In September, victims of sexual abuse “upped the ante,” making a serious move to expose and prevent clergy sex crimes and cover-ups at the global level. How? SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (of which I am a member), filed a more than 80-page complaint (with 20,000 pages of documentation) with the International…Continue reading Four Myths About SNAP’s ICC Complaint
California is inundated with civil and criminal clergy sex abuse cases. I realized it was time for an update: Inland Empire Last week in Ontario, Fr. Alex Castillo was sentenced to a year in jail for lewd acts on a child. Although he was only prosecuted for his crimes against one victim, the sentencing report outlined…Continue reading The California Clergy Sex Abuse Powder Keg, Part 2
We must demand more from Archbishop Chaput – more transparency, more support for legislative change, and more accountability. While many Philadelphia Catholic pundits are cheering the recent appointment of Denver Archbishop Chaput to replace Cardinal Rigali, victims remain rightfully wary. We’ve seen first hand how easy it is for church officials replace a priest, vicar general,…Continue reading A Rigali in Chaput’s Clothing
Read my latest post on Technorati here. Being a parent can be downright scary. With a 24-hour news cycle and the media’s love of the scare tactic (“To Catch a Predator,” anyone?), we are constantly bombarded with messages of fear and helplessness when it comes to the safety of our kids. When I present to…Continue reading Four Ways To Protect Your Preschooler
Last week in Kansas City-St. Joseph, the diocese lay review board was called to meet by the bishop to “discuss” recent events involving the sexual abuse of children. Too bad the board got wind of things a few years too late. For those of you who don’t know, Fr. Sean Ratigan was arrested in late…Continue reading The Puppet Show: The Utter Failure of Diocese Lay Review Boards