Diocese of Orange snags more than $24 mil in PPP loans

Today, the Associated Press released a blockbuster article about how the Catholic Church in the United States has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in PPP loans, despite a lack of need. In Orange County, California, Bishop Kevin Vann treated PPP loans like a taxpayer-funded ATM machine. Catholic entities under Vann’s direct management collected more than…Continue reading Diocese of Orange snags more than $24 mil in PPP loans

Diocese of Fresno promised us a list of accused priests. Where is it?

Fresno Bishop Joseph V. Brennan promised a list. Did he think we forgot? Now that my white paper on the sexual abuse of women in the Catholic Church is complete—and getting a great response—I am beginning work on a complete analysis of California’s Catholic dioceses, sexual abuse, and cover-up. I thought I would start with…Continue reading Diocese of Fresno promised us a list of accused priests. Where is it?

What if women comprised 50% of sex abuse victims in the Catholic Church?

What if the cornerstone of our conventional wisdom about the victims of the Catholic Church and clergy sex abuse crisis was wrong? What if, in a statistically viable sample of survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church, 50% of respondents were female? What if you also knew that this result is almost statically impossible to…Continue reading What if women comprised 50% of sex abuse victims in the Catholic Church?

What role does Scientology have in covering up sex crimes?

Yesterday, Hollywood actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson was arrested and charged with raping three women. Two other women have alleged that Masterson raped them, but because of expired statutes of limitations and/or insufficient evidence, the LA District Attorney’s office declined to press charges. The victimization of these women did end at rape. From The New…Continue reading What role does Scientology have in covering up sex crimes?

When adversity is your gift

There are voices that have been silenced—or simply ignored—in the clergy sex abuse crisis. We have known for years that “priest dumping” has been a common practice in the Catholic Church: bishops and other officials send white, English-speaking predator priests to indigenous, refugee, or immigrant communities, or communities of color. These communities are devoutly Catholic.…Continue reading When adversity is your gift