Spotlight: Top Vatican cardinal to testify about sex abuse

 

 

By NICOLE WINFIELD 6 hours ago

 

VATICAN CITY (AP) — One of the highest-ranking Vatican officials is being compelled to testify in public starting Sunday about clerical sex abuse, an unusual demonstration of holding even the most senior Catholic bishops accountable.

 

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis' top financial adviser, will testify in a Rome hotel conference room for three nights running, answering questions via video link from Australia's Royal Commission with his accusers on hand to confront him.

The arrangements, including the 10 p.m.-2 a.m. testimony window to suit Australian time zones, were made after the 74-year-old Pell asked to be excused from traveling home to testify because of previously undisclosed heart conditions that made flying too risky.

The arrangement has had the unintended consequence of magnifying the event, which might otherwise have remained confined to a few news cycles in Australia. Now European and American media will be covering a story about pedophile priests, the rape of children and the church's botched cover-up — a story the Vatican wants absolutely nothing to do with.

Pell's testimony will begin just hours before "Spotlight," the drama of the Boston Globe's investigation into how the church systematically shielded pedophiles for years, vies for as many as six Academy Awards.

Pell has appeared twice before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, is examining how the Catholic Church and other institutions dealt with decades of abuse across Australia. It cannot initiate criminal charges, but can recommend referring individual cases to police and prosecutors.

Pell, born and raised in the Catholic stronghold of Ballarat, has been dogged for years by allegations that he mishandled cases of abusive clergy when he was archbishop of Melbourne and later Sydney, where he led the Australian church until Pope Francis named him the Vatican's top finance manager in 2014.

Pell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and has apologized to victims for what he called the "profoundly evil" actions of priests who raped and molested children.

His defenders say he has been made the scapegoat for a problem that long predated him.

"He is a man of integrity who is committed to the truth and to helping others, particularly those who have been hurt or who are struggling," seven Australian archbishops wrote in a statement last year.

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FILE - In this Tuesday, March 31, 2015 file photo, Cardinal George Pell attends a press conference a …

Previous Australian inquiries have concluded that Pell created a victims' compensation program mainly to limit the church's liability, and that he aggressively tried to discourage victims from pursuing lawsuits.

Pell's request to testify from Rome enraged Australian abuse survivors, who accuse him of cowardice and of doing whatever he could to shield church assets from their lawsuits.

More than a dozen survivors are traveling to Rome to be on hand for the testimony, thanks in part to an Australian crowdfunding initiative that raised more than 200,000 Australian dollars (about $145,000) in a few days, as well as proceeds from a viral YouTube video, "Come Home (Cardinal Pell)."

One survivor heading to Rome is Andrew Collins, who was repeatedly raped as a child in Ballarat by priests and religious brothers and has suffered depression and post-traumatic stress ever since. He told the commission that he tried to kill himself four times, in part because his staunchly Catholic family effectively disowned him after he went public with his tales of abuse.

"I have literally lost my whole family to this. Not just my sisters and parents, but aunts, uncles and cousins," he testified last year in demanding a more comprehensive compensation scheme so victims can get psychological help.

Dr. Cathy Kezelman, president of Adults Surviving Child Abuse, an Australian support group, said an enormous amount of anger is directed at Pell from victims who see him as representing all that was wrong with the Australian church.

"He is in a position of great power and a symbol of a hierarchy and a system of power which to many repeatedly failed them and continues to do so with perceived hollow apologies, lack of contrition but more so, no real accountability," she said in an email.

The commission's current hearings relate to abuse in Ballarat, where scores of children were abused by Catholic clergy from the 1960s to the 1980s. Many of the victims later died in a cluster of abuse-related suicides. The commission is also looking at how the Melbourne archdiocese responded to allegations of abuse, including when Pell was auxiliary bishop.

Pell has been accused of ignoring warnings about an abusive teacher, attempting to bribe a victim of one of Australia's most notorious pedophiles to stay silent and being part of a committee that shuffled the pedophile between parishes.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks the global abuse scandal, praised the commission's work as "the purest example of holding bishops accountable that we've seen to date."

Transcripts of public hearings are published online, including documentation as confidential as email exchanges between attorneys and clients.

"It has not been Catholic Church-bashing," Doyle added. "They are looking at the response by all institutions."

___

Royal Commission is at http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au

 

Above is from:  http://news.yahoo.com/spotlight-top-vatican-cardinal-testify-sex-abuse-125752723.html

The Archbishop Is Troubled By The Girl Scout Ethos, Not the Cookies

 

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The Archbishop Is Troubled By The Girl Scout Ethos, Not the Cookies

By Francis X. Clines February 25, 2016 4:34 pm February 25, 2016 4:34 pmComment

 

Credit Kim Raff for The New York Times

So far, the Trefoils and Samoas have not been interdicted. Nor have the Thin Mints and Tagalongs. Catholics in St. Louis began asking about the fate of the Girl Scout cookie sale soon after Archbishop Robert Carlson called on parishes to consider alternatives to the scouts because of “a troubling pattern of behavior” he finds “incompatible” with church teachings on such issues as contraception and abortion.

“Can I still buy Girl Scout Cookies?” was one of the questions the archdiocese posted on its website to explain the implications of the archbishop’s letter to the faithful. The official response: “Each person must act in accord with their conscience.”

The archbishop stopped short of demanding an end to Girl Scout troop meetings on church grounds, but he urged parishes to seek alternatives, accusing the Girl Scouts of associating with organizations “in conflict with Catholic values,” like Amnesty International and Oxfam. “This is especially troubling in regards to sex education and advocacy for ‘reproductive rights’ (i.e. abortion and contraceptive access, even for minors).” He cited his concerns about “transgender and homosexual issues” in relation to the scouts and “role models in conflict with Catholic values,” reaching back into feminist history to cite Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan.

There was no shortage of Catholic defenders of the Girl Scouts. “I think it all comes down to the fact they are threatened by anything that puts females in a leadership position,” Julie Mudd told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I was a Girl Scout, my mom was a den leader for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and I’m planning to become active when my little girl enters scouting. It was a great experience. It was really empowering.”

Bonnie Barczykowski, chief executive of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, defended the scouts’ 100-year history of working with the archdiocese. “Girls gain valuable social and leadership skills,” she said, confident that generations across the community know this well. Ms. Barczykowski did not directly challenge the archbishop. She did note: “The Girl Scout Cookie program is the most anticipated and participated-in activity in Girl Scouting.” Thin Mints lead the pack among the cookie faithful, according to the scouts

Above is from:  http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/the-archbishop-is-troubled-by-the-girl-scout-ethos-not-the-cookies/?mabReward=A5&moduleDetail=recommendations-2&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&region=Footer&module=WhatsNext&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&src=recg&pgtype=article

St. James Weekly collections for weekend of February 21. 2016

No update this week

On Street Parking continues to be problem at St. James

This is from the February 28, 2016 bulletin:

A look inside the Philadelphia Archdiocese's unique icons market

 

By Jack Tomczuk, STAFF WRITER

On the first Wednesday of every month, 20 to 40 priests and a few laypeople descend on St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for a flea market like no other.

In a large, nondescript room at the rear of the seminary's massive College Division building, thousands of icons, religious artifacts, and other hardware from shuttered churches throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are on sale for members of the clergy from across the nation. Laypeople are normally prohibited, but they may purchase items for their parish if they have a letter from their pastor.

Large statues, stained-glass windows, crucifixes, tabernacles, and confessional booths are just some of the items available to priests looking to spruce up their chapels and parishes.

The Rev. Ronald Check, who was ordained in 2007 and is assigned to Resurrection of Our Lord in Rhawnhurst, is one of the most frequent visitors to the market, officially called the Ecclesiastical Exchange.

"I go frequently because I like to get these things from old churches and bring them back to life," said Check, who also is chaplain at St. Hubert's High School for Girls.

Outdoor statues are among the most popular, according to Ed Rafferty, who runs the exchange for the archdiocese.

After All Saints Church in Bridesburg closed in 2013, the Rev. Joseph Howarth, Resurrection's pastor, purchased a stone Sacred Heart of Jesus statue for his parish garden.

When parishes merge, one of them becomes a "worship site," which usually means it no longer holds Masses but it may host weddings, funerals, and similar special events. If the mother parish is unable or unwilling to keep the worship site open, it is closed for good and is no longer a Catholic church.

That is when the exchange begins the process of shutting down a holy site.

Rafferty's team collects all items of spiritual value and stores them in a warehouse filled with protective fences.

Rafferty inventories the items and prices them based on condition and what he believes his customers want. The tag lists an "asking amount" that is negotiable.

"The asking amount reflects the value of the piece but also the main mission - which is to get things placed," Rafferty said.

Asking amounts vary widely, from under $10 for a cruet (a small vessel that holds the wine for Mass) to thousands of dollars for marble carvings or stained-glass windows from Germany.

All proceeds go to the merged parish that absorbed the closed church's debts and expenses.

Rafferty, 61, of North Coventry Township in Chester County, views his job as consisting of two sometimes conflicting duties: to place the items and to do his best for the merged parish, which is often struggling itself.

"I consider the items not mine," he said. "I'm trying to do the best for the parish it came from."

Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua created the exchange in 1992 when the first round of church closings occurred, Msgr. Louis D'Addezio said. D'Addezio, now retired, was the first coordinator of the exchange.

Since 2011, the city has absorbed 24 parishes and the four surrounding counties have absorbed 23, though some churches from both areas have stayed open as worship sites.

These closures have flooded Rafferty's warehouse with artifacts and, subsequently, customers from as far as Florida, Arizona, and Texas in search of items that simply aren't made anymore.

"One of the most unique things was how we placed stained-glass windows from our older churches," D'Addezio said.

He said Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge of Raleigh, N.C., who studied at St. Charles Borromeo, purchased stained-glass windows from the shuttered Ascension of Our Lord church in Harrowgate to use for a new cathedral under construction in Raleigh.

Rafferty said that churches built after the Second Vatican Council, which concluded in 1965, adopted a modern and simpler design that shunned many of the ornate features of older churches. That trend has reversed, he explained, swinging back toward the more traditional.

D'Addezio said a few suburban churches have re-created this atmosphere by replicating a closed urban church.

For example, after a church fire in 1991, St. Monica's parish in Berwyn rebuilt the building with many items from the now-closed Corpus Christi in North Philadelphia.

Rafferty, who has headed the exchange for the last 10 years, maintains the items at the warehouse so that they do not go into disrepair. The artifacts, some of which have a special meaning to longtime parishioners of closed parishes, are never offered to private collectors.

"The big thing is using it in another appropriate setting," he said.

JTomczuk@phillynews.com @JackTomczuk

Read more at: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160222_A_look_inside_the_Philadelphia_Archdiocese_s_unique_icons_market.html#dAo62l0B7lSOAbIB.99

St. Louis archbishop seeks to cut ties with Girl Scouts

 

By JIM SALTER February 19, 2016 7:09 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson is urging priests to sever ties with the Girl Scouts, saying the organization promotes values "incompatible" with Catholic teachings.

The open letter to priests, scout leaders and other Catholics was posted Thursday on the archdiocese website. It urges parishes that host Girl Scout meetings to consider alternative programs for girls that are more Catholic- or Christian-based.

"We must stop and ask ourselves — is Girl Scouts concerned with the total well-being of our young women? Does it do a good job forming the spiritual, emotional, and personal well-being of Catholic girls?" Carlson wrote.

The letter stops short of demanding an end to Girl Scout meetings at parishes, a common gathering site in the heavily Catholic St. Louis region. Brian Miller, executive director of the Catholic Youth Apostolate, said Friday that the letter is not meant to pressure priests into pushing out Girl Scouts.

"We're asking parishes to evaluate and review what they can do to form the faith of young women," Miller said.

Carlson's letter said the archdiocese and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have been investigating concerns about the Girl Scouts of the USA and the parent organization, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, for several years.

Carlson worries that contraception and abortion rights are being promoted to Girl Scouts. The letter also said resources and social media "highlight and promote role models in conflict with Catholic values, such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan." Steinem, 81, is a feminist, journalist and political activist. Friedan, who died in 2006 at age 85, was a feminist and writer.

"In addition, recent concerns about GSUSA and their position on and inclusion of transgender and homosexual issues are proving problematic," Carlson wrote.

Girl Scouts of the USA said in a statement that it "looks forward to extending our longstanding relationship with faith-based organizations, including the Catholic Church and Catholic communities, throughout the country. As the pre-eminent leadership development organization for girls of every faith and background, we remain committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops began investigating the Girl Scouts of the USA in 2012, not long after lawmakers in Indiana and Alaska publicly called the Scouts into question, and after the organization was berated in a series aired by a Catholic broadcast network.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is particularly powerful in the region given that nearly a quarter of the area's population — about 520,000 people — is Catholic. Its leaders have never been shy about addressing politically and socially sensitive matters. During the 2004 presidential campaign, then-Archbishop Raymond Burke made national news when he said he would deny communion to Democratic candidate John Kerry, citing his stance on abortion.

Carlson asked each pastor at parishes where Girl Scout meetings occur to meet with troop leaders to review concerns "and discuss implementing alternative options for the formation of our girls." He said several alternative organizations with Catholic or Christian backgrounds can be offered.

His letter also hinted at increased scrutiny of the Boy Scouts of America.

"While the new BSA leadership policy currently offers some protections to religious organizations, I continue to wonder in which direction this once-trusted organization is now headed," he wrote.

In December, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the nation's second-largest Lutheran denomination, ended its official relationship with the Boy Scouts over the organization's decision to allow openly gay Scout leaders.

Above is from:  http://news.yahoo.com/st-louis-archbishop-seeks-cut-ties-girl-scouts-192752092.html

After guilty plea, Phila. priest sentenced to 20 years in prison

By Matthew Gambino

Father Mark J. Haynes

Father Mark J. Haynes was sentenced to 20 years in prison Feb. 17 in a federal court in Philadelphia following his conviction on charges of child pornography and destruction of evidence.

In addition to the jail term, U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick ordered the priest to pay a $15,000 fine and 10 years of probation after his release from prison.

The 56-year-old Father Haynes’ last assignment was at SS. Simon and Jude Parish in West Chester, where he was assigned in September 2013. He served there until his arrest on child pornography charges in October 2014, for which he pleaded guilty in court last June.

His arrest, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was the first time the church had “received any reports of potential criminal wrongdoing on his part,” said spokesman Kenneth Gavin. “It is hoped,” he added, that Father Haynes’ sentencing “will bring some degree of closure to what has been a very painful situation for all those involved.”

Father Haynes was removed from SS. Simon and Jude and placed on administrative leave immediately at the time of his arrest, according to the archdiocese. As a result he was not permitted to present himself as a priest, celebrate the sacraments or perform ministries, or live on any parish property.

The archdiocese, Gavin said, “cooperated fully with law enforcement at every step of its subsequent investigation.”

According to published reports, two victims alleged Father Haynes sexually abused them more than 30 years ago. Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations bars criminal charges and civil lawsuits stretching back long ago.

The archdiocese expressed its commitment to helping survivors of sexual abuse “on their journey toward healing, and (is) dedicated to ensuring that all young people in its care are safe,” spokesman Gavin said.

“Our path forward is to remain vigilant in our efforts now and in the years to come,” he added. The church provides resources to support survivors, its policy is to immediately report any allegation of sexual abuse involving a minor to law enforcement, with the aim of “restoring the trust of the faithful and all those who look to the Church as a beacon of God’s promise and love,” Gavin said.

“The reputation of the Church can only be rebuilt through transparency, honesty and a fulfillment of our responsibility to the young people in our care and the victims and survivors who need our support,” he said. “We recognize that today’s news is especially difficult for survivors and their families. We profoundly regret their pain.”

Father Haynes was ordained a priest for the Philadelphia Archdiocese in 1985 and has since had the following assignments: St. Ann, Phoenixville (1985-1989); Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Doylestown (1989-1991); chaplain, Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster (1990-1991); Office for Youth and Young Adults (1990-1992); St. John of the Cross, Roslyn (1991-1994); Office of the Metropolitan Tribunal (1992-2001); Our Lady of Good Counsel, Southampton (1994-2000); personal leave (2000-2001); St. Pius X, Broomall (2001-2005); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Morton (2005-2009); Annunciation B.V.M., Havertown (2009-2013); personal leave (2013); and SS. Simon and Jude, West Chester (2013-2014).

The archdiocese invites anyone wishing to report a violation of “The Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries” to contact the archdiocesan Office for Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.

To report an allegation of sexual abuse, contact your local law enforcement agency and/or the Office for Investigations.

Public notice, the archdiocese said, may be painful to victims of sexual violence and exploitation. To obtain support or assistance with victim services, contact the archdiocesan Victim Assistance Office at 1-888-800-8780 or philavac@archphila.org.

Above is from:  http://catholicphilly.com/2016/02/news/local-news/after-guilty-plea-phila-priest-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison/

St. James’ Weekly Collection for weekend of February 14, 2016

 

No update this week.

What is the plan?

 

Might the plan be purchasing additional land adjacent to the church?

Above is from the February 14, 2016 St. James bullentin.

St. James’ Weekly Contributions for weekend of February 7, 2016

First new disclosure in two weeks.  Three additional pledges; $59.92 additional pledged.

Rockford Diocese Priest Arrested on Sex Abuse Charges

STATELINE (WIFR) – A priest in the Rockford Diocese has been charged with two counts of sexually abusing a child.

According to a press release from the Diocese, Father Alfredo Pedraza has been under investigation for two allegations in Kane County reported back in 2014.

Father Pedraza was arrested, Thursday, February 11 in his Rockford home. He came to the Diocese from Columbia, South America in 2013. The Diocese says he has been out of all ministry since the allegations surfaced in October 2014.

During Father Pedraza's time with the Rockford Diocese, he worked in Hispanic Ministry in the DeKalb Deanery and assisted at Sacred Heart Parish in Aurora and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora.

The Diocese says they are cooperating with authorities throughout the entire investigation process.

Above is from:  http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/Rockford-Diocese-Priest-Arrested-on-Sex-Abuse-Charges-368543711.html

 

By KATIE SMITH – ksmith @shawmedia.com

An Aurora priest and former DeKalb minster remained at the Kane County jail Friday on criminal sexual abuse charges.

Alfredo Pedraza Arias, of the 200 block of High Street, Aurora, has not worked in a church since accusations arose in Oct. 2014, according to a news release from the Diocese of Rockford.

Father Pedraza Arias joined the Rockford Diocese in 2013 and started work with the Hispanic Ministry in DeKalb, and the Sacred Heart Parish and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora.

Police believe the abuse took place at both Sacred Heart Church in Aurora and one of the children's homes, according to a news release from the Kane County Stat's Attorney's Office.

Pedraza Arias was arrested Thursday by the United States Marshal Service and Kane County Sheriff's Office. He is charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse – a felony punishable by three to seven years in prison. Should Pedraza Arias be convicted, he would have to register as a sex offender.

Pedraza Arias' bond has been set at $50,000, meaning he must post $5,000 bail to be released. He is due back in court Thursday.

The Kane County Child Advocacy Center continues to investigate the situation.

Above is from:  http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2016/02/12/former-dekalb-priest-faces-sex-abuse-charges/antbkue/

‘Justice has been served’ – Bishop Conley on why he invited Bishop Finn to Lincoln

Justice has been served’ – Bishop Conley on why he invited Bishop Finn to Lincoln

February 5, 2016 by CNA Daily News

Lincoln, Neb., Feb 5, 2016 / 11:29 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln defended his decision to allow Bishop Robert Finn, former bishop of Kansas City, Mo., to take a position as chaplain of a community of religious sisters in the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb. saying that justice for his past negligence “has been served.”

“The Church in Lincoln is committed to serving and protecting our people,” Bishop Conley said in a Feb. 4 column in the Lincoln Journal-Star. “We will do that without further punishing those who have already met the demands of justice.”

In September 2012, Bishop Finn was convicted on a misdemeanor count of failure to report suspected child abuse after he and his diocese did not disclose that lewd images of children had been found on a laptop belonging to Fr. Shawn Ratigan, a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City, in December 2010.

Bishop Finn was sentenced to two years’ probation for failing to report suspected abuse and he retired from his position as bishop in April 2015.

“Because of serious acts of negligence under his leadership, Bishop Finn faced serious penalties,” Bishop Conley said.

“He faced a criminal court, and served the sentence he was given. He resigned his leadership position in the Church. He also accepted responsibility for his actions, and he has expressed sincere regret to those whom his negligence may have harmed,” he added.

In December 2015, Bishop Conley announced that he was inviting Bishop Finn to serve as a chaplain for a community of religious sisters who are long-time friends of his and who reside in the Diocese of Lincoln.

Allowing Bishop Finn to serve as chaplain for a community of religious sisters will in no way place him in “a position of authority, administration, or oversight.”

“He has a purely religious role, in an appropriate adult setting, which he has undertaken in humility,” Bishop Conley said. “Bishop Finn has not ever been accused of sexual abuse of children. His ministry as chaplain does not represent an issue for anyone’s safety.”

Since he became Bishop of Lincoln in 2012, Bishop Conley says that the safe-environment and child-protection policies in the diocese have undergone a “systematic review” from an independent review board made up of experts in criminal justice, psychology and education “to recommend enhancements to our background checks and training programs.”

He reassured parents that the Diocese of Lincoln is “fully compliant with the child-protection laws of Nebraska and the child protection policies of the Catholic Church.”

Some critics are angered by Bishop Finn being invited to spend his retirement in the diocese, which Bishop Conley said is “understandable,” especially for those who are themselves victims of sexual abuse or have relatives who are.

“Their pain is real, and the Church has an on-going duty to help them heal,” he said.

However, he added, Bishop Finn has paid for his negligence and justice has been served. To further punish him by refusing to allow him to spend retirement serving a community of religious sisters is not justice, “it is malice.”

“… those who have acknowledged and paid the penalty for past actions, who seek to serve in humility, and who pose no on- going danger to anyone, have a right not be harassed and disparaged once justice is served,” he said. “To do otherwise is not justice; it is malice. And it   is not worthy of our community.”

The Diocese of Lincoln has extended an invitation to meet with these critics, which has been turned down.

Collections for weekend of January 31, 2016, St. James, Belvidere

 

One additional pledge;  $1,000 additional pledged.

Collections for the weekend of January 24, 2016

 

One additional pledge;  $50 additional pledged.