AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites

Broken Rites is pleased that Australia's national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is investigating the Catholic Church's so-called "Towards Healing" process, which claims to "help" the church's abuse-victims. Broken Rites has been researching "Towards Healing" since 1996, and this article sums up some of our main findings so far. This Broken Rites article demonstrates how "Towards Healing" is really a business strategy, designed to protect the church's assets and its corporate image.

The Royal Commission's hearings about "Towards Healing" are scheduled to begin on Monday 9 December 2013 and will continue for two weeks.

The Catholic Church in Australia operates its "Towards Healing" scheme to receive (and respond to) complaints from the church's sex-abuse victims. Broken Rites found that Towards Healing was designed in conjunction with the church's lawyers, its accountants and its insurance company. The name "Towards Healing" is the kind of brand-name that could be inspired by any public-relations consultant or advertising firm.

In some cases, Towards Healing might give help a victim to "heal" but this help is incidental to the primary object - the church's business strategy.

The Towards Healing scheme is conducted in association with the Catholic Church's own insurance company, Catholic Church Insurances Limited (CCI). CCI has stated that this company "carries the burden of salary and support staff" for Towards Healing and, furthermore, that CCI will "provide practical support" for any future fine-tuning of the Towards Healing system

MINNESOTA
Waseca County News

By CHRISTEN FURLONG cfurlong@wasecacountynews.com
Posted on December 6, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday published a list of 34 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Ten of the 34 priests on the list were stationed in the region at some point in their careers. Only one man, Timothy McCarthy, served in the Waseca area — McCarthy acted as an administrator at St. Andrew in Elysian from 1977-1982.

Fr. Michael Ince, pastor at St. Andrew and Holy Trinity in Waterville, commented on the public's reaction to the list, indicating that he thought its disclosure could lead to potentially negative feedback against the state's Archdiocese.

"Well, I can't say much from the churches' perspective," Ince said. "But it's getting to be quite a witch hunt. I think we have to look at the fact that the [Archdiocese] has bent over backward and these people are still howling. The more we do, the more they yell at us."

WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette

[Text of the bishop's letter]

By Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
bkush@telegram.com

WORCESTER — Bishop Robert J. McManus has issued directives to local pastors aimed at making parish finances more "transparent" and ensuring the proper use of contributions to the church.

The action comes in the wake of the alleged embezzlement earlier this year of $230,000 by a Northboro priest, who reportedly used the money to feed a gambling habit.

In a letter dated Nov. 22 that was released by the chancery this week, Bishop McManus told his pastors that the issue of "financial transparency" is a major concern in the church and that there cases, both locally and nationally, in which contributed funds have been misappropriated.

"We have a shared duty as pastors and as diocesan administrators to demonstrate responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us in carrying out the mission of the Catholic Church," wrote the bishop. "I am confident that none of us takes that responsibility lightly."

He said that a series of checks and balances must be in place to demonstrate that donations are being used to accomplish agreed-upon goals or to show whether contributions are able to sustain a parish's budget.

CONNECTICUT
Nachrichten

WASHINGTON. Der ultrakonservative katholische Orden Legionäre Christi hat nach eigenen Angaben neun seiner Priester des sexuellen Missbrauchs von Minderjährigen für schuldig befunden.

Wie der derzeitige Generaldirektor der Legionäre Christi, Pater Sylvester Heereman, am Freitag mitteilte, gehören dazu auch der 2008 verstorbene Ordensgründer Marcial Maciel sowie Pater William Izquierdo.

Pater William Izquierdo, ein ehemaliger Lehrer an einer Einrichtung des Ordens im US-Bundesstaat Connecticut soll zwischen 1982 und 1994 demnach einen seiner Obhut unterstellten Novizen missbraucht haben.

MEXICO
Octavo Dia

Ciudad de México. De manera pública, los Legionarios de Cristo admitieron que 35 de sus sacerdotes fueron acusados de cometer abusos sexuales contra menores desde 1941 a la fecha, y nueve de ellos fueron hallados culpables.

En una carta enviada a todos los integrantes de la congregación mexicana, el vicario Sylvester Heereman, expuso un exhaustivo diagnóstico sobre los casos de abusos en el instituto religioso.

Entre los acusados están dos altos cargos de la Legión y Marcial Maciel, el fundador de los Legionarios, alejado del ministerio público por Benedicto XVI y quien falleció en 2008, fueron acusados de "comportamientos sexuales inapropiados" con adultos bajo su autoridad.

PERU
La Republica

[Summary: Prosecutor Jorge Contreras has laid criminal charges against priest Luis Alejandro Bazalar Garcia for allegedly attempting to kidnap, indecent seduction and causing serious injury to a former seminarian.]

El fiscal ayacuchano Jorge Abad Contreras formalizó denuncia penal contra el sacerdote Luis Alejandro Bazalar García por los presuntos delitos de violación de domicilio, secuestro en grado de tentativa, lesiones graves, seducción y contra el pudor en agravio del ex seminarista de las iniciales M.S.A.R., de 17 años. El caso está en el sexto juzgado penal de Huamanga a cargo de la jueza Roxana Molina, quien tiene 15 días para pronunciarse.

De acuerdo el expediente Nro. 2485-2013, Bazalar García conoció al menor agraviado en julio del 2012, cuando acudía a la iglesia Catedral y él cumplía labor de sacerdote.

El sacerdote llegó a dormir en el domicilio de la madre del menor, Sheyla Roca Roca Gonzales, donde con engaños de comprarle ropas y llevarle al extranjero para estudiar, mantenía relaciones con el menor aprovechando que la madre trabajaba fuera de la ciudad.

ROME
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 6, 2013

ROME Pope Francis told a group of Dutch bishops this week that the Vatican must continue reforms undertaken by the Catholic church in the 1960s and ‘70s, according to one of the participants in the meeting.

Bishop Jan Hendricks, who attended the meeting Monday, later recounted that the pope said implementation of the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council is only half complete.

“We have been implementing the council only half-way,” Hendriks recalled from the pope’s words. “Half of the work has still to be done.”

Hendriks, the auxiliary bishop of the Haarlem-Amsterdam diocese, was one of 13 Dutch bishops to take part in the meeting with the pope. They are in Rome for their ad limina, a formal visit bishops around the world are required to make to report to the pope on their individual dioceses.

IRELAND
Irish Independent

07 DECEMBER 2013

FORMER attorney general Peter Sutherland was called in to advise the Vatican on how to reform its financial affairs, it has emerged.

Mr Sutherland, who is chairman of Goldman Sachs International, addressed the Council of Cardinals – the most senior advisors to the Pope – during the summer on how the Vatican should deal with the financial scandals that were embracing St Peters.

Mr Sutherland, who is believed to act as an unpaid sounding board for the Vatican on financial matters, told the cardinals that the Holy See had to change its ways and embrace openness, especially in its business dealings. "Transparency is important and necessary," he is reported as saying.

Mr Sutherland has long been one of the most influential Irish people on the planet when it comes to business and politics.

MINNESOTA
Le Center Leader

By JESSICA BIES jbies@stpeterherald.com
Posted on December 6, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday published a list of 34 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Several of those included on the list once served in the Minnesota River Valley and in the Diocese of New Ulm, which contains the Church of St. Peter.

One of the men on the list, John Brown, served as an associate priest/administrator at St. Mary from 1958-1960.

Fr. Chris Shorner, who currently serves as pastor at St. Mary in Le Center, saw the list Thursday and shared his initial reaction.

“I’m saddened of course," Shorner said. "It’s a time to pray for the victims and a time to pray for those who might be inclined towards perpetrating such acts, because we want a society, a church, where everyone is healthy and safe and secure.”

MINNESOTA
Hastings Star Gazette

By Chad Richardson on Dec 5, 2013

Four former priests who served in Hastings were among those named by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as having credible claims of sexual abuse of a minor against them.

Their names were released on Thursday. The four are among 32 who were named. The 32 people named have had civil and/or criminal lawsuits brought against them.

The four are:

• Francis Hoefgen, who was the associate priest at St. Boniface in Hastings from 1985 to 1992.
He was permanently removed from ministry in 2002 and is living in Columbia Heights.

• Thomas Stitts, who served as an associate priest at Guardian Angels from 1966 to 1970.
He died in 1985.

• Clarence Vavra, who served as associate priest at Guardian Angels from 1971 to 1972.
He was removed from the ministry in 2003 and is living in New Prague.

• Patrick Ryan, who was the pastor at Guardian Angels from 1943 to 1965. He died in 1965.

UNITED KINGDOM
Rochdale Online

Detectives are investigating reports of historic sexual abuse.

The investigation relates to the indecent assault and sexual abuse of three women during their time as schoolgirls at St Vincent's Primary School in Norden, Rochdale.

Police are investigating complaints from three women, now aged 41, 35 and 21, but who were aged between 8 and 10, when the offences happened between 1980 and 2000.

The offences did not occur within the school but at an adjacent presbytery.

As part of the investigation an 82-year-old man has been interviewed under caution in relation to these matters.

Detective Constable Christian Chivers, from Greater Manchester Police's Public Protection Investigation Unit, said: "I want to reassure local residents, and more importantly parents of children currently at St Vincent's, that these are historical incidents.

MINNESOTA
Marshall Independent

A former victim of clerical sexual abuse said the recent disclosure of a list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse is not enough.

December 7, 2013
By Steve Browne , Marshall Independent

MARSHALL - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released the names of 30 ordained ministers of the Catholic Church who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor and four whom the diocese said had accusations not substantiated against them.

The disclosure came in response to a court order after a case was filed by the St. Paul legal firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates.

Childhood sexual abuse survivor Bob Schwiderski said it's a good start but still not enough.

"It's been good for Minnesota," Schwiderski said, "the fact that society has seen so much abut childhood abuse, it can do nothing but help us move forward."
stees in 1962, Marks was transferred to St. Clotilde in Green Valley and to St. Dionysius in Tyler.

CALIFORNIA
10 News

Michael Chen

SANTEE, Calif. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is under fire after the name of a retired priest surfaced on a list of priests accused of sexual abuse against children.

Abuse survivors want to know why Paul Palmitessa's name wasn't released on earlier lists and why he was allowed to work in San Diego County as a priest -- even as the national abuse scandal was playing out.

"My heart drops. My stomach turns," said Paul Livingston, who heads the San Diego chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

That was Livingston's reaction after learning Palmitessa's name emerged in a court-ordered release of 34 credible cases of child sex abuse accusations in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

"My question is how many more names do we have coming up?" said Livingston.

MINNESOTA
Albert Lea Tribune

By Albert Lea Tribune and Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled such allegations.

The list includes a former priest who served a stint at St. Theodore Catholic Church in Albert Lea in the 1960s who faces a civil lawsuit in Ramsey County over allegations of sexual abuse.

Thomas Adamson, now 80, served in the Albert Lea parish in 1967 and 1968, at which time he was also chaplain of Lea College, an institution of higher learning on the west side of Albert Lea that shut down in 1973. He was removed from the ministry in 1985 and lives in Rochester.

UNITED KINGDOM
Manchester Evening News

A Catholic priest is being investigated over alleged sexual abuse of children over a 20 year period.

Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, who retired in 2002 from St Vincent de Paul RC Church in Norden, Rochdale , has been interviewed by police under caution.

Three women have claimed they were indecently assaulted and sexually abused while pupils at nearby St Vincent’s Primary School.

The women were aged under 11 when its is alleged the offences happened between 1980 and 2000.

It is claimed the abuse was committed in a presbytery next to the school.

Canon Stanley, who joined the church as parish priest in 1972, retired to his native Ireland in 2002.

IRELAND
Irish MIrror

An Irish priest is being investigated by British police over alleged sexual abuse of children over a 20 year period.

Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, who retired to Ballybunion, Co Kerry, in 2002 was recently interviewed by Manchester cops in Ireland under caution.

It comes after three women have claimed they were indecently assaulted by him when he was parish priest at St Vincent de Paul RC Church in Norden, Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The women were aged under 11 when its is alleged the offences happened between 1980 and 2000 while they were pupils at nearby St Vincent's Primary School.

It is claimed the abuse was committed in a presbytery next to the school.

Canon Stanley, who joined the church as parish priest in 1972, retired to his native Ireland in 2002.

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

An 82-year-old parish priest has been questioned under caution over alleged child sex abuse that spanned two decades in Greater Manchester.

The alleged indecent assault and sexual abuse occurred in the presbytery next door to St Vincent's RC Primary School in Norden, Rochdale, police said.

Investigations began after three women complained to police.

The women were pupils at the school between 1980 and 2000 and police have appealed for more information.

The parish priest, who has not been formally arrested, was serving at St Vincent de Paul RC Church at the time of the alleged offences.

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com

Richard Jeub called what happened at Our Lady of Grace church in Edina "stupid stuff done when I was young."

Jeub was among 34 priests the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis deemed "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children, according to a list released by the church Thursday.

Ten of the priests have since died. Another is believed dead. One, Curtis Wehmeyer, is in prison for sexually abusing two boys.

All the priests are out of the ministry, the archdiocese said.

The Pioneer Press tried to contact each living priest on the list. Of those for whom phone numbers were found, three were reached.

Jeub, 73, was one. Another was Dennis Kampa of Virginia, Minn., who said he never understood the charge against him. The third priest, 93-year-old John Thomas Brown, was hard of hearing and unable to understand a reporter.

COLORADO
Daily Camera

By Mitchell Byars, Camera Staff Writer
POSTED: 12/06/2013

The arraignment hearing for a youth pastor accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a teenage church member over several years has been continued until February.

Jason Allen Roberson, 35, is facing sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and invasion of privacy.

Roberson appeared for his scheduled arraignment today before Boulder District Judge Thomas Mulvahill, but prosecutor Adrian Van Nice and Roberson's attorney David Miller indicated the two sides needed more time to discuss any possible plea agreement.

Mulvahill continued the hearing to Feb. 7.

TEXAS
KLTV

By Melissa Greene

UPSHUR COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -
The wife of a Gilmer former pastor serving six life sentences in prison for the sexual assault of a child was sentenced today for failing to prevent the abuse.

Rosie Evans Fluellen of Gilmer pled guilty in Upshur County Court this morning this morning to a charge of criminal responsibility to aggravated assault of a child, according to Prosecutor Natalie Miller.

Fluellen's husband, Hugo Fluellen, was sentenced in October to six consecutive life sentences after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a child for more than a decade.

Evidence presented in Hugo Fluellen's trial showed he began molesting his victim when she was in second grade. Witnesses testified Fluellen would often molest his victim on the way home from church after she had attended Sunday School and sang in the choir.

ROME
Headlines from the Catholic World

Rome, Italy, Dec 5, 2013 / 05:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The acting general director of the Legion of Christ has shared the steps the order has taken to prevent sexual abuse and to respond to its allegations, focusing on the gravity of abuse and its victims' suffering.

“When we confront the reality of sexual abuse, it is helpful to keep certain complementary values in mind: compassion and solidarity with the victims, the responsibility to protect people who are under our pastoral care, the right of the accused to a due process, the promotion and defense of justice, and – keeping in mind that sexual abuse is a behavior that will never be tolerated – mercy and support of our brothers who are guilty of this crime,” wrote Fr. Sylvester Heereman in a Dec. 5 letter.

“Finally, we should see this from the point of view of Christ, who is capable of making all things new. The last word belongs, not to evil, but to him.”

The letter was sent to all members of the Legion of Christ shortly before its general chapter, which will establish a new constitution and elect new leadership.

Fr. Heerman outlined what the Legion has done to deal with sex abuse, as well as “the principles that guide the actions of the Legion in the prevention of sexual abuse and in responding to allegations made against any of our brothers.”

ROME
Legion of Christ

ROME (Dec. 5) – The Legion of Christ is committed to openly and aggressively addressing allegations of sexual abuse.

This was the primary message in a letter sent today by Fr. Sylvester Heereman LC, the Legion’s acting general director, to all members of the congregation. He said that the Legion has created an environment that will not tolerate abuse and that in the event of an allegation the response will be thorough. And anyone found guilty will face legal and ecclesial consequences.

The letter includes a report on the Legion’s handling of past and current abuse cases, whether by the Legion’s founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, or other members of the congregation. This is the most thorough report the Legion has issued on its past abuse cases.

“When we confront the reality of sexual abuse, it is helpful to keep certain complementary values in mind: compassion and solidarity with the victims, the responsibility to protect people who are under our pastoral care, the right of the accused to a due process, the promotion and defense of justice, and – keeping in mind that sexual abuse is a behavior that will never be tolerated – mercy and support of our brothers who are guilty of this crime,” Fr. Heereman said.

Principles that guide the actions of Legion authorities in responding to allegations
Fr. Heereman outlined the principles that guide the Legion in addressing abuse:

1. Each of the congregation’s territories is responsible for the prevention and handling of abuse in its area of jurisdiction, strictly aligned with civil and ecclesial authorities.
2. Each territory will implement a code of conduct, carefully select those who enter the order and provide proper training.
3. Each territory will have clear procedures in place for dealing with allegations, respecting the needs of the victim and the accused.
4. Our highest priority will be for the welfare of the victim and prevention of future crimes.
5. The person accused shall have the presumption of innocence until proven guilty – but we will not compromise.
6. If a Legionary still in formation is found to have engaged in abuse, he will not go forward to ordination – in addition to the legal penalties. If a priest is found guilty, civil and ecclesial penalties will apply. If not laicized, he will be excluded from any access to minors and, where appropriate, excluded from all public ministry.

VATICAN CITY
Rappler

BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
POSTED ON 12/07/2013

VATICAN CITY – The Legion of Christ, a Catholic congregation, said on Friday, December 6, it had found 9 of its priests guilty of sexual abuse of minors including its disgraced founder and one who assaulted a novice in the United States.

The Legion's reputation was already clouded by earlier revelations about Marcial Maciel, who set up the group in Mexico in 1941 and was accused of abusing 8 young seminarians as well as fathering a child.

Father Sylvester Heereman, the group's acting general director, said the investigations had shown up a "painful and horrifying reality" and emphasized his commitment to tackling abuse in the conservative group.

It said two of the priests had been defrocked and 7 had "sanctions imposed on their life and ministry."

Legion officials were unable to say whether any of these cases were being investigated by civil authorities, although some date back decades and the crimes may have expired under statutes of limitations.

A total of 35 priests were accused in the investigation, which was conducted under Canon Law.

UNITED STATES
Pew Research Center

BY MICHAEL LIPKA

Pope Francis is creating a new commission to advise the Vatican on how to deal with the ongoing clergy sex abuse scandal, which continues to make headlines in the U.S.

Effects from the scandal continue to ripple across the U.S. Catholic landscape. On Thursday, the same day Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley announced the commission’s formation, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released a list of more than 30 priests it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The Vatican’s announcement comes after some recent criticism of the pope for not moving more forcefully to confront the problem.

Most Catholics in the U.S. say the sex abuse scandal is one priority they want Francis to address. After the new pope was elected in March, 70% of U.S. Catholics said that addressing the abuse scandal should be “a top priority” for him – more than any other potential priority listed in a Pew Research survey.

MINNESOTA
KSTP

By: Scott Theisen
Advocates for victims of sexual abuse by clergy members say they will continue to push for more information about priests who have been accused of molesting children.

A day after the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published a list of 34 priests who have been credibly accused of abuse, victims' advocates say the list is incomplete. They say there are known abusers who aren't on the list, and some of the priests' assignment histories leave out some stops.

Meanwhile, additional victims have come forward - and more lawsuits are expected. The new victims include some who are wondering why their abuser isn't listed.

The archdiocese has said Thursday's disclosures aren't final.

UNITED STATES
America Blog

by John Aravosis

Conservative anti-gay Catholics are upset with writer, advice columnist, and gay rights advocate Dan Savage for disparaging pedophile priests the other day on the Bill Maher show.

Dan referred to the child rapists as “kiddie f—ing priests,” which caused Catholic League head Bill Donohue to demand that Maher’s show be canceled.

Because, you know, who in their right mind would criticize grown men who rape 5 year olds?

Maher was asking Dan about a Catholic bishop in Hawaii who claimed, absurdly, that children of gay parents will end up killing themselves.

Honolulu bishop Larry Silva wrote in a letter that “children will be the greatest casualties [if same-sex marriage were legalized in Hawaii - and it was, the marriages began this morning at midnight Hawaii time, 5am Eastern], in that they will be deprived of being raised in a loving home by a mother and a father who loves them and whose love cooperated with God’s plan in creating them.”

NEW JERSEY
NorthJersey.com

FRIDAY DECEMBER 6, 2013, 4:33 PM
BY JEFF FRANKEL
STAFF WRITER
BLOOMFIELD LIFE

A former New Jersey priest convicted in the early 1980s of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy is facing additional charges in Missouri.

Gerry Howard, who legally changed his name from Carmine Sita after that incident, is requesting a trial in front of only a judge, according to a Nov. 25 report in connectmidmissouri.com.

He was arrested at his Broad Street apartment in Bloomfield in 2010 and extradited to Missouri, according to Missouri court records. Prosecutors in Cooper County charged Howard with eight felony counts, including sodomy and kidnapping. The accused sexual abuse happened between 1984 and 1987, according to the report.

David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Abusive Priests, told Bloomfield Life the organization is "grateful that Howard has been locked up and kept away from kids."

"Very few victims have the strength and opportunity to seek justice," said Clohessy, who group is not directly involved with the case.

CANADA
CBC News

The third week of the trial of Roman Catholic priest Eric Dejaeger wrapped up today with testimony from Father Robert Lechat, who worked with Dejaeger decades ago in Igloolik.

Dejaeger, 66, faces dozens of charges related to sexual abuse against children.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred between 1978 and 1982 in Igloolik.

Father Robert Lechat is now 93 and living in Ottawa, but he lived and worked in Igloolik off and on between 1972 and 1986.

In court this morning, Lechat said he was surprised when he learned Dejaeger was convicted of sex-related crimes against children in Baker Lake.

That was in the 1990s and Dejaeger subsequently was sentenced to five years in prison.

Lechat said there were always a lot of children at the mission in Igloolik. Religion courses were held after school and he said the children would go home afterwards.

Lechat said there were strict rules at the Catholic Church and kids were not allowed upstairs, but the doors of the church were never locked.

During his testimony, Lechat referred often to a journal he kept at the time. It documented the comings and goings of many people.

Lechat said he was often away from the church for meetings and parish visits. He said he left Dejaeger in the community so he could get know the people there better.

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

A lowly US county judge did more yesterday to protect kids than the most powerful prelate on the planet. Yesterday, Judge John Van de North forced the Catholic archbishop of St. Paul/Minneapolis to disclose the names, whereabouts, statues and work histories of about 30 credibly accused child molesting clerics.

[Minnesota Public Radio]

Yesterday, as he’s done for eight months, Pope Francis refused to disclose a single predator's name. Nor, as best we can tell, did a single one of the planets 5,000 Catholic bishops disclose a single predator’s name.

The pontiff is at least consistent: In 15 years as head of Argentina’s largest archdiocese, he also did not disclose a single predator’s name. (In fairness to the pope, however, none of his predecessors as pope or as archbishop - ever revealed a single predator’s name.)

Yesterday, Pope Francis did, however, announce he'll appoint a new church panel to look at abuse.

[Mercury News]

So yesterday, the earth’s most powerful religious figure promised to study clergy child sex crimes.

And yesterday, a lowly US judge actually prevented clergy child sex crimes.

UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage

William D. Lindsey

The Vatican announced yesterday that Pope Francis has set up a papal commission to advise him about dealing with the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church. As Elisabetta Povoledo, Alan Cowell, and Rick Gladstone report for New York Times, this is the first concrete step Pope Francis has taken to address the abuse crisis, and the announcement comes two days after a United Nations panel resoundingly criticized the Catholic church for its mishandling of abuse cases.

For National Catholic Reporter, Joshua McElwee notes that the U.N. panel specifically objected to the Vatican's refusal to provide the panel with information about how the church deals with abuse cases. McElwee also indicates that in making the announcement about the new papal advisory commission, Cardinal Sean O'Malley stated that the panel will stress the need for pastoral engagement of those abused by priests as minors.

Responses to the announcement from survivors of abuse and groups supporting abuse survivors:

For Bishop Accountability, Anne Barrett Doyle writes,

BishopAccountability.org cautiously welcomes Cardinal O'Malley's announcement in Rome today that the Vatican will form an advisory commission on the sex abuse of minors in the Church. It's good that the Vatican will be giving this terrible problem focused attention. But we are concerned that the commission will be toothless and off-target. Cardinal O'Malley's list of its possible "lines of action" has two crucial omissions. There is no indication that the commission will study either the Vatican's culpability or the crucial need to discipline bishops, religious superiors and other church supervisors who enable child rape and molestation.

For Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, Barbara Blaine states that though Francis has been a breath of fresh air to many people, he remains a breath of stale air to wounded victims, vulnerable children, and betrayed Catholics--and:

What’s needed is the ending of talk and the beginning of action. What helps kids is action, not information, especially when the Catholic hierarchy already has massive amounts of information on who in its ranks has committed and who is concealing heinous sexual violence across the globe.

For National Survivor Advocates Coalition, Kris Ward asks some blunt questions about image and substance:

Why announce a commission without details, membership, timetable if getting out the news that yet another public relations attempt isn’t the crux of the activity?
Headline puffery or solid rock honest to God reform through responsibility? It’s up to the Vatican.

MISSOURI
The Kansas City Star

December 5
BY TONY RIZZO
The Kansas City Star

A former Catholic monk whose alleged sexual abuse of students led to lawsuits filed against a northwest Missouri abbey has died.

Funeral services for Bede Parry are scheduled for Tuesday in Las Vegas, according to the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada.

Parry died Nov. 27, according to a post on his lawyer’s Facebook page.

He was choir director at the Conception Abbey in the 1980s, and two lawsuits were filed against the abbey in 2011 by men who said they were molested by Parry as teens.

Both suits against the abbey are pending in Nodaway County, Mo.

AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net

The submission from the New South Wales Ombudsman to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse is somewhat disappointing. It says more positive things about the Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” process (to deal with allegations of abuse), than negative things. Where it is negative, it is only mildly so.

This is shown in the following passage from the submission: “We are also of the view that the very strong emphasis in the document on responding to abuse via formal complaints could potentially divert attention from the need for the Catholic Church to also take proactive steps in identifying, and responding to, abuse. In this regard, the Church should seek to promote a culture where not only victims and their representatives are encouraged to raise concerns about abuse, but also that Church leaders – and the broader Church community – understand the importance of vigilance in relation to this issue.”

It continues with the sideline focus of using the process to improve systems when it says that “nowhere in the somewhat detailed description of the complaint processes does the policy emphasise the importance of utilizing the complaints system…to proactively identify where risks of possible abuse may exist.”

All of this may be important to an Ombudsman, but it is not what the hearings about “Towards Healing” are meant to cover. It is its failure, for current victims, which is of most concern to most people – a point the Ombudsman’s submission fails to address adequately.

One of the most serious faults of “Towards Healing” pertains to its use of the advantages, under the existing law, for civil litigation (see previous postings e.g. “Ellis Defence”). Here, the submission is very weak in its apparent criticisms. It states that “we believe that the Catholic Church would benefit from clearly articulated policy relating to how they will conduct themselves in relation to civil claims.”

CANADA
CBC News

The third week of testimony wraps up today in the trial of Roman Catholic priest Eric Dejaeger.

The 66-year-old faces dozens of charges related to sexual abuse against children.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred between 1978 and 1982 in Igloolik.

So far the court has heard disturbing testimony about alleged sexual acts involving young girls, boys and even dogs.

CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Church officials “outed” him yesterday
A judge ordered that his name be released
Cleric is “credibly accused” of child sex abuse
Victims want San Diego bishop to do outreach
As recently as last year, alleged abuser was still on the job

A Catholic priest who was revealed as a “credibly accused” child molester yesterday now lives in the San Diego area.

He is Fr. Paul Palmitessa.

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims wants San Diego Catholic bishop Cirilo Flores to “aggressively reach out to anyone who this priest may have hurt while he’s been in California.”

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are asking Bishop Flores to personally visit each parish where predator priest worked and beg victims, witnesses and witnesses to call police.

“When a case of a child abuse is reported, often this is not only the instance of abuse ” said David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP’s director. “We need to make sure that anyone else who has been hurt by Palmitessa will feel encouraged to report what they have suspected, witnessed, or experienced to prevent future abuse, and begin to heal .”

“It’s always tempting to stay silent if you’ve been hurt or betrayed,” said Joelle Casteix of Orange County CA, SNAP’s western regional director. “That silence is what predators count on. And that temptation must be overcome if future clergy sex crimes and misdeeds are to be prevented.”

UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on December 6, 2013

Everybody has a crush on Pope Francis. He drives a car! He eats with the priests! He cold calls Catholics who write him letters!

But wait, there’s more! He used to be a bouncer at a bar! He reportedly sneaks out at night to feed the poor! He speaks out against those nasty capitalists (whose donated money is the principal funding source for Vatican City, BTW).

Wow, with all of this action, he would have to take decisive action on the clergy abuse crisis, the first and foremost problem in his own nest, right? Eh, not so much.

Instead, he formed a committee! (Insert sad trombone here) Not only that, but he refused to answer the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s questions about child sexual sexual abuse. Apparently, Francis only takes action when solving OTHER people’s problems.

C’mon Francis! You blew it. This was low-hanging fruit! You could have been on the fast track to sainthood. All you need to do are a few simple things:

You can start by the easy, symbolic actions. First, you strip Roger Mahony of any titles, power or significance. After that, you fire Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn (I mean, really, he’s CONVICTED of child endangerment).

This is easy stuff. Send them both to the villages of Western Alaska, where they can live in abject poverty and devote the rest of their lives to the victims of Jesuit priests there.

MINNESOTA
MinnPost

[Press conference video via Jeff Anderson & Associates]

By Beth Hawkins

If church leaders had taken action in the wake of Father Thomas Adamson’s first admission that he sexually abused a young boy, Jim Keenan would likely never have met him, much less ended up one of the priest’s dozens of victims.

“There is no reason our paths would have to cross in a ministerial way,” a tearful Keenan said Thursday at a press conference held hours after the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was compelled to release a list of priests “credibly accused” of abusing minors.

According to court filings, Adamson’s first documented transgression took place in 1964. Keenan was born in 1967. Before Keenan was molested at the age of 13, the priest had confessed to perhaps dozens of inappropriate sexual encounters with boys.

Adamson’s is the very first name on the alphabetized list, which Keenan and his attorneys, Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, have been seeking for a decade. Five years ago, the Savage man turned down a financial settlement, saying he wouldn’t accept any agreement that did not include the list’s release.

“It’s the right step, but it’s a tiny step,” Keenan said. “They have to follow the rules like you and I.”

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, Dec. 6, 2013

David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

What next in the Twin Cities Catholic abuse and cover up scandal? Here are some predictions and hopes.

We predict that more victims across Minnesota will:

--step forward asking “Why isn’t the cleric who hurt me on the newly-disclosed list?” and
--push for more disclosure and other prevention steps as part of their civil settlements.

We predict that more judges – across Minnesota and the country – will be willing, for the safety of children, force other bishops to disclose names of other predators. (This is the first time a court has ordered a bishop to make predators’ names public.)

We hope that law enforcement officials will use their “bully pulpits” to prod victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to contact secular officials, not church officials, with information or suspicions about clergy sex crimes, especially by the seven or eight credibly accused clerics who were “outed” yesterday.

We predict that Archbishop John Nienstedt will:

--continue to write about this disclosure as if it were a voluntary move on his part, instead of making it clear that he was forced to do this, and
--continue distancing himself from his predator priests. (Most of the clerics listed yesterday are still priests. But Nienstedt listed them with no titles, as if to suggest that they no longer are.)

We hope, but do not expect, that Nienstedt will:

--explain why he kept the names of six or seven credibly accused child molesting clerics for years and years,
--turn over every scrap of information he has about all current and former Twin Cities predator priests, nuns, seminarians, brothers and lay employees to law enforcement immediately,
--personally visit each parish where predator priests worked – starting with the seven or eight new names – and beg victims, witnesses and witnesses to call police, and

--give all Twin Cities child molesting clerics an ultimatum: “Move to a remote, secure treatment facility in 30 days or we’ll cut off your salary, health care and other benefits.”

PORTUGAL
TVI 24

A Diocese de Santarém iniciou um «processo canónico de averiguações a propósito de suspeitas» sobre o pároco das paróquias de Golegã, Azinhaga e Pombalinho, segundo um comunicado divulgado pelo vigário geral da diocese na Internet.

«É a preocupação pelo bem de todas as pessoas que preside a este processo», afirma o padre Aníbal Manuel Vieira, adiantando que «estão a ser cumpridas todas as normas canónicas que dizem respeito a estes casos».

Contactado pela Lusa, o vigário geral apenas adiantou que o processo ao padre das paróquias de Golegã, Azinhaga e Pombalinho «faz parte dos procedimentos normais quando há rumores», não tendo havido qualquer queixa formal junto da diocese.

UNITED STATES
Catholic League

Now that Pope Francis has set up a commission to study priestly sexual abuse, Bill Donohue urges reporters to get their facts straight:

Myth: Children have been the main victims of priestly sexual abuse.

Fact: Since more than 95 percent of all the victims of priestly sexual abuse, as reported by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, are not prepubescent, that means that adolescents have been the primary victims.

Myth: Pedophile priests have been the problem.

Fact: Homosexual priests have been the problem. Proof: 81 percent of the victims have been male, and more than 95 percent have been postpubescent. When males have sex with postpubescent males, it is called homosexuality.

Myth: The problem is on-going.

Fact: The homosexual scandal took place mostly between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s. In the last ten years, the average number of credible accusations made against 40,000 priests is in the single digits.

VATICAN CITY
Kansas City Star

December 5
BY NICOLE WINFIELD
The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — In a story Dec. 5 about the wedding of a former Legion of Christ priest, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Legion said less than 4 percent of Legion priests had been abused. Less than 4 percent have been accused of sexual abuse, according to the Legion.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Disgraced priest to wed pope adviser's daughter

Legion priest who resigned after fathering child to marry daughter of top Vatican adviser

By NICOLE WINFIELD

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Thomas Williams, the onetime public face of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order who left the priesthood after admitting he fathered a child, is getting married this weekend to the child's mother, The Associated Press has learned. The bride is the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon, one of Pope Francis' top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences. She is also one of five people on Francis' commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank. Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a Rome-based art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

CONNECTICUT
The Raw Story

By Agence France-Presse
Friday, December 6, 2013

The Legion of Christ, an influential Catholic congregation already at the centre of an abuse scandal involving its founder, on Friday said one of its priests had sexually abused a novice in the United States.

“William Izquierdo, former instructor of novices at the Legion’s novitiate in Cheshire, Connecticut from 1982 to 1994 sexually abused a novice under his care,” the community said in a statement on its website.

The conservative community did not say whether Izquierdo would be punished but pointed out he is now 85 and in “an advanced state of dementia” and in any case has not exercised his ministry since 2008.

Izquierdo will be moved “to an assisted living facility where he will receive proper treatment,” it said.

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Nicole Sotelo | Dec. 6, 2013 Young Voices

Author's note: This week, the Vatican refused to provide information to the U.N. regarding sexual abuse by church officials despite its ratification of the 1990 Convention of the Rights of the Child. On Thursday, as this column was going to be published, the Vatican announced it would begin its own commission to address sexual abuse. Similar commissions have been set up by bishops' conferences in various countries but currently, no mechanisms are in place to discipline bishops who refuse to cooperate with their own policies or continue to cover up sexual abuse cases.

It's a love story, really. Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, "The Joy of the Gospel," that the Vatican released last week reads like a love letter meant to add spark again to a church relationship that has been sorely wounded.

The document addresses some of the reasons why Catholics have turned away from the church. It shares ideas for how the church can reform itself in order to support a renewed relationship of joy and mission. It reads like a personal invitation to a marriage encounter weekend after a relationship has been through tough times. Pope Francis asks us to remember the good and rekindle the flames of faith.

I'm signed up. My bags are packed. I'm ready to write my own love letter in return. This is what I have wanted for our relationship, too!

However, if you read between the lines of the document, you'll remember what caused perhaps the greatest collective rupture in the church relationship for U.S. Catholics of the last decade: the sexual abuse of children and its cover-up by church officials.

Earlier this year, a Pew Research Center survey found that 70 percent of Catholics in the United States said addressing the sexual abuse crisis should be a top priority for the new pope, topping the list of issues Catholics believed the Vatican should address.

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

December 7, 2013

Catherine Armitage
Senior Writer

The Pope's decision to set up a council of experts and lay people to advise him how to stop the scourge of child sex abuse is based on Australia's approach, leading Catholics say.

Cardinal George Pell "had a big influence on this, because the announcements from Rome certainly seem to replicate the approach we have taken here", believes Francis Sullivan, head of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, established last year to lead the Australian Catholic church's response to the child sex abuse Royal Commission.

Pope Francis took up the suggestion from his council of eight cardinals which includes George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney. After they met in Rome this week, US Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, said at a Vatican media conference the new committee would look at how better to protect children in the church including screening checks for would-be priests, codes of professional conduct and co-operatiing with civil authorities to report crimes. The committee would work on pastoral aid for victims, their families and affected communities, including "mental health help", Cardinal O'Malley said.

Mr Sullivan said the idea "echoed" the Truth, Justice and Healing Council's use of experts who "give strong independent advice to place victims first and make it clear that the church can't approach clerical sex abuse from a protective-defensive stance".

"As a Catholic, it is shaming to hear that this went on," said Melbourne military analyst Paul Sheehan, 36, a volunteer for Catholic Voices Australia. He said nothing could bring "true justice" to sex abuse victims who "still need as much help as we can give them" but "this is a step forward at the highest level".

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

Archdiocese's list shows it kept secret seven priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis acknowledged Thursday that it had kept secret for decades the names of at least seven Catholic priests it considers credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

Archbishop John Nienstedt revealed the names on a list of 34 priests posted to an archdiocese website. The names are from a list the archdiocese created in 2009 of priests accused of child sexual abuse. However, Nienstedt now says four of the priests should not have been included.

Three-fourths of the priests on the list are already known to the public through lawsuits and media reports. The 34 priests served in nearly half of the archdiocese’s parishes.

"These disclosures being made now, and the changes in our disclosure practices generally, are part of a comprehensive and cohesive set of actions we have been taking here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis this fall to address the issues associated with clergy sexual misconduct," Nienstedt said in a statement.

The disclosure came three days after an unexpected ruling by Ramsey County Judge John Van de North in a case filed by a victim of clergy sexual abuse. Van de North ordered the archdiocese to release the names of 33 priests included on a 2009 list, as well as the names of other priests accused since then.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

By Sasha Aslanian, Madeleine Baran, Molly Bloom, Mike Cronin, Meg Martin, Eric Ringham, Tom Scheck and Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio

Dec. 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the names of 30 priests it believes sexually abused children between 1950 and 2013.

• Related: Archdiocese's list shows it kept secret seven priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children

The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009.

Seven of the priests named were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92, in total — of the 188 parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests by vicar general Rev. Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop's top deputy.

The disclosure comes three days after Ramsey County Judge John Van de North ordered the archdiocese to release the names of all the priests on a sealed list of clergy with credible allegations of child sexual abuse against them. The 33 names had been disclosed to attorneys in a 2009 clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, but a judge ordered they remain private.

The number of names on the original list — 33 in total — originated in 2004 when the Rev. Kevin McDonough, then second in command at the archdiocese, told researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice that 33 priests in the archdiocese were "known to have credible allegations of the abuse of minors." The John Jay group had been commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to study clergy sexual abuse in the United States.

CANADA
The StarPhoenix

BY HANNAH SPRAY, THE STARPHOENIX DECEMBER 6, 2013

Paul Leroux remains unrepentant for molesting eight boys he was supposed to be caring for and protecting, and that makes it very hard to forgive him, says one of his victims.

"He has lived in denial.

Forgiveness for me is something that has to be reciprocal. And if he's not willing to do that, I cannot give him that, because he still denies what he's done, so I cannot in any way give him that," the 59-year-old man said outside Battleford Court of Queen's Bench on Thursday. His name cannot be published due a publication ban on the victims' identities.

Leroux, 73, was convicted last month of the string of crimes at the Beauval Indian Residential School in the 1960s, but on Thursday during sentencing arguments he still maintained his innocence, saying he intended to appeal.

Nevertheless, he said the sentence for fondling and raping the teenage boys should be three years, noting he already received a 10-year sentence in 1998 for similar crimes in Inuvik in the late 1960s and 1970s.

CANADA
CTV

One of Paul Leroux's sex abuse victims says he won't ever forgive the former residential school supervisor.

The man, who was a student at the Beauval Indian Residential School in northern Saskatchewan during the 1960s, was one of several students Leroux was found guilty of sexually abusing.

At Leroux's sentencing hearing Thursday in Battleford, the man said he can't forgive Leroux, now 73, because he still denies what he's done.

The Crown argued for an 11-year-sentence, but Leroux, who acted as his own lawyer, said that was too harsh for crimes that happened so long ago.

Last month, a judge convicted Leroux on 10 of 17 charges involving boys at the school -- eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency

CANADA
CBC News

Posted: Dec 05, 2013

A former residential school worker in northern Saskatchewan was in court for his sentencing hearing today after being found guilty last month of indecently assaulting young boys nearly five decades ago.

Paul Leroux, 73, a former dormitory supervisor at the Beauval Residential School in the 1950s and 60s, is guilty on 10 counts of indecent assault.

The sentencing hearing was held this morning at the Battleford courthouse, which was packed with victims, family and media.

There were 17 charges altogether, including indecent assault and gross indecency. The allegations included sexual touching, oral and anal sex, and bringing boys to his room where they were given alcohol and shown pornography.

The Crown is asking for an 11 year sentence. The charges added up as consecutive sentences would equal 25.5 years, but Prosecutor Mitch Piche said a number of factors need to be considered, including how much time has passed, that Leroux was back in society and is a low risk to re-offend.

UNITED STATES
Perspective

Coming right after the Vatican rebuffed UN inquiries about clergy sex abuse, the Pope [is] Setting Up Commission on Clerical Child Abuse.

There's a lot about this in the Catholic press ... at NCR, Vatican announces new papal advisory commission on sex abuse ... at US Catholic, Pope Francis launches commission to tackle sex abuse ... at dotCommonweal, Pope Francis to create commission on protection of minors. From David Gibson's post at US Catholic ...

[...] O’Malley acknowledged that Catholics were most keen to hear how and whether the pope and the new commission would tackle the question of disciplining bishops who have shielded abusive priests .... Several current cases in the U.S. have rekindled anger over the abuse crisis: last year in Missouri, Bishop Robert Finn was convicted in court of failing to report an abusive priest to authorities, and in Minnesota it was recently revealed that Archbishop John Nienstedt did not report priests suspected of abuse to authorities. Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J., has faced similar criticism for his handling of abusers. All three men are outspoken conservatives, and all three remain in office [not to mention Mahony] ....

I think Francis has good intentions but I don't hope for much from this new commission ... it won't address the accountability of church leaders for covering up abuse, and also it doesn't appear that the actual causes of clergy sex abuse will even be addressed.

UNITED STATES
Notes to Ponder

The Vatican has announced formation of a commission to protect young people from Catholic priests. To be fair; not all priests, just those with a fondness for “choir boys”. Spokesman, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston broke the news today; reportably a recommendation coming out of the Council of Cardinals meeting in Rome this week. Pope Francis, acting on the advise of his advisory council, gave the green light to “draft guidelines for prevention of abuse, developing training programs, advising on co-operation with law enforcement officials, and promoting care of victims of abuse”.

The as yet to be appointed commission members will be experts on sexual abuse and prevention. Up until now, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have been handling discipline for naughty priests. Cardinal O’Malley didn’t know if the commission would have authority over Bishops who cover up allegations of abuse by priests. The announcement comes on the heals of the church refusing a United Nations request to provide information on how it dealt with abusive clergy.

Call me cynical but something smells fishy. I’ve pondered Pope Francis long and hard – my conclusion being, he might be a man willing to make some changes. On the surface this announcement reads like a step in the right direction. Peel back a few layers and I’m still astounded. The very fact that a commission needs to be formed in order to “educate” and “counsel” clergy leaves me speechless.

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has today announced the first public hearing for 2014.

The hearing, which will commence on 28 January, will inquire into the responses of The Salvation Army (Eastern Territory) to child sexual abuse within its children’s homes at:

* Alkira Salvation Army Home for Boys, Indooroopilly, QLD
* Riverview Training Farm (also known as Endeavour Training Farm), Riverview, QLD
* Bexley Boys’ Home, Bexley, NSW
* Gill Memorial Home, Goulburn, NSW

The hearing will also examine The Salvation Army’s processes in investigating, disciplining, removing and/or transferring anyone accused of, or found to have engaged in, child sexual abuse in these homes.

Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines is urging anyone who suffered sexual abuse as a child within these homes to contact the Royal Commission.

“We are in the process of gathering information relevant to this matter and would like to hear from as many people as possible.

“People’s experiences will help to inform the Royal Commission as to how The Salvation Army responded to allegations of child sexual abuse.

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The ‘roadmap’ and Issues Paper 5 are both available on the Royal Commission website at www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse today released a paper outlining its approach to examining the scope of justice for victims, ‘Justice for Victims: Addressing or Alleviating the Impact of Child Sexual Abuse in Institutions’.

The Royal Commission’s examination of the scope of justice for victims will cover:

• civil litigation and redress/compensation schemes
• the criminal justice system
• past inquiries, the regulatory system and advocacy bodies

Along with this paper, the Royal Commission has also released Issues Paper 5 on Civil Litigation and is inviting members of the public to contribute ideas and expertise on the best ways to ensure justice for victims through redress.

Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines said civil litigation is one of the ways in which victims may bring a claim for damages against the institution where they were abused.

“Through our private sessions, we have already heard from many people about the impact of the sexual abuse they suffered as children, and their difficult experiences throughout the civil litigation process.

“Our Terms of Reference require us to inquire into what institutions and governments should do to address or alleviate the impact of child sexual abuse, particularly through the provision of redress.

“We invite interested individuals, government and non-government organisations to tell us their views on the effectiveness of civil litigation as a mechanism for providing redress or compensation.

AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites

By a Broken Rites researcher (updated 6 December 2013)

Australia's national Royal Commission on child-abuse is holding two weeks of public hearings (in Sydney, beginning on 9 December 2013) to investigate how the Catholic Church's "Towards Healing" system has handled (or mis-handled) the church's sex-abuse victims. The December hearings will focus on the experiences of several victims who came through that system.

"Towards Healing" is the church's own damage-control system (devised by the church's lawyers and public relations consultants), under which the church is allowed to "investigate" itself.

"Towards Healing" is financed by the church's in-house insurance company, Catholic Church Insurances Limited. Many victims have contacted the Royal Commission, complaining that the purpose of "Towards Healing" is primarily to help the church (and to protect its assets), rather than to help the victims. These victims say that, after going through "Towards Healing", they feel re-victimised.

CANADA
Sylvia's Site

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Sylvia

No court today in the Father Eric Dejaeger sex abuse trial in Iqaluit, Nunavut. There was a possibility of something in the afternoon regarding having a video entered into evidence as testimony of a deceased victim/complainant who died of cancer. We arrived at the courtroom – nothing today.

Tomorrow Father Robert Lechat omi will testify. According to an Oblate directory Father Lechat, a 93-year-old French-born Oblate priest, served in Igloolik from 1972-1986, and was back for one year in 1988. Father Lechat served in Igloolik while Father Dejaeger was there. Most witnesses testifying to date recall Father Lechat as a priest who was at the Igloolik mission while Father Dejaeger was there.

My friend and I fly out tomorrow afternoon – will be able to catch the morning court session and then head for the airport when court recesses for lunch.

With no court, today turned into a day of sight-seeing and picture taking. We were squired around town and beyond. Such a breath-takingly beautiful part of this beautiful country. I took lots of pictures – will share a few after I get home.

Met wonderful people who have been so very gracious, hospitable and kind. It’s been a wonderful whirl which started last Friday evening . Silver linings. So very many silver linings.

AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net

The formal submission by Judy Courtin (see previous posting), a Monash University researcher, to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, is based on interviews with many victims, lawyers and victims’ relatives and support persons. It is both interesting and informative, and represents one of the few studies anywhere on the theme of “Sexual Assaults and the Catholic Church: Are Victims Finding Justice?” (That is her doctoral thesis’ title).

Her submission complements and supports the general thrust of that of John and Nicola Ellis (see previous posting), on the “Towards Healing” process of the Catholic Church for dealing with allegations of abuse throughout Australia, except for Melbourne which has its own protocol, termed the “Melbourne Response”, which was established by Cardinal George Pell (of Domus Australia fame – see previous posting).

Details of the interviews contained in Ms. Courtin’s submission are not given here, but are available from her submission at http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/14-Judy-Courtin1.pdf (Only the general findings will be discussed here.)

One may as well get across early on just how she views the “Towards Healing” process by giving a few quotes from the submission. “It’s not ‘Towards Healing’; it actually takes you towards madness.” “The Towards Healing process needs to be dismantled.” “Towards Healing has failed.”

“The Towards Healing process is flawed. It is a Kangaroo court giving it the ‘opportunity to mislead and lie’. It is a sham and a con and an incredibly unsatisfactory process. It is difficult, inappropriate and insensitive. It is deficient, condescending, depersonalizing, demeaning and obscene.”

By the conclusion of the up-coming hearings, many people will surely share this perspective.

MINNESOTA
Fox 9

[with video]

video report by Iris Perez

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis revealed that 7 of the men church leaders believe have been credibly accused of child sex abuse spent at least a year leading congregations in Faribault, Minn.

Attorney Jeff Anderson's office reports at least 15 victims are connected to the following men:

- Dennis Kampa
- Lee Krautkremer
- Gilbert DeSutter
- John Brown
- Richard Jeub
- Patrick Ryan
- Albert Longley

All of the priests led churches in Faribault for between a year and a decade between the years of 1922 and 2000, but some stayed even longer. Anderson believes that's because the church had a habit of purposely moving accused clergy to serve in the quiet, rural city, away from victims who had reported them.

"Sometimes they would place known offenders in rural parishes, where they're less likely to be known to the victims that reported the crimes," Anderson said.

While all those listed have been permanently removed from ministry or no longer serve, the list shows allegations against Longley and six others have been kept secret for decades. In fact, allegations against Ryan and Longley were revealed for the first time Thursday.

"My name is Finnegan. Once it got misspelled with an S -- Sinnigan. That's so true; we all sin," Father Kevin Finnegan told Fox 9 News.

UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition

In today’s world, headlines can masquerade as substance.

Because of the general goodwill Pope Francis has created for the Vatican worldwide, NSAC raises an alarm bell today that the headlines about a sexual abuse commission not be welcomed without examination.

NSAC asks how independent will the Vatican’s commission on sexual abuse be?

If the proof’s in the pudding and the pudding is not made by a truly balanced commission designed to go where the truth is, find it, expose it and deal with it, the result will only be a soggy, tart, and unsatisfying whitewash. More’s the pity, the sin and the crime if that is the outcome.

A bedrock question here is: who will be on the commission, how balanced will the representation be, what’s the timetable, and what’s the endgame: report or action?

By balanced, NSAC means real representation from those who know this problem: the survivors themselves, critics of the why the crisis has been covered up and handled with public relations, the whistleblowers, professionals in law enforcement, psychology, sociology, mental health and finance – for indeed the survivors regardless of how the Church has portrayed it have been on the short end of the financial stick given the depth and breath of this lifelong problem for survivors and their families.

MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Brian Roewe | Dec. 5, 2013

1:56 p.m., CST: This post has been updated with comments from BishopAccountability.org President Terrance McKiernan.

Following through on a vow made a month ago, the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese released Thursday the names of 30 former priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors.

The priests named relate primarily to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s. All but one of those with substantiated claims were listed in a 2004 report by the archdiocese as part of a nationwide survey of credibly accused clergy.

The 30th priest is Curtis Wehmeyer, currently serving five years in prison, whose name appeared among others in news reports by Minnesota Public Radio -- based on documents and information supplied by former archdiocesan canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger -- detailing negligence and lack of adherence to abuse-related archdiocesan policies.

All 30 have been removed from ministry. Two have been laicized, and one was dismissed from his order and dispensed from vows. ...

Six of the 30 names became public for the first time, according to Terrance McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org. They are Frs. Alfred Longley (deceased), Timothy McCarthy, Paul Palmitessa, Joseph Pinkosh, Richard Skluzacek (deceased) and Raymond Walter.

Saying the release of names will allow for further investigation and greater protection of children in the case of those priests accused still living, McKiernan expressed gratitude to Nienstedt for posting the list, but also for the work of victims in achieving the end.

"They have found a way of transforming the numbers ... into names. And of course names have stories, and names unfortunately have victims. And it’s a really, really crucial achievement," he told NCR.

VATICANO
El Nuevo Herald

ASSOCIATED PRESS
VATICANO -- El papa Francisco respondió a las acusaciones de que ha pasado por alto las quejas por los abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes y creó una comisión de expertos que asesore al Vaticano para proteger a los niños de los sacerdotes pedófilos y ayudar a las víctimas.

Sin embargo, se desconoce si los integrantes de la comisión asumirán uno de los problemas medulares detrás del escándalo de abuso sexual en la Iglesia Católica: la rendición de cuentas de los obispos que protegieron a sacerdotes pedófilos.

El cardenal Sean O’Malley, arzobispo de Boston, anunció el jueves la creación del panel al término de la reunión de Francisco con los ocho cardenales que lo asesoran sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia y la reforma de la burocracia vaticana.

UNITED KINGDOM
Channel Online

The Bishop of Dover and Bishop of Basingstoke are in Jersey today to get a better understanding of complaint procedures.

Both are on a pastoral visit organised by the Bishop of Winchester. The Bishops will stay at Government House and meet with local church leaders and island authorities from both Deaneries.

They plan to ease tensions within the church following months of disruption among church-goers.

UNITED KINGDOM
Channel Online

Later today (Fri), the Jersey's recently 'exonerated' Dean, will meet with the Bishops of Dover and Basingstoke.

The two Bishops are in Jersey to get a better understanding of the complaint procedures.

The trip was initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Today they will meet with Jersey's Chief Minister, Ian Gorst.

Both are on a pastoral visit organised by the Bishop of Winchester. The Bishops are staying at the Government House.

Their plan is to ease tensions within the church following months of disruption among church-goers.

The visit follows the suspension of Jersey's Dean earlier this year, for failing to properly handle an allegation of abuse.

The Bishops' visit was first outlined in a statement by the Bishop of Winchester on 22 November, in which he also said he would not be taking disciplinary action against any member of the clergy in Jersey. He also said he would not be publishing the Steel report.

NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte Observer

By Michael Gordon
mgordon@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Dec. 05, 2013

A Mecklenburg County judge Thursday dismissed the claims of a former Charlotte official of the United House of Prayer who accused the top leaders of the congregation of wrecking his marriage.

In his lawsuit, the Rev. Ronald Belton described a church atmosphere of rigged national elections, political infighting and millions of dollars raised by House of Prayer congregations that is sent to post office boxes in Charlotte, long a center of activities for the Washington, D.C., based church.

Whether a jury hears any of those accusations is now in question. Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin threw out Belton’s remaining claims against the House of Prayer’s presiding Bishop C.M. Bailey and its former first lady, Deloris Beal “St. Lady” Madison.

Church attorney Robert Dortch argued that Belton and his attorney failed to prove that a North Carolina court could hear the case against Bailey because he lives in Maryland and doesn’t own property in Charlotte or the state.

NORTH CAROLINE
Charlotte Observer

By Michael Gordon
mgordon@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 04, 2013

A lawsuit in court Thursday casts unflattering light onto what it describes as the political infighting and private financial dealings of a secretive church with deep spiritual and economic ties to Charlotte.

The United House of Prayer for All People is known nationwide for the exuberant worship style of its congregations, along with its shout bands, mass baptisms with fire hoses, and the stone lions guarding the front doors of its sanctuaries.

But the lawsuit by Ronald Belton, a longtime House of Prayer evangelist who lives in Charlotte, focuses on what his attorney describes as the “absolute power” of the church’s top leaders, namely the presiding bishop and the widow of the former one.

Believers hold their leaders as intermediaries with God.

ILLINOIS
Daily Herald

By Lee Filas
A former monk accused of trying to lure teenage girls into his car in Antioch pleaded guilty to a single count of child abduction in Lake County court Thursday.

Thomas Chmura, 57, who had been associated with the St. Benedict's Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis., will spend 24 months on probation. He also has been ordered to undergo sex offender treatment, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Victor O'Block said following the plea deal.

Chmura was also sentenced to a six-month periodic imprisonment in Lake County. However, that was delayed by Lake County Judge James Booras and could be dropped if Chmura meets all the requirements of his probation.

Booras also allowed Chmura to move to Jefferson County, MO, where he will receive treatment at the Vianney Renewal Center, O'Block said.

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

By Susan Berger
Special to the Tribune
2:41 p.m. CST, December 5, 2013

A monk accused of trying to lure girls into his car pled guilty today to child abduction, officials said.

Thomas Chmura, a Benedictine monk who lived at an a abbey in Benet Lake, Wis., was given two years probation and must register as a sex offender and receive counseling as part of the plea, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.

Chmura was arrested last April after authorities said he pulled up alongside a 14-year-old girl who was on foot in Antioch, told her she was beautiful and asked her to let him drive her home.

ILLINOIS
San Francisco Chronicle

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — A Wisconsin monk has pleaded guilty to a child abduction count after being accused of trying to abduct four girls in Illinois earlier this year.

Thomas Chmura (shah-MOO'-rah) agreed to a negotiated plea deal on Thursday in Lake County court. Chmura is a former monk at the St. Benedict's Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis.

The 57-year-old was sentenced to two years of probation. He also must undergo sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The judge has allowed Chmura to move to Jefferson County in Missouri where he can receive treatment.

ILLINOIS
WLS

Sun-Times Media Wire

December 5, 2013 (WAUKEGAN, Ill.) -- A judge accepted a plea deal Thursday in the case of a former Benedictine monk accused of child abduction attempts earlier this year in the north suburbs, sentencing him to probation and periodic jail time.

Thomas Chmura, 57, was charged with four counts of child abduction and could have faced up to three years in prison after authorities alleged he offered rides to a number of girls ages 11 to 14 in April in the Antioch area.

On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to one count of child abduction and was sentenced to six months of periodic imprisonment, plus 24 months of felony probation, the News-Sun is reporting. He must register as a sex offender for life and undergo sex offender treatment.

Chmura never actually abducted any of the victims he tried to lure into his car, but under state statute, his behavior qualified for the abduction charge, according to assistant Lake County State's Attorney Victor O'Block.

VATICAN CITY
NBC News

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News Correspondent

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, said on Thursday.

"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," O'Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.
The commission of experts would "study these issues and bring concrete recommendations" for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

"Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse,” O’Malley said in a statement.

COLORADO
Christian Post

BY MORGAN LEE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
December 5, 2013

Boulder police have accused a Colorado senior pastor of covering up information about a youth pastor who allegedly sexually assaulted a female church attendee starting when she was 15.

Walt Roberson was out of the country when police first announced charges for four members of Vinelife Church's pastoral and elder teams. Jason Allen Roberson, 35, Vinelife Church's youth pastor and the son of Walt, was arrested in September on charges that he sexually abused a former church member and emplyoyee who was underage when the abuse began.

Walt is due on court on Dec. 9 and the church's executive pastor Robert Phillip "Bob" Young must report later this month, according to The Daily Camera. Church elder Warren Lloyd Williams is set to appear on Jan. 6 while pastors Luke Humbrecht and Edward Bennell have no court dates set yet.

MINNESOTA
KVSC

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors.The names of the priests were made public Thursday following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled allegations of abuse. Archbishop John Nienstedt says he hopes the move will restore trust.

The archdiocese says it has substantiated claims against 30 priests on the list. The remaining four have claims against them that could not be substantiated, but the archdiocese released them after a court order.

The information includes the clerics' names, parishes where they served, and other details. It does not include details of the allegations.

Of the 34 names, three of them, Father Cosmas Dahlheimer, Francis Hoefgen, and Brennan Maiers, have had ties with the St. Cloud Diocese.

BOSTON (MA)
Boston Globe

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley unveils Vatican effort to prevent abuse

By Lisa Wangsness | GLOBE STAFF DECEMBER 06, 2013

Almost 12 years after the clergy sexual abuse crisis exploded in Boston, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley announced Thursday the creation of a Vatican commission on protecting children from abuse, marking the Catholic Church’s first comprehensive effort to address the crisis globally.

O’Malley, speaking in Rome after a meeting of the eight-cardinal council that advises Pope Francis on church governance reform, said the new commission would advise the pope about the protection of children and the pastoral care of victims of abuse.

The new panel represents Pope Francis’s first substantive attempt to confront the central issue facing the church in recent years. Its establishment also came days after the church refused a UN committee’s request for detailed information about sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and religious orders.

Some church observers praised the new commission, calling it long overdue.

“It reflects that Pope Francis is determined to get to the root causes of the clergy sexual abuse scandal and to prevent it from ever happening again,” said Thomas Groome, a theologian and chairman of the department of religious education and pastoral ministry at Boston College. ...

Critics were skeptical that the panel would be effective. Terence McKiernan — president of Bishop Accountability, a watchdog on clergy abuse and an online archive of the crisis — said that the commission’s to-do list is too long. But he also said the panel lacks a clear mandate to figure out how the church could hold bishops accountable if they mishandle abuse complaints.

Bishops in Philadelphia and Kansas City failed to enforce US church laws for handling abuse cases in recent years. The Kansas City bishop was convicted in secular court for failing to report suspected child abuse, but he remains in office.

Asked at Thursday’s press conference whether the commission would deal with bishop accountability, O’Malley said that was something that the church needs to address, but he said he was not sure whether the commission or a Vatican department would take it on.

MINNESOTA
Woodbury Bulletin

By Michael Longaecker on Dec 5, 2013

The identities of 33 Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing minors – including one who was briefly involved with a Woodbury-area church – were released Thursday, prompting a promise of more openness in disclosure from the leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Among the priests accused of sexually abusing minors is Timothy McCarthy, a 67-year-old who was removed from the ministry in 1991. According to the list issued Thursday, McCarthy spent part of 1984 as an associate priest at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale – what was formerly Lake Elmo, prior to annexation.

Denny Farrell, church administrator at Guardian Angels, said he and current priest Rodger Bauman were notified Wednesday that a former pastor from the church would be on the list. After learning McCarthy’s name on Thursday, Farrell said he went in search of information about the priest since he was at Guardian Angels less than a year.

“We didn’t know much about him,” Farrell said, adding that a cursory check with older parishioners turned up no answers. “That’s how interim he was.”

McCarthy served a few months in between two permanent Guardian Angels priests, Farrell said.

WALTHAM (MA)
BishopAccountability.org

Statement by Terence McKiernan

December 5, 2013

We welcome the release of this highly significant list – the first church list to be released by order of the court.

We’re grateful to Jim Keenan (John Doe 73C) and John Doe 1, and to their attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who saw that their cases could help make children safe, and could help other survivors to heal. Their visionary work has transformed the cold numbers of a 2004 press release into the human story of abuse in St. Paul and Minneapolis – and soon Winona as well. Names can do what numbers never can.

We’re also grateful to Archbishop Nienstedt for his belated conversion to the cause of transparency. He clearly chose wisely in posting the entire list, including the so-called unsubstantiated claims (not a correct term for two or three of the four). As Cardinal Keeler wrote when he released the Baltimore list more than a decade ago, “Telling the truth cannot be wrong.”

Parade

By LINDSAY LOWE

Since he was elected pope this March, Pope Francis has made headlines for his relatively simple lifestyle and his emphasis on helping the poor and embracing people of all faiths.

However, not everyone is a fan. Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, who was raised in a strict Catholic household and once trained for the priesthood, says that despite the Pope’s talk of reform, he will not fundamentally change the Catholic Church.

“Like Barack Obama, a bit like Tony Blair, he’s a figurehead, a CEO—a man who does the bidding of the masters who hide behind him,” Bryne said in an interview with the Michael Des Barres Show today.

He added that while Pope Francis has set a new tone within the Church by performing “Christ-like things” such as bathing prisoners’ feet, these are empty gestures that won’t change the Catholic Church’s “innately conservative” agenda.

MINNESOTA
KARE

[with video]

Blake McCoy

MINNEAPOLIS - Knocking on the door of a priest accused of molesting children, we were surprised when that door opened.

"I have never abused anybody," said Father Joseph Wajda. "I deny all these allegations. They are false. They are ridiculous."

Fr. Wajda's name is one of 34 released by the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese Thursday as credibly accused of molesting children. Fr. Wajda was removed from the priesthood in 2002.

11 years have passed but Wajda maintains his innocence and admits he is still being compensated by the archdiocese.

"I'm in the process of trying to get reinstated, so that's it."

MINNESOTA
KARE

[with video]

John Croman

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is working to restore trust among Catholics and the public at large, in the wake of the latest clergy sex abuse disclosures.

The archdiocese Thursday complied with a court order to release the names of 34 former priests, 30 of whom were deemed by the church to have substantiated claims of abuse.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire from some advocates, issued a lengthy statement in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit newspaper, detailing efforts to aggressively pursue reports of abuse.

Fr. Nienstedt also pledged to involve law enforcement in the process immediately, and to publish the names of verified offenders in a special section of the Archdiocesan website.

"All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests," Nienstedt wrote.

CALIFORNIA
Santa Barbara Independent

by PAUL FERICANO

In 1965 when I was 14 I was sexually abused at St. Anthony’s, a Catholic minor seminary in Santa Barbara operated by the Franciscan religious order. My offender (who died on November 23 at the age of 83) was the school’s prefect of discipline. It’s since been estimated that during his six years of tenure he may have molested more than 250 boys. In 2003, after years of therapy, I chose to forgive him. It was a conscious and willing choice, and a significant change in my way of thinking. I did this without expecting, demanding, or receiving any apology. Even though the evidence against him was overwhelming, he never admitted any crime and insisted he’d done nothing wrong. But I did not allow his denials to prevent me from doing what is necessary to heal.

Deniers of clergy abuse are not limited to those who perpetrated the abuse. They are everywhere. The Franciscan friars currently in charge at Old Mission Santa Barbara (not to be confused with the Parish of St. Barbara) are some of those who still believe they are the victims of this crisis and that survivors are to blame. It’s a deep, dark hole that they’ve dug into the mythology of their lives. Their behavior and actions over the last six years have served to rewound survivors and poison the community. For this reason, I have publicly called for the removal of these friars from any positions of power. I’ve undertaken this without malice, but rather with compassion for those who have been hurt and for those who have done the hurting.

We all dig our holes, some deeper than others. The holes in my life have led me to some encouraging encounters with the church, particularly through my work with SafeNet, a survivor nonprofit I cofounded in 2003 that focuses on the healing process. Though I’m no longer Catholic and have no desire to return to Catholicism, I’ve found good reasons to explore these issues with bishops and cardinals who’ve shown an eagerness to explore them with me. These perceptible shifts in the church indicate a willingness by some to tackle complex questions of peace, reconciliation, and restorative justice.

UNITED STATES
The New Yorker

POSTED BY ALEXANDER STILLE

From the first day of his papacy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francesco, changed the mood music around the Vatican by presenting the world with a very different kind of pope. Wearing a simple white cassock, he declined to live in the papal apartment and chose instead to stay in a Vatican guesthouse so that he could continue to live in a community. He scandalized some Church traditionalists, washing the feet of female juvenile delinquents and expressing nonjudgmental compassion for gay priests, and treated everyone—even journalists—with infectious, sunny warmth, simplicity, and disarming candor. Without saying so, he seemed to be casting off a traditional idea of the pope as a solitary, infallible absolute monarch. Pius XII, who reigned from 1939 until 1958, ate alone all but a few times during his nearly twenty-year papacy. Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, had paid close attention to papal vestments, steeped in the liturgical meaning of this or that medieval garment.

The papacy during the last years of Benedict had come to seem an institution in sad decline, closed off behind the Vatican walls, out of touch, on the defensive, fighting a losing cultural war with its own followers, resigned to a smaller Church of “true believers,” in a hostile or indifferent secular world. Francis changed that almost overnight by showing how radically challenging it could be if a world leader tried to put into practice the basic precepts of the Christian gospel—dedicating oneself fully to task of loving and caring for others—and doing so with genuine joy.

Yet the question remained: Would these stylistic changes translate into significant, lasting shifts in the life and doctrine of the Catholic Church and, if so, how? We are beginning to get some concrete answers. Francis’s candid public interviews and his most recent publication, a two-hundred-and-twenty-four-page apostolic exhortation called “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), have attracted the most attention. But he has also made a series of careful management changes that may transform the Church.

ROME
Daily Mail

Disgraced US cleric to wed daughter of Pope Francis' highest-ranking female adviser after fathering her child and resigning priesthood

The former public face of the discredited Legion of Christ order who left the priesthood after fathering a love child is getting married this weekend to his son’s mother.

Former clergyman Thomas Williams will walk down the aisle with the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon - one of Pope Francis' top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences.

She is also one of five people on Francis’ commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank.
Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a well-regarded art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

CONNECTICUT
The Hartford Courant

BY KELLY GLISTA, Kglista@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
7:46 p.m. EST, December 5, 2013

CHESHIRE — The Legionaries of Christ, a religious order plagued in the late 1990s and early 2000s by allegations of sexual abuse against its founder, announced on Thursday that an independent investigation had revealed "significant evidence" of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest who served at the order's Cheshire seminary.

The allegation against Fr. William Izquierdo surfaced in July 2012, and involved abuse that took place while Izquierdo served as an instructor of novices in the Cheshire seminary, a position he held from 1982 to 1994, according to a letter from the Legion's North American territorial director Fr. Luis Garza.

The Legion commissioned Praesidium Inc., a firm that specializes in abuse risk management, to do an independent investigation of the allegations, the letter states. That investigation concluded in August and was reviewed by the Legion's North American review board in October.

"We have no reason to doubt that sexual abuse with a minor actually occurred," Garza wrote in his letter.

VATICAN CITY
Irish Times

Paddy Agnew

In a surprise move, the Holy See yesterday announced that Pope Francis is to assemble a panel of experts to advise him on the problem of clerical sex abuse. This Vatican Child Protection Commission represents arguably the first concrete proposal to emerge from the so-called “G8” Council of Cardinals who have been meeting with the pope in Rome this week.

Originally appointed in April by Pope Francis to help him both govern and reform the Catholic Church, the G8 council is only now getting down to serious work.

Vatican insiders last night suggested that such a decision, at this early stage in the process of Curia reform, indicates the level of commitment that Pope Francis wants to bring to the sex abuse issue.

As far as the composition of the commission’s panel of experts goes, it seems likely that the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, will be nominated, given his extensive track record in dealing with the problem in the Dublin archdiocese. Another obvious panel member may well be the Maltese bishop Charles Scicluna, the former Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by Mike Schoemer (Editor) , December 05, 2013
with Chris Steller, James Warden

A priest assigned to northeast Twin Cities churches and now resides in Oakdale appears on the newly released list of clergy deemed "credibly accused" of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese published a list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Many of those listed had associations with parishes on the east side of the Twin Cities metro area, with one (see below) having served in Lake Elmo in 1984.

The publication was made in response to ongoing lawsuits against priests and the church arising from childhood sexual abuse cases. The achdiocese and Diocese of Winona originally sought to seal the list—which was created in 2004 and included 33 of the 34 priests named today, according to the Star Tribune.

MINNESOTA
Shakopee Valley News

By Lori Carlson editor@plamerican.com

Former Catholic priests at churches in Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Cedar Lake, New Prague and Shakopee are among those named on a list of clergy accused of sexually abusing minors.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released the list of 29 priests with credible claims against them.

The archdiocese and Archbishop John Nienstedt have come under fire in recent months for their handling of sexual misconduct cases. Included in the list are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors.

According to the archdiocese, there is "reliable and sufficient information" to substantiate the sexual abuse claims against the men on the list.

In a statement on the archdiocese's website, Nienstedt wrote: "My staff and I are completely committed to combating the problem of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the church. To that end, as I have been communicating to you over the last two months, we are evaluating and improving our policies and practices in our concerted effort to protect children and prevent sexual abuse."

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Lake Minnetonka clergyman is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Thomas Stitts was a pastor at St. George in Long Lake from 1973 until 1980. His careers ran from 1962 to 1985, when he was permanently removed from the ministry. He died that same year.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

MINNESOTA
Fairbault Daily News

Posted on December 5, 2013
by Jaci Smith

From the archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul:

Included in this disclosure are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors in our archdiocese, to the extent we have reliable and sufficient information to determine whether the claim was credible and could be substantiated. These disclosures will indicate that the individuals are non-diocesan clergy. We may not be able to report on the present status of such clergy members because the archdiocese does not always have access to such information since they are under the authority of their respective diocese or religious order. We do not have sufficient information to make a disclosure regarding priests from outside our archdiocese who may have served here at some point in time but committed child sexual abuse elsewhere.

Also, please note: Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information, our listings at this time may include some errors or omissions. The archdiocese requests that anyone with additional information or corrections regarding clergy members that are or should be subject to disclosure, to contact Greta Sawyer, the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 651-291-4497.
With Faribault area ties:

John Brown
Date of birth: 7/2/1920 (Age: 93)
Date of ordination: 1948
Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:
Associate priest, St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 1948-1949;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1949-1950;
Associate priest, St. John, St. Paul, 1950-1951;
Associate priest, Hopkins, 1951-1956;
Chaplain, U.S. Army, 1956-1958;

MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

Written by
David Unze

ST. PAUL — Three former St. John’s Abbey priests are on a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct; the list was released Thursday by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Fran Hoefgen, Cosmas Dahlheimer and Brennan Maiers had previously been publicly named by the abbey as having credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them. They were among 34 priests listed Thursday by the Twin Cities archdiocese after a Ramsey County judge recently ruled that the archdiocese could release the names.

The list released Thursday includes the names of eight men who had not been publicly named before and includes 30 believed to have molested children. Four have claims against them that could not be substantiated.

St. John’s Abbey previously posted lists of monks and priests who faced credible allegations of various types of misconduct. Some involved the abuse of children, while other conduct included viewing Internet pornography or inappropriate behavior with an adult. ...

Abbey list

The names of monk or priests from St. John’s Abbey who have had credible allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct made against them:

Brother Andre Bennett
The Rev. Michael Bik
Brother Isaac Connolly
The Rev. Cosmas Dahlheimer
The Rev. Richard Eckroth
The Rev. John Eidenschink
The Rev. Thomas Gillespie
The Rev. Francis Hoefgen
The Rev. James Kelly
Brother John Kelly
Brother Steven Lilly
The Rev. Brennan Maiers
The Rev. Finian McDonald
The Rev. Dunstan Moorse
Brother Jim Phillips
The Rev. Francisco Schulte
The Rev. Allen Tarlton
The Rev. Bruce Wollmering

WALTHAM (MA)
BishopAccountability.org

Statement by Anne Barrett Doyle

December 5, 2013

BishopAccountability.org cautiously welcomes Cardinal O'Malley's announcement in Rome today that the Vatican will form an advisory commission on the sex abuse of minors in the Church. It's good that the Vatican will be giving this terrible problem focused attention. But we are concerned that the commission will be toothless and off-target. Cardinal O'Malley's list of its possible "lines of action" has two crucial omissions. There is no indication that the commission will study either the Vatican's culpability or the crucial need to discipline bishops, religious superiors and other church supervisors who enable child rape and molestation.

Judging from Cardinal O'Malley's list of possible lines of action, it appears he hopes the commission ultimately will recommend the "American solution" to the crisis. This would be good and bad news. The US bishops' Charter and Norms are by far the strictest child protection rules in the global Catholic Church. But these measures have fatal inadequacies. They omit accountability for church supervisors, and they have a hidden laxness: bishops are allowed to keep accused priests in ministry until their guilt is established according to the church's own inscrutable criteria. Today in the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, we see the calamitous consequence of both the impunity of bishops and the lenience toward accused priests. As long as these flawed policies persist, children will be unsafe in the US Catholic Church.

UNITED STATES
The American Conservative

By ROD DREHER • December 5, 2013

Pope Francis today announced the formation of a high-level commission to advise him on how to handle instances of clerical sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. It is a cautious and underwhelming response. From the NYT report:

At the same time, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the leading United States-based support group for clergy abuse victims known by its acronym, SNAP, called the news a disappointment that reflected badly on the new pope. David Clohessy, executive director of the group, said the announcement suggested that the Vatican remained strongly resistant to making sexually abusive members of the clergy and their church protectors accountable to external criminal prosecution.

“A new church panel is the last thing that kids need,” Mr. Clohessy said in a telephone interview from St. Louis. “Church officials have mountains of information about those who have committed and those who are concealing horrible child sex crimes and cover-ups. They just have to give that information to the police.”

More:

Precisely who will serve on the advisory commission and what authority it will have remained unclear. But Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the only American among the eight cardinals advising the pope, said on Thursday that it would include priests, men and women from religious orders and laypeople with expertise in safeguarding children, and that it would offer advice on pastoral care rather than judicial functions. That seemed to signal that it would not make proposals for exposing or punishing abusive clerics.

The commission will have a broad mandate including the development of “norms, procedures and strategies for the protection of children and the prevention of abuse of minors,” the Vatican said in a statement.

Look, the US Catholic bishops at the national level, and most US dioceses at the local level, have adopted strenuous and detailed norms, procedures, and strategies over the last 10 years. Did those strategies prevent Bishop Finn of Kansas City from criminally shielding a child porn priest in 2010 and 2011, despite the stated policy of the diocese? Did it prevent the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis from engaging in its own cover-ups, including recent offenses, which were only exposed by a disgusted archdiocesan whistleblower this year? The previous archbishop, Harry Flynn, headed the US bishops’ national effort to fight clerical sexual abuse after the historic Dallas meeting in 2002. But in his own diocese, he was covering up. His successor, John Nienstedt, continued the policy until the whistleblower outed him. In the wake of the scandal, Abp Nienstedt has called for — wait for it — a task force to study procedures.

And now, so has the Pope. This, almost 12 years after Boston.

MINNESOTA
MinnPost

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the list of priests it says have been involved in sexual abuse over the last 60 years. Madeleine Baran and Laura Yuen of MPR say: “The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009. Seven of the priests named today were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. Others, such as the Rev. Robert Kapoun, are already well known through lawsuits and media coverage. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead. … Attorneys for victims of clergy sexual abuse have argued for years that the public is at risk as long as the names of abusers remain secret. ... It's unclear how law enforcement agencies will respond to the release of the list, if at all.”

MINNESOTA
KAAL

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has disclosed the names of 34 priests who it says have been accused of sexually abusing minors.

The names were made public Thursday following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled allegations of abuse. Archbishop John Nienstedt says he hopes the move will restore trust; he made comments in a column in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.

He says the 34 names disclosed in the newspaper are not intended to be a final list. He says a review of clergy files is under way, and the list could be updated. Going forward, new abuse claims that can be substantiated will be disclosed on the archdiocese website.

He also apologized to victims, and says he is committed to combatting sexual abuse and ensuring it is never repeated in the church.

The archdiocese says it has substantiated claims against 30 priests on the list. The remaining four have claims against them that could not be substantiated, but the archdiocese released them after a court order.

The information includes the clerics' names, parishes where they served, and other details. It does not include details of the allegations.

VATICAN CITY
Aljazeera

Pope Francis is assembling a panel of experts to advise him on combatting sex abuse in the clergy, it was announced Thursday.

The move would help protect children from pedophiles and better screen would-be priests, according to the Vatican. But it was dismissed as a "public relations stunt" by a leading victim advocacy group, who added that it would do little to shield young people from predatory priests.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers in Vatican City who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy. Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O'Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives to implement inside the Vatican and around the world.

"The Holy Father has decided to constitute a committee for the protection of children," O'Malley said at a press conference, adding that the make-up of the new body would be announced "in the near future."

However, it remains unclear if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Just more of the same?

Barbara Blaine, the president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said despite the announcement, the move seemed "to be one more time that church officials are basically giving a lot of fluff, but not any substantive action."

"We believe that actions speak louder than words. What the Vatican is doing continues the same tried responses from previous popes," Blaine told Al Jazeera.

Blaine said setting up a commission and potentially new policies was "meaningless," rather, she said, church officials should turn over information and evidence about sex abuse scandals to police if they "really wanted to make a difference."

MINNESOTA
ABC Newspapers

By Mandy Moran Froemming
December 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released a list of priests which it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children since 1950, including two who served at area parishes.

Ramsey County District Court ordered the archdiocese to make the list public in a ruling made by Judge John Van de North Monday.

Named was Michael Stevens, 58, who served as an associate priest at Epiphany Church in Coon Rapids from 1982 to 1988.

In 1987 Stevens pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in Anoka County District Court. At sentencing in January 1988, Stevens was put on probation for five years, fined $1,000 and ordered to undergo residential treatment in New Mexico, with jail time was stayed.

According to a story that appeared in the Coon Rapids Herald, Feb. 12, 1988, prosecutor Robert D. Goodell, assistant Anoka County attorney, said the charge did involve sexual contact. According to the criminal complaint, Stevens touched a 13-year-old boy while they were at an Anoka County motel the previous July on what was described as a “camping trip”.

MINNESOTA
Press Pubs

UPDATE: the original version of this story stated that the list was unclear on whether a fourth man, Robert Kapoun, had also served at St. Joseph. The archdiocese has since confirmed that he did not.

LINO LAKES – Three men who served at St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church in the 1980s were named Dec. 5 in a list of priests credibly accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors, according to information from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. According to church administrator Amy Moore, to current church staff's knowledge, none of the claims of abuse occurred while the men were serving at St. Joseph of the Lake.

The three men are Lee Krautkremer, 73, of Minneapolis; Timothy McCarthy, 67, of St. Paul or Oakdale; and Robert Zasacki, 67, now deceased.

The Quad Community Press did not uncover significant civil or criminal cases involving Krautkremer,

McCarthy or Zasacki. Krautkremer was a pastor at St. Joseph from 1978 to 1984, McCarthy was an associate priest at the parish from 1984 to 1986, and Zasacki served at the parish in 1983 and 1984 (the list did not state in what capacity).

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Shakopee priest is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Rudolph Henrich worked as an associate priest at St. Mark in 1938 as part of a career that ran from 1933 until 1976. He was permanently removed from the ministry in 1976 and died in 1992.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

ROME
Time

By Charlotte Alter @charlottealterDec. 05, 2013

A priest who left the church after fathering a child with the daughter of one of Pope Francis’ closest advisers will marry the mother of his love child this weekend.

The former Rev. Thomas Williams, of the Legion of Christ, admitted last year to fathering a love child several years before with the daughter of Mary Anne Glendon, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and one of the most powerful Americans in the church. She is also one of the highest-ranking women in the Vatican.

Rev. Williams took a year off after the revelation and subsequently left the church.

He and Elizabeth Lev are set to be married on Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, December 5 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

A high profile priest from a corrupt Catholic religious order is marrying the daughter of the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican.

[Washington Post]

We are grateful that Fr. Williams is taking responsibility for the child he fathered. Most Catholic officials let priests who exploit and impregnate vulnerable parishioners avoid helping to raise their children.

We call on other Catholic officials – in Rome and in the Legion of Christ – to “come clean” about their roles in hiding or denying Fr. Williams’ wrongdoing.

At a minimum, this seems like sexual harassment, since he was an editor and she was a columnist.

A year and a half ago, Vatican officials claimed they were investigating seven Legion priests accused of molesting kids. This should have been resolved months ago. We hope the Vatican will disclose their name and the results soon.

[CBS News]

Finally, let’s be clear on what this is and what this isn’t. This is exploitation. It’s not “a relationship.” It’s manipulation. It’s not “consent.”

An educated, allegedly holy and celibate religious authority figure who holds the exalted title of “reverend” - and professes to be Christ’s representative on earth - cannot ever have truly consensual or healthy sexual contact with a parishioner. It is always morally wrong and emotionally harmful.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by Andrea Parrott (Editor) , December 05, 2013

Originally written by James Warden

A Former Lakeville priest is on the list of priests credibly accused of "engaging in sexual abuse of minors," according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Timothy McCarthy served as associate priest at All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville from 1974-77. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1991. McCarthy, 67, is believed to be currently living in Oakdale or St. Paul.

MINNESOTA
Huffington Post

Reuters | By David Bailey and Mary Wisniewski
Posted: 12/05/2013

CHICAGO, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday identified 30 priests accused of sexually abusing minors in the archdiocese, which has been under fire for its past handling of clergy abuse cases in its part of Minnesota.

The archdiocese said the 30 priests had "credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor."

The archdiocese said none of the men were still in ministry and most had been identified previously in media reports. The information related mainly to incidents from the mid 1950s to the 1980s, and 11 are deceased, it said.

Child sex abuse litigation has cost the U.S. Catholic Church some $3 billion in settlements in the two decades since the ongoing scandal erupted with a series of molestation cases uncovered in Boston in 1992.

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents people who claim they were victims of clergy sex abuse, said in a telephone interview that release of the names in Minnesota was "real progress," but not full disclosure.

MINNESOTA
Los Angeles Times

By Michael Muskal
December 5, 2013

After months of accusations that it had mishandled the sensitive issue, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, becoming the latest Roman Catholic Church district to release the identities.

The archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics in the Twin Cities area, was ordered by the courts this week to release a list it had compiled of “credibly accused abusers” by Dec. 17. It joins about two dozens other dioceses or archdioceses that have released such lists under pressure from victims and their families.

“All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests. We deeply regret the pain caused by sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and we remain committed to protecting children and promoting healing for victims,” Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement posted on the archdiocese’s website. “I sincerely pray that these efforts will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

Acknowledging the sexual abuse, Nienstedt apologized to the victims.

“This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the Church. I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured. You have been on my mind and in my heart as I offer my daily prayers for you,” he stated.

CANADA
Oye! Times

A 71-year-old Aldouane, N.B. man has been charged in Moncton Provincial Court on several indecent assault charges dating back to the early 1970's.

Charges were laid in court on December 5, 2013 against Yvon Arsenault in connection with offences that are alleged to have occurred during the 1970's and early 1980's in Shediac, Rosaireville, and Collette, N.B. Arsenault, who was not present in court, has been charged with three counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency and one count of sexual assault. The matter has been adjourned until January 27, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. for election and pleas.

The RCMP started its investigation in December 2012 as the result of a complaint. The victims were four boys under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offences.

CANADA
CBC News

A suspended Roman Catholic priest is facing several sex-related charges involving boys dating back to the 1970s.

Yvon Arsenault, 71, of Aldouane, was charged Thursday in Moncton provincial court with four counts of gross indecency, three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

Arsenault was not present in court. The matter has been adjourned until Jan. 27 when he is expected to elect how he wants to be tried and to enter pleas.

Meanwhile, RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff Johnston says the investigation is ongoing and police believe there may have been other incidents.

ROME
National Catholic Register

by EDWARD PENTIN 12/05/2013

ROME — The Legion of Christ has expressed its “deep sorrow” after internal investigations revealed that a Legionary priest has been found guilty of sexually abusing a minor.

The charges against Legionary Father William Izquierdo involve a novice when Father Izquierdo served as instructor of novices in Cheshire, Conn., between 1982 and 1994.

Legionary Father Luis Garza, North American territorial director of the congregation, was informed of the case in July 2012, the Legion said, and added that a third party and independent investigation of the allegation then took place that concluded in August of this year, ruling that the allegation was true.

In a Dec. 5 statement, Father Garza said the health of 85-year-old Father Izquierdo has “declined greatly,” and he is now “in an advanced state of dementia.” He added that the priest has not exercised his ministry since 2008 and has been unable to respond to questions about the allegations.

“Father Izquierdo is in the process of being moved to an assisted living facility, where he will receive proper treatment,” Father Garza said.

VATICAN CITY
Telegraph (UK)

By Nick Squires, Rome 7:07PM GMT 05 Dec 2013

Pope Francis set up a special task force to tackle sex abuse by Catholic priests on Thursday — two days after the Vatican rebuffed requests to provide information to the United Nations on how it was addressing the problem.

The Vatican said the Pope had decided to establish a “specific commission for the protection of minors” on the advice of a group of eight cardinals, whom the Jesuit pontiff has given the task of helping him to reform the Catholic Church.

The new commission would “advise Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse”, but the move was condemned as “meaningless” by victims’ groups.

The initiative — the first concrete action against the scandal of paedophile Catholic priests of Pope Francis’s nine-month-old papacy - was announced by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council of cardinals.

The sex abuse scandals, which have severely tarnished the image of the Church around the world and shaken the faith of ordinary Catholics in countries from Ireland to Australia, first erupted in Boston more than a decade ago.

VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Lizzy Davies in Rome
The Guardian, Thursday 5 December 2013

Pope Francis has given the go-ahead to a commission of experts that will advise him on new measures to try to fight clerical sex abuse in the Roman Catholic church and boost the provision of pastoral care for victims.

In his first major move on the scandal that clouded his predecessor's time in office, the pope told his council of cardinalson Thursday that he was approving their proposal for a new panel devoted to the issue, said the archbishop of Boston, cardinal Seán O'Malley.

"Up until now there's been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral response of the church is very important and the holy father is concerned about that," O'Malley told journalists .

"And so we feel as though having the advantage of a commission of experts that will be able to study some of these issues and bring concrete recommendations for the holy father and for the Holy See will be very important." ...

Snap, the main US victims' group, dismissed the initiative and said the only thing that would protect children was if the church punished negligent bishops and ordered them to name molesters

VATICAN CITY
Calgary Herald

BY NICOLE WINFIELD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DECEMBER 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has responded to complaints that he has largely ignored the clerical sex abuse scandal by assembling a panel of experts to advise the Holy See on protecting children from pedophiles and helping abuse victims heal.

It remains to be seen if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.

Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O'Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives for both the Holy See to implement inside the Vatican City State and for bishops to implement around the world. ...

BishopAccountability.org, an online resource for the clergy sex abuse, cautiously welcomed the initiative but said the commission's scope as presented by O'Malley had two "crucial omissions."

"There is no indication that the commission will study either the Vatican's culpability or the crucial need to discipline bishops, religious superiors and other church supervisors who enable child rape and molestation," said Ann Barret Doyle, the site's co-director.

SNAP, the main U.S. victim's group, dismissed the initiative as useless and said the only thing that will protect children is if the church punished negligent bishops and ordered them to publicly disclose the names of molesters.

"This simple step would immediately make kids safer," said David Clohessy, SNAP director. "But instead, parents and parishioners are being offered yet another toothless church panel."

MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Brian Roewe | Dec. 5, 2013

Following through on a vow made a month ago, the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese released Thursday the names of 30 former priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors.

The priests named relate primarily to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s. All but one of those with substantiated claims were listed in a 2004 report by the archdiocese as part of a nationwide survey of credibly accused clergy.

The 30th priest is Curtis Wehmeyer, currently serving five years in prison, whose name appeared among others in news reports by Minnesota Public Radio -- based on documents and information supplied by former archdiocesan canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger -- detailing negligence and lack of adherence to abuse-related archdiocesan policies.

All 30 have been removed from ministry. Four have been laicized, and one was dismissed from his order and dispensed from vows.

Along with each priest's name, the archdiocese included his age, birthday and day of death (when applicable), year of ordination, prior assignments, date of removal from ministry, and current status, including current city and state. It did not disclose the date when a claim was brought against each cleric.

UNITED STATES
Legionaries of Christ

In keeping with the Legion of Christ’s commitment to safe environments for all its members, Fr Luis Garza, LC, North American territorial director of the Legion of Christ, informed its members of a sexual abuse case involving Fr William Izquierdo, LC.

In July 2012, Fr Garza was informed of an allegation regarding sexual abuse in the United States involving Fr Izquierdo and a novice when the former served as novice instructor in Cheshire, CT. He held that position from 1982 to 1994.

In addition to reporting to local authorities, the Legion commissioned Praesidium, Inc. to provide a thorough, independent investigation, which concluded in August 2013. Its findings were presented and carefully analyzed by the Legion’s North American review board in October 2013.

“After reviewing the information, we have no reason to doubt that sexual abuse with a minor actually occurred,” Fr Garza said. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has been informed of the case.

Since the early 2000s, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) have provided strong leadership in the vital goal of providing a safe environment for young people in all Church activities. The Legion of Christ, following their lead, has adopted policies and procedures aimed at protecting young people and eliminating abuse. The congregation is committed to investigating and responding appropriately to all allegations of misconduct, so that the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse may be overcome.

Over the past decade, the Legion has implemented a stringent program to maintain safe environments, including audits of its facilities, training of its members and adoption of a strict code of conduct. This case occurred many years ago, but Fr Garza said he learned about it in 2012 and that it was handled with the openness and transparency demanded by current standards.

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Tom Roberts | Dec. 5, 2013

The Legion of Christ, a religious order of priests still dealing with the fallout from revelations of sexual abuse by its disgraced founder, announced Thursday that a recent investigation has uncovered "significant evidence of sexual abuse" by another Legion official who served as the order's novice master at its Cheshire, Conn., seminary.

At the same time, the order issued a summary of actions it has taken in addressing other cases of alleged sexual abuse by its priests, as well as a long letter from Fr. Sylvester Heereman, the order's acting general director, detailing the Legion's approach to dealing with the issue of sexual abuse.

The announcements come just ahead of an extraordinary general chapter at which the Legion will elect new leaders and approve a new constitution. The general chapter is to open in Rome Jan. 8 and is expected to run about a month.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Velasio De Paolis to govern the order as it and Regnum Christi, its lay branch, underwent reform and reorganization. The January general chapter is the culmination of that reformation processes.

CANADA
The StarPhoenix

MONCTON, N.B. - RCMP in New Brunswick say a retired Roman Catholic priest faces several charges, including one count of sexual assault, in connection with alleged incidents involving boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Johnston says 71-year-old Yvon Arsenault of Aldouane is also charged with three counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.

Police say the alleged incidents occurred in Shediac, Rosaireville and Collette and involved four boys under the age of 18.

RCMP began investigating last December after receiving a complaint.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Fridley priest is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Gilbert DeSutter was at St. William between 1976 and 1983. He then moved to St. Michael in Prior Lake, where he stayed until he resigned in 1993. He continued to have limited ministry until he was permanently removed from the ministry in 2003. The 85-year-old now lives in Mesa, AZ.

Nearby Columbia Heights had four former priests on the list:

* Thomas Adamson was at Immaculate Conception from 1979-1980. He transferred to Risen Savior, when he stayed until he returned to the Diocese of Winona in 1985. He was removed from the ministry that year. The 80-year-old now lives in Rochester.

* Francis Hoefgen never served at a Columbia Heights, but the 63-year-old lives there now. He was a member of the Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey and served in Cold Spring, St. Boniface and Frontenac between 1980 and 1994. He was permanently removed from the ministry in 2002. He left the order and was laicized in 2012.

VATICAN CITY
The Daily Beast

By Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 5th 2013

For victims who silently suffered child abuse at the hands of priests, nothing the Vatican does will ever be quite enough. But a new commission ordered by Pope Francis could be a solid step in the right direction.

On Thursday, Pope Francis agreed to appoint a special ad-hoc “commission for the protection of minors” to address alleged and proven sex abuse by Catholic priests. The commission was suggested by a council of eight cardinals, tasked with advising the pope on church reform, who are meeting in Rome this week.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston—a city that was once the epicenter of the sex-abuse coverup scandal—briefed reporters after the council met with the pope. “Specifically, the commission will study present programs in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, and so forth.”

Taken at face value, that would imply that the pope wants to hear from not just those inside the church hierarchy, but perhaps he would also call in advisors from outside the church to help deal with the problem. O’Malley said that the commission could be made of up priests, men and women religious, including nuns, and laypeople. Roping in secular entities, including law enforcement officials, has always topped the wishlist of victims groups, who feel that clerical child abuse is often “dealt with” in secret out of the long arm of the law. No other entity that deals with minors, including education systems, groups like Boy Scouts, or sports organizations, have the same umbrella protection that the Catholic church provides its clergy when it comes to child sex abuse.

VATICAN CITY
The New York Times

By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO and ALAN COWELL
Published: December 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will set up a commission to advise him on protecting children from sexually abusive priests and on how the church should counsel victims, the Vatican said on Thursday. The step was his first to address one of the most sensitive issues facing his papacy.

The timing of the announcement, two days after a United Nations panel criticized the Vatican over its handling of abuse cases, suggested that the pope and his closest advisers want to be seen to be tackling the issue with greater firmness than in the past.

The announcement was a forthright acknowledgment by the Vatican of the enduring problem of abusive priests, and it fit with Pope Francis’s pattern of willingness to set a new tone in dealing with religious and secular critics of the church.

The suggestion to set up the commission came from the group of eight cardinals brought together by the pope a month after his election in March to advise him on reforming the Vatican’s labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Precisely who will serve on the advisory commission and what authority it will have remained unclear. But Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the only American among the eight cardinals advising the pope, said on Thursday that it would include priests, men and women from religious orders and lay people with expertise in safeguarding children, and that it would offer advice on pastoral care rather than judicial functions. That seemed to signal that it would not make proposals for exposing or punishing abusive clerics.

VATICAN CITY
Washington Post

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, December 5

VATICAN CITY — Thomas Williams, the onetime public face of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order who left the priesthood after admitting he fathered a child, is getting married this weekend to the child’s mother, The Associated Press has learned. The bride is the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences. She is also one of five people on Francis’ commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank. Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a Rome-based art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

At the time, Williams apologized for “this grave transgression” against his vows of celibacy and said he had stayed on as a priest because he hoped to move beyond “this sin in my past” to do good work for the church. The Legion’s retired superior later admitted he had learned about the child in 2005 but allowed Williams to keep teaching and preaching about morality.

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Megan Peterson, Twin Cities SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 218-689-9049 cell, survivor19@live.com )

Neinstedt must now force child molesting clerics into remote, secure treatment centers so they’ll be kept away from kids and give every shred of information about them and their crimes to police and prosecutors.

After 25 years of watching Catholic bishops act recklessly, deceitfully and callously in clergy sex cases - in the US and across the globe - we don't stun easily.

But we are stunned that Archbishop Neinstedt claims "It is the practice of the archdiocese to report promptly to law enforcement all allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The recent cases of Fr. Jonathan Shelley and Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer- prove this is a lie.

[Star Tribune]

It's almost as stunning that he claims "Any clergy member facing a credible claim of sexual abuse of minors will be removed from ministry pending an investigation of the claim." The recent case of Fr. Michael Keating proves this is a lie.

It’s shocking that Neinstedt makes these claims with a straight face.

It’s not shocking, however, that Neinstedt makes no mention of law enforcement or of cover up.

That’s because he wants victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to keep contacting church officials, not secular officials. And that’s because he wants the attention focused solely on the predator priests, not their corrupt church supervisors.

Neinstedt conveniently doesn’t mention that the abuse training he brags about doing is required by the church’s belated, grudging, weak and vague national abuse policy. Neinstedt implies this training is something he’s doing voluntarily. That’s just not true.

We should keep in mind that this disclosure of names is also not voluntary. It’s something forced on Neinstedt by legal and public pressure. If not for brave whistleblowers and journalistic investigations and determined victims, Neinstedt would still be hiding these predator priests’ names.

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 12/05/2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released Thursday its list of priests "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.

The list consists of 33 priests who have worked in the archdiocese beginning in 1950.

Nearly half of the parishes in the archdiocese -- 92 out of 188 -- have had at least one offending priest, the archdiocese reported.

Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North on Monday ordered the list of 33 priests be made public. He gave the Twin Cities archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona until Dec. 17 to do so. The archdiocese said it would release at least some of those names Thursday.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a letter on the archdiocese website Thursday that it would disclose all "credible and ... substantiated" claims on the website from now on.

"This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the church," Nienstedt wrote. "I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured."

UNITED STATES
Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery, Inc.
P.O. Box 279
Livingston, NJ 07039

December 5, 2013

Response by Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse to the news that the Vatican is establishing a papal advisory commission on sexual abuse of children, teenagers, and vulnerable adults

The specifics of the Vatican commission on sexual abuse have not yet been determined, but many aspects of the commission already announced cause us to be skeptical. Why?

1) The proposed commission will be composed of an international range of experts and will focus on the pastoral aspect of the continuing clergy sex abuse crisis.

Our response: Once again, the Catholic Church emphasizes the “pastoral” aspect of its programs, hoping the faithful will empathize with their attempts to be sensitive and caring, the hallmarks of “pastoral ministry.” Instead, the Church should be focused, first of all, on the criminal and psychological aspects of clergy sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of children and many others is criminal behavior, for the most part, and cases should be handled by civil authorities. Establishing a commission that “appears” to be focused on the pastoral aspects of sexual abuse diverts attention away from the needs of victims: justice in the civil and criminal arenas, and psychological services that promote healing.

2) The proposed commission will be composed of priests, women and men religious, and lay people.

Our response: Once again, the Church turns inward instead of outward to solicit the opinions and counsel of “experts.” The “experts” regarding clergy sexual abuse are the victims themselves, yet no victims will be invited to sit on this commission. In addition, should the Vatican want to assemble an international panel of “experts,” it should never begin with priests and men and women religious because they and their colleagues have been the abusers, enablers, and deniers of clergy sexual abuse for centuries. The Church must look “outward” toward experts if it wants an independent commission. Entrenched lay people would be just as myopic as priests and men and women religious.

3) The proposed commission will have no clout or independence, in the same way that international Church review boards, panels, and experts appointed by Church officials have no clout and are not objective entities.

Our response: Unless and until Church authorities are held to the same legal and moral standards as other service-oriented persons, the Church’s credibility will continue to be virtually non-existent. There are Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops who have concealed crimes against children and the vulnerable but continue to serve as Church leaders. If the new commission is able to charge, indict, prosecute, and punish those Church leaders who covered up and enabled the serial sexual abuse of children (and continue to do so), then it will have clout. Otherwise, the new commission will be a paper tiger, just like all other Church commissions.

Contact: Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Co-founder and President, Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 – rmhoatson@gmail.com

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Barbara Blaine, SNAP President, SNAPblaine@gmail.com, 312-455-1499 (office), 312-399-4747 (cell)

This Pope has been a breath of fresh air to many. But he’s a breath of stale air to wounded victims, vulnerable children, and betrayed Catholics.

Catholic officials have tons of knowledge about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups. They must simply give all this information - right now - to law enforcements and sanction their colleagues who conceal it.

Pope Francis and his staff refuse to do this. They even refuse to directly and honestly answer questions from a United Nations panel.

[BBC News]

So we have little faith that this latest in a long series of hundreds of church abuse panels will make any difference whatsoever.

According to news outlets, among other things, the committee will focus on “codes of conduct for clergy.” That’s ridiculous. No priest, nun, bishop or seminarian ever sexually assaulted a child because of a lack of a formal “code of conduct” prohibiting clergy sex crimes.

MINNESOTA
Patch

(James Warden wrote the original version of this post.)

A priest assigned to Lake Elmo nearly 30 years ago appears on the newly released list of clergy deemed "credibly accused" of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese published a list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Many of those listed had associations with parishes on the east side of the Twin Cities metro area, with one (see below) having served in Lake Elmo in 1984.

MINNESOTA
News & Observer

BY AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
December 5, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled such allegations.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases have been managed, said the disclosures are not intended to be final and that the list could be updated after a review of clergy files.

"All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests. We deeply regret the pain caused by sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and we remain committed to protecting children and promoting healing for victims," Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese's website. "I sincerely pray that these efforts will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God's children and foster trust in the Church."

In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public.

VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

David Gibson

(RNS) Pope Francis is creating a special commission to deal with the clergy sexual abuse crisis on a global scale, a step that comes amid growing criticism that Francis had not given sufficient attention to the scandal.

Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley made the announcement on Thursday (Dec. 5) in the Vatican where he was meeting this week with Francis and the other members of the so-called “Gang of Eight” cardinals that the pope chose to help him reform the Roman Curia.

O’Malley, who is the U.S. bishop with perhaps the most credibility on the abuse issue, listed a range of programmatic ideas for the commission, whose members are expected to include lay people, mental health professionals and other experts in the field as well as leading churchmen.

But O’Malley acknowledged that Catholics were most keen to hear how and whether the pope and the new commission would tackle the question of disciplining bishops who have shielded abusive priests.

“Quite frankly that’s something that the church needs to address,” O’Malley said, noting that he wasn’t sure whether the commission, the Congregation for Bishops or the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — the Vatican department that has been handling most abuse cases — would take the lead on rogue bishops.

VATICAN CITY
BBC News

Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims.

The announcement, by the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.

It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.

One of the main Italian associations of clerical abuse survivors has said it has "little trust" in the Vatican.

Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church's credibility.

MISSOURI
Lake Expo

MONITEAU COUNTY, Mo. — The case of a Stover pastor charged with statutory rape and sexual abuse will go to a jury trial next year.

Rev. Travis Ray Smith, age 43, is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Stover, Mo.

He is charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Statutory Rape, one count of Forcible Rape, and one count of Sexual Abuse. He pled Not Guilty to the charges at a hearing in the Moniteau County Circuit Court on July 12, 2013.

Over the past four years, Smith has been accused of molestation or statutory rape in the cases of four different girls. Two of those accusations were made in 2010, but one case was dropped and Smith was acquitted in the other.

MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013

For more information please contact SNAP Director David Clohessy of St. Louis
(314) 566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com

Another KC predator priest passes away
He admitted “inappropriate relationships”
Cleric later became a Lutheran and an Episcopalian
Victims blast Catholic bishop for “continuing secrecy”

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is disclosing that another Kansas City Catholic priest who was accused of molesting children has passed away.

He is Fr. Bede Parry who worked in Conception, Missouri and in Nevada, Minnesota and New Mexico.

Parry’s passing was noted on the Facebook page of his lawyer, Joseph Paul Smith:

[Facebook]

Parry belonged to a Catholic religious order known as the Benedictines.

In 2011, Parry was sued for allegedly molesting a boy in the late 1980s in northwest Missouri. He admitted to his church supervisors that he had been involved in three “inappropriate relationships.”

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging Bishop Robert Finn to “aggressively seek out anyone else who may have seen, suspected or suffered Fr. Parry’s crimes.”

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

List of priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Article by: TONY KENNEDY , Star Tribune Updated: December 5, 2013

List on archdiocese website includes many priests previously named in civil and criminal cases.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released a list today of 32 priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

The list was published in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocesan newspaper, in response to ongoing litigation of childhood sexual abuse cases in Ramsey County against the church and individual priests. Many of the priests named today have previously been named in criminal charges and civil lawsuits, but some are new to the public domain.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in his written announcement that his administration will publicize additional “credible claims of abuse of a minor by a member of the clergy” as the archdiocese learns of them. If a credible claim is substantiated, the archdiocese will list the accused priest in a permanent disclosure section of its website, Nienstedt said.

“The disclosures made today are not intended to be final,” the archbishop wrote. “We cannot bring others to the light of Christ unless we first live out his love through our witness.”

The disclosure was ordered Monday in St. Paul by Judge John B. Van de North Jr. All but one of the priests named today were originally identified in a church document created in 2004 listing 33 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse over several decades. The archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona have fought St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson’s attempts to make the names public for the past five years, winning court protection of the list in 2009.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

By Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
Dec. 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the names of 30 priests it believes sexually abused children between 1950 and 2013.

The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009.

Seven of the priests named today were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. Others, such as the Rev. Robert Kapoun, are already well known through lawsuits and media coverage. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92, in total — of the 188 parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests Wednesday by vicar general Rev. Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop's top deputy.

The archdiocese released the names on its website and in the print edition of The Catholic Spirit newspaper, along with each priest's birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it also released the year of death.

MINNESOTA
The Republic

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: December 05, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The archbishop in St. Paul and Minneapolis says he hopes the disclosure of names of priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors will help restore trust in the church and foster healing for those who have been harmed.

Archbishop John Nienstedt made the comments Thursday in a column in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.

He says the 34 names disclosed in the newspaper are not intended to be a final list. He says a review of clergy files is under way, and the list could be updated. Going forward, new abuse claims that can be substantiated will be disclosed on the archdiocese website.

MINNESOTA
Fox 9

posted by Mike Durkin

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) -
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released its list of priests with credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor.

ARCHDIOCESE DISCLOSURE

Below is a list of ordained ministers of the Catholic Church who previously had assignments in the archdiocese, and who have had credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor in our archdiocese. All of these claims have been substantiated, which means that there is reasonable grounds to believe that the reported abuse occurred. Most of the reported incidents of abuse occurred between the mid-1950s and the 1980s, and most of these men have been previously identified in media reports. All of these men have been permanently removed from ministry, and most of them have been out of ministry for a decade or more.

Clergy who have committed acts of sexual abuse have caused insufferable harm to victims, families, parishioners, and the Church. We grieve and pray for all who have been harmed and are committed completely to combating acts of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church.

THE LIST

Priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Thomas Adamson - Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese in 1985.

John Brown - Permanently removed from ministry in 2002.

Cosmas Dahlheimer - Permanently removed from ministry (date unknown, died in 2004).

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

In his Nov. 7 column in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt identified fulfillment of the charter as a top priority of the archdiocese. Below are answers to some common questions regarding the charter’s scope and provisions.

Q. What is the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”?

A. The charter is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The charter includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of further acts of abuse. It directs action in all the following matters:

Creating a safe environment for children and young people;
Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
Making prompt and effective responses to allegations;
Cooperating with civil authorities;
Disciplining offenders; and
Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

Q. Where can I read it?

A. The charter is available for download from the USCCB Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection website.

Q. How does the charter define a “minor”?

A. In both civil and canon law, a minor is anyone under the age of 18. Until 1994, under canon law, a minor was considered any person under the age of 16. In 1994, canon law was changed for dioceses of the USCCB so that anyone under the age of 18 was considered to be a minor. In 2001, it changed for the universal Church. Also covered under the charter is anyone over the age of 18 who habitually lacks the use of reason and therefore is considered equivalent to a minor.

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

As part of its ongoing efforts to address issues related to clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is releasing information related to priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese.

The information can be found in this issue of The Catholic Spirit and on a special page titled “Disclosures Regarding Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors” on the archdiocese’s website, http://www.archspm.org.

In his column this week in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt said the disclosure is part of the archdiocese’s safe environment efforts, which he hopes “will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

The disclosure includes the following information:

the cleric’s name;
his year of birth and age;
year of ordination;
if deceased, the year he died;
the cleric’s prior assignments;
the date of his removal from ministry and current status; and
the city and state where he presently resides.
The information being released is mostly related to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s, the archdiocese said in a Dec. 2 statement. Most of the men identified have been previously identified in media reports. All of them have been permanently removed from ministry or are deceased.

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Notes regarding disclosure

Included in this disclosure are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors in our archdiocese, to the extent we have reliable and sufficient information to determine whether the claim was credible and could be substantiated. These disclosures will indicate that the individuals are non-diocesan clergy. We may not be able to report on the present status of such clergy members because the archdiocese does not always have access to such information since they are under the authority of their respective diocese or religious order. We do not have sufficient information to make a disclosure regarding priests from outside our archdiocese who may have served here at some point in time but committed child sexual abuse elsewhere.

Also, please note: Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information, our listings at this time may include some errors or omissions. The archdiocese requests that anyone with additional information or corrections regarding clergy members that are or should be subject to disclosure, to contact Greta Sawyer, the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 651-291-4497.

Thomas Adamson
Date of birth: 7/12/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1958

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Diocese of Winona, 1958-1975;
St. Leo the Great, St. Paul, 1975-1976;
St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius, 1976;
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park, 1976-1979;
Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1979-1980;
Risen Savior, Apple Valley, 1981-1985;
Returned to Diocese of Winona, 1985
Diocese or religious order: Diocese of Winona

Date removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Rochester, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese

John Brown
Date of birth: 7/2/1920 (Age: 93)
Date of ordination: 1948
Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 1948-1949;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1949-1950;
Associate priest, St. John, St. Paul, 1950-1951;
Associate priest, Hopkins, 1951-1956;
Chaplain, U.S. Army, 1956-1958;
Associate priest, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1958-1960;
Temporary administrator, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1960;
Administrator, St. Mary, Waverly, 1960-1963;
Pastor, St. Mary, Waverly, 1963-1964;
Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Marysburg, 1966-1970;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Faribault, 1970-1978;
Pastor, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1978-1981;
Pastor, Annunciation, Hazelwood, 1981-1990
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Cosmas Dahlheimer
Date of birth: 11/20/1908, deceased
Date of ordination: 1936

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. John’s Abbey, 1936-1969;
Associate priest, St. Augustine, St. Cloud, 1969-1973;
Associate priest, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1973-1978;
Returned to St. John’s Abbey, 1978
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: Unknown (died 2004)
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2004

Gilbert DeSutter
Date of birth: 4/28/1928 (Age: 85)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1954-1956;
Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1956;
Associate priest, Annunciation, Minneapolis, 1956-1964;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Richfield, 1964-1968;
Spiritual director, St. John Vianney Seminary, St. Paul, 1968-1973;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1973 -1976;
Pastor, St. William, Fridley, 1976-1983;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1983-1993;
Resigned with limited ministry, 1993-2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Mesa, Ariz.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Gilbert Gustafson
Date of birth: 4/18/1951 (Age 62)
Date of ordination: 1977

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1977-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1978;
Associate director, Continuing Education and Spiritual Growth for Priests, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 1982;
Student, Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., 1982-1983;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1983-1988;
In residence, St. Peter, Mendota 1988-2002 (unassigned);
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Louis Heitzer
Date of birth: 7/15/1914, deceased
Date of ordination: 1942

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted (New Ulm) 1942-1944;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, Fairfax (New Ulm), 1944;
Associate pastor, Assumption, St. Paul, 1944-1945;
Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Marshall (New Ulm), 1945;
Associate priest, St. Mary, Sleepy Eye (New Ulm), 1945-1948;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1948;
Associate priest, St. Aloysius, Olivia (New Ulm), 1948-1950;
Administrator, Sacred Heart, Franklin (New Ulm), 1950-1954;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Rosen, 1954-1955;
Pastor, St. Michael, Gaylord (New Ulm), 1955-1956;
Pastor, St. Luke, Clearwater, 1956-1958;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1958-1966;
Associate priest, St. Richard, Richfield, 1966-1967
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1969
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1969

Rudolph Henrich
Date of birth: 4/3/1906, deceased
Date of ordination: 1933

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. James, St. Paul, 1933-1937;
Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted, 1937-1938;
Associate priest, St. Mark, Shakopee, 1938;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1938-1942;
Chaplain, U.S. Navy, 1942-1946;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1946-1952;
Chaplain, U.S. Forces, 1952-1954;
Pastor, St. Boniface, Stewart (New Ulm), 1954-1957;
Pastor, St. Margaret Mary, Minneapolis, 1957-1976
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1976
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1992

Francis Hoefgen
Date of birth: 8/1/1950 (Age 63)
Date of ordination: 1979

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Boniface, Cold Spring, 1980-1984;
Associate priest, St. Boniface, Hastings, 1985-1992;
Confessor, Villa Maria Center, Frontenac, 1985-1994
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left order and laicized in 2012

Richard Jeub
Date of birth: 2/21/1940 (Age: 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1967-1970
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Associate priest, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1976-1978;
Chaplain, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, 1978-1982;
Chaplain, Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, 1978-1982;
Pastor, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1981-1990;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart/St. Lawrence, Faribault, 1997-2000;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 2000-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Crosby, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Dennis Kampa
Date of birth: 5/31/1932 (Age 81)
Date of ordination: 1968

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1968-1969;
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1974-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Trinity, South St. Paul, 1976-1980;
Pastor, St. Vincent de Paul, Osseo, 1980-1989;
Administrator, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1989-1990;
Administrator, St. Michael, Kenyon, 1989-1990;
Pastor, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1990-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Victoria, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Robert Kapoun
Date of birth: 12/1/1938 (Age 75)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1964-1967;
Associate priest, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1967-1971;
Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1971-1974;
Chaplain, Home of the Good Shepherd, St. Paul, 1974-1976;
Medical leave, 1976-1977;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Cedar Lake, 1977-1984;
Administrator, St. Catherine, Spring Lake, 1977-1984;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1984-1996;
Administrator, St. Joseph, Lexington, 1984-1996;
Pastor, St. Thomas, St. Thomas, 1991-1996;
Resigned, 1996;
Retired, 1998
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Cold Spring, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Jerome Kern
Date of birth: 3/20/1941 (Age 72)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1967-70;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1970-1975;
Administrator, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1975-1976;
Co-pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka, 1976-1994;
Sabbatical, 1994-1995 (in residence at St. Paul Seminary);
Temporary administrator, St. Dominic, Northfield, 1995;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1995-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Edina, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Lee Krautkremer
Date of birth: 8/28/1940 (Age 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1966;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1967-1968;
Associate priest, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1968-1970;
Associate priest, St. Michael, West St. Paul, 1970-1975;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1975-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1978-1984;
Pastor, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1984-1987;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1987-1989;
Chaplain, North Memorial Hospital, Robbinsdale, 1987-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Laicized in 2006

Ronan Charles Liles
Date of birth: 9/6/1942
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis, 1969-1978;
Dominican Fathers provincial office, Chicago, 1978-1979;
Dominican Fathers and Brothers, Southern Dominican Province, New Orleans, 1979- 1982;
Leave of absence
Diocese or religious order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

Date permanently removed from ministry: Dismissed from order and dispensed from vows in 1985
Current location: Believed to have died sometime before 2006
Current status: Believed to have died sometime before 2006

Alfred Longley
Date of birth: 9/17/1913, deceased
Date of ordination: 1939

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1939-1942;
Military chaplain, U.S. Army, 1942-1952;
Pastor, St. Richard, Richfield, 1952-1961;
Chaplain, Riverside Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1962-1964;
Pastor, St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi, 1964
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1968
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1974

Brennan Maiers
Date of birth: 4/27/1936 (Age 77)
Date of ordination: 1963

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Pastor, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1983-1990
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Collegeville, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Timothy McCarthy
Date of birth: 6/26/1946 (Age 67)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1973-1974;
Associate priest, All Saints, Lakeville, 1974-1977;
Administrator, St. Andrew, Elysian, 1977-1982;
Associate priest, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1982-1984;
On special assignment, 1982-1984;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Lake Elmo, 1984;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1984-1986;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1986-1991;
Resigned, 1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1991
Current location: Believed to be residing in Oakdale, Minn., or St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

John McGrath
Date of birth: 4/13/1931, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Nativity, St. Paul, 1957-1965;
Associate priest, St. Helena, Minneapolis, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1969-1970;
Faculty, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1976-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1995
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1995

Paul Palmitessa
Date of birth: 1/18/1931 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1956

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Cathedral of St. Paul, 1956-1968;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, St. Paul, 1968-1979;
Pastor, St. Paul, Zumbrota, 1979-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary, Bellechester, 1979-1982;
Diocese of San Diego, 1982-1988;
Excardinated, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; incardinated, Diocese of San Diego, 1988
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of San Diego

Date permanently removed from ministry: Retired in 1998, limited ministry until 2012
Current location: Santee, Calif.
Current status: No longer in ministry, (determined by the Diocese of San Diego)

Joseph Pinkosh
Date of birth: 10/27/1943 (Age 70)
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Cross, Minneapolis, 1974-1981;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1981-1992
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1992
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1992

Francis Reynolds
Date of birth: 9/5/1922, deceased
Date of ordination: 1955

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Maternity of Mary, St. Paul, 1955-1957;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Associate priest, Visitation, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1966-1968;
Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo, 1968-1985;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1985-1986;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1987
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1988

Richard Skluzacek
Date of birth: 8/10/1932, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Administrator, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1967-1968;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1968-1973;
Administrator, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1970-1974;
Pastor, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1974;
Pastor, Corpus Christi, Roseville, 1974-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1978-1990;
Chaplain, Veterans Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1990-1998;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2005
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2012

Michael Stevens
Date of birth: 12/24/1954 (Age 58)
Date of ordination: 1980

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1980-1982;
Associate priest, Epiphany, Coon Rapids, 1982-1988;
In residence, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1988;
In residence, St. Adalbert, St. Paul, 1988-2003
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Believed to be residing in St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Thomas Stitts
Date of birth: 5/5/1935, deceased
Date of ordination: 1962

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1962-1965;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1965-1966;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1966-1970;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1970;
Administrator, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1970-1973;
Pastor, St. George, Long Lake, 1973-1980;
Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Brighton, 1980-1985
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1985

Robert Thurner
Date of birth: 11/25/1925 (Age 88)
Date of ordination: 1951

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1951-1963;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1959;
Associate priest, St. Luke, St. Paul, 1963-1967;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1967-1970;
Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins, 1970-1983;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1983-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Edward, Bloomington, 1986;
Pastor, St. Therese, St. Paul, 1986-1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Clarence Vavra
Date of birth: 3/13/1939 (Age 74)
Date of ordination: 1965

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1969-1970;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1970-1971;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1971-1972;
Absent, 1972-1973;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1973-1975;
Diocese of Rapid City, 1975-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Spirit, St. Paul, 1976-1977;
Pastor, Sacred Heart Rush City, 1977-1978;
Administrator, St. Gregory, North Branch, 1977-1978;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1979;
Associate priest, St. Jerome, Maplewood, 1979-1981;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1981-1986;
Unassigned, 1986-1987;
Temporary administrator, St. Genevieve, Centerville, 1987;
Pastor, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1987-1992;
Temporary administrator, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1992-1993;
Pastor, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1993-1996;
Sabbatical, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Nativity of Mary, Cleveland, 1997;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1997-2003;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1997-2003;
Retired, 2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: New Prague, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Joseph Wajda
Date of birth: 2/9/1947 (Age 66)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1973-1977;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1977-1981;
Administrator, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1980-1981;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1982-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1986;
Temporary administrator, Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto, 1986;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1986-1987;
Pastor, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1987-1989;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1990-1991;
Student, Catholic University of America, 1992-1994;
Judicial Vicar, Metropolitan Tribunal, St. Paul, 1996-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Raymond Walter
Date of birth: 7/28/1915, deceased
Date of ordination: 1941

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center, 1964-1978, 1981-1989
Diocese or religious order: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists)

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2003

Curtis Wehmeyer
Date of birth: 9/28/1964 (Age 49)
Date of ordination: 2001

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate pastor, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 2001-2006;
Parochial administrator, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2006-2009;
Pastor, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul, 2009-2011;
Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2009-2012
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2012
Current location: Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry. Incarcerated

Robert Zasacki
Date of birth: 5/13/1940, deceased
Date of ordination: 1967

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Entered archdiocese from Archdiocese of Newark, 1979;
St. Bridget, Lindstrom, 1982-1983;
St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1983-1984:
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, 1984-1985;
Administrator, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1985-1987;
Incardinated, 1987;
Pastor, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1987-1989;
Pastor, St. Peter, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1995-2001;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 2001-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2008

Clergy included on John Jay Commission list with unsubstantiated claims

We have disclosed above the names of 29 of the 33 priests on the list provided to the John Jay Commission in 2004 by the archdiocese. We have been able to determine that those 29 priests had substantiated claims asserted against them of sexually abusing a minor. We have not determined that the other four priests had substantiated claims against them of sexually abusing a minor. In fact, we were unable to verify any claim in two of the four cases. Nevertheless, in deference to a recent order from the Ramsey County District Court, we are listing these four priests separately below with further explanation on each.

Eugene Corica
Date of birth: 7/31/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1960

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights, 1974-1979;
Pastor, St. Bridget, Minneapolis, 1979-1983;
Associate pastor, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1983-1985;
Temporary administrator, Holy Childhood, St. Paul, 1985;
Administrator, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1985-1987;
Pastor, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1987-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1995
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1995

Eugene Corica was accused of having sexual relationships with adult women. No claim of sexual abuse of a minor was made or substantiated against Corica. We have not been able to determine why he was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission.

Robert Loftus
Date of birth: 12/22/1930 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1963

Parish assignments:

Assistant pastor, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1963-1966;
Assistant pastor, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1966-1967;
Assistant pastor, St. Mary’s Basilica, 1967-1971;
Pastor, St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis, 1971-1977
Leave of absence, 1977
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1977
Current location: Coon Rapids, Minn.

Current status: Laicized in 1977

Robert Loftus was credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a “young woman” in the early 1970’s. We do not have knowledge of the complainant’s age at the time of the misconduct. An independent investigator was hired to review the file and advise on whether Loftus should be disclosed as a “substantiated claim.” To date, the investigator has not determined whether a claim of sexual abuse of a minor was or can be substantiated. The investigation is continuing, and our disclosures will be updated when the investigation is completed.

Patrick Ryan
Date of birth: 12/2/1892, deceased
Date of ordination: 1919

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1919;
Associate priest, St. Clement, Minneapolis, 1919-1921;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Minneapolis, 1921-1922;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1922-1933;
Pastor, St. John, Ortonville (New Ulm), 1933-1943;
Pastor, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1943-1965
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1965
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1965

Patrick Ryan was accused posthumously in 2002 of sexually abusing a minor in 1961, and was consequently included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. The Archdiocese subsequently met with the complainant and hired a private investigative firm. The firm investigated the matter through more than two dozen conversations and face-to-face meetings with the complainant as well as interviews with more than a dozen persons thought to have information relevant to the claim against Ryan. The private investigative firm reported that “this investigation found no credible, corroborating or supporting information which would validate [the] claim of sexual abuse.” The claim of sexually abusing a minor was never substantiated.

Roger Vaughn
Date of birth: 6/16/1948 (Age 65)
Date of ordination: 1977

Parish assignments:

Crosier Monastery and Seminary, Onamia, 1977-1980. Never assigned to ministry or residence in the archdiocese
Diocese or religious order: Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers)

Date no longer in ministry: 2000
Current location: Yonkers, N.Y.
Current status: Left the Crosier order in 2001

We have not been able to determine why Roger Vaughn was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. There is no record of Vaughn being assigned to ministry or residence in this Archdiocese. He was a priest of the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers) until he left the order in 2001. We do not have knowledge of any claims that Vaughn sexually abused a minor in this archdiocese.

MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date:Thursday, December 5, 2013

Source: Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt

Over the last several decades, some clergy members of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis unfortunately have violated the sacred trust placed in them by children, youth and their families by committing acts of sexual abuse.

This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the Church. I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured. You have been on my mind and in my heart as I offer my daily prayers for you.

My staff and I are completely committed to combating the problem of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church. To that end, as I have been communicating to you over the last two months, we are evaluating and improving our policies and practices in our concerted effort to protect children and prevent sexual abuse.

Today, I am announcing the details of our new disclosure practices. These disclosures being made now, and the changes in our disclosure practices generally, are part of a comprehensive and cohesive set of actions we have been taking here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis this fall to address the issues associated with clergy sexual misconduct.

These decisions reflect not only a great deal of my own prayer and reflection, but also wise counsel provided by my staff and other advisers. I also have considered the practices of a number of other dioceses. As we progress with our disclosure, our practices may continue to evolve, including recommendations that may be made by the independent task force or through the review of our clergy files by an outside firm. Please be assured that I will let you know of any changes to the practices that may develop in the future.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (MN)
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

[The archdiocese is having website problems. We have PDF'd the list from the Catholic Spirit digital edition for use until the web page is available from the archdiocese.]

VATICAN CITY
Catholic Register

Written by Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Thursday, 05 December 2013

VATICAN CITY - For Pope Francis, the reform of the Catholic Church and its structures "isn't a project, but an exercise of the Spirit" that will take time, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

The cardinal, co-ordinator of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals, which is working on the reform of the Roman Curia and advising him on Church governance, spoke about the Pope and his approach during a Dec. 4 book presentation at the Vatican.

Other cardinals on the council were in attendance as well for the presentation of Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro's book, La Mia Porta 'E Sempre Aperta (My Door is Always Open), an expanded version of the interview with Pope Francis published in Jesuit periodicals around the world in September.

Rodriguez said the title of the book could well be the main theme of Pope Francis' pontificate.

"The theme of open doors is central to the preaching of Pope Francis," he said, and signifies an attitude of trusting and welcoming others, but also — as far as Church doors go — refers to the Pope's insistence that parishes welcome people in and let the Gospel out into the world.

VATICAN CITY
eNCA

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Thursday formed a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in a landmark initiative after thousands of abuses and cover-ups, but campaigners said the new body would be "toothless".

While the composition and precise tasks of the committee are yet to be established, the Vatican said it could vet future priests and establish codes of conduct and guidelines for responding to allegations.

It could also propose ways of offering pastoral care to victims of abuse and look at ensuring greater cooperation between religious and lay investigators -- a key bone of contention in many of the abuse scandals.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O'Malley, one of the eight members of a new council of cardinals set up by Francis to advise him and on whose recommendation the committee is being set up. ...

There was immediate support for the move in many parts of the Catholic world, with US priest and blogger Michael Duffy saying: "This is a big deal!"

In Italy, the Famiglia Cristiana weekly said it signalled a "crackdown" by the new pope.

But the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a US campaign group, said the initiative was "meaningless" and just "a toothless church panel", arguing secular authorities should deal with clergy sex crimes.

"It's like offering a band aid to an advanced cancer patient," SNAP director David Clohessy said.

"Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises," he added.

UNITED STATES
NBC Chicago

By Mary Ann Ahern | Thursday, Dec 5, 2013

On the day that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis plan to disclose the names of roughly 30 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, the Vatican announced the Pope will form a new international commission to examine this crisis.

The Minnesota archdiocese sent an email to priests Wednesday saying 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest at some point – that’s nearly half of the 188 parishes there. Most of the allegations stem from the 1950s to the 1980s.

As for the new Vatican Commission, the Pope’s spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica told NBC 5 in an email that the commission will be different than the one established in Chicago.

“What is new... it is a commission established by the Vatican at the universal level of the Church," he said in the email. "What Cardinal Bernardin established was for Chicago."

MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson and Associates

December 5, 2013

Sexual Abuse Survivors React to Release of Secret List Containing Names of 33 Priests with Credible Abuse Allegations

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona ordered to release the names of 46 priests

WHAT: At a news conference today in St. Paul, sexual abuse survivors James Keenan, Al Michaud, and David Pususta, along with sexual abuse attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, will respond to the court-ordered release of a list containing the names of 33 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“Today our communities are safer, survivors know that they are not alone, and law enforcement will have more information about the crimes committed within this Archdiocese,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, “we applaud each and every courageous survivor who has broken the silence and fought for this day.”

WHEN: Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 2:00PM CST

WHERE: Law Office of Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street
Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

WHO: James Keenan, a sexual abuse survivor of Thomas Adamson at Risen Savior in Apple Valley, Minnesota; Al Michaud, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. Jerome Kern at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka, Minnesota; David Pususta, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. John Brown at St. Mary’s in Waverly, Minnesota; Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, sexual abuse attorneys based in St. Paul, Minnesota who have represented hundreds of sexual abuse survivors.

Notes:
· Judge Van de North’s Order dated December 3, 2013, and the original Doe 1 complaint can be found on our website at www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Jeff Anderson: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.817.8665
Contact Mike Finnegan: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.205.5531

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Victims want accused priest disciplined
He’s accused of raping a pre-teen girl
Catholic officials supposedly “retired him”
But cleric still acts like a priest in public
He was on radio & TV as archdiocesan spokesman
Group urges others he hurt to “come forward & get help”
It also blasts SF church officials for “continued secrecy and inaction”
SNAP: For kids’ safety, Archbishop should put him in secure treatment center

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose that a high-profile predator priest who was supposedly “retired” or “resigned” because of child sexual abuse allegations is still performing priestly functions in public, in violation of church abuse policy. They will urge

-- Catholic officials to suspend him, discipline him, and put him in a treatment center,
--disclose any other allegations or settlements against him, and
-- “aggressively reach out to anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered his crimes,” prodding them to “call police, expose wrongdoers, and protect others.”

Afterwards, they will try to hand deliver a letter to the SF archbishop urging him to post on his website the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of all predator priests.

WHEN
Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 1 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the San Francisco archdiocesan headquarters 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco CA 94109

WHO
Three-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
In 2002, a very high profile priest, Father Miles O’Brien Riley resigned or was “retired” by San Francisco Catholic officials after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting an eleven year old girl. But he still publicly functions as a priest and calls himself a priest, in what SNAP calls “a clear and egregious violation” of the church’s abuse policy.

According to BishopAccountability.org and news accounts, Fr. Riley is “an author, actor, and former church spokesman who was well-known for his radio ministry and as a fixture on the old God Squad TV show.” The SF Chronicle reports that he has “written many books, produced films and written and directed musical comedies, as well as hosting 1,500 television and 4,000 radio programs."

VATICAN CITY
Gazzetta del Sud

Vatican City, December 5 - Pope Francis has decided to set up a special commission to advise him on how the Catholic Church should protect children and help the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy. A panel of eight cardinals who have been advising the pontiff on reforms suggested he set up the commission, the details of which will be described in depth in a forthcoming papal announcement. Officials said the commission will report on the current status of abuse victims, as well as propose clergy and laypersons to oversee the implementation of new initiatives. According the Vatican, those new initiatives will likely include guidelines and standards for the protection of children, training programs, criminal background checks and psychiatric evaluations for those who work with children and minors, and protocols for collaborating with civil authorities and for reporting offenses.

VATICAN CITY
AFP

Vatican City — Pope Francis on Thursday set up a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and give pastoral care to victims following a recommendation from a council of cardinals he has asked to advise him.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council, who said the precise composition of the new committee will be announced "in the near future".

O'Malley said the council suggested the new committee on Wednesday and Francis approved it on Thursday, adding that the initiative was also in line with the zero tolerance approach of pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

"The Holy Father has decided to constitute a committee for the protection of children," O'Malley said.
The committee could come up with codes of professional conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials in individual countries on how to deal with misconduct and checks for would-be priests, O'Malley said.

VATICAN CITY
Buenos Aires Herald

The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, said.

"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," O'Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.
The commission of experts would "study these issues and bring concrete recommendations" for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

O'Malley was speaking on the third and final day of a series of closed-door meetings between Pope Francis and a special commission of eight cardinals who are discussing the Vatican's troubled administration.

The commission, named a month after the pope's election, underlined his determination to push through reforms of the Vatican's top-heavy administration and tackle festering scandals like the issue of sexual abuse of children by priests.

VATICAN CITY
The Pilot

By Francis X. Rocca

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis accepted a proposal to set up a special commission on the sexual abuse of children, which will advise him on ways to prevent abuse and provide pastoral care for victims and their families.

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, a member of the pope's advisory Council of Cardinals, announced the decision at a Vatican briefing for reporters Dec. 5, during a break in the council's meetings with the pope.

The cardinal said the new commission would continue the work of Pope Benedict XVI against clerical sex abuse, and that among its tasks would be to "study the present programs in place for the protection of children, and to come up with suggestions for new initiatives" by the Vatican, in collaboration with national bishops' conferences and religious orders around the world.

According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Pope Francis heard the proposal on the afternoon of Dec. 4, during the second of three days of meetings with his 8-member Council of Cardinals, and announced his decision to the council the following morning.

ESPANA
El Mundo

Pese a que al cura de Borja (Zaragoza), Florencio Garcés, el juez le imputa delitos de apropiación indebida, de 185.183,63 euros, y contra la libertad sexual, su pueblo se ha volcado con el sacerdote "casi más que antes", incluida Cecilia Giménez, la pintora local que hizo los retoques a la ya famosa obra del eccehomo.

El apoyo al cura es de tal envergadura que ya suman tres las concentraciones multitudinarias y "espontáneas", que se han celebrado en la plaza del pueblo desde el pasado viernes cuando fue detenido el sacerdote, explica a Efe el alcalde, Francisco Miguel Arilla.

Los vecinos de Borja "primero se llevaron mucha sorpresa, porque nadie se iba a imaginar lo que iba a pasar, pero prácticamente el apoyo es total", describe el alcalde; "incluso más que antes", agrega.

SPAIN
UPI

BORJA, Spain, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Police said they arrested a Spanish priest -- from a church where a woman defaced a fresco of Jesus while trying to restore it -- on sex and fraud charges.

The Rev. Florencio Garces, 70, was one of six men arrested Friday as part of a sting called Operation Thorn Tree, TheLocal.es reported.

He was released after his arrest but was remanded in custody without bail Thursday, Spain's El Mundo newspaper said.

Garces allegedly embezzled $251,000 from the parish where he worked in Borja in the Zaragoza region.

VATIKAN
Basler Zeitung

Franziskus bringt seine Reform der katholischen Kirche voran: Ein neues Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Angesichts zahlreicher Fälle von Kindesmissbrauch in der katholischen Kirche setzt Papst Franziskus einen Ausschuss für den Schutz der Kinder ein. Das Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Das teilte der Erzbischof von Boston, Kardinal Sean O'Malley, heute im Vatikan mit. Der Ausschuss soll zum Beispiel über die Situation der Opfer berichten und neue Initiativen erarbeiten. Die Zusammensetzung des Gremiums soll bald bekanntgegeben werden.

ESPANA
La Informacion

Prisión provisional sin fianza para el cura de Borja por los delitos de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y abuso sexual

* La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual.
* La jueza habría tomado declaración por segunda vez tanto al parroco como a otros cinco testigos, a los que habría decidido dejar en libertad provisional.

La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual, según publica Telecinco en su página web.El cura ha declarado por segunda vez ante la jueza, que ha decidido dejar en libertad provisional a los otros cinco imputados. La parroquia de Borja adquirió fama internacional tras los retoques que una vecina pintora local hizo al Ecce Homo, que se exhibe en una iglesia del pueblo.

SPAIN
Euro Weekly News

FLORENCIO GARCES, priest in the parish of Borja in Zaragoza has been remanded in custody for an alleged €185,000 fraud and sexual abuse.

The parish shot to international fame when an elderly local lady decided to repaint a picture of Jesus in the church. The unprofessional restoration became a media sensation and international laughing stock, but has since brought thousands of visitors and Euros to the church and town.

Guardia Civil arrested six people in total; five are all from the same family and have been released with charges. Florencio Garcés is currently in prison with no bail, although only a few days ago he had been released with charges.

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON DECEMBER 05, 2013

December 5

David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

“Commission,” “survey,” “policies” – these are the words being used to describe the Vatican’s announcement.

Another commission surveying bishops and recommending policies is meaningless. It’s like offering a band aid to an advanced cancer patient.

These crimes and cover ups have gone on for centuries quietly and decades publicly. Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises.

No institution can police itself, especially not an ancient, secretive, rigid, all-male monarchy. Yet that's what Catholic officials have long claimed and tried to do. This move is more of the same. Rather than show courage and creativity, top Catholic officials are repeating the same self-serving patterns of the past that have proven to be effective public relations but ineffective prevention and healing steps.

Like his predecessors, the pope knows precisely what must be done to protect kids and expose the truth. Like his predecessors, he lacks the strength of character to do it.

Clergy sex crimes should be dealt with by secular authorities. And more of could be if the pope punished bishops who conceal these crimes and ordered bishops to publicly disclose their child molesting clerics. This simple step would immediately make kids safer. But instead, parents and parishioners are being offered yet another toothless church panel.

The pope should also insist that bishops push secular officials to reform archaic barriers to justice like the statute of limitations. This simple step would also make kids safer.

VATICAN CITY
CNN

By Hada Messia, CNN

Rome (CNN) -- Pope Francis is creating a commission to prevent the abuse of minors and to support victims of abuse, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley announced Thursday in Rome.

The new commission is expected to tell church officials to collaborate with civil authorities and report cases of abuse, O'Malley said.

But he also said that the church has focused on the judicial aspect of sexual abuse in the past -- and that Pope Francis wants to focus on the pastoral side, and caring for victims.

The Pope has not yet chosen the members of the new commission but it will be international in composition and include experts, O'Malley added.

VATICAN CITY
The Tablet (UK)

Pope Francis to set up Vatican commission for child protection and care of victims of abuse by priests

05 December 2013 13:20 by Christopher Lamb

Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican commission devoted to child protection and the pastoral care of victims of sexual abuse by priests, it was announced today.

The commission will look at child protection programmes across the worldwide Church and work with dioceses to encourage best practice.

According to the US-based Catholic News Service, it will advise the Pope on improving the safeguarding of children and pastoral care to the victims of abuse.

It will also focus on the way candidates for the priesthood are screened, the formation of priests, and safeguarding codes of conduct.

The new commission was announced by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of Pope Francis’ eight-member Council of Cardinals, at a press conference in the Vatican.

VATICAN CITY
swissinfo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, said on Thursday.

"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," O'Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.

The commission of experts would "study these issues and bring concrete recommendations" for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

O'Malley was speaking on the third and final day of a series of closed-door meetings between Pope Francis and a special commission of eight cardinals who are discussing the Vatican's troubled administration.

VATICAN CITY
Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis (above) is to set up a Vatican child protection commission to combat child abuse, it was announced this morning.

Following a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston said that Pope Francis had accepted the cardinals’ proposal for a special commission established for the protection of children. Cardinal O’Malley said that the commission will survey child protection programmes and work with bishops and religious.

The commission will include lay people and will focus on supporting victims of abuse and advising the Pope on prevention policies and pastoral outreach for victims. The Vatican commission will look at guidelines in place, priestly formation programmes, codes of conduct and screening candidates for the priesthood. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s role in investigating and trying accused priests won’t change.

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis has ordered the creation of a new commission in the church's central bureaucracy tasked with advising the pontiff on safeguarding children from sex abuse and working pastorally with abuse victims, the Vatican said Thursday.

Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the lone American serving among the eight cardinals advising the pope on church reform, announced the new group at a press briefing. Creation of the new commission, he said, came at the suggestion of the cardinals' group, known formally as the Council of Cardinals.

While O'Malley said the pope has not determined the specifics of how the commission will function or where it will fit into the Vatican's bureaucracy, the cardinal said it is to be composed of an international range of experts and is to focus on the pastoral aspect of the continuing clergy sex abuse crisis.

"Up to now, there's been so much focus on the judicial parts of this, but the pastoral response of the church is very, very important and the Holy Father is concerned about that," said O'Malley.

VATICAN CITY
Clarion-Ledger

by Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis is assembling a panel of experts to advise him on sex abuse in the clergy - a task that will involve looking at how to protect children from pedophiles, how to better screen men for the priesthood and how to help victims who have already been harmed.

But it remains unclear if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.

Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O'Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives for both the Holy See to implement inside the Vatican City State and for bishops to implement around the world.

VATICAN CITY
Catholic Herald (UK)

Pope Francis will set up a Vatican child protection commmission in order to combat child abuse, it was announced this morning.

Following a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican, Cardinal Sean O’Malley told reporters that Pope Francis had accepted the cardinals’ proposal for a special commission established for the protection of children.

According to Catholic News Service, Cardinal O’Malley said that the commission will survey child protection programmes and work with bishops and religious.

The commission will include lay people and will focus aswell on supporting victims of abuse and advising the Pope on prevention polcies and pastoral outreach for victims.

The Vatican commission will look at guidelines in place, priestly formation programs, codes of conduct and screening candidates for the priesthood.

VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 5 December 2013 (VIS) – This morning's briefing on the work of the Council of Cardinals involved the extraordinary participation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, who communicated the Pope's approval of a proposal submitted by the eight cardinals – the creation of a Commission for the protection of minors.

“Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse. Specifically, the Commission will study present programmes in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, etc.

“The composition and competences of the Commission will be indicated shortly, with more details from the Holy Father in an appropriate document”.

The Cardinal went on to mention lines of action for the future Commission: guidelines for the protection of children, the development and extension of norms, procedures and strategies for the protection of children and the prevention of abuse of minors, educational programmes for children, parents, and all those who work with minors, guidelines for catechists, and for the formation of seminarians, the ongoing formation of priests, protocols for environmental safety codes of professional conduct, proof of suitability for priestly ministry, screening and checking of previous offences, the state of action of requests for psychiatric evaluation, co-operation with the civil authorities, reporting of crimes, compliance with civil law, communications regarding clergy declared guilty, pastoral care for victims and their families, spiritual assistance, mental health services, collaboration with experts in the research and development of the prevention of abuse of minors, psychology, sociology, legal sciences; collaboration with bishops and religious superiors, optimisation of procedures, implementation of laws and guidelines, relations with the faithful and with means of communication, encounters with victims, supervision and rehabilitation of clergy guilty of abuse.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., subsequently communicated that the work of the Council, which will be concluded this afternoon, continued its examination of the various congregations of the Roman Curia yesterday and this morning.

“The Pope participated in the meetings held yesterday afternoon and this morning”, said Fr. Lombardi, clarifying that Pope Francis is well and that yesterday's meeting with the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola, who accompanied a delegation from EXPO MILAN 2015, was cancelled as the Holy Father was tired following the general audience celebrated in St. Peter's Square and therefore preferred to postpone the event to a more suitable occasion.

UNITED STATES
Pope Crimes & Vatican Evils...

Paris Arrow

TOP 10 BEST NEWS from Australia on the JP2 Army. Pope Francis new Apostolic letter is reminiscent of John Paul II’s Luminous Mysteries

We would like to thank Australia’s finest journalists for giving us comprehensive news on the heinous crimes committed by the JP2 Army in Australia – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army of Biblical Proportions named aptly after the longest reigned pope who said nothing and did nothing to save and protect children during his world trotting years as John Paul II “the Great”.

We also compare Pope Francis' new Apostolic letter Evangelii Gaudium or Joy of the Gospel which us Pope Francis’ answer to Australia’s Victoria Inquiry…just like Luminous Mysteries was John Paul II’s answer to USA’s Boston pedophile priests in 2002

NEW YORK
Niagara Gazette

Channel 4 News
Niagara Gazette

A small group of Community Fellowship Church members accompanied their pastor into Town of Yates Court on Wednesday night in a show of support.

The Rev. Roy Harriger Sr. is facing charges of molesting children.

About eight members of the Community Fellowship Church in the Town of Hartland accompanied the 70-year-old pastor into Town of Yates Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges of incest and sodomy of a young boy and girl about 12 years ago.

Harriger is free on bail after posting a quarter million dollars bail last week. His supporters have a hard time believing the charges against him.

Supporter Donna Kidney does not believe the allegations.

"He'll bend over backwards to help people and I think these charges are ridiculous," she told Channel 4 News. "I know he did not do it. He's innocent. I know in my spirit that he's innocent."

NEW YORK
WKBW

[with video]

By Kendra Eaglin

December 5, 2013

With his attorney, wife and other supporters by his side 70 year old Roy Harriger Sr. entered the Town of Yates courthouse Wednesday night leaving all the talking to his attorney who made an interesting comment.

"Eyewitness News reporter: Do you have any comments tonight before you go in?"

"Attorney Larry Koss: I hope Michigan State beats North Carolina."

Harriger pleaded not guilty to felony sexual conduct, sodomy and incest. These charges surround incidents between 2000 and 2001 involving Harriger's own grandchildren who now live in Pennsylvania.

"I would have never thought in my lifetime that he would've done this," said Teresa Harriger, mother of the two victims.

NEW YORK
WHEC

An Orleans County pastor has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of felony sex abuse.

Revered Roy Harriger was charged with several charges of incest, sexual conduct and sodomy. Our NBC affiliate in Buffalo WGRZ reports that he pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a Niagara County court.

Harriger was arrested in November after a possible victim came forward, and the investigation lead police to several other possible victims.

Investigators say there may be crimes dating back to the 1970's, but Harriger can only be charged with the claims from two of the victims, a man and a woman, who claim the abuse happened between 2000 and 2001.

IRELAND
Irish Independent

IVAN YATES – 05 DECEMBER 2013

As a Wexford TD, I came to know and like Bishop Brendan Comiskey, appointed Bishop of Ferns in April 1984. I was extremely friendly with two priests of the diocese. I enjoyed dinner parties at which Brendan was also a guest. All three men were strong advocates of ecumenism, pioneering new protocols for mixed marriages.

When allegations first emerged of clerical sex abuse, my instinct was one of sympathy and support for the bishop's handling of the matter. Eventually, Comiskey had to resign in 2002 for his stewardship of deviant priests such as Father Sean Fortune.

My judgment was proven mistaken as events unfolded. He tried to handle matters through internal church procedures, rather than as overt criminal activity requiring instant referral to the gardai and judicial processes.

The conviction and jailing of Liam Adams in Belfast for repeated rape and abuse of his daughter Aine last week reminded me of parallels between Gerry Adams and Brendan Comiskey. Much can be undone by a serious error of judgment. For a period of nine years (2000 to 2009), Adams did not tell the police what he knew from his brother about his guilt. He treated this information as a private family matter.

NETHERLANDS
Reuters

By Tom Heneghan DECEMBER 3, 2013

Dutch bishops visiting Rome this week have given Pope Francis a dramatic snapshot of the steep decline of Roman Catholicism in its European heartland.

Both Catholic and Protestant Christian ranks have shrunk dramatically across Europe in recent decades, and hundreds of churches have been sold off to be turned into apartments, shops, bars or warehouses.

In the Netherlands, churches have been closing at a rate of one or two a week. The bishops told the pope in Rome on Monday that about two-thirds of all Roman Catholic churches in the Netherlands would have to be shut or sold by 2025, and many parishes merged, because congregations and finances were “in a long-term shrinking process”.

Their five-yearly report blamed a “drastic secularization” of society, although a critical group of Dutch lay Catholics said the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests, which has afflicted many Catholic dioceses around the world, had also driven many people away, as had the closures themselves.

CALIFORNIA
The Record

By The Record
December 05, 2013

These are difficult times for the Diocese of Stockton - not just the entity, but the thousands of parishoners, too.

Stating that the diocese is out of options, Bishop Stephen Blaire penned a letter to the quarter million parishoners in six counties that a final decision on bankruptcy could come after the first of the year.

The financial situation is dire. It was preventable.

The Chapter 11 protection is needed because the diocese has been drained financially from settlements for sex-abuse lawsuits involving priests. Through 2010, the diocese had settled 22 cases at a cost of $18.7 million.

There could be more cases pending. "We have no apparent way to meet the expenses of pending lawsuits and possible future claims," the bishop said in an earlier letter.

MINNESOTA
Fox 9

[with video]

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will comply with a court order to name priests who have been sued, criminally charged, or publicly identified in a child sex abuse case by releasing a list of names and locations where each credibly accused priest worked.

Some Catholics in the metro area may be in for a shock because half of the parishes in the state -- 92 of 188 -- have been notified that at least one of the men touched by the sex abuse scandal was assigned to their church.

"It's going to shock them -- the level and depth of clergy abuse that surrounds them," Bob Schwiderski, of the victims' advocacy group SNAP, said.

For some parishes, like St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, Minn., multiple priests allegedly passed through -- including Father Clarence Vavra, now 74, who admitted to molesting several boys in the 1970s at the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

MINNESOTA
KARE

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is preparing its priests for the release of a list of 29 priests who it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The accused priests have served at nearly half -- 92 of the 188 -- of the parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests today by Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop's top deputy.

The archdiocese plans to release the names on its website Thursday. It will also release each priest's birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it will also provide the year of death. The planned disclosure comes after Ramsey County Judge John Van de North ordered the archdiocese on Monday to release the names of all priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse who had been included on a sealed list by Dec. 17. The 33 names were disclosed to attorneys in a 2009 clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, but a judge had ordered they remain private.

A spokesman for the archdiocese said the list will not include four of the 33 names. Three of the priests have allegations against them that church officials believe to be unsubstantiated, Tom Wieser, an attorney for the archdiocese, said Monday. The other priest's name is not being released because there is no record that he served in the archdiocese, Wieser said.

MINNESOTA
The Republic

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press
December 05, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — In response to months of criticism and allegations that church leaders mishandled cases of clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said it planned Thursday to disclose the names of at least 29 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has been under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases were handled, said last month that he would reveal the priests' names to show that he is committed to transparency and the safety of youth. But those familiar with similar cases say publishing the list is unlikely to do much to restore church leaders' credibility.

"I think it's going to be hard for him to really win back public opinion in this, because it has been such a long time," said Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org.

In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public.

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Digital Journal

By Brett Wilkins
Dec 4, 2013

Los Angeles - The Los Angeles Times has published extensive details chronicling Cardinal Roger Mahony's complicity in a massive child sex abuse scandal involving hundreds of priests and other clergy members.

The Times' lengthy report is based on more than 23,000 pages of internal documents from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which was presided over by Archbishop Mahony for nearly a quarter century until his retirement in 2010. The article details Mahony's active involvement in covering up clergy sex abuse and protecting pedophile priests from prosecution, going back to 1986, his first year as archbishop, when a priest told him he molested two boys.

That priest, Father Michael Baker, raped or molested at least 23 boys, some as young as five years old, over the course of 26 years. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years behind bars in 2007. But long before that, Mahony decided to not report Baker to police. Instead, the archbishop sent him for 'treatment' in New Mexico. After completing therapy, Baker was welcomed back into the fold. He continued to abuse children for many years.

The Times article details how Mahony repeatedly refused to report child-raping clergy to police, transferring criminal abusers out of state to avoid investigations. Many of those transferred clergy continued to rape and molest children.

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times

Join Times reporters Ashley Powers and Victoria Kim for an L.A. Now Live chat at 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss their series on Cardinal Roger Mahony and his role in the Catholic Church's child abuse sex scandal.

FULL STORY: Clergy abuse cases were a threat to agenda

Powers, Kim and reporter Harriet Ryan examined Mahony's role and actions in a two-day series of stories.

They wrote:

In the child sex abuse scandal that has shaken the Catholic Church, Mahony is a singular figure.
He became the leader of America's largest archdiocese at the very moment the church was being forced to confront clergy molestation. Because he was just 49 when he took office, he was in power for the entire arc of the abuse crisis. Long after peers had retired or died, Mahony was around to face the public's wrath. Because of the unique way abuse lawsuits played out in California, his files on molesters became public while in most other corners of the church, they remain under lock and key. ...

Readers can submit questions live during the chat or by tweeting @lanow.

CANADA
Straight

FREELANCE WRITER Laura Robinson has applied for a judicial order to force former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong to set aside $100,000 as security for costs in a defamation suit.

The application, which was filed by Bryan Baynham of Harper Grey LLP, seeks to have the funds provided in cash or through a letter of credit to the district registrar in B.C. Supreme Court.

It’s scheduled to be heard on Monday (December 9).

“I am concerned that Mr. Furlong will not have assets in British Columbia to pay an award of costs after trial,” Robinson said in a December 3 news release. “Based on a search of the Land Titles Office, Mr. Furlong does not own real property in British Columbia.”

Furlong is suing Robinson for defamation in connection with an article she wrote in the Georgia Straight in September 2012, as well as for an email she sent two months later to Own The Podium, which Furlong chairs. The feature article revealed that Furlong arrived in Burns Lake in 1969 as a missionary and volunteer teacher at a Catholic school with a large aboriginal population.

Eight former students have sworn affidavits alleging that they experienced or witnessed verbal or physical abuse from Furlong. He has publicly declared that this abuse never happened and alleged that Robinson has a “vendetta” against him, which she has denied.

COLORADO
Daily Camera

By Mitchell Byars, Camera Staff Writer
POSTED: 12/04/2013

Boulder police have ticketed VineLife's senior pastor Walt Roberson for failing to report alleged sexual abuse of a child by his son, Jason Allen Roberson, a youth pastor at the church.

Walt Roberson was issued the summons on Nov. 25, according to Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel. Four other church officials -- Executive Pastor Robert Phillip Young, 65, Pastor Luke Michael Humbrecht, 30, and church elders Edward Charles Bennell, 65, and Warren Lloyd Williams, 66 -- were also ticketed back in early November, but Walt Roberson was out of the country at the time and so could not be issued a summons, Kobel said.

Jason Roberson, 35, is facing six felony charges in relation to the alleged abuse after Danielle DesGeorges, 24, went to police in April and told investigators that she and Roberson had an inappropriate relationship that began when she was 15 and continued for seven years.

KENTUCKY
WKYT

HARRISON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - a former Cynthiana youth minister has been indicted on sex charges.

State Police say a Harrison County Grand Jury indicted 25-year-old Brent Smith on 14 counts, including rape, sexual abuse, and using someone younger than 16-years-old in a sexual performance.

Police say the victims were female teenagers in Smith's church program.

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
RT

El Vaticano se ha negado a proporcionar a un comité de derechos de Naciones Unidas información sobre las investigaciones internas en materia del abuso sexual de menores por parte del clero.

Según informa Reuters, en respuesta a una serie de preguntas del Comité de los Derechos del Niño (CRC) la Santa Sede dijo que no revelaría información sobre sus investigaciones internas a menos que sea requerida por una solicitud de un Estado o de un Gobierno como parte de procedimientos legales.

La Santa Sede, que seguirá siendo interrogada directamente por el grupo especial en enero de 2014, será seguida de cerca mientras trata de poner punto final a los escándalos financieros y de abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes que han dañado la reputación de la Iglesia Católica Romana en todo el mundo.

MINNESOTA
Enquirer-Herald

BY AMY FORLITI
Associated PressDecember 4, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly half the parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been served by priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor.

In an email sent Wednesday to priests and parish leaders, the archdiocese said 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest assigned to them at some point. The email, obtained by The Associated Press, was designed to brace parish leaders for Thursday's disclosure of the names of at least 29 priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.

There are currently 188 parishes in the archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics. There were 213 parishes in 2010, before several merged.

The affected parishes were notified in a separate email. The main email offers reassurances to others, saying if they didn't receive a notification, "that means that none of the men who will be disclosed this week were ever assigned at your parish in the past."

The number isn't shocking, said Mike Finnegan, an attorney who has worked on several clergy abuse cases.

VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Lizzy Davies in Rome
theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 December 2013

The Vatican has refused to give a United Nations panel information it requested on clerical sex abuse, in a move that it said was part of its confidentiality policy but which was criticised as "a slap in the face" for victims.

In a series of questions asked in the runup to a public hearing scheduled for January, the UN committee on the rights of the child had requested the Holy See provide details of abuse cases and specific information concerning their subsequent investigation and handling.

But, in its response, the Holy See said that although it had answered the questions in a general way, it was not its practice to disclose information on specific cases unless requested to do so by another country as part of legal proceedings.

In the 24-page document, the Holy See said it had been "deeply saddened by the scourge of sexual abuse" and regretted the involvement of some members of the Catholic clergy.

It added that it had "amended norms" regarding the suitability of candidates for the priesthood, and had taken other steps including the revision of some canon law rules "to ensure that clerics and religious are properly disciplined".

MINNESOTA
CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is bracing parish priests and leaders for its upcoming disclosure of a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

In an email sent to priests Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the archdiocese says 92 parishes have had at least one priest on the list assigned to them at some point.

Those parishes were notified in an email last week that they would be affected.

MINNESOTA
KSTP

By: Scott Theisen

The Diocese of Winona says it will comply with a judge's order and release a list of 13 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

A Ramsey County judge on Monday ordered the Winona diocese and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to release the names of accused clergy by Dec. 17.

KAGE Radio reports Bishop John Quinn says the Winona diocese will cooperate with the judge's order.

In a statement, Quinn says the diocese "is committed to the protection of children and the safe environment of our parishes, schools and greater communities."

The Winona Daily News reports the exact date and procedure for releasing the information has not yet been determined.

UNITED STATES
Huffington Post

Religion News Service | By David Gibson
Posted: 12/04/2013

(RNS) Pope Francis has spent his first nine months buoyed by a wave of good will and positive coverage generated by his disarming style and frank talk about the need to reform the Catholic Church. But the pontiff may be in for a rough patch as media attention begins to shift to an issue that has bedeviled Rome for more than a decade: the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

The pope himself put the spotlight on the crisis this week when he told bishops visiting from the Netherlands — where a 2011 report found that more than 20,000 children may have been abused in past decades — to support victims “along their painful path of healing.”

But critics said that the pontiff’s comments seemed almost perfunctory, coming at the end of a prepared speech that he handed to the bishops before they met privately for 90 minutes to discuss the grim prospects for Dutch Catholicism.

Moreover, the brevity of Francis’ remarks, their careful phrasing and the lack of any direct apology stood in pointed contrast to his powerful statements on issues such as economic justice and the need for the church to preach mercy and strip itself of pretensions.

Francis has also captivated the public by embracing disfigured pilgrims at the Vatican, cold-calling the downtrodden and washing the feet of young people at a detention center, but he has yet to meet with abuse victims.

“The world is starting to wonder if Pope Francis has forgotten the crisis,” Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org said after Francis’ meeting with the Dutch bishops on Monday (Dec. 2).

The pope, she said, “must address publicly the problems of clergy sexual abuse and its mismanagement with the same candor he has shown on a range of topics, from homosexuality to mediocre homilies. He has shown zest in ridding the Vatican of financial corruption. He must apply the same energy and determination toward ridding the church of bishops who have enabled abuse.”

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 4, 2013

ROME The new archbishop serving in the post traditionally considered one of the most powerful in the Vatican said Wednesday he knows Pope Francis intends to reform his office but not what those reforms might entail.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, who took over as the Vatican's secretary of state Oct. 15, said the pope and the group of eight cardinals advising him on church reform have made clear they are looking at reforms to his office, which has typically controlled both the diplomatic and political functions of the Vatican.

"I don't know if it's a different name or if they want to give it a new structure," Parolin told members of the press Wednesday on the sidelines of a book release event a few blocks east of St. Peter's Basilica.

"The important thing is for it to become a structure that is at the service of the pope as it has always been, but that it can be enhanced," he said.

The event Wednesday was for a new book-length version of the wide-ranging interview between Pope Francis and an Italian Jesuit priest, printed in September by 16 Jesuit publications around the world. The book, La mia porta è sempre aperta ("My door is always open"), was released in November by a publishing house that also owns one of Italy's largest newspapers.

UNITED STATES
Y108

By Robert Ham

The Season — you know, the one that ‘Tis — has officially begun, and with it comes the overwhelming flood of holiday music, old and new, upon our tender, frostbitten ears. If that weren’t enough, the rush to capture the attention of potential customers is faster than ever with many Noël-themed releases arriving on the physical and virtual shelves of retailers as early as October. Although it’s easier than ever to sort through the deluge to find the gems amid the lumps of coal, if you still have questions about what album to use to soundtrack your holiday festivities, allow us to provide some answers with five must-have collections (on the Nice List) and five to send back to Santa (on the Naughty List). You know, like the song. ...

NICE

Bad Religion - Christmas Songs (Epitaph)
Release date: 10/29/13

Once you’ve wiped the cognitive dissonance out of your eyes upon seeing that a band named Bad Religion is giving their SoCal pop-punk attack over to a collection of Christmas covers, you’ll hopefully be ready to give this nine-song album a fair shake. Not only because the group is donating a portion of their profits to The SNAP Network, the Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests, but also simply because it’s a blast to hear “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Little Drummer Boy” spun out with such fury and fire. True to form, the band gets the last word in, tacking a version of their well-known original “American Jesus” on to the end.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

by Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio,
Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
December 4, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is preparing its priests for the release of a list of 29 priests who it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The accused priests have served at nearly half -- 92 of the 188 -- of the parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests today by Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop's top deputy.

The archdiocese plans to release the names on its website Thursday. It will also release each priest's birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it will also provide the year of death. The planned disclosure comes after Ramsey County Judge John Van de North ordered the archdiocese on Monday to release the names of all priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse who had been included on a sealed list by Dec. 17. The 33 names were disclosed to attorneys in a 2009 clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, but a judge had ordered they remain private.

A spokesman for the archdiocese said the list will not include four of the 33 names. Three of the priests have allegations against them that church officials believe to be unsubstantiated, Tom Wieser, an attorney for the archdiocese, said Monday. The other priest's name is not being released because there is no record that he served in the archdiocese, Wieser said.

AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net

The submission of the Australian Human Rights Commission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse indicates it has limited experience of both child sexual abuse complaints, and of the Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” process which is to be the subject of hearings beginning on 9th December.

It points out that there are certain articles in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which are particularly pertinent to the handling of child sexual abuse complaints. These are articles 19,34,39,12 and 3.

Articles 19, 34 and 39 of the CRC oblige Australia to take all appropriate measures to protect children from sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by:

1. Implementing mechanisms to report abuse against children

2. Providing clear guidance and training on when and how to refer the issue of abuse to the responsible agency

3. Investigating instances of abuse

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

Article by: RICHARD MERYHEW , Star Tribune Updated: December 4, 2013

E-mail notices says there are 92 parishes where at least one priest on the list was assigned.

In a heads-up to parish priests and administrators, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Wednesday sent an e-mail to all clergy and church trustees preparing them for the disclosure of its list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The e-mail, from Vicar General Charles Lachowitzer, did not identify how many priests would be on the list, which the archdiocese has said it plans to release Thursday.

Lachowitzer, however, wrote that the archdiocese has mailed notices to 92 parishes where at least one priest on the list had been assigned at one point during his career.

“We expect that most parishes will receive these letters by the end of the day Wednesday, but some may arrive on Thursday,” Lachowitzer said.

Wednesday’s e-mail follows a ruling earlier this week by a Ramsey County district judge ordering the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona to release the names of 46 priests accused of sexually abusing minors by Dec. 17.

The Twin Cities archdiocese has held secret the names of 33 credibly accused abusers since it compiled the list in 2004 and won a 2009 ruling allowing the list to remain private. In court Monday, archdiocesan officials said they were prepared to identify 29 of the 33 priests, but Judge John Van de North ordered all 33 identified by Dec. 17.

UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on December 4, 2013

All of the cool cats are doin’ it this season!

The Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy is sloggin’ through the courts, complete with mysterious monetary maneuvers, secret payouts and cardinal denials that would make St. Peter blush. And that’s just the beginning.

In the Diocese of Gallup, the 341 meeting with creditors is scheduled for December 19. This first big public hearing is the chance for creditors (in this case, victims of abuse) to ask questions of Bishop Wall and his attorneys about the bankruptcy. In other dioceses, such as Wilmington, Delaware, these hearings have been a window into the soul of the diocese.

From the Associated Press‘ coverage of the Wilmington 341 hearing:

But [Wilmington Diocese CFO Joseph] Corsini drew a hostile reaction when, in response to a question from a victims’ attorney about the diocese’s assets and liabilities, said he was looking at “a roomful of liabilities” [referring to the victims in the courtroom]. He quickly apologized for the remark.

Now, the Diocese of Stockton is doing the pre-bankruptcy dance. Saying that “no viable option has emerged other than reorganizing financially under the protection of bankruptcy court,” Stockton Bishop Stephen Blaire announced that the California diocese will probably declare bankruptcy after the first of the year.

UNITED STATES
ECPAT

For victims of child pornography the abuse continues, even after the primary abuser has been caught and prosecuted. This is because images and video of children being sexually abused are often shared between thousands of people online.

Amy* is a victim of child pornography living in the United States. When she was just nine years old, Amy was raped by her uncle, who documented and shared the abuse online. Now a young adult, Amy receives a court notification when someone has been arrested for viewing sexual abuse materials of her. These notifications arrive almost every day.

“It is hard to describe what it feels like to know that at any moment, anywhere, someone is looking at pictures of me as a little girl being abused by my uncle and is getting some kind of sick enjoyment from it,” Amy wrote in a victim impact statement. “It’s like I am being abused over and over and over again.”

Amy is seeking compensation for the damages she has suffered as a result of her images being viewed. In January, the US Supreme Court will decide what amount of compensation Amy is entitled to from the men who viewed her abuse.

ECPAT International, in partnership with ECPAT-USA, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Doyle Randall Paroline v. Amy Unknown and United States. ECPAT’s brief aims to give some background for the Court on the context of online child pornography, including the global scale of the problem, the harm caused to the victims, and the international legal framework in this area. ECPAT asks the Court to rule in favour of Amy, giving victims of child sexual exploitation in the United States the right to restitution from their abuser(s).

VATIKAN
KIPA

New York, 4.12.13 (Kipa) Der Vatikanstaat arbeitet derzeit an einem eigenen Kinderschutzprogramm. Das geht aus einer Stellungnahme des Heiligen Stuhls gegenüber dem Kinderrechtskomitee der Vereinten Nationen (UNCRC) hervor. Laut dem Schreiben des Staatssekretariates, das auf den 25. November datiert und jetzt im Dokumentationsdienst der Vereinten Nationen veröffentlicht wurde, soll bis Ende 2014 ein entsprechendes Dokument verabschiedet werden. Eine Anpassung des vatikanischen Strafrechts an internationale Kinderschutznormen sei derzeit in Prüfung.

VATIKAN
Frankfurter Allgemeine

04.12.2013 · Der Heilige Stuhl hat einen Fragenkatalog der UN nach Maßnahmen gegen Kindesmissbrauch in der Kirche nicht fristgerecht beantwortet. Gleichwohl tritt er dem Vorwurf entgegen, sich hinter „juristischen Formalitäten“ zu verschanzen.

Von JÖRG BREMER, ROM

Der Heilige Stuhl in Rom will doch auf den Fragenkatalog des UN-Ausschusses für die Rechte von Kindern bei der Menschenrechtskommission in Genf antworten, mit dem dieses Gremium die Vergehen pädophiler Geistlicher in aller Welt an ihren Schutzbefohlenen untersuchen will. Das sagte am Mittwoch Monsignore Massimo De Gregori von der ständigen Vertretung des Heiligen Stuhls bei der UN-Menschenrechtskommission in Genf. Er wies damit eine Meldung der BBC vom Vortag zurück. Allerdings habe man den Abgabetermin am 1. November nicht einhalten können. Doch die ersten Fragen seien schon bearbeitet worden, und die übrigen Antworten kämen rechtzeitig vor der Anhörung Mitte Januar.

Die BBC hatte am Dienstag mit Berufung auf die „National Secular Society“ britischer Humanisten berichtet, der Vatikan weise die Beantwortung zurück und verberge sich dabei hinter „juristischen Formalitäten“.

MINNESOTA
Die Tagespost

Minnesota (DT/KNA) Das katholische Erzbistum St. Paul und Minneapolis darf die Namen von 46 des sexuellen Missbrauchs beschuldigten Priestern veröffentlichen. Auf gerichtliche Anweisung sind neben den Namen und dem Geburtsdatum auch das Jahr der Priesterweihe, bisherige Einsatzorte, die aktuelle Tätigkeit und die Wohnadresse zu publizieren, wie die Tageszeitung „Star Tribune“ (Dienstag) berichtet. Dafür setzte das Distriktgericht in Ramsey County eine Frist bis 17. Dezember. Das Erzbistum begrüßte der Zeitung zufolge die Entscheidung. Die Namen würden Donnerstag auf der Bistumswebsite und in der Kirchenzeitung aufgelistet.

ITALIEN
Tageszeitung

von Artur Oberhofer

Roland Riz will das Urteil nicht kommentieren, der Professor sagt nur: „Ich freue mich für die Kurie.”

Am Oberlandesgericht in Bozen hat es am Mittwoch einen Paukenschlag gegeben: Das Oberlandesgericht hat nämlich die Vollstreckbarkeit des Urteils im Fall Don Giorgio Carli ausgesetzt.

Um was geht es?

Die Erste Sektion der Abteilung für Zivilsachen am Landesgericht in Bozen hatte im August die Diözese Bozen-Brixen bzw. die Pfarrei San Pio X. zur Zahlung des Schadenersatzes im Fall Don Giorgio Carli verurteilt.

UNITED KINGDOM
National Secular Society

Posted: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 17:11 by Terry Sanderson

Did you know that the Pope "sneaks out" of the Vatican at night dressed as an ordinary priest so that he can minister to the homeless and destitute on the streets of Rome?

Isn't it marvellous?

Did you know that Pope Francis once worked as a bouncer at a nightclub?

How wonderful – he's just like one of us – a working man.

As the propaganda piles up, Pope Francis basks in the adulation of the uncritical masses.

But wait. What's this? The sex abuse scandal that so tormented his predecessor seems to be emerging again after being swept under the rug during Francis's honeymoon period.

The Holy See (the political wing of the Vatican) has at last responded to questions put to it by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child about the global issue of child rape by priests.

Or, more accurately, it has not responded. It says that it has nothing to do with what goes on in the dioceses and parishes of its churches. Therefore it cannot be held responsible in any way for the unspeakable things that some of its priests do to defenceless children.

And just when the Vatican thought it had distracted us from the horrors that thousands of its priests have perpetrated, it all starts slithering back again.

CANADA
National Post

Charles Lewis | 04/12/13

The BBC is reporting that the Vatican has rebuffed a United Nations request for information concerning sexual abuse.

The Vatican, the report says, insist that the only valid jurisdictions are the ones where the alleged abuse took place.

“The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See — the city state’s diplomatic entity — last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all sexual abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995,” the BBC reported.

“The questions included whether priests, nuns and monks guilty of sexual crime were allowed to remain in contact with children, what legal action had been taken against them, whether the Church required clergy to report abuse to secular authorities and whether complainants were silenced.”

MINNESOTA
Winona Post

[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]

By Chris Rogers

On Monday, a St. Paul judge ordered the Diocese of Winona to release a list of names of 13 priests or former priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. That list includes five living priests from the Winona Diocese, none of whom are currently serving the church, and eight deceased priests, according to diocesan officials. Winona Diocese leaders indicated Tuesday they would comply with the court order.

The attorney seeking the release, Jeff Anderson, called the ruling a "turning point" for justice in priest abuse cases. Officials from the diocese said that the release might condemn accused individuals without a fair trial.

The diocese created the list in 2004 and argued against its release on Monday, as well as during previous court proceedings. The order requires the diocese to release the names, city of residence, ordination date, and assignment history of the 13 priests by December 17, and the same information by January 6, 2014, for any priests who have been credibly accused since 2004. The archdiocese of St. Paul is also required to release a list of 33 priests under the order. The lists are of "credibly accused" priests as determined by the diocese and archdiocese. The priests have not necessarily been found guilty. Diocese of Winona Director of Mission Advancement Joel Hennessy said that he was not privy to all instances of credible accusations since 2004, but acknowledged one such case involving a priest in Blue Earth. According to a Pioneer Press report, Father Leo Koppala was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. A statement from Bishop John Quinn said that the diocese had not received any reports of sexual misconduct by Koppala prior to his arrest in that incident.

"There may not be a shocking number of new names" revealed in the list, but even one is incredibly important to victims and to public safety, said Anderson.

CANADA
Nunatsiaq Online

DAVID MURPHY

Lieve Halsberghe tracked down the disgraced Belgian priest Eric Dejaeger and helped bring him to trial in Nunavut.

Now, she’s going after another priest accused of historic sex crimes — because of a promise she made to the late Marius Tungilik, whose lifelong struggle with childhood trauma finally ended a year ago, in December 2012, with his sudden death.

“I wanted to go to France to confront this man with this before [Joannis Rivoire] dies because that’s a promise I made to Marius,” Halsberghe said.

Fugitive priest Father Joannis Rivoire faces four charges related to his time spent in Nunavut starting in the 1960s. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 1998, but not much has happened since.

VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 4 December 2013 (VIS) – The Autorita di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding with its German Counterpart, the Zentralstelle fur Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

The Memorandum was signed in the Vatican by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president of the AIF, and Michael Dewald, director of the Zentralstelle fur Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is standard practice and formalises the co-operation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organisation of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

“This Memorandum is strengthening AIF's international reach and further integrates the Holy See and Vatican City State with a co-ordinated global effort to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism”, said AIF director Rene Bruelhart. “Today's signing underlines our fruitful relationship and will further facilitate our joint efforts”.

The AIF became a member of the Egmont Group earlier in July this year and signed in the last months MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of the U.S.A., Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands. More are expected to be signed in the course of the coming months.

VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 4 December 2013 (VIS) – The meetings of the Council of Cardinals continued, as planned, yesterday afternoon with the participation of the Holy Father.

“The work of the Council took place in an environment of great serenity, with an open and cordial exchange between all participants”, communicated the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.

“As mentioned yesterday morning, the new secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin was invited to the afternoon session to greet the members who wished him well in his new role, and in to establish contract in the hope of fruitful collaboration in the service of the Holy Father for the governance of the Church.

“This morning the Holy Father was not present due to the regular Wednesday general audience, but work continued as usual. The council considered the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia in turn (for example, the Causes of Saints, Catholic Education, Evangelisation of Peoples and so on).

“It is possible that during the meetings scheduled for these days, a first round of considerations on the Congregations may be completed, to be followed by an examination of the Pontifical Councils and the other dicasteries.

National Catholic Reporter

Ken Briggs | Dec. 4, 2013 NCR Today

POPE FRANCIS: UNTYING THE KNOTS
By Paul Vallely
Published by Bloomsbury Continuum, $20.95

Well into Paul Vallely's absorbing portrait of the show-stopping new pope, we see Jorge Bergoglio as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, presumably offering Communion to any and all takers in his born-again mission to the city's poorest neighborhoods.

"When you're working in a shanty town 90 percent of your congregation are single or divorced," says Fr. Augosto Zampini, a diocesan priest who serves as one of Vallely's key sources. "You have to learn to deal with that. Communion for the divorced and remarried is not an issue there. Everyone takes Communion."

Vallely doesn't explicitly place Zampini at the scene -- nor is it clear how well he knew the archbishop -- but the implication is clear. Faced with a choice of inviting the few or the many to partake, Bergoglio allowed pastoral needs to trump church rules.

INDIANA
Daily Reporter

By Noelle Steele
Staff Writer
First Posted: December 03, 2013

GREENFIELD — A former New Palestine youth minister pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor Tuesday morning after admitting to the court he fondled a young girl at his church.

Steve Harding, 61, was sentenced to two years in Hancock County Community Corrections and one year of probation after accepting a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to the Class D felony charge. Harding’s community corrections sentence could include participation in work-release, a program that allows offenders to leave the facility to go to and from their jobs, or home detention.

State law does not require someone convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor to register as a sex offender.

Harding did not address the court in detail about his misconduct but was required to answer a series of yes-or-no questions as part of a plea agreement. When asked if he had touched the girl in a sexual manner, he answered, “Yes.”

INDIANA
KPC

Associated Press

A former youth pastor at a suburban Indianapolis church has pleaded guilty to charges that he had sexual contact with a girl who attended the church.

A Hancock County judge sentenced 61-year-old Steve Harding to spend two years in a community corrections program and a year on probation. Harding pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a felony charge of sexual misconduct with a minor for his actions while he was a youth pastor at New Palestine United Methodist Church.

The Daily Reporter reports ( http://bit.ly/1k9SYA7) prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of child molesting.

Judge Richard Culver told Harding he took advantage of the girl's trust in him as a family friend and mentor.

MASSACHUSETTS
Republican

[Springfield Diocese List of Priests with Credible Allegations 08.30.11 via BishopAccountability.org]

WEST SPRINGFIELD
The Reverend John A. Koonz, 76 of West Springfield, MA died Wednesday November 27, 2913 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born in Cornwall, NY son of Joseph H. and Theresse (Gunther) Koonz. He attended St. Columba Elementary School in Chester, NY until 1946, when the family moved to North Adams. He then attended the former St. Joseph's Elementary School and graduated from the former St. Joseph's High School with the class of 1955. He graduated from St. Anselm's College in 1959 and completed his theological studies at St. Mary's University of Theology Seminary in Baltimore, MD in 1963. On May 26, 1963, Rev. Koonz was ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Christopher J. Weldon at his home parish of St. Francis of Assisi in North Adams, MA.

VATICAN CITY/GERMANY
Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See (AIF) on Wednesday, December 4, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its German counterpart, the "Zentralstelle für Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt" (BKA).

The Memorandum was signed in the Vatican by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, President of AIF, and by Dr. Michael Dewald, director of Zentralstelle für Verdachtsmeldungen at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

A Vatican Comuniquè explains that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is standard practice and formalizes the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries.

It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organization of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

“This Memorandum is strengthening AIF’s international reach and further integrates the Holy See and the Vatican City State with a coordinated global effort to fight Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism,” said AIF Director René Bruelhart. “Today’s signing underlines our fruitful relationship and will further facilitate our joint efforts.”

MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Each settled for six figure amounts
One man was assaulted by two clerics
A Catholic religious order resolved his suit
But Bishop Finn’s diocese refuses to do so
In the other case, predator admitted wrongdoing

What:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, victims of clergy sex abuse and their supporters will disclose two recent settlements in local clergy sex abuse cases against two priests.

In one of them, a boy was assaulted by two priests. In the other one, a boy was assaulted by a priest who later admitted wrongdoing.

They will also

--prod Bishop Robert Finn to disclose the identities of predator priests (as a Minnesota judge just ordered a bishop there to do) and post their names on his KC diocesan website, and
--prod anyone who many have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes or cover ups to come forward, get help, expose predators, protect kids, deter wrongdoing and start healing.

When:
TODAY, Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 1:15 p.m.

Where:
Outside the KC Catholic diocesan chancery office/headquarters, 20 W. 9th Street in downtown KC.

Who:
Three members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s long time executive director

Why:
Two local pedophile priest lawsuits have settled.

1. - A high profile Kansas City clergy sex abuse victim has settled, for $125,000, with one of two Catholic defendants in a lawsuit that he filed two years ago.

[BishopAccountability.org]

In September 2011, Jon David Couzens Jr. filed a civil suit charging that two priests - Fr. Isaac True and Msgr. Thomas J. O’Brien – sexually assaulted him in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he was a nine and ten year old altar boy at Nativity parish in Independence.

Another defendant, Bishop Robert Finn’s KC diocese, has NOT settled with Couzens.

2. - John Doe M R has settled his case against Fr. James Urbanic, the KC diocese and Society of Precious Blood for $130,000. The case was filed in Feb. 2012 in Buchanan County, where the alleged crimes took place, at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic church. The two met at Bishop LaBlond High School in St. Joseph.

In this case, all three defendants settled.

VATICAN CITY
Time

By Kharunya Paramaguru Dec. 04, 2013

The Vatican has told the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that it will not disclose information on cases of alleged sexual abuse of children committed by members of its clergy.

The committee wrote to the Church in July asking for “detailed information” on the investigations, legal proceedings and outcomes of cases of alleged sexual abuses.

In a written response to these questions — hand-delivered last month but just published online by the U.N. on Tuesday — the Vatican wrote that “it is not the practice of the Holy See to disclose information on the religious discipline of members of the clergy or religious according to canon law.” It said this was “in order to protect the witnesses, the accused and the integrity of the Church process.”

VATICAN CITY
New Straits Times

[Read the list of questions from UN Committee on the Rights of the Child here.
Read the Vatican’s response here.
Read the SNAP-CCR report here.]

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has told a UN investigating committee that it cannot be held legally competent over the abuses of children carried out by Catholic churchmen because they are subject to national laws, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

“When individual institutions of national churches are implicated, that does not regard the competence of the Holy See but rather the laws of the countries concerned,” Father Federico Lombardi said.

Lombardi said Vatican officials would explain their position at a meeting in Geneva on January 16 with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is checking whether the Catholic Church is honouring the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“The competence of the Holy See is at the level of the Holy See,” Lombardi said, explaining that the Vatican was among the first states to sign up to the convention.

Campaign groups for abuse victims have criticised the Vatican in the past for making the legalistic distinction between the central administration of the Church and the actions of individual clergymen.

CANADA
Sylvia's Site

A warmer day yesterday. No wind. It made a world of difference. As cold as it is was it almost felt balmy :)

Yesterday (Tuesday 03 December 2013) the sex abuse trial of Father Eric Dejaeger recessed for the day in early afternoon. Two female victims testified.

I have had issues getting things sorted out with net access during the day, – think that’s all in hand now so will be able to make use of the lunch hour tomorrow. Other commitments last evening kept me from the computer until evening. I have the testimony of one witness here – will finish tomorrow.

First, some general observations.

Yet again, with one exception, during testimony Father Dejaeger listens intently, and fixes his gaze on the witness, He occasionally strokes his beard, but for the most part sits with hands clasped under his chin.

I will come back to the one exception later when I touch on the testimony.

I mention Dejaeger’s demeanour during testimony – I saw another picture of the man when he was escorted into court after lunch this afternoon.

Dejaeger arrived at 1:28. Court was scheduled to resume at 1:30 pm.

First I must say that Dejaeger looks lithe and fit. He has obviously lost weight if we compare pictures from Belgium (ie, cheeks hollowed) – but he is by no means fading away, and, he moves with ease.