Catholic Church

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Former Vatican No. 3 Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

6 years isn't long enough, victim's father says

(Newser) - The most senior Catholic ever convicted of child sex abuse is on his way to an Australian prison, and a judge acknowledged Tuesday that there is a strong chance Cardinal George Pell will die there. Victoria state County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd sentenced the 77-year-old to six years in...

Cardinal's Lawyer Sorry for Referring to Rape as 'Vanilla'

Robert Richter issues apology after 'sleepless night'

(Newser) - The defense lawyer for the man who was once the third highest-ranking official in the Catholic Church—and who's now awaiting sentencing for attacks on two 13-year-old choirboys in Australia—is apologizing for referring to the crimes as "plain" and "vanilla." The assaults by George Pell,...

Judge Sends Disgraced Cardinal to Prison

He was unswayed by reference from ex-PM

(Newser) - The former third highest-ranking official in the Catholic Church is now the newest inmate in the Melbourne Assessment Prison. Cardinal George Pell, who has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two children , will spend his first night behind bars Wednesday after being remanded into custody pending sentencing, reports Reuters . The...

Pope Francis: Predator Priests Become 'Tool of Satan'

Francis closes out summit on sexual abuse with harsh words, but leaves survivors disappointed

(Newser) - Pope Francis closed out a four-day summit meant to tackle the sexual abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church for decades, reports the AP , promising that abusive priests will face "the wrath of God." The pontiff compared sexual abuse to "the cruel religious practice ... of sacrificing...

Pope at Sex Abuse Summit: 'Listen to Cry of Little Ones'

Skeptics hope his vow for 'concrete and efficient measures' isn't an empty one

(Newser) - "Simple and predictable condemnations" aren't what's needed to fight sex abuse within the Catholic Church; "concrete and efficient measures" are. That's according to Pope Francis, who kicked off on Thursday a four-day global summit on the matter in Rome in front of nearly 200 bishops,...

Vatican's 'Next Scandal': Rules on 'Children of the Ordained'

Spokesman confirms secret rules on how to deal with children fathered by priests

(Newser) - "It's the next scandal" for the Vatican, according to one man right in the middle of it. Just days after Pope Francis admitted there was a problem within the Catholic Church involving nuns impregnated by male clergy, sometimes leading to forced abortions, Vincent Doyle talks to the New ...

Pope Makes 'Almost Revolutionary' Move Against Ex-Cardinal

Theodore McCarrick has been defrocked by Pope Francis

(Newser) - Cardinal Donald Wuerl may have forgotten about sexual abuse allegations against his predecessor, but Pope Francis didn't. The New York Times reports that word has been handed down from the top: Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal of Washington, DC, has been defrocked. "The Holy Father has recognized the...

Bishop: Covington Catholic Students' Behavior 'Laudatory'

Diocese completes investigation into viral Washington, DC, confrontation

(Newser) - The Diocese of Covington's investigation into the viral Washington, DC, confrontation between Covington Catholic students and a Native American elder is complete, and the official word from Bishop Rev. Roger Foys is that the students from the Kentucky high school did not initiate the incident and their behavior was...

Pope's Shocker on Nuns: 'Sexual Slavery,' Forced Abortions

'Do we have to do more? Yes. Are we willing? Yes.'

(Newser) - A shocking first emerged from the pope on Tuesday: admission of more sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, this time of nuns at the hands of male clergy. The New York Times notes it's the first time the pontiff has publicly recognized the church's very own #MeToo issue,...

180K Attend Historic Abu Dhabi Mass

Pope wraps up visit to Arabian Peninsula

(Newser) - Pope Francis ministered on Tuesday to the thriving Catholic community in the United Arab Emirates as he concluded his historic visit to the Arabian Peninsula with the first-ever papal Mass here and a call for his flock to remain meek in following God. A day after making a broad appeal...

Duterte Vows to 'Crush Godless Criminals' Who Bombed Church

20 dead as twin bombs go off during Mass at cathedral

(Newser) - Two bombs tore through a Roman Catholic cathedral on a southern Philippine island where Muslim militants are active, killing at least 20 people and wounding 111 others during Sunday Mass. Witnesses said the first blast inside the Jolo cathedral sent churchgoers, some wounded, to stampede out the main door. Army...

Pope Knew of Allegations vs. 'Spiritual Son' in '15: Report

Argentine diocesan officials say bishop was allowed to quietly resign, then promoted

(Newser) - The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that an Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior, and been accused of misconduct with seminarians, his former vicar general told the AP , undermining Vatican claims that allegations were made a few months ago. Francis...

Cardinal on Sex Abuse Allegations: They Slipped My Mind

One alleged victim isn't buying that story from DC's Donald Wuerl

(Newser) - Cardinal Donald Wuerl says there's a reason why he hasn't been completely forthcoming about abuse allegations against Theodore McCarrick, the man who held the post before him: He forgot he knew about them, or at least some of them, per the Washington Post . That's the story the...

Letter Reveals Vatican's Real Take on Abuse Cases

Rome's reaction stunned sex-abuse survivors

(Newser) - The Vatican blocked US bishops from taking measures to address the clergy sex abuse scandal because US church leaders failed to sufficiently consult with the Holy See beforehand about legally problematic proposals, according to a letter obtained by the AP . The Nov. 11 letter from the Vatican's Cardinal Marc...

Illinois AG: Names of 500 Accused Priests Kept Hidden

Claims involving only one victim often found not credible: report

(Newser) - The Catholic Church in Illinois withheld the names of at least 500 priests accused of sexually abusing children, while nearly 75% of allegations were either not investigated or investigated but not substantiated, according to a scathing report from the state's attorney general. Claims involving just one victim were often...

Jesuits: Here Are the Accused
Jesuits: Here Are the Accused

Jesuits: Here Are the Accused

Roman Catholic Jesuits release 13 names

(Newser) - The Roman Catholic Jesuit province serving much of the eastern United States on Monday released the names of Jesuit priests who face "credible or established" accusations of sexual abuse of minors dating to 1950, the AP reports. In a letter, the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus identified...

Parents Want Priest Fired Over Suicide Sermon

The Hullibargers couldn't believe what they heard

(Newser) - Maison Hullibarger's suicide was painful enough—then his parents heard the priest's homily. "We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived, not how he died," his mother Linda tells the Detroit Free Press . Hullibarger, who had five siblings and studied criminal justice at the University of...

Pope: Having Gays in the Priesthood 'Worries Me'

Says some societies consider homosexuality 'fashionable'

(Newser) - Pope Francis has been quoted in an upcoming book as saying that having gays in the clergy "is something that worries me" and remarking that some societies consider homosexuality a "fashionable" lifestyle. Italian daily Corriere della Sera's website Saturday ran excerpts of the book, in which Francis...

There's Now a Catholic Clone of Pokemon Go

In this version, users catch saints

(Newser) - There's a new mobile game like Pokemon Go, only it encourages users to follow Jesus Christ rather than Pikachu. Made by Catholic evangelical group Fundación Ramón Pané, Follow JC Go! works just like the Pokemon-catching game downloaded 800 million times, but swaps Pokemon for saints and other...

A Major Church Figure in US Loses His Job

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, resigns over his handling of cases

(Newser) - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl after he became entangled in two major sexual abuse and cover-up scandals and lost the support of many in his flock, per the AP . Wuerl, who turns 78 in November, becomes the most prominent head to roll in the...

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