Abuse allegations decline

and Italian bishop pushes back on "gay priest" news

Author

Holy Scrollers
January 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Good morning Holy Scrollers!

Good morning! We hope you’re staying warm in this winter storm sweeping much of the country. It’s perfect weather for a hot mug of coffee and some Catholic news. Let’s jump right in…

In this week’s edition:

  • A decrease in abuse allegations

  • Developments in Cuba

  • Italian bishop pushes back

  • and more!

Summary: The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has released data indicating a substantial decline in credible allegations of child abuse by Catholic clergy over the past two decades.

Details:

  • CARA's report indicates that 97% of credible allegations reported in the last 20 years relate to incidents before 2000, with a significant decline in incidents reported after 2000.

  • The 2002 Dallas Charter introduced policies such as background checks and safe environment training, which may have contributed to the decline in cases.

  • Abuse incidents are often reported decades after they occur, suggesting recent numbers may not fully reflect current conditions.

  • The report addresses allegations involving minors and excludes claims against laypersons or cases involving vulnerable adults.

  • U.S. dioceses and eparchies have spent over $700 million on abuse prevention since 2004, and $5 billion on abuse allegations in total - 75% of which went to settlements.

Why we care: This is certainly encouraging news! It is of course important to keep in mind that many of the allegations used in the study were well over 20 years old before being reported, so we may not know for another decade or more the true current state of affairs. That said, the attitude around abuse certainly seems to have shifted. It seems that the Church is generally being more proactive about the issue, with contemporary allegations seemingly being quickly brought to light and condemned. Certainly only time will tell if this is truly the case, but these results are a ray of hope in an otherwise grim abuse track record.

Enjoying our newsletter while drinking your morning coffee? Why not support the pro-life movement, a veteran-owned business, and this newsletter while you’re at it? Be sure to check out North Arrow Coffee Co. for your caffeine supply, and use code HOLYSCROLLERS for 10% off your order!

Source: havanatimes.org

Summary: The Cuban government has agreed to release 553 prisoners following mediation efforts by Pope Francis as part of the Jubilee Year 2025.

Details:

Why we care: We praise God for the release of these prisoners and laud the Holy Father and the Vatican for their role in the process. We pray for increased freedom in Cuba and for the people suffering under the government there. However, we worry about the potential ramifications of removing Cuba from the list of terrorism sponsors. Some may argue that lifting financial limitations could open the door for foreign investment and economic growth, but our fear is that a lack of sanctions could embolden Cuba in their support of anti-American allies and reduces any potential advantage over the regime, especially in terms of human rights. There ought to be a balance between limiting the harm the Cuban government can do without needlessly punishing the citizenry, and we hope that such an arrangement can be found in the near future.

Priestly Ordinations for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate | James Bradley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary: An Italian bishop has refuted claims of a policy shift regarding the ordination of homosexual men, emphasizing that existing guidelines remain unchanged.

Details:

  • The New York Times reported that the Vatican now permits Italian gay men to train for the priesthood, provided they remain celibate.

  • Bishop Manetti clarified that this interpretation misrepresents the Church's stance, reaffirming adherence to established norms.

  • +Manetti explained the difference is in “discernment”, “…helping candidates…identify…an accompaniment to self-knowledge….”

  • The Vatican's position maintains that candidates for the priesthood should not be disqualified based solely on sexual orientation.

  • The Church continues to uphold its traditional teachings on celibacy and chastity for all seminarians.

Why we care: In some aspects this is no news because really there’s not change of policy. That said, the dedication to helping young men better discern their vocation and any hindrances to being an effective priest is laudable. Stereotypes exist for a reason, and we imagine the one of ‘becoming a priest to hide one’s homosexuality from an intolerant society who expects men to marry’ is no different. Truly any sinful proclivity that could be harmful to a man serving as a holy priest should be disqualifying, whether that be homosexual attraction, addictive tendencies, etc. Weeding out the bad seeds before they begin the formation process is the first step in a continued decrease in abuse claims (as discussed above). We hope this policy plays out as such, and we encourage you to continue to pray for our priests and seminarians.

Other Stories

Quote of the Week

“The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it, and their mouths full of its praises. When it is gone, they express their feelings in letters, and can't pass by a tree without carving the name of their beloved in its bark. Thus, to those who love God can never stop thinking about him, longing for him, aspiring to him, and speaking about him. If they could, they would engrave the name of Jesus on the hearts of all humankind."

St. Francis de Sales

Enjoying our newsletter? Share it with your friends!

Want to support Holy Scrollers? Click here 👇️ 

Were you forwarded this email and want to subscribe? Click here 👇️ 

Reply

or to participate.