Childhood Sexual Abuse and Food Part One: Why do I have gut issues?

Healing your heart and your mind often starts with making peace with your body (and, as a result. how you nourish that body). In the next series of blog posts, I am going to do a deep dive into the big connection between childhood sexual abuse/childhood trauma and food issues. The connection is a troubling…Continue reading Childhood Sexual Abuse and Food Part One: Why do I have gut issues?

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?

Arizona Child Victims’ Act: Two New Lawsuits Filed

The Arizona Child Victims’ Act has not been in the headlines much—Covid and the elections have stolen most of the news airtime in that state. Don’t let the quiet fool you: Arizona’s Catholic Bishops have a long and sordid history of enabling and protecting child sex predators. Today, victims filed two new child sex abuse…Continue reading Arizona Child Victims’ Act: Two New Lawsuits Filed

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?

EXCLUSIVE: Catholic composer accused of sexual battery worked with known predator for years

Over the weekend, Catholic hymn composer, performer, and youth conference organizer David Haas was dropped by his publisher after the company learned the musician was under investigation by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for sexual battery and other offenses. Haas also ran a music camp for teens called Music Ministry Alive, which according…Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Catholic composer accused of sexual battery worked with known predator for years

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

Re-opening of NY courts exposes 11 newly accused clerics

Eleven priests who have not appeared on any lists of accused clerics—either court documents, diocese lists, or press reports—have been named as alleged predators in new lawsuits filed against the Catholic Archdiocese of New York this week. The 11 were named in a press release today, which also announced 59 new lawsuits. The priests publicly…Continue reading Re-opening of NY courts exposes 11 newly accused clerics

Tough Questions for the Diocese of Richmond

Buried in the news about COVID and the global George Floyd protests, the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, VA, quietly announced today that it is starting “formal investigations” of child sexual abuse against four former priests. What is NOT interesting about the investigation is that there are four accused priests. What IS interesting is the relevant—but…Continue reading Tough Questions for the Diocese of Richmond

Naason Joaquin Garcia and George Pell: Justice Denied

“The Apostle” and a Cardinal. The self-appointed leader of a Mexico-based religious sect and the former Treasurer of the Vatican. Two men accused of and jailed for child sexual abuse. Now, both have had their charges reversed. Justice has not been served. The Apostle Naason Joaquin Garcia, the head of the La Luz Del Mundo…Continue reading Naason Joaquin Garcia and George Pell: Justice Denied