SNAP
Milwaukee archdiocese reaches $21 million settlement with abuse victims
By Reuters — August 4, 2015
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) The settlement will be filed as part of the church's plan to restructure in U.S. Bankruptcy Court more than four years after the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
St. Louis priest files federal lawsuit after being cleared of child sex abuse charges
By Joel Currier — July 1, 2015
ST. LOUIS -- A Roman Catholic priest whose charges of sexual abuse of a boy were dropped this month has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he was unfairly targeted by police, the city and advocates for sexual abuse victims.
Papal commission on sex abuse targets bishops, seeks to convince skeptics
By David Gibson — February 7, 2015
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Members will give Pope Francis recommendations on how to punish bishops who shield priests suspected of misconduct, one of several moves that are encouraging the two victims on the panel. But they also chided Francis for endorsing spanking.
Pope Francis orders accused envoy Jozef Wesolowski put under house arrest
By Josephine McKenna — September 23, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) A bishop from the Dominican Republic was recently reported saying he was shocked to see former Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski walking freely on the streets of central Rome.
Sex abuse survivors slam Pope Francis’ picks for crisis panels
By Josephine McKenna — September 10, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The appointment of both Robert Geisinger and Robert Oliver was slammed by the survivors' network SNAP, which claimed both had failed to do enough to stop abuse while they were in the U.S.
Dominican Republic may seek ex-Vatican envoy’s extradition
By Josephine McKenna — August 26, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Dominican Republic’s attorney general said it was “just and positive” for the Vatican to remove Jozef Wesolowski’s immunity and that the country would consider seeking the former archbishop’s extradition.
SNAP’s clergy abuse victims mark 25 years and eye new targets
By David Gibson — July 29, 2014
(RNS) The leading advocacy group for people who have suffered clergy sexual abuse is wrestling with how to respond to a flood of inquiries from victims from other faiths and institutions, and how to push for changes beyond the familiar precincts of the Catholic Church.
UN criticizes Vatican on sexual abuse but stops short of calling it torture
By Josephine McKenna — May 23, 2014
ROME (RNS) The panel’s criticism was far more muted than a scathing February report from the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child that asserted that the Vatican had fostered “impunity” for abusers.
Vatican defends record on sexual abuse to UN panel
By Josephine McKenna — May 6, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) “Any serious look around the world at what the Holy See is doing and what local churches are doing shows clearly that there is no climate of impunity but a total commitment to clean house," Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said.
Vatican could face flood of torture-related abuse lawsuits
By Josephine McKenna — May 5, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican's ambassador to U.N. agencies in Geneva sought to limit the Holy See’s legal responsibility for the abuse scandal, implying that the church's jurisdiction did not extend to dioceses and churches around the world.
Victims demand action as Vatican abuse panel gets down to work
By Josephine McKenna — April 30, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican's new commission for the protection of minors, led by Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley, is designed to show the pope’s personal commitment to confront the sex scandals that have shaken the church around the world.
COMMENTARY: Cutting food stamps is a bad way to balance the budget
By David Beckmann — November 1, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) This debate is about more than simply balancing our federal budget -- it’s about our values as a nation. It’s about how we treat the least of these.
International Criminal Court dismisses abuse claims against the Vatican
By Alessandro Speciale — June 14, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Advocates for survivors of clergy sex abuse vow to continue their fight after the International Criminal Court dismissed their case against retired Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis: Church must act decisively on sex abuse
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — April 5, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis called on the various national bishops' conferences around the world to step up to disciplining priests and serving abuse victims, a possible indication that he will move from a strongly centralized church government to one that places increased authority locally.
U.N. faults U.S. for failure to prosecute abusive clerics
By Caleb K. Bell — February 20, 2013
The U.S. is failing to pursue and prosecute clergy guilty of child sexual abuse, according to a recent United Nations committee report.