In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: March 2025 Edition

Welcome to your March 2025 In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup.

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 (especially the beautiful piece at the very end).

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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On Rupnik and the Abuse of Women Religious

• Rupnik's case casts light on the sexual abuse of nuns

• Event Summary from Awake: Exploring the Invisible Abuse of Women Religious

• Jesuits make broad offer of reparations to women who say they were abused by ex-Jesuit artist

• 500 days after statute of limitations lifted in Rupnik case, priest ‘does his work,’ travels world

• Vatican doctrine czar says judges being appointed for Rupnik case

U.S. News

• Military chaplains’ child sex abuse records elusive, as Catholic church turns its back on transparency

• Delaware: Priest, teacher charged in decades-old Wilmington child sex abuse case

• Illinois: Chicago Archdiocese lawsuit alleges group conspired to file false sex abuse claims against defrocked priest

• Maryland: Former Maryland priest arrested for child sexual abuse allegations in the 1990s, police say

• Nebraska: Police investigate claims of sexual misconduct as Diocese of Lincoln suspends Pius X priest

• New Jersey: The Catholic Church's secret quest to quash the state's clergy abuse investigation

• Ohio: Catholic parish employee Andres Andino, accused of raping child, arrested during Mass

• Tennessee: Diocese of Knoxville looks to reassign priest after board finds evidence for 'boundary violation' complaints

International News

• Catholic Church sex abuse survivors launch database vetting cardinals’ records

• Argentina: Vatican suppresses Argentine Miles Christi order

• France: French independent abuse authority has compensated nearly 850 victims since 2021

• Ireland: Galway Diocese urged to move disgraced Bishop Eamonn Casey's remains

• Poland: Day of prayer for abuse victims overshadowed by blast on independent commission

• Spain: Principal of Legionaries of Christ-linked school in Spain resigns amid abuse scandal

From Awake

• What Stops Adult Survivors Who Are from Minority Groups from Disclosing Abuse?

• Survivor Story: Frank Meuers

Reflection, Opinion, and Analysis

• If the Church is Holy, Let Her Prove It

• Witness to Truth

• The Two Sides of the Dallas Charter (trigger warning: insensitive, problematic discussion of abuse in the Church)

• Church calls on legislature to investigate child sexual abuse in state-run facilities and to treat all victims of abuse equally

• Francis calls PCPM to ‘commit’ to Vatican cooperation - Is it up to them?

• This story isn’t about the priest who abused me. It’s about my mother.

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Thank you for reading and reflecting. It matters.

~ Sara

PS: Awake is hosting our annual Way of the Cross with Survivors prayer service next Wednesday, April 9 at 7pm Central Time, and we would love to have you join us! This virtual event combines the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion with personal reflections written by abuse survivors, and it’s always a powerful evening. You can sign up here to attend live or receive the event recording via email.