Report: Catholic Church Offered Sexual Abuse Victim Money To Lie In Court

February 17, 2020 By Michael Stone

Despicable: A new report details how the Catholic Church offered a young man and his family over $16,000 to lie about being repeatedly raped by a priest when he was only 12-years-old.

Associated Press reports on a deal the Catholic Church tried to force on a desperate family in Italy devestated by the sexual abuse and rape of their 12-year-old boy:

The terms: Martínez’s family would receive 15,000 euros ($16,300) from the order. But in return, her son would have to recant the testimony he gave to Milan prosecutors that the priest had repeatedly assaulted him when he was a 12-year-old student at the order’s youth seminary in northern Italy. He would have to lie.

“He would have to lie.”

The blatant immorality of offering large sums of money to victims in order to get them to lie under oath in a court of law in an attempt to protect pedophiles from prosecution is simply despicable.

Indeed, there can be no doubt: the Catholic Church is a criminal conspiracy devoted to protecting pedophile priests, and covering up the rape and sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy.

For the record, it has been established beyond a shadow of doubt that the Catholic Church is filled with pedophile priests who rape and sexually abuse children with impunity and without fear of punishment from church leaders or secular authorities.

In fact, we have known for decades that the Catholic Church was protecting and enabling pedophile priests. We have also known for decades that the church has made considerable efforts to deny the charges, always trying to deny and push accusations under the rug, often by re-victimizing the children raped and sexually abused by priests in the first place.

Yet despite overwhelming evidence that the Catholic Church is a profoundly and irredeemably morally corrupt institution that allows children to be treated as disposable sex toys for predatory clergy, Catholics continue to support the church. In so doing Catholics fund the cover-up, and make the continuing rape and sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy possible.

In short, supporting the Catholic Church means supporting the rape and sexual abuse of children. And that means that every practicing Catholic is complicit in the rape and sexual abuse of children by predatory priests. Full stop.

Bottom line: The Catholic Church offered a young man and his family over $16,000 to lie in court and deny the fact that he had been repeatedly raped by a priest when he was only 12-years-old.

Report: Catholic Church Offered Abuse Victim Money To Lie In Court (Image via YouTube)

Report: Catholic Church Spent $10.6 Million To Lobby Against Victims Of Child Sex Abuse

June 10, 2019 By Michael Stone

Re-victimizing the victims: In yet another example of moral failure, a new report shows the Catholic Church spent $10.6 million to lobby against legislation that would benefit victims of child sex abuse.

CBS News reports:

A new report released Tuesday reveals that, over the past eight years, the Catholic Church has spent $10.6 million in the northeastern United States to fight legislation that would help victims of clergy sexual abuse seek justice.

The new report, called “Church Influencing State: How the Catholic Church Spent Millions Against Survivors of Clergy Abuse,” paints an alarming and unflattering picture of the Catholic Church using millions of dollars to fight legislation that would allow the many survivors of rape and sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy to find some modicum of justice.

The 10.6 million figure reflects only the money spent in the northeastern United States, the totl for the entire country would of course be much higher.

The following is a breakdown of the money spent state by state:

Pennsylvania – $5,322,579
New York – $2,912,772
Connecticut – $875,261
New Jersey – $633,458
Massachusetts – $537,551
New Hampshire – $134,345
Maine – $124,260
Rhode Island – $61,961

CBS News explains with some examples:

In New York, for example, the Catholic Church spent $2,912,772 lobbying against the Child Victims Act, which Governor Andrew Cuomo ultimately signed into law on February 14, 2019. The act gives survivors more time to seek justice against their abusers, increasing the age at which victims are able to sue from 23 to 55.

Similarly, in Pennsylvania — where in 2018 a grand jury report detailed evidence of more than 300 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 children — the Catholic Church spent $5,322,979 lobbying to keep current restrictions in place on the statute of limitations in which victims can seek criminal or civil charges against their abusers.

Gerald Williams, a partner at Williams Cedar, one of four law firms that jointly commissioned the report, told CBS News that the data makes it clear that the Church is not standing with the survivors, but standing against the survivors:

We represent hundreds of people, who have truly been victimized by clergymen in the Catholic Church. We’ve heard a lot about the church’s desire to be accountable and turn over a new leaf. But when we turn to the form where we can most help people and where we can get the most justice — the courts of justice — the church has been there blocking their efforts.

They make a lot of positive statements, but when the Church literally puts its money where its mouth is, it’s on the side of self-protection and not help for the survivors. I believe the church has a long way to go to show that it stands with survivors. I believe that these data indicate that it’s not standing with the survivors, that in fact it’s standing against the survivors.

Bottom line: The Catholic Church is spending millions of dollars lobbying politicians to prevent changes in the law that would allow victims of predator priests to seek justice. In essence, the Catholic Church is re-victimizing the children raped and sexually assaulted by Catholic clergy.

Remember, if you support the Catholic Church, you support the rape and sexual abuse of children. Full stop.

Report: Catholic Church Spent $10.6 Million To Lobby Against Victims Of Child Sex Abuse (Image via YouTube)

MAGA Hat Wearing Covington Catholic Students Abuse Native American Veteran

January 19, 2019 By Michael Stone

MAGA hat wearing Covington Catholic High School students are caught on video surrounding and abusing a Native American veteran during an Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C.

In a viral video a large group of young white men wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats can be seen surrounding and abusing Nathan Phillips, an elderly Native American and Vietnam War veteran.

In the video, the young men, identified as Covington Catholic High School students from Kentucky, can be seen chanting, mocking, and harrassing Phillips on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

BuzzFeed News notes:

One of the teens can be seen standing face-to-face with the elder, smirking and saying nothing, while the man sang and played a drum.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports:

Covington Catholic High School students surrounded, intimidated and chanted over Native Americans singing about indigenous peoples’ strength and spirit, according to interviews with attendees of the inaugural Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C.

The Hill reports:

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) condemned a group of young students for displaying “blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance” in a viral video apparently taken during Friday’s Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C.

In a statement via Twitter Congresswoman Deb Haaland said:

This Veteran put his life on the line for our country. The students’ display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking.

This Veteran put his life on the line for our country. The students’ display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking. https://t.co/NuPnYu9FP4

— Congresswoman Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) January 19, 2019

In an attempt at damage control, Covington Catholic High School and the Diocese of Covington issued a joint statement Saturday.

In the statement the school and Diocese of Covington said they were reviewing the incident and they would “take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.” The statement read in part:

We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.

We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement.

Supporting The Catholic Church Means Supporting The Rape And Sexual Abuse Of Children

August 15, 2018 By Michael Stone

The truth hurts: Make no mistake, if you support the Catholic Church, you support the rape and sexual abuse of children.

Earlier this week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court released a sweeping grand jury report on child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. The report documents the rape and sexual abuse of more than a 1,000 children by more than 300 “predatory priests.

Even more damning, the report describes in detail the systematic and widespread effort of church leaders to cover-up the crimes, and in so doing church leaders protected and enabled pedophile priests to continue to rape and sexually abuse children.

The grand jury report explains in great detail that the rape and sexual abuse of children were not isolated incidents, but widespread and systematic, and occurred with the full knowledge and tacit approval of church leaders:

The abuse was occurring not only by its own people, but on its own property. Children were raped in places of worship, in schools, and in diocesan owned vehicles, and were groomed through diocesan programs and retreats. The bishops weren’t just aware of what was going on; they were immersed in it. And they went to great lengths to keep it secret.

However, the report does not come as a surprise. In an important sense, the report is old news, and only confirms what everybody learned a long time ago: the Catholic Church is filled with pedophile priests who rape and sexually abuse children with impunity and without fear of punishment from church leaders or secular authorities.

NPR reports:

In 2002, The Boston Globe revealed that Catholic authorities in the Boston Archdiocese had engaged in a massive cover-up of sex crimes committed by area priests, and investigations in other parts of the country have since uncovered similar patterns of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy. The ongoing scandals amount to a deepening church crisis.

Bottom line: If you support the Catholic Church, you support the rape and sexual abuse of children. Full stop.

Supporting The Catholic Church Means Supporting The Rape And Sexual Abuse Of Children (Image via Wikimedia)

Catholic Church Claims Child Sex Abuse Victims ‘Consented’

August 21, 2017 By Michael Stone

To avoid compensating child sex abuse victims in the U.K., the Catholic Church claims victims “consented” to being raped and sexually abused by Catholic clergy.

In a deplorable but not surprising revelation the Catholic Church in the U.K. has been caught exploiting a legal loophole to deny child victims of sexual abuse compensation for their suffering at the hands of Catholic clergy.

According to multiple reports, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, a government agency, has denied children raped and assaulted by Catholic clergy financial settlements because the victims are said to have “consented” to their abuse.

In the U.K. children under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sexual activity. However, in a move favorable to the financial interests of the Catholic Church, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is using a different set of criteria to decide whether victims are eligible for compensation.

The criteria ignores criminal law and “considers consent as a question of fact.” The criteria, which is most favorable to the financial interests of the Catholic Church, leads to the following paradoxical claim:

A victim can consent in fact even though in law they may be deemed not to have consented.

In other words, the absurd criteria protects the financial interests of the Catholic Church by asserting that underage victims of sexual assault at the hands of Catholic clergy may be found to have consented to their assault.

And lawyers for the Catholic Church are happy to use this deplorable and despicable strategy of blaming and shaming victims in order to save the church a little bit of money.

For example, in one case, lawyers representing the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark claimed that the rape of a 15-year-old “actually occurred in the context of a consensual relationship.”

About the deplorable and despicable strategy of the Catholic Church, the victim said:

I was below the legal age of consent anyway and there’s a grooming element to that kind of situation. It was totally disregarded and it made me feel really small.

Another example involves the rape of a 12-year-old girl:

One case that the charity Victim Support brought attention to involved a 12-year-old girl who was given alcohol, brought into woodland and then sexually assaulted… The girl was denied compensation because she had “voluntarily” gone into the woods with the man.

Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield denounced the new legal strategy, noting that no child gives their “consent” to being sexually abused by Catholic clergy:

No child ever gives their ‘consent’ to being abused, and the increased use of this line of defense, although still quite rare, is worrying.

I have contacted the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) previously and again recently about this issue and the government should look urgently at what can be done to tackle it…

Responding to the story, and in a rather pathetic attempt at damage control, the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark claims it “supports the right of anyone who has suffered harm to seek compensation.”

Bottom line: The Catholic Church is an immoral and despicable organization that will protect pedophile priests while they blame and shame children in a vain attempt to protect the church’s reputation and save a little bit of money.

Catholic Church Claims Child Sex Abuse Victims ‘Consented’ (Image via Twitter)

‘Spotlight’ Exposes Child Sex Abuse in Catholic Church, Wins Oscar For Best Picture

February 29, 2016 By Michael Stone

“Spotlight,” a powerful film exploring the widespread sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, wins big at the 2016 Academy Awards.

The movie, which chronicles the Boston Globe’s explosive investigation into child sex abuse by Catholic priests, won best picture.The film also won best original screenplay.

“Spotlight” documents the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered a massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core, and exposing the profound immorality of the corrupt institution.

Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams lead a critically acclaimed cast in this gripping true story about the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that uncovered the scandal that rocked the Catholic Church.

Speaking on stage at the awards ceremony, producer Michael Sugar said:

This film gave a voice to survivors. And this film amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican.

Pope Francis, it is time to protect the children…

However, the sad fact is, Pope Francis is not protecting children, and the Catholic church continues to protect pedophile priests who rape and sexually abuse children.

Earlier this month, in a disturbing revelation, a newly released Catholic church document informs bishops they don’t have to report accusations of clerical child abuse to the police.

Bottom line: “Spotlight“ is a moving look into the decades-long cover-up of child abuse within the Catholic Church, and a fantastic story about the power of investigative journalism.

Vatican: Catholic Bishops Not Required To Report Sexual Abuse To Police

February 15, 2016 By Michael Stone

The Catholic church continues to protect pedophile priests who rape and sexually abuse children.

In a disturbing revelation, a newly released Catholic church document informs bishops they don’t have to report accusations of clerical child abuse to the police.

The recently released Vatican training document for new bishops reads:

According to the state of civil laws of each country where reporting is obligatory, it is not necessarily the duty of the bishop to report suspects to authorities, the police or state prosecutors in the moment when they are made aware of crimes or sinful deeds.

In short, for the Catholic Church, obeying the law is optional, and protecting pedophile priests from criminal prosecution is always an option.

The disturbing document emphasises that, though they must be aware of local laws, a bishop’s only duty was to address allegations of child sexual abuse internally, thus giving bishops permission to break local laws that usually mandate the reporting of crimes like the sexual abuse of children.

The training guideline was written by French monsignor Tony Anatrella, a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Family, and released by the Vatican earlier this month.

The Vatican has declined to comment on the story, however, Catholic apologists are attempting damage control, and trying to minimize the disturbing if not surprising story.

It is no secret that Catholic priests have been sexually abusing children for decades, if not centuries. Last year the National Catholic Reporter issued a report stating that between 1950 and 2015 the church had paid out $4 billion in settlements related to the rampant sexual abuse of children by pedophile priests.

Bottom line: Despite pledges from Pope Francis to clean up the church, the horror continues, and the Catholic Church continues to protect and enable members of the clergy who rape and sexually abuse children.

For a moving look into the decades-long cover-up of child abuse within the Catholic Church see the critically acclaimed film Spotlight.

Stay in touch! Like Progressive Secular Humanist Examiner on Facebook:

Progressive Secular Humanist Examiner

Sexual Abuse Claims Cost U.S. Catholic Church $4 Billion

November 4, 2015 By Michael Stone

Priests raping and sexually abusing children has cost the U.S. Catholic Church nearly $4 billion according to a new investigation from the National Catholic Reporter (NCR).

NCR reports that between 1950 and August of this year, the church has paid out $3,994,797,060.10 in settlements related to the rampant sexual abuse of children by pedophile priests.

NCR explains:

That figure is based on a three-month investigation of data, including a review of more than 7,800 articles gleaned from LexisNexis Academic and NCR databases, as well as information from BishopAccountability.org and from reports from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Up until now, “nearly $3 billion” has been the most widely cited figure by media, academics and activists for the cost to the U.S. church for clergy sex abuse and its cover-up. NCR research shows that figure is too low, probably by as much as a billion dollars — and perhaps much more.

In addition to the $4 Billion paid out in lawsuit settlements, NCR reports that other scandal-related consequences such as lost membership and diverted giving has cost the church more than $2.3 billion annually for the past 30 years.

Yet despite pledges from Pope Francis to clean up the church, the horror continues, and the Catholic Church continues to protect and enable clergy members who rape and sexually abuse children.

A recently released investigative report finds the Catholic Church has allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children in the United States and Europe to relocate to poor parishes located in South American countries like Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

It is no secret that Catholic priests have been sexually abusing children for decades, if not centuries. This most recent report only serves to confirm what many already suspected: nothing has changed – the Catholic Church continues to protect and enable pedophile priests.

As always, it is the children who suffer.

(H/T Friendly Atheist)

Cardinal George Pell Released On Technicality, Sexual Abuse Convictions Overturned

April 7, 2020 By Michael Stone

Miscarriage of Justice: Former top Vatican official Cardinal George Pell has been released from prison after Australia’s High Court overturns his conviction for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys in the mid-1990s.

Associated Press reports:

Cardinal George Pell welcomed Australia’s highest court clearing him of child sex crimes Tuesday and said his trial had not been a referendum on the Catholic Church’s handling of the clergy abuse crisis.

Pell, Pope Francis’ former finance minister, had been the most senior Catholic found guilty of sexually abusing children and spent 13 months in prison before seven High Court judges unanimously dismissed his convictions.

The Conversation reports Pell won his appeal on a legal technicality, noting:

The High Court decision may undermine confidence in the legal system, especially in child sexual abuse prosecutions.

Last year Pell was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in the late 1990s.

Before being convicted, Pell was Australia’s highest ranking Catholic, and served as the Vatican’s Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy. In addition, he was a close adviser and friend to Pope Francis.

In fact, Pell is the highest ranking Vatican official to ever go on trial for sex abuse, and was the highest ranking Vatican official to be convicted of crimes concerning sexual abuse before his conviction was overturned.

According to reports the victims were altar boys in the choir at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and were sexually abused by Pell inside the church.

About his crimes, CNN reports:

After mass one Sunday in the late 1990s… Pell caught two choirboys drinking communion wine in the priest’s sacristy and one by one forced them to engage in sex acts, despite their sobs and pleas for him to let them go.

Prior to the appeal, lawyers for Cardinal Pell had asked for leniency because the rapes were “no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case.”

Robert Richter, the lawyer for Cardinal Pell, told the court that the rape of two choir boys was no big deal, describing the crime as:

No more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where the child is not actively participating…

Bottom line: Cardinal George Pell is free after his convictions for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys were overturned by Australia’s High Court on a legal technicality.

Cardinal George Pell Released On Technicality, Sexual Abuse Convictions Overturned (Image via YouTube)

Catholic Priest Claims Voting Pro-Choice Is Worse Than Raping Children

February 10, 2020 By Michael Stone

Callous cruelty: Minimizing the rape and sexual abuse of children, a Catholic priest in Rhode Island claims voting pro-choice is much worse that raping children because “pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone.”

Newsweek reports:

CATHOLIC PRIEST SAYS ‘PEDOPHILIA DOESN’T KILL ANYONE’ AFTER BARRING PRO-ABORTION LAWMAKERS FROM COMMUNION

A priest in Rhode Island has defended his decision to ban all lawmakers who voted in favor enshrining abortion protections under state law from receiving communion at his parish.

In yet another display of the profound moral failure and callous cruelty that permeates the leadership of the Catholic church, Father Richard Bucci of Rhode Island defended his decision to to ban all pro-choice lawmakers from receiving communion by minimizing the devastating consequences of Catholic clergy raping children.

Trying to justify his decision to deny pro-choice Catholic lawmakers communion as well as the ability to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church functions, Father Bucci of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick said:

We are not talking about any other moral issue, where some may make it a comparison between pedophilia and abortion. Pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone, and this does.

Father Bucci added:

Now, I don’t know what else I have to say about it, this is the teaching of the church. The Canon Law of the church, the Second Vatican Council, and the First Catechism of the church. I don’t know what more evidence I should have to present.

For the record, pedophilia is not a harmless activity, and often the victims of pedophile priests are driven to suicide.

Previously, in a flyer distributed by the Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick, Father Bucci declared:

In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island’s members of Congress.

The Hill explains the facts leading up to Bucci’s outrageous remarks concerning pedophilia:

State Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D) said Bucci told her to leave a relative’s funeral and forbade her to deliver a eulogy. McEntee’s older sister has previously testified that she was sexually abused as a child by a then-priest at Sacred Heart, the channel reported.

“If he wants to weigh the heinous crime that his predecessor committed on my sister, compared to what he believes I did wrong by voting for what I believe is right for the people of the state of Rhode Island, I don’t think they even compare,” McEntee said Monday.

In response to State Rep. McEntee’s remarks, the callous and cruel Father Bucci declared:

Pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone.

Bottom line: Father Richard Bucci of Rhode Island defends his decision to ban pro-choice lawmakers from receiving communion at his parish by minimizing the rape and sexual abuse of children because “pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone.”