Pennsylvania
Pope Francis closes Ireland visit with appeals to divided Catholics
By Christine A. Scheller — August 27, 2018
DUBLIN (RNS) — For many, Pope Francis' visit to Ireland was clouded by the latest revelations of clergy sex abuse in the U.S. and Australia and Catholic bishops' attempts to cover them up.
US not alone in grappling with Catholic sex abuse, cover-up
By Nicole Winfield — August 22, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cases of Catholic priests raping and molesting children, and of bishops covering up for them, have erupted on nearly every continent in recent years.
Sex scandals fester at unhealthy organizations, experts say
By Yonat Shimron — August 19, 2018
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — When bad things happen inside institutions, the ingredients are already there to make things even worse.
Catholics and lawmakers respond to sex abuse report
By Jack Jenkins — August 16, 2018
(RNS) — Two days after Pennsylvania's 'catastrophic' report on clergy sex abuse, questions remain about its effect on American Catholics and how states will prosecute such crimes in the future.
Washington cardinal entangled in two sex-abuse scandals
By The Associated Press — August 16, 2018
(AP) — The two scandals represent a stunning turn for the 77-year-old leader who, over the decades, earned the respect of fellow bishops and prided himself in taking tough steps to combat clergy sex abuse.
An open letter to my Roman Catholic friends
By Jeffrey Salkin — August 16, 2018
Roman Catholics have every reason to be outraged. I am outraged with you and for you, as well.
Pennsylvania grand jury report is a new low for Catholic Church
By Thomas Reese — August 15, 2018
(RNS) — The Pennsylvania grand jury report on child sex abuse is a wake-up call for bishops who thought that the past could be forgotten as long as they did the right thing in the future.
Report alleges decades of child sex abuse by Pennsylvania priests, cover-up by bishops
By Jack Jenkins — August 14, 2018
(RNS) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has released a more than 1,300-page grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by Catholic priests in the state, naming hundreds of clerics accused of misconduct over 70 years and accusing church officials of a “systemic” cover-up. Shapiro unveiled the report […]
Deadline looms for release of Catholic church abuse report
By Yonat Shimron — August 14, 2018
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A state Supreme Court order issued last month set a timetable to publicly release a redacted version of the grand jury's roughly 900-page report.
Timing is everything in Pennsylvania’s clergy sexual abuse report
By Thomas Reese — August 7, 2018
(RNS) — Understanding the grand jury report properly will mean following the timeline. By the ’90s, the number of alleged abuses nationally had returned to the levels of the 1950s. Did Pennsylvania's?
Witnesses await church sex abuse report with hope for change
By Marc Levy — July 8, 2018
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Dozens of witnesses testified in the state attorney general's two-year grand jury investigation that victim advocates expect will produce the largest and most exhaustive clergy sexual abuse report by a U.S. state.
At last, bad news is good news in the Catholic sex abuse scandal
By Thomas Reese — June 28, 2018
(RNS) — The truly bad news of the scandal, of course, has been the horrible abuse of children and the negative effects of the abuse will be with them for the rest of their lives. The good news is that perpetrators have been caught and exposed. Accusations are being investigated and the guilty are being punished.
Pennsylvania grand jury finds widespread sex abuse by priests
By Reuters — March 2, 2016
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Hundreds of children in western Pennsylvania were sexually assaulted by about 50 Roman Catholic priests over four decades while bishops covered up their actions.
Judge dismisses Pa. suit over `Year of the Bible’
By Matt Miller / The Patriot-News — October 2, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS) A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by an atheist group that challenged a "Year of the Bible" resolution passed early this year by state lawmakers, but also questioned whether the resolution should have been adopted at all. By Matt Miller.
Atheist’s plan to whip the Quran won’t be allowed in the Capitol, official says
By Nick Malawskey / The Patriot-News — July 18, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS) The Pennsylvania atheist who wanted to desecrate the Quran using a whip to protest a “Year of Religious Diversity” resolution by state lawmakers can’t – because whips aren't allowed in the Capitol. By Nick Malawskey.
