clergy abuse

Pope Francis listens to speeches during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

World News

Pope Francis expresses shame at the scale of child sexual abuse by clergy in France

7:27am October 06, 2021

by The Associated Press

The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, center, signs legislation overhauling the state's child sex abuse laws.

Pennsylvania Reforms Childhood Sex Abuse Laws In Response To Clergy Scandal

5:11pm November 26, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

After a grand jury implicated more than 300 priests in a statewide sex scandal, nearly every case was too old to be prosecuted. Legislators say that problem inspired these new laws.

Eric Schmitt speaks to reporters after being appointed as Missouri's attorney general by Gov. Mike Parson Nov. 18, 2018, at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo.

Missouri AG Refers 12 Ex-Priests For Prosecution Of Suspected Sexual Abuse

11:05pm September 13, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

An investigation that looked back to 1945 identified 163 cases of abuse. However, many of the alleged offenders are now dead or the statute of limitations on their alleged crimes has passed.

Pope Francis, pictured earlier this week, unveiled a new mandatory-reporting edict on Friday. It requires any Vatican official who learns of an allegation of abuse within the city-state or by Vatican officials to report it to Vatican prosecutors.

Pope Issues New Edict Requiring Vatican Officials To Report Sex Abuse Allegations

8:53pm March 29, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

Applicable only to Vatican personnel and diplomats around the world, it is the first unified policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. But critics say it doesn't go far enough.

"The Vatican is a world of men; some truly are men of God," says Sister Catherine Aubin, a French Dominican nun who teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome. "Others have been ruined by power. The key to these secrets and silence is ...

After Years Of Abuse By Priests, #NunsToo Are Speaking Out

11:29am March 18, 2019

by Sylvia Poggioli

A #NunsToo movement has emerged from #MeToo, as Roman Catholic nuns start speaking out about sexual abuse by priests. Cases of rape and forced abortion have begun coming to light.

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A menorah is installed outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on the first night of Hanukkah.The synagogue was the site of a mass shooting in October. It was one of a number of tragedies and revelations that made 2018 a difficult year for the ci

For Pittsburgh, A Difficult Year Reveals Long-Buried Problems

3:56pm December 28, 2018

by Larkin Page-Jacobs

A string of shootings and revelations about clergy abuse has made 2018 a hard year for the people of Pittsburgh. But some are finding new activism and hope within tragedy.

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Nuns and supporters demand the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, outside the High Court in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala in September.

A Nun In India Accuses A Bishop Of Rape, And Divides The Country's Christians

6:14am December 17, 2018

by Lauren Frayer

A Roman Catholic nun says a bishop raped her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. The bishop denies wrongdoing and is out on bail. Some Indian Catholics are blaming the nun for tarnishing the church.

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Pope Francis waves prior to reciting the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis' Popularity Falls Sharply Among U.S. Catholics

7:40pm October 02, 2018

by Tom Gjelten

Six of 10 U.S. Catholics say Pope Francis is doing only a "fair" or even a "poor" job handling the clergy abuse crisis. He is now only as popular as his predecessor, Pope Benedict.

Acting New York state Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood (left) speaks in Albany, N.Y. on May 15. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal speaks during a news conference on Aug. 1 in Newark, N.J.

New York, New Jersey Investigating Sex Abuse And Cover-Ups By Clergy

8:55pm September 06, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The attorneys general for both states have launched active investigations into abuse allegations. Last month, a grand jury report from Pennsylvania detailed abuse by more than 300 Catholic priests.

Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday. Pressure is mounting on the pontiff as more and more church sexual abuse scandals unfold around the world.

Pope Francis To Visit Ireland Amid Church Scandals Across The World

5:42pm August 23, 2018

by Sylvia Poggioli

The pope is under intense pressure to enact concrete measures to ensure accountability for church officials who ignored or covered up sexual abuse by clergy.

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