Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial in Massachusetts on charges he sexually abused a teenage boy nearly 50 years ago.
Sexual Abuse
Posted inFaith, News
A record half a million left the German Catholic Church last year
More than half a million people formally left the Catholic Church in Germany last year, significantly higher than the previous record as the church wrestles with a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy.
Posted inFaith, News
Bishop Stika of Knoxville resigns early amid Vatican investigation into abuse cover-up and financial mismanagement
Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese, after he has faced media interest in alleged sexual abuse cover-up and financial mismanagement.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Pope Francis knew about Marko Rupnik’s abuse. Why didn’t he punish him sooner?
When will the day come when we won’t see a headline about the church reluctantly admitting that they have spent several decades protecting yet another predator and feeding yet more victims into the flames?
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Timeline: What we know about former Jesuit Marko Rupnik’s alleged abuse—and the questions that remain
There are deep questions that still need attention to understand how Father Rupnik’s abuses went unchecked for nearly three decades and to determine what further systemic reforms beyond his dismissal are necessary.
Posted inArts & Culture, Short Take
Alleged abuser Marko Rupnik has church art everywhere. What do we do with it now?
Father Marko Rupnik is a remarkably gifted artist. He also stands accused of horrific spiritual, psychological or sexual abuse. What should we do with his many works?
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
20 years after Bishop O’Brien’s sex abuse cover-up and deadly hit-and-run, have Catholics in Phoenix healed?
All Catholics in Phoenix, on some level, felt the sting of the sexual abuse crisis. Dozens of priests and deacons were accused, leading many of us to question our faith. Have we come to terms with it?
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Benedict XVI’s cousins stand to inherit his money. None of them want it.
One cousin has already refused to accept the inheritance; four others have not yet responded. If they are smart, they will turn it down as well.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Clergy sex abuse is the fault of the institution, not the religion.
Revelations about sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Conference underscore the fact that the modern corporate institution, whether religious or secular, can enable and conceal such abuse.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
We can have both: Due process for accused priests and justice for sex abuse survivors
It is important that safeguards for due process for those accused of sexual abuse be honored, even as we work toward guaranteeing the safety of all members of the church.