Both sides in an unusual, high profile clergy sex abuse case have filed their final briefs so a Boonville judge may rule any day now on whether to let an already once-convicted pedophile priest go free or set a trial date for him. 

An accused predator priest, who quit his job in Philadelphia last week also worked in Pittsburgh. Now, a support group for clergy sex abuse victims wants Pittsburgh Catholic officials to “aggressively seek out others who may have been hurt by him.”

Today's Washington Post reports that a Tennessee pastor has been accused, in a new civil lawsuit filed in Maryland, of:

For almost 35 years, Miami Catholic officials have known about credible child sex abuse allegations against Fr. Neil Doherty. Only now, however, is Fr. Doherty finally pleading guilty to criminal charges.

What matters most are not the professional backgrounds of the individuals chosen for this role. What matters most is their courage. Time and time again, we've seen people with impressive credentials "tread lightly" when investigating powerful institutions and their officials.

Survivors  who were concerned about the potential for Commissioners having a conflict of interest or lack  of impartiality can be reassured that the large contingent of commissioners chosen appears to be as appropriate as possible for the purpose of getting to the truth.

We applaud the prime minister for establishing this inquiry and setting the terms of reference.

It’s irresponsible for Catholic officials to drag their feet in child sex abuse cases like this. It hurts victims, endangers kids, confuses parishioners and thwarts law enforcement. 

A new report, issued by the Met Police and NSPCC, shows 50 years of abuse allegations involving hundreds of children and over two dozen police force areas – all stemming from the crimes of Jimmy Saville. The 30-page document shows that Saville abused a child as young as 8 years old, and abused children in places ranging from hospitals and schools, to the BBC. 

We are not optimistic about Bishop Oscar Cantu’s promotion. Pope Benedict has appointed a number of bishops in recent years who have terrible track records on child safety. 

A southern Illinois school district is asking an East St. Louis judge to toss out a civil lawsuit that charges school officials with ignoring a teacher’s child sex crimes.

We are not optimistic about Las Cruces' next Catholic bishop. Pope Benedict has appointed a number of bishops in recent years who have terrible track records on child safety.