Voice of the Faithful Focus, Aug. 26, 2022

August 26, 2022

TOP STORIES

Report: Catholic clergy’s unquestioned – and uneducated – power spurs abuse
“A new report based on interviews with some 300 Catholic priests, nuns and laypeople concludes that clergy aren’t adequately prepared to wield the power they exercise and need more education on questions of sex and gender. The report, ‘Beyond Bad Apples: Understanding Clericalism as a Structural Problem & Cultivating Strategies for Change,’ released Monday (Aug. 15), explores the links between clericalism — clergy’s focus on its authority — and clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse.” By Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service

In synod reports, U.S. Catholics call for women’s leadership, LGBTQ welcoming
“More than a half million U.S. Catholics have participated in synodal listening sessions over the past year as part of Pope Francis’ two-year process of grassroots listening ahead of the 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, and responses indicate that many Americans want a more welcoming church that reaches out to the marginalized, especially the LGBTQ community, and that allows women to serve in leadership positions, including ordained ministry. A review of more than a dozen synodal ‘synthesis’ reports, posted online by dioceses across the country, also indicates that most Catholics are tired of the polarization in the church; believe that clerics need to do a better job communicating and involving the laity in ecclesial governance; and appreciate the opportunity to be heard, even if they harbor misgivings about what the Synod on Synodality will ultimately accomplish.” By Brian Fraga, National Catholic Reporter

South African bishop supports ordaining married men to priesthood to increase access to sacraments
“The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ For at least one South African bishop, this teaching raises concerns about the global and local priest shortage that means some Catholics receive the Eucharist once a month or less. ‘This is where I would enter the debate,’ said Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha Diocese, a rare voice among the African Catholic hierarchy to voice his support for ordaining ‘proven married men’ to the priesthood.” By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter

Prominent cardinal named in sexual assault lawsuit against archdiocese of Quebec
“The name of a prominent Vatican cardinal, who is regarded as a potential successor to Pope Francis, appears on a list made public as part of a new class action against the archdiocese of Quebec, Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête has found. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who was the archbishop of Quebec when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was taking place, is among some 88 members of the clergy who are facing allegations of sexual assault. It’s the first time Ouellet’s name appears in the legal proceedings.” By CBC News

ACCOUNTABILITY

Should a member of the clergy report sex abuse of the penitent? A look inside the priest-penitent privilege in all 50 states
“Priests, pastors and bishops from various faiths say both sides of an apparent collision of ideals are sacred to them: protecting children from all forms of abuse, and keeping confessions confidential so penitents feel safe and motivated to acknowledge and stop their sinful — and sometimes criminal — behavior. The tension between doctrines about confessions and the impulse to protect children through mandatory reporting laws raises important legal, societal and religious questions about how religious leaders try to focus on and prioritize rescuing victims of abuse while also providing spiritual help to the person who has confessed.” By Tad Walch, Deseret News

Can the Catholic Church claim immunity from abuse lawsuits because it is a charity?
“When a man in Springfield sued the Catholic Church over abuse he said he suffered at the hands of a bishop in the 1960s, the church tried to use a now-abolished law to claim it cannot be sued because of its status as a nonprofit organization. GBH News legal analyst and Northeastern University Law Professor Daniel Medwed joined Morning Edition hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel to talk about how the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in that case, along with a few other summer rulings.” By Paris Alston, Jeremy Siegel and Daniel Medwed

FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH: COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION

In Asia and the Amazon, the synod gives voice to Catholics on the margins
“You have probably heard a lot about the synodal process in Germany, where, depending on whom you ask, everything is proceeding as planned or the Catholic world is about to implode, and you may be following the process in the United States or just in your home diocese. It is likely, however, that you have heard a great deal less about what the ‘synod on synodality’ has so far meant in other parts of the world. As the diocesan phase of the synod ended on Aug. 15, America touched base with some well-informed sources for insight into how the synod has gone so far in the Amazon region and Asia.” By Kevin Clarke, America: The Jesuit Review

Whose voices will be heard?
“It’s the Sunday after St. Patrick’s Day, and I’m on the wooded campus of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, to learn how to listen. The all-male Saint John’s has a partner school six miles away, the women’s College of Saint Benedict. I’d been up here a few weeks before to walk around St. Benedict’s ‘brother campus’ with a girlfriend. We both had some loose ties to the place but still felt like outsiders visiting as we walked around on our own, lamenting the structural inequalities and other issues that can make it hard to see ourselves remaining part of the Church.” By Gabriella Wilke, Commonweal

How to make the church synodal? Inclusion, say respondents in three countries.
“Catholics on two different continents want more inclusion — including of women and LGBTQ Catholics — more adult faith formation and help with engaging young adults. The Vatican set a deadline of Aug. 15 for dioceses and Eastern Catholic churches to release syntheses of the listening sessions set up as part of preparation for the 2023 Synod of Bishops on synodality.” By Catholic News Service on Cruxnow.com

I reviewed all of my diocese’s synod responses. Three missing elements could point the way forward for the church.
“As one of the coordinators of our archdiocesan consultation process for the Synod on Synodality in Chicago, I faced the daunting task of going through a foot-high stack of papers that represented the voices of many people. I read and eventually tried to synthesize everything that had been submitted. In the process, I gained a deeper understanding of synodality as well as a sense of the tasks and challenges that face us in the church.” By Louis J. Cameli, America: The Jesuit Review

Campaigners hope report sent to Vatican will result in radical reform of Church in Ireland
“Campaigners for reform of the Catholic Church in Ireland are hoping a landmark report sent to the Vatican will help bring about radical change to an institution they see as increasingly out of touch. Advocates for change within the church are hopeful the report advocates for major reform on the role of women, the ability of priests to marry, and a greater recognition of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Pope Francis called a Universal Synod last year which — for the first time — aimed to gather feedback at all levels of the Church in every parish on its future.” By Conor Carplis, Irish Examiner

Swiss bishops’ Synod report: Catholic Church denies equality to women and excludes LGBT people
“On Monday (Aug. 15), the Swiss Bishops’ Conference published a document for the upcoming Synod on Synodality in Rome reporting the Catholic Church was seen as suffering from clericalism —as well as ‘denying equality to women’ and excluding ‘people with LGBTQ identity.’ ‘Several official church positions on the role of women in church and society, on sexuality and lifestyles are perceived as pejorative and exclusionary,’ the Swiss report said according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.” By A.C. Wimmer, Catholic News Agency

Synod reports from around the world raise clericalism, women as issues
“More than a year ago, Pope Francis announced the Synod on Synodality, an initiative to take the pulse of the Catholic Church. U.S. Catholics have been mostly silent about this effort, but in several countries, including Australia, France, England and Wales, and Germany, things are moving full steam ahead. Two major problems have come up time and time again: clericalism and the place of women in the Church. If you haven’t heard much about this effort, which completes its first phase this summer, you are not alone.” By Phyllis Zagano, Religion News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

Synod report details US bishops’ avoidance of church teaching on creation care
“The story starts off simple enough. A woman starts a social justice group at her Catholic parish. During one particular meeting, she begins to talk about ‘Laudato Si,’ on Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on ecology. But she was quickly cut off. ‘We shouldn’t rock the boat,’ she said her pastor told her, as he felt the papal teaching document, the first ever devoted entirely to issues of the environment and humanity’s relationship with the rest of the created world, was too controversial.” By Brian Rowe, EarthBeat, National Catholic Reporter

‘Too harsh’ and ‘out of step’: Survey finds NJ Catholic want a more inclusive church
“Thousands of New Jersey Catholics gathered over the past year in an unprecedented series of meetings designed to help steer the future of the church. The consensus, officials say, was clear: The Catholic Church needs to open its arms more to women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals and others who feel marginalized by the faith. The desire for more inclusivity was a major theme in discussions with 16,000 parishioners in four of New Jersey’s Catholic dioceses, according to summaries released recently by each diocese. While responses varied widely, many at the listening sessions said they too often feel unwelcome. Participants also cited distress at the church’s handling of the clergy abuse scandal.” By Deena Yellin, NorthJersey.com

Conservative criticism of synodality suggests Pope Francis’ process might be working
“A recent article about synodality at First Things magazine by Francis Maier, the longtime amanuensis to former Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, displays a rhetorical trick that has become a staple of some conservative political operatives and their media hangers-on: Focus on your opponent’s strength, and muddy the waters by claiming it is really his or her weakness. The attack is noteworthy because the opponent Maier has selected is Pope Francis.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

POPE FRANCIS

Pope wants dialogue with bishops about the church’s ministries
“Fifty years have passed since St. Paul VI instituted the ministries of lector and acolyte, opening them to the laity, and Pope Francis wants a formal ‘dialogue’ with the world’s bishops’ conferences to discuss their experiences with the ongoing promotion of the church’s ministries so they foster unity and evangelization. The pope made the proposal for dialogue in a message published by the Vatican Aug. 24 and dated Aug. 15 — the 50th anniversary of his predecessor’s apostolic letter, ‘Ministeria quaedam.’ That document from 1972 determined that ‘minor orders’ be called ‘ministries’ and that these ministries — lector and acolyte — be open to laymen and no longer reserved only to candidates for ordination.” By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

CARDINALS

Newest U.S. cardinal: a San Diego-based ally of Pope Francis
“When San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy receives his prestigious red hat at the Vatican on Saturday (Aug. 27), he will bring to the College of Cardinals a fervent loyalty to Pope Francis that has often put him at odds with the conservative majority in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. McElroy, 68, is the only American among the 21 clerics being installed as cardinals by Francis in a ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica. He was chosen over numerous higher-ranking American archbishops, including two from his home state — outspoken conservative Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and José Gomez of Los Angeles, the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference.” By David Cray, Associated Press

Reform of Vatican Curia to be considered at meeting of cardinals
“When the world’s cardinals meet in Rome beginning Saturday (Aug. 27), Pope Francis will create 21 new cardinals, then ask them and their new colleagues in the College of Cardinals to discuss his plans for reforming the Vatican Curia, the bureaucracy that helps him govern the Catholic Church. This will give the cardinals a chance to say what they like or dislike about the operations of the Curia and the recent reforms Francis has instituted. It will also give them a chance to get to know one another in preparation for the conclave to elect a new pope when Francis dies — or retires.” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service

Carinal at the center of Vatican trial claims he has been ‘reinstated’ by Pope
“The Italian cardinal at the center of a historic Vatican trial about corruption and mismanagement, said on Sunday that Pope Francis had invited him to the consistory for the creation of 21 new cardinals, to be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, in Rome. ‘On Saturday, the pope phoned me to tell me that I will be reinstated in my cardinal duties and to ask me to participate in a meeting with all the cardinals that will be held in the coming days in Rome,’ Cardinal Angelo Becciu reportedly said Sunday (Aug. 21), during a private Mass celebrated before a group of faithful in Italy’s Golfo Aranci, where he is vacationing.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Report on Cologne cardinal’s PR strategy prompts renewed controversy
“A recent report on the public relations strategy used by Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki during a clerical sex abuse scandal has provoked renewed controversy, even after the cardinal’s March return from his six-month sabbatical initiated by Pope Francis, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA. Tim Kurzbach, president of the Diocesan Council of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cologne, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper Aug. 15 the cardinal should take another, longer sabbatical. ‘I hope that someone will now soon take responsibility in the interests of the people in the Archdiocese of Cologne,’ Kurzbach said.” By Catholic News Service on Cruxnow.com

WOMEN’S VOICES

Catholic women urge Vatican to sign Europe rights convention
“A consortium of Catholic women’s groups is calling on the Holy See to join the Council of Europe and to sign the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that the Vatican should show consistency by expressing its firm commitment to protecting human rights. In a petition marking the Human Rights Day declared by the United Nations, the groups said the Holy See is recognized internationally as a sovereign state and presents itself as a firm promotor of human rights and dignity. Yet they noted the Vatican hasn’t followed up by adhering to the European Convention, regarded as the gold standard for rights protections around the world.” By Associated Press on ArabNews.com

VATICAN

Reform of Vatican Curia to be considered at meeting of cardinals
“When the world’s cardinals meet in Rome beginning Saturday (Aug. 27), Pope Francis will create 21 new cardinals, then ask them and their new colleagues in the College of Cardinals to discuss his plans for reforming the Vatican Curia, the bureaucracy that helps him govern the Catholic Church. This will give the cardinals a chance to say what they like or dislike about the operations of the Curia and the recent reforms Francis has instituted. It will also give them a chance to get to know one another in preparation for the conclave to elect a new pope when Francis dies — or retires.” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

CHURCH REFORM

Packed program, heated debate await Synodal Path plenary participants
“Participants will face a packed agenda and heated debate at the upcoming fourth plenary assembly of the Synodal Path reform project on the future of the Catholic Church in Germany. At their meeting Sept. 8-10 in Frankfurt, the approximately 230 delegates will discuss 14 papers. These include texts on church sexual morality, the role of priests, the participation of women and the mandatory celibacy of Catholic priests. Another text advocates the establishment of a synodal council in the Catholic Church in Germany. Made up of bishops and laypeople, it would be a permanent ‘advisory and decision-making body.’ That and other plans discussed in the Synodal Path have encountered strong opposition from more conservative Catholics and are also being viewed critically in the Vatican.” By Catholic News Service in National Catholic Reporter

CHURCH FINANCES

Pope Francis instructs Vatican entities to move all funds to Vatican bank by Sept. 30
“Pope Francis has ordered that the Holy See and connected entities move all financial assets to the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican bank. The pope’s rescript, issued Aug. 23, clarifies the interpretation of a paragraph in the new constitution of the Roman Curia, Praedicate Evangelium, promulgated in March. According to Francis’ rescript, financial and liquid assets held in banks other than the IOR must be moved to the Vatican bank within 30 days of Sept. 1, 2022.” By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Opinion: Still no progress on statute of limitations reform for sex abuse victims
“Three years ago, the Rev. Geoffrey Drew was arrested on nine counts of child rape, and local parents still see no efforts to protect their children. At the time, Drew was the pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Green Township, which gave him superintendent-like authority over the largest parochial elementary school in Ohio. After his arrest, we learned that Archdiocese of Cincinnati employees were aware of Drew’s three decades-long and three Ohio countywide pattern of red flag behavior with children.” By Teresa Dinwiddie-Hermann, The Cincinnati Enquirer

CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

The healing and causes of childhood sexual abuse
“There are few people in the world or in the Philippines who have not been physically, verbally, psychologically or sexually hurt and abused in their childhood. They have been emotionally damaged, and they carry the hurt and do not totally forget it. They are the brave victims/survivors — children and adults — of human family life. Their parents are likely to have been abused also and vented their pain and anger onto their children. The cycle of domestic violence and child abuse continues into the next generation.” By Fr. Shay Cullen, The Manila Times

MASSACHUSETTS

Advocate for victims of clergy abuse plans demonstration in North Attleboro
“The co-founder of a group that advocates for victims of clergy abuse is planning a demonstration and a call for ‘transparency’ Friday (Aug. 12) in the case of a local Catholic pastor suspended while being investigated for alleged misconduct. The allegations against the Rev. Rodney Thibault do not involve a minor, the Diocese of Fall River has said, but that’s not enough for Robert M. Hoatson, president of the New Jersey-based group Road to Recovery.” By The Sun Chronicle

MINNESOTA

Former Minnesota priest charged with sexual assault
“A former Catholic priest is accused of sexually assaulting another person in Winona County in December 2020. Ubaldo Roque Huerta, 50, of Rushmore, Minn., was charged last week in Winona County District Court with fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly performing sexual acts on a victim without their consent. His first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 8.” By Trey Mewes, Minneapolis Star Tribune

NEW JERSEY

Bergen priest accused of sexual misconduct is reassigned to Newark with inquire closed
“A Catholic priest who stepped aside from his Westwood church four years ago amid sexual assault allegations has reemerged at a church resource center in Newark that serves abuse victims, pregnant women and other vulnerable populations. The Rev. Jim Weiner, who took a leave of absence from the Church of St. Andrew in 2018 amid decades-old allegations, has been reassigned to the Mercy House in Newark, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Newark confirmed this week. The archdiocese said an investigation into the accusations against Weiner had closed, but it offered no further details.” By Deena Yellin, NorthJersey.com

OHIO

‘I was a wreck’: Former Cincinnati priest’s rape victim shares his story of pain recovery and hope
“After living in a ‘hell’ created by the Catholic music minister who raped him more than 30 years ago, Paul Neyer told police in July 2019 that he was ready to file criminal charges against his rapist, Geoff Drew, who had become pastor of one of the Cincinnati area’s largest parishes. ‘I felt like I had an obligation to protect kids,’ Neyer told the WCPO 9 I-Team. Based on Neyer’s emotional testimony, a Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted Drew on 9 counts of rape. If convicted, there was a chance Drew would live the rest of his life in prison.” By Craig Cheatham, WCPO-TV9 News

PENNSYLVANIA

Sex abuse case against retired priest dropped by Allegheny Count DA’s office
“The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday (Aug. 9) withdrew charges against a Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in 2001. The paperwork dismissing the case against the Rev. Hugh Lang, 92, said it was being done in the best interest of the alleged victim. Lang was a priest at St. Therese in Munhall when police said he abused the boy. Authorities charged Lang in 2019 with indecent assault, indecent exposure, corruption of minors and attempted aggravated indecent assault.” By Paula Reed Ward, TribLive.com

Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg announces agreement I principle on final settlement with sex abuse survivors
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg said Thursday (Aug. 11) it has reached an agreement to settle any still-pending historic child sex abuse claims lodged against its priests or other church personnel as part of a plan to end the diocese’s Chapter 11 reorganization under federal bankruptcy laws. Final terms of the settlement were not immediately available Thursday night, including the total cost of all payments to creditors. PennLive’s attempts to reach attorneys for both the church and its creditor committee were not immediately successful.” By Charles Thompson, Patriot-News, on PennLive.com

RHODE ISLAND

Ongoing coverage of the Catholic Church, misconduct, and abuse by clergy in Rhode Island
“State prosecutors are conducting a review of more than 100,000 documents related to the sexual abuse of children that have been turned over by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. Read Globe Rhode Island’s ongoing coverage of the Catholic Church, misconduct, and abuse by clergy.” By The Boston Globe

UTAH

Two Utah lawmakers seek to end ‘clergy exception’ to child abuse reporting
“Two Utah lawmakers have asked legislative attorneys to draft bills seeking to end the ‘clergy exception’ to required child abuse reporting. Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, and Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, have each opened bill files to be considered during the Utah Legislature’s 2023 general session. In 2020, Romero introduced HB90, seeking to eliminate the clergy exception in state statute. The bill was numbered and introduced but was held in the House Rules Committee. The two plan to work cooperatively during the next legislative session, Romero said.” By Marjorie Cortez, Deseret News

ARGENTINA

Victim of Bisop Zanchetta: ‘Don’t turn your back on us; we didn’t deserve such treatment’
“A former seminarian and victim of the bishop emeritus of Oran, Argentina, Gustavo Zanchetta — who was sentenced to prison for sexual abuse in Argentina — asked the Catholic Church not to turn its back on him. On Aug. 12, ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language sister news agency, interviewed G.C., a 28-year-old former seminarian and one of Zanchetta’s victims, after the bishop was allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest in July.” By Walter Sanchez Silva, Catholic News Agency

AUSTRALIA

Australian court rules family of deceased choirboyt can sue Catholic church
“A Victorian judge has dismissed a claim by lawyers for the Catholic church that they were not liable to pay compensation to the father of a choirboy who alleged he had been sexually abused by Cardinal George Pell. The father of a deceased former choirboy is suing Pell and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, claiming he suffered psychological injury after learning his son had allegedly been sexually abused by Pell. Justice Michael McDonald ruled in the Victorian supreme court on Wednesday that legislation passed in 2018 that was designed to prevent unincorporated organisations – such as religious organisations – from relying on a legal technicality to avoid civil lawsuits applied to the father’s case.” By Nino Bucci, Australian Associated Press, in The Guardian

Ex-Catholic brother faces abuse charges
“A boy rejected attempts by a Catholic brother to tuck him into bed during a home prayer meeting thinking it was ‘weird and strange,’ a court has been told. But prosecutors allege the boy’s brother was indecently treated by Frank Terrence Keating the same night. The alleged victim and family members testified in the 79-year-old former Catholic brother’s committal hearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday (Auf. 15). Keating is charged with 18 counts that include indecent dealing, indecent treatment and carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature.” By Cheryl Goodenough, Brisbane Times

CANADA

Clergy sex abuse blogger decides to shut down ‘Syliva’s Site’
“An Ottawa woman who has devoutly catalogued the clergy sexual abuse scandal in Canada for more than a decade has decided to shut down her encyclopedic blog known as Sylvia’s Site. In a recent post, Sylvia MacEachern said she will no longer update the site or allow people to post comments because of concerns that she ‘may be doing more harm than good.’ MacEachern, a practising Catholic, said she has been deeply pained to see “diocese after diocese” forced to sell off churches to settle victims’ damage claims.” By Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen

Quebec priest names in sexual assault lawsuit
“The archdiocese of Quebec removed a priest accused of sexual assault from his post in April of this year, just months after an alleged victim filed an official complaint against him. But court documents from a new civil lawsuit against the archdiocese show at least one parish official knew of allegations against him more than four years earlier. Details of the allegations against Léopold Manirabarusha were made public Tuesday (Aug. 16) in a class action that represents more than 100 victims. Some 88 members of the clergy are named in the lawsuit.” By Emilie Warren, CBC News

Canada discharged Catholic entities from $25M promise for residential schools: document
“Canada agreed to ‘forever discharge’ Catholic entities from their promise to raise $25 million for residential school survivors and also picked up their legal bill, a final release document shows. The Canadian Press obtained a signed copy of the 2015 agreement through federal Access-to-Information laws, marking what appears to be the first time the document has been widely publicized. ‘That’s a very, very important set of records,’ said Ry Moran, an associate librarian at the University of Victoria and founding director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.” By Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press

Retired Canadian priest pleads guilty to sexual assault
“A retired priest pleaded not guilty Wednesday (Aug. 17) in a Canadian court to a sexual assault that allegedly occurred more than 50 years ago at an Indian Residential School. Arthur Masse, 92, who was not in the courtroom, entered the plea through his lawyer, George Green. The indecent assault involves a 10-year-old girl who was a student at Fort Alexander residential school in the province of Manitoba. Sexual and indecent assault are the same charge in Canada.” By aa.com.tr, Anadolu Agency

Former Chilliwack Catholic priest accused of raping boy in the 1970s
“Duncan Goguillot’s name appeared in the pages of The Chilliwack Progress dozens of times from the 1970s to the year 2000. He was a priest for a decade at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. He coached boys basketball in the ’70s, he served as the Chilliwack Community Arts Council co-ordinator in the 1980s, and for 15 years from 1993 to 2008, Goguillot was MP Chuck Strahl’s campaign manager. But allegations are being made that the Catholic priest has some extremely dark secrets.” By Paul Henderson, Mission City Record

COLOMBIA

Colombia bishops approve new safeguarding guidelines
“During their general assembly, Colombia’s bishops approved a new set of guidelines for the protection of minors. One of the lay experts behind the text, Ilva Hoyos, said it is a recognition by the bishops that they need a new perspective, ‘centered not in discipline but culture of care.’ ‘The adoption of the new guidelines is another step forward in the path of abuse prevention,’ said Hoyos, the former Colombian attorney general for children, adolescents and family. ‘In the culture of care, everyone is responsible. In our condition as people of God, we must act charitably and in synodality.’” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

COSTA RICA

Catholic Church is sentenced to pay 65 million colones ($102,558.00) for moral damages
“The Civil Court of the First Judicial Circuit of San José sentenced the Episcopal Conference and Archbishop José Rafael Quirós to pay ¢65 million colones ($102,558.00) for moral damages to the victim of sexual abuse by the former priest Mauricio Víquez Lizano. Catholic Church priest Mauricio Víquez, accused of sexual crimes, directed the parish of Patarrá de Desamparados between 1996 and 2003. The victim’s lawyer, Rodolfo Alvarado, confirmed the information, saying there are still two more lawsuits against the Catholic Church for acts attributed to the former priest. Alvarado pointed out that the Catholic Church was involved in a cover-up by not taking action when the complaints were made against the former priest.” By QCostaRica.com

INDIA

Kerala: Catholic priest arrested for abusing minor boy
“Kerala police, on Sunday (Aug. 14), said they have arrested a Catholic priest for allegedly molesting a minor boy. The arrest of Paravur native Father Joseph Kodiyan (63) was made based on a complaint lodged by the boy’s parents on Saturday, said the police. Kodiyan is a priest at a church near Varapuzha, where the alleged abuse took place.” By TheWeek.in

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Archbishop of Tuam describes clerical child aabuse as ‘darkest place in our Catholic story’
“Abuse of children by priests was addressed ‘clearly, directly and very movingly’ in the synthesis report sent to Rome last week by the Irish Catholic Church, people attending the novena at Knock were told on Monday. ‘The darkest place in our Catholic story is clerical and institutional abuse,’ said Archbishop of Tuam Francis Duffy in a homily during Mass in the Basilica. In the synthesis report ‘it is referred to as an ‘open wound’ that was concealed by the church for so long. Those who participated in the synodal preparations identified a sense of loss, anger, betrayal, estrangement, in addition to the deeply personal and living sense of hurt. There is also a clear desire for healing,’ he said.” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

MALTA

Marsaxlokk parish priest ‘misappropriated’ tens of thousands on porn sites
“Marsaxlokk parish priest Luke Seguna is believed to have spent nearly €150,000 of parishioners’ money on pornographic websites as he faces accusations of money laundering in court. Sources close to the investigation told Times of Malta that Seguna was accused of misappropriating parishioners’ donations and used large volumes on the sites that provide live sex shows by performing artists against a fee. It is understood that this went on for several years.” By Ivan Martin, Times Malta

NEW ZEALAND

‘We will die first’ – religious abuse survivors speak up after exclusion from government payouts
“Some sexual abuse survivors fear they may die before receiving any compensation after the government excluded them from a scheme to make rapid payouts to elderly and terminally-ill survivors. Public Services Minister Chris Hipkins has revealed plans to cut a 3000-strong waiting list of abuse claimants of abuse in state care – such as children’s homes – by making “rapid payments”. Survivors of abuse in religious settings, such as Catholic schools, the Salvation Army and the Exclusive Brethren are not included.” By Steve Kilgallon, Stuff

POLAND

Polish church official: state commission can’t access abuse documents
“A Polish Catholic official defended the church’s record in tackling sexual abuse by priests, after the head of the State Commission on Pedophilia complained it was refused access to clerical files. ‘This commission’s rights and competences, as established by law, do not include access to church documents — under current procedures, it must request this from the Holy See,’ said Father Piotr Studnicki, director of the Polish bishops’ Child and Youth Protection Office.” By Jonathan Luxmoore, Catholic News Service, on Cruxnow.com

PORTUGAL

Portugal abuse commission calls victims to testify
“An independent commission investigating sexual abuse in Portugal’s Catholic Church urged more victims to submit testimonies, especially during summer home visits by citizens living abroad. ‘In our work as a voice in the silence, we continue appealing to all adults who may have been victims as children,’ said the commission’s chairman, Pedro Strecht. ‘We make the same request to all members of the church who can spread this message as they consider appropriate, such as in homilies or on parish door notices.’” By Catholic News Service on UCANews.com