clergy sex abuse
Vatican meeting on abuse opens with indictments from victims
By Thomas Reese — February 21, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis’ goals for this week’s meeting on sex abuse have become clear: Win back the trust of the Catholic people by focusing on the victims of abuse.
Southern Baptist leaders vow to improve addressing sex abuse after papers’ report
By Adelle M. Banks — February 11, 2019
(RNS) — 'I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure we never make these mistakes again,' Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear said in response to an investigation by Texan newspapers.
To Baptist clergy sex abuse survivors: 10 tips from the trenches
By David Clohessy and Christa Brown — February 11, 2019
(RNS) — We who have been dealing with abuse issues for years already see familiar patterns of institutional protection and image management in Southern Baptist leadership's response.
Ex-deputy to Argentine bishop says Vatican knew of misdeeds
By Almudena Calatrava — January 21, 2019
ORAN, Argentina (AP) — The scandal is the latest to implicate Pope Francis as he and the Catholic hierarchy as a whole face an unprecedented crisis of confidence over their mishandling of cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors and misconduct with adults.
Five reasons the pope’s clergy sex abuse meeting in Rome will fail
By Thomas Reese — January 17, 2019
(RNS) — Besides a lack of time to prepare and impossible expectations, even Francis' greatest strength, his pastoral sense, is working against him.
Why making clergy mandatory reporters won’t solve the Catholic abuse crisis
By Thomas Reese — January 14, 2019
(RNS) — Even covering confession under mandatory reporting rules would have little effect, since few abusers would confess such a sin if they thought their confidences were not secure.
Former New York Times reporter slams grand jury report on clerical abuse
By Thomas Reese — January 10, 2019
(RNS) — Calling the report 'grossly misleading, irresponsible, inaccurate, and unjust,' Peter Steinfels argues that last summer's bombshell charges vastly oversimplify the Catholic bishops' response to the abuse crisis.
Lawyer: McCarrick repeatedly touched youth during confession
By Nicole Winfield — December 29, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican's sexual abuse case against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has expanded significantly after a man testified that the retired American archbishop sexually abused him for years.
As the world appears to turn upside down (again), Advent is here
By Thomas Reese — December 12, 2018
(RNS) — The Old Testament prophets, whom we read during Advent, also spoke to people in doubt about bad rulers and an uncertain future. We too need to hear, 'God is on your side.'
Global Catholic nuns urge reporting of sex abuse to police
By Nicole Winfield — November 24, 2018
ROME (AP) — The International Union of Superiors General, which represents more than 500,000 sisters worldwide, vowed to help nuns who have been abused to find the courage to report it, and pledged to help victims heal and seek justice.
Bishops continue to define response to sex abuse despite Vatican call for delay
By Thomas Reese — November 15, 2018
BALTIMORE (RNS) — Some U.S. bishops felt their house was burning down, and the Vatican was asking them to delay turning on the fire hoses.
Clergy sex abuse: Why a national all-faiths inquiry is needed
By David Clohessy and Christa Brown — November 15, 2018
(RNS) — If we want our children to be safer, we cannot afford the comfortable delusion that this is an isolated problem.
Catholic bishops end synod with controversy and compromise
By Thomas Reese — October 29, 2018
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The synod's report deals with a host of issues of concern to young people: treatment of women in society and in the church, the church’s attitude toward LGBT members, clerical sex abuse, warfare, poverty, migration, human trafficking and corruption. But the work must continue in local churches.
Facing scandal and division, US Catholic bishops to hold unprecedented retreat
By Paul O'Donnell — October 23, 2018
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Catholic bishops of the U.S. announced Tuesday (Oct. 23) that at the behest of Pope Francis they will meet for a weeklong retreat in Chicago in January.
All Illinois Catholic dioceses targeted in sex abuse lawsuit
By Don Babwin — October 19, 2018
CHICAGO (AP) — Three men and one woman who say they were sexually abused by priests decades ago filed a lawsuit Thursday against every diocese in Illinois for an alleged ongoing scheme to cover up sexual assault by priests.
