Sexual Abuse

Back in 1813, a ruling in People v. Philips upheld the clergy-penitent, also known as priest-penitent, privilege in American law.

“It is urgent that there take root throughout the church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse,” Pope Leo XIV said.

“I can’t get away from this,” the teen wrote. “I have a hard time trusting people, especially authority figures.”

Women religious need proactive and effective support from their superiors, safe spaces for reporting allegations and training in safeguarding from the very start of their formation, said Sister Nirmala Nazareth.

“Implementing protocols can be hard — sometimes exhausting — work, but our children are worth it, the pain the survivors have experienced demands it.”

Survivor Jakub Pankowiak said the Polish bishops did not want to set up a fully independent commission to investigate past clergy sex abuse cases.

(OSV News) — While much was done during Pope Francis’ pontificate to tackle the global abuse crisis — a crisis moving at differing speeds in the church, depending on the country …

(OSV News) — Parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, are set to pay a total of $80 million into the diocese’s $150 million bankruptcy settlement, with the funds …

(OSV News) — The Archdiocese of New Orleans has reached a memorandum of understanding with creditors in its long-running bankruptcy case. Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond released a May 21 letter to …

The seal of the confessional is one of the first things Catholic children learn as they are preparing for their first confession. At first, it comes as a shock to …