church sex abuse News

Church Officials Clear Chicago Priest of Abuse Claim

CHICAGO (AP) โ€“ A prominent Roman Catholic priest known for his activism has been reinstated as leader of his Chicago parish after being cleared by church officials of allegations that he sexually abused a minor decades ago. The Chicago Archdiocese …

Rochester Diocese, Insurers Plan for January Hearing on $147M Sexual Abuse Settlement

Insurers and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester have agreed on a schedule for discovery and a bankruptcy court trial regarding a proposed $147 million settlement to cover sex abuse claims against the church. The proposed settlement was reached after …

Maine Catholic Diocese Sued Under Abuse Law Change It Opposed

The first lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland since Maine took away a limitation on claims of child sexual abuse were filed last week. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a law last year that allowed victims to bring …

Southern Baptist Sex Abuse Task Force Advances in Investigation

The Rev. Marshall Blalock feels the weight of his new responsibility. The South Carolina pastor serves as vice chair of a recently formed Southern Baptist Convention task force charged with overseeing an investigation into how a top denominational committee handled …

Pennsylvania Moves Closer to Allowing Lawsuits by Child Sex Abuse Victims

For the first time, prominent Republican state senators on Wednesday put their support behind legislation in Pennsylvania to change the law to allow now-adult victims of child sexual abuse to sue the perpetrators or institutions that did not prevent it …

Southern Baptists Under Pressure to Deal with Sex Abuse Claims

The Southern Baptist Convention gathers for its annual national meeting Tuesday with one sobering topic โ€” sex abuse by clergy and staff โ€” overshadowing all others. Inside the meeting hall in Birmingham, Alabama, delegates representing the nation’s largest Protestant denomination …

$1.3M From Archdiocese in Washington to Settle Sex Abuse Case

The Seattle Archdiocese in Washington has paid $1.3 million to settle a sex-abuse lawsuit involving a former member of a religious order who taught in its schools. A man sued the archdiocese in 2015, alleging the church knew Edward Courtney …

Catholic Church in Hartford Battles Insurer Over Priest Sex Abuse Claim Payments

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford has taken its dispute with an insurance company to trial, seeking reimbursement of more than $1 million in payments made to settle sexual misconduct cases involving priests and minors. Testimony began last Friday in …

Priest Sex Abuse Alleged in Another Hawaii Suit

Another lawsuit against the Catholic Church in Hawaii claims that a former Bishop sexually abused a boy who went to him to report he had been abused by another priest. Attorneys for the 59-year-old Honolulu man filed the suit last …

Florida Jury Awards $12.5M in Baptist Minister Sex Abuse Case

A central Florida jury has awarded $12.5 million in damages to a young man who was sexually abused by a Baptist minister when he was a child. But an attorney for the Florida Baptist Convention said that the organization would …