News Story of the Day

For victims of abuse by Catholic priests in South Carolina, the past month has opened old wounds but also fostered new hope. 

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York on Friday identified 120 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing a child, one of the largest disclosures to be made by the church.

The images were heart-rending. Flames roaring through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, its Gothic spire collapsing into the inferno. A gash into the heart of Catholicism, one observer wrote.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has added the names of 23 deceased priests and religious brothers to its online database of clergy members accused of child sexual abuse, signaling a revision in policy on dealing with cases that come to the diocese’s attention only after an accused individual has died.

Without comment, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his contention that the diocese shouldn’t be allowed to use the First Amendment as a shield to avoid his claims that it defamed him by calling him a mentally unstable liar.

By Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY

YORK, Pa. – On Palm Sunday, Barbara Hoover exited Brougher Chapel with a palm frond in her left hand. The 76-year-old retiree sized up the church in front of her and sighed, visibly upset. “I don’t know why I’m still here,” she said, throwing her hands up. “I don’t know why I still go. I guess the ritual.”

PHOENIX (3TV) - With the #MeToo movement sparking a social awakening, empowering more victims to seek help and justice the Phoenix Catholic Diocese is still trying to right the wrongs of decades of secrecy and cover-up as they investigate new allegations.

When priests are found guilty of sexual abuse, the Roman Catholic Church follows a familiar script: offer money to the victim, settle out of court and avoid a public trial.

Usually, it works. Rod MacLeod refused to settle.

The national Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is supporting a Vermont bill that would eliminate the state’s six-year statute of limitations for filing civil claims of child sex abuse.

It's a documentary that Windsorite director Matt Gallagher has been aspiring to create for about 15 years — and now, his film Prey about sexual abuse by Catholic priests will premiere at Hot Docs, Canada's largest documentary film festival later this month.