Media Statements

According to representatives from Missouri’s top law enforcement office, facilities in Missouri where abusive priests are sent to live lack oversight from the attorney general due to statutory limitations. Now, we are calling on Missouri’s elected officials to address this gap with legislation that would allow attorneys general the ability to oversee and investigate facilities that purport to house abusive priests.

Earlier this week Archbishop George Lucas, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Lincoln, issued a self-serving explanation and letter regarding an accused Catholic abuser who was in a senior position of power for a number of years.

A man from the Yukon has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was abused as a teenager by a Catholic bishop from the Diocese of Whitehorse. We applaud this brave survivor for coming forward and hope that his story will encourage others who may be suffering in silence to speak out, make a report to police, and start healing.

Church officials in New Orleans have decided to declare bankruptcy, a move that is less about protecting assets and more about protecting secrets.

The largest Catholic diocese in New Mexico is suing the federal government over the disbursement process for SBA funds. The archdiocese has been refused help because they initiated bankruptcy proceedings prior to their request for assistance. We find it ironic that an institution that uses technicalities at every turn is upset that the law is not working in their favor this time.

According to reports, Fr. James Hanley has passed away. Hanley first became infamous as a central figure in the Catholic abuse crisis in New Jersey and in 2003 admitted to abusing at least a dozen boys during his time working in New Jersey. We hope that this news will bring some measure of solace to his victims.

The Diocese of Buffalo has announced it will stop financially supporting priests who have abused children and vulnerable adults, a long overdue move that we believe will help prevent abusers being able to victimize others. We call on the USCCB to make this a national policy.

A retired cleric from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau has been determined by a diocesan review board to have engaged in “inappropriate physical/sexual misconduct” with a minor. We call on Catholic officials to release more detail about this case so that parents and parishioners can ensure vulnerable children are protected and so other survivors or witnesses are encouraged to come forward and get help.

An Amish bishop from Pennsylvania has been charged with failing to report child sexual abuse. We believe these charges are a move in the right direction, and we hope that this story will remind church leaders nationwide of their responsibility to protect the vulnerable by reporting all suspicions of sex crimes to police.

A new bishop has been chosen to lead a Louisiana diocese. We call on him to make the protection of children and prevention of abuse his number one priority now that he is officially a bishop.