In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: January 2025 Edition

Welcome to the first In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup of 2025.

For those who are new here (welcome everyone!), this Reading Roundup is a collection of the latest news and commentary on abuse and institutional betrayal in the Catholic Church, with a particular focus on the United States. Please note that I highlight articles from a variety of sources and perspectives, and inclusion here does not mean that I agree with everything in a given article, only that I think it’s worth reading. If you only have time to read a few pieces this month, I recommend you start with those in bold below.

And if you’re here primarily to listen to the wisdom and perspective of survivors, stay tuned for my next Survivors’ Voices post soon.

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New Report on Abuse in the U.S. Church

• CARA finds substantial decline in credible allegations against clergy

• US Catholics paid more than $5 billion for allegations of sexual abuse of minors over 20 years

• Full Report: Summary of 20 Years of Data Collected Annually for the CARA Survey of Allegations and Costs for U.S. Catholic Dioceses, Eparchies, and Religious Communities of Men

U.S. News

• California: SF Archdiocese removes priest from ministry, survivors file complaints against Archbishop

• California: Former Oxnard priest gets jail time for sex offenses in LA County

• Illinois: Archdiocese of Chicago removes 2 priests from ministry after sex abuse allegations

• Illinois: Relic priest faces warrant, battery charge

• Indiana: Lawsuit claims Archdiocese, diocese, Catholic school, staff failed to report pornography manipulated to resemble students

• Massachusetts: Retired priest and prominent critic of Cardinal Law accused of sexually assaulting Brandeis student in 2014

• New Jersey: Seton Hall president urged to resign after report he knew of sex abuse claims + Seton Hall renews support for school president in wake of POLITICO report

• New York: Long Island parishes forced to pay millions to settle sex abuse claims + Clergy abuse survivors react to New York diocese's bankruptcy settlement

• Washington: Lawmakers renew push to make clergy report child abuse

• Wisconsin: Judge says trial against McCarrick will remain suspended until his death

• Wisconsin: A brief but friendly first meeting between Milwaukee's new archbishop and clergy abuse survivors

• Survivor-led ‘National Healing Garden’ seeks to acknowledge wounds of abuse

Continued Crises in South America

• Argentina: Vatican names special delegates to govern Institute of the Incarnate Word + Allegations emerge against IVE priests and founder

• Bolivia: Abuse survivors hope Justice will be served in Bolivia

• Peru: Pope dissolves Peru-based conservative Catholic movement SCV after abuses uncovered by Vatican + Peru: Sodalitium Christianae Vitae reports it made reparations to 83 victims of abuse

• Peru: Pope ‘disgusted’ by abuse in Peru-based SCV group, ready to act, survivor says

• Peru: Once powerful Opus Dei Cardinal Cipriani denies abuse, confirms disciplinary measures

Other International News

• Australia: The true legacy of George Pell

• France: French bishops call for official government inquiry into Abbé Pierre abuse

• Italy: Italy’s first report on Catholic clerical sex abuse finds more than 60 cases

• Philippines: US watchdog launches database on Catholic priests accused of sex abuse of minors in the Philippines + 10 priests with Cebu ties accused of sexual abuse

• Spain: Toledo abuse case further illustrates snags in seeking justice

• Vatican: ‘Abuse, corruption, dark dealings’: Francis confirms Pope Benedict handed him scandal documents

• Vatican: DDF head on Rupnik: ‘Other cases… are worse’

From Awake

• Survivor Story: Sue S.

• Awake’s Top 10 Blog Posts of 2024

• Courageous Conversation: Understanding How Systems of Power Contribute to Abuse in the Church

Opinion and Analysis

• ‘Sins of the flesh’ hurt innocent people: Pope Francis should take them more seriously

• Even Religious People Don’t Trust Religious Institutions

• Why is Seton Hall hiding this sex abuse report?

• National Catholic Reporter’s *1985* editorial calling for changes to address the clergy sex abuse scandal

• The aftershocks of clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church continue

• Rupnik case casts shadow on Vatican’s commitment to fight abuse

• Is the Vatican’s justice system dysfunctional by design?

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Thank you for reading and staying informed. It matters.

~ Sara