Sexual abuse by clergy

Whistleblower Kamil Jarzembowski meets journalists outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Two priests are going on trial in the Vatican’s criminal tribunal this week, one accused of sexually abusing an altar boy who served at papal Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica, and the other accused of covering it up. The proceedings starting Wednesday were forced on the Holy See after victims and Jarzembowski went public in 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Vatican broadens seminary abuse trial amid negligence claims

Oct. 27, 2020 1:43 PM EDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican criminal tribunal agreed Tuesday to broaden a sex abuse trial involving the Holy See's youth seminary beyond two priests already charged to include the religious organization responsible for running the residence. The lawyer for the alleged victim argued in court that there...

FILE - In this Sunday Oct. 6, 2019, file photo, Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory greets churchgoers at St. Mathews Cathedral after the annual Red Mass in Washington. Pope Francis on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, named 13 new cardinals, including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat. In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal’s rank in a ceremony on Nov. 28. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Pope names 13 new cardinals, including 1st Black US prelate

Oct. 25, 2020 6:31 PM EDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday named 13 new cardinals, including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat. In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter’s Square,...

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2019, file photo, Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, accompanied by other members of the clergy, leaves St. Mathews Cathedral after the annual Red Mass in Washington. Pope Francis on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, named 13 new cardinals, including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat. In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal’s rank in a ceremony on Nov. 28. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Black D.C. archbishop's rise marks a historic moment

Oct. 25, 2020 2:33 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory is set to become the first Black U.S. prelate to assume the rank of cardinal in the Catholic Church, a historic appointment that comes months after nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice. Gregory’s ascension, announced on Sunday...

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2020, file photo, Australian Cardinal George Pell waves as he arrives at Rome's international airport in Fiumicino. Australian state police said Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 it was not investigating the transfer of money from the Vatican to Australia, throwing doubt on Italian media speculation that it might be linked to the overturned convictions of Cardinal George Pell for child sex abuse. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

Australian police not investigating Vatican money transfer

Oct. 22, 2020 11:58 PM EDT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian state police said Friday they're not investigating the transfer of money from the Vatican to Australia, throwing doubt on Italian media speculation that it might be linked to the overturned convictions of Cardinal George Pell for child sex abuse. Italian newspaper...

FILE - In this May 21, 2015 file photo, Mauro Cioffari, left, puts a wedding ring on his partner Davide Conti's finger as their civil union is being registered by a municipality officer during a ceremony in Rome's Campidoglio Capitol Hill. Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday, Oct. 21 2020 at the Rome Film Festival. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, file)

Mexico broadcaster: Pope's civil union quote not broadcast

Oct. 22, 2020 6:35 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican television broadcaster confirmed Thursday that Pope Francis’ bombshell comments endorsing same-sex civil unions were made during a May 2019 interview that was never broadcast in its entirety. Broadcaster Televisa said Thursday that the emphasis of its interview was on...

Judge throws out extortion charges against megachurch leader

Oct. 22, 2020 3:17 AM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Citing insufficient evidence, a judge on Wednesday threw out extortion charges against the leader of a Mexican megachurch but left in place accusations of child rape and human trafficking. The California attorney general's office failed to show that Naasón Joaquín García,...

Australian Cardinal George Pell arrives at Rome's international airport in Fiumicino, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. Pell took a leave of absence from his job in 2017 to stand trial in his native Australia on historic child sexual abuse charges, for which he was ultimately acquitted. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Australian law enforcement examine Vatican money trail

Oct. 21, 2020 7:50 AM EDT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A range of Australian law enforcement and corruption agencies are examining a reported transfer of money from the Vatican that Italian media have speculated might be linked to the overturned convictions of Cardinal George Pell for child sex abuse. The national financial crime...

Justices review priest abuse lawsuit's ruling on time limits

Oct. 20, 2020 11:49 AM EDT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's highest court on Tuesday grappled with whether a woman's lawsuit on claims of sexual abuse by a priest decades ago should be allowed to proceed — a lower-court ruling that has launched many other lawsuits since it was issued a year ago. In oral argument, the...

Colorado Catholic dioceses pay $6.68M to sex abuse survivors

Oct. 18, 2020 5:39 PM EDT

DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s three Catholic dioceses paid $6.68 million to 73 survivors of sexual abuse by priests, a new report said. The state’s Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program issued an update Friday of how much money each survivor should be given by the church, The Colorado...

FILE - In this Thursday, March 14, 2019 file photo, the head of Poland's Catholic Church Archbishop Wojciech Polak, right, addresses the media during a news conference in Warsaw, Poland. Pope Francis on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 permanently removed a Polish bishop who was kicked out of his diocese a few months ago pending a Vatican investigation into allegations he covered up cases of sexual abuse by his priests. The resignation of Edward Janiak as bishop of Kalisz suggests the Vatican was able to substantiate at least some elements of the accusations made in a documentary about sex abuse in Poland that has rocked the country’s influential Catholic hierarchy. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)

Pope removes Polish bishop accused of sex abuse cover-up

Oct. 17, 2020 10:20 AM EDT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday permanently removed a Polish bishop who was kicked out of his diocese a few months ago pending a Vatican investigation into allegations he covered up cases of sexual abuse by his priests. The resignation of Edward Janiak as bishop of Kalisz suggests the Vatican was able...

Latest Sexual abuse by clergy News