News Story of the Day

Review: In ‘Spotlight,’ The Boston Globe Digs Up the Catholic Church’s Dirt

NOV. 5, 2015, NY Times

“The city flourishes when its great institutions work together,” says the cardinal to the newspaper editor during a friendly chat in the rectory. The city in question is Boston. The cardinal is Bernard F. Law and the editor, newly arrived at The Boston Globe from The Miami Herald, is Martin Baron. He politely dissents from the cardinal’s vision of civic harmony, arguing that the paper should stand alone.


Remaining a Catholic in the face of tragedy

How can you spend your workdays chronicling thousands of cases of Catholic priestly sexual abuse — and still remain a Catholic?

Before the release of “Spotlight,” the movie detailing the massive abuse cover-up in Boston, I asked that of Anne Barrett Doyle and Terry McKiernan. They’re co-directors of BishopAccountability.org, which documents that abuse from an office in Waltham, Massachusetts practically overrun by floor-to-ceiling files and more than 100,000 pages of Church records, court documents, media reports, letters from mothers of victims, victims themselves, and even abusers detailing their crimes.


The Church’s sexual abuse crisis is not over

I watched the movie “Spotlight,” detailing Boston’s sex abuse crisis, in a theater filled with Boston Globe reporters I’ve known for years and survivors who understand too well the crimes the Catholic hierarchy enabled.

All the doubts and shame came flooding back.


A heroic whistleblower in the long, sad mess of clergy sexual abuse

Remember the famous line in “Jaws” when Chief Brody first sees the monster shark and says, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”?

Phil Saviano remembers a similar line when he first told Boston Globe reporters there weren’t just one or two priests molesting a handful of children. Saviano knew of nearly 30 priests, if not more, with dozens of victims. And the Church was covering it up. He remembers how one editor took it all in, then called his boss to say: We’re gonna need more reporters. This is so much bigger than we thought.


'Spotlight' Film Illuminates Boston Clergy Abuse Scandal

BOSTON — It was a scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church to its core: Hundreds of priests molested children for decades and got away with it because church leaders covered it up.


Maplewood priest barred from ministry temporarily

By Elizabeth Mohr, [email protected], TwinCities.com, Pioneer Press, October 21, 2015

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Tuesday that it is temporarily removing from ministry a priest who was acquitted last year of sexual misconduct with a female parishioner.

The archdiocese launched its investigation into the Rev. Mark Huberty after the criminal case ended and determined the priest might have violated canon law, according to a statement from Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

 


Op-Ed Don't let time shield sex predators

Op-Ed, Los Angeles Times, October 19, 2015, Joelle Casteix

Actor-comedian Bill Cosby poses for a portrait in New York. Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women over a period of decades. Some of the women who accused Cosby of sexual assault have run up against the time limit and have turned to defamation suits as an alternative way to obtain some modicum of justice.


Fugitive Fathers: Two priests have been suspended since GlobalPost’s investigation

Will Carless on Oct 16, 2015 @ 8:30 AM

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — One month ago, GlobalPost published a lengthy investigation into Catholic clergy who have been accused of sexual abuse in the United States or Europe, yet continue to work as priests in remote South American dioceses.


Uproar After Pope Calls Chilean Bishop’s Critics ‘Dumb’

by Christine Niles, October 12, 2015, Church Militant

Abuse victims now questioning Pope Francis' commitment to eradicating priestly sex abuse

OSORNO, Chile, October 12, 2015 (ChurchMilitant.com) - There's been an uproar in Chile ever since Pope Francis called critics of a controversial Chilean bishop "dumb."

Bishop Juan Barros Madrid, appointed by Pope Francis early this year to head the diocese of Osorno, Chile, has been dogged by controversy for allegedly covering up sex abuse by priest-friend Francisco Karadima 20 years ago.


Child sex-abuse victims deserve time to seek justice

LINDA CROCKETT, October 9, 2015, Lancaster Online,

A major focus of Samaritan Counseling Center is preventing child sexual abuse. Our therapists see the devastation it causes, the ripple effect often extending into midlife. Samaritan SafeChurch is a project we started to educate faith communities about sexual abuse prevention.


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