Tag Archives: sexual abuse

ILLINOIS: State AG Accuses Archdiocese Of Failing To Report Names Of 500 Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse

The New York Times reports: A scathing report by the Illinois attorney general accused the Roman Catholic Church in the state of failing the victims of clergy sexual abuse by neglecting to investigate their allegations against priests and finding flimsy reasons to dismiss their claims. The names of more than 500 priests who were accused of sexual abuse did not …

Read More »

Pope Bars Bishops From Action On Clergy Sexual Abuse

From the National Catholic Reporter: The plenary meeting of the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops opened with a bombshell. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the conference, announced that the Holy See had insisted the U.S. bishops not vote on any concrete action items regarding the clergy sex abuse crisis, pending the February meeting of the presidents of all episcopal …

Read More »

Missouri Diocese Names 33 “Credibly Accused” Priests

The Associated Press reports: Thirty-three priests or religious brothers in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, have been “credibly accused” and/or removed from the ministry over sexual abuse of minors, the bishop of the central Missouri diocese said Thursday. Bishop W. Shawn McKnight released a complete list of the names that followed an internal investigation begun in February. …

Read More »

Priest Accused Of Faking Anti-Catholic Hate Crime Assault On Day Pope Condemned Abuses By Priests

CBS News Chicago reports: A Northwest Indiana priest failed to adhere to (at least) one of the Catholic Church’s ’10 Commandments’–‘Thou Shalt Not Lie’–after accusations surfaced that he made up a story about being attacked at the altar in August. Father Basil Hutsko of Saint Michael Byzantine, a Catholic church in Merrillville, has been placed on administrative leave following allegations …

Read More »

PENNSYLVANIA: Justice Department Opens Its Own Probe Into Catholic Church’s Sexual Abuse Scandal

The Washington Post reports: The Justice Department has launched an investigation into alleged sexual abuse by clergy in the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, according to a person familiar with the matter. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia began issuing subpoenas recently, the person said. The investigation was sparked after a state grand jury issued a scathing report in August …

Read More »

PENNSYLVANIA: Priest Named In Massive Probe Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse, Later Made Victim “Confess”

The York Daily Record reports: A former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing two boys and having one confess afterward, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Rev. David Lee Poulson pleaded guilty to the third-degree felonies during his court hearing on Wednesday. Poulson, 65, of Oil City, was arrested in May. Prosecutors have alleged …

Read More »

Pope Francis Defrocks Two More Bishops, Vatican Cites “Overwhelming Evidence” Of Sexual Abuse Of Minors

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis on Saturday defrocked two more Chilean bishops accused of sexually abusing minors, and to show greater transparency about how he’s responding to the church’s global sex abuse crisis, he publicly explained why they were removed. The Vatican’s unusually detailed statement announcing the laicization of retired Archbishop Francisco Jose Cox Huneeus and retired Bishop Marco …

Read More »

Pope Francis Blames Sexual Abuse Scandals On Satan

Bloomberg reports: The devil is alive and well and working overtime to undermine the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis says. In fact, the pope is so convinced that Satan is to blame for the sexual abuse crisis and deep divisions racking the Church that he has asked Catholics around the world to recite a special prayer every day in October …

Read More »

Pope: Sex Abuse Scandals Are Driving People Away

Pope Francis today acknowledged that sexual abuse scandals all over the world are driving people away from the Catholic Church. Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany. Francis told …

Read More »

Brooklyn Diocese Settles Abuse Suits For $27.5 Million

The New York Times reports: Four men who were repeatedly sexually abused as children by a religion teacher at a Catholic church in Brooklyn received a $27.5 million settlement from the Diocese of Brooklyn on Tuesday, in one of the largest settlements ever awarded to individual victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The settlement comes two weeks after …

Read More »

Pope Summons Bishops For Sexual Abuse Summit

USA Today reports: Pope Francis has summoned the presidents of Catholic bishops conferences worldwide to the Vatican in February to discuss how to stop clergy from sexually abusing children. The meeting, on February 21-24, is believed to be the first of its kind. Some clergy from the Catholic Church have been carrying out abuse for decades. An investigation in the …

Read More »

Catholic League: If You’re Mad About The Molestation Scandal, You’re Just “Taking The Bait” Of Church Haters

Via press release from Catholic League head Bill Donohue: Conservative Catholics have been especially strident in their comments. Unfortunately, they are being played. To be specific, their call for grand jury investigations in every state, and the wholesale release of priest personnel files, is playing into the hands of the enemies of the Catholic Church. So are their appeals to …

Read More »

Former Vatican Official Fired Over Kim Davis Meeting Claims Popes Long Knew About Cardinal’s Misconduct

The Washington Post reports: A former Vatican ambassador to the United States has alleged in an 11-page letter that Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis — among other top Catholic Church officials — had been aware of sexual misconduct allegations against a top American cardinal years before that prelate resigned this summer. The letter from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano [photo], …

Read More »

Pope To Ireland’s Gay PM: “I’m Ashamed” [VIDEO]

The BBC reports: Pope Francis has said he is ashamed of the Catholic Church’s failure to adequately address the “repellent crimes” of sex abuse by clergy. The Pope was addressing political leaders and diplomats at Dublin Castle during the first papal visit to the Republic of Ireland for 40 years. He is expected to meet victims of clerical sex abuse …

Read More »

Catholic League Accuses Pennsylvania AG Of “Bigotry” For Sexual Abuse Probe Of Over 300 Predator Priests

Via press release from blowhard Bill Donohue: Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro needs to explain why he never convened a grand jury to investigate the sexual abuse of minors in the public schools. That’s where the action is — his state has one of the worst records on this score of any state in the nation — so why is …

Read More »

REPORT: GOP Rep. Gym Jordan Had Retired Coach Pressure Wrestlers To Recant Claims But They Refused

NBC News reports: Retired Ohio State wrestling coach Russ Hellickson reached out to two ex-team members and asked them to support their former assistant coach, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a day after they accused the powerful congressman of turning a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse by the team doctor, according to the wrestlers and text messages they shared with …

Read More »

Cuccinelli Tweets Photo Of Jim Jordan: “Who Better To Wrestle Dems To The Ground? #JimJordan4Speaker!”

This really happened today: While trying to promote Congressman Jim Jordan’s campaign to replace Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as Speaker of the House, Ken Cuccinelli — who is the president of the Senate Conservatives Fund PAC and frequently appears on CNN — accidentally reminded everyone that the lawmaker has been accused of allowing physical abuse to take place while he …

Read More »

OHIO: Rep. Jim Jordan Named In Class Action Sexual Abuse Lawuit Filed By Former University Wrestler

Rolling Stone reports: On Tuesday, Jordan’s public-relations crisis became a legal nightmare. Attorneys filed a massive class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Ohio on behalf of an as-yet-unnamed former OSU wrestler. The law firm Sauder Schelkopf is seeking to represent all the students and athletes “treated” by Strauss in his two decades at the school, from the late ‘70s …

Read More »

GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz: Wrestlers Accusing Jim Jordan Have A “Loose Affiliation” With The Deep State [VIDEO]

Apparently the deep state went 20 years back in time: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on today said members of the so-called “deep state” are behind the allegations that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) turned a blind eye to sexual abuse while he was an Ohio State wrestling coach. “I think there are people that have some loose affiliation with the deep …

Read More »

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Accusations Against “Decent” Jim Jordan Are The Work Of “Dirty Tricks” DNC Lawyers

Via press release from Loony Louie Gohmert: Jim Jordan is a fine and decent person who has a lifetime history of being honorable and honest, unlike his accusers whose extremely troubled backgrounds and ongoing legal and financial troubles place the veracity of their allegations into the realm of ridiculous. Unlike the Olympians who were minor children at the time they …

Read More »