News Story of the Day

The UN has issued a report on how the Vatican handles clergy sexual abuse and cover up. The AP calls the report “devastating.” Reuters calls it “scathing.” We call it “on target.” Click here to read the report and the Vatican's unrepentant 150 word response – which does not contain the words “abuse,” “crimes,” or “cover ups.”

February 5, 2014

By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE

GENEVA — A United Nations panel sharply criticized the Vatican on Wednesday for putting the reputation and interests of the Holy See above the interests of children who had been sexually abused by priests, effectively allowing priests to continue abuse and escape prosecution.

February 2, 2014

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A United Nations investigation of the Catholic Church’s clergy sex-abuse scandal should prompt the Vatican to be more transparent and Pope Francis to crack down harder on the abusers’ enablers.

By Madeleine Baran, MPR News, Jan 29, 2014

Archbishop John Nienstedt did not immediately report to police allegations that the Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer sexually abused a child, according to a document obtained Wednesday by MPR News that the archbishop signed in 2012.

WILLIAM BENDER, Daily News Staff Writer [email protected], 215-854-5255

WHEN BILL Johnson moved into a Dallas apartment complex in October 2012, a neighbor named James rolled out the welcome wagon. Sort of.

Ruth Stark, Guardian Professional, Wednesday 22 January 2014 05.20 EST

Social care professionals need to inform the political will to seek redress for those who have suffered abuse.

A Vatican delegation received what was widely reported as a “grilling” at a hearing conducted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on Jan. 16. They feigned concern for victims of sexual abuse, evaded questions, hyped the Church’s continuous too-little-too-late response andgave assurances that Pope Francis will do better from now on. Like claims that the pope is “cleaning up” Vatican finances, examining his actions reveals attitudes 180 degrees different than his rhetoric.

(CNN) -- A senior Vatican official acknowledged Thursday there is "no excuse" for child sex abuse, as he and others were grilled by a U.N. committee about the Catholic Church's handling of pedophile priests.

It's the first time the Vatican has been forced to answer allegations so publicly that it enabled the sexual abuse of children by protecting such priests.

The stream is LIVE from Geneva, so grab come coffee and tune in tomorrow, January 16th!

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is gearing up for a bruising showdown over the global priest sex abuse scandal, forced to defend itself publicly for the first time against allegations it enabled the rape of thousands of children by protecting pedophile priests and its own reputation at the expense of victims.