12/1/10 - 1/1/11 | VATICAN CRIMES IN USA

Monsignor defrocked in NYC sex abuse scandal

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

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Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Roman Catholic tribunal has defrocked a monsignor who once led fundraising for the Archdiocese of New York after deciding he had molested a teenage student in the 1980s.

The panel's action against Monsignor Charles Kavanagh came eight years after a middle-aged man came forward and claimed that the clergyman had touched him in appropriately and climbed into his bed during a trip to Washington D.C.

Kavanagh insists he didn't do it.

His sister and lawyer, Ann Mandt, says the church's decision was an attempt to cover up its mishandling of other sex abuse cases by cracking down on an innocent man.

She says her 73-year-old brother "will never give up his fight for justice."

Kavanagh had been the archdiocese's vicar of development in the 1990s.

New York priest defrocked for child sex abuse

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December 18, 2010

A high-ranking New York priest has been found guilty by a church tribunal of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s, according to a statement obtained Saturday from the Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Monsignor Charles M. Kavanagh was dismissed from the priesthood following the decision Wednesday by the tribunal, which was acting on authority from the Vatican.

The accuser, a former seminary student of Kavanagh's, brought the case to the Manhattan district attorney in 2002. He then wrote to Edward Cardinal Egan, the former Archbishop of New York, informing him of his claim, according to the Office of Communications for the Archdiocese.

Between July 2002 and July 2003 the district attorney's office worked closely with the Archdiocese and found the allegations to be credible. Following an initial investigation that was conducted under the policies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of New York, Kavanagh's priestly faculties were removed, according to Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the New York diocese. Kavanagh was instructed not to engage in any active ministry or even appear to be a priest.

Priest Sex Abuse Victims Turn Down Money, Want Full Disclosure

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December 17, 2010

MILWAUKEE -- The victims of sex abuse in Milwaukee want the release of all the archdiocese's records relating to sexual abuse by priests.The archdiocese said it's released all relevant records, but the plaintiffs said it's not enough. On Friday, one of the archdiocese's highest-ranking officials broke ranks to support the plaintiffs.

"It is an action that I'm personally appalled by. As a priest, as a Catholic, as a bishop that even any of this ever happened," Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said of the sexual abuse.Listecki said the archdiocese can't come to terms with a dozen sexual abuse victims who claim church officials shuffled pedophile priests from church to church and destroyed evidence to hide their actions."How did it get this bad?" 12 News reporter Colleen Henry asked."What we know today had we known back then, certainly there would have been a different response from ourselves, but (also) others in civil authorities," Listecki said.

Listecki said the plaintiffs refused the archdiocese's $4.6 million settlement offer. The plaintiffs said they wanted the release of all records related to priest abuse. The archbishop said the archdiocese has already released all relevant records.

High-Ranking NY Priest Defrocked For Molestation

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The highest ranking New York-based priest accused of molestation was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenager by a church tribunal last week. Monsignor Charles Kavanagh, who formerly led St. Raymond's parish in the Bronx, and was the chief fund-raiser for the Archdiocese of New York, was dismissed from the clergy following the guilty verdict on Friday. "I would like to take this occasion to renew our apologies to all those who have been harmed by the sin and crime of sexual abuse, and in particular to the gentleman who was the victim in this case," said Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

In 2002, Daniel Donohue came forward after 30 years to accuse Kavanagh of abuse while he attended Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Manhattan. Kavanagh was found guilty of two lewd acts against Donohue; Kavanagh allegedly jumped on top of Donohue while the teen was lying on a rectory couch, and climbing into his hotel bed, wearing just his underwear, while they attended a pro-life rally in DC in the '70s. Donohue told the Post that he had been haunted by the abuse for years: "My poor wife has seen my suffering and my screaming in the night."

After an initial investigation, during which he was removed from his Bronx church, Kavanagh was found guilty by a three-priest tribunal, who recommended he be defrocked; even though he wasn't charged with a crime by civil authorities, the tribunal is the highest legal body in the Church, which makes his defrocking permanent. Kavanagh's sister, attorney Anne Mandt, maintained his innocence, and said the archdiocese never gave Kavanagh due process, refused to reveal the evidence against him, and ignored the sworn testimony of almost 20 witnesses. "The archdiocese went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that this good priest would be judged guilty of something, anything," she said.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Former Rochester priest accused of sexual abuse

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Posted at: 12/12/2010 9:28 PM | Updated at: 12/13/2010 8:49 AM

A priest in the Rochester Catholic Diocese has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of sexual abuse of a minor dating back to the late 1970s.

The diocese says Reverend Dennis Shaw was serving at the now-closed St. Francis of Assisi Church in Rochester when the abuse occurred. He has been serving as parochial administrator of holy family church in auburn since 2005. He has been placed on administrative leave and his priestly facilities have been withdrawn. He can no longer exercise public ministry in any capacity.

Rev. Shaw was ordained on March 22, 1974. After ordination, he served at Blessed Sacrament Church until 1977; St. Francis of Assisi Church, Rochester from 1977-1987; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Rochester, 1987-1993; the Community of Hope (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel/St. Michael's/Holy Redeemer/St. Francis) 1993-2005.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.

NY priest placed on leave after sex abuse claim

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Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A priest accused of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s has been placed on administrative by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

In a statement released by the diocese, church officials said the Rev. Dennis Shaw was serving at the now-closed St. Francis of Assisi Church in Rochester when the abuse occurred in the late 1970s.

The diocese says the allegation was deemed credible after an investigation by church officials.

Shaw recently served as parochial administrator of Holy Family Church in Auburn. He has been a priest for more than 35 years.

Local Catholic Priest Accused of Abuse

(2010-12-13)

ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - A Rochester area priest is being placed on administrative leave in connection with allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.

In a statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester says the allegations against Reverend Dennis Shaw are credible.

The accusation dates back to the late 1970's, when Shaw was at St Francis of Assisi Church, which has since been closed. Shaw has served at a number of parishes in and around Rochester, most recently at Holy Family Church in Auburn.

Group accuses bishop of destroying abuse-related files

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A victims' advocacy group has accused Bishop David Zubik of destroying the records of priest sex abusers when he was bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wis., but the bishop says he was following federal law regarding medical records and that no cases that were legally active were involved.

"The accusations made by SNAP are totally without substance," he said in a statement yesterday.

Bishop Zubik led the Diocese of Green Bay from 2003 to 2007, when Pope Benedict XVI returned him to his native Pittsburgh.

On Tuesday the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked for a court injunction preventing the Diocese of Green Bay from destroying any priest personnel files, and also asked the U.S. attorney for Eastern Wisconsin to investigate Bishop Zubik and Green Bay diocesan officials for "possible obstruction of justice."

Ann Rodgers: arodgers@post-gazette.com

First published on December 21, 2010 at 5:49 pm

No bail for Irish priest accused of sex abuse

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The Associated Press
Friday, December 17, 2010; 7:41 PM

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge has denied bail to a priest who is fighting extradition to his native Ireland where he's wanted on sex abuse charges.

Irish authorities accuse Patrick Joseph McCabe of molesting six boys from 1973 to 1981.

The San Francisco judge agreed Friday with prosecutors who argued that McCabe is a flight risk if freed.

McCabe also is the subject of several lawsuits by alleged victims in California. They accuse the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa of allowing McCabe to serve as a priest in 1983 even though they knew of sex abuse allegations dating back to the 1970s.

McCabe's lawyer, Robert Beles, says his 74-year-old client denies the charges. Beles says bail was unjustly denied because of "hysteria" surrounding church sex abuse cases on both sides of the Atlantic.

Is Immaculate Ejaculate in L.A. priest personnel files, as in new book by Albuquerque victim?

Monday, December 20, 2010

City of Angels Blog

“Who do you tell that a priest said God wants you to masturbate with him?”- Albuquerque victim. “Roman Catholic dogma holds that its clergy are representatives of God and Christ on Earth,” defense attorney for pedophile priests.

Two different items that came across my desk Tuesday show the current state of miscommunication between the Catholic Church and thousands of people who came forward as victims of pedophile priests in the past decade. So in this post City of Angels Blog is running coinciding quotes from the two pieces.

First source, yet another document in the Church's ongoing effort to prevent priest personnel files, promised in 510 abuse cases settled in L.A. in 2007, from even being turned over to a mediating judge for possible release to the public. Filed Dec. 1 in L.A. Superior Court, we have quotes from "Declaration of Donald Steier," attorney for L.A. Archdiocese who defends numerous priests in California. Second source is a book published last month, by one victim of one priest in Albuquerque co-written with a local reporter. “Raped: Memories of a Catholic Altar Boy” delivers graphic accounts of Fr. Robert John Smith's excapades with a teenage boy in New Mexico motel rooms in the 1970s.

ALSO AT CofA Blog today:

PHOTO: Jim Robertson Cuffed to Mahony on-altar throne in 2005 L.A. demonstration, EXCLUSIVE at CofA Blog

Photo from the day in September 2005 when Jim Robertson handcuffed himself to Cardinal Roger Mahony's throne-like chair, during a demonstration at the Cathedral in Los Angeles, posted first here at CofA...

[Email from Kay Ebeling, reporting from the City of Angels, which is everywhere.]

Knights of Columbus sued over sexual abuse claims

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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December 14, 2010

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Two men have sued the Knights of Columbus alleging they were sexually abused decades ago by a leader of the Catholic fraternal organization's youth program.

Jeffrey Herman, attorney for the men, said he believes the lawsuits are the first against the Knights of Columbus, the largest lay Catholic organization in the world, to allege sexual abuse of children.

The lawsuits allege Juan "Julian" Rivera, a former leader of the Columbian Squires in Brownsville, Texas, abused the men in the 1970s and '80s when they were boys.

A message was left for Rivera with the Squires in Texas.

Patrick Korten, senior vice president for the New Haven-based Knights, said the organization has long had a program to ensure the safety of children. He said he would respond to the allegations later Tuesday.

ID Priest accused of sex abuse stripped of duties

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Associated Press - December 13, 2010 4:54 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest from Idaho who was accused of sexually abusing a minor in the 1980s has been sanctioned and can no longer serve as a priest .

The sanctions approved by Pope Benedict XVI involve Rev. William R. Gould, who most recently was assigned to a parish in Post Falls.

Gould was placed on administrative leave in May by Bishop Michael Driscoll amid allegations that he engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with a male under 18. An investigation followed and results were sent to the Vatican.

On Monday, Gould was barred from taking part in any ministry activities within the church and lost his ability to function as a priest.

The allegations date back 29 years ago when Gould was assigned to a parish in Idaho Falls.

NY priest placed on leave after sex abuse claim

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The Wall Street Journal
Associated Press
December 13, 2010

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A priest accused of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s has been placed on administrative by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

In a statement released by the diocese, church officials said the Rev. Dennis Shaw was serving at the now-closed St. Francis of Assisi Church in Rochester when the abuse occurred in the late 1970s.

The diocese says the allegation was deemed credible after an investigation by church officials.

Shaw recently served as parochial administrator of Holy Family Church in Auburn. He has been a priest for more than 35 years.