Clergy abuse
The Latest
Vatican could be close to decision in Rupnik case, report says
Ex-Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik has been accused of abusing adult women who were under his spiritual care as part of... Read more
New Jersey Supreme Court to consider whether grand jury can hear clergy abuse allegations
The Diocese of Camden had argued that grand juries in New Jersey cannot be convened in instances of “clergy sexual... Read more
Vatican advises against publishing names of accused without ‘legitimate’ reason
It is a common practice of dioceses or independent abuse commissions to publish reports of credible accusations of sexual abuse... Read more
Chicago priest removed from ministry after allegations of child sexual abuse
The alleged abuse occurred at St. Francis Borgia “approximately 30 years ago,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said in his letter to... Read more
Diocese of Norwich announces $31 million fund for victims of clergy abuse
In a joint statement, the diocese and a committee of abuse survivors and the Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America... Read more
Maryland Supreme Court upholds law ending statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits
The high court this week upheld the 2023 law, which had abolished a 20-year statute of limitations for civil child... Read more
Filipino cardinal urges Catholics to report clerical abuse to Church and civil authorities
Days after BishopsAccountability.org on Jan. 29 launched its Philippines database, the cardinal insisted the country’s Catholics must report “erring priests.” Read more
Survey: Alleged abuse of minors has cost U.S. Church $5 billion over 20 years
The CARA survey polled about 200 dioceses and eparchies and approximately 220 religious communities of men over the course of ... Read more
Louisiana priest Lawrence Hecker dies in prison after life sentence over rape of teenager
Lawrence Hecker was indicted in September 2023 on felony charges related to allegations that he raped an underage teenage boy... Read more
Louisiana priest sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to rape of teenage boy
Lawrence Hecker had pleaded guilty earlier this month to the kidnapping and raping of his teenage victim in the 1970s. Read more
Michigan attorney general releases fourth report on alleged abuse in state dioceses
The attorney general’s report, released on Monday, looks at reported abuse in the Diocese of Lansing. Read more
Court approves New York diocese’s record $323 million abuse settlement
The New York diocese announced in September that it had reached the massive settlement for abuse victims after a four-year-long... Read more
New Orleans priest pleads guilty to 1970s kidnapping, rape of teenager
Father Lawrence Hecker’s trial was repeatedly delayed this year amid Hecker’s ill health and uncertainty over his mental competency to... Read more
Diocese of Oakland says it will pay up to $200 million for hundreds of abuse claims
Some advocates criticized the proposal. Dan McNevin, a volunteer with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said it... Read more
Archdiocese of New Orleans will release personnel files of clergy accused of sex abuse
On Thursday the archdiocese said in an announcement that it had agreed to “nonmonetary plan provisions to be included in... Read more
Massachusetts bishop: Priest placed on leave admitted to ‘serious sexual misconduct’
Students at St. Michael’s School in Fall River, Massachusetts, had organized a protest for Friday over Father Jay Mello’s removal... Read more
Cardinal O’Malley: Church acknowledges damage of abuse but ‘celibacy is not the cause’
Cardinal Seán O’Malley stated that he has “never seen any serious studies that have indicated that celibacy and sexual abuse... Read more
Vatican: Swiss bishops mishandled sex abuse claims, but no cover-up found
In September of last year the Swiss Bishops’ Conference revealed an ongoing Vatican-ordered investigation into the reported mishandling of sex... Read more
Archdiocese of Los Angeles announces nearly $1 billion clergy abuse settlement
Lawyers for both victims and the archdiocese said in a joint press release that the near-$1 billion settlement would address... Read more
California priest pleads no contest in child pornography case
As part of that plea, the 39-year-old priest also admitted that he possessed “over 600 images of child sexual abuse... Read more
