Media Statements

Two accused Philly predator priests are being permanently removed and four others are being put back on the job, according to noted Philly Catholic blogger Rocco Palmo.

After yesterday's Bay Area jury verdict, now attention rightfully shifts from William Lynch to the prosecutor and Catholic officials. The prosecutor should file perjury charges against Fr. Lindner.

Violence is always wrong. Still, we are grateful for this verdict. The odds that Lynch would ever reoffend are infinitely small. 

Given the Catholic hierarchy’s ongoing protection of those who commit and conceal child sex crimes, we believe Judge Sarmina has made a prudent choice. If Msgr. Lynn is behind bars, there’s virtually no way that he can flee the country, destroy evidence, deceive victims, mislead parishioners or take other steps to further cover up wrongdoing.

An insurance company is insisting that an Oregon church

 --disclose to its members the identity of sex offenders who attend,

 --let those offenders attend only one predetermined service each week,

 --assign them an escort while they’re at the church, and

 --bar them from participating in any child or youth programs.

On one hand, we're grateful that Rebecca Summers is being replaced. She's been part of the deceit and cover up of clergy sex crimes in Kansas City for years. And she's said some dreadfully hurtful things to victims over the years. (She told one man who was helping to expose predators that his recently-deceased mother would be ashamed of him).

A Catholic priest who was a New Hampshire accountant has been arrested on child porn charges. Fr. Dennis Carey turned himself in to state troopers in Connecticut on Tuesday. Most recently, he's been a priest in Waterford CT. 

The Missouri Supreme Court today ruled against St. Louis-based Catholic officials and for a child sex abuse victim in a clergy sex abuse and cover up case involving the Marianists and one of the nation’s most notorious child molesting clerics, Brother William Mueller (who now lives, unsupervised, in Texas).

We applaud the principal of St. Rose of Lima school for immediately informing the CPS and HPD. It is important for adults in positions of trust to listen to children when they report abuse, to show them adults will believe them and take action to protect them.

Though we know very little about Bishop Monforton, we are encouraged by this selection. We worry when chancery officials – bishops, auxiliary bishops, vicars general, and chancellors – are promoted, because many of them are involved or were involved in covering up child sex crimes. The chances are lower that priests or monsignors (who spent most of their careers outside the chancery) are guilty of this complicity and secrecy. So we’re hopeful when those who are not chancery employees are elevated.