Church May Need Loan to Pay Victims
The Archdiocese of Boston may mortgage church real estate to raise tens of millions of dollars needed for a global settlement with alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse, according to the archdiocese's chief financial officer. Chancellor David W. Smith told the Boston Sunday Globe that it will take months to determine how much … [Read more...]
Clergy Sexual Abuse: The Diocesan Response
How much of a crisis is the issue of clergy sex abuse Catholic Star Herald: How much of a crisis is the issue of clergy sex abuse for the Church? Bishop DiMarzio: In my opinion, if only one child were sexually abused by a priest, that constitutes a crisis. Whenever a child is abused my concern is for the child's physical, emotional … [Read more...]
3 Local Priests Suspended
Allegations that they abused children As bishops from around the country convened to discuss the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the Catholic Diocese of Tucson disclosed Thursday that it has asked three retired priests not to perform public ministry because of allegations that they abused children. The announcement from the local … [Read more...]
Frustrated By Church, Abuse Victims To Pursue Legislation
Abuse Victims Of Priests. Advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse, frustrated with Catholic bishops' recent revisions to an abuse prevention policy, said yesterday that they will lobby legislators to enact protections because they cannot rely on the church to do the job. "You're not going to reform the church; you have to … [Read more...]
Law Visits Rome As Scandal Grows
Cardinal Law Travelled To Rome As Scandal Grows. The sudden arrival today of Cardinal Bernard F. Law in Rome generated intense speculation here after a week of new revelations in the clergy sexual abuse scandal and renewed calls for his resignation from priests and parishioners. Donna Morrissey, spokeswoman for the Boston … [Read more...]
Universal Abuse Settlement Sought
Clergy Sexual Abuse Settlement. Bishop Richard G. Lennon, the interim head of the Boston archdiocese, announced today that he asked church lawyers to request a halt to day-to-day litigation with the exception of court-ordered activities so that they can pursue the possibility of settling all clergy sexual abuse cases at once. In … [Read more...]
Lennon Picks Sites For Sale, Eyes Court Test In Abuse Cases
Church Abuse Cases. In a gesture aimed at assuring 500 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse that the Boston Archdiocese is committed to a financial settlement of their claims, the newly named apostolic administrator, Bishop Richard G. Lennon, said yesterday that he has selected church properties for sale and directed officials to … [Read more...]
Lawyer Criticizes Archdiocese Motion
Archdiocese Motion To Dismiss Lawsuits. A lawyer for alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse is blasting a motion by the Boston Archdiocese, citing the First Amendment, to dismiss hundreds of lawsuits filed against the church by alleged victims of clergy sex abuse. Roderick MacLeish, who represents hundreds of alleged victims, was … [Read more...]
Lawyers Ask For List of All Accused Priests
Accused Priests Of Sexual Abuse. Attorneys representing hundreds who say they were victimized by priests, and the head of a support group for survivors of clergy sexual abuse have asked the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland to release the names of all accused priests during the past 40 years. The request comes as attorneys for … [Read more...]
Boston Archdiocese Releases Its Final Child Protection Rules
Protecting children from clergy sexual abuse The Boston archdiocese released final rules aimed at protecting children from clergy sexual abuse on Friday, capping a yearlong effort to prevent the kind of misconduct by priests that has embroiled the archdiocese in scandal. “I wish to personally commit myself to the full … [Read more...]
Church Increases Its Offer to $65m
Catholic Church Sex Abuse Case. Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley yesterday increased the Archdiocese of Boston's settlement offer to alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse from $55 million to $65 million, a figure far less than the 542 plaintiffs requested last week but still the largest ever offered in this country to settle such claims, … [Read more...]
Archbishop Suspends 3 Priests
Archbishop Suspends Three Priests. Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk says his decision to suspend three priests Monday closes one of the most difficult and painful chapters of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in Southwest Ohio. In his most extensive comments about the crisis in months, Pilarczyk said he regrets that it took so … [Read more...]
Former Students of Haitian School Allege Priest, Others Failed to Protect Them from Sexual Predator
A group of Haitian nationals have filed lawsuits in the U.S. alleging a priest now living in Connecticut, among others, failed to protect them from a child predator while they were students at a school for disadvantage youth in Haiti. According to the Boston Globe, the former students allege they were abused for over a decade by … [Read more...]
