Media Statements

Two survivors have now come forward to accuse a popular Chicago priest of abuse. Time and time again, the first person to come forward encourages another victim who had been staying silent. We would not be surprised if still more survivors are suffering in silence and we hope that they will be encouraged to come forward and get help, despite demonstrations in support of the accused priest.

Now that Vatican officials have formally chosen to do nothing to punish or isolate serially abusive former Bishop Joseph Hart, it is crucial that police and prosecutors double down on their pursuit of charges against him.

San Francisco’s top Catholic official yesterday issued a statement criticizing the Speaker of the House, using their shared faith to push his policy agenda. Rather than attempt to lobby elected officials, we believe this prelate should focus on the problems within his own Archdiocese.

The Jesuits in Spain have apologized for the abuse perpetrated on children and adults by priests from their order and released limited information about those cases, which span nearly a century. The release of this information is a good first step. However, if the Jesuits want their apology to truly mean something they must follow up with much more action.

As the 46^th President was sworn in yesterday, Catholic officials in the United States immediately began exercising their powerful political muscle. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a statement on their personal policy agenda, putting pressure on President Joe Biden to adhere to Catholic doctrine.

A lawsuit filed in federal court in Arizona alleges that St. John’s Seminary in California “produced a disproportionate number of sexual predators, many of which were then sent to Tucson, a known ‘dumping ground’ for abusive priests.” The Los Angeles Times reported that 65 of the Seminary’s 625 graduates between 1950 and 2005 have been accused of sexual abuse, higher than what studies in the United States have found for priests in general. 

A Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, OH, has been placed on leave following “an allegation.” Now we call for Church officials in Cincinnati to be forthcoming with parishioners and the public about the nature of these accusations and to do outreach at each and every parish where the cleric worked so that victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers are encouraged to come forward and make a report.

A recently leaked transcript has added more weight to a fact long suspected to be true – that the Archdiocese of New York had every intention of preventing the passage of the Child Victim’s Act. We are saddened but not surprised by this news, especially given that Catholic officials have spent millions trying to deny victims their day in court.

A horrifying report from one of the world’s most Catholic nations is the latest in a series of government-commissioned investigations that demonstrates yet again the Church’s propensity for committing terrible abuses and then working to cover them up. We hope that this shocking report will spur other nations, including the US, into using the full powers of their government to investigate cases of wrongdoing within their own borders. We need to lay bare the truths that have long been hidden from the public.

A Catholic clergyman famed for his chess skills has been accused of using those talents to groom and abuse at least two altar boys. We applaud these brave victims for coming forward and sharing their story publicly. We hope it encourages others who were hurt to make a report of their own and start healing.