News Story of the Day

Historical Abuse Inquiry: Fr Brendan Smyth 'could have abused hundreds of children'

June 22, 2015, BBC News

A public inquiry has been told that a paedophile priest admitted he may have sexually abused hundreds of children.

Northern Ireland's Historical Abuse Inquiry has begun an examination on the activities of Fr Brendan Smyth.


An isolated Nienstedt tried to limit investigation into himself

Madeleine Baran · Jun 19, 2015  MPR News


Chris Churchill: Church leaders failed to protect the powerless

Retired Archbishop Harry Flynn was supposed to be sunshine amid the dark clouds of the pedophile priest scandal.


Vatican abuse tribunal has much work to do

THOMAS FARRAGHER, Boston Globe, June 16, 2015

Even for an institution that measures its history in centuries, not decades, the Vatican’s move toward sanctions against bishops who cover up for pedophile priests seems glacial.


The mystery of the missing remains of the Tuam babies

Sandra Jordan, Monday 15 June 2015 02.30 EDT, The Observer

A year on and there is still no sign of the authorities finding the bodies of 794 children. But one historian thinks she knows where they are, writes Sandra Jordan.


Pope Warns Bishops to Deal with Accused Priests

Kevin Killeen (@KMOXKilleen),

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – U.S. Catholic Bishops meeting in St. Louis are accused by a survivors group of failing to live up to the promises made to protect children at the Dallas Conference of Bishops in 2002.


Pope Creates Tribunal for Bishop Negligence in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

JUNE 10, 2015, NY Times

ROME — Roman Catholic bishops accused of covering up or failing to prevent the sexual abuse of children by priests will now be subject to judgment and discipline by a new Vatican tribunal, according to a plan approved on Wednesday by Pope Francis.


How Josh Duggar and Dennis Hastert could change the laws on sex crimes

June 8 at 11:56 AM, Washington Post

Two days after former House speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R-Ill.) indictment became public, a small group of sexual abuse survivors gathered at Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago. The group, made up of members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), was there say thank you to prosecutors for exposing Hastert’s alleged crimes.


Twin Cities archdiocese charged with child endangerment.

Grant Gallicho, June 7, 2015, Commonweal

On Friday, a Minnesota county attorney filed criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, alleging that for years church leaders—including Archbishop John Nienstedt—failed to protect children from a priest who would eventually plead guilty to molesting children and possessing child pornography.


Jesus is quick to forgive, but Josh Duggar’s apology is still disturbing

May 26, 2015, Washington Post

After doing wrong, we usually want everything to be all right. If we can patch things up with minimal cost and personal discomfort, so much the better.


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