A RetroReport/NYT short historical documentary on SNAP and the US victims’ rights movement. Even I got a lot of perspective:
Category: Clergy Abuse Crisis
Why Maria Rullo Schinderle should never be a judge
Just when I thought things couldn’t get stranger, this happened: The leading hench(wo)man in the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Orange may be a judicial nominee. When I first got word that California Governor Jerry Brown had thrown Maria Rullo Schinderle’s name in the hat of potential nominees for superior court judge,…Continue reading Why Maria Rullo Schinderle should never be a judge
Review: A Diary of Disconnect
Book Review: The Vatican Diaries: A Behind the Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church; by John Thavis. Penguin Books A year after the hardcover publication of The Vatican Diaries (a book whose hardcover release date coincided with the resignation of Pope Benedict XXIII XVI and the election…Continue reading Review: A Diary of Disconnect
A year of Pope Francis
If someone had told me two years ago that a man like Pope Francis would be elected in 2013, I would have been skeptical. After almost 10 years of Benedict—a man with the public persona of a porcupine and pastoral nature of a curmudgeon on a bad day—who could believe that a new pope could…Continue reading A year of Pope Francis
In crisis, Francis fails
One of the chapters of my upcoming book deals with what I call Institutional Rot, that is, why “good” people do and say bad things in the name of the institution and how children are caught in the crossfire. For an institutional culture to have this kind of crisis, the direction—or I should say, misdirection—has…Continue reading In crisis, Francis fails
Predators, Alcohol and Teens … a deadly combination
The sexual abuse of teens by powerful adults (teachers, coaches, priests, family members) is a trauma double whammy: teens damaged by the abuse AND they are often blamed for the abuse by community members who say that the teen wanted it, was a slut, or should have known better. What these people don’t understand—but predators…Continue reading Predators, Alcohol and Teens … a deadly combination
Upcoming Panel in Honolulu: Civil Window, Victims Rights, Prevention
I’ll be in Honolulu next week to talk about child sex abuse, the Hawaii civil window, victims rights and abuse prevention. If you are in the area, I hope you can join us. Here are the details. The event is free and open to the public. The Unspeakable Crime: Childhood Sexual Abuse Panel …Continue reading Upcoming Panel in Honolulu: Civil Window, Victims Rights, Prevention
Gerald Funcheon is back in the news
Crozier priest Father Jerry Funcheon, who is the subject of the first lawsuit filed under Hawaii’s civil window, is back in the news – this time because Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis church officials “forgot” to put him on a website that lists abusive clerics. Church documents show that Funcheon may have abused up…Continue reading Gerald Funcheon is back in the news
Safe environment programs: Safe for predators, not so much for kids
It’s like having a public swimming pool without a life preserver … A story out of St. Paul, MN, is a latest example of why so-called “Safe Environment” programs create a false sense of security and may even protect child predators. The predator in this case was Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, a now-convicted child offender who is…Continue reading Safe environment programs: Safe for predators, not so much for kids
What about the wives?
Yesterday’s big settlement announcement raised a question for me: What about the wives? One of the perpetrators who was a part of the settlement, Michael Nocita, has now been sued by four different women for sexual abuse. He was removed from ministry and laicized. The Archdiocese has paid out big money to his victims. It’s…Continue reading What about the wives?
The victims’ movement doesn’t discriminate
Bishops are very quick divert attention from their role in the cover-up of sex abuse by pointing fingers at public schools, where there is another, very real child sex abuse crisis. But why haven’t the bishops helped to publicly fund or support any legislation that helps victims in public schools? Why haven’t they spoken out…Continue reading The victims’ movement doesn’t discriminate
Hawaii Legislative Update
How about some GOOD news out of a state legislature? Hawaii State Legislature has TWO ground-breaking, victim-friendly bills that have just passed committee. Why the legislative attention? The current Hawaii Civil Window, which closes in April, has opened lawmakers’ eyes to the problem of child sex abuse and cover-up across the state. Fortunately, these same…Continue reading Hawaii Legislative Update
If nothing else …
No matter your take on the recent UN committee report on the problem of sex abuse in the Catholic Church and no matter how you feel about the recent public argument involving Woody Allen and his daughter Dylan Farrow, two things are clear: The more we talk about sex abuse as a crime, the more…Continue reading If nothing else …
You read Dylan Farrow’s letter. Now what?
Every once in a while, I catch myself wondering why the child sex abuse awareness movement (especially in the Catholic Church) has never elicited support from Hollywood A-listers. Yesterday, Dylan Farrow gave us a painful and personal reminder. Her immensely brave open letter in the New York Times is raw. She openly accuses Woody Allen…Continue reading You read Dylan Farrow’s letter. Now what?
Cardinal George and abusive priests – a cozy relationship
I have spent all morning going through the documents recently released by the Archdiocese of Chicago (before you applaud any proposed Archdiocese “transparency,” remember that the documents were only released because the court ordered Cardinal George to turn them over). Cardinal George has spent a lot of time during the past week trying to minimize…Continue reading Cardinal George and abusive priests – a cozy relationship
Grand jury indicts Stockton priest
Less than 24 hours after Stockton Bishop Stephen Blaire announced his intentions to file bankruptcy on Wednesday, the Calaveras County Grand Jury has handed down a criminal indictment of Fr. Michael Kelly. According to the Lodi News/Modesto Bee, “the criminal grand jury indicted Kelly on three counts of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child…Continue reading Grand jury indicts Stockton priest
We fear for you, but we no longer fear you
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Malcolm Gladwell’s essay in this month’s…Continue reading We fear for you, but we no longer fear you
Why we must fight
If you read nothing else this week, check out OC Weekly‘s Father John Lenihan and Me, Gustavo Arellano’s introspective piece on the recent release of serial molester Fr. John Lenihan’s secret personnel file. Gustavo, who is usually not the poster child for humility, sums up the past few years of the news coverage of the child…Continue reading Why we must fight
Gallup’s Moral Bankruptcy
This week, The Gallup Independent published a scathing editorial about the bankruptcy proceedings in the Catholic Diocese of Gallup. From the editorial: [Bishop James] Wall and his bankruptcy attorneys — who are billing the diocese hundreds of dollars per hour — are already dragging the process out in an unjust, inequitable and unmerciful manner by…Continue reading Gallup’s Moral Bankruptcy