April 13, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A lawsuit has been brought against Bishop James Timlin and Bishop Joseph Bambera for their part in covering up years of alleged sexual abuse by priests in the Diocese of Scranton. After years of thinking it was “too late” to do anything about their abuse, four men have come forward and accused Father Michael Pulicare, the former assistant pastor of St Joseph’s Parish, of sexual abuse. Pulicare died in 1999 and the church was renamed Divine Mercy of St Joseph, which is located on Davis St in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Each man filed their own separate lawsuit.
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Catholic Church Spends $10M to Fight Statute of Limitations Reforms
April 14, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
According to a recently released report, nationwide the Catholic Church has spent more than $10 million on lobbyists over the last seven years, fighting to keep state statute of limitations reforms from going into effect. The report was commissioned by law firms who represent survivors of clergy sex abuse.
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Buffalo Diocese Sued By New York Attorney General Following Two-Year Investigation
March 24, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
After a two-year investigation, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the Diocese of Buffalo, alleging it covered up allegations of child sexual abuse and misused charitable assets by supporting predatory priests instead of following protocol and reporting them to authorities. Former Bishop Richard Malone and former Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
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West Virginia Supreme Court Rules Religious Institutions Exempt from Consumer Protection Law
March 22, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In an opinion issued in late 2020, the West Virginia Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s claim that the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston violated the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act (CCPA) when it hired “admitted and credibly-accused sexual abusers” to work in schools and camps without warning prospective consumers.” The majority opinion stated that the CCPA does not apply to services offered by religious institutions.
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Catholic Church Parishioners Seek Financial Transparency from Dioceses
March 19, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A survey done by Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) concludes that only five U.S. dioceses are financially transparent. According to its website, VOTF is “a lay organization of faithful Catholics. . .whose mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church.”
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Clergy Sex Abuse Cover-up Sparks Lawsuit Against Diocese of Erie
July 30, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A lawsuit was filed in early July of this year against the Diocese of Erie, alleging fraudulent concealment. A woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, referred to here as ‘Jane Doe’, has alleged that she was molested by Rev. Michael G. Barletta in the 1970s. At the center of the lawsuit is her claim that the Erie Diocese not only covered-up previous allegations against Rev. Barletta, but, more disturbingly, let him remain in active ministry which allowed him the access to later molest her. Her lawsuit explains that she had no idea of the Erie Diocese’s history of protecting child predators until the statewide grand jury report was released in 2018
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Billions of Dollars Hidden by Catholic Church
July 27, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Not only has the Catholic Church been forced to deal with a very public child sex abuse problem, but their past sins are now manifesting into growing financial concerns as the Church struggles to provide restitution to those it wronged.
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Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report Released for Abused Survivors of the Catholic Church
May 5, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
It has been over a year since a Pennsylvania grand jury released the names of 300 Pennsylvania priests accused of sexual abuse. Releasing those names may have helped garner some much-needed momentum for both victims and lawmakers.
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Truth and Reconciliation Commission Proposed to Archdiocese of Seattle
April 27, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A group of “concerned Catholics, abuse survivors and current and former clergy” are calling for a lay-led Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the sexual abuse crisis in the church. Even though the group has acknowledged that the investigation may re-open the wounds of those who have been personally affected, the group’s goal is to rebuild the trust that has been lost throughout the decades of abuse.
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New Jersey Lawsuit Claims Allentown Diocese Covered Up 30 Years of Sexual Abuse
April 17, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A lawsuit filed in New Jersey by a former Diocese of Allentown altar boy claims that the diocese failed to protect him as he was sexually abused for decades. The $50 million suit contends diocese officials turned their backs on the victim and failed to protect him from the abuse even after knowing his abuser was a pedophile.
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Bishops Cover Up in the Diocese of Scranton
April 13, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A lawsuit has been brought against Bishop James Timlin and Bishop Joseph Bambera for their part in covering up years of alleged sexual abuse by priests in the Diocese of Scranton. After years of thinking it was “too late” to do anything about their abuse, four men have come forward and accused Father Michael Pulicare, the former assistant pastor of St Joseph’s Parish, of sexual abuse. Pulicare died in 1999 and the church was renamed Divine Mercy of St Joseph, which is located on Davis St in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Each man filed their own separate lawsuit.
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