Catholic sex abuse scandal
Archdiocese releases names of ‘credibly’ accused clergy
By Ashraf Khalil — October 17, 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) — It comes days after Washington's archbishop resigned over his handling of sexual abuse allegations.
With Cardinal Wuerl stepping down, who’s next?
By Jack Jenkins — October 12, 2018
(RNS) — Other bishops, also facing tough questions, could now find themselves beset by calls to follow Wuerl’s lead and step down.
Pope OKs study of Vatican archives into McCarrick scandal
By Nicole Winfield — October 6, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The study refers only to documentation, a potentially limiting constraint, given the McCarrick scandal apparently involves private, verbal communications that might not have paper trails in Vatican archives.
California’s Catholic bishops targeted in sex abuse lawsuit
By The Associated Press — October 3, 2018
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The lawsuit asks a judge 'to abate the continuing nuisance' of abuse by ordering each diocese to name all accused priests, detail their history of alleged assault and identify their addresses.
Cloud of sex abuse scandal hangs over Vatican youth meeting
By Nicole Winfield — October 2, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The synod, which begins Wednesday (Oct. 3), is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people find their vocations in life.
In a show of contrition, Catholic dioceses begin long road of healing
By Yonat Shimron — September 26, 2018
RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Standing in front of the altar Tuesday (Sept. 25) in Raleigh’s Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama took his violet zucchetto from his head and fell to his knees.
Anti-abuse activists pan US Catholic bishops’ new proposals
By The Associated Press — September 21, 2018
NEW YORK (AP) — Critics called on the bishops to go further by allowing outside investigators full access to church sex-abuse records and by supporting changes to statute-of-limitation laws.
Pressing pope to accept his resignation, Cardinal Wuerl does the right thing
By Thomas Reese — September 13, 2018
(RNS) — Cardinal Wuerl is certainly not the worst bishop of his generation in handling abuse. In fact, he was one of the best, but that is still not good enough. Today we have a higher standard.
NY clergy sex abuse may be sweeping but legal cases few
By Jennifer Peltz — September 8, 2018
(AP) — Few criminal cases or lawsuits may come out of the New York attorney general's inquiry into clergy sex abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Church, whatever its findings.
Why the Catholic Church can’t move on from the sex abuse crisis
By Thomas Reese — September 7, 2018
(RNS) — Many Catholic bishops and priests are frustrated by the continued coverage of the sex abuse crisis in the media. They believe they have fixed the problem and the church should be able to move on. People will not let them move on until there is full disclosure of past abuse.
Seven states launch investigations in wake of Pennsylvania clergy sex abuse report
By Jack Jenkins — September 6, 2018
(RNS) — Law enforcement officials in at least seven states appear to be launching their own inquiries of their Catholic dioceses, focusing on church files thought to contain decades of allegations of child sex abuse by priests.
Bishops back victim fund over abuse lawsuits in Pennsylvania
By Yonat Shimron — August 31, 2018
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Allowing lawsuits to be heard in courts, however, would force bigger payouts by the church and force it to disclose more about priests who preyed on children.
The charge against Viganò must now be investigated
By Mark Silk — August 28, 2018
(RNS) — As papal nuncio, did Viganò put a stop to the investigation of then-archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, John Nienstedt, who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse?
At World Meeting of Families, Catholic leaders address sex abuse scandal, LGBT inclusion
By Christine A. Scheller — August 24, 2018
DUBLIN (RNS) — A range of challenges to family life in the 21st century — from poor communication and alienation to sexual misconduct and the treatment of LGBT persons — dominated conversation at the Catholic Church’s World Meeting of Families this week.
Women as priests? Some say it’s time but admit it’s unlikely
By David Crary — August 24, 2018
NEW YORK (AP) — Even with extensive grassroots support for letting women become priests, Pope Francis and the Vatican's male-dominated hierarchy have stressed repeatedly that a men-only priesthood is a divine mandate that cannot be changed.