After 41 years in the priesthood, Father Eduard Perrone wasn’t prepared for the hellfire that tore through his parish last summer: He was accused of molesting an altar boy decades earlier, and ousted from his church. The sex abuse claim blindsided the pastor’s loyal flock, though they believe he is innocent – and have launched an unorthodox crusade to clear his name. In … Read more
Thousands of Catholic priests were accused of sexual abuse, then what happened? An investigation reveals most have become the priest next door. John Dagwell said he’s earned the right to live in peace as he tries to put his past behind him. The former Roman Catholic brother, 75, pleaded guilty in a New Jersey criminal case … Read more
Pennsylvania state Rep. Tom Murt slid into a pew at his childhood church, seeking a break from politics and the stress of work. In his sermon, the priest talked about a bill pending in the state Legislature that would give survivors of child sexual abuse more time to sue their abusers – and the institutions … Read more
Father Bill O’Malley, an outgoing Jesuit teacher who became a Rochester, New York celebrity after a star turn in the supernatural film “The Exorcist,” has been accused of sexually abusing one of his students at McQuaid Jesuit High School three decades ago. The Rev. William J. O’Malley S.J. joined the McQuaid faculty in 1965. By the time … Read more
A top German cardinal said Saturday that documents on past sex abuse cases in the church had been destroyed or ignored and urged changes to the Vatican’s legal code of secrecy in such issues to restore trust. Calling for the publication of statistics on the problem, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx addressed Pope Francis’ four-day sex abuse prevention summit at … Read more
Bill Reidy says he remembers every detail about the office where he was repeatedly raped by the Jesuit priest who served as his academic adviser at Loyola Academy, a private Catholic school just outside Chicago. A ficus tree in one corner, a desk chair in another. The credenza covered in photos. The door that opened … Read more
Law enforcement officials from up to 45 states have sought assistance from Pennsylvania authorities in pursuit of alleged misconduct by Catholic priests and related efforts to conceal that abuse by the church, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. Shapiro, in an interview with USA TODAY, said the surge of outside inquiries has come just in the past four … Read more
There are 70 million Catholics across the country. Here’s what they could do to help safeguard the vulnerable from harm, heal those already harmed and improve their church. First, help expose more wrongdoers. Every single Catholic should ask every other Catholic: “Have you ever seen, suspected or suffered clergy misdeeds, crimes or cover ups?” If the answer … Read more