Pope thanks reporters for speaking truth, giving voice to abuse victims November 16, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Honoring two reporters who have covered the Vatican for more than 40 years, Pope Francis paid tribute to all journalists who work to explain what is going on in the world and “make it less obscure.”
Former Harford County priest pleads guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor October 6, 2021By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, Local News, News Fernando Cristancho, a former priest assigned to St. Ignatius, Hickory, in Forest Hill, pleaded guilty Oct. 4 to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office. Cristancho met the victim through the parish. He also admitted that he produced nude images of four other minor victims.
Report estimates 330,000 children abused in French church since 1950s October 5, 2021By Barb Fraze Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, World News An independent report on sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church estimates 330,000 children have been abused since the 1950s. Most of the victims were pre-adolescent boys of all social backgrounds, and more than a third of the assaults were committed by laypeople.
Boston Globe: Police charge McCarrick with assault in case dating to 1970s July 29, 2021By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, World News The Boston Globe reported July 29 that police in the Boston suburb of Wellesley have charged former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 in a criminal complaint filed by Wellesley Police in a district court in nearby Dedham, Massachusetts.
Pope denies cardinal’s request to resign; agrees ‘we have sinned’ June 10, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Agreeing with German Cardinal Reinhard Marx that Catholic leaders cannot adopt an “ostrich policy” in the face of the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis still told the cardinal that he would not accept his resignation as head of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.
Pope promulgates revised canon law on crimes, punishments June 1, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, Vatican, World News A series of laws and procedures promulgated by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI and, especially, by Pope Francis to protect children, promote the investigation of allegations of clerical sexual abuse and punish offenders are included in a heavily revised section of the Code of Canon Law.
Seminaries in Archdiocese of Baltimore among those committing to sexual misconduct policy benchmarks May 27, 2021By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, Local News, News, Vocations Eighteen seminaries – including St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg – have committed to meeting five sexual misconduct policy benchmarks developed by a group of laypeople, seminary leaders and bishops.
‘Old habit’ of covering up abuse must stop everywhere, pope says May 17, 2021By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, World News Abuse against a minor is a kind of “psychological murder” that can destroy the victim’s childhood, Pope Francis told an Italian association active in the fight against child abuse and online child pornography.
Archdiocese of Baltimore suspends Marianist brother May 8, 2021By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Local News, News The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced today that a lawsuit was filed last month in New York state court alleging that Brother Thomas Trager, S.M. had engaged in sexual abuse of a minor in about 2009 in New York. Brother Trager was separately accused of abuse in New York in 2010 and, after investigation, civil authorities ruled the accusation was unfounded and the charge was dismissed.
Archdiocese of Baltimore receives allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor against Father Romuald Meogrossi, O.F.M., Conv. May 2, 2021By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Local News, News The Archdiocese of Baltimore has received an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor against Father Romuald Meogrossi, OFM Conv. The allegation was immediately reported to law enforcement.
Annual reports detail training, outreach in archdiocesan child protection efforts April 21, 2021By Christopher Gunty Catholic Review Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, Local News, News The Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Independent Review Board that assists with child protection efforts released the fourth annual reports from the archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection and the review board.
Corpus Christi pastor removed from ministry pending investigation April 19, 2021By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Local News, News Father Martin H. Demek, pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Baltimore, has been removed from ministry pending an investigation of child sexual abuse.
