The Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone in Italy made history Jan. 20 by publishing the country’s first diocesan abuse report, titled “The Courage to Look.”
Child & Youth Protection
Peruvian Cardinal Cipriani rejects abuse allegations as ‘completely false,’ Vatican confirms sanctions still in place
Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, the first cardinal of Opus Dei, said Jan. 25 that abuse accusations made against him in a Spanish daily El País are “completely false,” while acknowledging he was sanctioned by the Vatican in the past and saying that the sanctions were lifted by Pope Francis.
Vatican doctrine chief: Cases of spiritual abuse demand clear canon law
The Code of Canon Law must more directly address the frequent spiritual manipulation and abuse of office wrought by members of the church to solicit sex, the Vatican’s doctrinal chief said.
French bishops officially request state prosecutors to investigate case of Abbé Pierre
The president of French bishops’ conference has officially requested that prosecutors open an investigation into the case of Abbé Pierre, following new sexual assault allegations against the once iconic priest and advocate of the poor.
Report: 20 years of data shows clerical abuse allegations down in U.S.
A new report confirms OSV News’ previous finding that U.S. Catholic dioceses and eparchies have paid more than $5 billion to settle abuse claims filed over the past two decades — but credible allegations have declined significantly over the same period, with the majority of cases preceding a landmark set of anti-abuse protocols established by the U.S. bishops in 2002.
Divest from companies that exploit children, pope says
People and institutions can protect children by changing what they buy and what they invest in, Pope Francis said.
Attorney, archdiocese spar over list of credibly accused priests
A lawyer for abuse survivors has accused San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of “endangering kids” by allegedly refusing to release the names of credibly accused priests — charges the archdiocese strongly denies, citing its compliance with the church’s norms for handling clerical abuse.
Cardinal O’Malley devotes decades to making ‘present the merciful face of God’
Cardinal O’Malley, who was ordained a priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on Aug. 29, 1970, at the age of 26, has been a key figure at the highest levels of church governance in helping oversee reforms in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
New Orleans priest gets life in prison for 1970s rape of Catholic student
A retired New Orleans priest who walked back a public admission of sexual abuse will spend his remaining years behind bars, after pleading guilty to charges for offenses dating from 1975-1976.
Top DDF official says truth in abuse cases is ‘critical’ as Father Rupnik investigation continues
Transparency and truth are of “critical importance” in the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), the Secretary of the Disciplinary Section at the Vatican Dicastery has said.
Zollner: Work, ‘change of attitude’ needed to make zero tolerance for abuse universal in church
The proposal — co-written by members of the institute and the Seattle-based Ending Clergy Abuse human rights organization — called for a global extension of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ protocol of permanently removing from ministry credibly accused priests or deacons.
Judge approves New York diocese’s $323 million bankruptcy settlement
A Catholic diocese on New York’s Long Island has seen its long-running bankruptcy filing finally concluded, enabling hundreds of sexual abuse claims to be settled.