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MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell faces a nervous wait after a hearing to determine if he will stand trial on historical sexual offence charges adjourned Thursday. After four weeks of witness statements, and cross-examinations by Pell’s lawyers, magistrate Belinda Wallington retired to decide if there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial. A decision is expected some time in April. The 76-year-old, who is a […]
VATICAN CITY, Holy See (AFP) — Three nuns lashed out on Friday against the menial work they have to do for clergymen, often for no money, in a rare public criticism of the Catholic Church’s male hierarchy. “Some sisters employed by clergymen get up at dawn to prepare breakfast and only go to bed once dinner has been served, the house cleaned and the laundry washed and ironed,” said Sister Marie, who came to Rome […]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Prosecutors Friday withdrew one of multiple historical sexual offence charges against Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell ahead of his committal hearing next week. The 76-year-old, a top adviser to Pope Francis, has taken leave to fight the allegations which relate to incidents that allegedly occurred long ago. The exact details and nature of the accusations have not been made public, other than they involve “multiple complainants”. A preliminary hearing […]
by Olivier Baube Agence France Presse VATICAN CITY, Holy See (AFP) — The Vatican said Saturday it has renewed its anti-pedophile panel as Pope Francis acts to quell the global scandal over the sexual abuse of children by priests. The panel had come under fire from two high-profile members, former sex abuse victims who quit at what they saw as a lack of reform and obstruction at the highest level of the Catholic Church. […]
IQUIQUE, Chile (AFP) — Pope Francis on Thursday strongly defended a Chilean bishop accused of covering up a priest’s sexual abuse of minors. “The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, then I will speak,” the pope said in response to a journalist’s question about the 61-year-old bishop, appointed by Francis in 2015 despite being accused of covering up another priest’s abuse of boys. “There is not a single piece of proof against […]
by Catherine Marciano Agence France Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Pope Francis on Tuesday opened his visit to Chile by asking forgiveness for child sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in the South American country. “I cannot begin to express the pain and shame that I feel over the irreparable harm caused to children on the part of Church ministers,” the 81-year-old pontiff said. “I would like to join with my […]
(Eagle News) — Catholic Church’s Pope Francis did not address directly the controversial sex abuse scandals confronting at least 80 priests in Chile, in his recent video message released by the Vatican ahead of his scheduled visit in Chile and Peru. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, said that he would be conveying his message of peace and hope to both countries, which had been rocked by sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests and […]
By Agence France Presse VATICAN CITY (AFP) — The Vatican has taken control of a Catholic movement in Peru whose founder is accused of sexual abuse, just days before the pontiff visits the country. Pope Francis has been “following with concern” developments at the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV) and the investigation into its scandal-hit founder Luis Fernando Figari, the Vatican said Wednesday. Figari and several other high-ranking figures in the lay organisation have been […]
by Giovanna Fleitas Agence France-Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Almost 80 Roman Catholic clergies have been accused of sexually abusing children in Chile since 2000, a US-based monitoring group said Wednesday ahead of a visit to the country next week by Pope Francis. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has spoken out against such abuse, which has rocked the church for years but has faced calls to improve accountability and transparency. BishopAccountability.org compiled its database […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell arrived back in Australia on Monday ahead of a court appearance later this month over historical sex abuse charges. The 76-year-old, a top advisor to Pope Francis, touched down in Sydney and was met by security before being whisked away in a waiting car. He has been ordered to face a Melbourne court on July 26 for a preliminary hearing on multiple sexual assault charges […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Australian police were Wednesday deciding whether to charge Vatican finance chief George Pell over historic sex abuse allegations after receiving final advice from prosecutors. Cardinal Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric, was interviewed in Rome by Australian detectives last October over the assault claims, which he has strenuously denied. The allegations came from two men, now in their 40s, who said he groped them in summer 1978-79 at the Eureka pool […]
by Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere VATICAN City (AFP) — Many words, little action: three years after Pope Francis’s election, victims of priest sex abuse are bitter and disappointed, accusing the Church of having failed to punish guilty clerics and end a culture of complacency on the issue. The recent Australian Royal Commission hearings of Vatican number three George Pell and a preliminary criminal probe into accusations that Lyon’s archbishop, Philippe Barbarin, covered up for a paedophile […]
