputations that have marked his papacy, and even cast doubt on whether his trip to Rome's main synagogue, set for Sunday, would go on.
   The Vatican paired the announcement of Pius XII's "heroic virtue" – the step before beatification, which would be followed by canonization, or sainthood – with a similar declaration about Pope John Paul II, who was considered a great friend to the Jews. No matter. Jewish leaders were furious, though Rome's Jews decided to go ahead with the papal visit. …
   This "papalization" of the church means that every pope must now be seen as a holy man, indeed the holiest man in the church, even if there are pressing issues of governance that would require more savvy than piety. Although John Paul II is a lock for sainthood, serious questions about his administration of the church are emerging as the clergy sexual abuse scandals reveal how he neglected the mundane but critical tasks of being pope. …
   The Rev. Richard McBrien, a theology professor at Notre Dame and author of "Lives of the Popes," suggested that canonizations may be a defense against criticism of popes, and he said the church would do better to canonize more saintly lay people – parents and grandparents and regular holy folk "with whom the overwhelming majority of Catholics can identify." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:23 AM

• Gardai step up probe into abuse collusion

  - RCC and Irish State.   
   Irish Independent, By MAEVE SHEEHAN, Sunday January 17 2010
   IRELAND -- GARDAI have stepped up an investigation into whether members of the force or the clergy broke the law in protecting child sexual abusers.
   A dedicated team of detectives working under an assistant garda commissioner, John O'Mahony, is preparing to interview up to half-a-dozen members of the force whose actions were criticised in Judge Yvonne Murphy's report on child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese. It is understood that some individuals have already been interviewed but it is not clear whether these are priests or former members of the force.
   The report is not only focusing on gardai but also on the actions of priests and clergy to see if there is evidence that they failed to act in relation to a criminal act. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:18 AM

• 'Repressed memory' conviction upheld

  [Fr Paul Shanley] - RCC.  
   United Press International, Jan. 17, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, (UPI) -- The highest court in Massachusetts has refused to overturn a Catholic priest's sexual assault conviction in a case that turned on recovered memory.
   The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld the decision by the trial judge to allow evidence of repressed memory to be admitted at the trial of the Rev. Paul Shanley, The Boston Globe reported.
   "In sum, the judge's finding that the lack of scientific testing did not make unreliable the theory that an individual may experience dissociative amnesia was supported in the record, not only by expert testimony but by a wide collection of clinical observations and a survey of academic literature," Justice Robert Cordy wrote in the court's opinion. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:15 AM, Jan 17, 2010
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun January 17, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon January 18, 2010 edition:

• Police Arrest Preacher In Church

  [2005 Ex-Pastor Edward Hughes*] - "Bethlehem Evangelistic Mission." Been convicted. Back at the same church. Teen boy.  
   News Channel 9, by John Madewell, January 18, 2010
   CHATTANOOGA (TN) -- Chattanooga police haul a preacher out of his own church in handcuffs over the weekend. It turns out Edward Lamar Hughes was preaching to a small congregation and is actually a convicted child sex offender.
   He lost his right to pastor a church with the conviction. But Hughes returned to the crime scene, the same church where he admitted to sexually violating a teen age boy four and a half years ago.
   The church, identified by police as Bethlehem Evangelistic Mission, is located in East Lake at the corner of 39th Street and 12th Avenue. NewsChannel 9 met a man there by the name of Daniel Owens, who claimed to be the active pastor of what he now referred to as Bethlehem's Friendship Circle House of Prayer. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:25 PM, Jan 18, 2010]

• "The Trauma Myth": The child betrayed

  - Book The Trauma Myth
   Salon By Thomas Rogers
   UNITED STATES -- More than a decade ago, a 42-year-old man walked into the office of Susan Clancy, then a Harvard graduate student working with child abuse victims, and made a revelation that would help shift how she viewed her entire field. When he was 9 years old, the man said, a friend of the family had sexually molested him over a six-month period. The man kept the abuse a secret from his wife and family for more than 30 years and was struggling with feelings of shame and problems at work. But this wasn't nearly as surprising as what he revealed next: When the sexual abuse was happening, the man said, he wasn't even upset.
   Clancy tells the story in her new book, "The Trauma Myth," not only to startle readers, but also to describe the extent to which she believes many people in the medical establishment have misrepresented the realities of child abuse. The book marks a controversial break with the current line on sexual abuse, but Clancy is no stranger to controversy. A former Harvard psychologist and the current research director at the Harvard-affiliated Center for Women's Advancement, Development and Leadership in Nicaragua, Clancy's previous book, "Abducted," was a much-debated attack on repressed memory. In a 2003 New York Times magazine profile about her, well-known trauma therapist Daniel Brown lashed out at Clancy's "political agenda," and Clancy's hate mail has included accusations of cheering on child molesters and even abusing children herself. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:19 PM

• I took the bishop my son. I said, you broke him you fix him. They said, not our problem as perp a Franciscan. Now my son is dead

 
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling,
   PENNSYLVANIA -- "I would like to see the Legislature provide a 'window' for those who have been abused as children. And I would be grateful if it was named Arthur's Law after our son 'Arthur III.'"
   The day Pennsylvania passed a law that worked against most victims of pedophile priests in the state including Arthur Baselice III, he left the house for an NA meeting. Next morning police found him dead in a drug house in nearby Camden, New Jersey. Months earlier Arthur II had brought his son to the Philadelphia Archdiocese begging them for help. "This kid couldn't even walk," said the dad. "We went in there and poured our hearts out. They told me they can't help me. The perpetrator is not Roman Catholic he's Franciscan."
   More slaps in the face: The only time Fr. Charles Newman ever stood in front of a judge was for Embezzlement from the Catholic Church. He stole cash to buy drugs and other extravagances for the boys he was grooming, and the pedophile priest went to prison for embezzlement, not pedophilia. He pled guilty March 2009 and is serving a 3-6 year sentence. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:10 PM

• Church blames Devil-inspired children over sex abuse

     
   The Irish Times,
   RITE AND REASON: "Paul", who suffered clerical sex abuse, explains why he believes the Catholic Church has failed properly to deal with the problem in its midst
   IRELAND -- I AM writing because I know why the church hid the abusers and is still evasive about blaming the perpetrators and the people who hid them. Naturally I am a victim, so I am limited by the anger I feel, but also it seems I am unique in remembering the most important aspect of it all, the aspect that explains everything. …
   The reason why the church covered up the abuse and moved priests about is because they did not blame the priests, they blamed the children. With this knowledge observe the reaction of church authorities. They look as if they would like to say it, but can't. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:52 PM [COMMENT: There is a quote or two in the newsitems since 2002 where RC clergy have tried to blame the children.  This shows the depravity of people in a system trying to deny themselves and other people legitimate normal sex.  The Church leaders and their intellectuals ought to be ashamed of themselves. ENDS.]

• ON THE DOCKET

  [Bro. William Mueller]  
   Bergersbeat
   MISSOURI -- On Feb. 2, Judge Barbara Wallace in St. Louis county will hear arguments in former Kirkwood resident Bryan Bacon's child sex abuse case against long time former St. Louis Catholic school teacher Brother William Mueller. Five years ago, Mueller was first sued as an alleged sexual predator. Since then, dozens have accused him of bizarre child sex crimes in three states and 23 lawsuits against him have settled for $4 million in 2007. Bacon settled for six figures with Mueller's former employer, the Marianists. But, Bacon continues to pursue legal action against Mueller as an individual. Mueller taught at Vianney, Chaminade and St. Mary's high schools here. A week later, Cardoza law professor, author and FindLaw columnist Marci Hamilton, a former clerk to Sandra Day O'Connor, will argue before the Eastern District of the Court of Appeals on behalf of two women who say they were molested as kids by the Rev. William Poepperling. Hamilton maintains that Missouri is one of only three states where the "archaic legal rulings" enable church officials to essentially escape liability in most cases for negligent hiring, retention and supervision of staff, even when they hire or keep known of suspected predators on their payroll. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:45 PM

• Corrections & Clarifications

     
   The Irish Times,
   IRELAND -- An article in yesterday's edition, concerning a report on child protection practices, said that it had been prepared and published by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. The report was prepared by the board but it was published by Bishop John Magee, Bishop of Cloyne. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:40 PM

• Bankrupt diocese wants to pay $10,000 per month to accused priests

  [1962-93 Fr Francis DeLuca] - RCC. "Uncle Frankie Wankie." Boys.  
   Catholic Culture January 18, 2010
   DELAWARE -- In a move that has angered abuse victims, the Diocese of Wilmington (Delaware) has petitioned a federal bankruptcy judge for permission to pay $10,000 in combined monthly benefits to six priests accused of abuse.
   Upon investigation, an allegation against one of these six priests was deemed not credible. The others have been removed from public ministry, including the recently laicized Francis DeLuca, who repeatedly abused boys between 1962 and 1993 and had a vanity license plate with the words "Uncle Frankie Wankie." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:37 PM

• Catholic priest held over defiling girl

  [2009 Apr-Nov - Fr Bosco Mawa - NEW*] - RCC. Impregnated. Organised an abortion. School girl (16).  
   The New Vision, By Chris Ocowun, Charles Mukiibi and David Labeja, ~ Jan 18, 2010
   UGANDA -- THE Police in Gulu have arrested a Catholic priest, the Rev. Fr. Bosco Mawa, on allegations of defiling and making pregnant a 16-year-old pupil of Gulu Public primary school.
   Father Mawa was arrested on Saturday when the father of the girl, Charles Arop Atube, reported the matter to the Police. The case was recorded as SD/72/15/01/2010.
   Arop told the Police that when the girl became pregnant, she was made to carry out an abortion at a clinic in Gulu town. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:25 PM

• Five $3-million lawsuits filed against priest, Roman Catholic diocese

  [Fr Bernard Cloutier] - RCC. Five $3m lawsuits. 11 convictions.  
   The Sudbury Star Posted By Carol Mulligan
   CANADA -- Five separate lawsuits for $3 million each, the maximum under the law, have been filed in Ontario Superior Court of Justice against a Roman Catholic priest convicted of 11 of 16 sexual assault charges in criminal court.
   Bernard Cloutier, 68, was sentenced last year to five years in prison for his crimes, but is appealing that decision.
   The five lawsuits were also filed against the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. Two of the lawsuits name the auxiliary bishop of the time, Gerard S.E. Dionne, as well. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:12 PM

• Judge 'the right guy' for complex dispute

   
   The News Journal By MAUREEN MILFORD, January 18, 2010
   WILMINGTON (DE) -- If any judge is up to the challenge of deciding complex disputes in a sensitive bankruptcy case, it is U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher S. Sontchi, lawyers said.
   Sontchi, who is presiding over the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, is a "very smart judge" who enjoys the challenge of puzzling through complicated facts and competing sets of interests, lawyers said.
   Now Sontchi has to decide whether to grant charity, sustenance or benefits from the diocese's pool of assets to six men accused of abuse. Abuse survivors, who are unsecured creditors, are asking the judge to deny any payments. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:07 PM

• Comments from Tom Doyle, Sister Maureen Paul Turlish, and Oso Pious

 
   Voice from the Desert
   Here is Tom Doyle's comment on a recent post by clergy abuse survivor Joey Piscitelli. Joey was in turn commenting on Tom's reflections on the John Jay College causes and context study.
   Well said Joey! –I just finished reading Karen Armstrong's book, "A Case for God." She has confirmed with a steady stream of historical facts what so many of us have at first thought true from the excerpts of history available to us. Looking at the vast panoply of Catholicism from its inception to the present I see many things but one of the most pathetic is the stark contrast between the amount of good for others accomplished by individual Christians, inspired by the spirit of Jesus–.and the vast amount of hurt, destruction and hatred perpetrated by functionaries of the institutional Church. How easy it is to condemn Christianity and Catholicism as a complete farce in the face of such harsh reality. Just looking back at the reaction of the institutional drones to the revelations that tens of thousands of children–like Joey Piscitelli–.have been viciously molested–.confirms the belief/opinion that these men (and women too) have been wedded to a system that gave them power without the need to embrace the spirit of charity that is at the core of Christ's message. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:02 PM

• Chattanooga: Police arrest sex offender leading church services

  [2005 Ex-Pastor Edward Hughes*] - "Bethlehem Evangelistic Mission." Back at the same church. Rape.
   Chattangooga Times Free Press, By: Adam Crisp,
   CHATTANOOGA (TN) -- Chattanooga police have arrested a man for violating the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry after he set up a makeshift church on E. 39th Street after authorities told him to avoid church work and being employed near schools.
   Police say Edward Hughes was working at the same church he operated when he raped someone in 2005. He later pleaded guilty to the crime and agreed not to work within 1,000 feet of a school, lead a church or work with children, said Lt. Kim Noorbergen, Chattanooga police spokeswoman.
   She said that on Saturday night around 7 p.m. police arrested Mr. Hughes at Bethlehem Evangelistic Mission, which is within 1,000 feet of East Lake Elementary School. Lt. Noorbergen said the church was running off an electric generator and had no power meter. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:58 PM

• Sex abuse victims want Bishop's support

  [1970s-1980s James Blume* (Brothers of the Holy Cross)] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.
   WANE, with video,
   FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- Upon the conviction of former Fort Wayne priest, James Blume, on two counts of sexual assault, a victim advocate group is looking to Bishop Rhoades for support and leadership in fighting child sex abuse.
   A former priest with Fort Wayne ties pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on Friday. That's according to a local paper in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
   It was there, that James R. Blume said he assaulted two teen boys in the 1970's and 80's, before coming to Fort Wayne. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:56 PM

• Magisterium Benedict VERSUS Holy Mary…

 
   Stella Maris, by Paris Arrow,
   The Magisterium is the Garden of Eden re-enacted daily by the Pope and priests obeying the Pride-Serpent (who promises them that they are "like God") and acting that they are indeed powerful "like God" because they can transform and eat God-in-the-Eucharist. The Mass or Eucharist is the modern fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. …
   Rome, call us heretics and we don't care because in Boston and in America, we have freedom of speech. It was our freedom of speech that got rid of criminal-Cardinal Bernard Law and sent him packing out of our sight and out of our land. But only you, Rome, you the Roman Catholic Church a.k.a. Magisterium would glorify criminals like Cardinal Bernard Law and John Paul II. No other American state has been able to replicate our courage as Bostonians who got rid of the first Cardinal caught guilty of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in America. Yes, we caught the first SS officer of the Third Reich of the Roman Catholic Church … but he went into glorious exile in Rome because only in the Catholic Church are criminals glorified Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:47 PM

• Catholics Come Home -- And Reclaim Your Church!

  - RCC.
   The Huffington Post, by Clay Farris Naff,
   UNITED STATES -- Let's start off with the silver lining. At least, the "Catholics, Come Home" campaign ads make a change from the endless lies about health care that the airwaves have been carrying.
   But, is it just me? Or is there something grossly wrong here? The church that couldn't rub two dimes together to compensate victims of its pedophile priests suddenly has a media budget lavish enough to displace health reform ads? How can this be?
   We're not talking ancient history here. Just last October, a Catholic diocese in Delaware filed for bankruptcy in a move to fend off the claims of 140 people who claim that priests sexually abused them. A month later, a diocese in Alaska, ahem, followed suit. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:35 PM

• Full text of Andrew Madden letter

     
   The Irish Times,
   IRELAND -- Below is the full text of a letter sent by abuse victim Andrew Madden to Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.
   Dear Archbishop Martin,
   Thank you for your letter of 11th January 2010.
   In 1983 the Catholic Church in Dublin decided that I was not suitable for entry into the priesthood. Two years earlier the same Catholic Church had allowed Ivan Payne to continue as a priest despite knowing that he had sexually abused me for 2 1/2 years when I was aged 12-14 years. The idea that anyone sexually abusing children was more suitable for the priesthood than I was totally devastated me at that time and a belief in God and his Church, which had survived Ivan Payne's actions, came to an abrupt and painful end.
   In November 2009 the Murphy Report was published. I was deeply saddened at the sexual abuse of children and I was furiously angry at how the Catholic Church had caused the further sexual abuse of children by covering up abuse in different ways. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:59 AM

• Former Cornwall officer fights contempt conviction

   
   CBC News, The Canadian Press,
   CANADA -- The case of a former Cornwall, Ont., police officer convicted of contempt goes before the Ontario Court of Appeal Monday.
   Perry Dunlop led a crusade for years to root out pedophiles and his work eventually led to the Cornwall inquiry, which wrapped up last month.
   Dunlop, now living in Duncan, B.C., was called to testify at the inquiry and while he did appear, he refused to answer any questions. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:56 AM

• Are We Graced or Disgraded?

   
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo
   UNITED STATES -- Today's Blog is a wonderful reflection by Margaret Schettler. You can read her interview from December 10. Margaret writes a timely piece, as we celebrate the life and influence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I appreciate her insight and the thought provoking questions she leaves us with.
   A dear former colleague at my parish loved to quote an author she admired. I can't remember the author's name, but the quote went something like this: "At every moment I am equally graced and disgraced." When the clergy abuse crisis first burst into our consciousness, many outraged Catholics said , "That is not MY church!" My friend would say, "Oh, but it IS. It is both graced and disgraced". When things went well at work we'd laugh together and say, "There's the grace!" When they went they went badly, we'd joke, "There's the disgrace!"
   Owning both the grace and the disgrace is the first step toward the possibility of meaningful reform for individuals and organizations. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:54 AM

• Martin respects Madden's decision

     
   RTE News Monday, January 18, 2010
   IRELAND -- Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin says he accepts and respects the decision of clerical sex abuse victim Andrew Madden to formally leave the Catholic Church.
   The Archbishop said Mr Madden's trust was betrayed by a priest and anyone can see where that would lead.
   Archbishop Martin was speaking at an ecumenical event in Trinity College this morning. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:51 AM

• Msgr. Mulvey named Bishop of Corpus Christi

  - RCC.  
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
   AUSTIN (TX) – Pope Benedict XVI has selected Msgr. W. Michael Mulvey, current administrator of the Diocese of Austin, to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
   Bishop-designate Mulvey will succeed retiring Bishop Edmond Carmody, who was installed as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi in March 2000. The Mass of Ordination and Installation will be March 25 in Corpus Christi. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:45 AM

• Pope Benedict XVI appoints new Bishop for Corpus Christi

     
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, by Marty Wind, Director of Communications, (361) 289-6437 x322,
   CORPUS CHRISTI (TX) -- It was announced in Rome this morning that The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed The Reverend Monsignor W. Michael Mulvey, currently Administrator of the Diocese of Austin, as the 8th Bishop of Corpus Christi, succeeding The Most Reverend Edmond Carmody who submitted his letter of resignation one year ago as prescribed by Canon Law.
   A press conference has been scheduled for 10:00 AM CST this morning in St. Joseph's Hall below Corpus Christi Cathedral to introduce Bishop Elect Mulvey to the media and the community. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:42 AM

• Pope announces new bishop for Diocese of Corpus Christi

 
   Caller
   CORPUS CHRISTI (TX) -- Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that the Rev. Monsignor W. Michael Mulvey, currently Administrator of the Diocese of Austin, will be the next bishop for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, according to a news release from the local diocese.
   He follows Bishop Edmond Carmody, 76, who has led the diocese since March 17, 2000. He submitted his resignation in January 2009 after celebrating his 75th birthday, as required for a Catholic bishop by canon law.
   There are 68 parishes and 32 missions within the 12 counties that make up the diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:39 AM

• Pope names Texan to Corpus Christ post

 
   Washington Post, The Associated Press, 7:28 AM, Monday, January 18, 2010
   VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has chosen a Houston native to be the new bishop of the Corpus Christi diocese.
   The pontiff's choice, announced Monday by the Vatican, is 60-year-old William Michael Mulvey, who has been serving as diocesan administrator in Austin. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:36 AM

• OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

     
   Vatican Information Service,
   VATICAN CITY -- Appointed Msgr. William Michale Mulvey of the clergy of the diocese of Austin, U.S.A., diocesan administrator, as bishop of Corpus Christi (area 29,690, population 560,614, Catholics 392,430, priests 157, permanent deacons 62, religious 195), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Houston, U.S.A. in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975. He succeeds Edmund Carmody, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:34 AM

• Child protection board chief 'encouraged' by church action

   
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY,
   IRELAND -- IT HAS been claimed that any "objective and fair-minded observer would recognise that the [Catholic] Church has tried hard to meet its commitments to safeguard children today and to learn from the mistakes of the past".
   Ian Elliott, chief executive of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, said: "These developments tend not to command much attention in the media as they are much less newsworthy than reporting on past bad practice.
   "However, it is important to focus on today and on the future and when you do there is much to feel encouraged about." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:22 AM

• Mainer witnesses quake's emotional toll

     
   Portland Press Herald, By BILL NEMITZ, January 17, 2010
   MAINE and CAP-HAITIEN -- One minute, he and an anxious Haitian woman were sharing an outlet for their laptops in a hotel lobby in Cap-Haitien, a city of 180,000 on the north coast of Haiti. The next, the woman stood rigidly next to Kendrick, listening intently to a voice on her cell phone.
   Then, without warning, she buckled over at the waist and began to wail.
   "She learned on the phone that her close friend had been killed in one of the buildings in Port-au-Prince," recalled Kendrick, his voice as shaky as the signal on his borrowed cell phone. "She was like so many – bent over, sobbing, shaking. And a few of us there just tried to provide her some comfort."
   Kendrick paused to compose himself.
   "That's what's going on," he finally said. "Here, there and everywhere."
   A week ago today, Kendrick was just another American traveling to Haiti on a humanitarian mission. A longtime advocate for victims of sexual abuse by clergy here in Maine, he'd arranged to meet in Cap-Haitien with a group of boys who allege they were sexually abused at Project Pierre Touissaint, a school for homeless boys with ties to Fairfield University in Connecticut, Kendrick's alma mater. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:19 AM

• After 24 years, US oleh will not be extradited for suspected sex crimes

  [≤ 1985 Yitzhak Mondrovich] - "Orthodox" Judaist. 5 boys (9-13).    
   The Jerusalem Post, By DAN IZENBERG,
   ISRAEL -- The Supreme Court accepted an appeal by Yitzhak Mondrovich against his extradition on Thursday, 25 years after he arrived in Israel and 24 years after US authorities indicted him on suspicion of committing 13 sexual crimes against five boys aged nine to 13.
   "The legal and moral basis of the extradition procedure according to the Israeli extradition law is not restricted to being an important tool in the war against international and domestic crime," Justice Ayala Procaccia wrote."
   "It is also, at the same time, a procedure which takes human rights into consideration, both by the country requesting the extradition and the extraditing country. The fear of undermining an extradition procedure like this one cannot surmount the need to look at its implications for human rights and the fundamental values of the system of the country being asked to extradite." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:14 AM

• SF rocked by more sex abuse allegations

  - Sinn Fein just like the Churches. 2 women.  
   Irish Independent, By Sam Smyth, Monday January 18 2010
   NORTHERN IRELAND -- GERRY Adams's leadership came under intense pressure last night amid further revelations that he and Sinn Fein covered up allegations of child abuse against republicans.
   The latest sensational claims are from two women connected to senior republican families in Belfast, one of whom is a relative of former IRA commander Joe Cahill. …
   "He is in the same position as some of the Catholic bishops," said a prominent republican last night who asked not to be named. "If Gerry Adams didn't know there was child abuse going on, he should have known." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:06 AM

• The law and religion

  [2001 A cantor]- ? Judaists. Then harassment. Female.  
   Las Vegas Sun, Monday, Jan. 18, 2010
   NEVADA -- The Nevada Supreme Court has been asked to decide to what extent churches are liable in cases involving sexual abuse committed by clergy. The case raises the issue of whether the First Amendment protects churches from these types of lawsuits.
   As Steve Kanigher reported in Wednesday's Las Vegas Sun, the case is rare. Most lawsuits against churches, as those against the Roman Catholic Church, have been settled, so courts have not had to handle this issue.
   The case before the Supreme Court was filed by Theressa Ramani, who says she was assaulted in 2001 by a cantor associated with Chabad of Southern Nevada and Chabad of Summerlin. The man pleaded guilty the next year to open and gross lewdness. Ramani said she and her son were then harassed by Chabad after she complained about the attack. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:58 AM

• Sex abuse hurt me deeply, says actor Byrne

  [A Christian Brother] - RCC.    
   Irish Independent, By Lynne Kelleher, Monday January 18 2010
   IRELAND -- HOLLYWOOD star Gabriel Byrne has revealed how he was "deeply hurt" by sexual abuse inflicted on him as a child by the Christian Brothers.
   The film star opened up about the abuse in the first show of Gay Byrne's 'Meaning of Life' series on RTE television last night.
   The actor talked frankly about his battles with alcoholism and depression in the past and expressed shock at the drinking culture among Ireland's young people. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:55 AM

• Diocese seeks to pay accused

  [1962-93 Fr Francis DeLuca*] - RCC. Too many boys to remember.    
   The News Journal, By MAUREEN MILFORD, January 18, 2010
   WILMINGTON (DE) -- When he was a Catholic priest in Delaware, Francis DeLuca molested boys after bingo games, on a trip to Italy and in the den of his living quarters, he said in an April 2009 deposition.
   He admitted abusing so many boys in Delaware from 1962 to 1993 he couldn't remember all of them, according to court records.
   The boys "liked it," he said, according to court documents. He didn't know it was a crime until he was arrested in 2006, he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:52 AM

• Ex-altar boys to sue diocese

  [Fr Bernard Cloutier]  
   Sudbury Star, Posted By STAR STAFF,
   CANADA -- The four former altar boys sexually abused by Father Bernard A. Cloutier will today launch a civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.
   In November, Cloutier was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assaulting four boys during a period of nearly nine years more than quarter century ago.
   The victims ranged in age from 12 to 17 years at the time of the assaults. In each case, Cloutier befriended the boys and became close friends with their parents. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:49 AM
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Mon January 18, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue January 19, 2010 edition:

• Priestly Celibacy and the Personal Ordinariates

  - RCC.  
   The Anglo-Catholic, ~ January 19, 2010
   I filed a long piece last week for Catholic newspapers on the ongoing sexual abuse scandals that continue to plague the Catholic Church. My piece focused on what's happened in Canada since the scandal concerning the abuse by Irish Christian Brothers at Mount Cashel orphanage in the late 1980s.
   In December, a public inquiry presented its report after a four-year investigation into what some news reports described as a "pedophile ring" in Cornwall, Ontario that involved Catholic priests and members of this industrial St. Lawrence River city's legal and educational establishment. Alas, after four years and millions of dollars, the inquiry did not prove or disprove the existence of at least some loose association of abusers who at times passed victims to each other.
   Then last Sept., police laid charges of possession and importation of child pornography against the Bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Bishop Raymond Lahey's case continues to wend its way through the courts, but it has cast a pall over all the progress the Church has made in handling abuse complaints.
   A few of the experts I spoke to suggested mandatory celibacy was the problem and that it might attract men who had problematic attractions they hoped they could "take off the table" because the priesthood was a profession where it would just not be allowed. But another expert, a pediatrician, noted that "drunken daddyies" and married stepfathers were also known to sexually abuse children, so marriage is not the cure all. Some brought up the proportion of homosexuals in the priesthood, others the high numbers of progressive priests after Vatican II–some of which did not make it into the final draft. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:41 PM, Jan 19, 2010]

• Jury to decide if defrocked priest stays incarcerated

  [McCormack]  
   Chicago Press Release Services, ~ January 19, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A jury will decide if former Roman Catholic priest and convicted sex offender Daniel McCormack will remain incarcerated under the Illinois Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, a judge ruled today.
   Siding with prosecutors, Judge Dennis Porter said McCormack will remain in a secure treatment facility until a verdict is reached in a trial.
   McCormack fondled five boys between ages 8 and 12 in St. Agatha Catholic Church's rectory, misconduct that dated to 2001. Some victims were members of the basketball team he coached at nearby Our Lady of the West Side School. Other victims were friends of boys who attended the school, where McCormack also taught algebra. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:38 PM

• Madden's move from church

  - RCC.  
   The Irish Times, January 20, 2010
   IRELAND -- Madam, – I wish Andrew Madden all the best with his typically courageous decision to formally leave the Catholic Church ("Madden leaves Church over failure of bishops to resign", January 18th), a process I went though many years ago.
   For anyone interested in finding out more about this process, detailed information is available at www.catholic.ie – Yours, etc,
   EOIN STEPHENS, Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:26 PM, January 19, 2010

• No release for convicted priest

  [Fr Daniel McCormack]  
   WGN, with video, January 19, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A former Chicago Roman-Catholic priest and convicted sex offender is indeed a sexually-violent person a judge ruled Tuesday.
   Tuesday's hearing dealt with the likelihood of whether Daniel McCormack would sexually-abuse more boys if he was released. McCormack will remain behind bars.
   McCormack pleaded guilty in 2007 to fondling five boys aged 8 to 12 at St. Agatha's Catholic Church on the Chicago's west side. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:21 PM, January 19, 2010

• Jury Will Decide Sexually-Abusive Priest's Fate

 
   NBC Chicago, By ANTHONY PONCE and BJ LUTZ, ~ January 19, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A defrocked priest and convicted sex offender will remain in a secure treatment facility until a jury decides whether he will remain incarcerated until Illinois' Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, a judge ruled Tuesday.
   The law allows judges to keep sexual offenders locked up in a secure treatment facility until they are deemed to no longer be a threat to the public.
   "We think it's a good day for Illinois because at least for the moment, Dan McCormack will still be held and he can't abuse any children while he's being held," said Barbara Blaine, the national president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:17 PM

• Jury to decide if defrocked priest stays incarcerated

 
   Chicago Breaking News, January 19, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A jury will decide if former Roman Catholic priest and convicted sex offender Daniel McCormack will remain incarcerated under the Illinois Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, a judge ruled today.
   Siding with prosecutors, Judge Dennis Porter said McCormack will remain in a secure treatment facility until a verdict is reached in a trial.
   McCormack fondled five boys between ages 8 and 12 in St. Agatha Catholic Church's rectory, misconduct that dated to 2001. Some victims were members of the basketball team he coached at nearby Our Lady of the West Side School. Other victims were friends of boys who attended the school, where McCormack also taught algebra. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:11 PM, January 19, 2010

• Fr Jack has done his time and wants to come home

  [Fr Jack Skehan]    
   Kilkenny People, By Staff Reporter, Published Date: January 19, 2010
   IRELAND -- Fr Jack Skehan wants to come home. The 82-year-old who was controversially jailed for fraud against his old parish in Florida wants to return to his native Johnstown and County Kilkenny. He is due to be released on April 3 and will come back to Ireland if he thinks he is welcome here.
   The Kilkenny People is asking its readers to have their say in the man nicknamed the Robin Hood of the Sacristy.
   The true picture of the man who built up the parish where he served over 40 years is only now emerging. And supporters have placed a weekly blog (on-line diary) on the internet which is viewed by thousands of people every week Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:26 PM

• Gabriel Byrne Reveals Sexual Abuse

   
   The Wrap, By Brent Lang, Published: January 19, 2010
   HOLLYWOOD (CA) -- Gabriel Byrne, the Emmy nominated star of "In Treatment," says that he was sexually abused by Christian Brothers as a child.
   "Unfortunately, I experienced some sexual abuse," Byrnes said during an episode of the Irish talk show "The Meaning of Life." "It was a known and admitted fact of life amongst us that there was this particular man, and you didn't want to be left in the dressing room with him." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:24 PM

• Bankrupt Diocese Asks to Pay Accused Abuser

  [Fr Francis DeLuca]    
   NBC Philadelphia, By TERESA MASTERSON,
   DELAWARE -- A defrocked Catholic priest, who is accused of sexually abusing boys in 20 lawsuits, is now 80 years old and has little money to live on.
   The bankrupt Catholic Diocese of Delaware is petitioning a judge to allow it to give the former priest benefit payments. The diocese is calling it a "corporal work of mercy," reports the News Journal.
   Former Delaware priest Francis DeLuca admitted to molesting countless boys in his home, after bingo games, on a trip to Italy, from 1962 to 1993, according to court documents of his April 2009 deposition. He said the boys "liked it," reports the New Journal.
   Stripped from the priesthood by Pope Benedict XVI a year ago, DeLuca is now elderly and living on $415 a month from Social Security as his $10,000 in savings is quickly drained. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:20 PM

• Bishops to meet in advance of pastoral letter

   
   RTE News, Tuesday, January 19, 2010
   IRELAND -- The country's Catholic bishops are to hold an extraordinary meeting next Friday to prepare for Pope Benedict's pastoral letter on the fall-out from the Murphy Report.
   The announcement is the strongest indication yet that the Pope's letter will be published next month.
   Ash Wednesday, which falls on 17 February, is the date most commonly mentioned. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:12 PM

• Dunlop a no-show in court

   
   Standard-Freeholder,
   CANADA -- The former Cornwall cop whose refusal to testify became one of the missing links for the Cornwall Public Inquiry, was a no-show in Toronto court Monday after filing an appeal regarding his contempt of court convictions.
   The Canadian Press reported Sunday the Crown didn't notify Dunlop of the hearing date and had not been successful in attempts to reach him over the past week, according to information in Dunlop's court file.
   According to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Dunlop will still have 14 days to make oral arguments, or he could proceed with the case in writing. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:10 PM

• Gabriel Byrne tells of childhood sexual abuse

  [Unnamed Christian Brother/s] - RCC. Boy.  
   Guardian (United Kingdom), by Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent guardian.co.uk, Tuesday January 19, 2010
   IRELAND -- The Irish actor Gabriel Byrne has revealed that he was sexually abused by Christian Brothers as a child.
   The actor also disclosed that at the age of 11 he went to England to train as a priest but was sexually abused by a member of the clergy there.
   Byrne said he had struggled with alcoholism and depression in the past, and that he had been "deeply hurt" over the abuse he endured as a boy.
   The star of films such Miller's Crossing and The Usual Suspects spoke openly about the abuse to Ireland's most famous broadcaster, Gay Byrne, on a new show, The Meaning of Life, on RTÉ television. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:28 PM

• Judge to hear testimony in priest sex abuse case

  [McCormack]  
   WLS,
   January 19, 2010 (CHICAGO) (IL), (WLS) -- A Cook County judge hears testimony Tuesday morning on whether former Roman Catholic priest Daniel McCormack should be released.
   McCormack is accused of molesting boys at St. Agatha's parish on the city's West Side from 2001 to 2005. He pleaded guilty in 2007 and sentenced to five years in prison. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:10 AM

• Group says rabbi no longer leader

  - Judaist.
   Albany Times-Union
   By ROBERT GAVIN, Staff writer
   ALBANY, NEW YORK State -- A Loudonville rabbi who admitted having "inappropriate physical contact" with two 13-year-old boys -- and telling one to lie to police and his mother about it -- remains under suspension, his organization said Monday.
   Yaakov Weiss, 29, founder of Chabad of Colonie and the Chabad Hebrew School, pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to misdemeanor child endangerment before Judge Stephen Herrick in Albany County Court.
   Following the guilty plea, which carries up to 60 days in the county jail, Weiss' attorney relayed a statement that his client had the support of Chabad of Colonie. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:07 AM

• BREAKING: Mondrowitz May Have Been Treating Boys Long After Indictment; new evidence suggests alleged child molester was counseling teen in Israel in 2006

  [≤ 1985 - 2006 Yitzhak Mondrovich] - "Orthodox" Judaist. ≤ 1985 - 5 boys (9-13).    
   The Jewish Week, by Hella Winston, Special To The Jewish Week, Posted 9:15 PM Monday, Jan. 18, 2010
   UNITED STATES / ISRAEL -- With alleged Brooklyn child molester Avrohom Mondrowitz under house arrest until Jan. 24 following last week's decision by the Israeli Supreme Court to deny his extradition, new evidence has emerged that appears to indicate that Mondrowitz was treating adolescent boys in Israel as recently as 2006.
   According to a document provided to The Jewish Week by New Jersey attorney Michael Lesher, and apparently obtained from Mondrowitz's computer, Mondrowitz appears to have conducted an interview with and "assessment" of a 15-year-old boy who had been engaging in "improper behaviours [sic] with his peers."
   While the document contains the boy's name, The Jewish Week is not publishing it to protect the identity of a minor. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:04 AM

• The Misplaced Priorities of the Roman Catholic Church

  - RCC.    
   Michael-in-Norfolk,
   Yet another Irish Times op-ed piece is taking the Roman Catholic Church to task on its misplaced priorities which focus on liturgical minutia rather than important issues such as protecting minors from sexual abuse by clergy. The problem seems particularly blatant under the current Pope, Benedict XVI and his less than saintly predecessor, John Paul II who turned a blind eye towards the worldwide abuse problem until it exploded out of control in Boston and now in Ireland. The sad truth is that the Catholic Church hierarchy cares nothing about the Churches members except when it comes to power, control and, of course, money. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:00 AM

• Moderates are more disappointing

   
   Stop Baptist Predators,
   UNITED STATES -- From a Birmingham jail cell, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the "moderate" religious leaders of his day. He told of how "gravely disappointed" he was in them.
   Of course, King had always known better than to expect support from men such as Bull Connor, but for a time, King apparently held some hope that "moderates" would stand with him and other black Americans in their struggle for justice. However, in his letter from the Birmingham jail, King said that he had almost reached the conclusion that the greatest stumbling block was "not the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to ‘order' than to justice."
   "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will," wrote King. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:57 AM

• Ex-officer skips court date

   
   Winnipeg Free Press,
   TORONTO, CANADA -- A former Cornwall, Ont., police officer appealing his contempt convictions failed to appear in court Monday when his case came before Ontario's highest court.
   Perry Dunlop called the seven months he served in jail for refusing to testify at a public inquiry largely of his own making "cruel and unusual punishment." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:51 AM [COMMENT: "Cruel and unusual punishment" is a term in United State jurisprudence.  Is it a Canadian term, as well? ENDS.]

• CATHOLIC CHURCH Bankruptcy News, Issue No. 145

   
   EarthTimes
   UNITED STATES -- (EMAILWIRE.COM, January 19, 2010 ) FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. -- Bankruptcy Creditors' Service, Inc., published Issue No. 145 of CATHOLIC CHURCH BANKRUPTCY NEWS today. The 33-page newsletter contains stories with these headlines:
   [01848] WILMINGTON'S 1ST MOTION TO EXTEND REMOVAL PERIOD [01849] WILMINGTON'S MOTION TO EXTEND AUTOMATIC STAY TO PARISHES Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:28 AM

• Among Friends

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraged woman to have sex for cash.     
   Tablet, By Allison Hoffman | Jan 19, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- In May 2007, Leib Tropper arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, to preside over a grand conclave of prospective converts to Judaism sponsored by his Eternal Jewish Family organization, which offered "Cadillac conversions" to non-Jews as part of an effort to seize control of the conversion process outside of Israel. Buoyed by a $4.8 million infusion of cash from the billionaire Thomas Kaplan, an oil and mining mogul who is currently president of the board at the 92nd Street Y in New York, the fast-talking rabbi with global ambitions and a smooth line of patter had offered would-be Jews a special treat: an all-expenses paid weekend of discussions on topics like "Becoming Part of the Jewish Family" at the Arizona Biltmore, a spa resort on 39 acres at the foot of Phoenix Mountain that is part of the Waldorf-Astoria chain.
   While offers of Ayurvedic massages and luxury accommodation may seem at odds with the somber, discouraging face that ultra-Orthodoxy has traditionally turned to prospective converts, Tropper, by most accounts, did not seem particularly interested in relaxing halachic codes to accommodate the modern world. A biblical literalist, he played an active role in an effort by a group of ultra-Orthodox rabbis to ban the books of another rabbi, Nosson Slifkin, who believed that the world is older than the Jewish calendar–that is, 5,770 years. In 2006, among his other duties, he took it upon himself to retroactively invalidate the conversion of a woman who subsequently dared to violate ultra-Orthodox codes of modesty by wearing pants. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:20 AM

• Child abuse prevention class learns from offenders

  ["Patrick"] - Christian. 100 children.  
   Newberg Graphic, By Laurent Bonczijk,
   OREGON -- When ‘Patrick' appeared on the television screen, he was everybody's image of a wholesome youth pastor. He had the right clothes, conservative but not stodgy. He spoke from the heart about his travails to become a minister.
   Then he told the interviewer how much the accusations of child sex abuse by a young boy he'd almost literally pulled from the gutter hurt him and his family. It would ruin his future career as a minister, he said.
   Patrick (his real name was not disclosed), the wholesome blond youth pastor, is not only a convicted child molester, he admitted to offending 100 children, nearly half of whom were under 14. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:07 AM

• Woman says pastor sexually assaulted her many times

  [1971-74 and 1988-90 Pastor Fred Hanson] - Christian.  
   The Daily Gleaner, By BRYAN TAIT, The Bugle-Observer,
   WOODSTOCK, CANADA - A jury of six men and six women began hearing testimony Monday in the second trial of a former Upper St. John River Valley pastor.
   Frederick Douglas Hanson, 61, is charged with one count of sexual assault at or near Upper Brighton and Somerville between Jan. 1, 1988, and Dec. 31, 1990, and one count of indecent assault at or near Somerville between Jan. 1, 1971, and Dec. 31, 1974.
   This is the second trial for the former pastor. The first is dealing with charges of sexually touching young people and sexually touching young people while in a position of authority between May 2006 and December 2007 in Plaster Rock. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:04 AM

• Drafts of pope's pastoral letter circulate in the Holy See

     
   The Irish Times, From PADDY AGNEW in Rome,
   VATICAN CITY -- DRAFT VERSIONS of the pope's forthcoming pastoral letter to the Irish faithful have begun to circulate in the Holy See, Vatican insiders have reported.
   Initial indications are that the letter will not be overly concerned with the current administrative, bureaucratic and organisational problems of the Irish church.
   Rather, it is expected to offer encouragement to the faithful, reminding them of the crucial role of the early Irish church in the spread of Christianity. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:01 AM

• Church leaders struggle to protect kids from sex abuse

  [Organist James Jordan* (53) - ? NEW*] - Lutheran. Minor.  
   Sacramento Bee, By Jennifer Garza, jgarza@sacbee.com , Published: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- The Rev. Kay Doyle, dismayed by the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the U.S. Catholic Church eight years ago, felt some comfort in distance. A pastor of a small Carmichael church, she didn't worry about such problems in her congregation. And then the distance closed.
   Her church organist was accused of sexually molesting a minor and arrested in October. Doyle, pastor of Gethsemane Lutheran Church for 13 years, was unprepared. James Charles Jordan, 53, was charged with six counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14.
   "We had no experience with this," said Doyle. "It was awful for everyone, because there weren't any guidelines." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:56 AM

• Five ex-altar boys suing Catholic church over abuse

  [Fr Bernard Cloutier]  
   The Globe and Mail, By KIRK MAKIN, JUSTICE REPORTER,
   CANADA -- A culture of secrecy and willful blindness within the Roman Catholic church allowed a Sudbury, Ont., priest to worm his way into affections of five altar boys and sexually assault them, a flurry of lawsuits alleges.
   The five plaintiffs claim that, with the church and a regional bishop playing the role of enablers, Rev. Bernard Cloutier travelled from one diocese to another robbing young boys of both their innocence and their belief in God.
   In the suits filed yesterday, the plaintiffs are claiming a total of $15-million, citing lifelong descents into depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.The plaintiffs are suing Father Cloutier, his superior, Bishop Gerard Dionne and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:53 AM

• Church leaders covered up sexual abuse

  - RCC.
   The Sudbury Star Posted By CAROL MULLIGAN
   CANADA-- Parishioners in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie should be horrified that one of their church leaders deliberately covered up sexual abuse of altar boys by a parish priest and interfered in a police investigation into it more than 25 years ago, charges a lawyer.
   Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Dionne is 90-years-old and believed to be living in a nursing home in New Brunswick and there are those who believe the matter should be left alone, said Rob Talach.
   But just because a person a managed to "dodge justice" for years does not mean "you should just let them walk." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:50 AM

• Priest, diocese face charges

  [Cloutier]  
   The Sudbury Star, Posted By CAROL MULLIGAN,
   CANADA -- Five separate lawsuits for $3 million each, the maximum allowed under the law, have been filed in Ontario Superior Court of Justice against a Roman Catholic priest convicted of 11 sexual assault charges in criminal court.
   Bernard Cloutier, 68, was sentenced last year to five years in prison for his crimes, but is appealing that decision.
   The five lawsuits were also filed against the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. Two of the lawsuits name the auxiliary bishop at the time, Gerard S.E. Dionne. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:48 AM

• Response to Murphy report key

  - RCC.  
   The Mayo News, by Fr Kevin Hegarty,
   IRELAND -- Judging from the media images, the Irish Catholic bishops seemed worried and worn at the funeral of their long-lived patriarch, Cardinal Cathal Daly, on a frosty day in early January.
   Ordained as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise in 1967, Dr Daly's episcopacy extended from the days of fragile optimism after the Second Vatican Council to the pervasive darkness that has engulfed the Irish Catholic Church in the last 16 years, as the stories of the clerical sexual abuse of children have unfolded.
   It is not surprising that the bishops looked so preoccupied at the funeral. They had just been through a torrid time. The fallout from the Murphy report had resulted in the resignation of four members of the hierarchy. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:44 AM, Jan 19, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue January 19, 2010
• Cardinals at odds as DEBATE ON MEDJUGORJE HEATS UP.   [1976-2008 Vlasic* / Vlašić / Vladic (Franciscan)] - RCC. > 40,000 visions since 1981! Messages from Mary. Priest had child with nun sent to Germany.           

Cardinals at odds as
DEBATE ON MEDJUGORJE HEATS UP

   The Record (R.C. Perth, W. Australia, weekly), cathrec § iinet net au , CNS, pp 1-2, Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   The debate over the legitimacy of the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje has been revived after an Austrian Cardinal said that private Medjugorje visits bring good results; while the local Mostar Bishop said the Cardinal broke Church etiquette with his own personal visit to his diocese.
  [Four pictures, without captions]  
   VATICAN CITY (CNS) - After visiting Medjugorje, the site of alleged Marian apparitions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austrian Cardinal Christopher Schönborn of Vienna said the Church must recognise that private pilgrimages to the village result in prayer and reconciliation.
   But Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno, the diocese that includes Medjugorje, said the Cardinal's very public pilgrimage "has added new sufferings" to those already present in his diocese and did "not contribute to its much needed peace and unity."
   Cardinal Schönborn visited Medjugorje from 29 December-1 January in what his office described as a "private pilgrimage".
   He visited one of the young adults who claimed they began receiving messages from Mary in 1981 and he celebrated Mass in local parishes.
   He told Vatican Radio's German programme on 4 January that it was up to the universal Church to determine whether or not the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje are supernatural, but he also said it was clear that Medjugorje is a place of prayer, reconciliation and faith-based acts of charity.
   "The pilgrims do one thing above all: they pray," he said during the broadcast.  Each day thousands of people recite the Psalms together, spend time adoring the Eucharist, meditate on the Stations of the Cross and pray the Rosary, he said. Medjugorje also is "a place where people have rediscovered confession," he said.
   However, another senior Cardinal has weighed into the revived debase over the alleged Marian apparitions, with the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints expressing skepticism [scepticism] about their authenticity.
   Speaking in careful language, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins told the Italian website Petrus that he would await the official verdict of the Church regarding the apparitions.
   However, he said that it was a mistake to assume that displays of piety at Medjugorje are a sign of authenticity. "Just because people convert in this place, it is not given that the Madonna is appearing," he said, observing that conversions take place regularly in ordinary parish churches.
   The Cardinal also voiced misgivings about the alleged messages from the Virgin Mary instructing the Medjugorje "seers" to disregard orders from their Bishop. Cardinals at odds over Medjugorje
   "The Madonna could not, in any case at all, be anti-hierarchical and incite disobedience, even if the Bishop of Mostar were wrong," he said.  In questioning the claims about Medjugorje, he said, "This is another element on which to reflect."
   Questioned about the recent visit to Medjugorje by Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, which drew criticism from Bishop Ratko Peric of the local Mostar diocese, Cardinal Saraiva said: "Far be it from me to think of judging the conduct of Cardinal Schönborn, but, considering the morbid attention which is concentrated on Medjugorje, and as I always do every time I go out from Rome, I would have spoken beforehand with Monsignor Peric: when we Cardinals enter into a diocese, we are entering into the 'house' of the Bishop of the place and we must have the good manners and good sense to announce ourselves."
   Cardinal Schönborn told Vatican Radio he believed that until the Church issues an official judgment on the apparitions, it is wise not to permit formal pilgrimages, a policy adopted by the Bishops of the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and confirmed by the Vatican.
   But he said it was also important to provide pastoral care to Medjugorje visitors, which the same policy recommended.
   In a 4 January interview with the Vercernji List daily newspaper, Cardinal Schönborn said: "Jesus said that the bad tree doesn't bear any fruits, which means if the fruits are good then the tree is good as well."
   Bishop Peric, who repeatedly has questioned the authenticity of the apparitions and struggled to limit the influence of religious living in the diocese without permission, issued a 2 January statement saying that while he recognised the right of a cardinal to celebrate Mass anywhere in the world, "there also exists a certain etiquette in the Church" that encourages a visiting Cardinal to discuss a visit with the local Bishop. He said neither the cardinal nor anyone from his office contacted him.
  [Picture] Pilgrims light candles in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, June 25, the 25th anniversary of the start of alleged Marian apparitions.    PHOTO: DANILO KRSTANOVIC, REUTERS  
   In addition, Cardinal Schönborn's visits to unauthorised religious communities "could be interpreted as supportive," Bishop Peric said.
   "I regret that the cardinal, with his visit, appearance and statements, has added new sufferings to those already present of this local church which do not contribute to its much needed peace and unity," he said. The Bishop also said that in his diocese the phenomenon of many faithful going to confession is not unique to the churches in Medjugorje.
   "We believe that the mercy of the heavenly Father is perceptible in Medjugorje, just as in each and every parish of this diocese," he said.
   If long lines of faithful waiting to go to confession are seen as a sign that Mary is appearing, he said, then some could argue that she is appearing in every parish in the diocese. #

   [1st RECAPITULATION: The Cardinal also voiced misgivings about the alleged messages from the Virgin Mary instructing the Medjugorje "seers" to disregard orders from their Bishop. ENDS.]
   [1st COMMENT: As if someone who died about 1950 years ago could be sending messages to the "seers"!  But this is where the gullibility about saints and "apparitions" leads people. COMMENT ENDS.]
   [2nd RECAP.: "Jesus said that the bad tree doesn't bear any fruits, which means if the fruits are good then the tree is good as well." ENDS.]
   [2nd COMMENT: The Jesus statement was not quite like that.  He was also supposed to have warned people against false prophets who could deceive people with great signs and wonders. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22)  ENDS.] http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm#cardinals_at_odds [Jan 20, 2010]
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed January 20, 2010 edition:

• Actor Gabriel Byrne Was Molested By A Priest, He Reveals

       
   Perez Hilton, January 20, 2010
   CALIFORNIA-- How awful!
   Gabriel Byrne, best know for his work in The Usual Suspects, recently opened up to an Irish television show that he was molested when he was 11 years old while in seminary school. …
   One of the difficulties could have been his long battle with alcoholism, which he also discussed in the interview.
   It's a very sad situation, one we're sure happens more than anyone would like it to.
   Poor guy! [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:19 PM, Jan 20, 2010]

• Shorewood priest who tried to kill himself charged with 7 felonies

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Daily Herald, By Jameel Naqvi | ~ January 20, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A priest who tried to kill himself earlier this month after learning he was facing allegations of sexual abuse was formally charged on Wednesday, according to the Kane County state's attorney's office.
   Alejandro Flores, 37, of the 600 block of Brook Forest Avenue in Shorewood, was charged with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all felonies that together carry a maximum sentence of 67 years in prison, the state's attorney's office said late Wednesday.
   Authorities say Flores, who was parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Shorewood, sexually abused a boy younger than 13 between 2005 and 2010 while he was a seminarian assigned to St. Mary's Parish in West Chicago. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:15 PM, January 20, 2010

• Priest who jumped from balcony charged with sex abuse

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.
   Chicago Sun-Times, BY KIM JANSSEN, January 21, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A priest who jumped from a 20-foot balcony after he was accused of molesting a west suburban boy has been charged with seven felony counts of sexual abuse.
   Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, of Shorewood, is accused of preying on the St. Charles boy over the last five years.
   He jumped from the balcony of a shuttered church in Joliet, suffering serious head injuries Jan. 6 as detectives were driving to interview him about the alleged abuse. Bishop J. Peter Sartain characterized it as a suicide attempt. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:10 PM, January 20, 2010

• Galway prelate stays silent after clerical meeting

  - RCC. Bp Martin Drennan consults priests.  
   Irish Independent, By BRIAN McDONALD, Wednesday January 20, 2010
   IRELAND -- BISHOP of Galway Dr Martin Drennan met his priests at St Mary's College in Galway city yesterday to discuss child protection measures in the diocese.
   The bishop, who insisted he did nothing wrong in the wake of the publication of the Murphy report, did not comment on the fallout from the cover-up of clerical child sex abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:07 PM, January 20, 2010

• Bishop Drennan to meet Pope in Rome showdown

  - RCC.
   Galway Advertiser, By Declan Varley, ~ January 20, 2010
   IRELAND -- DEFIANT Bishop of Galway Dr Martin Drennan, who has refused to bow to calls for his resignation after his name was mentioned in The Murphy report into the handling of child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese, is to speak face to face with Pope Benedict in the Vatican next month as the pontiff draws up a response to the Irish abuse scandal.
   The meeting to be held in Rome on Feb 15 and 16 – the two days before Ash Wednesday – is the first time that all bishops from one country have been summoned to the Eternal City together since the American hierarchy were called to the Vatican in 2002 in the wake of the US child abuse scandals which resulted in the resignation of several bishops and at least one cardinal.
   The meeting is also being held to iron out differences in opinion among several bishops – differences which have been aired publicly in the past month by notable figures including Dr Drennan and the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin. Dr Drennan felt that his integrity had been questioned by some of Archbishop Martin's remarks before Christmas. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:04 PM, January 20, 2010

• Priest charged in sexual assault of St. Charles child

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   St. Charles Republican, Posted Jan 20, 2010
   ST. CHARLES (IL) – A Shorewood priest has been charged with sexually assaulting a St. Charles child over five years starting in 2005.
   Alejandro Flores, 37, of the 600 block of Brook Forest Ave. Shorewood, has been charged with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, two counts of sexual assualt and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
   Authorities allege that between Jan. 1 of 2005 and Jan. 1 of 2010, Flores was alleged to have had sexual contact with a St. Charles minor who was younger than 13 when the alleged sexual contact began. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:38 PM, January 20, 2010

• Priest taken into custody on sex assault charge

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.
   The Beacon-News, January 20, 2010
   ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP, ILLINOIS -- A Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually preying on a young St. Charles boy over five years was charged Wednesday with seven felonies.
   Alejandro Flores, 37, of Shorewood, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault, and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the Kane County state's attorney's office.
   He is accused of having sexual contact with a St. Charles boy between Jan. 1, 2005, and Jan. 1, 2010. The boy was under the age of 13 when the alleged sexual contact began, the state's attorney said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:35 PM

• Mondrowitz Escapes Another Trial

  [Avrohom Mondrowitz] - Judaist. The 2007 Israeli porn case also dropped.    
   Forward, By Nathan Jeffay, Published January 20, 2010, issue of January 29, 2010.
   HAIFA, Israel – For several dozen Americans who say they were sexually abused as children, news from Israel on January 14 ripped the scab off a still unhealed wound. Israel's Supreme Court ruled that Avrohom Mondrowitz, their alleged abuser, will not be extradited to stand trial in America.
   But that is not the only recent decision regarding Mondrowitz. The Forward has learned that Israeli prosecutors have decided Mondrowitz will not be charged in connection with child pornography they say they found in his home in 2007.
   Justice Ministry spokeswoman, Adi Simchovitz said that the child pornography case against Mondrowitz was closed in March 2009 "for lack of evidence." She declined to offer any details. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:33 PM

• PENNSYLVANIA: Bishop appeals church court's decision

  [Bishop Bennison] - Episcopalian.  
   Episcopal Life, By Mary Frances Schjonberg, January 20, 2010
   PENNSYLVANIA (Episcopal News Service) -- Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles Bennison on Jan. 19 appealed a decision by an ecclesiastical trial court, asking that a 2008 ruling that the bishop engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy be overturned.
   After Bennison's 2008 trial, the church's Court for the Trial of a Bishop found in February 2009 that 35 years ago when Bennison was rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Upland, California, he failed to respond properly after learning that his brother, John Bennison, a 24-year-old seminary student (later deacon and priest) whom he had hired as youth minister, was "engaged in a sexually abusive and sexually exploitive relationship" with a minor parishioner. The abuse allegedly lasted for more than three years from the time the minor was 14 years old.
   Charles Bennison was found to have failed to discharge his pastoral obligations to the girl, the members of her family, and the members of the parish youth group as well as church authorities after he learned of his brother's behavior. The court said that he suppressed the information about his brother until 2006, when he disclosed publicly what he knew. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:26 PM

• Priest who tried suicide charged with sex assault

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Breaking News, January 20, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A priest who authorities say hurled himself from a church balcony after he was accused of molesting a boy was charged Wednesday with seven felonies, including predatory criminal sexual assault.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, was also charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and two counts of criminal sexual assault for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old boy at a West Chicago church where Flores was posted as a seminarian, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's office.
   The state's attorney's office said Flores abused a St. Charles child over a five-year period between Jan. 1, 2005 and Jan 1, 2010. The child was younger than 13 when the abuse started, authorities said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:15 PM

• No attorneys allowed at Cathedral High School meetings of students with Christian Brothers staff

  - RCC.
   City of Angels, with link to the parent-student handbook, By Kay Ebeling,
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- We have placed a call to Brother John Montgomery, the Principal, but so far he hasn't called back to explain Cathedral High School's policy of denying students a right to legal counsel when meeting with school officials. Yesterday, a City of Angels reader sent us the link to the Parent-Student Handbook because he found something "truly troubling" in the policy at the Christian Brothers run school for boys in Los Angeles.
   "Since threatening or actually taking legal action against the school is indicative of an adversarial relationship," the Handbook says, "the Principal reserves the right to dismiss a student whose parent(s) or other party pursue such action on behalf of the student." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:10 PM

• Pope summons bishops over abuse report

  - RCC.    
   CNN,
   ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The pope has summoned several Irish bishops to the Vatican to discuss a report documenting child abuse by Irish clergy members, the Vatican spokesman said Wednesday.
   The bishops will meet with Pope Benedict XVI in mid-February, said Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman.
   The report, which came out in November, found that the Catholic Church in Ireland covered up "widespread" child abuse from 1975 to 2004. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:43 PM

• Perlitz: New Documents To Be Produced

  [~ 2000s Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. Fairfield University. Boys.    
   Fairfield Mirror, By Chris Simmons, January 20, 2010
   CONNECTICUT -- Fairfield University and Haiti have been linked in the news for the past few months, as alumnus Doug Perlitz '92 was indicted on ten counts involving sexual abuse of young Haitian boys. Perlitz founded Project Pierre Toussaint, a home and school in Cap-Haitien.
   Over winter break, Perlitz's attorneys filed a motion to extend the motion dates. Originally, the defendant's motions were due on Jan. 11, the government's response was due on Jan 26, and the defense reply by Feb. 8.
   The motion argued that progress had been hampered on account of attorney illness and telephone difficulties at the Wyatt facility where Perlitz is being held. The government indicated that they would produce another large discovery soon (which would be in addition to approximately 8,000 pages of documents already produced). Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:41 PM

• Pope convenes Irish bishops for talks on priestly sex abuse

  - RCC.    
   Catholic Courier,
   VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has convened Ireland's bishops for a two-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the ongoing fallout from the priestly sex abuse scandal in the country.
   The meeting will take place Feb. 15-16, and was expected to include the heads of major Vatican agencies. The Vatican press office confirmed the meeting, but did not specify what would be on the agenda.
   According to sources in Ireland, the pope will address the bishops and each bishop will have seven minutes to offer his views on the crisis. The meeting was expected to produce some concrete proposals, with final reflections by the pope. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:39 PM

• Pope calls special meeting with Irish bishops at the Vatican

  - RCC.
   Catholic News Agency, 11:27 am, Jan 20, 2010
   VATICAN CITY / (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI will meet with the Catholic bishops of Ireland in a private audience at the Holy See in February, according to news reports. The two-day meeting has been called to address the current situation of the Church in Ireland.
   On Wednesday The Irish Catholic reported that the meetings would be convened from Feb. 15 - 16. Citing Vatican sources, the newspaper claimed that the agenda will include discussions between the bishops of Ireland, the Pope and members of the Roman Curia regarding the cases of clerical sex abuse made public in the Murphy Report last Nov. 26.
   According to The Guardian, "all" of the bishops of Ireland have been summoned to the Holy See to take part in the discussions. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:32 PM

• Bishops face Pope on abuse scandal

 
   Herald, Wednesday January 20 2010
   IRELAND -- Irish bishops have been hauled before Vatican chiefs in the wake of devastating child abuse scandals, it has emerged.
   The 24 senior clergymen will hold face-to-face talks with Pope Benedict and his senior officials on February 15 and 16.
   It comes as bishops prepare for a special conference in Maynooth this week to discuss the fall-out from the Murphy Report and a promised pastoral letter from the Pontiff to Irish Catholics over the abuse revelations. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:12 AM

• Pope, Irish bishops plan summit on child abuse

       
   Washington Post, By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland's Roman Catholic bishops are being summoned next month to an exceptional Vatican summit with Pope Benedict XVI to shape the pontiff's response to child-abuse scandals, church officials said Wednesday.
   A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, confirmed that the pope has written to Ireland's bishops inviting them to the Vatican Feb. 15-16, but he declined to provide any other details.
   Two Irish church officials said the pope planned to speak both as a group and individually to Ireland's 27 bishops, three archbishops and Cardinal Sean Brady. They said the dialogue would influence Benedict's planned pastoral letter to Ireland's 4 million Catholics following revelations of widespread child abuse within the Irish church. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:07 AM

• Court rules Amish elders to stand trial

  - Amish.  
   South County Mail, By Nicholas W. Inman, nicholasi@marshfieldmail.com , Published Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   MISSOURI -- In a case that has brought national attention to Webster County, the attorney for religious leaders of the local Amish community defended his clients at a preliminary hearing last Wednesday, Jan. 13.
   The Amish did not appear for the hearing, as their appearance was waived by the court.
   Defense attorney Will Worsham requested that Associate Circuit Court Judge Ken Thompson dismiss the charges against Christian J.F. Schwartz, Jacob P. Schwartz, Emmanuel M.S. Eicher and Peter M. Eicher, church elders each charged with one count of failure to report child abuse by a mandated reporter, a Class A misdemeanor. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:00 AM

• "Crises are not to be feared"

  - RCC.  
   DotCommonweal, Posted by Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, 4:24 pm, January 19, 2010
   IRELAND -- In December, Timothy Radcliffe, OP, addressed the clergy of the diocese of Dublin, now reeling from the latest revelations of sexual abuse and duplicity among the hierarchy. "Child abuse is a terrible crisis for the Church," he said. "But I am convinced that it is through crisis that we may grow closer to God. It is a crisis caused by our own failures as a Church, but God can make it a blessing."
   The Tablet published the text of the talk in two parts. The first section, "Our Burden to Be Shared," appeared in the December 19/26 issue (and is available to subscribers online). In it Radcliffe spoke frankly about the sources of anger directed at the clergy and the Church by scandalized people, and the need for a humbler, "friendship"-based approach to authority and moral teaching. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:56 AM

• Deposed bishop appeals church court's decision

  [Bishop Bennison] - Episcopalian.  
   Philadelphia Inquirer,
   PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- Lawyers for the Rev. Charles E. Bennison Jr., deposed bishop of the five-county Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, have asked a church appeals panel to overturn a church court's 2008 decision to defrock him and remove him as diocesan bishop.
   That court, which convened in Philadelphia, ruled unanimously that Bennison had engaged in "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy" when he concealed his brother John's sexual abuse of a minor girl. John Bennison was serving as youth minister at his brother's California parish in the mid-1970s. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:53 AM

• Priest Convicted of Abuse to Remain Incarcerated Until Trial

  [Fr Dan McCormack] - RCC.
   Chicago Public Radio, Produced by Lynette Kalsnes, Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- The debate continues over whether a former Catholic priest on Chicago's South Side convicted of sexual abuse should be committed for treatment.
   Daniel McCormack served more than two years in prison for sexually abusing five boys. He's eligible for release, but prosecutors want him declared a sexually violent person so he'll be committed indefinitely.
   Julia Bledsoe is a member of the parish where McCormack abused the boys. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:51 AM

• Jailed priest back in Sandwich

 
   Cape Cod Times, By George Brennan, gbrennan@capecodonline.com , January 20, 2010
   SANDWICH (MA) – A defrocked Roman Catholic priest, part of a sex scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston, is back living in a Sandwich neighborhood.
   Paul W. Hurley, 66, of 48 Old Fields Road, Sandwich, returned Friday to the South Sandwich neighborhood where he lived before being sent to prison on a rape conviction in 2006, the police said.
   Now listed as a Level 3 sex offender, the type considered most likely to re-offend, the Sandwich police canvassed the neighborhood off Farmersville Road Saturday with 75 posters alerting neighbors to Hurley's return, Lt. David Guillemette said yesterday. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:48 AM

• Gabriel Byrne: I was abused as a child

  - Abused in two countries by RC "consecrated" people.    
   Telegraph (United Kingdom),
   IRELAND -- Gabriel Byrne, the Hollywood actor, was sexually abused when he was a child in Ireland, and later when he trained as a priest in England.
   The Irish actor moved to England aged 11 to train as a priest and was abused again. Photo: heo Kingma / Rex Features The Irish actor said he was abused by Christian Brothers.
   "Unfortunately, I experienced some sexual abuse," he told Irish television. "It was a known and admitted fact of life amongst us that there was this particular man, and you didn't want to be left in the dressing room with him.
   The Irish actor moved to England aged 11 to train as a priest and was again abused by a member of the clergy, he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:45 AM

• Bishops summoned to Vatican meeting

  [Irish clergy etc] - RCC.      
   RTE News, Wednesday, 20 January 20, 2010
   IRELAND -- Pope Benedict XVI has summoned Ireland's Catholic Bishops to discuss the consequences of the church cover-up of clerical sexual abuse.
   It is planned that a day-and-a-half of meetings will be held next month on the Ryan and Murphy reports.
   Senior church sources last night confirmed The Irish Catholic's story of plans for the unprecedented encounters scheduled for 15 and 16 February. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:41 AM

• Male victims need help too

   
   National Post, by Barbara Kay, National Post , Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   CANADA -- Memo regarding the release of a major report: Don't choose a time when most pundits are so distracted by upcoming holidays that their mental inbox is too full to give the report its due consideration. It will get short shrift -- exactly what happened to Justice Normand Glaude's report on the "historical abuse" issues addressed by the Cornwall pedophile inquiry.
   On December 15 Cornwall inquiry commissioner Justice Glaude issued a 2,400-page evaluation, deploring the systematic, decades-long failure of the OPP, the provincial government, the Catholic Diocese, the Ontario Correctional Services and other institutions to deal appropriately -- when they dealt at all -- with sexual abuse of boys and young men by an alleged pedophile ring involving 15 priests, lawyers, doctors and probation officers in the Cornwall, Ont., area.
   In terms of follow-on commentary and national discussion of its recommendations, the report sank like a stone in a punchbowl of eggnog. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:39 AM

• Pope to meet Irish bishops over abuse reports

       
   BBC News,
   IRELAND -- Pope Benedict has summoned Ireland's Catholic bishops to discuss the consequences of the church's cover-ups of clerical sexual abuse.
   It is planned to hold a day-and-a-half of meetings on the Ryan and Murphy reports.
   On Tuesday night, senior church sources confirmed a story in the Irish Catholic newspaper of plans for the talks scheduled for 15 and 16 February. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:37 AM

• Commitment trial set for ex-priest

  [Fr Daniel McCormack]  
   Chicago Sun-Times, BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN, Criminal Courts Reporter, rhussain@suntimes.com ,
   CHICAGO (IL) -- Defrocked priest Daniel McCormack will stand trial to determine whether he should be civilly committed as a sexually violent person, a Cook County judge ruled Tuesday.
   McCormack, who pleaded guilty in 2007 to fondling five boys while he served as a Roman Catholic priest, "was aware" he was being investigated but continued to target his young victims at St. Agatha Parish and Our Lady of the Westside School, Judge Dennis J. Porter said in finding there was probable cause to go ahead with the trial.
   McCormack, 41, had been sentenced to five years in prison for five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was scheduled to be released in late September, but authorities filed a lawsuit arguing that he should remain in a secure mental health center to receive the treatment prosecutors said he never received. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:34 AM

• Pope summons Irish bishops to Rome over sex abuse scandal

       
   The Times (United Kingdom), from David Sharrock, Ireland Correspondent,
   IRELAND -- Pope Benedict XVI has summoned the Irish bishops to Rome to discuss Ireland's clerical abuse scandal.
   The bishops will meet the Pope on February 15 and 16, The Irish Catholic newspaper reports this morning.
   The Pope last met with Cardinal Seán Brady, the Primate of All Ireland, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin on December 11, with several senior Vatican officials in attendance. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:28 AM

• Our heroic media are not going after Gerry Adams as they would do a Catholic prelate

  [Unnamed "Republican"] - "Christian." Girl from age 4.  
   Irish Independent, By Kevin Myers, Wednesday January 20, 2010
   IRELAND -- Everyone, including myself, has had a great deal of easy fun at the expense of the Robinsons. But, of course, they're easy targets -- they have no cultural power over nationalist Ireland. But what is strange and almost sinister -- as Suzanne Breen and Ruth Dudley Edwards pointed out in the 'Sunday Tribune' and the 'Sunday Independent' -- is the media silence (especially in RTE news) over the Adams affair.
   In 1987, Gerry Adams learnt that a senior member of Sinn Fein/IRA had been raping a little girl. This rapist was a relative of his, and the victim was the rapist's daughter, who was aged four when he began raping her.
   These allegations have been confirmed by a medical examination of the little girl, Aine Tyrrell, who is now an adult, and has abandoned any claims to anonymity. We know what the IRA does to child rapists: it murders them. But this well-connected republican was instead moved to the Dundalk area, where he remained active not only in Sinn Fein, but in republican 'inner security'. Two of the people who attracted the attention of republicans at this time were John Joseph Mulhern (RIP) and Tom Oliver (RIP). …
   If a bishop had moved a child-raping priest to another diocese two decades ago, and remained a public figure today, would he not now be the subject of serious media questioning over his cover-ups? Would he not also be the subject of questions from TDs? Would the national broadcaster not have made the rape, and the covert moves of the rapist, a major issue worthy of much debate and comment?
   But as Breen and Dudley-Edwards have pointed out, in this case, there is silence. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:54 AM, January 20, 2010

!!!: Priest 'made girl say 10 Hail Marys after assault'

  [1981-82 Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72) -NEW*]- Sinner made victim "do penance"! Girl (13-14).  
   Irish Independent, By Sonya McLean, Wednesday January 20 2010
   IRELAND -- A WOMAN told a jury her priest made her say 10 Hail Marys as penance after he abused her in a confessional room.
   Father Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72), of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault on dates between July 31, 1981, and August 2, 1982, when the complainant was between 13 and 14 years old.
   The Louth woman, who is now 42, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday that the priest abused her and told her not to tell anyone. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:48 AM, January 20, 2010

• Suicide groom's anguish

  [Rabbi Baruch Lebovits* (59)] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. ≥ 4 boys.  
   New York Post, By REUVEN BLAU and SUSAN EDELMAN, ~ January 20, 2010
   NEW YORK -- A Brooklyn man who committed suicide two days into his honeymoon had confided to a friend's dad that he was molested by a prominent rabbi now facing charges of sexually abusing other boys.
   The friend's father told The Post that Motty Borger, 24, accused ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Baruch Lebovits, 59, whose trial -- on 75 counts of sexual assault involving three boys -- starts Wednesday in Brooklyn Supreme Court. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:38 AM, January 20, 2010
   [LOOK BACK: ~ November 16, 2009]

• PIX Investigates: A Groom's Dark Secrets?

  [Rabbi Baruch Lebovits* (59)] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. ≥ 4 boys.
   WPIX, with video, BY MARY MURPHY, wpix.com , 10:27 PM EST, January 19, 2010
   BOROUGH PARK, N.Y. (WPIX) - A Borough Park rabbi is knocking a newspaper report that a bridegroom who committed suicide this past November had told a friend the rabbi sexually abused him as a youth. PIX Investigates asked Rabbi Baruch Lebovits about the report in the New York Post, which quotes an unnamed, family friend of 24-year old Motty Borger. The friend's father told the Post Borger had pointed to Rabbi Lebovits as his abuser, before he died. "It's not true," Rabbi Lebovits told PIX Investigates from the front door of his Brooklyn home. "It's a lie."
   Lebovits is currently facing charges of abuse involving three, different boys in Brooklyn. He has pleaded not guilty.
   The Medical Examiner ruled Motty Borger's death was a suicide, and police say he jumped from the 7th floor balcony of a Borough Park hotel last November 5th, while his new bride slept inside their room. The couple had married just two days before. One family friend refuses to believe it was suicide: "He did not jump," Malki Sharf, one of the wedding guests, insisted. "He wasn't feeling well the night before. He took Motrin or Tylenol. He came out here and fell over." How did he seem at the wedding, PIX Investigates asked Sharf. "Perfectly fine," she responded. Another man claimed, "On the outside, he looked like the happiest man ever." [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:34 AM, Jan 20, 2010]
   [FORWARD: Mar 09, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed January 20, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu January 21, 2010 edition:

• Priest Abuse Survivors Group Issues Local Warning

  [1970s-1980s James Blume* (Brothers of the Holy Cross)] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.  
   First Coast News, Mike Lyons and Taren Reed, ~ January 21, 2010
   ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests flew into the nation's oldest city to announce that a former priest just plead guilty to abuse and is living in St. Johns County.
   David Clohessy is with SNAP and said that former priest James R. Blume plead guilty last week in a Wisconsin court to abusing a boy in the late 70's and another boy in the early 80's.
   Blume has been living in Hastings, Florida, said Clohessy, and is currently awaiting sentencing. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:09 PM, Jan 21, 2010]

• UPDATE: Jury Deliberates Punishment For Former Waco Pastor Matt Baker

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. Guilty. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   KWTX, January 21, 2010
   WACO (TX) – Jury deliberations were underway Thursday afternoon in the punishment phase of the murder trial of former Waco pastor Matt Baker, 38, who was convicted Wednesday night in the April 2006 death of his wife Kari Lynn who authorities say was drugged, handcuffed to the bed under the guise of amorous play and then suffocated with a pillow.
   In Court Right Now
   3:14 p.m. The jury heads to the jury room to start deliberations in the punishment phase of the Matt Baker trial.
   3:14 p.m. "We look forward to your verdict." Shafer says.
   3:12 p.m. "We are not worried about a fine, we just want a good long number of years. We want to send a message to men like Matt….You can not erase a life and be out with just a slap on the wrist, and I know you will never do that." Shafer says. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:38 PM

• Jury deciding penalty for former Texas minister

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. Guilty. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   Houston Chronicle, By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer, Jan. 21, 2010
   WACO, Texas – Jurors have started deliberating the punishment for a former Texas minister convicted of killing his wife and trying to cover it up as a suicide.
   Matt Baker, 38, faces up to life in prison for slipping his wife sleeping pills, suffocating her and faking her suicide note in 2006. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:34 PM, January 21, 2010

• The Church Should Be No Cordon For The Sexually Depraved!

  [~ 2010 Bishop Quao Agyiri -NEW*] - Methodist. Woman.    
   Modern Ghana, By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.; ~ January 21, 2010
   GHANA -- At the Resurrection Methodist Church in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, some of the elders and many congregants are reported to be incensed over the alleged rape of a young woman by a prominent priest. The young woman had, reportedly, been sent to deliver a package to the accused, only to be luridly and unexpectedly fondled and brutally raped. The cleric, whose name has been given as Rt.-Rev. Quao Agyiri, has yet to clarify the allegation, let alone assist the Accra police with possible investigation of the alleged incident (See "Sex Scandal Hits Methodist Church; Bishop Fingered" MyJoyOnline.com 1/20/10).
   What appears to be complicating matters right now, is the fact that the accused is reported to have flown into the United States as rumors about his alleged crime began to attract wide public attention. At the time of this writing (1/20/10), no official information had been given regarding either the veracity of the accusation or whether the presiding prelate of the church and/or other highly placed members of the church had known about the rape allegation prior to Rev. Quao Agyiri's apparently rushed departure for the United States on an unspecified mission. And, also, if any of the church authorities had been in the know about the aforesaid allegation, what any of them would have said or done about it before the alleged clerical rapist was able to ship out of town, as it were. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:29 PM, January 21, 2010

• Priest arraigned on abuse charges in Kane County

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Breaking News, ~ January 21, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- The priest accused of sexually assaulting a young boy appeared at a hearing today where details of the five-year abusive relationship were released.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, was arraigned on seven felony counts that alleged the Bolivian-born priest molested the youth, starting in January 2005 when the boy would have been eight years old.
   Authorities alleged the abuse took place in Flores' vehicle and at the St. Charles home of the victim's mother. At the time, Flores, who was ordained in 2009, was a seminarian assigned to St. Mary's Catholic Church in West Chicago, and he had a relationship with the victim's family. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:25 PM

• Police probe alleged priest's suicide

  [2010 Jan - Rev. John Martin Kiwanuka -NEW*] - Church of Uganda. Impregnated girl. Found hanging.  
   The New Vision, By Eddie Ssejjoba, Thursday, January 21, 2010
   UGANDA -- The Police in Mpigi are investigating the circumstances under which a Church of Uganda archdeacon was found hanging in his room recently in a suspected suicide.
   Can. John Martin Kiwanuka of Mpenja in Gomba was found dead inside his single room.
   The central region Police publicist, Lameka Kigozi, said one of Kiwanuka's sons, who is also a priest, Rev. Wilberforce Ssekisiko, reported the death to the Police. …
   The officer in charge CID at Mpigi Police station, Joshua Owor, said the Police were investigating reports that the priest committed suicide after he was accused of defiling and making a girl pregnant.
   He added that there were reports that before his death, the priest had an exchange with the one of the parents of the alleged victim who reportedly threatened to take the matter to the Police. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:17 PM, January 21, 2010

• Church making progress in dealing with sexual abuse

  - Author of Unholy Orders sees silver through the recurring black clouds.  
   Western Catholic Reporter, By DEBORAH GYAPONG, CANADIAN CATHOLIC NEWS, January 25, 2010
   CANADA -- Investigative journalist Michael Harris has seen a "tremendous policy change" in the Catholic Church since he broke the story of sexual and physical abuse at the Mount Cashel orphanage in the late 1980s.
   "There has been a true response to the real problem instead of musical parishes, private deals and chequebook dispensations," said the author of Unholy Orders: Tragedy at Mount Cashel. "I have a good feeling that the next generation of Catholic priests will not be in this position."
   Despite the improvements, the child pornography charges Bishop Raymond Lahey and revelations of a sexual abuse settlement concerning the late Father Des McGrath, "keep reversing the sense of progress," said Harris. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:14 PM, January 21, 2010
   [COMMENT: No progress will last in a group that instead of having diffused governance like in the Acts of the Apostles is still practising monarchy, and instead of obeying the Epistles of Timothy and Titus has congregation leaders who do not first form at least a husband-wife community open to children. ENDS.]

• Top court to hear Quebec City woman's sex assault case

  [1970s Fr Paul-Henri LaChance*] - RCC. Girl.  
   CBC News, Last Updated: Thursday, January 21, 2010
   CANADA --The Supreme Court of Canada will hear the case of a Quebec City woman who wants to sue a priest who sexually abused her when she was a child in the 1970s.
   The woman filed a lawsuit against Rev. Paul-Henri LaChance and the Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec City three years ago – three decades after the abuse happened. Two lower courts previously ruled that she waited too long to take legal action.
   LaChance pleaded guilty in 2008 to a charge of gross indecency against the woman. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:41 PM, January 21, 2010

• Boys ranch ex-director testifies

  [1986 Fr Joseph Weitensteiner, Mr Doyle Gillum; Morning Star Boys' Ranch] - RCC. Boy.  
   The Spokesman-Review, by Kevin Graman, January 21, 2010
   WASHINGTON -- Patrick O'Donnell – whose infamy as the abuser of as many as 66 children was inextricably linked to the scandal that bankrupted the Catholic Diocese of Spokane – also insinuated himself into Morning Star Boys' Ranch, a Superior Court jury was told on Wednesday.
   The former director and a former resident of the nonprofit home for troubled boys testified in the case of Kenneth Putnam v. Morning Star Boys' Ranch about their acquaintance with the defrocked priest O'Donnell.
   Putnam accuses the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, 77, who retired as ranch director in 2006, and a now-deceased ranch counselor, Doyle Gillum, of sexually molesting him while he was a resident of the ranch in about 1986. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:22 PM. January 21, 2010

• Controversial bishop suspended

  [2000s Bishop Paul Verryn -NEW*] - Methodist Church. Suspended.  
   News 24, January 21, 2010
   JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Johannesburg Central Methodist Church bishop, Paul Verryn, has been suspended from the Methodist Church of SA, a lawyer said on Thursday.
   "He has been suspended and charged in an internal process," said attorney Bongani Khoza, who works for a firm that acts on behalf of the Methodist Church.
   Khoza said Verryn was suspended on Tuesday. He said the reasons for the suspension could not be disclosed. Verryn would appear before a church disciplinary committee. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:13 PM, January 21, 2010

• Verryn suspended as Central Methodist Church custodian

  [2000s Bishop Paul Verryn*] - Methodist Church. Suspended.  
   Eyewitness News, by Micel Schnehage, ~ January 21, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- Eyewitness News has learnt Reverend Paul Verryn has been suspended as head of the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg.
   Verryn was criticised in recent months for not doing enough to deal with allegations of sexual abuse of children at the mission.
   Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Ivan Abrahams said details of the suspension could not be revealed because the matter was sub judice. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:11 PM, January 21, 2010

• Priest's abuse made girl (13) ill, court is told

  [1981-82 Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain* (72)]- Clergyman sinner made victim "do penance"! Girl (13-14).  
   Herald, By Sonya McClean, Thursday January 21 2010
   IRELAND -- A woman who claims she was sexually abused by her local priest has denied before a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury that she had suffered from delusions or auditory hallucinations.
   Father Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72) of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault in a confessional box and a friary attached to a Louth church on dates between July 31, 1981 and August 2, 1982, when the complainant was between 13 and 14 years old.
   The complainant, now 42, told Hugh Hartnett, defending, that she had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital on a number of occasions but said: "My problems started for me when I was abused. I was perfect up until then." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:45 AM

• Ex-coach's motion for mistrial fails in sex-talk case

  [2001-07 Bart McInerney*] - ? RCC. Sex phone texting. ~ 12 boys (15-17).
   Daily Record, By CHARLES WEBSTER, GANNETT NEW JERSEY, January 21, 2010
   FREEHOLD (NJ) – Closing arguments in the trial of former high school baseball coach Bartholomew McInerney were delayed for more than an hour Wednesday as the judge sorted through allegations that several jurors were overheard discussing the case.
   State Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci Jr. halted the trial of Bartholomew McInerney, who coached at St. Rose High School, Belmar, before the afternoon session was set to begin after defense attorney Charles J. Uliano alerted the judge that four jurors, sitting at a table in the basement of the courthouse during the lunch break, were overheard discussing the case.
   Jurors are customarily instructed not to talk about the trial they are hearing until they begin deliberating. The accusations in this case sparked some dramatic moments as Uliano called for a mistrial. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:42 AM

• In Boston, sex probe builds against ex-Christ the King high school basketball coach Bob Oliva

  [~1980s Mr Bob Oliva -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
   New York Daily News, by Michael O'Keeffe, DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER, 4:00 AM, Thursday, January 21, 2010
   NEW YORK/BOSTON -- Authorities in Boston appear to be wrapping up their investigation into allegations that Bob Oliva, the legendary Christ the King Regional High School boys basketball coach who resigned last year amid allegations of sexual abuse, molested a family friend during a trip to Massachusetts more than 30 years ago.
   One former Oliva associate who requested anonymity said Suffolk County, Mass., prosecutors had asked him if he would appear before a grand jury. Two men who claim they were also abused by Oliva said they were recently interviewed by investigators who asked them to corroborate information obtained by other witnesses. Both asked for anonymity.
   "He said he wanted to follow up on questions they had asked me earlier," one of the men said, referring to a Suffolk County investigator. "He said they are really going hard at this." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:23 AM

• Glen Ellyn church 'shocked, stunned' by child porn arrest

  [- 2010 Mr Brian Milnikel (45) -NEW*, Mr Kontopoulos] - Roman Catholic, AND, Lutheran Churches music director. Child porn.  
   Daily Herald By Lee Filas and Jake Griffin | Daily Herald Staff
   GLEN ELLYN (IL) -- The music director of a Glen Ellyn church and his 20-year-old roommate have been charged with possession of child pornography, DuPage County prosecutors said Wednesday.
   Brian K. Milnikel, 45, of the 800 block of Nelli Court in Naperville, and his roommate, Christopher F. Kontopoulos, 20, have been charged with felonies that could bring punishments ranging from probation to five year in prison, Assistant State's Attorney Brian Perkins said. …
   Milnikel worked as full-time music director at St. James the Apostle Church of Glen Ellyn, he said in court Wednesday. He has also taught music at several other area churches for the previous 20 years.
   Milnikel worked as music director or associate music director at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Naperville and Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, records indicate. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:16 AM

• Church music director charged with having child porn

  [- 2010 Mr Brian Milnikel* (45), Mr Kontopoulos] - Roman Catholic, AND, Lutheran Churches music director. Child porn.  
   Chicago Press Release Services
   GLEN ELLYN (IL) -- A Glen Ellyn church music director and his roommate have been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities said today.
   Brian Milnikel, 45, music director at St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic School in the western suburb, and Christopher Kontopoulos, 20, both of the 800 block of Nelli Court in Naperville, had bonds of $200,000 and $100,000 respectively set for them this morning by DuPage Judge Liam Brennan.
   (An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the name of the church.)
   Assistant States Attorney Brian Perkins told Brennan that Naperville police have been investigating the pair since October. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:14 AM

• Teacher arrested on child porn charges

  [- 2010 Mr Brian Milnikel* (45), Mr Kontopoulos] - Roman Catholic, AND, Lutheran Churches music director. Child porn.
   WGN with video
   GLEN ELLYN (IL) -- A Glen Ellyn church music director and his roommate have been charged with possessing child porn.
   45-year-old Brian Milnikel has taught at St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic School for two decades.
   Police say he and 20-year-old Christopher Kontopoulos, both of Naperville, admitted to downloading and watching videos together.
   Police do not believe they had any inappropriate physical contact with children. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:12 AM

• Church music director fired after being charged with child porn possession

  [- 2010 Mr Brian Milnikel* (45), Mr Kontopoulos] - Roman Catholic, AND, Lutheran Churches music director. Child porn.
   Glen Ellyn News By Nick Vogel, nvogel@mysuburbanlife.com
   GLEN ELLYN (IL) – The DuPage County State's Attorney's office has charged Brian Milnikel – a music director at St. James the Apostle Church in Glen Ellyn – and his roommate for possession of child pornography.
   Milnikel, 45, and Christopher Kontopoulos, 20, both of 894 Nelli Court, Naperville, were charged after police executed a search warrant at their residence, Jan. 19 at 6:15 a.m.
   During the execution of the search warrant several computers were seized and police found content consistent with illegal child pornography, Naperville police say. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:10 AM

• Lawyers lay out cases in Morning Star trial

  [Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1986 Fr Joseph Weitensteiner, Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boy.
   The Spokesman-Review, by Kevin Graman,
   WASHINGTON -- An attorney for a former resident of Morning Star Boys' Ranch accused the group home for troubled boys of turning a blind eye to longstanding sexual abuse there, while an attorney representing the ranch claimed those making the accusations are motivated by money. Those statements came this morning as both sides in a civil lawsuit presented opening statements in Spokane County Superior Court.
   Attorney Tim Kosnoff, who represents plaintiff Kenny Putnam, said Morning Star administrators knew or should have known that abuse was occurring and alleged two of the abusers were ranch directors. He was referring to the Rev. Marvin Lavoy, now deceased, and the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, who Putnam accuses of abusing him while a resident of the ranch in 1988-89.
   "Management knew because they were doing it themselves," Kosnoff said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:02 AM

• Protecting children from sexual abuse topic of church seminar

 
   Press-Register January 21, 2010
   OPELIKA, Ala. -- A seminar in Opelika on Wednesday discussed how parents, communities and churches can protect children from sexual abuse, according to a report by the Opelika-Auburn News.
   Leaders from the faith, legal and law enforcement communities met for a "Crime Prevention in the Church" briefing sponsored by J. Lanier Smith & Co. at the First Baptist Church of Opelika to discuss strategies for preventing sexual abuse of children within the walls of their respective churches and beyond. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:52 AM

• Notorious Washington priest accused of molesting residents of boys' home

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   Catholic Culture, January 21, 2010
   WASHINGTON -- Father Patrick O'Donnell, whose abuse of dozens of boys in the State of Washington helped bankrupt the Diocese of Spokane, has been accused of abusing residents of the Morning Star Boys Ranch, a home for troubled boys.
   Also accused is Father Joseph Weitensteiner, who led the home for nearly four decades until his retirement in 2006. According to BishopAccountablity.org, Father Weitensteiner was accused in 2005 of abuse of 2 boys in 70s & 80s at Morning Star Boys Ranch. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:28 AM

• Mo'Nique, Gabriel Byrne Shine Light on Sex Abuse

       
   ABC News (USA), with video, By LUCHINA FISHER, Jan. 21, 2010
   When Mo'Nique gave her Golden Globe acceptance speech on Sunday, she dedicated her award to victims of abuse: "I celebrate this award with all the Preciouses, with all the Marys -- I celebrate this award with every person that's ever been touched. It's now time to tell. And it's OK."
   The same night, actor Gabriel Byrne told an Irish television show that he was molested at seminary school at the age of 11. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:24 AM

• Preliminary hearing held for four Amish elders

  - Amish Christian religion.  
   Marshfield Mail, By Nicholas W. Inman, nicholasi § marshfieldmail com , Published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
   MISSOURI -- In a case that has brought national attention to Webster County, the attorney for religious leaders of the local Amish community defended his clients at a preliminary hearing last Wednesday, Jan. 13.
   The Amish did not appear for the hearing, as their appearance was waived by the court.
   Defense attorney Will Worsham requested that Associate Circuit Court Judge Ken Thompson dismiss the charges against Christian J.F. Schwartz, Jacob P. Schwartz, Emmanuel M.S. Eicher and Peter M. Eicher, church elders each charged with one count of failure to report child abuse by a mandated reporter, a Class A misdemeanor. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:59 AM

• Ex-church youth club chief on 18 sex charges

  [1991-2001 Mr Dean Madavan (43) - ? NEW*] - Christian. 18 charges.  
   The Herald, Thursday, January 21, 2010
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A FORMER Plymouth youth club leader was due to appear in court today charged with 18 sexual offences including one count of attempted rape.
   Dean Madavan, aged 43, of Campbell Drive, Cardiff, was arrested by police who carried out an eight-month investigation into allegations of child sex abuse from 1992 to 2002.
   Madavan, who has been remanded into custody, also faces charges relating to the possession of indecent images of children. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:57 AM

• Clarksville man pleads guilty to rape, assault

  [2009 Ealum] - 15yr PRISON. Woman.  
   The Leaf-Chronicle, By TAVIA D. GREEN, January 21, 2010
   TENNESEE -- A Clarksville man pleaded guilty to assaulting and raping a woman in June 2009 on Tuesday in Judge John H. Gasaway's court.
   Montrell Vene Ealum, 20, who was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $50,000 bond, was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape.
   Ealum entered a guilty plea to aggravated rape and received a 15-year sentence to serve with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:54 AM

• Ex-pastor faces life sentence after conviction

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. Guilty. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   Belleville News-Democrat, By ANGELA K. BROWN - Associated Press Writer,
   WACO, Texas -- After convicting a former Texas minister of killing his wife, jurors on Thursday were to hear new evidence - possibly about sexual advances toward other women - as the punishment phase began.
   Matt Baker, 38, faces up to life in prison for drugging and suffocating his wife, Kari, then faking her suicide note in 2006. Jurors deliberated more than seven hours before finding him guilty late Wednesday.
   Prosecutors notified defense attorneys before the trial began that they planned to present evidence that Baker made sexual advances toward at least a dozen women, including some underage girls, over the past 18 years. Testimony about the allegations could come during the sentencing hearing, as they were mentioned during trial only in a vague comment by Baker's ex-mistress. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:52 AM

• Irish Bishops to Meet With Pope Again

  - RCC.      
   Zenit, JAN. 20, 2010
   VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will meet again with Irish bishops as that country continues to recover from revelations about the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
   Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, confirmed today that the Pope has called Irish prelates to the Vatican for a Feb. 15-16 meeting.
   Cardinal Sean Brady, archbishop of Armagh and president of the Irish episcopal conference, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin already met with the Holy Father last Dec. 11. They discussed the Murphy Commission Report, which details abuse cases in the Dublin Archdiocese from 1975 to 2004. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:49 AM

• Pope Summons Irish Bishops to Rome Once Again: Pastoral Letter to be released.

 
   Catholic Online, By Deacon Keith Fournier, Catholic Online ( www.catholic.org ) Jan/21/2010
   ROME (Catholic Online) - The Irish Times carried an article on January 20, 2010 written by the papers reliable Rome correspondents Jason Michael and Paddy Agnew. The article claimed that Pope Benedict XVI has once again summoned Irish Bishops to Rome in the wake of the Ryan and Murphy Reports.
   Such a high level and personal second meeting in less than two months is extraordinary. The claim of a second meeting has now been confirmed by the director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi. Irish Bishops will meet with the Pope on February 15 and 16, 2010.
   Last December 11, 2009 the Pope met with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Cardinal Sean Brady, the President of the Irish Bishops Conference and Archbishop of Armagh. The topic of that meeting was the horrible revelations of abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese between 1975 and 2004, as disclosed in the Murphy Commission Report, and in Catholic Schools, as disclosed in the Ryan Report. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:47 AM

• Church music director charged with child porn

  [- 2010 Mr Brian Milnikel* (45), Mr Kontopoulos] - Roman Catholic, AND, Lutheran Churches music director. Child porn.  
   Chicago Tribune, Tribune Reporters, January 20, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- The music director of a Roman Catholic parish in Glen Ellyn and his roommate have been charged with possession of child pornography.
   Brian Milnikel, 45, music director at St. James the Apostle in the western suburb, and Christopher Kontopoulos, 20, both of the 800 block of Nelli Court in Naperville, had bail set at $200,000 and $100,000, respectively, by DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan on Wednesday. The two were arrested Tuesday morning by Naperville police.
   Doug Delaney, spokesman for the Roman Catholic diocese of Joliet, said Milnikel was employed by St. James as music director since 2006.
   According to Delaney, one of Milnikel's responsibilities was leading the church children's choir, which was made up of about a dozen children from first and second grade. Milnikel practiced with the choir three days a month and there was always at least one parent present at the rehearsals, he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:44 AM

• Shorewood priest who plunged 20 feet charged in child-sex case

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Tribune, By Clifford Ward, Special to the Tribune, January 20, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A priest who authorities say hurled himself from a church balcony in a suicide attempt after he was accused of molesting a boy has been charged with seven felonies, including predatory criminal sexual assault, Kane County authorities said Wednesday.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, 37, also was charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and two counts of criminal sexual assault for allegedly molesting the boy, now 13, at a West Chicago church where Flores was assigned as a seminarian, according to the Kane County state's attorney's office.
   State's Attorney John Barsanti said Flores abused the St. Charles boy between Jan. 1, 2005, and Jan. 1, 2010. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:42 AM

• Questions linger in Plainville

  [1995 Fr Garret Thomson -? NEW*] - RCC.  
   The Sun Chronicle, BY RICK FOSTER, Thursday, January 21, 2010
   PLAINVILLE (MA) -- The death of a popular Catholic priest two days after he was placed on leave pending investigation of a 15-year-old sexual abuse complaint took church officials by surprise and caused delays in getting information to the local parish, representatives of the Boston Archdiocese said Wednesday.
   A diocesan panel led by Auxiliary Bishop John Dooher held an open meeting with members at St. Martha's Church Wednesday night, during which they answered questions about the archdiocese's procedures and listened to comments from parishioners - many of whom were upset about the handling of the case.
   Some parishioners said they weren't satisfied with the church's explanation of its actions related to Rev. J. Garret Thomson, who died Jan. 6 at his home in New Hampshire two days after being informed he was being placed on leave. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:33 AM

• An Interview with Compassionate Gathering co-founder, Virginia Jones

 
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo,
   UNITED STATES -- Virginia Jones co-founded a group, Compassionate Gathering ( www.compassionategathering.com ) with clergy abuse survivor, Elizabeth Goeke, to bring survivors together with other Catholics for mutual healing and understanding. Other survivors and supporters came to the group for healing. One supporter decided to walk across Oregon in 2008 to stop child sex abuse. She asked Virginia for her help with the media. Virginia saw the potential for healing and outreach as well as consciousness raising and walked across Oregon again in 2009. She plans to keep walking across Oregon every summer to end child abuse.
   JR: How did you get involved with the work to promote healing from clergy abuse?
   VJ: I think this work found me rather me finding it. I was baptized Catholic in June 2001. Eleven months later the dynamic Franciscan priest who baptized me was removed because he abused boys. My first response was to believe everything the Catholic Church said, but from the very beginning something bothered me. Church leadership seemed insensitive to the needs of ordinary parishioners for healing. Our church had a wonderful Parochial Vicar, Fr. Chuck Talley. Fr. Church presided over several forums in the weeks that followed the removal of the abusive priest. People were very angry, very hurt, and very divided. Fr. Chuck managed to reach out to everyone on all sides and make them feel cared about and welcomed. But instead of making Fr. Chuck pastor, the Franciscans brought in a priest who I would describe as emotionally clunky. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:38 AM

• Former Texas Pastor Convicted of Killing Wife

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. Guilty. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   Fox News,
   WACO, Texas – A former Texas minister was convicted late Wednesday of slipping his wife sleeping pills, smothering her to death with a pillow and faking her suicide note so he could be with his mistress.
   Jurors deliberated more than seven hours before convicting Matt Baker, 38, of murder in his wife's 2006 death, which initially was ruled a suicide. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:35 AM

• When Enemies Meet

 
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing, by Virginia Jones,
   UNITED STATES -- My friend, Lupe, called me up today.
   "What are you doing"? he asked.
   "I'm working on my (financial) books and watching a documentary," I replied.
   He laughed because about half the time he calls me when my kids are not home, I am watching a documentary. Lupe and I have known each other since we were kids in our hometown of Colusa, California. He remembers well that I was the nerdy valedictorian of my high school graduating class. He still talks about me being "brainy."
   "Well, how do you think I got to be so brainy?" I asked. "I watch documentaries."
   The documentary I watched today made me want to write another blog. The movie was about a Jewish man whose wife's father survived the Nazi Holocaust by hiding with his two brothers under the floorboards of a barn belonging to a Polish farmer and his wife. The Polish family's neighbors suspected they were hiding Jews, and German soldiers came looking for them. Fortunately they didn't find the trap door in the floor of the barn, and the three Jewish brothers survived as did the Polish family. The Nazis would have killed or imprisoned the Polish family if they had found the Jews. This act of altruism on the part of the Poles did contain some self interest. The Jewish brothers promised to pay them back, but life after World War II was hard. The brothers moved to the United States. Communication between the two families dwindled to nothing by 1959. …
   I think about that story often because many clergy abuse survivors feel the same way as this woman felt. Children have endured sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, nuns, monks, teachers, choir directors………for more than 1700 years.
   It is not OK. It will never be OK.
   Never.
   Never, never, never.
   Way too little has been done to tell the painful truths in publics and heal the wounds we all carry from this abuse, but genuine apology and true reconciliation have happened, and when they do happen, they are transformative for everyone involved. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:28 AM
   [RECAPITULATION: Children have endured sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, nuns, monks, teachers, choir directors………for more than 1700 years. ENDS.]

• Face of Morning Star Boys Ranch testifies

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   KREM, with video, by KREM.com , Posted 8:35 PM, January 20, 2010
   SPOKANE, WASHINGTON -- He was the face of Morning Star Boys Ranch.
   Wednesday, Father Joe Weitensteiner took the stand in the first of several lawsuits that allege widespread abuse at the South Hill facility.
   Attorneys for plaintiff Kenny Putnam say this civil suit, the first against Morning Star to go to trial, will expose years of abuse and neglect at the ranch for troubled boys.
   And while the defense tried to paint Putnam as a troubled man, all eyes were on Father Weitensteiner. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:24 AM

• Pedophile priest involvement at Morning Star detailed in court

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (~ 66 boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   The Spokesman-Review, by Kevin Graman,
   WASHINGTON -- Patrick O'Donnell – whose infamy as the abuser of as many as 66 children was inextricably linked to the scandal that bankrupted the Catholic Diocese of Spokane – also insinuated himself into Morning Star Boys Ranch, a Superior Court jury was told on Wednesday.
   The former director and a former resident of the nonprofit home for troubled boys both testified in the case of Kenneth Putnam vs. Morning Star Boys Ranch about their acquaintance with the defrocked priest O'Donnell, an admitted pedophile.
   Putnam accuses Fr. Jospeh Weitensteiner, 77, who retired as ranch director in 2006, and a now-deceased ranch counselor, Doyle Gillum, of sexually molesting him while he was a resident of the ranch in about 1986. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:21 AM, Jan 21, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Thu January 21, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri January 22, 2010 edition:

• Group asks Diocese of Orlando to expose sexually abusive priests

  [1970s Fr Jos&eacyte; / Jose Mena*] - RCC. Altar boy and another.  
   Orlando Sentinel, By Walter Pacheco, Jan 22, 2010
   ORLANDO (FL) -- A national group is pressuring the Diocese of Orlando to publicly expose its priests accused of sexual abuse. Two cases pending in Orange County.
   A national group is asking the Diocese of Orlando to go public with names of any priests accused of sexual abuse.
   Three members of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) stood outside the diocese's office on Robinson Street in downtown Orlando on Friday with a 109-page document about José Mena – a former priest who is the subject of two pending lawsuits against the Diocese of Orlando. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:39 PM]

• 6,007 people complete website form to defect from Catholic Church

  - RCC.    
   The Irish Times, By PATSY MCGARRY,
   IRELAND -- CHURCH DEFECTIONS: A TOTAL of 6,007 people have completed a "declaration of defection" from the Catholic Church in Ireland according to the website www.countmeout.ie
   It was set up last July, following publication of the Ryan report on May 20th, and within a month over 2,000 people had completed such declarations of defection.
   The website provides a three-step online process that makes it easier for disaffected Catholics to leave the church. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:35 PM

• Protesters call on bishop to stand down

  - RCC. Objectors oppose Bishop Drennan.  
   The Irish Times, By JAMIE SMYTH, Social Affairs Correspondent,
   IRELAND -- ACTIVISTS GATHER: THE PROTESTERS arrived early at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, yesterday morning to unfurl their placards and banners denouncing clerical child sex abuse, the Catholic Church and Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan.
   Setting up camp at the gates of the National Seminary of Ireland, the small group of victims, friends of victims and activists urged the Conference of Bishops meeting inside to do the right thing.
   "Until Bishop Drennan resigns, the future of the Roman Catholic Church will be overshadowed. We are hoping the bishops' conference will put pressure on [Bishop] Drennan," said Brendan Butler, a social activist who organised the protest to coincide with the meeting. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:31 PM

• Archbishop 'surprised' at reaction to remarks

 
   The Irish Times, By PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent,
   IRELAND -- The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin last night expressed surprise at claims made last month by the Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan that he had attacked the latter's integrity.
   It followed a call by Archbishop Martin, following publication of the Murphy report on November 26th last, for all current and former Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin to be accountable for their actions on child protection issues.
   He said that bishops mentioned in the report should either admit their mistakes over the handling of priests who abused and step down, or stand over their claim that they'd done nothing wrong. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:28 PM

• Priest acquitted on direction of judge of sexual assault on teenager in 1980s

  [1981-82 Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain* (72)]- Sinner made victim "do penance"! Girl (13-14).  
   The Irish Times, Jan 22, 2010
   IRELAND -- A PRIEST accused of sexually assaulting a Co Louth teenager has been acquitted by direction of the trial judge after he ruled that the inadmissibility of the woman's psychiatric notes was prejudicial to the defence.
   Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72) of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault between July 1981 and August 1982 when the complainant was between 13 and 14 years old. It was day four of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
   Judge Frank O'Donnell had earlier ruled that the case notes from a consultant psychiatrist, who treated the woman for 10 years, could not be allowed as evidence as the doctor died last year. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:25 PM

• Bishops hold talks after sex abuse report

  - RCC.      
   Irish Examiner, Friday, January 22, 2010
   IRELAND -- Catholic bishops gathered for an extraordinary general meeting today in the wake of the damning report into clerical child sex abuse in the Dublin archdiocese.
   Just days after Pope Benedict summoned them to a meeting in Rome next month the senior clergymen held talks in St Patrick's College Maynooth on the devastating scandal which has seen four bishops stand down.
   In a statement they said they wanted to ensure the Church protected children and dealt with allegations of abuse properly. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:21 PM

• Group warns N. Fla about former priest

  [1970s-1980s James Blume* (Brothers of the Holy Cross)] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.  
   Florida Times-Union, Submitted by Jeff Brumley on Fri, Jan/22/2010
   FLORIDA -- The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, aka SNAP, was spreading the word in North Florida this week about a former Catholic priest recently convicted of sexually assaulting children in Wisconsin more than two decades ago.
   The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that James R. Blume, 64, pleaded guilty in Waukesha County and was convicted Jan. 15 of molesting two boys in Elm Grove., Wis., one in the late 1970s, the other in the early 1980s.
   SNAP quickly responded with news releases urging Catholic leaders in Indiana and Florida to blitz their dioceses with bulletins about the conviction. Some news reports said that after being stripped of his priestly credentials in 2007, Blume moved to Hastings. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 6:19 PM

• Irish Bishops discuss Murphy Report

  - RCC.    
   Independent Catholic News, ~ Jan 22, 2010
   IRELAND -- At a meeting today in the Columba Centre, St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Bishops continued their discussion of 9 and 10 December last on the Commission of Investigation Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin by Judge Yvonne Murphy.
   In a statement, the Bishops said: 'Since the publication of the Murphy Report, bishops have been listening to the widespread and justifiable anger and frustration from survivors, priests and laity across their dioceses. Bishops recognise that, in the critical area of safeguarding children, people want accountability and transparency in terms of policy and procedures.
   'Since their last meeting, bishops have asked the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church to explore with statutory authorities, North and South, ways of ensuring that the Church's policies and practices in relation to the safeguarding of children represent best practice and that all allegations of abuse are being handled properly. These discussions are ongoing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:35 PM

• Bishop Guillory issues formal statement on former Catholic priest Frank Paduch

  [1980s Fr Frank Paduch* (Augustinian)] - RCC. 5 boys.  
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont, Jan 22, 2010
   BEAUMONT (TX) -- In response to recent local media reports and inquiries, the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont released a statement today saying it knew of no allegations against a former priest of the diocese when he was accepted for ordination in the diocese. When complaints of sexual misconduct were received in the Diocese of Beaumont against Fr. Frank Paduch, an investigation was initiated that resulted initially in the removal of his priestly faculties and ultimately in his removal from the priesthood (a.k.a. "defrocked").
   In a formal statement, Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D., D.D., Bishop of Beaumont, said, "We were not aware of the complaints of abuse that allegedly occurred in the 1980's in Chicago until a lawsuit was filed there in 1997 against the Augustinian Order. That lawsuit was filed eight years after Fr. Paduch was ordained. When we received a complaint against him here in the Diocese of Beaumont in 2001, we initiated an investigation that eventually led to his removal. I also personally contacted the complainants and offered them pastoral assistance and counseling at the diocese's expense."
   Since Fr. Paduch's departure from the Diocese of Beaumont, no secular employer has ever contacted the diocese for a pre-employment reference check. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:32 PM

• Diocese of Beaumont releases statement about former priest accused of misconduct

  [1980s Ex-Fr Frank Paduch* (Augustinian)] - RCC. 5 boys.
   KFDM, by Scott Lawrence, January 22, 2010
   BEAUMONT (TX) -- From Catholic Diocese of Beaumont - In response to recent local media reports and inquiries, the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont released a statement today saying it knew of no allegations against a former priest of the diocese when he was accepted for ordination in the diocese. When complaints of sexual misconduct were received in the Diocese of Beaumont against Fr. Frank Paduch, an investigation was initiated that resulted initially in the removal of his priestly faculties and ultimately in his removal from the priesthood (a.k.a. "defrocked"). Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:27 PM

• Irish bishops welcome Vatican child abuse summit plan

  - RCC.      
   Windsor Star (Canada), Agence France-Presse,
   DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland's bishops on Friday welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's plan for a Vatican summit next month to chart a way forward over a child sex abuse scandal that has shaken the country.
   The Pope has summoned Irish bishops to a February 15-16 meeting to address the aftermath of revelations that Church authorities covered up for paedophile priests in the mainly Catholic country for three decades.
   In a statement issued after an all-day meeting the bishops said the Pope's request was made "in the context of the very serious situation that prevails in the Irish church". Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:23 PM
   [COMMENT: "... prevails in the Irish church."  No, by attacking the sexual integrity of people hired by the GLOBAL Roman Catholic Church, the global RCC is leading them in to serious sins and occasions of perverted sins.  This evil is NOT just in the Irish part of the RCC.  In the USA, the proven percentage is now either 5 per cent or very close to it -- showing no sign of being a HOLY Church.  In parts of Europe priests are still being exposed for living with a woman as if a wife.  This perfectly normal and God-given way of life is forbidden by the RCC for its major employees, the bishops, priests, brothers, and nuns! ENDS.]

• Pope accepts bishop's resignation

  - Bishop Murray now moves on, suitably pensioned off.
   Windsor Star (Canada),
   IRELAND -- Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday accepted the resignation of Limerick Bishop Donal Murray over Ireland's child sex abuse scandal, the Vatican announced.
   Murray was named in a report last month that concluded that top prelates concealed clerical abuse and failed to inform police of offences over a period of more than three decades.
   The prelate, speaking shortly after the Vatican announcement, "humbly" apologized for his role in the scandal but said even his resignation "cannot undo the pain" of those who suffered. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:14 PM

• Has Cardinal Roger Mahony's Successor Been Named?

  - RCC.  
   LA Weekly, By Gene Maddaus
   LOS ANGELES (CA) – That's what Thomas Peters, a Washington, D.C.-based blogger, is claiming in a recent post. Peters says that Cardinal Roger Mahony has approved the selection of a coadjutor bishop who would succeed him as Archbishop of Los Angeles when Mahony hits the retirement age of 75 next year: …
   Tod Tamberg, the spokesman for the Archdiocese, says this is mere speculation. "It's coming from 3,500 miles away," Tamberg says, "from a guy who I don't think has ever set foot in California."
   While declining to explicitly deny the rumor, Tamberg says this sort of thing is to be expected for any archbishop in his final year. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:03 PM

• Update: Los Angeles spokesman denies my Cardinal Mahony claim (and I respond)

  - RCC.
   American Papist, by Thomas Peters on January 22nd, 2010
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Gene Maddaus, a blogger for LA Weekly city news, asked Tod Tamberg, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, to respond to the report I issued last night that Cardinal Mahony's successor has been chosen.
   Here's what Tod said:
   Tod Tamberg […] says this is mere speculation. "It's coming from 3,500 miles away," Tamberg says, "from a guy who I don't think has ever set foot in California." …
   Well, I have a few things to say in response to Tod's response.
   First of all, I may be 3,500 miles away, but technology has a wonderful way of overcoming distance. Second, I have set foot in California – I actually lived in the Golden State for almost a decade, but that fact didn't help my reporting. Third, while I completely agree the Vatican will say whatever it wants to say when it is ready, veteran readers of my blog know that I have a pretty good track record when it comes to reading the tea leaves. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 4:11 PM

• Vatican: Take Abuse Cases to Civilian Courts

 
   America Magazine, ~ Jan 22, 2010
   VATICAN CITY -- In order to treat accusations against priest of sexual abuse thoroughly, cases should be turned over to the civil justice system, not just to church authorities, said the head of the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy. Cardinal Claudio Hummes said instances of sexual abuse by priests are "extremely serious and are criminal facts that the church can never tolerate in any way…. One must resolutely pursue [the case] to the very end by also turning to ordinary justice," he said on Jan. 13. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 3:55 PM
   [COMMENT: Anothr U-turn in Roman Catholic policy!  For centuries the RCC objected to civil courts, and has shown a strong aversion to them right into the 19th and to the end of the 20th century.  The aversion lingers on in many places. ENDS.]

• Mother Millea urges U.S. religious to comply with study

  - RCC nuns.
   National Catholic Reporter (USA), By Thomas C. Fox, Jan. 22, 2010
   UNITED STATES -- Mother Mary Clare Millea, superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and charged by the Vatican with directing a three-year study of U.S. women religious congregations, has sent letters to religious leaders asking once again for their cooperation in filling out questionnaires, which are part of the process.
   The questionnaires, sent last year to the heads of some 325 religious communities, were to have been returned by Nov. 20. A substantial number of the religious communities -- some women religious leaders saying the "vast majority" of the communities -- refused to comply with an initial Millea request to fill out all the questions on the questionnaire and instead filled out only some or none. A number of religious communities chose, instead, to return to Millea their order's Vatican approved constitutions.
   The decisions by congregation leaders not to comply followed nearly two months last fall of intensive discussions both inside and across religious congregations. They followed consultations with civil and canon lawyers, and come in the wake of what some women religious see as widespread support by laity for their church missions. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 3:43 PM

• Catholic Priest Scandal: Moving On

 
   CONNECTICUT Examiner
   John DeMassa
   The Catholic Priest scandal continues to make headlines locally in Fairfield county provoking community reaction.
   Catholic Brad Dobbs, a Trumbull resident comments: "Nobody is perfect. People sin. We are supposed to look at ourselves and recognize that. But the priests should be punished."
   Dobbs was equally incensed about the cover-up by Catholic officials. "The cover-up is horrible. This is terrible. Both the bishops covering up and the priests should step down." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 2:11 PM
   [COMMENT: Mr Dobbs realises that the Church's baloney about the power of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is just that, baloney. ENDS.]

• N.S. diocese sells property for abuse payments

  [Decades - Antigonish Diocese] - RCC. CAN $18,500,000 compensation. Sex abuse victims.  
   CBC News, Jan 22, 2010
   CANADA -- A Roman Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia is selling off unused churches, buildings and land to pay for a settlement for victims of abuse that could reach $18.5 million.
   Parishes within the Antigonish diocese have known since the summer that they would have to share the cost, but churchgoers only heard details this week.
   Rev. Paul Abbass, spokesman for the diocese, said everything but essential assets are up for sale. Only the basic church building and rectory are protected. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 2:00 PM

• Fr. Robinson's attorneys try to prove bias; want new trial

  [1980 Fr G. Robinson] - RCC. Nun dead.  
   WTOL, with video,
   Lisa Rantala will expand on this report on News 11 at 5 and 6 p.m.
   TOLEDO (WTOL), (OH) -- The attorneys for Fr. Gerald Robinson are asking that he be granted another trial.
   John Donahue, one of Fr. Gerald Robinson's attorneys, says if the jurors had had a chance to review all the evidence, there would have been a better outcome for the priest, who was convicted several years ago of killing Sr. Margaret Ann Pahl back in 1980. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 1:57 PM

• Attorneys argue over request for new Robinson hearing

  [1980 Fr G. Robinson] - RCC. 2006 trial. Nun dead.
   Toledo Blade, BLADE STAFF, Jan 22, 2010
   TOLEDO (OH) -- Toledo Catholic priest Gerald Robinson, convicted in 2006 of murdering a nun 26 years earlier, appeared by video link from prison for a Lucas County Common Pleas Court hearing Friday morning.
   Attorneys for the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office and the defense gave oral arguments before Judge Gene Zmuda on whether an evidentiary hearing should be held for the 71-year-old priest.
   At issue is whether Robinson's attorneys failed to provide effective counsel at the 2006 trial and whether newly discovered evidence merits a new hearing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 1:55 PM

• Eight years later, Voice of the Faithful still talking

  - VOTF lives on.
   The Patriot Ledger By Lane Lambert
   MASSACHUSETTS -- The announcement was matter of fact: The Scituate affiliate of the Catholic group Voice of the Faithful is co-sponsoring a talk at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham about clergy sex abuse. For Kathy Cerruti and other founding members, the event, which will be held Tuesday, is a sign of life.
   Eight years after the sex-abuse scandal shook the Boston archdiocese, the Scituate chapter of the lay group and others are pressing on with their reform mission, at a time when public attention has turned from the crisis and Voice of the Faithful membership has fallen.
   Rescued by emergency fundraising in 2008, local and national leaders say they are as determined as ever to pursue their original goals – support clergy victims, encourage good priests, and work for a greater role for the laity in running their parishes. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 1:45 PM

• Ohio priest convicted in nun's death in court

  [ Fr G. Robinson] - RCC. ~ 1970s-80s. Satanic rituals. Girl. 1980. Sr Margaret Pahl dead.  
   WFMJ, ~ Jan 22, 2010
   TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest convicted of killing a nun appeared by video at a court hearing in Ohio, the first time he's been seen publicly since his 2006 conviction.
   The Rev. Gerald Robinson sat impassively Friday during the hearing in Toledo on whether new evidence can be introduced in his appeal.
   The 71-year-old Robinson is being held in Hocking Correctional Facility in southern Ohio. He was convicted of killing of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, whose body was found Easter weekend 1980 in a Toledo hospital where both worked. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 1:39 PM

• Former N.B. priest sentenced to eight years for sex abuse

  [1958-81 Lévi Noël / Levi Noel*] - RCC. 8yrs PRISON. 10 boys (8-16yrs).  
   Canada.com , Canwest News Service, January 22, 2010
   TRACADIE-SHEILA, N.B., CANADA – A former Roman Catholic priest was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for 18 sex-related offences dating back more than 50 years in New Brunswick.
   Levi Noel, 84, pleaded guilty in October for the sexual abuse incidents involving as many as 10 people, many of whom were children at the time, from 1958 to 1981. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 12:14 PM
   [LOOK BACK: Oct 28, 2009]

• Priests Take Boys on Drunken Camping Trip to Yosemite. Santa Barbara Story Part 6, wait until you see Parts 9 and 10

  [Franciscans] - RCC.  
   City of Angels, includes court documents, By Kay Ebeling,
   CALIFORNIA -- We continue to run direct quotes from two lawsuits filed Fall 2009 regarding Fraciscan perpetrators at St. Anthony's Seminary in Santa Barbara. Plus someone handed me evidence from a 1990s lawsuit against those same Franciscans this week, the "sexual history" of Robert Van Handel, written by the pedophile priest himself. So after upcoming posts from a third 2009 lawsuit against the religious order, City of Angels will have figured out what to do with Van Handel's sexual memoir.
   He wrote: "A Franciscan priest and former faculty member was accused of molesting two young men while they were students at St. Anthony's. Not only was I best of friends with this family, but unknown to them at the time, I had molested the same two boys when they were in choir, by tickling them and touching their genitals. Now I was expected to console the families, deal with the anger of the parents, because the offender was in the faculty."
   In a panicked state Van Handel runs to his therapist: "I explained in general terms the state of my life. He helped me to pull out of my depression, but I don't think I ever really completely recovered." Nice to know the adults were all so concerned about each other while the children were being raped. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 12:09 PM

• Roll the credits: Hollywood's Cardinal Mahony bowing out?

  - RCC.
   Beliefnet, Deacon Greg Tandra,
   LOS ANGELES (CA) So says the usually reliable Thomas "American Papist" Peters:
   I am hearing, on reliable authority, that the Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, has approved a coadjutor bishop recently selected for him by the Holy See. This news - and the name - will be publicly announced "soon."
   This new bishop, once announced and appointed, will automatically succeed Mahony as the Archbishop of Los Angeles as soon as Mahony retires, presumably before Mahony's mandatory retirement at age 75 (February 27, 2011). Mahony has said that the current class of seminarians will be the last one he personally ordains. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 11:49 AM

• Exclusive: Cardinal Mahony replacement chosen, announcement to be made soon

  - RCC.
   American Papist, by Thomas Peters, on January 21st, 2010
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- I am hearing, on reliable authority, that the Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, has approved a coadjutor bishop recently selected for him by the Holy See. This news – and the name – will be publicly announced "soon."
   This new bishop, once announced and appointed, will automatically succeed Mahony as the Archbishop of Los Angeles as soon as Mahony retires, presumably before Mahony's mandatory retirement at age 75 (February 27, 2011). Mahony has said that the current class of seminarians will be the last one he personally ordains. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 11:04 AM

• Successor chosen for Cardinal Mahony in Los Angeles?

  - RCC.  
   Catholic Culture, ~ Jan 22, 2010
   LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Pope Benedict XVI will soon appoint a coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles, according to an American Catholic blogger. Writing on the Catholic Vote Action blog, and citing "reliable authority," Thomas Peters says that Cardinal Roger Mahony has approved the coadjutor, and an announcement is imminent. The coadjutor would succeed Cardinal Mahony when he retires. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 11:02 AM

• BISHOP DRENNAN FACING FURTHER CALLS TO RESIGN

  - RCC.    
   Galway Bay,
   IRELAND -- The Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan is facing further calls to resign.
   He's attending a meeting of the country's bishops in Maynooth this afternoon ahead of a meeting in Rome with the Pope next month.
   All the bishops were summoned to Rome by Pope Benedict the 16th to discuss the Murphy Report into the handling of clerical sexual abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.
   Bishop Drennan says he wasn't criticised in the report and is refusing to resign. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 10:59 AM

• BUDGETS OF HOLY SEE AND GOVERNORATE OF VATICAN CITY STATE

   
   Vatican Information Service, JAN 22, 2010
   VATICAN CITY, (VIS) -- A communique published today announces that the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See met on 20 and 21 January under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.
   The order of the day "was the discussion of the consolidated budget of the Holy See and the budget of the Governorate of Vatican City State, for the year 2010".
   During the meeting Archbishop Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, explained that "the largest cost is that concerning the payment of employees who work in the Vatican, whose number stands at 2,668. Although it is foreseen that these costs will be contained, the relative financial burden is nonetheless growing because of the adjustment of wages to the cost of living. In addition, there are the costs concerning Vatican Radio and other media institutions": the Vatican Press, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Publishing House and the Vatican Television Centre. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 9:07 AM

• Priests back Bishop ahead of Rome trip

  - RCC.      
   Galway City Tribune,
   IRELAND -- THE Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan has confirmed he will travel to Rome next month after Pope Benedict XVI summoned Ireland's Catholic Bishops to discuss the Church's child clerical abuse scandals for the past 15 years.
   The Pontiff called the meeting to address the anger and shock felt by Catholics in Ireland following the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports, which detailed a litany of horrific clerical abuse of children.
   Although Bishop Drennan's role as an Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin from 1997 to 2005, a period covered by the Murphy Report into clerical abuses in the Diocese, is likely to come under scrutiny during the Vatican visit, he remains adamant this week that he doesn't need to resign. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 8:32 AM

• Ex-priest faces sentencing for 18 sex offences

  [1958-81 Lévi Noël / Levi Noel* (83)] - RCC. 10 boys (8-16yrs).  
   CBC News, Last Updated: Friday, January 22, 2010
   CANADA -- A retired priest who worked on New Brunswick's Acadian Peninsula for 30 years will be sentenced Friday for 18 sex-related offences.
   Levi Noel, 84, pleaded guilty last October to the charges, including gross indecency and indecent assault, for incidents between 1958 and 1981 while he was a priest in northeastern New Brunswick.
   Noel will be sentenced at a court in Tracadie-Sheila. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 8:29 AM

• Rembert Weakland and the Affirmation of Our Institutions

  [Abp Weakland] - RCC.  
   Brookfield Now, By Tom Gehl, Jan. 22, 2010
   WISCONSIN -- This is a tough one to write.
   On this web site appears an article about an ex-priest convicted of sexually assaulting two young boys. The trauma of such an event inflicted upon those lives is so deep; the level of betrayal from a source that should have stood for all that is good and noble is so profound. What do we say in the face of such horror? Our hearts can only grieve for the victims as we mutely consider the irretrievable value of a lost and ruptured childhood, and the enduring emotional pain.
   I have no animosity towards the Catholic Church - on the contrary. I was raised Catholic, admire much about the teachings and members of the Church, and remain convinced that John Paul II was one of the great world leaders of the last fifty years. I believe that had the magnitude of the Church's problem surfaced when he was in a state of physical health and mental vigor, the halls of the Vatican would have vibrated with anger and action. A man who in his youth repeatedly put his life at risk to stand up to Hitler and Stalin would not have blanched from the task of cleaning his own house.
   But this problem is bigger than the Catholic Church, and ALL OF US, regardless of our espoused faith, should be concerned about it. And that is why I take up this painful issue. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 8:26 AM

• Issue of women committed to Magdalenes Laundries needs to be resolved

  - RCC.  
   Labour, Statement by Joan Burton TD, Labour Spokesperson on Finance, Jan 22, 2010
   IRELAND -- The issue of women who were committed to Magdalenes Laundries is one of the last unresolved issues of the hidden Ireland of institutions, religious orders and the State, so eloquently set out in the Ryan report and a whole series of articles, films and programmes.
   Just before Christmas, the ‘Justice for Magdalene' group met with senior officials in the Department of Justice. At that meeting, Mr. James Martin, Assistant Secretary, stated that after the passage of the Criminal Justice Act (1960), the Department of Justice referred women to the Magdalenes Laundries and paid a capitation grant for each woman so referred.
   I welcome the admission by the Department of Justice that "women were routinely referred to various Magdalene Asylums via the Irish court system, in an arrangement entered into by members of the judiciary and the four religious congregations operating Magdalene Laundries in the State." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 8:21 AM

• Paradigm Shift: When Catholics Apologize

  [Franciscans] - RCC.  
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing; by Virginia Jones,
   UNITED STATES -- On the second Saturday of January 2008, at Ascension Catholic Church a parish staffed by Franciscan priests, Steve Fearing found support for healing and reconciliation from Compassionate Gathering, our mixed group of clergy abuse survivors and other Catholics. Steve, a slight man with curly, gray hair, was abused during his early teens by a Franciscan priest. Until he came to Compassionate Gathering, Steve struggled mostly alone to heal himself.
   Gatherings are held almost every month and often included the Franciscan pastor of Ascension, Fr. Armando Lopez. In January 2008, Gathering participants discussed the Sackcloth Penance Patch, a way ordinary Catholics can apologize to survivors of clergy abuse. We composed a letter to send to other parishes to tell them about the Patch. Everyone's input was elicited. Fr. Armando, who was present, acted as a co-equal with Steve and other survivors and parishioners.
   On the second Saturday of February 2008, Steve returned to Ascension to share his story with Compassionate Gathering. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 22, 2010 8:15 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri January 22, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat January 23, 2010 edition:

• Catholic priest defiles girl, remanded

  [2009 Apr-Nov - Fr Bosco Mawa*] - RCC. Impregnated. Organised an abortion. School girl (16).  
   Sunday Vision, by Chris Ocowun, ~ Jan 23, 2010
   UGANDA -- GULU Grade One Magistrate's court on Friday charged a Catholic priest, the Rev. Fr. Anthony Bosco Mawa, with aggravated defilement and remanded him at Gulu Central Prison.
   Rev. Fr. Mawa who was arrested by Gulu Police for allegedly defiling and impregnating a 16-year-old girl, was charged and remanded by Gulu Grade One Magistrate Joan Achiro.
   Prosecution alleged that Mawa, 41, an Acholi priest, between the months of April and November 2009 at plot 4/2 on Awich Road, Pece Division defiled a girl below 18 years old who was under his guardian contrary to section 129 (3) and 4 of the penal code Act of 2007. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 5:37 PM]

• Former St. Rose coach guilty in sex-talk case; faces up to 100 years

  [2001-07 Bart McInerney*] - ? RCC. Sex texting. Guilty. ~ 12 boys (15-17).  
   Asbury Park Press, By CHARLES WEBSTER, January 22, 2010
   FREEHOLD (NJ) – A jury of nine men and three women on Friday convicted "Coach Bart" McInerney on 10 counts of child endangerment for carrying on sexually explicit conversations with boys between 15 and 17 years old and convincing those boys to text-message him when they masturbated.
   The three-week trial of Bartholomew McInerney, 43, of Spring Lake Heights, once a well-liked and respected baseball coach at St. Rose High School in Belmar, revealed he preyed on young players with secret talks that pried into their sexual activity with their girlfriends and steered them toward masturbating and reporting the act to the coach in instant messages and texts. McInerney is slated to be sentenced on April 23, and faces up to 100 years in prison. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 5:32 PM

• Former baseball coach of St. Rose High School in Belmar is convicted of sexual misconduct

  [2001-07 Bart McInerney*] - ? RCC. Sex texting, money offers. ~ 12 boys (15-17).
   The Star-Ledger, By MaryAnn Spoto / January 22, 2010
   BELMAR, NEW JERSEY -- Rejecting Bartholomew McInerney's claims he had the best interests of his former players at heart, a jury in Monmouth County convicted the former Belmar baseball coach today on 10 counts charging him with offering the boys money in exchange for text messages about their sexual experiences.
   The verdict, on the second day of jury deliberations, left McInerney's relatives stunned. About a half-dozen of them sat in the gallery of the Freehold courtroom, looks of disbelief on their faces as the verdicts were announced. All refused to comment afterward. Parents of McInerney's victims were elated and hugged each other afterward.
   Dressed in a dark gray suit and blue shirt, McInerney, the longtime baseball coach at St. Rose High School, appeared stoic as the verdict was announced, dipping his head occasionally as the forewoman announced each finding. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 5:29 PM

• La nota della Curia

  [≤ 2004 Fr Felix Cini*] - RCC. Child.      
   Prima Pagina Molise,
   ITALIA -- L'arcivescovo di Campobasso-Bojano mons. GianCarlo Bregantini ritiene che siano ormai maturate le condizioni per mettere fine alla vicenda che ha coinvolto il sacerdote don Felix Cini.
   La Santa Sede, costantemente informata, ha recentemente esaminato il caso in questione, approvato l'operato del vescovo di Grosseto e dell'arcivescovo di Campobasso e preso atto con soddisfazione che il presbitero ha compiuto un proficuo percorso di consapevolezza, maturazione interiore e recupero di una dignità compromessa.
   La Santa Sede, tuttavia, ha deliberato che le circostanze e la prudenza suggeriscono di assegnare il sacerdote ad altro incarico per motivi di opportunità.
   [summary] ITALY -- The Holy See has been constantly informed about Don Felix, recently examined the case, approved the work of the Bishop of Grosseto and the Archbishop of Campobasso and noted with satisfaction that the preisent has made a profitable path of awareness, inner maturity and recovery of compromised dignity.
   The Holy See ruled, however, that it is prudent to assign the priest to another appointment on ground of expediency.
   The same Holy See and bishop who accompanied Don Felix on the way to rebirth warmly thank the community of Cercemaggiore which upheld the priest without prejudice. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 3:10 PM

• Cercemaggiore, don Felix allontanato per "motivi di opportunità"

  [≤ 2004 Fr Felix Cini*] - RCC. Child.
   Prima Pagina Molise,
   ITALIA -- "L'arcivescovo di Campobasso-Bojano, monsignor GianCarlo Bregantini, ritiene che siano ormai maturate le condizioni per mettere fine alla vicenda che ha coinvolto il sacerdote don Felix Cini. (…) Le circostanze e la prudenza suggeriscono di assegnare il sacerdote ad altro incarico per motivi di opportunità".
   Una nota stampa sintetica, che non menziona mai il fatto che ha originato la decisione, perchè non ce n'e bisogno.
   Padre Felix per il Vaticano, deve lasciare Cercemaggiore. Un errore lo ha visto cadere qualche anno fa, ha compiuto il percorso di riabilitazione che la Chiesa, e anche lo Stato, seppure con intenti e strade diverse, chiedono, lo ha compiuto. Ma non è bastato. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 2:58 PM

• Cercemaggiore, i fedeli accanto a don Felix

  [≤ 2004 Fr Felix Cini*] - RCC. Convicted in 2004. 3500 supporters. Child.
   Il Tempo, Jan 23, 2010
   ITALIA -- CERCEMAGGIORE I cittadini di Cercemaggiore si schierano con don Felix Cini.
   Dopo la decisione della Santa Sede di allontanare «per motivi di opportunità» il parroco dal paese, comunicata dall'arcivescovo di Campobasso, Giancarlo Maria Bregantini, i fedeli che lo appoggiano, circa 3.500, hanno annunciato iniziative a sostegno di don Felix, che nel 2004 fu condannato per molestie sessuali su minori in un paese della provincia di Grosseto.Nei prossimi giorni è prevista una manifestazione davanti alla sede della Curia.
   [summary] ITALY -- Although the Holy See decided to move the Rev. Felix Cini from his parish, about 3,500 people have undertaken an initiative in support of the priest who in 2004 was convicted of child sexual molestation in a village in the province of Grosseto. A demonstration is planned outside of the curia offices. Area residents are divided between those who believe that Don Felix must leave the country and those who consider his work in Molise to be unblemished. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 2:45 PM

• Maltese priest in Italy with molestation history moved out of parish

  [≤ 2004 Fr Felix Cini*] - RCC. Convicted in 2004. Child.      
   DI-VE (Malta), ~ January 23, 2010
   ITALY -- Italian media have reported that a Maltese priest, who lives in Italy and was sentenced with child molestation in 2004, will be moved out of the parish of Cercemaggiore in the province of Campobasso and will be assigned new tasks in another locality.
   This decision was taken by the Holy See and was announced by Bishop of Campobasso Bregantini.
   Havoc was created in this locality after it was announced that the priest had child molestation charges in Grossetto. The priest had served a sentence of 2 and a half years in a community in Trento. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 2:42 PM

• Priest who tried to kill himself could be deported

  [2005-10 - Fr Alejandro Flores* (37)] - RCC. 2005-10 Boy (8-13). 2010 Jan 6 leaped.    
   Chicago Sun-Times,
   SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE, January 23, 2010
   ILLINOIS -- A priest accused of sexually assaulting a St. Charles boy could face deportation if convicted on the charges, according to Kane County prosecutors.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, who until recently served at Holy Family Church in Shorewood, had his first appearance in Kane County Court on Thursday. His attorney said the priest is expected to plead not guilty to the seven felony charges filed against him.
   The Rev. Alejandro Flores, who until recently served at Holy Family Church in Shorewood, had his first appearance in Kane County Court on Thursday. His attorney said the priest is expected to plead not guilty to the seven felony charges filed against him. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 1:11 PM

• Child Victims Act proves its worth in surprise case

  [~ 1981 Former Judge Bradley] - No religion link noted. Boy (11).  
   The News Journal, January 23, 2010
   DELAWARE -- Thursday's admission by former Judge William C. Bradley Jr., that he molested an 11-year-old boy 30 years ago is a stinging rebuke to critics who opposed last year's passage of Delaware's Child Victims Act.
   Senate Bill 29 eliminated the two-year civil statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse and set a two-year window during which claims previously barred by statute could be filed. That window closed in July.
   Critics charged the act slandered all Catholic priests as pedophiles and that other classes of innocent defendants would have no protection from claims of unsubstantiated memories. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 1:07 PM

• Diocese: Locals didn't know of priest sex charges

  [1980s Ex-Fr Frank Paduch* (Augustinian)] - RCC. 5 boys.
   Beaumont Enterprise, By BY KEN FOUNTAIN, January 22, 2010
   BEAUMONT (TX) -- When the Catholic diocese of Beaumont accepted Frank Paduch for ordination, it knew of no allegations of sexual misconduct at the time, according to a diocese statement released today.
   In the formal statement, Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D., D.D., Bishop of Beaumont, said, "We were not aware of the complaints of abuse that allegedly occurred in the 1980s in Chicago until a lawsuit was filed there in 1997 against the Augustinian Order. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 10:19 AM

• Robinson's lawyers fault trial attorneys

  [Fr Robinson]
   Toledo Blade, By DAVID YONKE,
   TOLEDO (OH) -- As Toledo priest Gerald Robinson watched from prison on a video hookup, attorneys argued in Lucas County Common Pleas Court yesterday whether a new hearing should be held in the cleric's murder conviction.
   Attorneys for the 71-year-old Catholic priest, found guilty nearly four years ago in the 1980 murder of a nun, claimed that Robinson's legal counsel was so ineffective during the trial that his constitutional rights were violated.
   They also contended that new evidence, including a reported 70 misfiled police reports from 1980 that surfaced last year, merits a new hearing. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 8:10 AM

• Bishops to consult with laity over abuse scandal fallout

  - RCC.    
   Irish Independent, By John Cooney, Saturday January 23 2010
   IRELAND -- THE Irish Catholic bishops plan to hold a consultation process with lay people, clergy and religious after their summit in Rome next month with Pope Benedict.
   The 18 bishops attending an extraordinary general meeting in NUI Maynooth to discuss the fallout from the damning Murphy Report into cover-ups of paedophile priests in the archdiocese of Dublin said last night they welcomed Pope Benedict's intent to issue a special pastoral to Catholics in Ireland on "the very serious situation prevailing in the Irish Church".
   "Bishops have been listening to the widespread and justifiable anger and frustration from survivors, priests and laity across their dioceses," they said in a statement. "Bishops recognise that, in the critical area of safeguarding children, people want accountability and transparency in terms of policy and procedures." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 8:06 AM
   [COMMENT: "Accountability and transparency" -- What about faith in the Ten Commandments, and Hell? ENDS.]

• Vatican bank accused of laundering

  - RCC. $200m.    
   RT, Jan 23, 2010
   ROME -- The Vatican is facing some awkward questions after an investigation was launched into its alleged involvement in a money-laundering scheme.
   The financial scandal was triggered by a report in an Italian magazine that claimed the Vatican bank laundered some $200 million.
   The alleged secrets of the Vatican have often provided rich material for fictional works, such as blockbuster film Angels and Demons, but the Holy See now has to deal with a case equally shrouded in mystery. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 8:03 AM

• Some Baker jurors speak, others hold their tongues

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. Guilty. 13 females faced "advances" etc.  
   Tribune-Herald By Tommy Witherspoon, Saturday, January 23, 2010
   WACO (TX) -- Betty Hall found herself in an unusual position.
   The 65-year-old M&M Mars retiree is not shy about speaking her mind. However, as an alternate juror on the Matt Baker murder trial, Hall sat through the eight-day trial but was not allowed to participate in any of the jury's deliberations.
   She listened in but could not speak, under orders from the court.
   "I almost bit a hole through my tongue," she said. "I was about to test how much it was going to cost me to get thrown out of there because I couldn't just sit there and not say nothing. I am just that type of person." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:58 AM

• Retired priest sentenced to eight years on sex charges

  [1958-81 Lévi Noël / Levi Noel*] - RCC. 8yrs prison. 18 boys (8-16yrs).  
   Telegraph-Journal, by Benjamin Shingler,
   TRACADIE-SHEILA, Canada -- As Lévi Noël was led away by police, the courtroom packed with his victims and their families stood silent for a moment, then erupted into applause.
   Noël pleaded guilty to 22 sex-related charges involving 18 boys. The incidents took place between 1958 and 1981 while he was working at eight different parishes in the Bathurst diocese. His victims were between eight and 16 at the time.
   During sentencing, Judge Donald LeBlanc denounced Noël for taking advantage of his position of authority, breaking the trust of the community and the church, and manipulating vulnerable children. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:43 AM

• Ex-pastor's murder conviction ends 4-year saga

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. 65yrs prison. Daughter Kassidy dead. 13 females faced "advances" etc.  
   Chronicle, By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer, Jan. 23, 2010
   WACO, Texas – Nearly four years ago, a preacher's wife was found dead beside a typed suicide note and bottle of sleeping pills, and police quickly closed the case.
   Now, her husband Matt Baker is starting a 65-year prison sentence for murder. Baker, 38, will be eligible for parole in about 30 years.
   The saga that began with botched police work ended with what Kari Baker's relatives and friends had been praying for, what they had printed on hundreds of bumper stickers: Justice for Kari. …
   Still, there may be another chapter. Linda and James Dulin, who filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Baker because they never believed she killed herself, are suspicious about the death of the Bakers' middle daughter in 1999.
   That issue arose unexpectedly during Baker's trial when his ex-mistress, Vanessa Bulls, testified that Baker, after learning his wife's body was being exhumed for an autopsy, said he was going to the cemetery "to see if they messed with Kassidy's grave." Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not ask Bulls about her comment or refer to the issue during the trial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:41 AM

• Verryn to fight on

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   IOL, By Thabiso Thakali,
   SOUTH AFRICA -- The battle lines have been drawn in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa over its shock decision this week to suspend controversial cleric Paul Verryn.
   Yesterday, the beleaguered bishop announced that he would not accept his surprise suspension, but would seek arbitration from the convener of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa for his superior's action. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:39 AM

• Verryn to appear before disciplinary committee

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.
   The Zimbabwe Times, By Munyaradzi Mutizwa
   SOUTH AFRICA -- CENTRAL Methodist Church Bishop Paul Verryn who was suspended from his post on Tuesday now faces charges of transgressing the rules and norms of the Methodist Church in South Africa, the church announced Friday.He will appear before the church disciplinary committee on February 1.
   "He has been charged with transgressing the laws and discipline of the church, essentially the constitution of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa," the church said in a statement.
   It was not clear till the time of going to the press why Verryn was suspended. Bongani Khoza the legal representative for the church remained tight-lipped on the details of the sensational suspension. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:30 AM

• St. Martha's needs more answers

   
   The Sun Chronicle Saturday, January 23, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- While many of their neighbors were bubbling with enthusiasm, first for the U.S. Senate campaign of native son Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, then with his historic election, the mood this week was somber for parishioners of St. Martha's Church in Plainville.
   Their pastor, the Rev. Garret Thomson, regarded by some members of the church as a saint, had died on Jan. 6. Parishioners later learned that two days earlier he had been placed on administrative leave after a 15-year-old sexual abuse allegation had arisen.
   The events brought a crowd to a meeting at the church Wednesday night. Among other things, the meeting brought to light divisions within the church - one parishioner had complained to the archdiocese about language Father Thomson had used at a pre-confirmation meeting and others had made undisclosed complaints against him - along with unhappiness about how the archdiocese had handled the complaints and the notification that he had been placed on administrative leave. And fears of an eventual closing of the small church resurfaced. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:27 AM

• Judge acquits elderly priest on fourth day of abuse trial

  [1981-82 Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain* (72)]- Sinner made victim "do penance"! Girl (13-14).  
   Irish Independent, By Sonya McLean, Saturday January 23 2010
   IRELAND -- A priest accused of sexually assaulting a Co Louth teenager was yesterday acquitted by direction of the trial judge after he ruled that the inadmissibility of the woman's psychiatric notes was prejudicial to the defence.
   Father Maeliosa O Hauallachain, of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault on dates between July 31, 1981 and August 2, 1982.
   It was alleged that the priest, now aged 72, had assaulted the woman when she was aged between 13 and 14. But Fr O Hauallachain was acquitted on day-four of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 23, 2010 7:23 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sat January 23, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun January 24, 2010 edition:

• Retired priest accused of sexual misconduct

  [Fr Kenneth Parker ? NEW*] - RCC.  
   News-Observer, by Sarah Ovaska - Staff writer, ~ Jan 24, 2010
   RALEIGH (NC) -- A retired Roman Catholic priest, who served in a Garner church in the mid-1980s, was suspended from having public duties as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church after accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced last fall.
   Kenneth R. Parker, 73, had retired in 1993 but had his responsibility taken from him last week by diocese of Raleigh's Bishop Michael Burbridge, according to a news release from the diocese.
   Parker, who now lives in Carthage, denied any wrongdoing took place, in a brief telephone interview. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 11:04 PM]

• Former Diocese of Charlotte Priest suspended

  [Fr Kenneth Parker*] - RCC.
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, ~ January 24, 2010
   -- CHARLOTTE (NC) Father Kenneth Parker a priest who served in the Diocese of Charlotte for five years beginning in 1965 has been suspended from the Diocese of Raleigh. Read the Press Release Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 6:43 PM

• First Year in Seminary, sex assaults by two different Franciscans: The Santa Barbara Story, Part 8

  [Fr Gus Krumm] - RCC.
   City of Angels, with court documents, By Kay Ebeling,
   CALIFORNIA -- "Anonymous" keeps popping up in our Comments to point out that quotes from legal briefs in The Santa Barbara Story are "Allegations Only." That's true, and since the Church almost always settles before trial without admitting guilt, only part of the evidence becomes public record and it rarely gets published where the public can read it, like here at City of Angels. Still, Tim Hale, author of the briefs we are quoting confirms: "Everything alleged in these amended complaints is supported by admissible evidence assembled from investigation and discovery conducted during the last eleven years of litigation involving the Franciscans."
   So here is Part 8 of The Santa Barbara Story, which started in 2009 and will go on until it's over. In this entry we are running direct quotes from Case #1338070, Santa Barbara Superior Court, filed November 3, 2009, Page 1 of First Amended Complaint scanned here, click to enlarge.
   Some quotes you will encounter: "(Fr. Gus) Krumm pinned Craig from behind to the point the boy could not move, pushing Craig's face against the wall, and began thrusting his groin against Craig's buttocks," reads one paragraph. "(Later) Krumm said, 'you didn't see anything here, you didn't hear anything, and you're not wanted. And you're probably not coming back.' Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 6:40 PM

• Pope convenes Irish bishops for talks in Rome the Eternal City of crocodile Popes and Bishops and the Venerable John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army

 
   IRELAND Benedict XVI - Ratzinger: God's Rottweiler
   Paris Arrow
   Talk is cheap. Papal talk is cheaper. For over 26 years, as General Cardinal Ratzinger he commanded the absolute secrecy and threatened every priest with excommunication if they disclosed in public the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army and now as Pope Benedict XVI he will convene Irish Bishops to Rome to discuss how to make the Irish people forgive-and-forget the Ryan and Murphy Reports…the Pope's words work like magic all the time similar to the way he turns the Eucharist into the instant flesh of Christ see Magisterium Benedict VERSUS Holy Mary: Priests' transubstantiation instant reincarnation of Christ VERSUS Mary's 9-months pregnancy& child birth http://stella0maris.blogspot.com/2010/01/magisterium-benedict-versus-holy-mary.html
   Doesn't this news sound impressive: Pope convenes Irish bishops for talks on priestly sex abuse? (Hidden subtitle: for crocodile tears session with special consultant Rome Archpriest Bernard Law the criminal-Cardinal of Boston) "The meeting will take place Feb. 15-16, and was expected to include the heads of major Vatican agencies. The Vatican press office confirmed the meeting… The pope will address the bishops and each bishop will have seven minutes to offer his views on the crisis. The meeting was expected to produce some concrete proposals, with final reflections by the pope". Let's see now, what can 7-MINUTES encounters really tell Pope Benedict XVI about the YEARS of living hell imbedded on victims by the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in Ireland? Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 6:35 PM

• Antigonish gets new bishop Monday

 
   CBC News,
   CANADA -- Sunday marked the last mass for Catholics in Antigonish, N.S., before their new bishop is installed on Monday.
   Brian Dunn will replace retired bishop Raymond Lahey, who is facing child pornography charges.
   Dunn is well aware of the challenges ahead, said church spokesman Rev. Paul Abbass. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 4:33 PM

• A campaign to make celibacy optional

 
   WTAM, By Ken Robinson, Newsradio WTAM 1100, Sunday, January 24, 2010
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- A Lakewood-based organization called FutureChurch.org has started an electronic campaign to make priesthood celibacy optional for Catholics.
   Sister Christine Schenk says their site has sent more than 3,000 postcards urging Catholic leaders to discuss the concept.
   Schenk explains that the move toward celibacy only started in the 16th century and throughout most of Catholic history, priests were allowed to marry. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 4:31 PM

• Convicted Maltese paedophile priest sent from Italy to a parish in Malta

  [≤ 2004 Fr Felix Cini*] - RCC. Convicted in 2004. 17 youngsters.      
   The Malta Independent, ~ Jan 24, 2010
   MALTA / ITALY – A Maltese priest who spent two-and-a-half-years in a special community near Trento after plea bargaining to abusing children some years ago, was later sent to a parish in Malta where he spent some time before returning to Italy.
   Fr Felix Cini plea bargained in 2004 to abusing 17 youngsters between 10 and 14 years of age, while he was in Comunità Siloe in Sasso d'Ombrone in the commune of Cinigiano near Grosseto. The proper Italian legal term used is ‘patteggiamento' – in other words he accepted the sentence to shorten the trial. Later he said that he was advised to do so, even though he felt he was innocent and that it was a case of mistaken identity. He claimed that unnamed ‘political pressure' was brought to bear upon him to make him take this legal way. His claim was met with rather widespread scepticism.
   During the investigation, all 17 youngsters, accompanied by their parents, testified to "undue attention" received from the priest. Two computers were also taken from him and police investigators claimed they found traces of porno-paedophile webpages having been accessed. …
   According to Italian media reports over the past days, the people of this small community in Molise, a southern Italian region, were outraged to find out through the internet, and through a local paper, about the murky past of the new priest in their parish. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 8:06 AM

• EDITORIAL: Matt Baker trial yielded many lessons, including the power of tenacity

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. 65yrs prison. Daughter dead. 13 females faced "advances" etc.  
   Waco Tribune-Herald, Sunday, January 24, 2010
   WACO (TX) -- The Matt Baker trial is over and the 38-year-old former Central Texas pastor begins a 65-year sentence for the murder of his wife, Kari, whose mysterious death in Hewitt in 2006 spurred a virtual crusade in our community mounted by her family and friends. Evidence of it could be seen in the courthouse parking lot this past week: bumper stickers that read "Justice for Kari."
   If there's a big lesson to come from the trial – that is, one that goes beyond those stemming from the basic tenets carved into the Ten Commandments – it's that one should never underestimate the resourcefulness and diligence of private citizens when a wrong must be righted.
   Even when Hewitt police and Justice of the Peace Billy Martin overlooked crucial details in Kari Baker's death – initially ruling it a suicide and consigning it to the files with little investigation and no autopsy – Kari's family and friends persevered. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:57 AM

• Leib Tropper - Why the Rabbis Were Silent

  [2000s Rabbi Leib Tropper*] - Ultra-Orthodox Judaist. Encouraged woman to have sex for cash.     
   5 Town Jewish Times, By 5TJT Staff, Published on Sunday, January 24, 2010
   NEW YORK -- Rabbi Dovid Ribiat heads the Kollel Ohr Yaakov of Forshay in Monsey NY, and is regarded as a prominent Halachic authority across the US. He is also the author of several Seforim, including the world-renowned four-volume work on the 39 Melochos of Shabbos. On January 21, 10 he graciously consented to the following interview regarding the Tropper scandal:
   Interviewer: Over the past several weeks there have been a lot of questions in the media over the silence of the Rabbis in the Ultra-orthodox community re. the Tropper scandal. Why has there been no condemnation of Tropper from the Rabbis?
   RR: I can only speak as one of the Rabbis of Monsey. Firstly, you must understand that there is no single authoritative Rabbinic body in Monsey. The city is comprised of many different Orthodox segments and synagogues, each with its own Rabbinic leadership. Although the Rabbis do get together on issues affecting the entire community, this can take time, especially when the issues need a great deal of clarification. Even though Rabbi Tropper lives in Monsey, the scandal, based on a series of tapes (which Tropper claims are fraudulent), only came to our attention through media reports. The Rabbis had no prior knowledge of this scandal and had no way of confirming the reports without undertaking their own independent investigation. It has taken time to organize a focused investigation and begin the process of sorting out the claims and counter claims in the media in search of the objective truth. We cannot issue condemnations against an individual without due process or before verifying the facts. This is why you have not heard any statements from the rabbis as yet. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:53 AM

• Vatican bank charged with money-laundering

  - RCC. $200m.    
   Press TV (Iran)
   VATICAN CITY -- The Bank of the Vatican has been accused of laundering USD 200 million by proxy through an Italian creditor, a report indicates.
   The allegation of the Vatican bank's financial corruption has been made by an Italian magazine that pointed to the financial institute's purported involvement in stealth fiscal transactions –via several accounts –with Italy's UniCredit Bank, Russia Today television network quoted the Panorama magazine as reporting.
   "This corruption is continuing on a regular basis in the Vatican," claimed Janathan Levy, a lawyer familiar with the bank. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:39 AM

• Diana Garland, guest column: Don't call it an affair. Call it abuse of power

  [2006 April - Pastor Matt Baker*] - Baptist. Wife dead. 65yrs prison. Daughter dead. 13 females faced "advances" etc.
   Waco Tribune-Herald, Sunday, January 24, 2010
   WACO (TX) -- The murder trial of former pastor Matt Baker in Waco last week was mesmerizing for many reasons. It involved sex, lies, premeditated murder, pornography and a clergy member. It should have been a work of fiction; it should never have happened in real life.
   Even as we grieve for the victim's parents and her two daughters, we must not overlook that, initially, there was another victim. Long before she engaged in a sexual relationship with Matt Baker, Vanessa Bulls, in the midst of divorce, was just a young woman attending a church seeking comfort and guidance in her life. The pastor of the church she chose to visit offered to counsel her.
   We cannot and should not dismiss the chain of events that followed and led, almost incomprehensibly, to the murder of a young mother whose parents and daughters now have an irreplaceable void in their lives. But if we focus on how this extramarital relationship began, we see a textbook example of clergy sexual misconduct, a felony offense in Texas according to the state penal code (Chapter 22: Assaultive Offensives). Matt Baker's crime of sexual misconduct as a religious leader – long before he plotted to add murder – was not only immoral but criminal. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:35 AM

• Bathurst diocese asks Vatican to defrock disgraced priest

  [1958-81 Lévi Noël / Levi Noel* (83)] - RCC. 8yrs prison. 10 boys (8-16yrs).  
   CBC News, Jan 23, 2010
   CANADA -- The diocese of Bathurst, N.B., has asked the Vatican to strip a priest, who was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for 22 sex-related offences, of his status.
   The laicization would limit retired priest Levi Noel to being a lay person within the church, Father Wesley Wade said Saturday, speaking on behalf of the diocese.
   The request is in the hands of officials in Rome, he said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:31 AM

• Pope must answer people without any reservations

       
   Irish Independent, Sunday January 24 2010
   The voices of the survivors of abuse need to be heard in Rome, writes Colum Kenny.
  
   IRELAND -- THIS is a crucial moment for the Irish hierarchy and Pope Benedict. They must not meet in Rome next month without lay involvement, including representative survivors of abuse. They must not meet if bishops attend who have been compromised by the Murphy report, or who would be likely to be so compromised by similar official reports into other dioceses outside Dublin. And they must not meet without first assuring us that no "mental reservation" or other forms of deception will pollute their public statements.
   Contacted last week to find out what is on the agenda and whether Cardinal Desmond Connell or lay Catholics have also been invited, the Vatican, would only say: "You will know everything, but in the future, not now".
   At their meeting in December last, the Irish bishops said that "the report raises very important issues for the Church in Ireland, including the functioning of the Bishops' Conference, and, how the lay faithful can be more effectively involved in the life of the Church. We will give further detailed consideration to these issues." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:29 AM

• 'Sacrilege: Liberation Enters the Church'

   
   Renew America By Matt C. Abbott
   The following is a lengthy excerpt from the book Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, authored by Leon J. Podles, Ph.D. Many thanks to Mr. Podles and Charles Eby of the Crossland Foundation for allowing me to reprint this material. (Caution: contains disturbing descriptions.)
   Chapter 15: 'New Errors'
   Liberation Enters the Church
   … Even in the 1950s many priests studied psychology. Priests frequently deal with disturbed people, and modern psychology seems to offer insights in how to help. Psychology tends to displace theology. Therefore, the Catholic clergy have been exposed to all the trends and fads of modern psychology, including the pernicious ones of sexual liberation. When psychologists were brought in to advise nuns about their rules or to advise bishops how to deal with sexual offenders, disaster has often been the result.
   Joyce Milton, who had personal experience with the humanistic psychology movement of the 1970s and 1980s, has exposed its weaknesses in her Road to Malpsychia (a word-play on Maslow's Road to Eupsychia). Humanistic psychology "emphasized alienation from values based on the authority of revealed religion and a need for the individual to derive meaning through his search for identity and authenticity." Carl Rogers emphasized that "neither the Bible nor the prophets – neither Freud nor research – neither the revelations of God nor man – can take precedence over my own direct experience,"[42] that is, his "lived experience," a phrase that is always invoked by those who reject traditional Christian moral teaching. Presidents Higgins and Letson of St. Jerome's University note that only three percent of young people in England think that premarital sex is wrong and criticize "the Church's unwillingness to locate itself within the realm of lived experience,"[43] by which they mean the Church's unwillingness to accept the fallen reality that previous generations called "the world." [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 24, 2010 7:25 AM]
   [COMMENT: BUT, three researchers have found that the Roman Catholic Church has been making rules against CHILD SEX ABUSE for about 1700 years, in other words, long before modern psychology and psychiatry was invented.  Desire for sex and companionship will not disappear from man and woman just because some "spoilsports," thinking the end of the world would occur in their lifetimes, banned most activities except making a living, praying, and singing hymns. ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun January 24, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Mon January 25, 2010 edition:

• God’s Children: A brief report of Canada’s first screening

  - Documovie.  
   MK Planet, January 24, 2010
   CANADA -- Yesterday evening Joel and I attended a screening of "All God’s Children” that we had been planning for several months.
   With 53 people in attendance, I was told our screening was slightly larger than some previous ones, which was exciting to hear. Both Joel and I briefly spoke during the Q&A, as did Lois Kunkel, an adult MK who wrote a thesis called "Spiders spin silk: Reflections of missionary kids at midlife".
   We were fortunate to have Nancy Mayer as our moderator. She is a member of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), and very involved in efforts to end all forms of abuse in religious settings. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 5:38 PM]

• Second Priest Suspended Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

  [1982+ Fr Kenneth Parker] - RCC. Minor.  
   WITN, ~ January 25, 2010
   NORTH CAROLINA -- Another Catholic priest who served in Eastern Carolina has been suspended from his duties because of allegation of sexual misconduct.
   Father Kenneth Parker, a retired priest, was suspended of his priestly faculties on Friday. Parker served in Tarboro back in the 1970's and later in Newton Grove, where the alleged misconduct took place. He retired in 1993, and sometimes filled in for priests who were on vacation.
   The Diocese of Raleigh says it received the allegation on November 13th that Parker was involved in sexual misconduct with a minor that dates back to 1982. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:54 PM

• Sacred Heart association priest accused of 'overzealously spanking' boy in Santa Rosa

  [1974 Fr Ron Wiecek - NEW*] - ? RCC. Boy spanking.
   The Californian, BY SUNITA VIJAYAN, svijayan@thecalifornian.com , January 25, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- A priest on loan to the Diocese of Monterey has returned to his home base in Ohio after allegations surfaced last week that he "overzealously spanked” a boy more than 35 years ago.
   The Rev. Ron Wiecek, who belongs to the Holy Order of Most Precious Blood, has been on loan to the Diocese of Monterey for the past 20 years, said spokesman Warren Hoy.
   Hoy said Wiecek is accused of spanking the boy, now in his 40s, in 1974 while he was a teacher for the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:49 PM

• Catholic Priest with ties to Whiteville is suspended

  [Fr Kenneth Parker]
   WECT Posted by Doug Wahl, ~ January 25, 2010
   RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, (WECT) A Catholic priest, with ties to Whiteville, has been formally suspended by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.
   The announcement was made last week on the Raleigh Diocese's website. The suspended Priest is Kenneth R. Parker and while the website does not go into specifics it does say the action is a result of allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor that dates back to 1982.
   Father Parker has formally denied the claims against him. A church review board conducted a two month investigation into the case and recommended the suspension to the Bishop. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:47 PM

• Accused Plymouth priest dies

  [Fr Kenneth LeBlanc]
   The Patriot Ledger, ~ January 25, 2010
   PLYMOUTH (MA) -- The Rev. Kenneth A. LeBlanc, a Plymouth priest on leave since last February when the Boston Archdiocese announced it was investigating claims of sexual abuse against him, has died.
   The Rev. LeBlanc was 61 and had been battling cancer. He died Wednesday at a nursing home in Needham.
   Parishioners at St. Peter’s Church in Plymouth where the Rev. LeBlanc had been pastor since 2005 were stunned last February by the announcement about the investigation. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:42 PM

• Priest Accused Of Sex Abuse Dies

 
   TheBostonChannel, ~ January 25, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- A Plymouth priest who was being investigated by the Archdiocese of Boston for sexual abuse charges, has died.
   The Rev. Kenneth LeBlanc, 61, had been battling cancer and died Wednesday at a nursing home in Needham, the Patriot Ledger reported.
   In 2009, LeBlanc was placed on leave after a woman accused the priest of sexually assaulting her and other young girls in his car, in his home and in secluded areas in Wakefield 30 years ago when he was assigned to Most Blessed Sacrament Church in that town. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:39 PM

• Complicity of Baptist leaders

 
   WACO (TX) Stop Baptist Predators
   Over the weekend, pastor Wade Burleson of Enid, Oklahoma, considered the recent case of Baptist pastor Matt Baker, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kari. The investigation and trial of the murder case brought to light evidence that pastor Baker had, for many years, lived "a secret life as a sexual predator.” He lived that secret life -- and lived it quite easily -- in Baptistland.
   On his blog, Wade Burleson asked this question: "You wonder if those of us in a position to do something to stop people like this from advancing in the SBC, but don't do anything… if we become accomplices to murder.”
   It’s a good question. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:36 PM

• New Series Of Clergy Sex Abuse Cases Opens In Spokane

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   KUOW, with audio, by Doug Nadvornick, Jan/25/2010
   SPOKANE (WA) -- A new chapter is opening in Spokane's ongoing saga of sexual abuse cases involving Catholic priests. A Spokane judge is presiding over the first of what could be a series of trials against a Catholic group home for boys. Many former residents now claim they were molested there as children. For Spokane's Catholics, the trial reopens old wounds. A warning: some details in this story might not be appropriate for children.
   The plaintiff in this case is 34–year–old Kenny Putnam.
   Putnam: "Kenneth William Putnam. P–U–T–N–A–M."
   In 1988, when he was 13, Putnam was living in a broken home, headed by an alcoholic, often absent, mother. He was made a ward of the court and sent to the Morning Star Boys' Ranch. The ranch was established more than 50 years ago by Spokane's Catholic diocese to care for wayward boys. It wasn't a good match for Putnam. As he fiddles with his watch and metal bracelet, Putnam testifies that he was bullied by older boys. He remembers that, one night as he slept, an adult guardian snuck into his room. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 3:32 PM

• Sexual misconduct alleged against priest

 
   WTVD,
   RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- Raleigh bishop Michael Burbidge has suspended the priestly faculties of retired pastor Kenneth R. Parker after allegations of alleged sexual misconduct came to light.
   The allegations involving a minor date back to the 1980s.
   The Diocese said it has finished a preliminary investigation into the allegations and has reported the matter to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys as well as sent it to a higher internal judicial body for further review. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 2:09 PM

• Facebook fans fight for Verryn

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   The Citizen ~ Jan 25, 2010
   JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA- The fight for the job of Central Methodist Church Bishop Paul Verryn has entered cyberspace.
   Just hours after a Facebook page, Friends of Paul Verryn, was started it showed "viral” growth with scores of "fans” joining in overwhelming support for the controversial cleric.
   The page was started by radio producer Wendy Landau who said it was a public platform for the Paul Verryn Support Committee. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 2:06 PM

• Suspended Verryn gets international support

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   The Zimbabwe Times, By Ntando Ncube, January 25, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- A GROUP of South Africans and hordes of peoples from other parts of the world on Sunday resumed fighting against the treatment of suspended Central Methodist Church (CMC) bishop Paul Verryn using social media by launching the "Friends of Paul Verryn” camping on face book.
   According to a statement circulated by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the campaign is aimed at raising support for him during his ordeal.
   Verryn, a well-known friend of desperate African immigrants, mostly Zimbabweans in South Africa was suspended from his position in the church on Thursday. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 1:59 PM

• Support for Verryn grows

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.
   Eyewitness News, by Micel Schnehage
   SOUTH AFRICA -- Friends and supporters are rallying around suspended Central Methodist Church Bishop Paul Verryn.
   Verryn was suspended last week on charges of disobeying instructions from church leaders.
   This is the second scandal to hit the church in recent months.
   A year-long investigation by Eyewitness News revealed children were allegedly being forced to prostitute themselves in order to survive. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 1:56 PM

• Verryn requests postponement

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.
   Eyewitness News, by Micel Schnehage,
   SOUTH AFRICA -- The Methodist Church of Southern Africa on Monday confirmed it had received a request for a postponement of Reverend Paul Verryn’s disciplinary hearing.
   The church’s lawyer Bongani Khoza commented: "Verryn’s representatives are seeking a postponement of the hearing of 1 February. I cannot comment further.”
   The former bishop of the Central Methodist Church was suspended last week for disobeying instructions from church elders and Verryn wants oppose the move. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 1:54 PM

• Suspended head of Zim refugee mission fights back

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   SWRadioAfrica, By Alex Bell, January 25, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- The head of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, Paul Verryn, is fighting back against his suspension, as support for the controversial cleric continues to grow.
   Verryn was suspended last week pending a hearing before a disciplinary committee of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, which has accused the former bishop of "transgressing the laws and discipline of the church.” The charges are in connection with a court application Verryn made last year to get a curator appointed to look after the many unaccompanied miners [minors] at the Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa has said that Verryn acted ‘unilaterally’ and without its support, also accusing the cleric of speaking to the media without its consent.
   Verryn however is fighting back against the suspension, seeking on Monday to have his disciplinary hearing postponed. He told South African media this weekend that his suspension boils down to a dispute he has with the current Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Bishop Ivan Abrahams. The Church has denied this. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 1:52 PM

• ESPN Ignores Mater Dei Hoops Coach Gary McKnight's Rapist-Coddling Past

  [Andrade]  
   Orange County Weekly, By Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra
   CALIFORNIA -- SO....Mater Dei High School boys' basketball coach Gary McKnight set another prep hoops record--he's now the winningest coach in California high school B-ball history--and the local press busted another nut reporting over his round renown. Surprisingly, even ESPN got into the mix, broadcasting the Monarchs' victory on its ESPNU channel and firing off a dispatch for one of its many websites.
   Of course, none of them tell the truth about McKnight: how he not only protected his assistant, Jeff Andrade, after details emerged he had sex with Mater Dei students--in McKnight's office, even--and how McKnight let Andrade back onto Mater Dei's campus years after the rapes and even after the school's principal explicitly told him not to. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 11:03 AM]

• Monterey Diocese Revokes Priest's Duties

  [1980s Fr Ron Wiecek] - RCC.
   Fox 35, Posted: Jan 24, 2010
   SALINAS, Calif. - The Diocese of Monterey revoked the faculties of a priest serving in the area after allegations of misconduct.
   Father Ron Wiecek was recently recalled to his priest's order in Ohio, according to diocesan spokesperson Warren Hoy, after allegations surfaced of an incident some 30 years ago of Wiecek attempting to pick up a gay man. Hoy said the diocese had not been informed of the allegation before allowing Wiecek to serve in the area, and chose to take action because Wiecek had not been forthcoming with the allegation. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 8:11 AM]

• Diocese: No landmark status for Cleveland churches

 
   WFMJ Associated Press - January 25, 2010
   CLEVELAND (OH), (AP) - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland says it doesn't want the city to grant landmark status to its churches.
   Cleveland's Landmarks Commission is recommending that six Catholic churches be designated as historical city landmarks, which would give them some protection against demolition or structural changes. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 8:05 AM

• John Cooney: Bishops use 'bunker talks' to devise deeply flawed strategy

     
   Irish Independent, By John Cooney, Monday January 25 2010
   IRELAND -- It would seem the bishops are in the dark as to what bonfires are being stoked up by the Pope and his aged Curia of administrators
   AS a foggy, January darkness falls in the early evening, the ground floor and upstairs lights are still shining in Columba House.
   The decoratively renovated building once housed an infirmary for sick priests and seminarians of St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
   Now, inside a basement room unobservable from the outside, 18 of Ireland's 33 Catholic bishops are in extraordinary session. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:58 AM

• 39,000,000 and counting

  - Religions and general society.    
   Healing and Spirituality, by Jaime Romo,
   In the wake of the massive disaster in Haiti, we have seen a worldwide supportive response to the people of Haiti. Fortunately, religious and other groups and agencies are doing all they can to save lives, rebuild the infrastructure, and even improve the quality and safety of homes in the future. What a wonderful example of public and private, inter-faith cooperation to help those impacted by this event.
   At the same time, another disaster is unfolding around us. It also brings negative mental and spiritual trauma that can stay with and impact victims negatively for years if not treated. The trauma can infect the capacity to live in the present, and function well; paraphrasing the words of 2nd century Iraneus, the trauma can keep a victim from being the glory of God by being fully alive.
   There are parallels between earthquakes and sexual abuse.
   Many sexual abuse victims' lives have already been lost. Many survivors' careers demolished, and relationships buried under the rubble of the toxic impact of religious authority abuse. Daily news reports from every continent provide ample evidence of the ongoing pandemic. Bishop Accountability tracks Catholic offenders. StopBaptistPredators tracks Baptist offenders. The Awareness Center tracks Jewish offenders. I believe these are important efforts. There's a saying, "To name the disease is to be able to cure it." But those are just the religious tips of a societal iceberg. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:53 AM

• 'Reckless' delay in support for victims

   
   Standard-Freeholder, Posted By DAVID NESSETH, dnesseth § standard-freeholder com ,
   CORNWALL, CANADA -- A liaison from the Cornwall Public Inquiry says the province's decision to shut down ongoing sessions between sexual abuse victims and their counselors sends the message that the government has no interest in leading the way to change how victims of sexual abuse are treated.
   The Ministry of the Attorney General said it will take six months to respond to the report from the Cornwall Public Inquiry.
   During that time, the ministry said it will attempt to determine if further support for victims is needed. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:48 AM

• Suspended Verryn disputes charges

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   Business Day, bY FRANNY RABKIN, Published: Jan 25, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- LAWYERS for the suspended head of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, Paul Verryn, said on Friday that Verryn disputed the charges laid against him by his church, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
   Verryn was suspended last week and faces two disciplinary charges, the first for his initiating a court action to have a curator appointed to ensure the best interests of parentless children living in the church. The Methodist Church said he had done so without authority.
   Ultimately, the curator case was pursued by the Aids Law Project and not by Verryn, but Verryn was involved when it started. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:43 AM

• Church helps protect children from sexual abuse

  - Baptist.  
   WTVD,
   RALEIGH (NC), (WTVD) -- A Raleigh church is helping parents protect their children from sexual abuse after its own brush with a sexual predator.
   Providence Baptist Church brought in a psychologist to give parents warning signs to look for and common myths about sexual predators.
   Just a few years ago, youth volunteer Brian Goodrich, Jr. was convicted of molesting a boy who attended the church.
   Psychologist Kevin Baldwin says parents should keep an eye on people around their children. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:38 AM

• Diocese won't be holding fire sale

  - RCC.  
   The Chronicle-Herald, The Canadian Press, 4:53 AM, Mon. Jan 25, 2010
   SYDNEY, CANADA – The embattled Diocese of Antigonish has the assets to raise $18 million to compensate victims of sexual abuse, but the Roman Catholic Church will not engage in a "fire sale," a spokesman for the diocese says.
   Rev. Paul Abbass confirmed that parishes in the rural diocese have been told everything is on the auction block, with the exception of "core assets," including churches and their rectories.
   "We will not be putting our properties up just to get rid of them,"Abbass said. "In this market, whatever area it is, these are properties that we feel we can get fair value for." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:35 AM

• Jaipur Literature Fest: Nun-author has audience spellbound

  - RCC. Church Corruption and sexual abuse.  
   The Times of India
   JAIPUR, India: Sister Jesme was a wary woman when the English version of her controversial autobiography, ‘Amen: An Autobiography of a Nun' – an eye-opener on alleged corrupt practices within the Catholic Church – was launched last year. But at the Jaipur Literature Festival, she was a remarkably at-ease nun who, in a steady voice, read sections from her book where she detailed the sexual abuse she faced.
   C Meamy Raphael had been Sister Jesme for 33 years before she finally quit in August 2008. Now 53, she doesn't wear the habit anymore and appeared before a spellbound audience in a green salwar-kameez, gold bangle, chain and earrings and a mobile phone dangling from her neck. But she's still Sister Jesme. "I'm not an ex-nun. I am a nun," she declares confidently. "A girl can be a Sister even outside the convent," she says to spontaneous applause. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 25, 2010 7:30 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Mon January 25, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Tue January 26, 2010 edition:

• Investigation Into Alleged Violation Of Child Pornography Laws

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey -NEW*] - RCC. Internet child porn.  
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, ~ January 26, 2010
   NEW YORK -- Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has announced that Monsignor Michael Dempsey was placed on administrative leave. The Diocese of Brooklyn was recently informed by Monsignor Dempsey that federal law enforcement is investigating him for the violation of internet child pornography laws.
   In a letter to parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church, read at the Masses on the weekend (January 23-24), the Bishop said "You are undoubtedly aware of the deep suffering and hurt that surround any matter of child abuse, especially when allegations involve a member of the clergy. It can damage, often irreparably, the innocence, the trust and the reputations of all who are in any way affected by it.” Bishop DiMarzio said the Diocese is committed to fully cooperating with the authorities. Monsignor Dempsey, who served as the Executive Director of Pastoral Communications since 1978, is on administrative leave, meaning he may not perform public priestly ministry.
   Bishop DiMarzio’s letter to the parishioners was read by Monsignor Paul Sanchez, the Episcopal Vicar of Queens. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:51 PM

• Another victim claims sexual abuse against a former Fargo Priest

  [Br. Raimond Rose] - RCC. 3 victims so far.
   WDAY, By Jason Vincent, WDAY, ~ Jan 26, 2010
   FARGO (ND) -- This is the latest paperwork filed today against Brother Raimond Rose. A Fargo man has now stepped forward claiming Rose sexually abused him in the late 70's.
   Raimond Rose first came to the Fargo area in 1976. He worked for four years at Shanley High School as a teacher. This latest victim was one of his Shanley students. Paperwork filed today claims Rose abused Paul Mehl when he was 16 or 17 during a school trip to Bismarck.
   Mehl is the third case now filed against Rose in North Dakota, all claiming abuse that allegedly happened during overnight trips. The group "Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" says they've heard from up to 30 people from Fargo who could be victims. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:53 PM]

• Queens Priest Under Investigation For Child Pornography

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey*] - RCC. Internet child porn.
   NY1, with video, ~ January 26, 2010
   NEW YORK -- A Queens priest is under federal investigation for allegedly violating child pornography laws.
   Monsignor Michael Dempsey of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Forest Hills, seen above, was placed on administrative leave after the Brooklyn Diocese learned of the investigation.
   That means Dempsey cannot present himself as a priest, present sacraments, or wear his robe. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:47 PM

• Mondrowitz Extradition Ruling Raising Questions

  [≤ 1985 - 2006 Avrohom Mondrovich] - "Orthodox" Judaist. ≤ 1985 - 5 boys (9-13).    
   The Jewish Week, by Hella Winston, ~ January 26, 2010
   NEW YORK / ISRAEL -- The Israeli Supreme Court’s recent ruling that alleged child molester Avrohom Mondrowitz could not be extradited to the U.S. has generated strong reactions from child advocates here and in Israel, and raised questions from legal experts about both the ruling itself and how the case unfolded over the past 25 years.
   Yitzhak Kadman, president of the Israeli National Council for the Child, the oldest and largest children’s rights advocacy group in Israel, told The Jewish Week that "We are disappointed with the decision. We believe that it is sending [the] wrong message to people who are accused of such serious crimes [as the] sexual abuse of children.”
   Kadman added, "We believe that regardless of the question that Israel is and should be a shelter for every Jew in the world, the Law of Return [did not intend for] Israel to become a shelter for people who are pedophiles who are running from the court system in other countries.” Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:44 PM

• Third ND sex abuse lawsuit filed against priest, Fargo's Shanley and Catholic diocese

  [Bro. Raimond Rose (Christian Brother)] - RCC. 3rd victim.  
   Inforum, INFORUM, By Dave Roepke,
   NORTH DAKOTA -- A third lawsuit in North Dakota accusing a former teacher at Fargo’s Shanley High School of sex abuse was filed in Cass County District Court on Tuesday.
   The lawsuit claims that Brother Raimond Rose, on a school-sponsored overnight trip to Bismarck in 1978 or 1979, groped Paul Mehl while he was sleeping. Mehl, 48, of Fargo, was 17 years old or 16 years old at the time, according to the civil complaint.
   Rose, who was a Shanley religion teacher from 1976 to 1980, is listed as a defendant along with Shanley High School, the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, Bishop Samuel Aquila and the order to which Rose was a member, The Christian Brothers of the Midwest. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:42 PM

• Amish Couple Pleads Guilty to Sex Charges

  - Amish.
   KSPR, ~ Jan 26, 2010
   MISSOURI -- An Amish man pleaded guilty to child molestation on the same day his wife pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child.
   Johnny and Fannie Schwartz were arrested last October in Webster county for sexual abuse.
   They were shunned when church leaders found out about the abuse.
   Now four bishops are charged with not reporting the abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:38 PM

• Former pastor plans to appeal murder conviction

  [Matt Baker] - Baptist. Wife murdered.
   Associated Baptist Press, By Bob Allen, Tuesday, January 26, 2010
   WACO, Texas (ABP) -- A former Baptist preacher sentenced to 65 years for murdering his wife plans to appeal his conviction.
   Local media in Waco, Texas, reported that an attorney representing Matt Baker filed a notice of appeal with 19th State District Court Judge Ralph Strother Jan. 25. Strother, the judge who presided over Baker's Jan. 12-21 murder trial, appointed an attorney at McClennan County's expense to represent Baker in his appeal to the Texas 10th Court of Appeals.
   Two attorneys who represented Baker at the trial withdrew after the sentence was announced. One of the lawyers told media that his client lied to him, and he could not effectively represent someone he does not trust. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 4:19 PM

• Pa. man indicted for allegedly killing Chatham parish priest

  [1988, 2009 Oct Mr Jose Feliciano (64)] - Past offence, new charge.
   The Star-Ledger By Jim Lockwood / January 26, 2010
   CHATHAM BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY -- The former custodian of St. Patrick Church in Chatham was indicted today on charges of murdering the parish priest in October by stabbing him repeatedly with a knife.
   Jose Feliciano, 64, of Easton, Pa., is accused of murdering Rev. Edward Hinds, 61, in the parish rectory on Oct. 22, according to an indictment handed up by a grand jury in Morristown.
   The indictment also accuses Feliciano of first-degree robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and hindering his own apprehension, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a knife. ...
   Feliciano had been wanted in Philadelphia on a 1988 charge of indecent assault of a minor and had been using several false names and Social Security numbers over the years, authorities had said during his bail hearing in October. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 4:15 PM

• Key witness delivers bombshell in Morning Star Boys Ranch sex abuse trial

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   NWCN, with video, by KREM.com ,
   SPOKANE (WA) -- A key witness lays a bombshell before the jury in the child sexual abuse civil trial against the Morning Star Boys Ranch. The witness not only claims he was sexually abused at the ranch, but that the former director paid him $2,000 to keep the entire thing quiet.
   Michael Clarke was the subject of heated argument in court Monday. The Plaintiffs calls him the 'Rosetta Stone' of their case against Morning Star Ranch. Both sides presented their cases. Until recently, Clarke never told anyone about being a victim of abuse at Morning Star. Back in 2006, he told Morning Star attorneys he was not a victim. Today, he told a jury that was a lie.
   The lawsuit involves Kenny Putnam, who says he was sexually abused three times during his stay at Morning Star Ranch in the mid 1980's. In the late 1970's, Michael Clarke began a three year stay there. He claims former director Father Joe Weitenseiner sexually abused him up to 20 times at the ranch, on his boat and on camping trips. Decades later, he says Weitensteiner gave him a bribe as the ranch faced civil litigation. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 2:22 PM

• Three charges added to child pornography case against N.L. priest

  [2007, 2008, 2009 - Rev. Robin Barrett*] - Anglican (Church of England communion). Child pornography.  
   National Post,
   ST. JOHN'S, N.L., CANADA -- An Anglican priest who allegedly had sexually explicit pictures and video of children on his computer is facing more charges.
   Rev. Robin Barrett of Conception Bay South, near St. John's, was arrested last month on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography in relation to a police investigation in November 2009.
   On Tuesday, the Crown added three more charges -- one for possessing and distributing child pornography and two others for accessing child pornography stemming from alleged incidents in June 2007 and December 2009. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 12:23 PM

• Predator Franciscan describes years he ran Santa Barbara Boys Choir, 'A constant supply of attractive little boys' (5 pages scanned here)

  [Decades - Robert Van Handel (Franciscan)] - RCC. 150 boys (8-12).  
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling,
   CALIFORNIA -- While reading through his Probation Report, we scanned five pages from Sexual Autobiography of Robert Van Handel Pedophile Franciscan and posted them here, for our readers to click enlarge and read, as a preview of upcoming stories. These tight single-space typed memories cover the time Van Handel was Director of Santa Barbara Boys Choir, which, he writes "was clearly my choir, and the fulfillment of one of my fondest dreams.
   "Now I understand that it was also a constant supply of attractive little boys.” On these pages Van Handel talks his way through years of serial felonies. It's likely Van Handel molested 150 eight- to twelve-year-olds as director of the Santa Barbara Boys Choir, according to a letter from his own therapist to the Court in 1994. More in Santa Barbara Story Parts 9 and 10 coming soon.
   A lot of his words are offensive, people email me about R ratings, etc. We do not pull punches on purpose at City of Angels. If anyone is "offended," stop a moment and think. How offended are the people on the receiving end? By preventing yourself from looking at these crimes, you aid and abet their perpetuation, inadvertently. How can you know how to respond, how enraged and alarmed to be, if you don't know everything that happened? Looking at these shocking details is like a penance we all have to serve, to get rid of the sin, so to speak. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 12:16 PM

• Mingo teacher charged with abuse

  [2009, June - Pastor Johnny Ray Dempsey*] - Grace Truth Bible Center. Daughter (14).
   Charleston Daily Mail, January 25, 2010
   WEST VIRGINIA -- A Mingo County teacher has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a family member.
   Mingo Sheriff's Sgt. Joe Smith said Monday that Johnny Ray Dempsey, 36, of Delbarton was taken into custody Friday afternoon and charged with sexual abuse.
   Smith said Dempsey was a teacher at Tug Valley High School and Kermit Area School in Mingo County. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 11:11 AM

• Teacher, pastor jailed on sex charge

  [2009, June - Pastor Johnny Ray Dempsey*] - Grace Truth Bible Center. Daughter (14).
   Williamson Daily News, by JESSICA HATFIELD, ~ January 26, 2010
   WEST VIRGINIA -- The Mingo County Sheriffs arrested a teacher and pastor for sexual abuse on Friday.
   Johnny Ray Dempsey, was arrested for inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old juvenile daughter in June 2009.
   Dempsey was arrested on Friday, by Sgt. Joe Smith with the Mingo County Sheriffs Department. He was charged with sexual abuse by a parent and incest. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 11:09 AM

• Three more charges added to child pornography case of Anglican priest

  [2007, 2008, 2009 - Rev. Robin Barrett*] - Anglican. Child pornography.  
   The Telegram, BY ROSIE GILLINGHAM,
   CANADA -- A prominent Anglican priest who allegedly had sexually explicit pictures and video of young children on his computer is facing more charges.
   Rev. Robin Barrett of Conception Bay South was not in provincial court in St. John’s this morning when his case was called. He was represented by his lawyer, Doug Moores.
   Barrett, 50, was arrested last month on two charges – possessing and distributing child pornography in relation to material police found in November 2009. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 10:30 AM

• Landmarking battle between city, church heats up

  - RCC.  
   National Catholic Reporter (USA), By Michael O'Malley, Religion News Service, Jan. 26, 2010
   CLEVELAND (OH) -- Rebuffing the concerns of church leaders over the fate of shuttered church buildings, the city's Landmarks Commission is recommending that six more Catholic churches be designated as historical city landmarks.
   The designation, which would give the buildings some protection against demolition or structural changes, is opposed by the Diocese of Cleveland, which is in the midst of closing some 50 parishes.
   The City Council would need to adopt legislation to implement the Commission's recommendations, and in a letter sent to the commission and council members, the diocese called the proposals "extremely offensive." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 9:23 AM

• Bishop arrives in troubled times

  - RCC.  
   The Chronicle-Herald, By LAURA FRASER, Cape Breton Bureau, Tue. Jan 26, 2010
   CANADA -- As the eyes of the faithful turned toward Antigonish on Monday afternoon, New Waterford resident Albert Boudreau said the installation of a new bishop in the diocese will not wipe out the memories the parishioners hold of the last one.
   The child pornography charges against Bishop Raymond Lahey shocked much of Nova Scotia because they came to light just weeks after he brokered a historic $15-million settlement for victims sexually abused by priests from the diocese.
   Bishop Brian Dunn replaced him as head of the Diocese of Antigonish at a ceremonial mass Monday afternoon. He becomes the ninth bishop of the diocese.
   "He was being installed today, but I think it’s going to take a long while before people are happy (again) with the situation," Mr. Boudreau said. "They were very disappointed in what happened. I’m not too pleased about the whole situation." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 9:05 AM

• Salinas-based priest removed over 'spanking' allegation

  - RCC.  
   The Californian, BY SUNITA VIJAYAN, svijayan § thecalifornian com , January 26, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- A priest on loan to the Diocese of Monterey has been removed from his duties at a Salinas church after allegations surfaced last week that he had "overzealously spanked" a boy in Santa Rosa 36 years ago.
   The Rev. Ron Wiecek has been working in the Salinas Valley on behalf of the local Diocese for the past 20 years, said the Rev. Mike Miller, a priest at Sacred Heart Church in Salinas.
   For the past seven months Wiecek has served as the priest-in-residence at Sacred Heart, Miller said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 9:02 AM

• Bishop appointed for Austin

 
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin,
   Habemus episcopum! (We have a bishop!)
   AUSTIN (TX) -- Pope Benedict XVI has named Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as Bishop of the Diocese of Austin. Bishop Vásquez will be the fifth bishop of Austin and the first Mexican-American to lead the diocese.
   "I wish to thank Pope Benedict XVI for the confidence he has placed in me in naming me shepherd of the Diocese of Austin," he said. "I also offer prayers of gratitude this day for Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza and the priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese for forming me as a bishop. Most of all, I give thanks to God for the gift of priesthood, which has brought me such joy for 25 years. I trust in the Holy Spirit to enlighten me for this next step in my journey." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:59 AM

• Pope names Galveston-Houston bishop as head of Austin diocese

 
   Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston-Houston
   HOUSTON (TX) -- Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to be the fifth Bishop of Austin.
   The Holy Father’s decision was announced this morning by the Vatican. Bishop Vasquez will be installed as the Bishop of Austin on March 8.
   Bishop Vasquez, 52, has been an Auxiliary Bishop of Galveston-Houston for the last eight years. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:57 AM

• Houston-area auxiliary bishop to lead Austin diocese

 
   Houston Chronicle, By DALE LEZON, Jan. 26, 2010
   TEXAS -- Pope Benedict XVI this morning at the Vatican appointed Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to be the Bishop of Austin.
   Vasquez will be installed March 8 in Austin, according to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
   Vasquez, 52, succeeds Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who left the Diocese of Austin in June 2009 to be installed as the Archbishop of New Orleans. He will be the fifth Bishop of the Austin diocese and will shepherd 450,000 Catholics of Central Texas. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:42 AM

• OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

  - RCC.    
   Vatican Information Service, JAN 26, 2010
   VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, auxiliary of Galveston-Houston, U.S.A., as bishop of Austin (area 57,424, population 2,443,000, Catholics 437,000, priests 243, permanent deacons 198, religious 203), U.S.A. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:40 AM

• What Happens in Sex Rehab?

   
   Time,
   UNITED STATES -- The calls for Tiger Woods to get help did not go unheeded: on Jan. 16, after weeks of sordid allegations regarding his extramarital affairs, Radaronline.com reported that Woods had enrolled in the Gentle Path program at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, in Hattiesburg, Miss., to be treated for sex addiction. Local television stations later confirmed the story.
   Few people know what actually happens at sex rehab. While those who treat it say sex addiction is a disease like any other compulsion, the field is in its infancy: there is virtually no research on it compared to the vast resources on drug or alcohol addiction. "You look at ways that your behavior has made your life unmanageable. That's really the question," says Benoit Denizet-Lewis, author of America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life, who has been treated for sex addiction himself. "That often differentiates a sex addict from a nonsex addict." ...
   The first step in treatment of a sexual addiction is a full evaluation of a patient's history and any past trauma. "All the men I've worked with – and I've worked with thousands of them over the years – have some profound experience of abuse and/or neglect in childhood," says Weiss. Without addressing the underlying sexual, physical or emotional trauma that usually leads to addiction, there is little hope of ending it. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:29 AM

• Judge approves bankruptcy plan for Fairbanks diocese

  - RCC.    
   KTUU, by Channel 2 News staff, Monday, January 25, 2010
   ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A federal judge approved the bankruptcy reorganization plan for the Catholic bishop of Northern Alaska on Monday.
   The plan was accepted by creditors, including 256 of the 258 victims of sexual abuse by members of the Fairbanks diocese who voted on the plan. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:23 AM

• Dunn installed as Bishop of Antigonish

  - RCC.  
   The Chronicle-Herald, By MARY ELLEN MacINTYRE, Truro Bureau, Mon. Jan 25, 2010
   ANTIGONISH, CANADA – A simple ceremony Monday marked the installation of Bishop Brian Dunn as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish.
   In an age-old tradition, Bishop Dunn knocked three times on the door of St. Ninian’s Cathedral to claim his see. ...
   "The recent resignation of Bishop Lahey in the midst of the charges of possession of child pornography has created a scar on this diocese and on the whole church.
   "These charges take on further significance since Bishop Lahey was in the process of negotiating and implementing a legal settlement for survivors of child sexual abuse by priests in the diocese.
   "The whole situation has rocked the foundations of our faith and has immersed us in an atmosphere of distrust, suspicion and second-guessing.” Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:19 AM

• Embattled diocese in Antigonish, N.S., gets new bishop who vows to regain trust

  - RCC.
   The Canadian Press, ~ Jan 26, 2010
   ANTIGONISH, N.S., CANADA – Parishioners packed St. Ninian's Cathedral on Monday as Bishop Brian Dunn was installed during a special mass as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish.
   In his homily, Dunn addressed the controversy surrounding his predecessor, Raymond Lahey, who faces charges in Ottawa of possessing and importing child pornography.
   He said Lahey's resignation created a scar on the diocese and the entire Roman Catholic Church. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:17 AM

• Calling out media’s liberal apologists

  - Sex offender in a school.  
   The Daily Caller, By Mark Judge, Jan/26/10
   WASHINGTON (DC) -- When did journalists become such pathetic cowards? Although hacks have always pushed their personal biases, it wasn’t that long ago that they would often challenge those biases when faced with facts. In 1970, Rolling Stone magazine won a National Magazine Award for its unsparing coverage of the hippie apocalypse at Altamont; the citation credited the hippie journal for "challenging the shared assumptions of its readers.” Republican Bob Woodward smoked out Watergate. Jazz writer Nat Hentoff was pro-choice until 1984, when he discovered the euthanizing of a child with Down syndrome. ...
   This liberal censorship has consequences, and not only for the honor and honesty of the reporters. It can affect their very jobs, making them miss scoops. I know this from personal experience. On April 26, 2006, the Washington Post published a story about sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. The abuse had taken place at Georgetown Preparatory School, one of the oldest Catholic high schools in America.
   However, in the article, reporter Michelle Boorstein had left out a particularly striking fact. Georgetown Prep had not only employed Fr. Gary Orr, the accused priest–who promptly left the priesthood even if he avoided jail–but Bernie Ward. Ward is a former socialist radio talk show host who is now serving a prison term for trafficking in child pornography. Ward had taught sex education at Georgetown Prep in the early 1980s, then went to San Francisco where he became a socialist version of Rush Limbaugh (without the ratings, of course). As early as 1978, Ward had been accused of sexual misconduct around students, and in 2007 he was convicted of distributing child pornography. He is now serving a sentence of seven-plus years. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:13 AM

• Witness says he was paid to keep quiet

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   The Spokesman-Review, by Kevin Graman,
   WASHINGTON -- A former resident of Morning Star Boys’ Ranch told a Superior Court jury on Monday that he was repeatedly abused by the ranch’s director more than 30 years ago and that the director paid him money years later to keep it quiet.
   Earlier, outside the presence of the jury, Michael A. Clarke, 44, denied ever grooming and procuring other boys for the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, an allegation raised last week in the first of 19 separate lawsuits against Morning Star.
   Before Clarke was permitted to appear in front of the jury, Judge Kathleen O’Connor heard his entire testimony and ruled part of what he had to say admissible in the case of Kenneth Putnam, a former Morning Star resident who claims to have been abused by Weitensteiner and a ranch counselor a decade after Clarke was there. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:10 AM

• Unable to write a wrong

  [Bishop John McCormack] - RCC.
   The Boston Globe, By Kevin Cullen, Globe Columnist / January 26, 2010
   RHODE ISLAND -- Bill O’Donnell is a Boston guy. He was born in Bay Village before it was called Bay Village. He lived in Boston for years. But his wife, Jean, is a Rhode Island girl, and so they live in Woonsocket.
   One of Bill O’Donnell’s simple pleasures is sitting in his living room every week and reading the Rhode Island Catholic, the diocesan newspaper. A couple of weeks ago, he found himself reading a column about the importance of a Catholic education, written by a certain Bishop John B. McCormack.
   "I did a double take," he said. "I didn’t think it could be that John McCormack."
   Oh, it was. It was the same John McCormack who, when he was in charge of personnel in the Archdiocese of Boston, treated complaints about priests who sexually abused kids with the same level of concern as you would complaints about kids throwing snowballs. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:06 AM

• Plymouth priest under investigation in sexual assault dies

  [Fr Kenneth LeBlanc] - Now dead.  
   The Boston Globe, By John M. Guilfoil / January 26, 2010
   PLYMOUTH (MA) -- A Catholic priest who had been on administrative leave from a parish in Plymouth since February 2009 and had been under investigation in the alleged sexual assault of girls nearly three decades ago, has died.
   On a personal website last year, a woman accused the Rev. Kenneth A. LeBlanc of assaulting her and other girls at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Wakefield 30 years ago.
   The Archdiocese of Boston placed LeBlanc on administrative leave from St. Peter’s Church in Plymouth, where he had been the pastor. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 8:03 AM

• Bishop of Fairbanks diocese starts reconciliation mission

  - RCC.    
   News-Miner, by Mary Beth Smetzer / msmetzer § newsminer com ,
   FAIRBANKS (AK) – For Bishop Donald Kettler, Monday’s bankruptcy settlement is taking him on a continuing journey he began in August 2002 when he was ordained the fifth bishop of the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese.
   Kettler’s appointment came 22 months after the death of the Most Rev. Michael Kaniecki in 2000 and when the Catholic sexual abuse cases were just being publicly filed.
   In a 2002 interview, the former Sioux Falls, S.D. parish priest and canon lawyer said he had just six hours to accept or reject the vacant Fairbanks bishopric. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:59 AM

• Shining light on abuse

  - Book Breach of Faith shows RC clergy abusing for centuries.  
   Chatham Daily News, Posted By ERICA BAJER,
   CANADA -- Local author Jim Gilbert discovered sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy is a tragedy dating back centuries.
   Another tragedy he realized while researching his new book was the misconception many people, including himself, have about the depth of pain, shame and humiliation suffered by the victims.
   He hopes his book, Breach of Faith, Breach of Trust -- The Story of Lou Ann Soontiens, Father Charles Sylvestre and Sexual Abuse Within the Catholic Church, shines a light on the toll abuse takes on victims and on the church itself. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 7:55 AM @@@@@

• Judge approves revision of Fairbanks Diocese bankruptcy plan

  - RCC.    
   News-Miner by Mary Beth Smetzer / msmetzer § newsminer com ,
   FAIRBANKS (AK) -- The third revision of the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese’s bankruptcy plan was approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Donald McDonald at a Monday morning hearing in Anchorage
   The diocese sought protection under Chapter 11 in March 2008 after multiple sexual abuse claims were lodged against Catholic clerics and volunteers across the northern Alaska diocese.
   The most recent revision has the consent the Creditors Committee and all but two of the 290 sexual abuse victims it represents. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 12:56 AM

• Alaska diocese will pay $10 million for abuse

 
   Anchorage Daily News, By LISA DEMER, ldemer § adn com
   FAIRBANKS (AK) -- The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is emerging from bankruptcy under a plan that will provide nearly $10 million -- and maybe much more -- to sexual abuse victims, send the bishop traveling to parishes where abuse occurred, and put names of suspected abusers on the diocese Web site.
   Under the plan for reorganization, $9.8 million will go into a fund for more than 250 victims. Another $2.5 million is going to lawyers, accountants and other professionals. Payments to individuals will be decided case-by-case by a mediator, depending on a variety of factors including the nature and severity of abuse, the age of the victim at the time it started, and whether the perpetrator was in a position of trust.
   U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Donald MacDonald approved the plan at a hearing Monday morning in Anchorage. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 26, 2010 12:50 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Tue January 26, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Wed January 27, 2010 edition:

• O'Mahony denies cover-up of abuse

   
   RTE News, Wednesday, January 27, 2010
   IRELAND -- Bishop Dermot O'Mahony, who was sanctioned by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for his response to clerical child abuse, has rejected the suggestion that abuse was covered up.
   In a letter to the priests of the diocese, the former Dublin auxiliary - who retired in 1996 - also says that Dr Martin is 'unfair' when he describes the management of cases as 'inexcusable'.
   Last November's Murphy Report said: 'Doctor O'Mahony's handling of complaints and suspicions of child sexual was particularly bad.' [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 5:18 PM]

• Martin criticised for lack of support

 
   The Irish Times, By JAMIE SMYTH, Social affairs correspondent,
   IRELAND -- A former Dublin auxiliary bishop has strongly criticised Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, claiming he failed to support priests in the Dublin diocese following publication of the Murphy report into clerical child sex abuse.
   Bishop Dermot O’Mahony, auxiliary bishop emeritus, has also called on priests to challenge the acceptance by media and current diocese policy that the church engaged in a "cover-up” of child sex abuse over several decades.
   "The archbishop did nothing to counteract the statement of the Murphy report, widely circulated in the media, that the majority of clergy knew and did nothing. Indeed, I feel he made matters worse by giving an example of a parish that could be clearly identifiable to the priests of the diocese,” wrote Dr O’Mahony in letters sent to Dr Martin and the Council of Priests in recent weeks. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 4:56 PM

• Since When did the OC Register Take Writing Lessons from the Diocese of Orange?

  [Jeff Andrade, Eleuterio Ramos, Michael Harris, Tom Hodgman] - RCC.  
   Orange County Weekly, By Gustavo Arellano, ~ January 27, 2010
   ORANGE COUNTY (CA) – Ever since the Catholic Diocese of Orange has employed boy-diddlers and girl-rapists, the official party line has always been this, a party line swallowed whole by its apologists: when it came to teenagers molested by its employees, it wasn't rape -- it was a relationship. That's the sh*t diocesan lawyers and the rest of Bishop Tod D. Brown's flunkies used against the victims of Jeff Andrade, Eleuterio Ramos, Michael Harris, Tom Hodgman, and all of its pedophiles.
   I guess Brownie is now the writing-style editor at the Orange County Register. Not only did reporter Jon Cassidy reveal a sex-abuse victim's name without their permission in a story published yesterday (the victim was molested while working at Starbucks as a 16-year-old), not only did Cassidy not speak to the victim's lawyer (Newport Beach-based John Manly, who has given the Orange diocese holy hell and likes the media spotlight like Brownie likes purple), but then Cassidy had the audacity to refer to the victim's ordeal as a "sexual relationship." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 3:01 PM

• Retired Dublin auxiliary raps Archbishop Martin's handling of sex-abuse controversy

  - Bishop says Archbishop never issued draft apology.  
   Catholic Culture, January 27, 2010
   IRELAND -- A retired auxiliary bishop of Dublin severely criticizes the city’s current Catholic leader, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, in letters that have been obtained by the weekly Irish Catholic newspaper. Bishop Dermot O’Mahony complains that Archbishop Martin failed to defend the bishops and priests of Ireland against charges that they engaged in a "cover-up” of sexual abuse. The retired bishop charges that Archbishop Martin–who was working at the Vatican during the years covered by the Murphy Commission report–was "unfair” in his criticisms.
   Bishop O’Mahony took special exception to the new archbishop’s complaint that he–Bishop O’Mahony–had never apologized to the victims of sexual abuse. The retired bishop said that he had written an apology, but the Dublin archdiocese never made it public. A spokesman for the archdiocese confirmed that Archbishop Martin was aware of the apology letter. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 2:58 PM

• America: The Irish dumping ground

  - RCC.      
   Piety, Inc., January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) -- The Diocese of Boston has for the first time confirmed that several priests with records of sexual abuse complaints were transferred to the United States.
   For the first time, the Boston Archdiocese has confirmed that some abusive priests with ties to Ireland worked in Boston. An Irish government report last year outlined rampant clergy sex abuse in Ireland, but the Boston Archdiocese has never before acknowledged that any of those priests worked here. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:47 PM

• Memoirs of a pedophile

  [Robert van Handel]  
   Piety, Inc., ~ January 27, 2010
   CALIFORNIA -- City of Angels has published several pages of the sexual autobiography of Robert van Handel, a convicted pedophile priest, prepared in connection with his probation bid. Not for the faint-hearted. A snippet of one of the pages is reproduced below. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:44 PM

• Archdiocese Says Accused Irish Priests Were Transferred To Boston; SNAP responds

  - RCC. 4 suspected seducers were welcomed by Boston.
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests Statement by Barbara Dorris, National Outreach Director 314 862 7688; January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) -- This is an outrage. Cardinal O'Malley has basically morphed into his predecessor and become 'Cardinal Law Lite.' Shame on him for hiding from Catholics and citizens the news that at least four credibly accused Irish pedophile priests were welcomed into the Boston archdiocese. Shame on him for belatedly disclosing this only under pressure. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:38 PM]

• Music director says she was told to resign for comments on status of women in Catholic Church

 
   Washington Post, By Michelle Boorstein, Wednesday, January 27, 2010
   FAIRFAX (VA) -- The music director at a traditional Catholic parish in Fairfax says her pastor demanded her resignation after she was quoted in a Washington Post article sympathizing with the women's ordination movement -- an assertion he denies.
   In an e-mail to the dozens of musicians she led at St. Leo the Great, Sylvia Mulherin, a former nun, wrote that although she is not part of the small movement of people pushing for women to be priests, she believes "women have not achieved true equality in the Church and this fact deserves further consideration by the Church's leadership. This position is apparently unacceptable in the Diocese of Arlington." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:20 PM

• Church: 3 accused Irish priests served in Boston

       
   Daily Comet, The Associated Press, Published: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) -- The Boston archdiocese says three Irish priests accused of sexually abusing children in the United States once served within the archdiocese, but were not the subject of any allegations during their time in Boston.
   The group BishopAccountability.org called on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to release the names of credibly-accused Irish priests who served in the archdiocese. The request followed an Irish government report revealing that Dublin church leaders shielded pedophile priests.
   In a statement, first reported by WBUR-FM, the archdiocese said Brendan Smyth, Dennis Murphy and Joseph Maguire served here for periods ranging from two days to four years. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:16 PM

• Three priests in Irish sex abuse scandal spent time in Boston

  - RCC.
   The Boston Globe, By Milton J. Valencia, 12:49 PM, January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced today that three priests named in the clergy sex abuse scandal in Ireland previously served in Massachusetts, but said no allegations were made that they had abused anyone while they were here.
   The archdiocese said a fourth priest from Ireland -- who was not named in the Irish scandal -- is being investigated for an alleged abuse that occurred here 30 years ago.
   The disclosure comes as the archdiocese announced the formation of an Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection, a merger of several child advocacy and background screening departments, to better document and safeguard against child abuse. The church also has established an Office of Professional Standards and Oversight . Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 1:13 PM

• Archdiocese admits it welcomed abusive Irish priests, including one in Waltham

  [Frs Brendan Smyth and Joseph Maguire] - RCC.      
   Daily News Tribune Posted Jan 27, 2010
   WALTHAM, U.S.A. – Two child sex abuse victims and two experts on the clergy sex abuse crisis - who run Waltham-based BishopAccountability.org - will be outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1400 Washington St., Boston, today at 1 p.m. to discuss a WBUR news report this morning that revealed that the Boston archdiocese admitted that it allowed Ireland’s most notorious pedophile priest, Rev. Brendan Smyth, to work in the Boston area.
   It also allowed Rev. Joseph Maguire, a convicted sexual offender who died in a New Hampshire prison in 2005, to live in Walthan.
   After working in the US, Smyth was brought back to Ireland and convicted in the 1990s of child sex crimes. In his 40-year priesthood, he reportedly raped and abused hundreds of boys and girls in both Ireland and the US. Mishandling of his case essentially brought down the Irish government in 1994. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 11:59 AM

• Third Amended Diocesan Reorganization Plan and Disclosures Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska

  - RCC.    
   BishopAccountability.org , from the cover letter, ~ Jan 27, 2010
   {Note from BishopAccountability.org: This page provides the third amended reorganization documents that were approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Donald MacDonald on January 25, 2010.}
   FAIRBANKS (AK) -- Dear Claimants and Other Creditors,
   We are approaching an important milestone in a long reorganization process. As you probably know, with the assistance of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, we have filed a "Joint Third Amended and Restated Plan of Reorganization," which I will call the "joint plan." The joint plan, proposed and supported by the Committee and by us, will allow us to conclude many legal and financial aspects of the reorganization case. It will also allow us to move forward with you toward closure, reconciliation, and healing.
   I am so pleased we have found common ground with the Committee, and I look forward to the process of mending the torn fabric of our faith communities and villages. This can only be made possible if you vote in favor of the joint plan, and I request that you do so using the ballot enclosed with the packet you are receiving with this letter. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 11:31 AM

• Archdiocese Says Accused Irish Priests Were Transferred To Boston

  - RCC.      
   WBUR, By DEBORAH BECKER, Published January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) – For the first time, the Boston Archdiocese has confirmed that some priests who were accused of sexual abuse in Ireland were then transferred to Boston. An Irish government report last year outlined rampant clergy sex abuse in Ireland, but the Boston Archdiocese has never before acknowledged that any of those priests worked here.
   The Archdiocese released a statement Tuesday saying that three accused priests from Ireland did, at one time, work in the Boston Archdiocese. It only named the priests, without giving further information about where or when they worked here. But the Archdiocese did say it was unaware of any abuse accusations against the three men and that no similar allegations were made against them in Boston.
   Terry McKiernan, with the group bishopaccountability.org, wants more details about the priests. "It’s a bit of surprise and not really a surprise,” McKiernan said. "It seems to me a shame that this is still the way things are working. Surely the Boston Archdiocese by now should know it needs to come forward, it needs to come clean about situations like this.” Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 8:27 AM

• Update From The Archdiocese of Boston Relating To Accused Irish Priests

 
   Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, ~ January 27, 2010
   BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS -- In response to the tragic news from Ireland, and the recent publication of names of Irish-born priests accused of sexual misconduct and served in the United States, the Archdiocese of Boston today provided the following information:
   "Our hearts and prayers go out to those in Ireland who have been harmed by the tragic reality of sexual abuse of children by clergy. We know from our own experience the profound impact and suffering caused by the harm perpetrated on children and young people. Over the past decade, we have worked diligently to respond to this crisis and ensure it is never repeated. We remain committed to doing everything in our power to protect children from the threat of sexual abuse.
   Among our comprehensive policies and procedures in place to assure the protection of children, we immediately notify law enforcement of all allegations received and publicly disclose, through press releases and Archdiocesan web site postings, when an accused priest is removed from active ministry or convicted, either criminally or canonically. Furthermore, prior to any priest from another jurisdiction being granted faculties to serve in the Archdiocese of Boston, Archdiocesan officials receive assurances from the priest's Bishop that the priest is fit for ministry and specifically confirms that he has not been the subject of any allegation of any inappropriate behavior concerning children. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 8:24 AM

• Monsignor placed on leave amid child porn accusations

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey*] - RCC. Internet child porn.  
   WABC, ~ January 27, 2010
   FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK, (WABC) -- Allegations of child pornography are shaking up the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.
   Monsignor Michael Dempsey has been placed on administrative leave, meaning he may not perform public priestly ministry.
   The diocese acknowledges Dempsey is under federal investigation for violating child porn laws. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 8:19 AM

• Priest acquitted of sexually assaulting Louth teenager

  [1981-82 Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72)] - RCC. "Acquitted." Girl (13-14).    
   Dundalk Democrat, By Tamara O'Connell, January 27, 2010
   IRELAND -- A PRIEST accused of sexually assaulting a Co Louth teenager has been acquitted by direction of the trial judge after he ruled that the inadmissibility of the woman's psychiatric notes was prejudicial to the defence.
   The Co Louth woman, who is now aged 42, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court she was abused between 13 and 14 years old in 1981 and 1982.
   However, Fr Maeliosa O Hauallachain (72) of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault between July 1981 and August 1982. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 8:16 AM

• Sandy Cook Appeal Advances At Supreme Court

  [1980s-90s Rev. Sandy Cook*]- Church of God. Boys.  
   WCHS, ~ January 27, 2010
   WEST VIRGINIA -- A former Kanawha County pastor convicted of sexually abusing teenage boys over nearly two decades is asking for a revisiting of his case.
   Attorney Jim Cagle, argued the motions before the state Supreme Court on Tuesday. Several grown men testified against Sandy Cook, claiming they were sexually abused by him when they were young boys. Some of the accusations dated from the late 80’s and early 90’s.
   Cook was convicted last February on charges of sexual abuse by a guardian and third degree sexual assault. He had denied all of the charges and took the stand in his own defense. The crimes happened while he was pastor at the Shrewsbury Church of God. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 7:53 AM

• Former Pastor Appeals Sex Abuse Conviction

  [1980s-90s Rev. Sandy Cook] - Church of God. Boys.
   The State Journal, Story by Jeff Pullin, ~ Jan 27, 2010
   CHARLESTON (WV) -- The West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals has confirmed that it will hear the case of a Kanawha County pastor who was convicted of molesting several minors in the 1990s.
   In February 2009, Sandy Cook was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual abuse involving teenage boys that attended Shrewsbury Church of God.
   Tuesday, Cook's attorney argued the motions for an appeal before the Supreme Court and the high court rule in favor of hearing the entire appeal. No word on a hearing date, although the case will be heard sometime later this year. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 7:50 AM

• New bishop faces challenge

  - RCC,  
   The Chronicle-Herald Wed. Jan 27, 2010
   CANADA -- GIVEN the circumstances, the installation of the new Bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish on Monday was both appropriately low key and, in Bishop Brian Dunn’s remarks, painfully forthright about the depth of the hurt caused by the scandals that have rocked the faith of many in the local Catholic community.
   Bishop Dunn, to his credit, didn’t mince words about the task before him. The lawsuits for sexual abuse of children by diocese priests that will cost the Church perhaps $18 million to settle, and the subsequent criminal charges brought against his predecessor, Bishop Raymond Lahey, for possession of child pornography, have left an "atmosphere of distrust, suspicion and second guessing" that he will attempt to heal, Bishop Dunn said. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 27, 2010 7:47 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Wed January 27, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu January 28, 2010 edition:

• Apology over sex abuse by Jesuit priests

  [1975-83 Two teachers -NEW* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).  
   The Irish Times from DEREK SCALLY in Berlin, January 29, 2010
   GERMANY -- THE RECTOR of an elite Jesuit school in Berlin has apologised to former students who were sexually abused by two teachers three decades ago.
   Pastor Klaus Mertes of Canisius College in central Berlin wrote a letter to some 600 students who attended the school between 1975 and 1989, requesting that other abuse victims come forward.
   "It was with deep shock and shame that I learned of these revolting, systematic assaults,” he wrote in a letter of apology, published in yesterday’s Berliner Morgenpost newspaper. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 9:07 PM]

• Sieben Missbrauchsopfer namentlich bekannt

  [Machine translation: Seven abuse victims in particular admits] [1975-83 Two teachers* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).  
   Berliner Morgenpost, ~ January 28, 2010
   GERMANY -- An dem von Jesuiten betriebenen katholischen Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin-Tiergarten sind über Jahre hinweg Schüler von Lehrern sexuell missbraucht worden. Rektor Pater Klaus Mertes hatte das in einem Brief an mehr als 600 ehemalige Schüler mitgeteilt. Nun ermittelt die Polizei.
   Am von Jesuiten geführten Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin sind Schüler jahrelang von Patres sexuell missbraucht worden. Bislang seien sieben Opfer namentlich bekannt, sagte Rektor Klaus Mertes am Donnerstag. Erzählungen von Schülern ließen den Schluss zu, dass es zugleich eine Dunkelziffer gebe.
   Nach seinen Angaben passierten die Übergriffe wahrscheinlich zwischen 1975 und 1983. Die namentlich bekannten Täter seien nicht mehr an dem privaten Gymnasium tätig und hätten den Jesuitenorden bereits Ende der 80er-Jahre verlassen. Beide seien offenbar sehr beliebt gewesen. Die Opfer waren laut Mertes zum Tatzeitpunkt zwischen 13 und 16 Jahren alt.
   [summary] GERMANY -- So far seven victims of sexual abuse at the Jesuit-run Canisius College have been identified and the school is asking any other victims to come forward.
   The rector believes the attacks happened between 1976 and 1983 and the known perpetrators are no longer working at the private school. The victims were between ages of 13 and 16.
   Berlin police have launched an investigation, a spokeswoman said Thursday. However, law bars prosecution of a serious sexual offense after 10 years.However if the victim is a minor when the crimes were committee, the deadline is when they reach age 18. The known victims would now be about 40 years old, according to the rector. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 9:11 PM]

• Bishop Vasquez speaks on papal appointment

  - RCC. SNAP says transferred bishop not fast enough.  
   KTRK, with video, by Elissa Rivas, ~ January 28, 2010
   HOUSTON (TX) , (KTRK) -- An auxiliary bishop with the Galveston-Houston archdiocese is moving on to lead the Austin diocese and now we're hearing from Bishop Joe S. Vasquez about his new appointment.
   The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston made official its announcement this morning that Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Vasquez is heading to Austin. ...
   While leaders in our archdiocese have praised the appointment, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the organization called SNAP, said in an online statement that it was disappointed because it doesn't feel like the archdiocese has always responded quickly enough in recent years to allegations of abuse, and that Bishop Vasquez was part of the church's leadership that should have stepped up.
   As for the bishop, he stands behind all the decisions made by the archdiocese and says a review board is in place to properly handle abuse complaints. He'll be installed as the new bishop of Austin on March 8th. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:08 PM

• Sackcloth and Ashes: Portland Priests and Parishioners do Penance for abuse

  - Badge of penance for RCC's sins.
   The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing, by Virginia Jones, ~ January 28, 2010
   OREGON -- Ann Czuba kept thinking about how the King of Ninevah ordered the people of his kingdom to wear Sack Cloth and Ashes when Jonah told him they had sinned against God. Ann is a gentle, white haired grandmother who attends Madeleine parish in Portland, Oregon. When she read newspaper articles about clergy abuse survivors, she recognized their deep pain and anger. It seemed to her that many survivors felt Catholics didn’t care about them. Ann cared deeply although no member of her family had ever been abused by a priest.
   Ann prayed about what to do. Inspired by the Book of Jonah, she designed the Sack Cloth Penance Patch -- a two inch square piece of frayed burlap with a brown ribbon sewed to the center and a safety pin sewed to the underside. Burlap was as close as Ann could get to sackcloth. She intended for Catholics to wear the patch as a visible symbol -- a psychological penance rather than a physical one. She also understood that many survivors are uncomfortable identifying themselves in public.
   She hoped the Penance Patch could reach out to clergy abuse survivors anonymously to say, "I’m sorry we hurt you; I am praying for you.” Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:05 PM

• Haiti Boys' School Founder Charged in More Sex Abuse Allegations

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   NBC Connecticut, By LEANNE GENDREAU, ~ January 28, 2010
   CONNECTICUT -- The founder of a boys’ school in Haiti has been charged with sexually abusing 18 boys in the country between 1998 and 2008.
   Douglas Perlitz, 39, a former Connecticut man and the founder and director of Project Pierre Toussaint, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, was arrested on Sept. 16 and has been detained since. On Thursday, more charges were added.
   Perlitz began traveling to Haiti in 1991 for a volunteer mission and was inspired to start a school to help the many street children in the poverty-ravaged area, according to the grand jury indictment. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 5:42 PM

• Perlitz Faces Nine Additional Charges

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys. 
   Fairfield Mirror, By: Chris Simmons, January 28, 2010
   CONNECTICUT -- Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced "a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment today charging Douglas Perlitz with additional counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of several boys in Haiti,” in a press release today.
   The superseding indictment charges Perlitz, a Fairfield alumnus who graduated in 1992, with nine counts of traveling outside of the United States with the intent to engage in sexual conduct with persons under the age of 18, and 10 counts of engaging in sexual conduct in foreign places with persons under the age of 18. The alleged activity occurred between 1998 and 2008.
   Perlitz has been detained since Sept. 16, 2009 after the original Bridgeport grand jury indicted Perlitz on ten counts of related to the alleged abuse of nine boys. The superseding indictment adds nine counts and references an additional nine alleged victims. He is currently being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Federal Detention Facility in Central Falls, R.I. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 5:39 PM

• Haitian Charity's Founder Faces More Sex Abuse Charges

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.
   The Hartford Courant, By EDMUND H. MAHONY, ~ Jan 28, 2010
   CONNECTICUT -- Federal prosecutors said Thursday that they now have evidence that the Connecticut founder of an internationally known residential charity for children in Haiti sexually abused nearly twice as many poor and homeless boys as originally suspected.
   A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned a new indictment Thursday against Douglas Perlitz, 39, accusing him of traveling to Haiti and engaging in sexual conduct with 18 minor boys. When he was originally charged in September, Perlitz was charged with crimes associated with 10 boys.
   Perlitz is accused of assaulting the children between 1998 and 2008 and then trying to block various investigations after the allegations became public in 2007. Federal investigators said Perlitz tried to buy off victims and conceal computer records. He has been denied bail and locked up since his arrest Sept. 16. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 5:34 PM

• Man charged with abusing more boys at Haiti school

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.    
   Denver Post, By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writer,
   NEW HAVEN, Conn.–A Colorado man charged with sexually abusing boys at a school he founded for street children in Haiti faces new charges that raise the number of alleged victims to 18.
   Authorities accuse Douglas Perlitz of enticing children at the Project Pierre Toussaint school in Cap-Haitien into sex acts by promising them food, shelter, cash, cell phones, electronics and shoes. They say he also withheld benefits and threatened to expel the boys if they refused his wishes. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 5:31 PM

• Essener Priester unter Missbrauchsverdacht

  [2009 Dec 26 - Father A. -NEW*] - RCC. Minor.  
   Der Westen, ~ Jan 28, 2010
   ESSEN, GERMANY -- Die Staatsanwaltschaft Essen wirft dem Essener Domkapitular Rainer A. sexuellen Missbrauch zum Nachteil eines 16-Jährigen vor. Ruhrbischof Franz-Josef Overbeck hat den 66-jährigen Priester von allen seinen Diensten beurlaubt.
   „Wir haben den Erlass eines Strafbefehls beantragt", bestätigte Oberstaatsanwalt Wilhelm Kassenböhmer das Verfahren. Weder Staatsanwalt noch Bistum machten am Donnerstag aber Angaben zur Person. Die Tat ereignete sich einen Tag nach Weihnachten in der Wohnung des Geistlichen. „Aber das war nicht der typische Fall: Priester missbraucht Kind", sagt Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, Rechtsbeistand von Rainer A.
   [summary] ESSEN, GERMANY -- Prosecutors allege that an Essen priest named Rainer A. has abused a 16-year-old. Bishop Franz-Joseph Overbeck said the 66-year-old priest has been put on leave.
   The attack on the youth is said to have happened the day after Christmas at the priest's house. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 3:35 PM

• Confirmed: Priests accused of abuse in Ireland spent time in Boston

  - RCC.      
   NECN, with video, by Ally Donnelly, Jan 28,2010
   BOSTON, Mass. -- Officials with the Boston Archdiocese say three Irish priests accused of sexually abusing children had served within the Archdiocese. Victims advocates say the church is not living up to its promise to be more transparent.
   Helen McGonigle can't help but get emotional when she talks about the sexual abuse she says she suffered at the hands of convicted pedophile priest Brendan Smyth. The Connecticut lawyer says it happened when she was a first grader at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
   "He told me his finger was the finger of God and if I told anybody about what happened I'd end up like the body in the woods."
   Victims advocates say Smyth is just one of many pedophile priests from Ireland who sought sanctuary in the United States. Last year, the Irish government released a report detailing wide spread abuse of children. After returning to his home country, Smyth eventually pled guilty to nearly 100 counts of sexual abuse of dozens of Irish children. He died in prison shortly after his conviction in 1997. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 3:31 PM

• Today in Court: A Priest, a Stripper, and a Custody Battle

  [Fr David Dueppen] - RCC.  
   Miami New Times, By Natalie O'Neill in NewsThu., Jan. 28 2010
   MIAMI (FL) -- Fidgeting in his gray suit coat, disgraced priest David Dueppen told a judge this morning he wants custody of his one year-old daughter. He claims the baby's mother -- a former Porky's stripper named Beatrice Hernandez -- has a criminal record and "ambushed" him using the media. Now, he says, she won't let him see his kid.
   "We all know he violated his vow of celibacy but we don't want that to be the focus of this case," says lawyer Ray Rafool. "My client is desperate to see his child."
   Hernandez sat on the left side of the courtroom, legs crossed, with no lawyer. When family court judge Bernard S. Shapiro suggested she take notes, she explained she is illiterate. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:39 PM

• Diocese of Rockville Center Plans Staff Cuts

  - RCC plans 25% job cuts.
   WPIX with video,
   ROCKVILLE CENTER, N.Y. (WPIX) - A lot of Catholic school teachers on Long Island are praying to keep their jobs. The diocese of Rockville Centre is getting ready to cut 1,500 positions.
   "It's upsetting," Jen Trotta, a mother with four children in the Catholic School system, told PIX News.
   Since the collection plates have been light in this struggling economy, the diocese of Rockville Centre is looking to cut about a quarter of its workforce. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:34 PM

• 1,500 Workers in L.I. Diocese Will Receive Buyout Offers

   
   The New York Times, {letter from Bishop Murphy}, By PAUL VITELLO, Published: January 26, 2010
   ROCKVILLE CENTRE (NY) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre plans to offer buyouts to 1,500 of its 6,000 employees next month as part of a cost-cutting plan to save its schools and parishes amid stagnant revenue and rising demand for charitable services, church officials said Tuesday.
   Officials would not say how many jobs they ultimately planned to eliminate in the sprawling Long Island diocese, which has 1.3 million Catholics in 133 parishes across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
   They said that many of the jobs cut would be parish-level positions like outreach workers, maintenance staff, nonunionized elementary school teachers and parish administrators, while about 50 jobs would be created at diocesan headquarters in Rockville Centre for a new Office of Parish Administrative Services. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:25 PM

• So entschuldigt sich der Rektor für den Missbrauch

  [1975-83 Two teachers* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).  
   Welt
   GERMANY -- Am Berliner Canisius-Kolleg haben in den 1970er- und 80er-Jahren Lehrer in großem Umfang Schüler sexuell missbraucht. Der heutige Rektor des Jesuiten-Gymnasiums, Pater Klaus Mertes, wandte sich deshalb in einem Brief an rund 600 Schüler der betroffenen Jahrgänge. So lautet der Brief im Wortlaut:
   „Liebe ehemalige Schülerinnen und Schüler,
   in den vergangenen Jahren haben sich mehrere von Ihnen bei mir gemeldet, um sich mir gegenüber als Opfer von sexuellem Missbrauch durch einzelne Jesuiten am Canisius-Kolleg zu erkennen zu geben. Die Spur der Missbräuche zieht sich durch die 70er Jahre hindurch bis in die 80er Jahre hinein. Mit tiefer Erschütterung und Scham habe ich diese entsetzlichen, nicht nur vereinzelten, sondern systematischen und jahrelangen Übergriffe zur Kenntnis genommen. Es gehört auch zur Erfahrung der Opfer, dass es im Canisius-Kolleg und im Orden bei solchen, die eigentlich eine Schutzpflicht gegenüber den betroffenen Opfern gehabt hätten, ein Wegschauen gab. Allein schon deswegen gehen die Missbräuche nicht nur Täter und Opfer an, sondern das ganze Kolleg, sowohl die Schule als auch die verbandliche Jugendarbeit. Aus demselben Grund bitte ich hiermit zunächst alle betroffenen ehemaligen Canisianerinnen und Canisianer stellvertretend für das Kolleg um Entschuldigung für das, was ihnen am Kolleg angetan wurde. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:11 PM

• Übergriffe an der Eliteschule

  [1975-83 Two teachers* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).
   Taz
   BERLIN, GERMANY | taz | In einem Berliner Elitegymnasium der Jesuiten ist es in den Siebziger- und Achtzigerjahren zu Fällen systematischen sexuellen Missbrauchs gekommen. Nach Auskunft von Ursula Raue, der Beauftragten des Ordens für Missbrauchsfälle in den deutschen Institutionen der Jesuiten, gibt es in diesen "immer wieder" solche Fälle.
   Die Berliner Anwältin und Mediatorin sagte der taz, es gebe "Anhaltspunkte", dass es im aktuellen Fall des Berliner Canisius Kollegs eine "größere Zahl" von Übergriffen gab. Der Schulleitung sind bisher zwei Täter und sieben Opfer namentlich bekannt, sie befürchtet aber mehr. Zum Charakter der Missbräuche an der katholischen Privatschule sagte Raue: "Wir wissen von keinen Penetrationen." Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:07 PM

• Missbrauchs-Gerüchte gab es schon länger

  [1975-83 Two teachers* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).  
   Taz,
   GERMANY -- Mit Entsetzen haben die bildungspolitischen SprecherInnen der Fraktionen im Parlament darauf reagiert, dass Schüler des katholischen Canisius-Kollegs in den 70er und 80er Jahren von Lehrern sexuell missbraucht worden sind. Es sei furchtbar, dass solche Vorgänge "so lange totgeschwiegen" worden seien, sagt Felicitas Tesch (SPD). "Und das an einer der Vorzeigeschulen der Stadt." Man müsse dem Leiter der Jesuitenschule hoch anrechnen, dass er Transparenz herstelle, sagt Mieke Senftleben (FDP). Mit dieser Nachricht an die Öffentlichkeit zu gehen, sei nicht leicht.
   Der Rektor des Kollegs Pater Klaus Mertes hatte sich zu dem Schritt entschlossen, nachdem ihm sieben ehemalige Schüler anvertraut hatten, während ihrer Schulzeit in den 70er und 80er Jahren Opfer von sexuellem Missbrauch durch zwei Pater geworden zu sein. Ausgehend davon, dass weit mehr Schüler betroffen sein könnten, hatte Rektor Mertes Mitte Januar einen Brief an 500 ehemalige Schüler geschrieben. Er wolle dazu beitragen, dass das Schweigen gebrochen werde, so Mertes am Donnerstag in einer Pressekonferenz. Der Sprecher des Erzbistums Berlin, Stefan Förner, betonte, in den 22 katholischen Schulen Berlins seien keine weiteren Fälle bekannt. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:03 PM

• Sex abuse revelations rock elite Catholic school in Berlin

  [1970s-80s ≤ 2 priests (Jesuit school)] - RCC. Students.
   The Local, Published: Jan 28, 10
   GERMANY -- The headmaster of an elite Jesuit high school in Berlin has sent a letter to former students asking them to come forward about systematic sexual abuse by priests there in the 1970s and 1980s.
   His letter was sent to some 600 former students at Canisius College who may have been victims of at least two priests on staff, Father Klaus Mertes told daily Berliner Morgenpost on Thursday.
   "With deep shock and shame, I have learned of these horrific, not only isolated, but systematic violations that went on for years,” wrote Mertes, who has been headmaster of the central Berlin school for 10 years. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 1:00 PM

• Elite German school reports sexual abuse cases

  [1975-83 Two teachers* (Jesuit school)] - RCC. 7 boys (13-16).  
   Washington Post, By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, The Associated Press, Thursday, January 28, 2010
   BERLIN, Germnay -- Several students at one of Germany's most prestigious high schools were sexually abused for many years by their teachers, the school's director said Thursday.
   Father Klaus Mertes says he has sent out 500 letters to alumni of Berlin's private Catholic Canisius Kolleg to determine the extent of the case after seven ex-students recently reported they were abused in the 1970s and 1980s.
   Canisius Kolleg is one of Germany's pre-eminent schools, alma mater of many politicians, businesspeople and scientists. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 12:57 PM

• Israel will not extradite alleged sex offender to US

  [≤ 1985 - 2006 Avrohom / Abraham Mondrovich] - "Orthodox" Judaist. ≤ 1985 - 5 boys (9-13).    
   The JC, By Paul Berger, January 28, 2010
   ISRAEL -- A strictly Orthodox man suspected of molesting children has escaped extradition from Israel to the US.
   Abraham Mondrowitz fled to Jerusalem in 1985 after being charged with sodomising four boys in Brooklyn. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, Mondrowitz gained the trust of parents by passing himself off as a school psychologist using a phony degree. An attempt by the Brooklyn DA’s office to return Mondrowitz to America in 1985 failed because the alleged crime was not covered by an extradition agreement with Israel.
   That agreement was amended in 2007 and he was arrested by Israeli police, who found four films containing child pornography in his home, according to court papers. But his extradition has been tied up in the Israeli courts. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 12:55 PM

• An Interview with Survivor, Nun, Spiritual Director, Lindy Morelli

   
   Healing and Spirituality by Jaime Romo
   In the context of either-or thinking and behavior, I believe that today’s interview illustrates both-and experience: both survivor and spiritual mentor; both religious and critical of institutional callousness. Lindy Morelli is a Carmelite nun, counselor, and spiritual director. Her organization, Solace of Souls, believes "that persons who have had the experience of being rejected or wounded by their faith communities (for whatever reason) find it almost impossible to have a meaningful faith journey without experiencing healing and spiritual support/guidance, and that they fit into the "poor” to whom Jesus instructs us to give a preferential option, and we believe that this work constitutes loving our neighbor.”
   Find out more at www.solaceofsouls.org and www.alabasterheart.org
   JR: Survivors have a wide variety of responses to the church. Some join other churches and some stay away from religion entirely. I think it’s extraordinary that you’re a survivor and also a Carmelite nun. Can you give a little background about yourself and how you reconcile those aspects of your identity?
   Even before the sexual assault by a clergy person happened, I had a deep personal faith in a personal God who was living, real, vital and I had built my life on making my relationship with this God the center of my life and the purpose for my life Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 12:19 PM [COMMENT: Why didn't this close, and powerful, person save her, then? ENDS.]

• Fr. Corcuera urges charity as Legionaries discuss future

  [Decades - Fr Maciel Degollado*] - RCC. US $10-15m, male seminarians, mistress had daughter.      
   Catholic News Agency, 10:52 am, Jan 28, 2010
   MEXICO CITY, Mexico, / (CNA).- In a recent letter sent to members of the Legion of Christ, Director General Father Alvaro Corcuera, L.C., urged members to be charitable towards each other during their internal discussions regarding the future of the congregation.
   In response to a growing exchange of emails between Legionaries about two main issues: the role their founder should play in the future of the congregation, and also the measures that should be put in place to prevent similar situations from happening, Fr. Corcuera called on members to "console each other and accompany each other mutually,” as Simon of Cyrene did for Christ.
   Fr. Marcial Maciel founded the Legion of Christ in 1941. Though he died in 2008, revelations of his inappropriate behavior as a priest and leader surfaced early in 2009. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 11:55 AM

• Numsa supports suspended Verryn

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   The Star, January 28, 2010
   SOUTH AFRICA -- Metalworkers' union Numsa on Thursday came out in full support of suspended Johannesburg Central Methodist Church Bishop Paul Verryn.
   "The Numsa notes with serious concern the personal and venomous offensive attack... directed towards Bishop Paul Verryn," the union's spokesman Castro Ngobese said in a statement.
   The union was suspicious that the attack "being lurched (sic) against Verryn forms part of the broader agenda to discredit his personal and social standing in society". Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 11:14 AM

• Priest who faces sex trial after 40 years

  [1960s Morgan Costello -NEW*] - RCC. Young male.  
   Herald, By Eimear Cotter and Cormac Looney, Thursday January 28 2010
   IRELAND -- THIS is the priest accused of repeatedly b*g*ering a young man while he was working in a Dublin parish over four decades ago.
   Morgan Costello (76) is alleged to have indecently assaulted and b*g*ered the man over a two-year period in the late 1960s.
   He was arrested and charged following a major investigation by officers at Kevin Street garda station. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 11:10 AM

• Day Four in Haiti

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   Fairfield Mirror, By: Paul Kendrick '72, January 27, 2010
   CAP-HAITIAN, Haiti -- For the first time since I arrived in Haiti on Sunday, there were glimpses of sun in the distant sky. Most of the past three days were consumed by torrents of rain. The pot holes in the dirt streets were filled with water making driving more difficult than usual.
   My first thoughts today were of the heroic people here in Haiti who put aside their own desire for privacy and safety to stop a popular, well-liked child molester from sexually abusing children. The boys had lived in constant fear of Douglas Perlitz for many years. They knew if they resisted his sexual advances, he would take away their privileges or, perhaps they might even be tossed out of the school.
   Cyrus Sibert, a husband, father and local journalist first broke the story of Perlitz’s abuse of children only after careful investigation and testimony from teachers and students. Sibert became the object of criticism from prominent Haitian business leaders, many of whom benefited from Doug doing business with them. Sibert is a thoughtful, but outspoken advocate for human rights. I have come to know him as a man of intellect, deep compassion, and abundant pride in his roots and heritage. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 10:05 AM

• Church using same sound byte for 20 years, responding to allegations of pedophile priests

  - RCC.      
   City of Angels, By Kay Ebeling, Jan 28, 2010
   MASSACHUSETTS -- Yesterday Boston bishops responded to news that predator priests went back and forth between Ireland and the United States saying the Archdiocese is "not aware of accusations," plus "religious order priests are not the responsibility of the Archdiocese." Those words sound familiar. They are the same phrases every archdiocese, diocese, and religious order has used since 1992 in response to pedophile priest accusations: "We didn't know it was going on and besides, it's those guys over there that did it, not us." You'd think the Church would learn.
   As the truth about the Pedophile Epidemic in the Catholic Church continues to emerge, it's amazing to watch the bishops continue to think the public only reads Church press releases, not the truth. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 9:06 AM

• 300 sue diocese about merger

  - RC platefillers want their US $1,000,000 back!  
   Courier-Post, By JIM WALSH, January 28, 2010
   HADDON TWP. (NJ) – Almost 300 members of St. Vincent Pallotti parish in Haddon Township have sued the Camden Diocese, seeking the return of more than $1 million in donations made before the diocese announced a controversial merger plan for their parish.
   The donations funded capital improvements that were dedicated in November 2007 -- four months before Bishop Joseph Galante revealed plans to merge St. Vincent Pallotti with St. Aloysius Parish in Oaklyn. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 9:00 AM

• Queens priest, Msgr. Michael Dempsey, is target of feds' kid-porn probe

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey* (78)] - RCC. Internet child porn.
   New York Daily News, BY Joe Jackson and Thomas Zambito, Thursday, January 28th 2010
   NEW YORK -- The feds have opened a kiddie-porn probe of an elderly Queens cleric, who has been suspended from his priestly duties.
   The allegations against 78- year-old Msgr. Michael Dempsey were revealed to parishoners at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs church in an emotional letter from Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.
   Dempsey is being eyed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for viewing online child porn. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:57 AM

• Qns. Catholic-TV priest in kid-porn probe

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey* (78)] - RCC. Television network founder. Internet child porn.
   New York Post, By DAN MANGAN,
   NEW YORK -- A priest who founded a local Catholic television network is the target of a federal criminal investigation for allegedly viewing online child porn, his bishop said.
   Monsignor Michael Dempsey, 77, was placed on administrative leave and barred from publicly acting as a priest after informing Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the probe by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on Jan. 14, the diocese said.
   DiMarzio also ordered Dempsey to vacate Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Forest Hills, Queens, where he had lived since 1961 Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:53 AM

• Boston Archdiocese admits Irish sex abuse priests worked in its parishes

       
   Irish Central, By KELLY FINCHAM, IrishCentral.com Editor,
   MASSACHUSETTS / IRELAND -- The Boston Archdiocese has admitted for the first time that Irish sex abuse priests worked in its diocese.
   The priests, named as Brendan Smyth, Dennis Murphy and Joseph Maguire, were transferred from Ireland to the U.S. in what critics say was little more than an attempt to insulate the priests from scrutiny and possible prosecution.
   Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley said that the trio did, at one time, work in the Boston Archdiocese.
   But he said he was unaware of any abuse allegations against the three men during their time in Boston or before that.
   Well that's alright then.
   Is it? Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:49 AM

• New book on John Paul II ‘Why He's a Saint’ is a pack of lies

   
   John Paul II Millstone Paris Arrow
   A new book is out about John Paul II that says he used a belt to whip himself and that it also includes previously unpublished speeches. So what if he whipped himself, he was heartless, cold-blooded and had no compassion for one single victim among the 12,000 American victims of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in USA and now in Ireland. So what if he wrote more speeches – they are merely clashing cymbals of St. Paul see John Paul II the Great clashing cymbal of St. Paul http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2009/11/john-paul-ii-great-clashing-cymbal-of.html, seeBenedict XVI to beatify John Paul II is "brought to nothing” by St. Paul http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2009/11/benedict-xvi-to-beatify-john-paul-ii-is.html
   John Paul II can never be a saint because he condoned priest pedophilia brewing right under his holy papal nose and Holy See. A holy saint can never tolerate evil in his presence but John Paul II smelled and took in the stench of sodomy inside his narcissistic heart. See Biggest Vatican stories of the decade: John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army committed Holy ES Eucharist-and-Sodomy of Biblical proportions http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2010/01/biggest-vatican-stories-of-decade-john.html
   More unpublished speeches? Haven’t we heard enough from him and of him, the Pope who led the most heinous crime against children in the history of Christendom? Isn’t this the pope who has written the most number of books, encyclicals and speeches in the history of Catholicism? But not once did he write at lenght about the priest-pedophilia that was brewing during his 26 years papacy? Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:44 AM

• Canadian Diocese Requests Vatican to Defrock Dishonored Priest

  [1958-81 Lévi Noël / Levi Noel*] - RCC. 8yrs PRISON. 10 boys (8-16yrs).    
   The Epoch Times, By Helena Zhu, Jan 28, 2010
   CANADA --The diocese of Bathurst in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, has asked the Vatican to unfrock a priest who recently pleaded guilty to 22 sex-related offenses involving boys. The move would restrict retired priest Levi Noel to being a lay person within the church.
   Noel, 84, was sentenced last Friday to eight years in prison for gross indecency and indecent assault. The offenses occurred between 1958 and 1981 while Noel was a priest on the Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick.
   Speaking on behalf of the diocese, Father Wesley Wade apologized to Noel’s victims. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:31 AM

• Boston Archdiocese Releases More Information On Abusive Priests

       
   WBUR, By DEBORAH BECKER, Published January 27, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) – The Boston Archdiocese is releasing more information about three abusive priests with ties to Ireland who worked in Boston. The archdiocese says the three men were never accused of abuse before or while they worked here. ...
   Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, is among those asking for more details. "The little bit of information about the Irish priests raises questions as well as answers them,” she said at a news conference outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Wednesday.
   Doyle asked state officials to get involved. "We’re calling again on Attorney General (Martha) Coakley to follow through with her stated intention to ask the archdiocese to release the names and assignment histories of all accused priests in Boston,” she said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:19 AM

• Book: John Paul II Whipped Himself, Weighed Retiring

  - RCC.  
   Time, By JEFF ISRAELY, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010
   A new book by the priest in charge of the Vatican's official case for Pope John Paul II's sainthood is packed with fascinating – and, apparently, meticulously verified – revelations. The one that grabbed most of the headlines has been the claim that John Paul whipped himself with a belt, an act of corporal penitence designed to draw the flagellator closer to Christ's suffering that is usually associated with a very distant century, or a Dan Brown novel.
   "As some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear, John Paul flagellated himself," writes Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Polish prelate who collected testimony in his role as "postulator" for the Pope's canonization. "In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip."
   But the book, Why He Is a Saint, also contains a revelation that puts John Paul in a decidedly more modern light, and has much deeper implications for the Church's future. Oder confirms lingering rumors that the long ailing Pope had approved plans that would have allowed for his resignation from the papacy for health reasons, effectively ending centuries of papal commitment to lead the Church until death. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:14 AM

• Book: Pope John Paul II self-flagellated to get closer to Jesus

 
   CNN
   (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II used to beat himself with a belt and sleep naked on the floor to bring himself closer to Christ, a book published Wednesday says.
   The late pope had a particular belt for self-flagellation and brought it with him to his summer residence, according to the book, "Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul II."
   "As some members of his own entourage were able to hear with their own ears, both in Poland and in the Vatican, Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself," the book says, using the name the pope was given at birth.
   "In the closet, among the cloaks, a particular pant-belt hung from a hook, which he utilized as a whip and one which he always had brought to Castel Gandolfo," the book says. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:11 AM

• When Saints Go Marching In - No Matter What

  - RCC.    
   Anti-Catholic League, by David Fortwengler,
   Start with a sing-a-long! Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, when the saints go marching in.
   Sorry, this post is not about the New Orleans Saints terrific season and upcoming Super Bowl. Instead, it’s about the Vatican’s nonsensical and inevitable process that will lead to the canonization of Pope John Paul II. He is on a fast track to sainthood faster than Kyle Busch at Daytona Speedway. The saint will go marching in, no matter what.
   Pope John Paul II
   On December 20th the current Pontiff signed a decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Pope John Paul II. The "investigation” is going great for him so far, meaning that the words endemic institutional negligence, cover-up, and child rape haven’t been mentioned. A 2,000-page "posito” was submitted to the now Pope (He who shall remain nameless) containing the proof that JPII is in Heaven. The evidence includes that a French nun prayed to JPII and her Parkinson’s was miraculously cured. Why can the Vatican prove a miracle but can’t explain why Cardinal Law is honored in Rome? The toughest part of his day is to choose a wine that compliments [complements] his veal scallopini. I don’t know why Law is there, but a nice Beaujolais or Pinot Grigio would go with the veal.
   Just when I thought the process of canonization couldn’t be more absurd, we have this gem. In a new book "Why a Saint?" by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Vatican "postulator" in charge of the canonization process, he claims the late Pope regularly whipped himself with a belt as an act of penance to feel closer to God! JPII even had a favorite belt he liked to use (let’s name the belt "Uncle Weltie”), so much so he always took it with him on vacation to the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. The Monsignor goes on to compare this behavior to giving up a Starbucks Latte and sending the money to Haiti. He further states that the self flagellation is evidence of JPII’s sanctity. Personally, I think it would have been more saintly if JPII converted Castel Gandolfo into a state-of-art treatment facility for adult survivors of child sex abuse. To be really saintly he could have included the private chef. The Italian food is good in Italy. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:08 AM

• Coalition Suggests Brooklyn Catholics Withhold Money Until Bishop Shows Up to Care for Them

  [2000s Mons. Michael Dempsey*] - RCC. Catholic TV network founder. Internet child porn.  
   National Survivor Advocates Coalition,
   NEW YORK -- The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) expressed both dismay and wonderment at the news that Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio sent a surrogate to the people of Our Lady of Queen of Martyrs Parish on Sunday to tell them that their pastor, Monsignor Michael Dempsey, had been placed on administrative leave because of an investigation by federal authorities for violation of Internet child pornography laws.
   The coalition said it was dismayed that a spiritual leader would resort to a letter read to parishioners at Sunday liturgies on a matter as significant as this and wonderment that any bishop who declares he is concerned about the issues of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth still does not feel compelled to be with his people as their spiritual leader in a time of crisis.
   Words are poor subsitutes for presence in any crisis, the coalition said. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 8:03 AM

• Editorial: Fairfield should have helped Haiti months ago

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   Fairfield Mirror, By: Editorial Board, January 27, 2010
   CONNECTICUT -- Even before the earthquake, Fairfield has had a strong connection to Haiti. Its students have traveled to the country for service trips and one alumnus even founded a school and boarding home for poor children in Cap-Haitien.
   Cap-Haitien is the second largest city in Haiti, to Port-au-Prince, but is located on the northern tip of Hispaniola, whereas the earthquake struck the southern portion.
   While Fairfield’s strong reaction and outreach to the Republic of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake is commendable, it should not distance itself from the pain and hurt it may have had a hand in causing.
   The alumnus who founded the school in Cap-Haitien, Doug Perlitz ‘92, was indicted last fall by a Bridgeport grand jury on ten counts relating to traveling to a foreign country to have sex with a minor. The relationship between Perlitz and the University may not have been suspect if it were just that: an alumnus who allegedly made a bad decision. But it went deeper. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:58 AM

• Bishop fires back at Martin

  - RCC.  
   Irish Independent, By John Cooney, Thursday January 28 2010
   IRELAND -- A RETIRED auxiliary bishop of Dublin who was severely criticised by the Murphy Report has called on priests to question its findings of a cover-up of paedophile priests in the archdiocese.
   Defiant Bishop Dermot O'Mahony has also circulated his heated personal correspondence with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who uncompromisingly accused him of "underestimating the degree of dismay and anger that people feel about the commission's references to you".
   Archbishop Martin had claimed Bishop O'Mahony showed neither remorse nor apology for the mishandling of clerical child abuse complaints. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:55 AM

• Paedophiles Still Getting Jobs near Children

  [- 1980s Unnamed lay preacher*] - State Church. > 10 victims.  
   YLE,
   FINLAND -- People with records of sexual abuse of children are still managing to slip into jobs where they are in proximity of children. Current Finnish legislation has been found to contain gaps, which prevent a job applicant’s criminal record from coming to the attention of an employer. Plans are underway for legislative change to plug the loopholes.
   Recent revelations in the west coast city of Pietersaari, that a Laestadian lay preacher had abused a number of children in recent decades, has sent shock waves through the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church.
   Matti Esko, director of family issues at the Office of the Church Council says that a couple of other cases have come out in recent years in which lay workers have sexually abused children. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:49 AM

• Third priest named in lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Yarmouth that allege sexual abuse

  [Fr Edouard / Eddie Theriault -NEW*] - RCC. ? Girls.  
   The Vanguard, By Tina Comeau, NovaNewsNow.com ,
   CANADA -- More lawsuits have been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth and the Archdiocese of Halifax alleging sexual abuse by one of their former parish priests.
   This brings to three the number of priests who served in Yarmouth County and neighbouring counties that are referred to in civil lawsuits.
   The latest lawsuits filed with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Monday, Jan. 25, allege sexual abuse by Father Edouard Joseph Theriault (a.k.a. Father Eddie Theriault), who served in parishes in Wedgeport, St. Alphonse, Salmon River and Shelburne starting in the late 1950s and up until his partial retirement in 1991. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:44 AM

• Archdiocese admits tie to 3 in Irish scandal

       
   The Boston Globe, By Milton J. Valencia / January 28, 2010
   BOSTON (MA) -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has announced that three Irish priests accused of sexually molesting children had at one point worked in Massachusetts, tying the local church to the sex abuse scandal roiling Ireland.
   The disclosure comes as the archdiocese faces pressure from victim advocate groups to release the names of all allegedly abusive priests who worked in the archdiocese, whether the accusations arose here or elsewhere. ...
   Yesterday, victim advocate groups called on the church to identify the fourth priest and any others who have been accused and said that a full disclosure of accusations is the only way to help survivors heal from the sexual abuse crisis that rocked the church a decade ago.
   "The information released in the last couple of days raises as many questions as it answers," said Anne Barrett Doyle, of BishopAccountability.org. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:40 AM

• Bishop criticises sex abuse report handling

  - RCC.  
   BBC News,
   IRELAND -- Archbishop of Dublin Diarmiud Martin has been criticised over his response to a report on clerical sex abuse.
   Bishop Dermot O'Mahony questioned the support he showed for his priests and current diocesan policy since the publication of the Murphy report.
   In a letter he said more should have been done to counteract a statement in the report that most of the clergy "knew and did nothing" about the abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 28, 2010 7:35 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Thu January 28, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Fri January 29, 2010 edition:

• Charges dismissed against former Alva priest

  [Fr Beltran, Fr Imming]  
   Alva Review-Courier By Helen Barrett, Jan/29/10
   OKLAHOMA -- Charges against the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran and David Imming were dismissed with prejudice in the District Court of Oklahoma County on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.
   The civil case requesting more than $10,000 in damages was originally filed March 31, 2003 against “Father Dave,” former priest at Alva’s Sacred Heart Catholic, by Philip Schovanec.
   In the original filing, Schovanec alleged he was sexually abused as an adolescent over a period of years by former Enid and Alva priest David Imming. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:58 PM, Jan 29, 2010]

• Putnam often combative, witness says

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   The Spokesman Review, by Kevin Graman, January 29, 2010
   SPOKANE (WA) -- A former Morning Star Boys’ Ranch employee and close friend of a counselor accused of abusing a former ranch resident testified Thursday that he never saw inappropriate conduct.
   Ray Roberts, 44, worked for Morning Star during the time Kenneth Putnam was sent there as a ward of the state at age 12. Putnam, now 34, is suing Morning Star in Spokane County Superior Court, claiming to have been physically and sexually abused by ranch director Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner and counselor Doyle Gillum, now deceased. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:55 PM

• Catholic archdiocese may release names of sex-abuse priests by year’s end

 
   Enterprise, By Lane Lambert, The Patriot Ledger, Posted 10:36 PM, Jan 29, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – A year ago, three groups organized by Catholic lay people asked the Archdiocese of Boston to make public a list of priests “credibly accused” of sexual abuse.
   Such names were not made public at that time. In April, nine months ago, church officials said they would probably revise that policy “in the coming months.”
   Those names still are not public, and the response from the archdiocese now: maybe the end of 2010.
   Amid this week’s news that three Irish priests accused of abuse worked in the Boston area in the 1990s – though not on the South Shore – are renewed calls for a complete list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse, from Voice Of The Faithful, BishopAccountability.org and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:53 PM

• Erzbistum räumt weiteren Missbrauchsverdacht gegen Pfarrer ein

  [2001 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC.  
   Berlin Online,
   Das Erzbistum Berlin geht Vorwürfen gegen einen Pfarrer wegen des sexuellen Missbrauchs eines Minderjährigen nach. Wie Dompropst Stefan Dybowski am Freitag mitteilte, sind dem Berliner Erzbischof Georg Kardinal Sterzinsky Anfang Juli 2009 Beschuldigungen und Verdächtigungen gegen einen Priester des Erzbistums vorgetragen worden. Diese bezogen sich auf das Jahr 2001. Dem Gemeindepfarrer seien daraufhin umgehend alle Aktivitäten im Zusammenhang mit Jugendlichen untersagt worden. Das in Rom anhängige Verfahren gegen den Priester sei jedoch noch nicht abgeschlossen.
   [summary] GERMANY -- The Berlin archdiocese said a priest was removed from service after an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor that happened in 2001. Stefan Dybowski, provost for the archdiocese, said Cardinal George Sterzinsky took action against the priest in July. The parish priest was immediately relieved of all activities related to young people. Church proceedings against the priest have not yet been finished.
   The archdiocese said the priest is no longer in the parish and is not currently serving as a priest. Other victims are being asked to come forward. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:02 PM

• Canisius-Rektor nennt die Namen der Täter

 
   Markische Allgemeine,
   Bis in den frühen Morgen hat Jesuitenpater Klaus Mertes E-Mails beantwortet. Rund 300 Menschen aus ganz Deutschland hatten sich am Donnerstag an den Rektor des Berliner Canisius-Kollegs gewandt. Eine Reaktion auf das, was Mertes als Tsunami bezeichnet, der am Donnerstag über das von Jesuiten geführte Elitegymnasium im Berliner Diplomatenviertel hereinbrach. Da war bekannt geworden, dass zwei Jesuitenpatres zwischen 1975 und 1983 mehrere Schüler sexuell missbraucht haben sollen.
   Viel Zuspruch für seine offensive Strategie habe er erhalten, sagt Mertes, als er gestern die Presse über den Fall informierte. Auch Hass-Mails waren darunter. Und 15 Briefe von ehemaligen Canisius-Schülern, die selbst Opfer sexuellen Missbrauchs wurden.
   [summary] BERLIN, GERMANY -- The Rev. Klau Mertes, rector of Canisius College in Berlin, has received and answered emails from about 300 people from across Germany since the revelation that two priests are known to have abused students at the college in the 1970s and 1980s. Some have called it a "tsunami" that broke Thursday at the elite Jesuit-run school in Berlin's diplomatic quarter.
   The rector has received encouragement for his strategy in being open about the allegations. He has also received hate male. He received 15 letters from former Canisius students who said they also were abused at the school.
   The number of alleged victims now numbers 22 and they all charge two priests who left the college in 1982 or 1983. Rev. Mertes said he believes there will be more victims.
   On request by journalists, Rev. Mertes said the alleged abusers are "Father Peter" and "Father Wolfgang R.S." He believes records on these priests will be in the files of the North German Jesuit Province.
   Rev. Mertes, who has been at the school since 1994, said the Canisius College of the time the abuse happened looked the other way but rumors have persisted. Rev. Mertes said he initally kept silent when two former students told him in 2004 and 2005 that they had been abused. He kept silent, he said, because the victims wanted it that way.
   He said the problem is complex but he said the abuse allegations were reported to the Provincial of the German Jesuits. He said he was asked to break the silence and sent out a letter to 600 former students telling them of the allegations. He quoted from the Bible that the truth makes one free and said it is important that the truth come out. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:42 PM

• Berlin Catholic school says teachers sexually abused pupils

   
   Deutsche Welle
   GERMANY -- Former pupils at a Berlin Catholic school have said they were sexually abused by priests who were their teachers in the 1970s and 1980s, according to the school's director. Police have initiated an investigation.
   Police have begun an investigation into allegations that teachers at an elite private school in Berlin sexually abused pupils during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
   Five former students, all male, at the Jesuit Canisius College had notified the institution's director, Klaus Mertes, of the abuse over the past two months, he said.
   The two men, both Jesuit priests who no longer work at the school, had been identified by name by their accusers, who would have been aged 13-17 at the time, Mertes said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:37 PM

• Trial Date Set On Accused Priest Abuser Payments

   
   WJZ,
   WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- A bankruptcy judge has set a trial date in a dispute over the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's request to pay retirement benefits to six priests who are confirmed pedophiles.
   The diocese has asked the bankruptcy court for authorization to provide pensions, housing costs and medical coverage to six confirmed child abusers. The diocese says it has an obligation to care for retired clergy, including priests dismissed from public ministry and facing laicization, or defrocking. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:30 PM

• Crawford County priest arrested on embezzlement charge

  [~ 2010 Fr Robert Chukwu - ? NEW*] - RCC. ≤ US $200k missing.    
   Telegraph Herald,
   PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – A priest at St. Mary Catholic Church in Gays Mills and St. Phillip Catholic Church in Soldiers Grove has been arrested on a charge of embezzling up to $200,000 from those parishes.
   The Rev. Robert Chukwu is currently in Crawford County Jail on a felony charge of theft in a business setting of over $10,000.
   According to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, Chukwu, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Nigeria, told an attorney for the Diocese of La Crosse that he used the money from the parishes to invest in Nigeria where he could get a better interest rate than if he sent the money to the diocese. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:27 PM]

• Steele County Press

   
   National Survivor Advocates Coalition, by Robert Slocum Editor Steele County Press 701-524-1640 January 28,2010
   NORTH DAKOTA -- A nationwide support group for victims of sexual abuse is reaching out in local Catholic parishes where an alleged predator priest was previously assigned.
   Bob Schwiderski, regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, held a press conference Tuesday outside St. Agatha’s Church in Hope.
   Schwiderski says several victims from North Dakota have come forward with allegations that Father Gregory Patejko sexually abused them, among them a Zeeland, ND man who settled a claim with the Fargo Diocese after alleging Patejko sexually abused him in 1976.
   Patejko was a pastor in Hope, Page and Aneta from 1979 to 1981 and his assignment to the local parishes came directly after his time in the Zeeland/Ashley area. He later served at several churches in Texas before relocating back to Poland. He is now believed to be deceased. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:47 PM, January 29, 2010]

• A Pedophile Mind: As sentencing approaches, priest pours out sexual history hoping for probation, gets notoriety instead

   
   City of Angels By Kay Ebeling City of Angels in Santa Barbara
   SANTA BARBARA -- Fr. Van Handel felt he was “a failure with nothing to live for” soon after news broke that he molested choir boys, his therapist said. Facing justice, the pedophile priest wrote out a history of his sex life and gave it to the Court while requesting probation, answering questions about what is wrong inside the Church inadvertently and the role of priests that led to this nationwide epidemic of pedophilia.
   His sexual outpouring did not earn the felon priest probation, he was sentenced to 8 years, served four in prison, four on parole, and since 1992 has lived close to his therapists outside Santa Cruz. Today at City of Angels we look at the state of Van Handel’s mind between arrest and sentencing and how his cooperation got his sexual autobiography into the public record.
   He wanted to tell it to the world
   The arresting officer wrote, “Van Handel made it clear he wanted full disclosure of his acting-out history.” His therapist wrote: “Full disclosures to the best of his ability to recall has a therapeutic effect which outweighs the risk factor associated with the actual sentencing.”
   As we read through his “sexual autobiography” and the Probation Report, an image appears of a nervous priest who knows in 1994 that any day he will be named as one of the pedophiles at St. Anthony’s. Once accused, Van Handel jets off to St. Luke’s in Maryland where he spends seven months with 32 other sexually charged priests. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:03 PM

• Zahl der Missbrauchsopfer steigt

   
   GERMANY -- Focus
   Der Missbrauchsskandal Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin weitet sich aus. Weitere Opfer haben sich nach den jüngsten Veröffentlichungen gemeldet. Die Staatsanwaltschaft überprüft die Vorwürfe. ddp Der Rektor des Canisius-Kollegs, Klaus Mertes, auf einer Pressekonferenz Nachdem bekanntgeworden war, dass zwei Lehrer am Berliner Canisius-Kolleg in den 70er- und 80er-Jahren sieben Schüler sexuell missbraucht hatten, haben sich nun rund 15 weitere männliche Opfer gemeldet. Alle hätten ebenfalls die beiden Padres als Täter beschuldigt, sagte der Rektor der Privatschule, Pater Klaus Mertes, am Freitag. Die Vorfälle kamen ans Licht, weil sich Mertes in einem Brief an etwa 600 ehemalige Schülerinnen und Schüler gewandt hatte. Von Seiten der Staatsanwaltschaft wird geprüft, ob eine Strafverfolgung wegen sexuellen Missbrauchs überhaupt noch möglich ist oder ob die Taten verjährt sind. ZUM THEMA Berlin:
   [smmary excerpt]
   Fifteen additional men have come forward to say they were abused at Canisius college and all accused the same two priests as their abusers, according to the Rev. Klaus Mertes, rector.
   The priests voluntarily left the Jesuit order and neither was kicked out, according to Jesuit spokesman Thomas Busch of the German province headquarters in Munich. One appears to live in South America.
   It appears unclear why the abuse was prevously unknown but rumors circulated throughout the school. The rector has worked at the school in 1994. The prviate Canisius College is an elite school and many former students are now working in senior positions in business, politics and society. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:45 PM

• Canisius-Kolleg: 15 weitere Missbrauchsopfer

 
   Main Post
   Der Missbrauchsskandal am katholischen Gymnasium in Berlin weitet sich aus: Am Freitag übernahm die Staatsanwaltschaft die Ermittlungen.
   Mittlerweile haben sich 15 weitere männliche Opfer gemeldet, seit bekanntgeworden war, dass zwei Lehrer am Canisius- Kolleg in den 70er und 80er Jahren sieben Schüler sexuell missbraucht hatten. Das gab der Rektor der Privatschule, Pater Klaus Mertes, am Freitag bekannt. Alle hätten die beiden Padres als Täter beschuldigt, die auch schon die ersten Missbrauchsopfer genannt hatten.
   Die Vorfälle kamen ans Licht, weil sich Mertes in einem Brief an etwa 600 ehemalige Schülerinnen und Schüler gewandt hatte. Die Staatsanwaltschaft prüft, ob wegen der Tatvorwürfe noch eine Strafverfolgung möglich sei. Einige der Missbrauchsopfer hatten trotz ihrer Leiden ihre eigenen Kinder auf das katholische Gymnasium geschickt, sagte die Rechtsanwältin und Beauftragte des Jesuitenordens für Fälle von sexuellem Missbrauch, Ursula Raue.
   [summary] GERMANY -- The sexual abuse scandal at Canisius College in Berlin is expanding. The prosecutor on Friday took over the investigation.
   In the meantime, 15 more male victims have come forward since it became known publicly that two teachers had abused seven students at Canisius in the 1970s and 1980s. All have accused the same two priests as being abusers.
   The incidents became known after the school's rector sent a letter to 600 former students. The prosecutor will consider whether any criminal prosecution is possible. Some of the victims, despite their sufferings, sent their own children to the Catholic school, according to Ursula Raue, lawyer and representative of the Jesuits.
   The rector received information about the abused in 2004 and 2005 but the victims asked that this remain discreet so he did not further research the allegations, he said. In December and Janaury five other victims came forward so the rector decided to write the letter. New reports from former students convinced him that the abuse was not confined to individual cases but was systematic abuse.
   Rumors had circulated for years but were given no explanation. School officials seek to examine whether the priests or school administration knowingly looked the other way.
   The rector said he believes one of the two accused priests in the early 1980s had to leave the school because there was clear suspicion of abuse. He also stressed that there have been changes within the Catholic Church to no longer hide abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:32 PM

• Abuse charges dropped

   
   Yakima Herald-Republic By JANE GARGAS AND MARK MOREY
   YAKIMA, Washington State -- All charges have been dismissed against a Selah man who was arrested in November 2008 on suspicion of sexually abusing several children.
   Four counts of child molestation and two counts of child rape were dropped Jan. 14 against Bryce Record, 23, in Yakima County Superior Court.
   Two years ago, Record was arrested and charged with abusing five children -- four girls and a boy -- from two different families in separate incidents in the Selah area, beginning in 2001 and lasting until 2008. The children ranged in age from 3 to 9 at the time. ...
   When Record was arrested, officials at the Yakima Reach Youth Ministry in Cowiche conducted their own investigation of whether Record had inappropriate contact with minors during his nine months of service as a youth volunteer in 2005-06. The nonprofit, evangelistic program sends teams of volunteers around the Northwest to lead retreats for teens and youth. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 1:17 PM

• 70 Irish-born priests named as abusers in U.S.

     
   Irish Central By PATRICK ROBERTS, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
   UNITED STATES / IRELAND -- A total of 70 Irish priests who worked in the U.S. have been accused of sexual abuse of children.
   The U.S. website, www.Bishopaccountability.org, has published the list of the priests who have been accused of pedophile activities either in the U.S. or Ireland.
   Among the list is the most infamous abuser of all, Brendan Smyth, who brought down an Irish government.
   The website says Smyth "offended in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and in both Providence RI and Fargo ND in the United States, and pleaded guilty to 96 counts of child molestation in 1997, after the Irish government fell over the mishandling of his case." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:58 AM

• Clergy abuse discussed at Hingham

   
   The Boston Globe, By Molly A. K. Connors, Town Correspondent,
   HINGHAM (MA) -- The anger and pain over the sexual abuse by clergy remains, but a gathering in Hingham this week showed ways that the victims and the Catholic church are taking steps to recover.
   About 100 people came to Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham Tuesday to learn about “The Enduring Psychological and Spiritual Effects of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse,” at a talk co-sponsored by the Voice of the Faithful affiliate in Scituate.
   The event featured a panel with three speakers: Barbara Thorp, the director the Office of Pastoral Support Outreach at the Archdiocese of Boston, which assists victims with finding the help they need; Dave Nolan, a survivor of clergy abuse; and Robert McMackin, a psychologist consultant with the archdiocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:55 AM

• Alassio:don Massaferro, Oliveri vuole incontrarlo in carcere

  [Fr Luciano Massaferro -?NEW*] - RCC. Altarboy (11).
   Savona News,
   ITALIA -- Il vescovo Mario Oliveri ha chiesto alla procura della Repubblica l’autorizzazione per un nuovo incontro con don Luciano Massaferro, il parroco di San Giovanni e San Vincenzo rinchiuso nel penitenziario di Valle Armea Sanremo con l’accusa di violenza sessuale nei confronti di una chierichetta undicenne.
   [summary) ITALY -- The Rev. Luciano Massaferro has been charged with sexually abusing an 11-year-old altar boy. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:24 AM

• Le père Lavoie aurait fait au moins neuf victimes

  [Fr Lavoie* (Redemptorist)] - RCC. 9 complainants now.  
   Canoe, Agence QMI, by Éric Thibault, 20h43, Jan/28/2010
   QUÉBEC, CANADA - Déjà inculpé d'abus sexuels sur quatre étudiants, le père Raymond-Marie Lavoie a dû répondre à des accusations touchant cinq présumées victimes additionnelles, jeudi.
   Le prêtre rédemptoriste de 69 ans a été arrêté en matinée à la maison mère de sa communauté religieuse, près de la basilique Sainte-Anne, après que les enquêteurs de la Sûreté du Québec eurent recueilli des dénonciations supplémentaires d'anciens élèves du Séminaire Saint-Alphonse.
   [summary] The Rev. Raymond-Marie Lavoie, a Redemptorist, was facing allegations of sexual abusing four students but he is now facing charges of abusing another five victims.
   The 69-year-old priest was arrested at the mother house of his religious community near the Basilica Sainte-Anne after investigation by Quebec police. Additional disclosures came from alumni of St. Alphonse seminary.
   The alleged abuse is said to have occured from 1978 to 1983 at the private college of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, which has since changed its name since becoming a secular institution.
   Five victims, then between 12 and 16, told police they were subjected to sexual touching and masturbation by the former professor.
   Rev. Lavoie appeared once in December to face similar charges relating to four boys who attended the same school between 1981 and 1985. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:09 AM , January 29, 2010]

• Pervert Andrew Lumber sentenced for child sex pictures

  [Mr Andrew Lumber]  
   Worcester News, ~ Jan 29, 2010
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A GRADUATE who helped his wife run a church youth club has admitted downloading more than 2,000 disgusting images of children from the internet.
   Police found them on Andrew Lumber’s computer when they raided his home in Colford Close, Droitwich, on September 18, 2008.
   He admitted possessing child porn when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:45 AM]

• Fairfield U. honoree faces more charges of sex abuse in Haiti

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   News Times, By Michael P. Mayko, ~ January 29, 2010
   BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT -- A Fairfield University graduate under federal indictment for sexually abusing underprivileged Haitian boys through his charity that provided them with food, shelter and schooling now faces more charges.
   Douglas Perlitz, the founder of Project Pierre Toussaint in Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second-largest city, was charged Thursday by a federal grand jury with sexually abusing nine more boys in his program.
   The charity was established with millions in donations from wealthy Fairfield and Westchester County residents, many with ties to the Fairfield University community, and Perlitz was honored by the university with an honorary degree in 2002 for his charitable enterprise. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:42 AM

• Paul Verryn: What went wrong?

  [2008-09 Unnamed teacher* and perhaps others] - Methodist. Zimbabwean refugee girls and women, and boys. 6 - 20 cases.    
   Mail & Guardian, with video, By FARANAAZ PARKER | Jan 29 2010
   JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -- A pre-World Cup clean-up cloaked in official hypocrisy? Or the reining in of a gung-ho cleric who has made almost as many enemies as friends?
   The swirl of mixed emotions and views on the shock suspension of Methodist minister Paul Verryn this week has reopened wounds about the church’s refugee crisis in central Johannesburg and dredged up an old controversy from Verryn’s own past.
   Verryn is the superintendent minister of the Central Methodist Mission (CMM), which for years has been a haven for indigent and transient people.
   Opinions about what went wrong are split. Some say Verryn has done the best he can to protect the mainly Zimbabwean refugees and the homeless men, women and abandoned children who stream through the church’s doors on Pritchard Street in Johannesburg’s CBD. Others blame him for allowing the situation to deteriorate into a squalid, unsanitary nest for criminals and sexual predators. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:19 AM

• Religious ed leader pleads guilty to sexual abuse

  [2008 Sep - Steven Joplin - NEW*] - Methodist. 5 girls.  
   The News Leader, By Brad Zinn / staff, bzinn § newsleader com , January 29, 2010
   STAUNTON (VA) – A former Staunton church director who molested five young girls in his office and in the hallways of Christ United Methodist Church pleaded guilty Thursday in circuit court to seven counts of aggravated sexual battery.
   A grim-faced Steven B. Joplin, 60, stared down at the defense table in the nearly empty courtroom as assistant Staunton prosecutor Anne Reed detailed the allegations against him.
   Reed said Joplin began molesting the girls, who ranged in age from 10 to 12, in September 2008. All of the incidents took place at the church, located at 1512 Churchville Ave. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:16 AM

• Amish couple sentenced

 
   South County Mail By Nicholas W. Inman nicholasi@marshfieldmail.com Published: Thursday, January 28, 2010
   MISSOURI -- An Amish couple were sentenced Tuesday, Jan. 26, in Webster County Circuit Court – the husband for sexually abusing two of his teenage daughters and the mother for not reporting the crime to authorities. Johnny A. Schwartz and Fannie J. Schwartz, of the Amish community along Route A in the south-central part of the county, both entered guilty pleas as part of plea agreements.
   Johnny Schwartz was sentenced to two seven-year terms in the Department of Corrections on the statutory sodomy charges, to run concurrently, and two 10-year sentences on the child molestation charges, to run consecutively but concurrent with the other terms.
   Fannie Schwartz received a suspended imposition of sentence, with five years supervised probation. She must conduct 100 hours of community service and receive counseling. She was instructed by the court to meet with a parole officer. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:13 AM

• Teacher, pastor waives preliminary on sex abuse charges

  [2009, June - Pastor Johnny Ray Dempsey*] - Grace Truth Bible Center. Daughter (14).
   Williamson Daily News, by JESSICA HATFIELD, Staff Writer,
   WILLIAMSON, WEST VIRGINIA – A Mingo County elementary teacher, coach and pastor, waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday regarding charges of sexual abuse by a parent and incest.
   Johnny Ray Dempsey was arrested on Friday, Jan. 22, by Mingo County Sheriff’s deputies for inappropriate contact with his 14-year-old juvenile daughter in June 2009, according to public records.
   At the time of the crime, Dempsey was a teacher at Kermit K-8 and Tug Valley High School and a pastor at Grace Truth Bible Center, located at Boy Scout Hollow. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:09 AM

• Irish clergy abuse victims torn between Dublin monument and Haiti aid

  - RCC and Irish State.    
   Ethiopian Review, Reuters | January 28th, 2010
   IRELAND -- One of the healing measures suggested when Ireland’s Catholic clerical sex scandals shocked the country last year was a proposal to erect a monument in Dublin to all the youths abused for decades at schools and orphanages run by religious orders that looked the other way. The idea, proposed by the government’s Ryan report last May, won so much support that half a million euros were earmarked for the project. The government appointed a group to consider what the Irish Times called "the most difficult public art commission in the history of the state.”
   It’s just become even more difficult because one group of clerical abuse victims has now said the funds should instead be donated to victims of the Haiti earthquake. The gesture would "genuinely mean more to victims of clerical abuse than a piece of stone on O’Connell Street,” the victims’ group Right of Place said last week at a meeting with Prime Minister Brian Cowen. O’Connell Street is Dublin’s main thoroughfare, an ideal place for any memorial. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:07 AM

• Police's 25 failings in children's home sex inquiry

  [1965-92 Unnamed suspects - NEW*] - RCC. Physical and sexual victims.  
   Yorkshire Post, By Simon Bristow, ~ Jan 29, 2010
   UNITED KINGDOM -- A POLICE force failed to properly investigate allegations of physical and sexual abuse at a Roman Catholic children's home, a report has revealed.
   A total of 25 complaints against Humberside Police were upheld in the highly critical report into the handling of Operation Aldgate, an inquiry into allegations of abuse at St William's Children's Home in Market Weighton, East Yorkshire.
   The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) identified a series of failings during Aldgate, which looked into allegations dating from 1965 to 1992, and how the force dealt with potential suspects or those who may have known of abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:04 AM

• New bishop had doubts about new job

  - RCC.  
   Cape Breton Post, By CHRIS SHANNON,
   SYDNEY, Canada – Newly installed Bishop Brian Dunn of the Diocese of Antigonish was busy fielding questions from the media Thursday as he wound down his first official trip to Cape Breton as bishop.
   Dunn, 55, originally from Buchans, N.L., left a position as an auxiliary bishop in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. after only one year to oversee the troubled Antigonish diocese. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 8:02 AM

• Ranch's standard of care ...

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.  
   Behavioral Health Central, The Spokesman-Review, Jan. 27, 2010
   SPOKANE (WA) --For decades, Morning Star Boys' Ranch was run entirely by its director, the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, without oversight by the board of directors, whose members were concerned more about property acquisition and fundraising than the boys they served, an expert in residential group homes testified on Tuesday.
   "If the board of directors had been doing its job, Father Joe's employment would have been terminated," Douglas Poppen, former director of the Clackamas County (Ore.) Juvenile Department, said in during trial for the first of 19 lawsuits brought against Morning Star Boys' Ranch.
   Poppen, who also administered the Parrot Creek Ranch near Oregon City for 16 years, was hired as an expert in standards of care for group homes by attorneys for Kenneth Putnam, who accuses Weitensteiner and another Morning Star employee of sexually abusing him while he was a resident in 1988 and '89. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:59 AM

• Witness says ranch knew ...

  [Fr Patrick O'Donnell (dozens of boys), Fr Marvin Lavoy, 1970s-80s Fr Joseph Weitensteiner (2 boys), Mr Doyle Gillum] - RCC. Boys.
   Behavioral Health Central, The Spokesman-Review, Jan. 28, 2010
   SPOKANE (WA) -- Attorneys for a former Morning Star Boys' Ranch resident rested their civil case in Spokane County Superior Court on Wednesday after bringing to the stand an 84-year-old woman who testified that she warned the ranch and three bishops about a pedophile priest.
   Morning Star attorneys have begun bringing defense witnesses in the case of Kenneth Putnam, who accuses the ranch's former director, the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, and a counselor named Doyle Gillum, now deceased, of sexually abusing him.
   The plaintiff's last witness was Rita Flynn, a mother of 11 who has lived in the Assumption Catholic Parish, which covers part of north Spokane, since 1959. It was Flynn, a psychologist, who first raised suspicions about Patrick O'Donnell, a pedophile and defrocked priest, in the mid-1970s. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:55 AM

• Bishops talking to abuse survivors ahead of papal meeting, says cardinal

  - RCC.      
   The Irish Times, By ALISON HEALY and JAMIE SMYTH,
   IRELAND -- BISHOPS ARE consulting locally with abuse survivors, priests and other lay people to prepare for their meeting with Pope Benedict in Rome next month, Cardinal Seán Brady said yesterday.
   Bishops from the 26 dioceses will meet the pope and senior Curia cardinals in mid-February to discuss the implications of the clerical child abuse crisis.
   Cardinal Brady said this would be his third time to discuss "a very painful situation in the Irish church” with Pope Benedict. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:52 AM

• 70 Irish priests accused of sex crimes in US

  [Decades - 70 priests] - RCC. Sex crimes.      
   Belfast Telegraph, Friday, January 29, 2010
   IRELAND -- US victims of child abuse have unearthed a direct link to scandals in Ireland, revealing that 70 irish priests who worked in the States have been accused of paedophile crimes.
   This dramatic disclosure follows the admission by the archdiocese of Boston that the list includes the late Fr Brendan Smyth, who worked briefly in Arlington two decades ago.
   It had previously been thought that at that time he was on the run in the Republic from police in Belfast. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:50 AM

• Sisters suing Catholic Church

  [? 1970s-80s Fr Edouard / Eddie Theriault*] - RCC. 2 girls.  
   The Chronicle-Herald, By BRIAN MEDEL, Yarmouth Bureau, Fri. Jan 29
   YARMOUTH, CANADA – Two sisters originally from the tiny community of St. Alphonse, Digby County, are suing the Roman Catholic Church for $1.7 million each.
   In documents filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, they allege they were sexually abused as young children by their parish priest, the late Rev. Edward Theriault.
   Jeanne Doucette, 48, and Margaret Deveau, 55, now live in Yarmouth County. They have filed civil lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Halifax and the Diocese of Yarmouth, claiming general and special damages. Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:47 AM

• Accused Irish priests had no allegations while in Boston

  - RCC.      
   The Pilot (RC archdiocesan journal), By Jim Lockwood, Posted: Jan/29/2010
   BRAINTREE, Massachusetts -- Officials of the Archdiocese of Boston confirmed Jan. 26 that none of those on a list of priests accused of sexual misconduct in Ireland who served in the Boston archdiocese have any allegations against them for acts committed while serving in Boston.
   The Boston archdiocese stated that no priest on the list currently serves in Boston and of the 70 names the group Bishopaccountability.org has published, only three -- Brendan Smyth, Joseph Maguire, and Dennis Murphy -- served in the archdiocese. Also, at the time permission to serve in Boston was granted, the archdiocese said it was not aware of allegations having been made against those priests.
   However, the archdiocese said there is a separate case of an Irish priest who allegedly abused a child in the Archdiocese of Boston that remains under investigation. The archdiocese did not release the name of the priest and the abuse was alleged to have occurred approximately thirty years ago. [Posted by Kathy Shaw on January 29, 2010 7:45 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Fri January 29, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sat January 30, 2010 edition:

• Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church: Where Are We Now?

   
   St. Anthony Messenger, By Kathleen McChesney, ~ January 30, 2010
   IN MAY 2009, Ireland's Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, led by Justice Sean Ryan, issued the findings of its nine-year investigation into Catholic Church-operated schools and reformatories. This sad and scathing 2,600-page report, covering a 60-year period from 1936 to the present day, details physical, emotional and sexual child abuse that was pervasive within many Catholic institutions. The Church had established these institutions to educate students and provide care for orphans, unwanted or seemingly incorrigible children and delinquents.
   Although it was impossible to determine accurately the number of victims and perpetrators, the Commission reported that over 800 individuals were identified as being responsible for the harm done to thousands of young people entrusted to their care. Hundreds more victims have come forward since the report was issued to describe their abuse for the very first time.
   Though the revelations of abhorrent acts detailed in the report were not surprising, especially to those abused, the magnitude of the abuse and the ability of the institutions to sustain a prominent role in providing health, welfare and educational services on behalf of the government of the Republic of Ireland is nearly incomprehensible. That this prolonged evil was allowed to continue unabated for decades reflects the lack of internal moral leadership and discipline within the institutions; the absence of valid external, impartial oversight of these institutions; and the unwillingness of Church hierarchy or law-enforcement officials to pursue legitimate complaints. ...
   The larger Church's response to the allegations and proven instances of abuse committed by some members of the clergy and religious life has been characterized as too little, too late. And while the approach in many English-speaking countries has evolved to include proactive measures aimed at preventing future abuse, the Vatican remains in a basic reactive mode.
   Furthermore, there has been no public attempt by the Holy See to identify and eliminate the root causes of the abuse. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 5:02 PM, Jan 30, 2010]

• Archdiocese accused of silence about abusers

  - RCC.  
   312 Weekly, By John Seymore, Saturday, January 30, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- Citing recent reports that current and former Roman Catholic religious workers accused of molesting minors are housed near schools or living in undisclosed locations, victims’ advocates are criticizing the Chicago Archdiocese for staying silent about all accused clergy, teachers or volunteers with Chicago ties.
   Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the archdiocese is falling back on secrecy despite promises since 2002 to be transparent.
   The protest stems from a long-standing discrepancy between how dioceses and religious orders alert the public about clergy facing credible allegations. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:49 PM

• Diocese of La Crosse priest accused of embezzlement

  [~ 2010 Fr Robert Chukwu* (59) ] - RCC. US $200k missing.    
   LaCrosse Tribune, Posted: Saturday, January 30, 2010
   PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WISCONSIN - A priest has been accused of embezzling about $200,000 from the Diocese of La Crosse and two Crawford County parishes, according to the Crawford County Sheriff's Department.
   The Rev. Robert Chukwu, 59, was arrested Friday in La Crosse and faces a charge of theft from a business setting of more than $10,000 when he appears in Crawford County Circuit Court.
   Diocese attorney Jim Birnbaum informed Crawford County District Attorney Tim Baxter on Jan. 15 that Chukwu had taken $196,000 from St. Mary Parish in Gays Mills and St. Philip Parish in Soldiers Grove and the La Crosse Diocese, according to the sheriff's department. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:16 PM

• Warum Missbrauch in der Kirche?

   
   Der Tagesspiegel,
   GERMANY -- In den USA und Australien, in England, Frankreich, Österreich und in Irland – und jetzt auch in Berlin: Berichte über Übergriffe Geistlicher auf Schutzbefohlene häufen sich. Vor allem Katholiken sind betroffen. Die Bischofskonferenz reagiert dabei oft unangemessen. Anzeige
WELCHE FÄLLE VON SEXUELLEM MISSBRAUCH GAB ES BISHER IN DER KATHOLISCHEN KIRCHE?
   Nachrichten wie diese gibt es mittlerweile regelmäßig: Vor einem Monat meldeten irische Zeitungen, dass zwei Bischöfe aus der Erzdiözese Dublin ihren Rücktritt angeboten haben, weil sie 30 Jahre lang Misshandlungen von Kindern durch Geistliche vertuscht haben sollen. Untersuchungen im Auftrag der Regierung hatten aufgedeckt, dass tausende Zöglinge in katholischen Kinderheimen und anderen kirchlichen Einrichtungen über Jahre von Priestern vergewaltigt und sexuell gedemütigt wurden. Auch in den USA und Australien, in England, Frankreich und Österreich sind in den vergangenen Jahren zahlreiche Fälle von Kindesmissbrauch durch Geistliche bekannt geworden. Allein 2006 wurden in den USA 714 glaubhafte Beschuldigungen gegen 448 Priester erhoben.
   [summary] GERMANY -- Sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church have come from the United States, Australia, England, France, Austria and Ireland and now also in Berlin. The numbers of attacks by clerics has been growing and Catholics are concerned. The reaction from the Episcopal Conference is often inadequate.
   A month ago, Irish newspapers reported that two bishops offered their resignations from the Dublin archdiocese because they were said to have glossed over 30 years of abuse of children by priests. Studies commissioned by the government discovered that thousands of pupils were raped by priests in Catholic orphanages and other church institutions.
   Even in the U.S., Australia and England, France and Austria numerous cases of child abuse by priests have been reported. In the U.S., 714 credible accusations were made against 448 priests in 2006 alone.
   Psychologist Wunibald Muller has dealt with the issue for years and be believes the situation in Germany is not significantly different from that in other countries. He estimates the proportion of Catholic priests in Germany who sexually abuse children or young people is about two to four percent of all clerics and numbers 350 to 700 abusive priests. The number of reported cases in Germany is negligible, according to unofficial estimates, but in recent years about two dozen clerics have been accused in dioceses, including Regensburg, Bamberg and recently in Aachen.
   Pope John Paul II in 2001 asked forgiveness of victims of sexual abuse by priests and requested clarification of the issue. Pope Benedict XVI and the German Bishops' Conference has repeatedly apologized to abuse victims. In 2002, the German bishops issued guidelines to dioceses on sexual abuse of minors by priests. They acknowledged that victims are damaged by this abuse. Each local bishop is to appoint a body of psychologists, doctors, lawyers and theologians for investigation of abuse allegations. The bishops are told to review immediately any suspicion of abuse that comes to their attention. If there is reasonable suspicion that abuse has occured, the prosecutor is to be notified and victims and their families are to be offered professional help. Convicted sex offenders are not to be used where they are dealing with children. The guidelines, however, are characterized as voluntary.
   According to the bishops' conference, there are to be agents for handling abuse cases in all 27 German dioceses. An independent agent is used in some dioceses but not others. Sometimes the public prosecutor is informed but not in all cases. It depends on each local bishop whether the telephone number is listed on church Web site for victims to call to report abuse. Helmut Schuller, the longtime head ombudsman for victims of sexual abuse in the Vienna archdiocese, said the words are well-intentioned but there needs a consistent and structured approach.
   The bishops need to cooperate, said Mr. Schuller, so that an accused priests is not simply switched to another diocese. There needs to be care taken in selection of candidates to the priesthood to find out whether there are underlying problems that would grow under the cloak of celibacy.
   Mr. Schuller sees three reasons why clerical abuse is happening in the Catholic Church. They are obligation of celibacy, rigid sexual morality and the authoritarian hierarchal structures of the Catholic Chruch. Celibacy can be attractive to some men who are not comfortable with their sexuality, he believes. The rigid sexual morality and high moral claims of the church sometimes make it difficult for a priest to open up to colleagues or superiors to reveal problems or seek help, he said.
   Most of the crimes uncovered in recent years date back decades. Sexually abused people often take years to overcome their shame and to tell someone what happened. Some victims believe since the perpetrator was a cleric that they may not be believed because priests enjoy high moral standing. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:22 PM
   [LOOK BACK about priest charged with sex abuse in Regensburg Diocese: September 01, 2007. ENDS.]

• Staatsanwälte ermitteln – Verjährung ist nicht sicher

 
   Der Tagesspiegel By Von M. Lehmphul, J. Radke und C. Stollowsky 31.1.2010
   GERMANY -- Die Missbrauchsfälle am Canisius-Kolleg haben auch die Parteien im Abgeordnetenhaus alarmiert. Politiker forderten gestern parteiübergreifend eine vollständige Aufklärung der Übergriffe. Die Staatsanwaltschaft bestätigte am Sonnabend, dass seit Ende der Woche in mehreren Fällen ermittelt wird. „Sieben betroffene Jungen sollen bis Anfang der 80er Jahre sexuell missbraucht worden sein“, sagte Sprecherin Silke Becker. Man müsse jetzt prüfen, ob die Straftaten bereits verjährt sind. Am Freitag wurde bekannt, dass einer der mutmaßlichen Täter, Peter R., noch im Bezirk Steglitz wohnt, während der andere Verdächtige, Wolfgang S., inzwischen in Südamerika leben soll.
   [summary] GERMANY -- Elected official across party affiliatons have demand a full investigation of the alleged sexual attacks on students at Canisius College, Berlin. The prosecutor confirmed Saturday that they knew of seven boys who were abused until the early 1980s, according to spokeswoman Silke Becker. They must consider whether the time limit on prosecution has expired. One of the suspects, Peter R., still lives in the district of Steglitz while the other suspect, Wolfgang S., is now in South America.
   The statue of limitations for abuse cases van vary greatly, according to the prosecutors. Age, sex and exact circumstances of the sexual acts, whether violence was used, for example, are considered. The prosecution must also show whether the attacks were against the will of the victims.
   The blinds are drawn at the apartment of Peter R. but there is a snowman in the garden behind the building. One resident said the gray-haired 69-year-old lives alone. He has denied the allegations made against him. Another neighbor said Peter R. frequently travels to South America for long periods of time.
   Andrew Gram, right-wing politician of the CDU faction, said it will be necessary to determine how many cases of abuse will be recorded. He attended Canisius College and said despite these allegations, Canisius is a fantastic school which encourages gifted students. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:03 PM

• Pastor sues accusers after sex abuse case dismissed

  - Fr Chester sues.  
   Chicago Tribune, By Cynthia Dizikes, January 31, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A pastor of a west suburban church who was accused of molesting a 13-year-old Polish immigrant two decades ago filed a lawsuit against his accusers in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday, alleging they intentionally ruined his reputation.
   A pastor of a west suburban church who was accused of molesting a 13-year-old Polish immigrant two decades ago filed a lawsuit against his accusers in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday, alleging they intentionally ruined his reputation.
   The lawsuit comes about a month after the sex-abuse case was dismissed. It accuses the immigrant, his lawyers, and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) of defamation, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. The Rev. Chester Przybylo, 59, is asking for at least $500,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. ...
   Barbara Blaine, president of SNAP, called the accusations "frivolous" and defended the attention that her group paid to the allegations of abuse. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:10 PM

• D/Schweiz: Jeder Missbrauchsfall ist einer zuviel

 
   Vatican Radio
   In den letzten Tagen sind wieder einige Fälle von sexuellem Missbrauch öffentlich geworden: in den Bistümern Berlin und Essen. In allen Fällen wird von den kirchlichen Stellen auf bestehende Verfahrensordnungen verwiesen. Wir geben hier einen kurzen Überblick, was es mit diesen Ordnungen auf sich hat.
   Die deutsche und die schweizerische Bischofskonferenz haben sich unabhängig voneinander im Jahr 2002 Leitlinienpapiere gegeben, die beschreiben, wie in Missbrauchsfällen vorzugehen ist. Diese sind dann von den einzelnen Bistümern übernommen worden und dort auch erhältlich.
   [summary] GERMANY -- Cases of sexual abuse in Berlin and Essen have become public. All cases were referred to church authorities under existing procedural rules.
   The German and Swiss Bishops' Conferences have been give independently of one another the 2002 guidance documents on how to proceed in abuse cases. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:57 AM

• Priest sues accusers after abuse suit dismissed on technicality

  [Przybylo]  
   Chicago Breaking News, January 30, 2010
   CHICAGO (IL) -- A pastor of a west suburban church who was accused of molesting a 13-year-old Polish immigrant two decades ago filed a lawsuit against his accusers in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday, alleging they intentionally ruined his reputation.
   The lawsuit comes about a month after the sex-abuse case was dismissed. The priest's suit accuses the immigrant, his lawyers, and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) of defamation, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. The Rev. Chester Przybylo, 59, is asking for at least $500,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.
   "It is a matter of clearing his name, setting the record straight," said Przybylo's lawyer, Walter Maksym. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:52 AM

• Former Jesuit teacher admits abuse

  [Jesuits]  
   The Local,
   GERMANY -- One of the former teachers and Jesuit priests accused of sexually abusing students at the elite Berlin high school Canisius College has confessed to the charges.
   In a statement addressed to his victims, the former sports teacher Wolfgang S. said it was "a sad fact that I abused children and young people for years under pseudo-educational pretexts." He said there was "no excuse."
   The confession follows revelations on Thursday that dozens of students had been abused in the top Berlin school in the 1970s and 1980s. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:12 AM

!!!: Sex inquiry cleric returns

  [Rev. John Fleming -? NEW] - Catholic leader disregards Anglican inquiry. Moving from SA to NSW. 2 females, 1 male.       
   Adelaide Now, http://www. news.com.au/ adelaidenow/ story/0,, 26654956- 2682,00.html , By NIGEL HUNT, 12:01am, January 31, 2010
   AUSTRALIA -- THE Catholic Church has cleared the way for high-profile priest accused of abuse to return to work.
   An Anglican Church inquiry into abuse claims against Father John Fleming is still under way.
   The Sunday Mail has learnt he sought, and was granted, a release of his licence from the Archdiocese of Adelaide earlier this month.
   Father Fleming is in the process of being installed in the Diocese of Parramatta, in Sydney. The move comes almost three months after a lengthy inquiry by Michael Abbott, QC, into the Catholic Church's handling of the allegations against Father Fleming, which found there were shortcomings in its processes.
   It also found the church had no jurisdiction to take any disciplinary action against him because he was an Anglican priest when the abuse allegedly occurred.
   Archbishop Philip Wilson commissioned the inquiry after the Sunday Mail revealed Father Fleming was the subject of complaints by two females and a male, identified as Jane, Jenny and Richard.
   Jane's complaint resulted in a police investigation, but no charges were laid and the file remains open.
   A Catholic Church spokesman confirmed Archbishop Wilson had approved Father Fleming's return to the ministry - despite the fact the Anglican Church Professional Standards investigation was still under way.
   "Archbishop Wilson has authorised Father John Fleming to resume his ministry and agreed to his request to be released from the Archdiocese of Adelaide," the spokesman said. "Father Fleming is now free to apply for ministry in another diocese." [...] Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:10 AM

• Allegheny couple alleges sexual misconduct by priest

  [Mons. Richard Curci (64) - ? NEW*] - RCC. Woman.  
   Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, By Rich Cholodofsky, Saturday, January 30, 2010
   PENNSYLVANIA -- An Allegheny County woman and her husband have filed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, claiming their parish priest took advantage of an emotionally vulnerable woman.
   In the suit, Wendy Benaquista, 37, of Plum, accused the diocese of negligence for installing a priest at Mother of Sorrows Church in Murrysville, despite knowledge of past allegations against him for "sexual indiscretions with female congregants."
   In the 16-count lawsuit, Benaquista and her husband, Daniel, contend that Monsignor Richard Curci, 64, took advantage of her when she sought marital advice from the church. There are no specific allegations in the lawsuit against Curci detailing previous sexual misconduct. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:07 AM

• Canisius-Kolleg - Ein Opfer erzählt

  - RCC.  
   Berliner Morgenpost, Von Joachim Fahrun, 12:40, Samstag, 30. Januar 2010
   Schon bis Freitag hatten sich 22 Missbrauchs-Opfer bei Pater Klaus Mertes, Rektor des Canisius-Kollegs, gemeldet. Doch die Dunkelziffer könnte weitaus höher liegen. Morgenpost Online hat mit einem 47-Jährigen gesprochen, der noch heute unter den Folgen lebt.
   Nach jahrelangem Schweigen hat sich ein Missbrauchs-Opfer des Canisius-Kollegs an Morgenpost Online gewandt und Einzelheiten der systematischen Übergriffe geschildert. Bis heute, so der 47-Jährige, leide er unter den Dingen, die ihm an dem Elite-Gymnasium angetan worden waren. Drogenprobleme und eine gestörte Sexualität gehören zu den Symptomen.
   [summary] GERMANY -- A 47-year-old victim of abuse at Canisius College, Berlin, after years of silence described details of systematic abuse at the school. He said he still suffers from abuse done to him while at the elite high school. He said he has had drug problems, relationship problems and sexual dysfunction.
   The man described as treacherous the methods used by the two accused Jesuit teachers and it was always the same. Peter R. would use psychological pressure on the adolescent boys. He would ask the boys if they thought of girls or whether they were masturbating. The student then had to show the priest their gentials. The man, who declined to be publicly identified, said they had to constantly expose themselves and be touched.
   The priest named Wolfgang was popular with students. Those who achieve good grades were promised a meal at a restaurant. Those who achieved poor grades had to lay naked on his knees. The man said there were always rumors of abuse at the school but no one stopped the abusers. He added that some of the clerics at the school had treated them well and he thought they did it because they knew what was happening and wanted to comfort the boys who were being abused. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:37 AM

• Ex-Jesuitenpriester gesteht Missbrauch an Berliner Gymnasium

 
   AFP,
   Hamburg, – Im Skandal um den jahrelangen sexuellen Missbrauch von Schülern am Berliner Canisius-Kolleg hat einer der beschuldigten Priester die Vorwürfe bestätigt. Der frühere Sportlehrer Wolfgang S. schrieb in einer vom "Spiegel" veröffentlichten Erklärung, er habe "jahrelang Kinder und Jugendliche unter pseudopädagogischen Vorwänden missbraucht und misshandelt". Der zweite Beschuldigte bestritt demnach sämtliche Vorwürfe.
   In dem Brief an seine ehemaligen Schüler schreibt der frühere Sportlehrer und Jesuitenpater Wolfgang S. laut "Spiegel": "Was ich dir und euch angetan habe, tut mir leid. Und falls du fähig bist, mir diese Schuld zu vergeben, bitte ich darum." Das Schreiben ist demnach datiert auf den 20. Januar. Dem Magazin sagte der ehemalige Priester, er sei mit seiner Vergangenheit vor Gott und der Welt im Reinen.
   [summary] Germany -- Wolfgang S., a former gym teacher and Jesuit priest at Canisius admitted that he had abused children and young people, and used various pretexts. The second suspect has denied all the allegations. In a Jan. 20 letter, Wolfgang S. asked victims to forgive him.
   There is question whether he might have abused students at other Jesuit schools in Germany. The former priest served at Hamburg's St. Ansgar School from 1982 to 1984 and at St. Blasius in the Black Forest.
   According to Der Spiegal, the other accused teacher, Peter R. from Berlin, 69, was not available for comment but he has denied the charges. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:14 AM

• Ann Brentwood

   
   Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
   TENNESSEE -- Our movement lost a compassionate and dedicated warrior early this morning. Ann Brentwood, SNAP's long time Southeast Regional Director, passed away in a Tennessee hospital after a lengthy illness. We grieve for her daughter Jennie, her other family members and friends, and for the hundreds of wounded victims and vulnerable children for whom Ann cared for so deeply and fought for so tirelessly.
   Very few individuals - whether survivor, advocate, expert, author, lawmaker or leader - have done more to expose corruption, "out" predators, reform laws, and, most important, offer tender, patient and loving support for suffering men, women and kids who have been sexually abused by trusted authority figures. ...
   NOTE: On Feb. 13th, there will be a Memorial Service for Ann in eastern Tennessee. Check with our TN SNAP chapter in a few days for details. (Susan Vance susan8324@gmail.com ) Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:08 AM

• Priest sues ex-altar boy who accused him of sex abuse

 
   CHICAGO (IL) Chicago Sun-Times
   January 30, 2010
   SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE The priest who was accused of sexually abusing his former altar boy has filed a libel and slander suit.
   Fr. Chester J. Pryzbylo, an ordained Roman Catholic Priest, filed a suit Friday in Cook County Circuit Cook against the former altar boy Peter Galica, his lawyers and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
   In March of 2006, Galica filed a suit claiming Pryzbylo had sexually abused and molested him, starting when he was a 13-year-old Polish immigrant in 1987 until he was 15 years old at the Five Holy Martys Church in Chicago. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:05 AM

• The challenges of North Dakota clergy sexual abuse survivors

 
   NORTH DAKOTA -- Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
   [video presentation]
   SNAP reaches out to survivors in North Dakota. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:01 AM

• Berlin Catholic school says teachers sexually abused pupils

   
   Ethopian Review,
   GERMANY -- Police have begun an investigation into allegations that teachers at an elite private school in Berlin sexually abused pupils during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
   Five former students, all male, at the Jesuit Canisius College had notified the institution’s director, Klaus Mertes, of the abuse over the past two months, he said. ...
   It was unsurprising that the revelations came so late, Mertes said.
   “Everyone who has dealt with sexual abuse cases knows very well that there’s a lot of shame and pain involved on the part of the victims,” Mertes told reporters. “And it often takes many decades until those affected are able to get their trauma under control and are willing to speak about it openly.”
   He said that the scandal could not have remained undetected at the time, had a number of people in responsible positions not looked the other way. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:47 AM

• Xulon Press Title Issues a Call for Moral and Spiritual Revival

   
   PRWeb, January 30, 2010
   LONGWOOD (FL), (PRWEB) -- Gain a glimpse into the rarely explored theological and religious history of Roman Catholicism in author Martin Hudale's The Matrix of Mysticism ($24.99, paperback, 978-1-60647-657-4). This book argues that while under the influence of humanistic and mystical teachings integrated into the Catholic Church by its historical assimilation of Platonic, Gnostic, Stoic, and Neo-Platonic tenets--many Catholic priests committed vicious acts of homosexual molestation against adolescent boys and children. Using the 2002 clergy sexual abuse scandal as a launching pad, the author exposes the cause and effect relationship between Catholicism's celibate monastic mysticism and its long history of clerical sexual dysfunctions. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:45 AM

• Elite German school reports sexual abuse cases

 
   Las Vegas Sun The Associated Press Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010
   GERMANY -- Several students at one of Germany's most prestigious high schools were sexually abused for many years by their teachers, the school's director said Thursday.
   Father Klaus Mertes says he has sent out 500 letters to alumni of Berlin's private Catholic Canisius Kolleg to determine the extent of the case after seven ex-students recently reported they were abused in the 1970s and 1980s.
   Canisius Kolleg is one of Germany's pre-eminent schools, alma mater of many politicians, businesspeople and scientists. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:41 AM, Jan 30, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sat January 30, 2010
Abuse Chronology: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont168.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.

#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker, www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker , Sun January 31, 2010 edition:

• Bend Deacon Accused of Covering Up Child Sex Abuse

   
   KOHD, ~ Jan 31, 2010
   BEND (OR) -- Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, are claiming a deacon, who now works at St. Francis of Assisi church in Bend, helped cover up child sexual abuse. Deacon Joseph Levine used to work for the society of St. John in Scranton, Pennsylvania. According to SNAP, he helped two priests to cover up child sexual abuse while there. During Sunday mass, SNAP put over 100 fliers on cars in the St. Francis parking lot, alerting parishioners to the issue. The church says it removed the fliers, because they contained inaccurate information. The church also says it has made Levine's past known to the parish. But SNAP says that's not enough.
   "He had absolutely nothing to do with any of the troubles in the Society of St. John; I strongly resent that SNAP sneaks around in our parking lot putting damaging and false information on people's windshields," says Father Joe Reinig, Pastor at St. Frances of Assisi church. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:38 PM, January 31, 2010]

• Man to plead not guilty in new abuse charges

  [1998-2008 Pastor Doug Perlitz*] - Roman Catholic. 18 boys.     
   Washington Post, Jan 31, 2010
   NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. -- A Colorado man is expected to plead not guilty to new charges that he sexually abused boys at a school he founded in Haiti.
   Douglas Perlitz is scheduled to appear Tuesday in federal court in New Haven.
   Perlitz was charged last year with sexually abusing nine boys. Prosecutors doubled the number of alleged victims to 18 with a new indictment announced Thursday. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:25 PM

• Committee recommends closing St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome

  - RCC.
   Democrat and Chronicle, by Gary Craig, January 31, 2010
   NEW YORK -- A diocesan committee has recommended that St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome, both in Irondequoit, be closed.
   The committee, facing shrinking church membership and a future shortage of priests at its churches, had to decide which of five churches in Irondequoit should be shuttered. The other churches considered were St. Margaret Mary, Christ the King, and St. Cecilia.
   The pastoral planning group that made the recommendation included members of each church. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:05 PM

• Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group's announcement to parishioners

 
   Democrat and Chronicle,
   NEW YORK -- "Last July, in response to various pressures that jeopardize the future of the five parishes in Irondequoit, the Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group, announced that it had reached consensus on a recommendation to present to Bishop Clark for approval.
   The recommendation was:
• To consolidate the five Irondequoit parishes into one new, unified parish that would use the campuses of St. Margaret Mary, Christ the King, and St. Cecilia.
• As part of this proposal, to close the buildings housing St. Salome and St. Thomas the Apostle parishes, the disposition of which to be resolved at a later date. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:03 PM

• Diocesean statement on Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group announcement

 
   Democrat and Chronicle, January 31, 2010
   NEW YORK -- The Diocese of Rochester offers its thanks to the members of the Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group for their dedication, perseverance and leadership in this long process that involved many challenges and very difficult decisions.
   Out of respect for the work of the committee, diocesan officials are withholding all further comment on the IPPG recommendations until completion of the next phase in the Pastoral Planning process:
   1. The IPPG now will formally provide Bishop Clark with its recommendations; 2. The Bishop will review the IPPG plan in consultation with his diocesan Priests Council of advisers; ... Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:00 PM

• Church Says Three Accused Irish Priests Served in Boston

  - RCC.      
   Ethics Daily, By G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010
   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, (RNS) -- The Archdiocese of Boston, under mounting pressure to address alleged ties to Irish priests accused of sexual abuse, acknowledged that three clerics on a list of 70 alleged abusers had in fact served in the Boston area.
   One of the accused, the Rev. Dennis P. Murphy received permission to celebrate Mass at St. Cecilia’s Parish in Boston during 1996 and 1997, according to an Archdiocesan statement released Tuesday (Jan. 26).
   Another, the Rev. Joseph T. Maguire, had permission to serve in Waltham between 1981 and 1985, and a third, the Rev. Brendan Smyth, was permitted to serve for two days in 1991 at St. Camillus Parish in Arlington. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 6:52 PM

• Catholics Reel as a Diocese Whittles Its Parishes

   
   The New York Times, By LIZETTE ALVAREZ, Published: January 29, 2010
   DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY -- . ELEANOR MEDANY remembers when South Jersey was in thrall to Roman Catholicism. There was a church every mile, or so it seemed, and priests were as common as Chevrolets. Churches like her own, Most Holy Redeemer, were built by parishioners who showed up, hammer in hand, and who hosted countless spaghetti fests and tea bag sales to buy the kneelers and the windows.
   That was in 1958. As the years passed, Most Holy Redeemer took root in this town about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. The congregation grew fast, and in 1961, members built a school behind their unassuming church to educate their children in the faith.
   But next month, Most Holy Redeemer Parish will offer its final Sunday Mass. After that, the building will go mostly unused, reflecting an era of dwindling churchgoers and vanishing priests. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 4:19 PM

• Missbrauch auch im Jesuiten-Kolleg?

  [(Jesuits)] - RCC. Students.  
   SWR,
   GERMANY -- Das Jesuiten-Kolleg Sankt Blasien im Südschwarzwald ist möglicherweise auch von dem Missbrauchsskandal an einer katholischen Schule in Berlin betroffen. Ein Ex-Pater, der den Missbrauch von Schülern zugegeben hat, unterrichtete in den 80er Jahren auch in St. Blasien.
   [summary] GERMANY -- The Jesuit College of St. Blasius in the Black Forest may also be affected by the abuse scandal at another Catholic school in Berlin. An ex-priest who admitted to abusing students in Berlin also taught in the 1980s at St. Blasius.
   The Rev. Johannes Siebner, director of the college, said they will do all they can to investigate to see if abuse happened at St. Blasius. He was at one time a student at Canisius. Rev. Siebner said he was not abused but he knew some of the alleged victims.
   Rev. Siebner said it is obvious that there was failure within the Jesuit order to properly investigate. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 12:02 PM

• Catholic schools in Germany investigate child sex abuse evidence

 
   Earth Times,
   Berlin, Germany - Two Catholic Church schools in Germany were gathering evidence Sunday against two Jesuit priests who are alleged to have had sex with boys in the 1970s but were never prosecuted. Berlin public prosecutors have said they are studying the alleged actions of the two teaching priests, both now retired. But it appeared they could not be charged with the 22 acts between 1975 and 1982 because the cases are out of time.
   Klaus Mertes, the principal of Canisius College, a posh Berlin co-ed school run by the Jesuit Order of priests, has said he is checking how the preceding headmaster reacted to the cases after one priest confessed.
   The allegations have revived criticism of Catholic leaders for allegedly covering up child abuse instead of reporting it to police. ...
   At St Blasius College in the southern German town of St Blasien, headmaster Johannes Siebner said Sunday he was studying whether similar sexual abuse occurred at that school Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:59 AM

• Bishop appointment raises abuse questions

   
   United Press International Jan. 31, 2010
   LOUISVILLE, Ky., (UPI) -- A new bishop's appointment in Kentucky raised questions about his suitability for dealing with Catholic priests' sexual abuse, an abuse survivors' group said.
   Rev. William Medley, who has been a priest for 27 years in the Archdiocese of Louisville and was appointed Owensboro bishop in December by Pope Benedict XVI, served from 1989 to 1993 as a clergy personnel director for a bishop who re-assigned five priests facing accusations of the sexual abuse of minors, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported Sunday.
   Some of the accused priests were convicted and sentenced to prison, the newspaper said. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:54 AM

• Archdiocese criticized over failure to inform public of workers accused of abuse

 
   Chicago Tribune
   By Manya A. Brachear, Tribune reporter
   CHICAGO (IL) -- Citing recent reports that current and former Roman Catholic religious workers accused of molesting minors are housed near schools or living in undisclosed locations, victims' advocates are criticizing the Chicago Archdiocese for staying silent about all accused clergy, teachers or volunteers with Chicago ties.
   Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the archdiocese is falling back on secrecy despite promises since 2002 to be transparent.
   The protest stems from a long-standing discrepancy between how dioceses and religious orders alert the public about clergy facing credible allegations. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:37 AM

• Nach Missbrauch in Berlin prüft nun Bistum Hamburg

   
   Focus,
   Nach dem Missbrauchsskandal in einer Berliner Elite-Schule will das Erzbistum Hamburg klären, ob es in einer Schule der Hansestadt zu ähnlichen Übergriffen gekommen war.
   Ein Jesuitenpater, der bereits eingeräumt hatte, Schüler des katholischen Canisius-Kollegs in Berlin missbraucht zu haben, hatte laut Bistum von 1979 bis 1982 an der Hamburger Sankt-Ansgar-Schule unterrichtet. Bislang gebe es aber keine Hinweise, dass es dort ebenfalls zu sexuellen Übergriffen gekommen sei, sagte Nielen. Der Pater trat 1991 aus dem Orden aus und lebt jetzt in Südamerika. „Wir bemühen uns um Aufklärung“, sagte Bistums-Sprecher Manfred Nielen am Sonntag.
   [summary] GERMANY -- The Hamburg diocese is now trying to find out if a priest who admitted to sexual abusing boys at Canisius College might have also abused minors in Hamburg. The priest taught from 1979 to 1982 at St. Ansgar School, Hamburg. So far no allegations have come from Hamburg.
   The Berlin archdiocese is also investigation an allegation of abuse by a priest in Berlin-Hohenschoenhausen.
   The Berliner Zeitung on Saturday quoted Hartmut Walter (his real name) who said he and seven former classmates in 1981 wrote a letter to Canisius and the bishops alerting them to abuse in the school but they never got a response.
   The Rev. Klaus Mertes, Canisius rector, said on Friday they now know of at least 22 former students who were allegedly abused. All accused the same two priests. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:17 AM

• Curia silent on paedophile priest’s appointment in Malta

   
   The Malta Independent, by DAVID LINDSAY,
   MALTA -- The Archbishop’s Curia this week chose to remain silent about the nature of the appointment given to a Maltese priest in Malta in the mid-1990s who was convicted of paedophilia in Italy in 2004.
   While acknowledging that Fr Felix Cini had served in Malta between 1995 and 1996, and insisting that he had not returned to Malta since the conclusion of Italian court action against him 2004, the Curia refused to answer questions on where he had served in Malta, and in what capacity.
   In a right of reply (see letter on page 25) to last week’s front page story exposing how the appointment of the Maltese Fr Felix Cini to a parish in Cercemaggiore, in the diocese of Campobasso, had caused a split in the community after parishioners discovered gruesome details of the priest’s conviction and subsequent plea bargain on paedophilia charges, the Maltese Curia states, “The priest involved was ordained and incardinated in a diocese in Italy. Therefore, he is not a member of the Maltese Diocese and does not fall under the discipline of the authorities of this Diocese.” ...
   An Italian investigation into Fr Cini had begun in late 2002, just six years after he had served in Malta, and after 17 children aged between 10 and 14 years of age reported having received undue attention at the hands of the priest.
   Charges were filed in 2003 and Fr Cini eventually submitted a plea bargain in 2004, avoiding a lengthy trial and a possible prison sentence, and instead being landed with a two and a half year sentence in a special community. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:42 AM

• Monsey Rabbis on Leib Tropper

   
   5 Towns Jewish Times, By 5TJT Staff, Published on Saturday, January 30, 2010
   MONSEY (NY) -- On January 21, 10 Rabbi Dovid Ribiat released an interview regarding the Tropper scandal. His remarks generated a lot of interest, and he was asked on Jan. 29 for another brief interview to address some of the many questions that have since been raised.
   Rabbi Ribiat heads the Kollel Ohr Yaakov of Forshay in Monsey NY, and is regarded as a prominent Halachic authority across the US. He is also the author of several Seforim, including the world-renowned four-volume work on the 39 Melochos of Shabbos.
   Interviewer: I know that you have said that you do not wish to be thrust onto the public stage. May I ask why you have agreed to do these interviews?
   RR: Firstly, please understand that I am not acting as an official spokesman for the Rabbonim of Monsey, only as an individual Rabbi. I’ve consented to this only because several Rabbis, myself included, realized that there is perception in the public that the Rabbonim are unwilling to act on this very serious matter. We hoped that explaining some of the difficult issues involved could help people who are justifiably concerned to see that this was not the case. I hope we can make a positive difference. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:33 AM

• Sex inquiry cleric returns

  [Rev. John Fleming*] - Catholic leader disregards Anglican inquiry. Moving from SA to NSW. 2 females, 1 male.       
   Adelaide Now, By NIGEL HUNT, January 31, 2010
   AUSTRALIA -- THE Catholic Church has cleared the way for high-profile priest accused of abuse to return to work.
   An Anglican Church inquiry into abuse claims against Father John Fleming is still under way.
   The Sunday Mail has learnt he sought, and was granted, a release of his licence from the Archdiocese of Adelaide earlier this month. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:30 AM

• Associate pastor faces sexual assult charges

  [? 2010 Unnamed male staff - ?NEW*] - Christian. Student (17).  
   Commercial-News STAFF REPORT,
   DANVILLE (IL) – Danville police arrested a 34-year-old man on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
   Director of Public Safety Larry Thomason said in a press release that police detectives were called to the Danville Christian Academy, 428 N Walnut St., about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in response to allegations of abuse involving a staff member and a 17-year-old student.
   The subsequent investigation revealed inappropriate contact by the associate pastor with the male student, which reportedly had gone on for some time, according to police. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:09 AM

• Teacher facing sex abuse charges

  [2008-09 Mr Mark List (34) - NEW*] - Christian. Student (17).
   DANVILLE (IL) The News-Gazette
   By The News-Gazette Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:00 AM CDT DANVILLE – A teacher at the Danville Christian Academy faces criminal charges for allegedly having sex with a student from February 2008 to August 2009.
   Mark R. List, 34, who listed an address in the 700 block of Perrysville, on Friday was charged in Vermilion County Circuit Court with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony.
   List also was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault-position of trust, a Class 1 felony, and one count of indecent solicitation of a child, a Class 3 felony. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:01 AM

• Winfield pastor files lawsuit against accuser in 2006 abuse case

 
   WINFIELD (IL) -- Daily Herald, By Dann Gire |
   The attorney for a Winfield pastor accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy said Saturday that a Cook County lawsuit filed Friday is not about greed, but clearing the accused man's name and restoring his respect in the community.
   "My god, the man was terribly depressed," Chicago attorney Walter Maksym said Saturday about his client, the Rev. Chester Przybylo, 59, pastor of the Shrine of Christ the King church in Winfield.
   "When you're innocent and there's somebody accusing you," Maksym said, "he was depressed. He was physically ill. He's had all kinds of physical problems because of this. He's had vandalism to his home and car. People walking across the street spitting at him." Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:56 AM

• Church will fight hard to preserve its 'divine right'

  - RCC.  
   Irish Independent, Sunday January 31 2010
   But the Christian Brothers' version of morality is starting to crumble, writes Emer O'Kelly
   IRELAND -- Nearly one-third of people in this country think the Catholic Church should maintain control of the primary school system. And more than half the population thinks that, whether it maintains control or not, the Catholic Church will change to prevent child abuse at the hands of clerics happening again. That means there is an unsettlingly high number of people in this country, despite all the scandal, the trauma, the pain and the shame, in the schools and outside them, who do not believe the Church will change but are still perfectly happy for it to go on its dictatorial way, unchecked by the civil authorities, and having total control of the welfare and moral formation of the nation's children.
   No wonder Cardinal Sean Brady felt confident enough on Thursday to launch Catholic Schools Week 2010 and inaugurate a new Catholic Schools Partnership. The theme, by the way, is that Catholic schools are "a light for every generation", while the Partnership, according to Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore, marks the completion of a cherished goal to establish an association which will act as an "advocate" for Catholic education into the future. Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:53 AM

• New Owensboro bishop played role in re-assigning priests accused of sexual abuse

   
   The Courier-Journal, {Summary of cases}, By Peter Smith, psmith@courier-journal.com , January 31, 2010
   KENTUCKY -- When Pope Benedict XVI appointed the Rev. William Medley as bishop of Owensboro in December, many touted the leadership experience Medley gained in 27 years as a priest and administrator in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
   “I have always accepted any assignment that the church has asked of me,” Medley said at the time.
   But one of those assignments is coming under scrutiny from advocates for victims of sexual abuse, as Medley prepares for his formal installation Feb. 10 as spiritual leader of 50,000 Western Kentucky Catholics. [Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:48 AM, Jan 31, 2010]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker Sun January 31, 2010

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