Tag: Clergy abuse
Annual audit of Church abuse allegations shows work still needed
The 14th annual report on diocesan compliance with the U.S. Catholic Church’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” shows that church leaders have taken steps to help many find healing as victims of clergy sexual abuse, but there is still work to be done.
Study abroad: Bringing home additional tools for child protection
When Drew Dillingham packs his bags after spending the past five months in Rome, he will head back to Washington, D.C., with a unique diploma and added insight into ways the church can continually improve on its duty to protect children from abuse.
Pope to bishops: Defend children from abuse, protect their dignity, joy
Stand up and protect children from exploitation, slaughter and abuse, which includes committing to a policy of “zero tolerance” of sexual abuse by clergy, Pope Francis told the world’s bishops.
Wajda dismissed from clerical state
Joseph Wajda, who since 2003 has been banned from exercising public priestly ministry because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors, has been laicized, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in an Oct. 1 statement.
Archdiocese discloses information on priest accused of abuse
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the name and assignment history Sept. 16 of deceased priest Father William Hough, who has a substantiated claim against him of sexually abusing a minor while he was a priest of the archdiocese.
Dialogue paved road to dropped criminal charges
July 20, 2016, was an important day for this local Church. In open court, the archdiocese reported significant progress on its efforts under the Civil Settlement Agreement — reached and announced last December — to create the safest environment possible for children. Ramsey County District Court Judge Teresa Warner then commended the archdiocese and described our actions taken in concert with the Ramsey County attorney as “the right thing to do.”
After document release, Archbishop Nienstedt maintains misconduct allegations are false
With the closure of the criminal case, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office made public documents from its investigation of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including memos and affidavits addressing an inquiry of whether Archbishop John Nienstedt, then head of the archdiocese, may have mishandled a clergy sex abuse case because of his friendship with former priest Curtis Wehmeyer and his own alleged sexual misconduct.
Archbishop Hebda elaborates on charge dismissal, Archbishop Nienstedt investigation
Archbishop Bernard Hebda takes questions on the archdiocese’s child-protection efforts, decision not to plead guilty to the criminal charges and plans for the release of documents tied to the 2014 internal investigation of Archbishop John Nienstedt.
Judge: Parishes, other Catholic entities will not be forced to merge assets with archdiocese in bankruptcy proceedings
“Even if I had the authority to substantively consolidate the debtor with non-consenting, eleemosynary [nonprofit] non-debtors, the committee failed to allege sufficient facts to support substantive consolidation,” Judge Robert Kressel wrote in a 10-page decision.
Spotlight
The clergy abuse-themed drama “Spotlight” is a movie no Catholic will want to see. Whether it’s a film many mature Catholics ought to see is a different question entirely.
Keeping the faith in tumultuous times
With the Nov. 6 release of the new movie “Spotlight” — a film that centers on the investigation by the Boston Globe that brought the clergy sexual abuse scandal out into the open in 2002 — the curtain is raised yet again on a tragic piece of history in the U.S. Church.
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