Click here to read: "Pope Francis to meet with sexual abuse victims," by CNN staff, May 26, 2014Excerpt: Pope Francis spoke out against sexual abuse by Catholic clergy on Monday and said he plans to meet with victims in early June.Stressing that such abuse constitutes a horrific crime, he told reporters aboard the papal plane … Continue reading Pope Francis Says Three Bishops Under Investigation

Click here to read, "Second UN panel criticizes Vatican on sex abuse," by John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe, May 23, 2014Excerpt: The committee suggested that pledges of zero tolerance by church officials aren’t always effectively translated into action.The panel cited several specific cases, including Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, a priest who returned to … Continue reading UN Committe Against Torture Criticizes Vatican

Click here to read: "Puerto Rico priest faces federal sex charges," AP for 41NBC.com, May 13, 2014Excerpt: U.S. authorities in Puerto Rico on Tuesday arrested a Roman Catholic priest and former school director, on charges including sexual trafficking of children in the first federal case of its kind in the U.S. territory. 

Click here to read: "Pa. Supreme Court to decide Lynn case," by Joseph A. Slobodzian, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 9, 2014 Excerpt: Pennsylvania's Supreme Court agreed Thursday to resolve the contested key legal theory underpinning the landmark 2012 prosecution of the first Catholic Church official charged in the clergy child-sex-abuse scandal. Pennsylvania's Supreme Court agreed … Continue reading State Supreme Court to Resolve Msgr. Lynn Case

Click here to read: "Clear Rules Eyed On Church Sex Abuse," by Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times, May 3, 2014.Excerpts: The Vatican commission advising Pope Francis on sexual abuse policy will develop “clear and effective protocols” to protect children from pedophile priests, including procedures to hold church authorities accountable if they neglect to act … Continue reading Clergy Child Sex Abuse Commission To Advise On Accountability of Bishops

SECOND IN SERIES BY KATHY KANE A few years ago when I encountered a breach in the Safety Environment Program, it gave me an opportunity to learn about our archdiocese's child protection system. A few archdiocesan employees and a kind regional Vicar led me through the process. The most valuable lesson I learned from the … Continue reading Why Father John Paul Being Left In Ministry Is So Shocking

In this case, a portrait says a thousand words. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop emeritus of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, visited St. Charles Borromeo Seminary on April 2 for the official unveiling of his official portrait. He celebrated Mass preceding a dinner reception at the Seminary.What this portrait says to the laity is that seminarians were taught … Continue reading A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Click here to read: "Popes John Paul II and John XXIII: a rush to sainthood?" by Josephine Mckenna, Religion News Service, The Salt Lake Tribune, April 22, 2014Excerpt: "One of the questions here is whether a pope can be a saint and also make managerial mistakes," Thavis said, "and I think Vatican officials would say … Continue reading Should a Pope’s Legacy Be Judged On Child Sex Abuse Cover Up?

Click here to read "Poet laureate confronts his childhood abuse by priest," by Will Higgins, Indystar.com, April 20, 2014Excerpt: "I am a poet who returns to origins. In 1980 and '83, my wife and I adopted two infants from Bogotá, Colombia, and she felt we should give them a religious experience. Katherine is deeply religious, … Continue reading Poet Laureate Reveals Childhood Sex Abuse By Priest